Kimkim Trip Reviews

Just back from 13 days in Medellin, Tayrona and Cartagena, Colombia.
What a wonderful country, full of beautiful scenery, friendly people, good food, interesting (though somewhat tortured) history.
Of course, not all is rosy, and the guidance of the Kimkim team and Marine was crucial in keeping us safe and fulfilled.
Medellin, for example, has its rough spots, but we never felt insecure or vulnerable.
The day trip to Guatapé was great, as was city tour, Park Arvi. Staying near Parque Llera was great.
Cartagena was a great experience too, and staying at Bovedas Santa Clara allowed free access to the Sofitel, a world class beautiful resort.
Tayrona was unique as well though be forewarned, no hot water showers!
Summary.....all connections went without a hitch, all guides, drivers on time, all reservations as described. The trip was perfectly tailored to our preferences. I was very happy with the Kimkim engagement and would definitely use them again.

Ibrahim in Jordan was a fantastic guide and Mohammed was a great driver. They worked well together. We like our history so Jerash was fabulous. The hike through Dana Valley also was a highlight as was Jerusalem. Re the design of the trip, the only dud day was the trip to the Dead Sea. The hotel where we had lunch was depressing and the beach was ugly and cordoned off with barb wire.

Our winter trip to Iceland was amazing. Preeti helped us find great accomodations for our large family and tours we wouldn't have known about without her -- such as the only ice cave tour that allowed us to bring our 8-year-old. She was right to tell us that certain things we wanted to do would require too much driving and was able to suggest alternatives that fit our schedule better. We especially loved the dogsledding. There was one problem with the car rental when we arrived and we had to scramble to make new arrangements, but after the trip KimKim quickly helped us get a refund.

Trip was better than we could have ever expected. The entire process from the first messages with Bas till the fairwell hugs with tashi and Jigme at the airport and everything in between was beyond words! Tashi as a guide is phenomenal, can’t fault him. And Jigme was his perfect side kick. Nothing was too hard for the boys. Thank you for a wonderful trip!

Had a fantastic trip. Well worth it. I would recommend Kimkim to anyone that would like their trip organised for them. Andy was really easy to communicate with and our guide Dat was very knowledgeable and accommodating.

Hi
Had a good trip . Good driver and guide . V interesting tours.
Food was also V good.
Only disappoint was the second nights accommodation, described as a homestay, l have stayed in many homestays across vietnam while they are all different this one could not be described as a homestay as there was nobody living there!
Because of this although I enjoyed the tour l would not use you again or recommend you as the homestay sold was not genuine. I appreciate the original homestay was not available but the one provide was not acceptable.
Thanks jon

I reached out to KimKim because I had a difficult time planning the itinerary for our Italian vacation on my own. Giorgia did an excellent job with helping us plan. She had great recommendations for tours and things to do in Florence. She booked a small group tour of the Colosseum including the underground and other off-limit places. She also booked us for a small group tour of the Vatican. Our guides were extremely knowledgeable and seemed to love sharing the history of their city. Giorgia also booked us for a food tour in Florence. We loved trying the local foods and our guide was a lot of fun.

Giorgia had excellent communication with us and answered all of our questions. She even reached out to us during our trip to make sure everything was going smoothly.

I would definitely recommend Giorgia and KimKim to anyone looking to plan a memorable vacation!

We loved the trip to a Myanmar, especially our guides in Bagan (Ankar) and Ny Ny in Inle Lake. We loved doing the little canoe trip with Ny Ny in his village and tea with his family. Of course, Bagan was amazing.

This was a great trip, from the start of the planning to the flight home! Anne responded daily to all my questions/concerns and this made the trip planning so smooth and easy. Our guides, Lu Wine and Zawturn we incredible! They were very friendly and the trip felt more like visiting a friend who was showing us around, as opposed to hiring a guide.
We got to really feel the local scene in Mandalay! We went to local markets, spoke with Budist monks and nuns. It was great!
We learned so much about the temples in Bagan and the religion.

