Kimkim Trip Reviews

My wife and I had an absolutely spectacular trip to South African and Zimbabwe! Lize Enderstein, who was our travel agent, did a great job of mixing South Africa's cities -- Capetown and Johannesburg -- which allowed us to get a good understanding of South Africa past and present with amazing safari experiences, two in South Africa and one in Zimbabwe. And of course, Victoria Falls was as spectacular as promised.
Our guides, particularly Zane in Capetown and Natasha in Johannesburg, were outstanding and highly recommended. They were knowledgeable, flexible, and caring.
Our accommodations, both in the cities and on safari were terrific. We had great safari experiences, terrific food, and very hospitable and attentive staffs. We saw the Big Five several times over as well as a panoply of other animals. For the record, our favorites were the leopards and elephants.
Overall, it was a spectacular and memorable trip that made the long travel to get to South Africa from the US worthwhile. We highly recommend working with Lize for anyone who is considering a similar trip.

We used Kimkim to plan our trip to Costa Rica to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary. Adam was our expert in organizing our itinerary and WOW, did he do a great job. In ten days, we visited three very distinct areas of Costa Rica. We didn’t have a favorite destination because each offered such unique experiences.

In Puerto Viejo, we enjoyed great accommodations at Banana Azul and the beautiful black sand beach. The restaurant on the grounds was lovely and offered great food. Adam arranged a snorkeling and a nature walk around the coast. Pablo, our guide was fabulous and felt like a longtime friend! He even gave us a wonderful recommendation for a Jamaican restaurant, the Dutch Pot!

Adam arranged a day trip to the Jaguar Rescue Center, Bribri Chocolate Tour and Waterfall day trip. The visit to a cocoa plantation operated by an indigenous family was amazing. We learned so much about their lives and traditions. Enrique was our guide and also translator on the plantation. He was very friendly and fun to be with. We enjoyed roasted bananas filled with freshly ground cocoa, that we were invited to help in the preparation. This was a very delicious treat! There were wonderful crafts on site to purchase. This visit was followed by a hike and refreshing swim under a waterfall! This was a highlight for me!

Our next destination was La Fortuna. We stayed at Tabacon Thermal Resort and Spa! We highly recommend room 504! Thank you Adam, for getting us, perhaps the best suite on the property!! We had a clear and dramatic view of the Arenal Volcano from our patio, while utilizing our own hot springs soaking pool. We spent so much time on the patio observing the beautiful surroundings. Also, the staff at Tabacon treated us like family! We enjoyed some great meals. We were given special attention on our anniversary evening with a special dessert and a champagne toast! I highly recommend partaking in a massage and exploring the hot springs! Adam also arranged a coffee, chocolate and sugarcane farm experience at Northfields. Valerie was our guide through this tour and she was a pure delight!

Our final destination was Koora Hotel Monteverde! The accommodations were gorgeous! We were in the midst of the Cloud Forest! This hotel had the most comfortable bed that we had ever slept in. Adam arranged a tour of the Cloud Forest. Our guide was very knowledgeable and we left with so much information about the cloud forest.

The high point of our time in Monteverde and perhaps Costa Rica was dinner at San Lucas Treetop Dining. We were picked up at our hotel by our server, and new friend, Lucas! Yes, we laughed that his name is the same as the restaurant! Lucas guided us through a culinary journey with paired wine tasting, through Costa Rica! I was brought to tears when we first arrived because of the beauty and tranquility of the site. This was a mind blowing culinary experience!

In closing, Adam arranged our transportation throughout Costa Rica through RideCR. RideCR was always on time! Our favorite driver was Alfonso. Our favorite drive was from La Fortuna - Monteverde, where we took a van to a boat, to cross Lake Arenal, to another van! All three drivers on this journey were very professional. We especially loved our boat ride by Kevin. He pointed out highlights of the lake! It was a gorgeous day and a pure delight! Roy took us the rest of the way. The final drive on this journey had some bumpy roads, twists and turns, but we felt completely safe with Roy!

Adam!!! We send you endless gratitude and appreciation for this life changing experience!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Banana Azul

Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

We loved beginning our trip in Costa Rica at Hotel Banana Azul. The staff was so friendly, everyone from the front desk to the restaurant staff. We'd love to return again someday.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Koora Hotel

Monteverde

We enjoyed the entire staff! Everyone made us feel very welcome. Jason was especially helpful in helping us arrange a tour to Curi Cancha Reserve. This was one of the highlights of our trip and we especially enjoyed the guide that he secured for us. Koora had the most comfortable bed that we experienced on our trip to Costa Rica!

Authenticity & Character

The Koora Hotel is exceptional in design and beautifully fitting into the beauty of the cloud forest.

Location

Staff

Everyone was so helpful, especially Jason at the front desk.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Holiday Inn Express San Jose Airport

San Jose

We stayed here our last night in Costa Rica before flying home. It served the purpose of being clean and comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

We liked being so close to the airport because we had to leave the hotel at 3:30 AM for a very early flight.

