Kimkim Trip Reviews

We had a fabulous trip to Norway and it was in no small part due to using KimKim. The entire trip was very well planned out and every single activity, excursion and hotel was exceptional. BUT the biggest bonus was having a KimKim rep available to make any changes or answer questions during the trip. I can not understate how valuable this was for our entire trip. Through text with KimKim rep I was able to make changes to a few excursions due to weather. Response was quick and my requests were taken care very quickly. Excursion highlights were kayaking in Bergen and all of our fjord tours. The train to flam in unreal and dinner cruise and Cornelius restaurant were home runs. Whole trip was awesome!

Hotel Review

Hotel Christiania Teater

Oslo

Great hotel great location loved it!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right in city center

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Oslo private tour

Oslo

Bjorn is incredible guide

Quality of Experience

Y

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bergen: A Walk Through Past and Present

Bergen

Very informative

Quality of Experience

Y

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fjordcruise to Hardanger

Bergen

Unbelievable and do the hike to waterfall at hardanger

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Kayaktour Bergen

Bergen

One of the best activities of our trip - Lena is the best guide ever.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boat Trip and Dinner at Cornelius Seafood Restaurant

Bergen

The best dining experience ever

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fløibanen

Bergen

Fun and great views

Electric Dinner cruise on the Oslo Fjord

Oslo

Don’t miss great evening

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mostraumen Cruise

Bergen

Awesome cruise great views

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We planned our hiking trip in Ireland using KimKim and the local representative, Dean from Ireland Walk Hike Bike, arranged a terrific self-guided trip for us in the Southwest of Ireland. Every day was memorable. We particularly appreciated their responsiveness when there were questions. Twice we needed to change plans and they responded in minutes, updating our itinerary info and GPS. Loved the accommodations they arranged at Ashling Hotel, the Old Weir Lodge and Tower View B&B and the people at all of them. Had wonderful drivers too. Cannot recommend highly enough!

Hotel Reviews

Ashling Hotel Dublin

Dublin

Terrific hotel. Great location, particularly if you are taking the train, as the station is across the street. Most restaurants an easy 15-20 minute walk, but some close as well. Three blocks from one of the largest parks in Europe. Also close to Guinness brewery if you are going there. Very good breakfast and super friendly host, who spontaneously started leading us in traditional Irish song! Loved it!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tower View

Dingle

Loved the Tower View B&B! Aiden, Helen and the staff made us feel so welcome. Very friendly and welcoming. Breakfasts were terrific. A big part of why we had such a wonderful trip to Southwestern Ireland!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Old Weir Lodge

Killarney

Felt so welcomed by the O’Donoghue family at the Old Weir Lodge! Small hotel/Inn with the feel of a B&B. Felt so welcomed. It was a plus that father and son run the boat tour we took in the park as well. Excellent breakfast and service. Highly recommend!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

FALCONRY KERRY

Ireland

Had some time on our last day in Killarney before getting our train and this was a perfect way to spend the morning. Highly recommend!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The itinerary planned for us by Elise was great. We never had to travel too far to.our hotel from.the train or Ferry. We woukd not have known about some of the activities e.g the cider tasting with fantastic food at Balestrand.

Hotel Reviews

Kviknes Hotel

Balestrand

Gorgeous views, the most peaceful place I have ever been. Good breakfast, nice staff

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Augustin Hotel

Bergen

This is a fairly basic hotel but is very central. Decor is grey, very narrow corridors, some rooms are very small.The ventilation is noisy so.i could not sleep.the first night. However the staff were very responsive when I.mentioned this and they gave me a new room which was quieter.