Also, our guides and Anne had backup plans for everything. For instance, we wanted to ride bicycles in Mandalay but it rained so we had a driver pick us up and we went to a monastery where we got to talk to a young monk who told us about Budism and what it’s like to be a monk. This is an experience we would not have had if we didn’t book the tour.
In Bagan, the weather was nice so we got to Bike, but I ran over something sharp and got a flat tire. But our driver followed not too far behind and was quickly able to meet up with us so our trip could continue. Anne and her team really thought of everything!
Also, considering the expertise, thorough planning, and great accommodations, I’m surprised the price is at such a good value!
Our guides an Anne showed us the real culture of Myanmar that most tourists I’m sure miss. If you wanted to be among locals and try local food and see places visited by locals and some tourists, then this is the perfect trip for you! I would happily book again!

We are a family who travels a lot – for work, adventure, and play. We travel together and individually from places as diverse as Afghanistan and Ethiopia. So we are capable of organising stuff ourselves. Sometimes though life is too busy, and coordinating the views and opinions of 4 sets of people living in different places is just too daunting.

We knew we wanted to travel around Burma. I knew we needed someone to organise and advise. I can’t remember how I came across kimkim and their partner in Burma Myanmar Pure, but as soon as I was put in touch with Anne Cruickshanks at Myanmar Pure, I knew I was having a conversation and not being sold to. How do I know? Well, there are serious ethical issues surrounding the decision to travel to Burma and everyone in the family was uncomfortable. Anne did not shy from the questions we were asking but provided us with perspectives to help us make our own decision.

On the design of our trip and the itinerary we communicated a lot. Anne wanted to make sure she knew exactly what we wanted – what kind of experiences did we want? How active? How adventurous? How much travelling from place to place and to what? We went through a number of itineraries. Anne didn’t mind starting again if we felt it was not quite right. At the last minute Anne accommodated an extra person in our group – it was not trouble whatsoever (or rather it might have been, but Anne did not let on for an instant).

We had seven days and we went to Mandalay, Bagan, and Lake Inle. We had three separate young guides – obliging, positive and informed. They knew just how much to join in and how much to stand back.

Nay cycled us around Mandalay – round back streets, up hills, onto tiny ferries, around markets, into Muslim and Buddhist communities, along rail bridges and gave us a lovely Burmese picnic by the Irrawaddy surrounded by munching cows. In the evening we visited a proper local temple with rituals that were more fairground than religious. Then a really great barbecue shop. Nay was great company.

Thet Wai took over at Heho, meeting us with bikes almost straight off the plane to cycle to Nyaung Shwe. We had a truly lovely snack break in a village with exceptional food. Then we cycled to Nyaung Shwe on Lake Inle (through rice fields – stopping and asking farmers dumb questions). A great lunch.

Everyone travels by boat across Lake Inle, and everyone visits weavers and local crafts shops. It is touristy and it is designed to make you buy, but hell you have to give something back. Wai gave us a really good tour of the floating gardens and of the floating/stilt houses, shouting with joy when we found a pig house sitting over the water, inaccessible to dry land. A suggestion here – some of the houses are beautiful and spectacularly painted. Don’t waste time watching the sunset over the lake, ask to stay in the village on the water and watch the sun go down on the houses (we didn’t but I wished I had). Lake sunsets are boring – you can see them anywhere. We swam from a house in the middle of the lake and watched a couple having their wedding photos taken (people don’t usually swim…).

The undoubted highlight was Wai taking us to have lunch with his family (absolutely incredible food and so welcoming and curious about us), and then to great hilarity giving us a go with leg rowing on two of the family boats). We all had a go and it was brilliant. This is something people don’t do – and it was Anne and Wai that made it possible. I predict it will be the next bog thing at Inle.

The next day we had a gentle walk around the hills and good noodles in a place with a great view. Thet Wai is a legend.

The final stop was Bagan with a new guide called Arkar. He was laid back, patient and very good humoured. A really good guide. We had a day’s fun zooming around the temple complex on electric scooters (all coloured like Power Rangers) and eating in local places. Brilliant. We had final cocktails on our own boat watching the sunset over the Irrawaddy (best boat and best position).

All the hotels were very comfortable and well situated.

So thanks kimkim, Anne, Nay, Thet Wai, and Arkar. You are brilliant. It was an extraordinary holiday – open to what was going on in the wider country, but adding value to people working hard to make a living at a local level.