Staff

I'd especially like to thank the gentleman that took us to the airport. He was very friendly and helpful even at the grueling hour of 3:30 AM.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Cahuita National Park Snorkel & Rainforest Hike

Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

Pablo and our captain were so much fun! We had a blast on our snorkeling tour and the beautiful walk through Cahuita National Park. We had a perfect day and were thrilled with everything that Pablo shared with us! I have learned that a guided tour is always best because we would have not noticed and experienced as much without the trained eye of Pablo. We wish we could have spent more time with him. He really took such great care of us and also helped us walk away with such amazing photos.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coffee, Chocolate & Sugar Cane Farm Experience

Arenal/La Fortuna

Valerie was our guide and what a wonderful guide she was! She kept us so engaged with information on the wide world of coffee, chocolate and sugar cane. She completely altered our view of how to appreciate coffee and chocolate. We were also quite impressed with the beautiful grounds and the very simple and clear demonstrations. The gift shop was wonderful as well. We have returned home with coffee beans, chocolate and even one of their cleverly designed t-shirts.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Treetop Dining Experience with Wine Pairing

Monteverde

When we were planning on trip with Kimkim, we found ourselves quite intrigued and excited about our time at St. Lucas Tree Top Dining. We love and take great joy in unique dining and this was, by far, our most amazing dining adventure as we "traveled" through on a "taste of the regions of Costa Rica." We were picked up at our hotel by Lucas, who was our driver, server and our proclaimed new friend. Arriving for our meal, I was brought to tears with how incredibly beautiful this place is. My husband and I found ourselves anticipating each course, accompanied by the perfect wine pairing with each dish. Each dish surprised and delighted us. The chef is extremely creative and talented. We were celebrating our 40th Wedding Anniversary and Lucas made our time extremely special. We'd love to return to this fulfilling experience in the future with family and friends.

Quality of Experience

Food

Every course was an absolute delight! Its amazing how this meal took us on such a delightful culinary journey!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

What an amazing trip! We spent 19 days visiting Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Slovenia and Croatia. We did it all! Hot air balloon ride (owner Grega was very entertaining and made us feel safe) , biking around Prague, dinner cruise on the Danube, truffle hunting and oyster farms were some of our favorites.

Nikola was very attentive and easy to work with. He explained every option in the planning stage even taking multiple phone calls to answer all our questions The nightly check ins to ask about our day and give details for following day were so helpful!
Highly recommend this trip and especially Nikola!!!!

Hotel Review

Splendida Palace

Split

All the staff were extremely friendly and helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Half-Day E-Bike Tour of Prague

Prague

Gary went the extra step to continuously check the radar to make sure we wouldn’t get caught in the rain. It was nice to see Prague from high above the city.

Quality of Experience

P

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Guided Walking Tour of Bratislava

Vienna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hot Air Balloon Flight Over the Bled Lake

Croatia

Definitely a highlight! The owner, Grega puts on quite the show.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Budapest Food Tour

Budapest

Our guide, George, was very knowledgeable of the city and its food. Was fun to taste some of the local food with someone who could explain its history. I even got a goulash recipe to try at home!!! Highly recommend!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

BUDAPEST – Restaurant Suggestions

Budapest

Pierrot in Buda part.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

From the time we got off the flight and were met by Anaiah ( I hope I spelt her name right), everyone was extremely kind. Flora kept in touch at all times, sent daily reminders of the next day, as well as the boarding passes for the next destination. The hike and lunch in Tiero Del Fuego was an incredible experience, the guide was informative and patient with our group. Vanessa Haines and Sol spent the day informing us about Patagonia region as well as Argentina on the long drive to El Chalten. Beatrice in Iguazu was wonderful and informative, taught me a thing or two. Victoria and driver Charlie on our way to San Antonio De Areco were informative about the ranchers life. Our driver Herman from and to the Bueno’s Aires Airport gave us a lot of information about the city, city spots of interest. We experienced wonderful hospitality at every hotel. The views from Hotel Madera of the skyline, Acebos in Ushuaia of the city below and the Beagle Channel, Xelena in El Calafate with a view of Lake Argentina, Mercure in Iguazu surrounded by the rain forest, and finally Paladino in Buenos Aires overlooking the park.
Mayra took her time on that first phone call to understand the experience I was seeking in Argentina. The trip and the way it was planned, was exactly how I wanted it. I left Argentina with love, love for its cultures, love for its cuisine, its landscapes, beauty of the land, and most of all its people. Thank you for making this a wonderful and memorable trip.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Madero

Buenos Aires

Authenticity & Character

Warm welcoming clean, staff very helpful, breakfast was very good.

Location

Nice walk to the Puerto Madera region, great restaurants, shops, Ecological reserve

Staff

Kind and generous

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room had a great view of the skyline, felt comfortable like home.

Los Acebos Ushuaia Hotel

Ushuaia

What a view !!!! Food at the restaurant was very good.