Authenticity & Character

Everything is Grey..walls and, carpet

Location

Cental

Staff

Responsive

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms small

Zander K Hotel

Bergen

Good location, central. Pool and Sauna

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Cidertasting & Lunch/Snack

Balestrand

The cider and the food were lovely, and interesting talk re history of cider making in Norway

Quality of Experience

Food

Great Summer Waterfall and Fjord Tour

Voss

The waterfalls were fantastic, and I really enjoyed the film at the nature centre. However there was no time for lunch built into the day and there was a lot of travelling. I suggest cutting some activities out and including tome for lunch as it was a very long day with very little food!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Grest to.hear background on Norway

Transport

Very long day with many changes of Bost, bus and train

Gondola Ride in Voss

Voss

Great views from the top and lots of hiking trails

Quality of Experience

Transport

Our trip to Greece (Athens, Mykonos & Naxos) was fantastic. Mariliza suggested and booked the perfect things for us and understood that we didn't want to be too scheduled. The trips/tours we did were: - the Acropolis/Parthenon, a sailing trip to Delos from Mykonos, a cooking class and and island tour of Naxos. It was perfect. The hotels were amazing and just right for our family of four with our two grown daughters. In Mykonos and Naxos we had 'maisonettes' which is like a small two bedroom appt - just the right amount of privacy and togetherness. All the transfers and pick-ups were exactly on time and any changes were communicated well in advance and in multiple ways to make sure we didn't miss them! The trip was very smoothly run and everthing happened exactly as Mariliza said it would. Our local guides were also top notch and very informative - Dimitra (Acropolis), Jessie (Delos), Mrs. Vuola (cooking class) and Leonidis (Naxos island tour). We had the perfect amount of things to do/see and beach/alone time. We will definitely go back, Greece has so much to see, and we will definitely use Kim Kim for that next trip.

Hotel Reviews

Shila Athens

Athens

Beautiful little boutique hotel, exquisitely furnished and appointed. Very quiet and romantic with only a few rooms. No food amenities available within the hotel and breakfast was ordered in from outside sources for us as we had early pick-ups the two days we were there. A short walk from restaurants and tourist attractions. I wouldn't stay if I had children but perfect for couples.

Authenticity & Character

Everything in the rooms was beautiful and beautifully packaged from the coffee to the robes and the items for sale.

Location

Not to far from everything but not in the thick of it.

Staff

Very accommodating of our needs.

Cleanliness & Comfort

This is just a beautiful, unusual place. Do not stay expecting all the amenities of a big chain hotel, this is not that kinds of place. You will get individual attention for your specific needs.

Nimbus Mykonos

Mykonos

The accomodations here were top notch, very clean and comfortable. The thing that made the Nimbus great was the staff and how accomodating they were. Nothing was too much to ask. They were so nice and helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Fantastically clean. Beautiful views of the bay.

Location

This hotel is not in the center of Mykonos town, it was approx 15mins by car to get there. Perfect for us as it was not in the 'thick of it'. Peaceful. Right next to a small, pretty beach (walkable).

Staff

Already said that the staff were fantastic.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Majo Suites Hotel Naxos

Naxos

Such a friendly place run by a family of very friendly people. They love to meet and talk with their guests and get to know them. Naxos is not such a touristy island and the experiences here are more about true Greek life and meeting Greek people who actually live there, whereas a lot of the Greek people we met in Mykonos were from elsewhere in Greece and were in Mykonos for the 'summer season'. Loved both experiences but quite different from each other.

Authenticity & Character

Meet Greek people who want to meet YOU in the place where they live. They are very proud of their island and it's produce.

Location

Not in the Naxos town but a short bus ride away. Easy to navigate the buses and the best way to get around without renting a car.

Staff

Fun and friendly. Genuinely concerned that you have a lovely time while at their property.

Cleanliness & Comfort

COCO-MAT Athens BC

Athens

Very comfortable big city hotel with very comfortable beds (and rooms). All the amenities you'd expect from a big city hotel and located right across from the new Acropolis Museum. Perfect spot for exploring Athens.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Athens Highlights / Mythology Tour

Athens

Dimitra was our wonderfully informative guide for this mind-blowing experience. Hellish hot so come prepared with hat, water and sunscreen and plan to take a loooooong lunch afterwards but this tour is not to be missed. So much information about one of the worlds most important sites. The beginning of so much that we now use in our own societies. Can't miss it, especially with a guide like Dimitra.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

⛵ Sailing Cruise to Delos archaeological site & Rhenia islet

Mykonos

Well the Mediterranean happened to be windless and calm the day we 'sailed' so we used the motor most of the time. However, we barely noticed as we made friends with the other sailors. First stop was Delos island and although we'd never heard of it before, Jessie our guide, allowed us to understand how important it was in the history of the region. Amazing island with ruins all over the place. Again very hot and not much shade so go prepared. Then we got to swim in turquoise blue clear water which was very welcome after the long hot tour of Delos. Managed to get one sail up on the way back.