Koy, Hilary, Doy, Guy and Matt. December 2017

Both our guide in Yangoon and Bagan were very well prepared and considerate. In particular our guide in Bagan was a delight to work with and we are glad to have met her. All members of the guide staff were professional and pleasant to work with.

Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon is amazing, as one can read in many reviews. Perhaps the most memorable place we visited was the street market in Bagan.

Very knowledgeable and helpful!

We loved our time in Morocco! It was especially great because of our driver/guide Saleh. He was very professional and respectful to us. We were very satisfied with Hotel Amlal, beber camp site, and Hotel Casablanca. The only issue we had was with Hotel Akabar. It did not really meet our expectations and the hotel and dining staff were not great. It was the only accommodation that did not provide us with any water during our dinners, and did not give us an option for dinner like the other accommodations. We would go out to buy water for our meals at Hotel Akabar. Other than this, we truly had a great experience and we are so grateful for our driver and guide Saleh! Please give him a special shout out!

The trek was amazing. The views were spectacular and those in my group were really friendly. Ngima was an excellent guide, open to suggestions while also keeping us on a good schedule. The teahouses/lodges we stayed at were better than expected. The Poon Hill sunrise hike and our stay in the village of Ghandruk were the most memorable parts but, all in all, we made a good amount of memories and friends throughout the trek!

8 days tour Nepal Chitwan and Kathmandu Valley trekking - Kimkim organized a couple of fantastic tours for us whilst we were in Nepal. They ensured we were fully prepared and had all information at hand to prepare for out trip. Whilst there they ensured the local tour company took care of us and organised eveything during our trips whilst remaining adaptable if thing needed to be changed. We asked for a few specific things during the tours and kimkim made sure they were absolutely catered for. This is the first time used Kimkim and we will definitey use them for our next long haul family trip to South America (Ecaudor and Peru).

Our driver Mahesh was great. The van was beeping the entire time, some programming problem. We were in the van a lot and this was very annoying. The hotels were just okay, not 4 or 5 star like we asked. Some of the bathrooms were sub-par. The Colombo hotel was way out for the main city, which was very disappointing! We asked to go to a spa for a massage and they place was not good.

We (a group of 4) started planning our Morocco trip almost too late - by first week of December we were still discussing whether Morocco is our destination for 2017's Christmas - New Year break.

I was elected to be in charge of planning this trip.
We only have 7-8 days but we don't want to miss a thing in Morocco - eventually I was sitting there scratching my head looking at a list of 7 different cities/places and trying to weaver them together with almost no knowledge of how to get around when we get there.

So I made a decision of entrusting the entire trip to an agency.
I contacted two agencies (both N. America based) and got their fee proposals. The prices were exorbitant. I also found some Morocco based tours but they lacked the flexibility we needed.
Here's what we wanted to do:
Casablanca - Chefchaouen - Fes - Merzouga (camel ride and sleeping under the stars!) - Ouarzazate - Marrakech - Casablanca.
That's nearly 2000km.

Eventually I stumbled upon KimKim and gave it a try. Ian Hardie replied my message in under an hour and then we started talking. In the next 3-4 days we exchanged at least 20 messages discussing every detail of the trip. Ian was extremely helpful. He had extensive knowledge about the places we plan to go and what to be expected. He was always very patient and willing to accommodate our many requests. His partner in Morocco - Larbie Anzal - was helping us to book accommodations and arranging transportation. I knew I could trust these good people and the results proved me right.

It was almost a mission impossible to plan and execute such an intensive trip in such a short timeframe but we did it.
The trip in Morocco was very memorable. I'd even say it is one of the best trips I've had in my life.

Youssef our driver was a great guy who was always passionate to show us anything and everything about his country. He also stepped up and defended us when a local cafe vendor attempted to overcharge our espressos. But trust me we loved almost every encounter with Moroccan people. They were very welcoming and kind.
Youssef had a copy of our trip plan and it was executed in the best way possible. By comparison some friends of mine visited Morocco last year and they decided to be on their own - and had a lot of difficulties moving around trying to take a combination of trains, grand taxis and other means of transport. I did just that in Czech, Austria, Slovakia etc last year - in central Europe it was doable. In Morocco however, especially when you have a tight schedule and are planning on visiting the Sahara, having an exclusive car and driver is your best bet. My advise to people who are planning this trip: talk to Ian, and ask for Youssef to be your driver and trustworthy travel companion - you will find your trip extremely pleasant, easy, comfortable and hustle-free.