Authenticity & Character

Cozy, great views

Location

The view and the proximity to the glacier

Staff

Kind and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room was extremely clean and comfortable view from the room of the bay below was amazing. A must to watch sunrise and sunset.

Xelena Hotel & Suites

El Calafate, Santa Cruz

On the shores of Lake Argentina. Experienced beautiful sunset and sunrise. We were upgraded which was kind. The swimming pool area is so beautiful. Breakfast was really really good.

Authenticity & Character

Location, cleanliness, the view … a must to experience sunrise and sunset

Location

On the shores of Lake Argentina … this is the view

Staff

Very kind attentive and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and comfortable

Mercure Iguazu Hotel Iru

Puerto Iguazu

We were upgraded as a courtesy thank you. The suite in the middle of a rainforest was absolutely beautiful.

Authenticity & Character

Spider shape … how the room blended into the trees beyond was beautiful

Location

View of the subtropical rainforest

Staff

Very very kind, including the gentleman at the gift store. Very courteous.

Cleanliness & Comfort

This suite felt like home … thank you

Palladio Hotel Buenos Aires—MGallery

Buenos Aires

What a view of the park and the skyline. It’s at the heart of the city. We were upgraded to a suite, thank you with a wonderful view of the park. The suite was luxurious, very comfortable. Our room was cleaned and spotless every day of our stay. The front desk was extremely helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Luxurious

Location

Great view of the park, close proximity, city center

Staff

Very kind, helpful and hospitable

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very very clean and spotless

Activity Reviews

Small Group City Tour

Buenos Aires

A lot covered from history to culture to neighborhoods

Quality of Experience

Bus was very comfortable

Guides, Drivers and Staff

A lot of information given which was really helpful

Transport

Safe and comfortable

Explore Ushuaia National Park

Ushuaia

Words are beyond me at the beauty around. Our guide was immensely patient and informative. The lunch at the end of the hike was very delicious with a great view of the river

Quality of Experience

Beautiful Landscape all around

Food

One of the best lunches I had

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hospitable, kind and generous. Made us feel at home.

Transport

Safe, comfortable ride

The Blue Safari

El Calafate

Diana our guide was wonderful. This is a definite must see in Patagonia

Quality of Experience

Beauty of the land

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Diana thank you for being so very kind, you were just wonderful

Transport

Safe and smooth.

Visit El Chalten

El Calafate

Sol the driver and Vanessa the guide were absolutely wonderful. We felt at home, it felt like four girlfriends on a road trip. Route 40 is beautiful as you drive past ranches along the Lake Argentina, and onto Lake Viedma as the skyline of Mt. Fitz Roy and Cerro Terra comes into view

Quality of Experience

Beauty of the land

Food

The boxed lunches we had fresh from El Calafate were delicious. The portions were large enough I had the second half for dinner. The snack bars … so good…

Guides, Drivers and Staff

What started as driver and guide they became soul sisters to my friend and I

Transport

Sol was wonderful, gentle soul. I am so grateful to have met her and glad she was our driver.

Explore the Argentine Falls

Puerto Iguazú

To be at the rim of Iguazu Falls is indescribable. Our guide Beatrice was absolutely wonderful. She was warm, caring and informative.

Quality of Experience

The landscape, the rainforests, and of course the Falls. How do you put into worlds the experience of watching Iguazu Falls up close and personal?

Food

Ice cream in the Iguazu park was the best I’ve had

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Beatrice was absolutely wonderful.

Transport

Comfortable and safe

Tango Show & Dinner at La Ventana

Buenos Aires

The tango lesson was a fun warm up. Dinner was good. Dessert was delicious. The show was good.

Quality of Experience

Couldn’t see all sorts of the show from Where I was sat

Food

Dessert was good

Guides, Drivers and Staff

He was a gentle soul, on time and waiting for us after the show

Transport

As above

Navigation Sea Lions (Yatch)

Ushuaia

The landscape

Quality of Experience

Landscape

Food

We were offered hot chocolate

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Warm and affectionate

Transport

The view

Estancia Gaucho Day

Buenos Aires

The food was amazing The horse ride was good. The time for us to walk around the ranch and understand their life was wonderful. The dancers were a special treat with a horse and rider show to end our wonderful day here

Quality of Experience

All of it was a unique experience

Food

The empanadas were very good, the main meal was delicious as was the dessert

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Victoria and Charlie were kind informative

Transport

Good and comfortable

We have experienced the most wonderful introduction to Portugal. Pedro and the Across Portugal Team planned the perfect week for us. Our drivers Ivo and Ricardo took such great care of us all along the way from suggesting the best restaurants to helping us join a grape stomping tour at the last minute during our stay in the Douro Valley. Our tour guides in Porto and Lisbon were both so knowledgeable and such a great treat to spend the day with. We couldn’t have asked for better planning. Thank you Pedro for such a memorable week in your beautiful country!

Hotel Reviews

PortoBay Flores

Porto

Lovely and convenient location.