Quality of Experience

Food

The dressing on the basic pasta lunch was delicious

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Beautiful boat.

🍴 Naxian Cooking Experience

Naxos

This was hilarious, so much fun. Making moussaka with the ladies from Mrs. Vuola's family and then getting a tour of their farm from the son while the moussaka was cooking. A wonderfully authentic experience topped of with eating our creations - will never buy tzatziki again, will only make it.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide Lilian was lovely. Was great to connect with her and understand why a Brit chose to retire to Greece.

Transport

Naxos Highlights Tour, Yesterday & Today

Naxos

Great experience. Leo ushered us through some of the mountain villages most tourists don't get to see. Very interesting.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vincenzo was responsive and very helpful in creating an Italy dream trip for my partner and I. I had a rough vision and he fleshed it out with hotels, transfers, and tickets as needed. We hit Rome (5 nights), Naples (2 nights), Amalfi Coast (4 nights, including Positano, Ravello, a boat trip, and Path of the Gods), as well as Sorrento (2 nights) and Capri (1 night). I could relay a hundred amazing moments, but if in Naples be sure to give the Archaeological Museum the time it deserves before setting out for Pompeii. The only wrinkle: my sister had a health issue come up and could not attend after we payed, so we lost a *significant* amount of money on her portion of the trip. The kimkim refund policies are honestly not the most flexible. They should directly sell travel insurance contextually within the interface to protect people against these types of things. Basically, the hotels were able to sell her room twice! Aside from that bummer, the trip came together fantastically and had nothing to do with Vincenzo's level of service in the end.

What a wonderful trip! It was everything we could have asked for, and Asko was amazing at helping us plan every detail. He was so communicative before, during, and after our honeymoon; we were in great hands and didn't have to worry about a thing!

I would definitely recommend KimKim to travelers and am sure to use it again.

Anna created an amazing Trip for us. She listened to what we liked and put together a trip that met all my requirements. She was super flexible, and had many great ideas. She thought of everything - trains, buses and even taxis. All the hotels were close to transport so we didn't have to carry bags too far.

Tricia took over just before the trip and was super helpful - she responded quickly to all my questions on the trip.

The trip itself was everything we could have asked for - some great walks and plenty of fjords!

We interacted directly with mieke during the later half of planning and during the time we were there. Everything was good. When we needed help finding our way we were messaged with help right away. We love all the places, but our favorite was Bruges, Gent, the Hague, Amsterdam, Rotterdam and then Antwerp.

We had a fantastic honeymoon trip in Thailand! Using KimKim was a great experience. Initially, I was nervous, but after talking with our agent, Tina, I felt more at ease. Tina created an exciting itinerary tailored to our requirements and was highly knowledgeable and flexible, accommodating our changes to the itinerary until the week of our trip.

All our private guides showed us great hospitality and care. Leena, our guide in Bangkok, gave us an excellent tour of the temples and shared much information about Thailand's history and culture. Mrs. Da, our guide in Chiang Mai, provided a fantastic tour of Doi Inthanon National Park, which was truly memorable. We were well cared for and never felt lost or confused about our following plans.

Overall, our honeymoon was not only fun but also educational. We learned so much about Thailand in just a few days, making it feel like we had been there much longer. We look forward to our next trip with KimKim Travel and highly recommend their services.

Hotel Reviews

Holiday Inn Express & Suites Bangkok Central Pier

Bangkok

Great value for money. We only stayed one night here.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It's close to the city centre.

Staff

Courteous staff and very responsive

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was well made and very clean.

Hotel Indigo Phuket Patong

Phuket

This hotel didn't meet our expectations. The facilities in the room were not the best. The electric sockets didn't work properly. The shower kept going from hot to cold. The room felt damp even though the AC was on. The hotel was just average, it didn't meet our expectations or value for money. However their restaurants and staff service was very good. We enjoyed the food.