My friends just told me that their coworkers and friends who've been to Morocco were all surprised how efficiently we were able to visit so many places in 7 days and yet were still able to have a very enjoyable trip. My friends gave me tonnes of thanks and compliments for making this happen - I'd like to pass them on to Ian Hardie, Larbie Anzal and our driver Youssef. Without them our trip may not even be possible, let alone being awesome.

I won't hesitate to recommend Ian and Larbie to anyone who's planning their next trip to Morocco. You won't regret it.

There are so much about this trip and about planning for this trip that I wanted to write here and share with everyone, only if I had more time. Maybe some other day I'll come back and add more details to it.
Now I have to go back to the endless hardwork of sorting my 5000+ photos taken on this trip...hope I can finish before next trip starts.

We used KimKim for our December 9 day self-drive of Iceland. I feel like we received a hotel, vehicle rental and tour booking service. This is very convenient, although I was hoping for a detailed itinerary with a realistic schedule and addresses. We were given a broad general itinerary with points of interest. We found ourselves backtracking unfortunately and took roads to keep from backtracking and ended up losing an entire day (there are just 5 hours of daylight in winter) trying to take a different route. KimKim stated that hotels were booked since we contacted them just a few weeks ahead of the trip but we passed many hotels closer to the points of interests and feel as though we spent much to much time with limited daylight driving to our hotels. The hotels booked for us were great, no complaints about the accommodations just far from where we had been sightseeing.

We had an amazing time nevertheless Iceland is gorgeous and we realize in retrospect that we could have booked the hotels etc ourselves but didn't want the hassle. The weather was fantastic. cold of course (so wear many layers) we were fortunate to never have more than a snow flurry. I highly recommend Iceland in December!

One thing worth mentioning -
We also wish that Kimkim advised us against doing both the Ice cave tour and Glacier Tour. The Ice Cave tour was a disappointment and a waste of money given the glacier hike takes you into an ice crevasse which was absolutely amazing in comparison to the cramped tourist ice "trap" - hole. I requested the Ice cave tour. Caveat - the photos online are three years old. It has since shrunken and is not at all like the images. Ice melts and changes shape!

Overall our 12 days in Iceland were excellent. We did eveything we'd included in our trip specification, although mother nature didn't deliver whales on our Laki cruise or a spectacular northern lights display. However, we did have a magnificent White Christmas experience in Siglufjörður at the Herring House, which was the highlight of the trip for me. Other highlights were:

the dog sledding with Ispiration Iceland as we all got to drive our own sleds instead of just being passengers

our private super jeep tour into Thorsmörk with Iceland Activities which got us places we could have reached by ourselves in our rental car

New Years Eve in Reykjavik with it's joyous anarchic fireworks display laid on by the public.

Apart from some confusion about the quoted price, the service provided by KimKim and their Icelandic partner Wild Westfjords was first class. They proposed an itinerary based on our wish list and made the bookings for us, which I had neither the time nor the local knowledge to do myself. Our trip may have been cheaper if I had arranged it myself, but it wouldn't have been as awesome. The extra money spent organising this trip through KimKim was a good investment in terms of time saved during the planning and booking phase, the travel experience while we were away, and the asdistance provided by Preeti and Halldor of Wild Wesfjords before and during our trip. They even answered questions posed by members of my group which we could have answered ourselves with a quick google search.

Little things did go wrong along the way, like the rental car which didn't come with the ordered GPS, the broken heating in the snow truck which took us on our Into the Glacier trip, which resulted in us spending a couple of hours sitting in a deep freeze passenger cabin in temperatures below -10C, but none of that was the fault of KimKim and Wild Westfjords.

Thank-you KimKim, Preeti and Halldor for our best holiday ever!

We had the most amazing time in Norway. Linda went above and beyond for us and customized the perfect trip for my husband and I and our two young sons (1 & 2). It is probably the best vacation we've ever had. Thank you, Linda!