Authenticity & Character

Lovely courtyard

Location

Easy to walk to everything.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Vintage House

Pinhão

Beautiful location on the River.

Authenticity & Character

Lovely lovely view of the river from our terrace.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

PortoBay Liberdade

Lisbon

Great location and friendly staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Porto's Historic Odyssey on a Private Walking Tour

Porto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Active Japan trip. Cannon was extremely helpful throughout the planning of our Japan trip as well as during the trip when he was very accessible by email and the kimkim app. The transportation arrangements showed off Japan’s great transportation infrastructure and provided us with a nice variety of ways to experience it. Also a nice variety of places to stay and things to do.

Hotel Reviews

the b asakusa

Tokyo

Small rooms but otherwise very nice

Location

Fuji Kawaguchiko Resort Hotel

Fujikawaguchiko

Great view from hotel room. Popular with those who liked onsens but we didn’t do that. Food was good

Location

Near the lake

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean

Miyako Hotel Kyoto Hachijo

Kyoto

Great location

Location

Near train station

Hotel Vista Osaka Namba

Well located. Good breakfast.

Location

Near busy part of Osaka which was interesting

Staff

JR Clement Inn Imabari

Ehime

Good location. Helpful staff

Location

Near train station

Staff

Helpful. Spoke English well

Benton Guesthouse, Nostalgic Showa-era Private Full House Rental

Lots of room. Choice of beds. No breakfast but near to store. Near cycling route and they catered to cyclists.

Authenticity & Character

Tatami mats or western bed options.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Green Hill Hotel Onomichi

Onomichi

Great location at the end of the cycling route and near the train station.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nice that they had coin laundry as we were due for that.

Shinagawa Prince Hotel

Tokyo

The buffet breakfast was disorganized and crowded, even at 6am. Staff in bar/restaurant on 39th floor were rude, snooty and overbearing. The view was nice but didn’t make up for the cover charge, service charge or overpriced drinks. Lots of additional amenities but they all came at significant extra cost.

Location

Near train station but not some of the more interesting neighbourhoods.

Staff

Give people a table to sit at in buffet and make it larger.

Cleanliness & Comfort

At least it was clean

Activity Reviews

Full Day Mt. Fuji with Lake Kawaguchi, Arakurayama Sengen Park & Oshino Hakkai

Japan

Oshino Hakkai was crowded and we could have skipped that. The Sengen Park hike was good but unfortunately the mountain was not visible due to cloud. The lake was nice

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Polite. Nice vehicle. Traffic was terrible and it took 3.5 hours from the Tokyo hotel. Would have been better to leave earlier probably. Driver seemed to be looking at his phone a lot while driving (not just the phone for maps)

Kayaking on Lake Kawaguchiko with Mt. Fuji views

Fujikawaguchiko

Guide was great. Scenery wonderful. Sturdy kayaks. Rest of our kayaking group was experienced too, so we got to travel well down the lake. Nice view of Fuji from the lake

Full Day Nara City Tour, Overnight in Osaka

Japan

Certainly worth seeing this area for the temple and the ridiculous number of deer.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Osaka Local Food Walking Tour (Join-in)

Osaka

Enthusiastic and knowledgeable guide. We were the only two in the group so we were able to try the foods and places that we hadn’t already experienced.

The Rubens Hotel was beautiful. The staff was wonderful and very attentive. We did a day tour to Stonehenge, Bath and Windsor . That was great and our tour guide, Carlos , was so knowledgeable. I think the Churchill War Room was one of our favorite tours .
Alekasandra who put together our trip was wonderful. Very responsive to our questions

Service and help provided was always very reliable, all arrangements made were absolutely on time . The guides were always knowledgeable and helpful; especially Ahmed in Luxor who travelled with us along most of our program was great to have around - good english, very friendly, funny and very knowledgeable about the sights we visited.
In terms of planning we would definitely change the program : too little time for Cairo, the EGM and probably add a visit to Sakkara. Sheer mass of cruise ships make the visits to the temples extremely congested. Ships sometimes dock in 5 rows. Maybe own mistake , should have planned more carefully and better avoid a cruise next time. Dahab is a huge contrast and not sure if we would choose this destination again. Overall great service from KimKim team, can highly recommend.
Last little petty point: pickup for the flight ex Cairo could be shortened; was thru security, check-in and immigration one hour after leaving the hotel so waited three hours until scheduled departure - could be shortened.

Our trip lasted 3 weeks at the Dominican Republic and was planned entirely by Ivelisa who was so helpful and friendly with so much willing to help us and make our trip one that we would never forget. During the planning process we have been planning our trip step by step according to our own wishes, and Ivelisa has been very supportive and helpful to our trip planning and understanding of our needs. During the trip everything was perfect and on time. Each place we arrived we were greeted with a wonderful hospitality. Each driver arrived at the time for pick up at least 15 minutes before departure time. The hotels were exactly as we expected and booked. Each day the activity was welcomed a day prior by Francis Garcia who reminded us about the activity and what to bring, who will pick up us, time, logistics. Francis was 24/7 awake and was ready to give service, to advise and to help.
The cover of experiences we had was amazing and varied, we had workshops such as dancing lesson, chocolates making experience, rum tasting, cigars making, Coco Bongo dance club, catamaran dancing party boat, hiking tours, boat trips and so much more.
We really had a great trip thanks to the team who made it great for us, and supported us 24/7.