Authenticity & Character

It matched the Phuket vibe in terms of it's character

Location

Located 7 mins from Patong Beach.

Staff

Friendly staff and very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Deep cleaning of rooms required. The rooms appeared to be damp maybe because of the repairs going on with the roof.

InterContinental Chiang Mai The Mae Ping

Chiang Mai

This hotel was the best place we stayed at during our trip. The hotel ambiance was lovely, and the location is excellent as it is close to the town center with many restaurants and shops nearby. The staff were also great, and our room was well-maintained and very comfortable. The breakfast was delicious and we were spoiled for choice.

Authenticity & Character

Huge hotel not locally owned but provide a taste of local experience.

Location

Central location close to main street and many attractions.

Staff

The staff were excellent. Very courteous and made every effort to meet our needs

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel environment was impeccable. The room was fantastic. The quality of the amenities provided were of a high standard.

Holiday Inn Bangkok Silom, an IHG Hotel

Bangkok

Wonderful customer service. Staff were very attentive and friendly. The room was spacious and had an amazing view of the city. The bed was big and pillows were soft. The hotel was very clean and located in a central area close to many amenities. Breakfast was great, there was a good about of variety. The only thing was that some of the food was a bit cold.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

They were excellent. Very helpful and friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room was neat and tidy. Bed was very comfortable

Activity Reviews

Phi Phi island, Khai island, Pi Leh lagoon & Maya bay by speed boat

Phuket

Very knowledgeable and experienced guides. Beautiful beaches and good food highly recommend

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Bangkok!

Bangkok

This set the tone for us. It was a great evening out getting to learn a bit about Thai culture and traditions. Kao San Road was great to experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Enjoy Food Tasting in Chinatown!

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tea Plantation Visit in Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A Day trip to Doi Inthanon National Park!

Chiang Mai

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Elephant Jungle Sanctuary in Chiang Mai-Half Day

Chiang Mai

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

John Gray's Sea Canoe - Hong by Starlight

Phuket

We had an exciting day visiting the caves. We swam in the ocean and did some kayaking. The guides were very knowledgeable and gave us an informative tour of the caves. The food on the boat was really good. We enjoyed making our own Kratong.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A visit to Mae Klong Railway market and Damnoen Saduak Floating Market!

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploring Bangkok by local transfers and walking tour

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My three daughters and I had an amazing vacation. We saw a lot of the country in 10 days. From Porto to the Algarve and many stops in and around the major cities. Our drivers and guides were friendly and informative. I think a must do on my list would be to kayak around the rocks and caves in Lagos. The water is crystal clear and although the weather is hot there is a nice breeze The Portuguese folks are happy and friendly with concerts and dancing in the streets with little pop up beer gardens around the city of Lisbon.and Lagos. The towns seem to be very safe even in the evening and the towns are always lively. Everyone speaks English, it’s the common language to speak with most tourist. Don’t miss the beach town of Nazaré at least a quick lunch and visit to the light house. The Douro Valley is splendid to view and visit a winery while you’re there. The town of Sintra is very charming. We visited the pena castle with absolutely splendid gardens. Prepare to hike a bit and wear sneakers It also seems that most towns have a signature pastry so you must visit a bakery or two. I gained a pound or two!

My experience with KimKim and Lise in particular during our short trip to France was nothing short of amazing. Great suggestions of accommodation and activities, all of whom my family and I thoroughly enjoyed, as well as extremely reliable and professional guides and transfer services. Well done and thank you. I will most definitely rely on you again in the future!

Hotel Review

Hotel Le Negresco

Nice

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Monaco, Eze and La Turbie Tour Private Tour

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cannes, Antibes and St Paul de Vence Private Tour

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My family and I had a wonderful time in Turkey thanks to the kimkim team and our local specialist, Murat.

This was our second time using kimkim to book a vacation and we had a terrific experience. Our Turkey specialist, Murat, was very knowledgeable, helpful and accommodating in planning our trip. He would reply promptly to messages, which communicating back and forth very easy. He was also available via message throughout our trip for any last minute changes or questions.

Our local guides in Istanbul, Cappadocia, and Konya were also excellent. All were enthusiastic about their work, very accommodating and friendly, and made our experience much more memorable.

For anyone looking to book a trip to Turkey, I would highly recommend kimkim and Murat and his team.

Hotel Review

Raffles Istanbul

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Whirling Dervish Ceremony at Saruhan Caravansarai

Turkey

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Byzantine + Ottoman Istanbul

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Eminönü Heritage Tour: Explore the Historical Bazaars and Ottoman Architectural Sites of Istanbul

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Boat Tour on the Bosphorus

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the historical + modern hub: Pera, Karaköy and Beyond

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visiting Göreme Open Air Museum (UNESCO World Heritage)

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kaymaklı Underground City

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sightseeing Around Uçhisar and Discovering the Cappadocian Valleys

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We have been on many trips with Kim Kim but this was t disappointing. Asia highlights provided a very poor guide In Tokyo who both had no knowledge and a poor attitude. The other guides had good attitudes but also not knowledgeable except Mei at the end, who was both knowledgeable and hard working. Kate droppe the ball many times and never had good suggestions for activities, I would not recommend her or Asia highlights.

Activity Reviews

Full Day Tokyo Tour by Private Vehicle and Guide

Tokyo

It could have been a lot better with a warm knowledgeable guide who did more than just take us to places. She knew nothing, had no explanations and seemed generally unhappy.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Harajuku

Tokyo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This is a review of our trip to Turkey, May 24, 2024 to June 5 2024.

First we would like to say that our guide for 8 days, Ms. Sebnem Altin was truly exceptional (5 stars!!). She was friendly, knowledgable, and fun to be with. We would definitely want any future travel by us to this region to involve her friendly services and expertise.

There were too many high points of our trip to review them all here. We would like to focus on a couple of things:

1. Hotels: Our favorite was Nisanyan Hotel in Sirinje. It was pretty much perfect in atmosphere, location, and charm. It had excellent service, and good food.
Bank Hotel in Istanbul was good, it was very well located the City, and had good things to do within walking distance. It was a little bit on the "high end" for us, in terms of luxury, but still OK. One note about this Hotel (if you communicate with them) regards the in room electrical set-up (e.g., lights). They were very difficult to use.
The Hotel in Pammukale was billed as a "Spa resort". It was just a Ramada franchise, and was our least favorite. All of the "Spa" water facilities there were closed. It was full of bus loads of tourists, and had cafeteria-style food in a large common room. We would have been much better off to skip this and drive on to the Hotel Anatolia (Sebnem knew this place and took us there for lunch), and stay there (the restaurant Anatolia there was excellent).
Swissotel Bodrum : This was comfortable and nice, and the location on the sea was good. However the atmosphere was veery high end and exclusive. The restaurant in this hotel had a limited menu, and there was nothing else within walking distance. We did discover on our own a town near Bodrum, called Yalikavak. In Yalikavak there is a region called the "old city", this had a very nice atmosphere with small shops and cafes in a charming pedestrian zone. This would probably have been a better location for us.
2. As for the daily tours with Ms. Sebnem, everything was great. She was very knowledgable, helpful, friendly, and we saw and learned a great deal. If we were to change anything, (knowing what we know now), would probably leave Pamukkale out altogether. It was crowded and touristy, and the hotel was a letdown. In retrospect we would consider replacing it with Cappadocia, or possibly just visiting Hieropolis, and then going on to hotel Anatolia.

Thanks for helping us make this trip so memorable!
Best regards,
Walt and Marilyn Madsen

Hotel Reviews

The Bank Hotel

Istanbul

Great location in the city. Walking distance from many good shops and cafes.

Authenticity & Character

Quiet and comfortable.

Location

Close to interesting things to see on foot.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Signature Hotel & Spa

Authenticity & Character

All "spa" facilities were closed. Loud bar music we could hear from the room. Very crowded with bus tourist groups. Cafeteria style dining.

Location

Isolated. No neighborhood.

Staff

Everyone was courteous and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nisanyan Houses

Selçuk

Very charming location with multiple quiet, beautiful terraces. on the side of a mountain overlooking the town. The room was very nice.