The trip was wonderful. Emilie did a great job in booking our hotels and tours! She explained the train system and how to use the Swiss Rail Pass. The hotels for the most part were in great locations, close to the train stations, restaurants and sites to see. The trips she planned to Mount Pilatus and Gornergrat were filled with beautiful scenery of the Alps! Our Kayak tour on Lake Brienz with Hightide Kayaks and Ben, our guide was great. It couldn’t have been more peaceful and serene and Ben got some great photos for us. Our E-bike tour through Grindelwald was filled with amazing views of waterfalls and quaint towns. Marceau, our guide was informative and provided us with hi-lites of the area, photos and a perfect picnic lunch.

We did have one glitch, with The Galcier Express running almost three hours longer than scheduled. We heard rumors that there was a train issue with another Glacier Express train. By the time we got to one of the more scenic areas, it was too dark to see any sites. Checking into our hotel at around 9 pm and leaving before 9 am the next morning seemed like such a loss of time. Granted this is no fault on KimKim’s part, it was just a matter of unforseen circumstances. We only caught a glimpse of St Moritz on the bus ride back to the train station. Emile is aware and has started a process for a refund of some sort.

Overall I would highly recommend Emilie and the KimKim group to friends that seek assistance with travel plans. This is our second trip KimKim assisted us with travel plans.

Hotel Reviews

Waldstätterhof Swiss Quality Hotel

Luzern

This hotel was conveniently right across the street from the train stations.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Short walking distance from shops and restaurants

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Derby Swiss Quality Hotel

Grindelwald

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Butterfly, BW Signature Collection

Zermatt

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Arte

St. Moritz

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Alexander

Zurich

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Mount Pilatus, Silver Round Trip (Tickets)

Lucerne

Amazing views once you get to the top. Trains, gondolas and buses all very efficient.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

A total stranger who lives in the area took it upon herself to be our guide, she was fantastic!

Transport

Easy access to go up then down the mountain, it was a very organized trip!

Summer Kayak Tour Lake Brienz

Switzerland

The lake was beautiful. High tide Kayak School was great! They made sure we were comfortably dressed in a neoprene suit that kept us dry and warm. Ben, our guide was laid back and provided interesting tips about the area.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

E-bike tour Lauterbrunnen & Valley of 72 Waterfalls

Switzerland

Wonderful tour through the Valley. Waterfall stops were lovely. Marceau, our guide was informative and provided us with a perfect spot for a picnic lunch!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gornergrat panoramic train (return day-ticket & Priority boarding)

Switzerland

The views from the top were amazing! Layers upon layers of mountain peaks were breathtaking!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Swiss Travel Pass

Switzerland

Train system is extremely prompt and very efficient!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Free time at Lake Brienz

Switzerland

Walked thru town and shops

Quality of Experience

J

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Food Tours: Zurich

Zürich

Cancelled tour n/a

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The kimkim website and communication tool worked extremely easily for us. Four of use were involved in planning and we could all see all everyone's questions and planning requests.
Robi was extremely helpful throughout our planning process for our 2 weeks in Croatia. He answered our endless questions and tried hard to make all the arrangements to meet our requests for activities and our financial request. We were able to spend 5 days bike riding on the islands with an excellent support person (Borna) traveling with us on our rides and helping out with flat tires and needed assistance. Robi provided excellent detailed recommendations throughout our travels with "pins" dropped throughout to help us navigate easily. We never felt on our own as we moved around the country starting in Zagreb and made our way through the national parks down the coast to Split and then the islands and Dubrovnik.

Hotel Reviews

Skradinski buk

Skradin

Degenija Annex rooms

Rakovica

Hotel Marul

Split

Pharos Hvar Bayhill Hotel

Hvar

Marko Polo Hotel

Korcula

Villa Radić

Ston

Hotel Adria

Dubrovnik

Activity Reviews

Explore Plitvice Lakes National Park

Croatia

Adventure on Zrmanja river and overnight in Skradin

Croatia

Hiking in National Park Paklenica

Croatia

Krka National Park

Croatia

Explore Split & Diocletian's palace

Split

Hvar island and town

Hvar

Cycling on Korčula island with options

Korčula

Cycling on Korčula island -Day 2

Korčula

Cycling Mljet island and National Park

Croatia

This day was a bit of a disappointment. We took a very early ferry, but then our bike ride was quite short. We had been told we would have options but on the day we were just given the shorter ride option. The kayaking on the lake was quite dull and we ended up with time that could have been much better used on a longer bike ride or other activities on the island. That said, the island is lovely and the monastery was fun to explore.