Authenticity & Character

The interiors were all charming and comfortable. The food was great, and there were many quiet, leafy terraces with nice views. It had the feel of a nice older house.

Location

Lovely views over the town and valley

Staff

Great service, everyone was very considerate and friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Swissôtel Resort Bodrum Beach

The atmosphere is high end and very exclusive.

Authenticity & Character

Very quiet, with great ocean views.

Location

The beach setting was great, however there is nothing accessible on foot nearby.

Staff

Very courteous and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Urban Hiking Tour: Strolling around Old City Walls, Fener + Balat

İstanbul

The neighborhoods Fener and Balat were well worth visiting. This brought home many of the more interesting aspects of life in Istanbul, seeing interesting small shops and everyday houses and buildings.

Quality of Experience

Again, our guide Ms. Senem Altin was really good, with helping get a feel for what we were seeing.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trip to beautiful Aphrodisias

Turkey

The quality of the restorations are remarkable, giving this site a remarkable feel of somehow being there when it was thriving.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Ancient City of Ephesus

Turkey

This site is truly impressive, just magnificent.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Byzantine + Ottoman Istanbul

İstanbul

Very informative walking tour with a great guide (Sebnem Altin).

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Boat Tour on the Bosphorus

İstanbul

The views of the city from the water are spectacular and worth seeing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Eminönü Heritage Tour: Explore the Historical Bazaars and Ottoman Architectural Sites of Istanbul

İstanbul

Another good day with our guide. Seeing and learning so much. We are not sure if this was the day we took a side trip to the restaurant Ciya Sofrasi on the Asian side for lunch, but that was one of the more special things we did in all of Istanbul.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Şirince: A Guided Stroll in a beautiful Aegean Village

Şirince

The town is nice. The shops are pretty geared for tourists.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Priene: A beautiful ancient Ionian town

Turkey

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pamukkale and Hierapolis

Pamukkale

Hierapolis was really good. It is worth strolling the ruins, and particularly the necropolis (largest in the ancient world). Pamukkale was very crowded and touristy.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover the ancient city of Laodikeia

Pamukkale

The site is large and very interesting. The ongoing restorations are amazing. We were lucky to be there when it was not at all crowded, so it was relaxing and felt very special.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sebnem Altin was great on this site, its history and character.

Transport

Guided Tour + Lunch in Kusadasi

Turkey

Kusadasi is a busy metropolis with high end euro boutique shops. The restaurant was excellent. The best fish of the whole trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover the ancient sites of Miletus and Didyma

Turkey

Miletus has a fantastic Roman colosseum. Didyma has spectacular huge columns.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to Ephesus Archaeological Museum

Turkey

Really good to see so much up so close.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our driver (Etam, sp?) was great.

This is my second trip with kimkim in 2 years. I just recommended them to my sister who booked her first trip. That should give insight into how I feel about their services.

Irene was my advisor. She planned a 14 day trip for destinations surrounding Milan that included Genoa, Camogli, Bologna, Verona and Lake Como. The only place I specifically requested was Lake Como; the others she selected for me. ALL were worthwhile & some I never would have thought of on my own. So glad I got the chance to experience them.

The time was compressed to get the itinerary in order. Irene worked quickly and efficiently and proactively communicated when it was imperative that I make a decision in order not to foreclose an opportunity. Much appreciated.

She was a good listener to my reactions to suggestions and happily modified plans based on such input. She went out of her way to ensure I had help with my overpacked luggage.

The accommodations were clean, safe & well-located with helpful staff. Standouts were Hotel Palazzo Grillo in Genoa, Sublimis Boutique Hotel in Camogli and Palace Hotel Lake Como in Como. These 3 were just gorgeous and authentic to the location.

Excursions were all to my liking: either private or small group, led by engaging and knowledgeable guides, entertaining and educational. I could not have selected better.

And the during trip travel team - always available by WhatsApp - deserve special recognition. They were always responsive, resourceful and patient.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Palazzo Grillo

Genova

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Porta San Mamolo

Bologna

Location a bit out of the way. Staff at front desk upon arrival not particularly welcoming or informative. Room was dusty - particularly AC when turned on & vent opened.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Escalus Luxury Suites Verona

Verona

Fabulous location. Amazing space in room. Just a bit sterile and lacking in charm or character.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palace Hotel Lake Como

Como

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sublimis Boutique Hotel Camogli - Adults Only

Camogli

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Genoa Highlights Private Tour

Italy

Loved my guide and content of tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Tasting Tour in Santa Margherita & Camogli

Italy

My favorite guide of the trip. Would book any tour she was leading.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Classic Bologna Food Tour

Bologna

Thoughtful and highly knowledgeable guide.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sirmione & Lake Garda Tour from Verona

Verona

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Valpolicella Wine tour

Italy

Wonderful activity. 2 wineries were great selections and very interesting juxtaposition. Onsite guides outstanding.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Verona Walking Tour

Italy

So much more to see than I realized.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Local transfer in Milan

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Slow Travel In Como, Brunate & Torno

Lake Como

I signed up for this without properly reading what it was! Nonetheless, it turned out great. Fabia was excellent. At this point, I am in moderate fitness shape, and I found several points of relatively flat hike a bit strenuous. Had lunch at hike-in only restaurant that was charming.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overall, the trip was very good. there were a few missteps that could have been avoided.
I suspect that Cat or Phil will share some of them with you already. Instead of reiterating what i believe they have already shared with you, i will add another concern. I take some of the blame. I should have figured out that we had STANDING tickets for the ABBA Experience. You listed the tickets with a seat number, but it did say "Standing." I just could not believe that they were in fact tickets for us to STAND throughout the video. I expected to be seated. I thought we would be seated. I was surprised we did not have seated tickets. I would have preferred a ticket to a show in which we could be seated to enjoy the performance.
Besides that, it was the little things that should not have been an issue but did disrupt the trip. There was a mix-up with the location of our Tea in London. We were seated in coach instead of first class on the train through the Chunnel. The ground transportation from the Airport in Amsterdam was a problem. Little things like these, made the drop from 5 stars to 4.

Pedro did an amazing job with our trip to Portugal. He listened very carefully to our preferences and tailored the trip to accommodate our likes. His daily check in was incredibly reassuring. Our driver, Nelson, was very kind and a great resource during our travels. He was beyond professional and incredibly accommodating. I can't recommend Pedro enough! When we return to Portugal, we plan our travel with Pedro.

Portugal is a beautiful country, with friendly and kind people. The food is delicious and the wine is amazing. We enjoyed our visit very much.

Hotel Review

Maison Albar Hotels Le Monumental Palace

Porto

Great location, clean rooms and friendly staff. The dining at the hotel was delicious.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Lisbon's Historic Odyssey on a Private Walking Tour & Tastings

Lisbon

Our guide Pedro was super knowledgable and took us on a great walking tour of Lisbon. He showed up some less crowded ways to navigate the city. The tour concluded with a wine and cheese tasting. Great guide, great city.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vaseem created an amazing itinerary for our 14-day trip to France, from Paris to Bordeaux. He was always quick to respond to questions before and during our trip. I can't imagine the hours we've saved not having to plan the trip ourselves, nor would we have had the extensive knowledge of someone local to the country. Our trip started with a 2-hour vintage car tour through Paris which my husband and I thoroughly enjoyed and the trip only got better with dinner cruises, shows, museums, castles, wine and food tours and of course lots of bread, cheese, pastries and wine. The accommodations in all 5 cities / villages were lovely, the people were so friendly, the countryside spectacular. Thank you so much for making our 40th anniversary celebration an unforgettable experience!

Hotel Reviews

Les Manoirs de Tourgéville

Deauville

Beautiful accommodations. Excellent restaurant. Great atmosphere.

Au Charme Rabelaisien

Amboise

The owners were fantastic, super friendly and helpful. Room was large with great views. Centrally located for easy walking to shopping and restaurants.

Activity Review

Discovery tour of Paris by vintage car

Paris

Vivienne was friendly, knowledgeable, gave great tips for navigating the city, places to visit, etc.

I want thank Jessica, Janice, Wayan, Oki and Asink enough for making it such a great trip!
Firstly, Jessica for organising my itinerary, took onboard everything I wanted and was patient with me as I decided on what I wanted to do and experience on my trip to Bali, my first time in there!! She was absolutely briliant, as we say in East London the Dog's Bollocks! ( meaning GREAT!!)