Cycling On Pelješac Penisula To Ston

Croatia

Cycling from Ston to Dubrovnik hinterlands and littoral

Croatia

Most beautiful ride. Needs an e-bike!

Dubrovnik Old Town and the City Walls

Croatia

Visit to Zadar

Croatia

Worth a short visit - cool Roman ruins in the middle of the town.

Walking/Hiking Marjan hill

Split

Great views of the city. Worth the climb.

OPTIONAL: Sea Kayaking Hvar

Hvar

Nice kayak ride out but very tough getting back to shore. There was too much big boat traffic to make it enjoyable kayaking much of the time.

My son and I had a terrific time simply driving in this amazing country. We especially enjoyed walking on beaches and seeing ice. Sky Lagoon was very welcome before heading to the airport

Cannon was the glue that made our trip seamless. Planning a trip to Japan can be overwhelming because there is so much to see and do. Our family had figured out the broad strokes of our itinerary, but we didn't know how to put everything together in a logical and navigable way. Cannon filled in the blanks, helping us with transportation details, the order of our events/tours, suggestions for open times, and other critical elements that made our trip smooth and easy. He got back to us immediately when we had questions, both before and during the trip. He took the time to organize a call before we left to walk us through every day's plan so we felt comfortable or could edit things together. We couldn't recommend him more highly for your trip to Japan. It's so worth it to have someone like Cannon to help you, especially if this is your first trip to this amazing country.

We recently returned from a trip to Paris and Southern Italy, and we truly couldn’t have done it without Giorgia from the KimKim team! From start to finish, her planning made our vacation smooth, stress-free, and unforgettable.

Every single accommodation Giorgia chose was unique to the city we were in, and having delicious breakfast included every day made our mornings so convenient and enjoyable.

A few highlights from our itinerary:

Paris (2 Nights): We kicked off our trip in a wonderful boutique hotel that had so much local charm and character. Our first day in Paris we took it upon our selves to use the train system and get to Montmartre Historic district. The trains were very easy to navigate. Our hotel was located in the heart of Paris. The next day we spent a few hours at the Eiffel Tower and the surrounding area. Would love to go back and see more.

Amalfi Coast / Sorrento (3 Nights): Our boat tours exploring the dramatic cliffs and sea caves were incredible. The Amalfi coast was a dream come true and Capri was just as stunning! Every boat tour company Giorgia booked was remarkably well-organized, and the guides were super knowledgeable, professional, and fun.

Puglia Highlights: Hotel Tirrenia had stunning views, nice rooms the service was tremendous. Staying at Aquamarea in Polignano a Mare (1 night) was gorgeous, and our 3-night stay at Masseria Cappuccini in Ostuni provided an authentic, unforgettable countryside experience.

Beyond these, we enjoyed so many other amazing adventures along the way. Giorgia's attention to detail, thoughtful recommendations, and seamless organization made this a trip of a lifetime. If you’re planning a trip to Europe, ask for Giorgia!

Ariel was great to work with, and he made it very easy to plan this somewhat complex three-week trip, spanning almost the entire length of the country, including a week in the Galapagos Islands. His attention to detail was much appreciated as well as his perfect English language skills. We did all of the planning quite easily through email communications and the kimkim ap. We eventually were able to meet him in person in Quito on our first day. Authentic Ecuador was the in-country tour company that contracted with our personal guide on the mainland, Sebastian, who also turned out to be a fantastic host. He was very enthusiastic and knowledgeable, friendly and fun, and a very skilled and safe driver. He really helped us to better understand and truly appreciate our Andean adventure. The week in Galapagos was more self-exploration and joining up with other tourist groups for snorkeling and boating activities to view wildlife. Park sanctioned guides were also very well trained and knowledgeable.

Hotel Reviews

Vieja Cuba

Quito

Clean. comfortable and quiet!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Llullu Llama Mountain Lodge

Isinliví

This is a great place to stay and probably our favorite of the entire trip. Not super fancy but overall perfect.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Floresta

Baños

Good location to walk around town and even had a view of the waterfall.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mansion Santa Isabella

Riobamba

Would have preferred to be more on the outskirts of town.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hostal Posada Del Angel

Cuenca

Good location to walk around town.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hostería Paraíso Vilcabamba

Vilcabamba

Very nice garden and vibe. Staff were excellent, especially Franklin.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Holiday Inn Guayaquil Airport

Guayaquil

Pretty standard fare for a big city airport hotel. We didn't spend much time here, but breakfast was good and we were able to walk to the airport for our Galapagos flight.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lava House Galapagos

Puerto Ayora

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very noisy on the street side so would suggest requesting a more interior room.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel La Laguna

Puerto Villamil

Great to be on the lagoon and so close to the beach. Staff was very accomodating.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Estalien was helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Quito City Tour - Middle of the World

Quito

Very touristy and not as interesting as the historic Quito City tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hiking around Isinliví