Janice my on the ground contact, always checking in on me every so often, making sure I was enjoying my time in Bali and having a great time and experience!!

NOW, Oki and Wayan, my guide and driver. Think I've made mates for life!! same goes for Jessica and Janice! I spent most of the time with these two geezas! Diamond Geezas! Great chats while driving to places and joking me around constantly, with my dark British humor! HA!!

Every place I went was great, time in Ubud, tours of the Hindu temples, waterfalls, experience Sebatu Soul
purification ritual. The best and toughest was Hike to Mount Agung to see the sunrise! Absolutely breathtaking!! Learning about Bamboo construction and visiting the Green Village, as a part-time woodworker, this was especially great to see!!
Cycling tour in Kintamani was great as I got to visit local villages, this felt a little awkward as I felt like the western tourist, gawping... but being of Indian decent I was aware enough to take too many photos.

Lombok was very chill compared to Bali, slower pace which was nice, mount Rinjani was beautiful even though I had to cancel the hike as my legs and knees were a bit messed up from the Agung hike. The Gili Island, were beautiful, did some
snorkeling, my first time!

Coming back to Bali and spending a night in Menjangan, in hotel in the forest was well deserved rest!! Watching the sunset from the Bali Tower from the hotel lobby! Brilliant!! No matter where I was the sunset were just unreal! No building impending the view, just nature, tree, mountains and hills.

My last few days were in Seminyak and a day visit to Nusa Penida Island, again breathtaking views! Waves crashing into cliffs, out of this world but not!! Seminyak is a lot more busier than Ubud, great shops and restaurants. Like any other small city which is also a tourist attractions.

Overall, I had a better time than I ever expected!!! And this alldue to Jessica, Janice, Oki and Wayan! AND all the hotel staff along the way, 5 hotels in all! I'll chat to anyone, more of those peeps! HA!

Hotel Reviews

Adiwana Svarga Loka

Ubud

Great location and staff!! Friendly staff!

Authenticity & Character

overall feel, very welcoming!

Location

Close to main streets on Ubud.

Staff

Friendly, able to answer any questions I had.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Menjangan - CHSE Certified

Pejarakan

Secluded! Away from all the hustle and bustle, tucked away in the forest!! Great for a peaceful, chill getaway

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

IZE Seminyak by LifestyleRetreats

Bali

Amazing staff! Clean, had a gym and pool.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sheraton Senggigi Beach Resort

Lombok

What a location, very close the beach!

Authenticity & Character

Location

What a location, very close the beach! Nightly walks along the beach and having drinks at the hotel bar. Watching the sun set while enjoying it. What I liked the most was there were local and tourist on the beach!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Hike to Mount Agung

Indonesia

It was a tough hike and ultimately worth it to watch the sunrise!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Not sure how to rate this but we lost a whole day practically because one Of our guides in Ecudor Was very insufficient. She didn't have the right change for the pain.When she picked us up and then when she took us to Cuenca she kept getting lost. Before we left, we had to stop so she could have breakfast cause she didn't have anything to eat.At her mother's house before she left that morning. Also she did not know anything about the national park that we stopped at. She could not answer our questions. When we finally got to our destination, she had promised us.We could go to a spot there to get rid of this sress from the day and that did not work out either. I would not consider her a safe driver either. That was one of the reasons for the stress and then being jerked around all over the place From her driving. We were supposed to have a different guide to begin with. And actually he turned out fine. Except he dished us at the airport when he drove his back to Guayaquil Ecuador. Our plane didn't leave till 1130 that night and he dropped us off at the airport.About 330 in the afternoor it might have been earlier. Kim did get back with this about an hour or so later and line up another guide Who was a very good person but we ended up giving two people tips that day or the day instead of just one so that was an extra Twenty dollars from each of us for the guides. We found out later that the guide that was good and dropped us off at the airport.Check another client.So I had to get back to quinca instead of staying with us like he was supposed to. The whole thing made it's very uneasy. The rest of the trip especially the calypso boat was wonderful.