Isinliví

We adjusted this hike to better fit in with a visit to the Zumbuhua market. Did a hike in Isinlivi the following day which worked out well.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Quilotoa Crater Lake, Transfer to Baños

Ecuador

Do not bypass Quilotoa, a absolutely gorgeous spot.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the Pailón del Diablo Waterfall, Explore Baños

Baños

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Chimborazo Volcano

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cuenca City Tour

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bay tour

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Cajas National Park, Transfer to Guayaquil

Ecuador

Cajas hike was very nice and a good leg stretcher.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hiking Mandango Mountain

Vilcabamba

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Cotopaxi National Park

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer to Guayaquil Airport, Arrival to Galapagos & Highlands of Santa Cruz

Ecuador

Viviana was our sanctioned guide who met us at the airport and David was our driver on Santa Cruz. Lunch was great and the tortoises were amazing. Lava tubes were interesting.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hiking Sierra Negra Volcano

Ecuador

Good to experience the volcanic zone.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Snorkel at Los Túneles

Galapagos Islands

A nice adventure even in the rain. Darwin was a knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide and boat crew was great.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Snorkeling at Las Tintoreras

Galapagos Islands

Saw lots of wildlife on this activity. Micheal was a good guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Otavalo Market & Cuicocha Crater Lake

Quito

Actually preferred visiting the market in Zumbuhua as it was more authentic and less commercialized. The hike at the Cuicocha Crater Lake and stop in Cotachi for leather shopping were good.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cuenca to Vilcabamba

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The ten days in Romania was planned well ahead when my friend Linda was alive and hoping to join her family looking for its Romanian roots. We were sad not to have her with us but the spirit of celebration of her life remained with siblings, cousins and friends. Our guide Florin was phenomenal with his knowledge, experience, flexibility and friendliness. We had a great bus and driver, Bogdon, for our group of 11. We saw the highlights of Romanian castles, churches and history villages on the way north to visit the Ciofu ancestral home parish. Wonderful trip and a pleasure to meet Linda’s cousins and spend time with her siblings.

I would have given five stars but there was some misunderstanding either on my part or the travel agents causing a rather large expense on my choice of a hotel in Cusco. I wish communication had been a little bit better but that being said, Hilda was great she found a retreat that was not only very safe, caring and conscientious but has now actually become a place that I will be returning to this December for a large family celebration. I could not have done it without his help and guidance

My wife worked with Caroline for months before our planned trip to Switzerland in October. Caroline was very good about getting all the hotels, trains, drivers set up and vouchers and tickets for when we’d need them. Months before our trip she would check in with new developments or we would write her with questions and possibilities for changing the itinerary. She made every effort to make our trip unique and specific to what we were looking for.
As we got closer to leaving, we got more frequent up dates and developments. She sent us PDFs of everything we needed, vouchers, tickets, etc. and an amended itinerary.
Then, literally, the weekend before our trip our old Siamese cat became sick. My wife felt she could not leave our sick cat with a cat sitter. Caroline notified all the entities that would be affected and managed to recoup some of the charges that had already been set up.
She let them know that I would be traveling alone and would not need two rooms, seats, tickets, etc. She also let me know that she would be available anytime (night or day) for a phone call if I need assistance.
Midway through the trip I started getting confused about which trains needed tickets and which ones needed the Swiss Travel Pass. I contacted her…. And she wrote back listing everything coming up and what I could expect and what I needed each time in a check off fashion. It was very helpful to have a simple list and not be flipping through vouchers or reading the itinerary to see if I had missed something.
There were many different trains and a need to switch between them at times to take a different train and/or direction.
Juggling platforms and finding the right cars was challenging when not speaking German, but Caroline’s instructions made it much easier.
We have nothing but good things to say about Caroline as she went way beyond the necessary to provide for excellent care for any contingencies that could come up on the trip. She also checked in regularly with my wife as to how she and our sick cat were doing. Kudos to Caroline, travel agent extrodiaire.

Dear Lucie, Anais, Alexia, & Audrey.
My husband & I thoroughly enjoyed Provence & Normandy. It was an amazing trip! All the transfers, train trips, & excursions went off without any issues. All the drivers were friendly, prompt, helpful, and personable.
We loved the Grand Hotel Beauvau in Marseille & Hotel Le Lion d’Or in Bayeux. Although the hotel in Avignon was historic & lovely, it wasn’t the right one for us. The narrow, winding staircase to get up & down the two flights of stairs to our room required a lot of caution. Additionally, there was only a bathtub with a hand-held shower head in the bathroom & getting in & out of the tub for us senior citizens, was a bit challenging. Fabrice & Veronique were lovely hosts & very welcoming & accommodating, and worked with us when we weren’t able to sit down for breakfast each morning because they didn’t serve it till 8:30 & we had to leave each morning by 8:00 to meet our tour guide for the day.
The Jangle Hotel was nice & the room was comfortable. However, the fire alarm sounded at 6:00am, and guests had to evacuate. This is certainly an unusual, unanticipated occurrence, but the alarm sounded twice within a short window of time, so we had to evacuate our room twice, leave all our belongings behind, all while we were trying to get dressed & packed to catch the hotel shuttle to the airport. I noticed that there was a Radisson Hotel right in Terminal 3E in Charles DeGaul, & this hotel would have been more convenient
All our guided tours were exceptional. The guides were very knowledgeable, informative, personable, & friendly. The itinerary planned for us, which was varied & comprehensive, was perfect. There wasn’t one activity we didn’t enjoy.
All in all, you ladies did a magnificent job. My husband & I are truly grateful for the care that was put into planning & executing this trip. Kimkim gets an A+ rating from us & I would highly recommend this trip planning organization without reservation.
Thank you for always being available throughout the trip, for being so responsive, & for being so thorough.
My husband & I will always have very fond memories of this trip. It not only met our expectations, but exceeded them.
Marci beaucoup,
Irene & John

Activity Reviews

Visit of City of Popes and Pont d'Avignon

France

Full-day visit of D-day beaches - U.S. sector, with a Small Group

France

Amazing @ very moving excursion

Marseille food tour

France

Semi-private Calanques Cruise & free time in Marseille

Marseille

Cassis and Aix-en-Provence tour

Marseille

Half-Day Van Gogh & Alpilles Tour

Avignon

Half-day tour to Gigondas and Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Avignon

Roman History Tour: Nîmes, Uzès & Pont du Gard

Avignon

Unfortunately, due to heavy rain on the day we were to take this excursion, Pont du Gord & Nimes were closed to travelers. Our guide adjusted the itinerary, & took us to a Roman Theater in Orange, which was interesting. Despite not being able to go to the original destinations, the places we visited instead were historic & interesting

A day at the Mont Saint Michel with a Small Group

Bayeux

Loved visiting St. Michel.

Morning tour to the hilltop villages of Luberon

Avignon

Absolutely AMAZING! Never ever doing a big trip without kimkim. Trip: 17 days - Palermo, Amalfi Coast, Rome, Florence, Cortona.

Caterina was so kind, helpful, and just overall very knowledgable and professional while plannning. She helped create the most perfect vacation to suit our needs with every detail covered. Caterina went above and beyond picking locations, tours, hotels, and having daily concierge service with airport/rental car shuttle services was the cherry on top! All of the drivers and guides were outstanding (especially Alberto in Amalfi!). Every one of the concierges we had at the varying locataions were in constant communication. They were always immediately available with a text/phone call. Seriously TOP NOTCH SERVICE. Truly cannot express how much we loved every single moment and how STRESS FREE Caterina and all of the guides and daily check-ins by the concierge made this trip. It definitely would not have been this low stress without all of the WONDERFUL people involved with our trip. We were able to just relax and enjoy and not worry about anything at all - we knew we were in great hands! Giant thank you to Martina, Chiara, Renata, Alberto, Sylvia, Daniela, Maria Patricia...I am sure I am missing some - there are so many to name! We truly had an amazing trip of a lifetime!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Capri Sorrento - Adults Only

Sorrento

Very clean, wonderful staff. Great locaion!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Orazio Palace Hotel

Rome

Wonderful location and very clean. Great staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

We loved that it was more with local people but still walkable to great restaurants.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grand Hotel Cavour

Florence

Very nice hotel. Great staff and location! Very clean.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Perfect spot!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel San Michele

Cortona

Fantastic staff! Room was nice and very clean!

Authenticity & Character

Location

We loved the location - how could you not? You are in Cortona!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Principe di Villafranca

Palermo

Great rooms and wonderful and accomadating! Our guide (not sure how to spell), Chiara was so great! Loved her energy and her knowledge. She was so fun!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Located on the outskirts of center of town but very walkable!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private tour of the Vatican Museums, Sistine chapel and Saint Peter's Basilica

Rome

Maria Patricia was wonderful! We learned so much and everything was so amazing. She was outstanding!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Colosseum, Forum Tour & Palatine hill

Rome

Great experience! So much to learn!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Maria Theresa was a little spicy and it was fun!

Transport

Full Day Guided Tour of Palermo - Visit Monreale

Italy

The guide was absolutely amazing. We had so much fun! Such a beautiful place!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit of The Amalfi coast Villages Full Day

Italy

This was OUSTANDING and our guide could not have been perfect! Alberto was so wonderful!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

LOVED Alberto!!

Transport

Private Golf Cart Tour of Rome by Night with Drinks

Rome

Carlo was a wonderful guide! We had so much fun and learned so much with him!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cinque terre from Florence (SEMI-PRIVATE)

Italy

This was fun! What a beautiful tour!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private cooking class at Podere il Casale in Pienza (self-drive)

Italy

This was phenomenal! What a first class experience!

Quality of Experience

Food

SPECTACULAR

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Florence and Accademia City Tour

Italy

Such a wonderful city!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport