Marina Courtaut
Can you think of a better way to live adventures than traveling?
When we travel we open our minds to new experiences and learn new cultures by making the destination we visited our home for a short time. My job as part of the Espiritu Travel team is to ensure that after your trip, you will always remember that destination as another one of “your home”. I am passionate about designing trips that include the highlights of Spain and Portugal, including small places that go beyond the conventions and show the authentic culture of the place.
I am Spanish by birth but my father is from France so my heart is divided. My passion for traveling came from my parents, who have shared their trips around the world with me. Since then, I haven't stopped, always looking for authentic experiences that help me understand the culture of the place I visit. I have had the opportunity to live in the state of Michigan, in Amsterdam and in Paris, and I have traveled through many of the corners of the world and in my country Spain, the cradle of the Flamenco Art.
What places and activities do you specialize in?
"We specialize in trips to Spain and Portugal as well as Cuba. In both countries, we have our own offices so we can create all types of tailor-made trips; culture, art, history, culture, architecture, gastronomy, outdoor activities, nature-based, small groups, off the beaten track"
How did you get involved in travel?
"Since I was little, I've had the opportunity to travel through wonderful places and I was always amazed at the exchange of cultures that occurred while traveling, whether traveling as part of a group or solo. I decided to start my career as a professional in the world of travel at the age of 19 when I started studying the Tourism degree in Madrid. Since then, I have worked in different roles in the tourism industry: in travel agencies, as a tourism consultant, and in hotels. In addition, I studied the Master “International Tourism Management”. As part of the Espíritu Travel team, I continue my trip through the tourism industry as a local Travel Specialist in Spain and Portugal."
Please share a unique travel experience you will never forget.
"It is difficult to choose an experience of all the lived one while traveling ... it is like choosing a favorite song, so difficult!
But if I had to choose one I think it would be the one I lived during the Holy Week in Malaga, it was not the first time I visited Malaga but it was the first time I saw a procession. Malaga is a beautiful coastal city in southern Spain.
I was shocked with the magic of the city during these holidays, especially when the processions happen at night. The city is silent and the music of the orchestra touches you in a magical way accompanied by the light of the torches carried by the brotherhoods.
Regardless of the religious character of this party, it is moving to see how the Spanish live Holy Week."
Featured trips & expertise
Epic Wine & Culinary Trip Through Northern Spain - 11 Days
Eat and drink your way through northern Spain on this 11-day gastronomic adventure. Begin in Barcelona, exploring the city and its surroundings on a tapas tour, a local organic winery tasting, and a sunset sailing experience. While digesting, experience Gaudí's world-famous architectural delights and sunbathe on city beaches. Take a train to San Sebastián and visit the world's first underwater winery, then wind your way to Bilbao to sample the Basque Country's famous pintxos and Txakoli wine.
Epic Portugal: Lisbon to the Algarve - 15 Days
From historic cities to rural countryside and rugged coastlines, you'll delve deep into Portugal on this 15-day grand tour. Hop between Lisbon and Porto for cosmopolitan cuisine and countless cultural highlights, then head south through Coimbra, Évora, and the Alentejo plains to reach the wild Algarve coast—where a relaxing itinerary of boat trips and beach time awaits.
Ultimate Portugal: Porto, Lisbon, Évora & Lagos - 15 Days
From the north's winding rivers and wine country to the stunning southern coast, this epic 15-day itinerary gives you an in-depth look at Portugal's many wonders. Sample local wines and gastronomy in Porto, see the cobbled streets of Lisbon by foot and tram, and head into the Alentejo countryside for ancient history and medieval grandeur in Évora. After a busy schedule of tours, day trips, and excursions, settle into a slower pace of life amid the golden cliffs and sweeping beaches of the Algarve.
Adventure to Lisbon & the Azores - 6 Days
In under a week, this adventurous itinerary takes you from the bustling streets of Lisbon to the remote Atlantic island of São Miguel. After visiting the highlights and hidden corners of Portugal's colorful capital, catch a flight to the Azores for three nights in a secluded paradise of lush greenery, volcanic lakes, and unspoiled beaches.
Portugal Panorama: Lisbon, Lagos, Coimbra & Porto - 13 Days
This 13-day itinerary showcases Portugal's many faces with a perfect combination of guided experiences and a choose-your-own-adventure road trip. See the Lisbon skyline by sailboat and hike to the hilltop palaces of Sintra, then strike out toward the Algarve coast for golden beaches, hidden coves, and spectacular sunsets. Turn north to end your journey in Porto, where you'll trade the car for a driver as you sit back and enjoy day trips into the Douro Valley and Peneda-Gerês National Park.
Ultimate Portugal: Porto, Lisbon & Lagos - 12 Days
With 12 days to spare, you can see Portugal from north to south at a pleasantly relaxed pace. Explore Porto's riverside neighborhoods by vintage car, sip robust reds in the Douro Valley, and discover the north's lesser-visited gems like Guimarães and Aveiro. Take your time in colorful Lisbon to experience the capital through a local's eyes, then catch a train south to Lagos for sunbathing and sailing on the Algarve coast.
Recent trip reviews for Marina
Everything we hoped for!
Spain
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Aug 26 - Sep 5, 2023
Our trip was everything we had hoped it would be and Marina made it happen! I had a very limited amount of time to plan this trip and she made herself available to answer any questions or concerns we had. I will absolutely use kimkim again and highly recommend it. Marina is the icing on the cake!
Response time while in Spain was also exceptional. We had a couple of questions during our travels and we received help almost instantly.
Thank you for making our trip so memorable! read more
Hi Elisha, thank you so much for taking the time to write your trip review! I am thrilled to hear you and your family had such a marvelous time in Spain. It was my pleasure to work with you and organize this experience for your family. I will pass on your kind word to all the team :) I am sorry to hear that your experience at the Hotel España Ramblas was not pleasant, we have worked with this hotel before and always had good feedback so I will let the hotel know about your comments since it is unnaceptable. Thank you again for letting us be a small part of your trip :) Warmest regards, Marina
Fabulous Trip to Spain thanks to Marina and kimkim!
Spain
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Dec 18 - Dec 31, 2022
We’ve traveled extensively through Europe and always planned our own trips but we didn’t have time to plan this year. Luckily we found kimkim which focuses on independent travelers.
Our journey started in Barcelona. We flew to southern Spain rented a car and stayed in Granada, Seville and ended our trip in Madrid.
Marina planned a wonderful trip for us. From the moment we started planning and throughout the actual trip Marina and her team were very responsive and always available to... read more
Hi Kathleen, thank you so much for taking the time to write your trip review! I am thrilled to hear you and your family had such a marvelous time in Spain. It was my pleasure to work with you and organize this experience for your family. I even learn my self some interesting facts about Almodovar when preparing your travel documents ;) I will pass on your kind word to all the team. Thank you again for letting us be a small part of your trip :) Warmest regards, Marina
Great experience- planning and traveling
Spain
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Sep 5 - Sep 28, 2022
Great experience- everything met or exceeded our expectations. Marina and staff were accessible and responsive to any questions or concerns during the planning and the trip itself. We loved our custom itinerary and the travel app they provided us for the trip. We’ve recommended Kimkim to a number of family and friends. read more
Hi Brian! Thank you so much for taking the time to write your trip review and for your kind words to the entire team!! I'm really happy you enjoyed your time discovering our country and hope you created lovely memories. I am glad you liked el Parador de Ronda hotel, it is indeed a beautiful hotel and has the best location in Ronda. Thank you again for letting us be a small part of your trip :) Warmest regards, Marina
Took the stress away/lifetime trip to Spain!
Spain
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Oct 30 - Nov 8, 2022
Marina was fantastic. The organization and transports really took the stress out of planning and traveling. We absolutely loved every city, especially Granada and Cádiz where we had the opportunity to relax and really take in the amazing history and culture. Fantastic tour guides, great hotel locations even with a smaller budget. I also loved that even with some downtime and free afternoons, there were a ton of great recommendations and literature about each city on the itinerary. We never... read more
Hi Emilie, Thank you so much for taking the time to write your trip review and for your kind words! I am glad to hear you enjoyed your guided tours and the selected hotels. Alhambra is indeed a must-see if you visit Granada and in my opinion Spain, it is breathtaking. I will pass your kind words to all the team :) It was truly a pleasure helping you organize this trip to Spain and I hope to help you plan your next adventure! Warmest regards, Marina.
Anniversary Trip 2022
Spain
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Oct 14 - Oct 27, 2022
We had a fantastic trip to Spain and it was largely due to the planning and thoughtfulness of our agent Marina. She helped us plan a fantastic anniversary trip while staying on budget! She also kept us informed and up to date on any changes and was consistently responsive to any questions we had both in planning the trip and while we were there! Would definitely use her for a trip in the future!
Hi Krista, Thank you so much for taking the time to write your trip review and for your kind words! I'm so glad you enjoyed your time in Spain and I hope you and Daniel created lovely memories :) It was truly a pleasure helping you organize this trip to Spain and I hope to help you plan your next adventure! Warmest regards, Marina.
30th Anniversary trip
Portugal
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Oct 12 - Oct 21, 2022
Mauel in Porto, Sara's replacement in Coimbra, Jose in Lisbon, and Paulo in Sintra all did a wonderful job. Filipi did an okay job in Bragga---but the concept of driving us to a location to let us walk around on our own was not really beneficial to us. Duro Valley boat trip did not happen because the guide was not at the location we were told to meet him---that experience was disappointing and also the discussion with KimKim regarding the guide proved very frustrating. read more
Hi David, thank you for taking the time to write your trip review. I am glad to hear you enjoyed your guided visits in Porto, Coimbra, Lisbon, and Coimbra. I will pass on your kind words to the team. Despite the fact that that you arrived late to the meeting point, I can only apologize you missed your boat excursion in the Douro Valley, we provided all the information with the starting time of the tour, meeting point, and your guide information on your travel documents, including a phone... read more
We continued to be pleasantly surprised throu...
Portugal
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Oct 6 - Oct 16, 2022
We continued to be pleasantly surprised throughout the trip by all the information and experiences and local guides that Kim Kim sourced and provided for our trip. We felt like we had the most exciting and authentic experience and it felt very much tailored to the style and taste of travel we were looking for.
in the planning stages, Marina was great at adding and altering the trip to our needs as we figured out the days, pacing and activities we wanted to do. Marina was also very... read more
Hi Tom, Thank you for your wonderful review! It was a true pleasure helping you plan your trip to Portugal and I am happy to hear you enjoyed your trip and guided tours. I'll be sure to pass on your kind words to all the team. I am glad you found the Trip App useful while traveling, it is indeed very helpful to communicate with you and include extra information about the destinations :) I hope to host you again in Portugal very soon! Warmest regards, Marina
The trip was wonderful and the timing each da...
Portugal
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Sep 24 - Oct 9, 2022
The trip was wonderful and the timing each day went off without a hitch. We had good communications with Marina in planning the trip and when we added another couple to the original 6 travelers very late in the process she was able to change things around to accommodate the drivers and the hotels seamlessly.
The tour guides were knowledgeable and flexible when we wanted to deviate from the planned program. Their language skills made us envious, and we were never at a loss to understand what... read more
Hi Patrick, thank you so much for taking the time to write this review! I will pass your kind words to all the team. I am glad to hear that all the family enjoyed the trip and the guided visits, this is what our team always strives for. Singer Palace is certainly a fantastic hotel, this type of hotels makes the stay a totally different experience indeed :) It has been a true pleasure working with you to plan your family trip to Portugal and Sicily and I hope our paths meet again for your next adventures. All my best, Marina
Our trip far surpassed our expectations. Ma...
Portugal
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Sep 24 - Oct 9, 2022
Our trip far surpassed our expectations. Marina listened and executed our 2-week adventure. She did an amazing job. She was there all the way from start to finish . I have never used KimKim before, but they are my go to for all my international travels. read more
Hi Barbara, Thank you for your wonderful review! It's been truly a pleasure to work with you helping you plan your family trip to Portugal and Sicily, I am glad all the family could join you :) I am happy to hear you enjoyed your trip! I hope to host you again in Portugal or Italy very soon! Warmest regards, Marina
Two weeks in Portugal from Austin, TX
Portugal
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Sep 8 - Sep 21, 2022
Marina was exceptionally helpful and responsive in working with me to plan this 2 week trip. We visited Lisbon, Évora, Funchal (Island of Madeira), Porto & Cascais. All of our daytime tours and intercity transportation came together like clock work. Our hotel properties at each stop were well located and provided comfort with nice amenities. Everything was great but we especially highly recommend a visit to Madeira. We won't hesitate to use KimKim for our future travel planning. read more
Hi Steve, Thank you for your wonderful review! It was a true pleasure helping you plan your trip to Portugal and I am happy to hear you enjoyed your trip and guided tours. Madeira is indeed a magnificent island, maybe next time you can visit the Azores Islands in Portugal :) I'll be sure to pass on your kind words to all the team. I hope to host you again in Portugal very soon! Warmest regards, Marina
This is the 3rd time we've used Kimkim for o...
Portugal
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Sep 9 - Sep 15, 2022
This is the 3rd time we've used Kimkim for our travels and it was a bit disappointing. Our first hotel, the Casual Belle Epoque was supposedly 4 star and it should have been a 3. The room, the breakfast, it just was not a 4 star hotel. The last day we came in and the room smelled of sewage. We contacted Marina and said we would like a different hotel for our last night in Lisbon but it was going to be yet more money and a cancellation fee.
The drivers were another issue. We had a day... read more
Hi Susan,
Thank you for taking the time to write your trip review.
Originally, you were booked at the Rossio Boutique hotel in Lisbon. This is a four star, centrally located hotel that we had been using without incident, however, the previous month before your travels, the hotel was starting to get bad reviews so our team made the decision to change that hotel for travelers who were booked there.
I re-booked you at the Belle Epoque Boutique hotel which was in the same price range as... read more
Feedback and range of experiences from our trip
Spain
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Sep 1 - Sep 11, 2022
Private tour and guide to Versailles was 5-star experience/excellent. Lucien the guide was knowledgeable, friendly, and kept the tour moving at the right pace. It was great having a private car ride there, and front of the line tickets.
Toledo tour with Victor was also a 5-star guided visit/outstanding. Similar reasons: knowledgeable, friendly, maintained good pace.
We had two errors in the scheduling: Versailles was on the wrong day, and timing of Barcelona tour was wrong. We were late... read more
Thank you very much Jon for taking the time to do the review! I appreciate all your comments, all your feedback will help us improve. I am pleased to hear you enjoyed your trip to Spain and France despite the incident with your guided tours in Paris and the guided visit to Madrid. Train stations in Spain can be confusing for us as well, specially Atocha in Madrid that is so big but I guess that is part of the adventure of traveling :) I will pass your kind words to all the team! I hope to be able to help you plan another trip in the future. Warmest regards, Marina
We had such an amazing trip to Spain & France...
Spain
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Sep 4 - Sep 10, 2022
We had such an amazing trip to Spain & France! Marina did an excellent job sending us several different trip plans to choose from with various hotel options / activities. A major bonus was the pre-arranged travel to and from the airport, (especially since we were unfamiliar with the airports). It made it that much easier and quicker at all our our stops. Highly recommend!! read more
Hi Holly, thank you so much for your kind and for your feedback! It's been truly a pleasure to work with you to create your trip to Spain and France and I'm so glad you enjoyed your trip, that's what we strive for and always our best reward. I look forward to helping you plan your next adventure! Warmest regards, Marina
Amazing trip to Portugal
Portugal
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Aug 28 - Sep 4, 2022
We had an amazing experience with Marina. She went the extra mile when we had to reschedule the trip due to COVID and again when there was an airport strike that forced us to shift the trip by a day. She put together an amazing itinerary for our Lisbon trip and the tour guides/drivers she found were outstanding. Would recommend her to anyone wanting to have a great trip in Portugal.
In particular would like to highlight the tour guides/drivers, who we initially thought would be responsible... read more
Hi Chris, Thank you for your wonderful review! I am so glad you could finally travel to Portugal despite having to postpone your trip. It was a true pleasure helping you plan your trip to Portugal and I am happy to hear you enjoyed your trip and guided tours. All the guides had a wonderful time with you as well! I'll be sure to pass on your kind words to them. I hope to host you again in Portugal very soon! Warmest regards, Marina
Olé for Kimkim
Spain
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Aug 1 - Aug 16, 2022
Overall, I would recommend trip planning through Kimkim and if that travel involves Spain, Marina is definitely a top notch choice. The hotels and experiences were first rate. My daughter and I really enjoyed ourselves. My only issue and that's why the rating isn't a 5 is the inability to make changes once the trip started. I was told that we could have some flexibility but unfortunately, any change always involved a fee. I feel there should have been better communication about which hotels... read more
Hi Jyoti, Thank you so much for taking the time to write this review! I am glad you and your daughter enjoyed your trip to Spain and all the guided tours :) August is the peak of the season in Spain so making changes to your trip is complicated and the availability of the services is quite limited. Prices are also higher in August so any last-minute will probably involve an extra cost not from us but from the providers (activities ,hotels, transport). We always try to be as flexible as... read more
Marina was amazing! So great to work with and...
Portugal
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Aug 16 - Aug 25, 2022
Marina was amazing! So great to work with and our trip was everything we had hoped for. When Marina was out, she had someone available for any questions. We had one hiccup our last day, when our car service for the airport did not arrive at 315am. We had someone still available and respnded promptly when we reached out. We ended up needing a cab that the hotel scheduled, and Marina and her team will be refunding us accordingly. Amazing service. Will certainly use KimKim for future travels. So happy with the outcome!
Hi Phoebe. thank you so much for your kind words, it was a pleasure to create this experience for you in Portugal and I am thrilled Mike and you enjoyed your Honeymoon :) I am glad that despite the incident with your departure transfer you had a great time. I will pass your kind words to all the team. Warmest regards, Marina
Marina with KimKim was amazing travel agent! ...
Portugal
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Jul 5 - Jul 14, 2023
Marina with KimKim was amazing travel agent! KimKim asked great questions to get a sense of the type of trip you are wanting. Marina created an incredible itinerary using small tour guides who were passionate and well spoken. They provide a user friendly app with all day to day details / phone numbers that are accessible and event a chat feature with direct contact to Marina. They were able to accommodate a few small changes to the trip.
We will be using Marina for our next trip to Greece!... read more
Thank you very much Michael for taking the time to write a review and for your kind words! it has been a true pleasure helping you plan your trip to Portugal and I am glad to hear you enjoyed all the visits and experiences. I will pass your kind words to all our team :) I look forward to working with you in your next adventure! Warmest regards, Marina
Everything went well the canyoning was a very...
the Azores
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Aug 1 - Aug 5, 2022
Everything went well the canyoning was a very good and the best experience , the whale watching was not so good as the boat got broken in middle of ocean and needed to wait for 40 min for someone to tow the boat back which took more than an hour , the boat was basic and old compared to the other boat you see in the marina doing the same service
I hope this helps thanks a lot read more
Thank you very much Majid for taking the time to do the review! I will pass your words on to all the team as your feedback will help us to continue improving in the future. I am sorry to hear the boat broke while doing the whale-watching excursion. It has been a true pleasure helping you plan your trip to Portugal! Warmest regards, Marina.
Portugal getaway
Portugal
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Jul 5 - Jul 14, 2023
Marina planned the most amazing trip to Portugal! The hotels and all the tours/excursions were amazing! Will 100% use her and KimKim again for future travel!! read more
Thank you very much Steven for taking the time to do the review. I am pleased to hear you enjoyed your trip to Portugal :) I will pass your kind words to all the team! I hope to be able to help plan another trip in the future. Warmest regards, Marina
Nicely planned, but not stress free
Portugal
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Jul 4 - Jul 10, 2022
Wanting a stress free anniversary trip, we booked with Marina. It was smooth sailing until we got the documents 1-1/2 weeks before the trip and had to make changes. Marina had us in for a 10am food tour when we were flying in at 7am. The original plan was for a dinner food tour. She also had us in for a car rental on a day we couldn’t pick it up. We needed to have payments refunded for these 2 services, and the refund was 1/2 what you see as the retail rate. The lack of transparency with... read more
Hi Joanne,
Thank you for taking the time to write your trip review. I am glad you enjoyed your guided tours with Paulo, Natacha, and Wilson and I hope you enjoyed your stay at the Azores.
As we mentioned when you book your trip, we normally send your travel documents no more than 3 to 2 weeks in advance since there are details from your trip that are still pending like the name of your guides. In any case, I sent you your travel documents on the 21st of June which was 14 days before your... read more
Amazing 2 week family tour of Spain
Spain
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Jul 11 - Jul 22, 2023
We are so happy with the trip that Marina help plan for us. It was a 2 week tour of Spain which was curated for our family of four - where we wanted to see great architecture and museums, eat great food and learn about the amazing and varied culture throughout Spain.
Highlights included our guides in San Sebastián - Diego and Toledo - Javi. Both were extremely personable, passionate about their city, and were great with our two boys.
Accommodation were excellent - always in the heart of... read more
Hi Carlo, thank you so much for taking the time to write this review! I will pass your kind words to all the team. I am glad to hear that all the family enjoyed the trip and the guided visits, this is what our team always strives for. Hotel Palacio in Granada has certenly a beautiful view of the Alhambra :) It has been a true pleasure working with you to plan your family trip to Spain and I hope our paths meet again for your next adventures. All my best, Marina
Great experience in Northern Spain!
Spain
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Jul 10 - Jul 25, 2022
We had a wonderful time on our trip. The rental car worked out well and the hotels were all good with great locations (the Palacio de Burgos Hotel was especially nice--amazing breakfast!) We really enjoyed our private guided tours in Burgos and San Sebastian and the Picos de Europa hike was beautiful. Marina was responsive whenever we reached out to her. There was an issue with our flight from San Sebastian to Barcelona that was a bit stressful, but although we had to buy a last minute... read more
Hi Rebecca, thank you so much for taking the time to write your trip review! It has been a pleasure to organize this trip and I am thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your guided tours and hotels. I will share your words with all the team :) It will be my pleasure to help with your future adventure :) Best regards, Marina
Menorca & Mallorca with Twenty-somethings
Spain
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Jun 21 - Jun 29, 2023
We loved our family trip (parents plus 2 twenty-somethings) to Menorca and Mallorca. Highlights were a 4x4 tour of Menorca, visiting a cheese farm, horseback riding, and our two hikes in Mallorca. Our specialists Marina was a delight to work with and provided lots of great suggestions and extra ideas for us. read more
Hi Diana, Thank you so much for your kind words and for taking the time to write a review and share your trip pictures! I am glad to hear all the family enjoyed your trip and the guided visits, this is what our team always strives for and all your feedback helps us improve :) It has been a true pleasure working with you to plan your family trip to Mallorca and Menorca and I hope our paths meet again for your next adventures in Spain. All my best, Marina
Mother-Daughter Trip to Portugal
Portugal
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Jul 7 - Jul 18, 2023
We really enjoyed our time in Portugal! The guides were great! Paola was wonderful on the Lisbon Culinary Experience tour. She shared lots of local info and had a great sense of humor. Alex was an excellent guide for our guided tour of the city. He made a wonderful adjustment to the tour based on the starting point at our hotel and took good care of us in the heat. It’s so nice to see a city through the eyes of a local. We thoroughly enjoyed our time with Paolo on our day-long excursion to... read more
Thank you very much Merry for taking the time to do the review and for your kind words! it has been a true pleasure helping you plan your Mother and Daughter's trip to Portugal and I am glad to hear you enjoyed all the cities and guided tours. I will pass your kind words to all our team :) Warmest regards, Marina
Marina was absolutely fantastic to work with....
Portugal
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Jul 4 - Jul 15, 2022
Marina was absolutely fantastic to work with. The planning before the trip was great; she was very attentive of what we were looking for and the changes we made to the itinerary and hotel accommodations. She was very helpful and even during our trip when we had questions or needed something she was available and willing to assist. I cannot recommend Marina enough. read more
Hi Trent, Thank you so much for your kind words and for taking the time to write a review! It has been a true pleasure working with you. I am glad to hear you enjoyed your Honeymoon trip and all the guided visits, Córdoba is indeed a magnificent city with a lot of heritage. I will pass your kind words to all our team :) I will be more than happy to help on your future adventure. Warmest regards, Marina
Fantastic Trip
Spain
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Jun 30 - Jul 8, 2022
Marina was wonderful to work with. She was very responsive to my questions and to my requests.
Everything with my trip went so smoothly, from the transportation, to the guides, drivers, and hotels. I could not have asked for things to have gone better. read more
Hi Steven, Thank you so much for your kind words and for taking the time to write a review! It has been a pleasure working with you to plan your trip to Spain. I'm so glad you enjoyed your time in Spain and all the schedule visits :) It will be my pleasure to help with your future adventure :) Best regards, Marina
Outstanding trip.
Portugal
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Jun 25 - Jul 6, 2022
Everything was planned well and met our expectations. Great support while we were in Portugal. Would highly recommend. read more
Hi David, Thank you for taking the time to write a review! I am glad to hear you enjoyed your trip. It's been a pleasure working with you before, during and after your trip and absolutely a pleasure. All your feedback will help us to continue improving in the future. Warmest regards, Marina.
Spain & Portugal
Portugal
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Jun 16 - Jul 3, 2022
Marina was extremely helpful throughout the entire process of booking the trip, to answering questions during our trip and ensuring that any problems were promptly addressed. She helped me plan an unforgettable trip for my children and I. Some of the highlights were the culinary experiences in Barcelona and Lisbon , Montserrat, day trip to Fatima, Nazare & Obidos, olive oil estate, & trip to Douro Valley. We had amazing guides at each stop. If you’re planning a trip to Spain or Portugal,... read more
Hi Debra, Thank you so much for your kind words and for taking the time to write a review and share your trip pictures! I am glad to hear all the family enjoyed your trip and the guided visits, this is what our team always strives for. I will pass your kind words to all our team :) I will be more than happy to help on your future adventure. Warmest regards, Marina
Wow - another fantastic personalized trip!
Portugal
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Apr 27 - May 4, 2022
Wow - another fantastic personalized trip planned by Kimkim! Marina helped design a trip for 3 couples with a focus on culture, food, and experience. Highlights included city walking tours of Porto and Lisbon, a very rich cultural food tour in Lisbon, wine country visit, and an interactive cooking class. Hard to say which was the favorite - we all loved it. read more
Hi Linda, Thank you so much for your kind words and for taking the time to write a review! I am glad to hear you all enjoyed your trip and the guided visits, this is what our team always strives for. I will pass your kind words to all our team :) I will be more than happy to help on your future adventure. Warmest regards, Marina
Fabulous trip to Paris and Barcelona!!!
Spain
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Jun 3 - Jun 11, 2022
How lucky we were to find Marina!!! I was not familiar with kimkim prior to this trip but it was a blessing to find and work with Marina. She has a lot of first hand knowledge of both cities and she was patient as we worked through organizing various groups of family members in both places.
Our time in Paris was exceptional. In addition to seeing the usual sites we had a day trip to Versailles and Giverny. The tour guide was wonderful and the driver gave us a nice stress-free ride... read more
Hi Annette, Thank you so much for your kind words and for taking the time to write a review! I am glad to hear you all enjoyed your trip and the guided visits. Paris indeed has a lot of heritage and there is no one better than a guide to show you all its secrets. If there is something that characterizes Spain, it is its gastronomy, I am glad that the whole group enjoyed the gastronomic tour in Barcelona. I will share your kind words with our team in Paris and Barcelona :) I hope our paths will cross again when planning your next adventure. Warmest regards, Marina
Go For It!
Spain
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May 28 - Jun 3, 2022
My mother wanted to see the Rolling Stones in Madrid. I stumbled upon kimkim online trying to figure out how many days to spend in Madrid if we decided to go. I was feeling overwhelmed with work and other commitments and did feel like I had time to plan a trip. I looked at the reviews and thought this sounds a little too good to be true. Then I looked at reviews of kimkim overall. I thought I'll fill out this questionnaire and see. Much to my surprise I got an immediate response from... read more
Hi Laura, a big big thanks to you for your kind words!!! I enjoyed reading your trip review and I am pleased to hear that you had a great trip and was such a pleasure to work with you ladies. I'm really happy you both enjoyed this special trip and hope you created lovely memories. I will pass your kind words to our team and I hope you return soon to discover other areas of Spain or Portugal :)
Warmest regards, Marina
Working with Marina Courtaut of Espiritu Trav...
Portugal
|
Jun 4 - Jun 11, 2022
Working with Marina Courtaut of Espiritu Travel was an absolute pleasure. During all the planning she was responsive and very helpful. She listened will to our interests and planned a vacation to match our needs.
During this vacation there were a couple of mishaps related to transfers, however, having Marina and Espiritu Travel on the other end of What’ App was very helpful. We simply advised Marian of the issues and she worked to get them corrected.
The first situation was that upon... read more
Hi Michael,
Let me start by thanking you for taking the time to write such a detailed review from your trip. I appreciate your kind words and I will pass your comments to the team.
It has been a real pleasure helping you plan your family trip and I am glad that you could finally enjoy it after having to postpone the trip.
The incidents with the transfer from Lisbon to Porto on the first day and the transfer from Lisbon to Lagos were a big mistake by the transport company. We tried to give... read more
Dreams of Dominicana
the Dominican Republic
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Mar 26 - Apr 1, 2023
I cannot say enough good things about the Dominican Republic! KimKim always gets me in touch with the best travel specialists for unique, culturally-centered experiences. Marina and her team made me feel very well taken care of and safe while visiting the DR solo! From my drivers to my tour guides, everyone was an absolute pleasure to be around. They embraced me and made sure I had an amazing experience with every activity.
Mosquito Boutique hotel staff was unforgettable and I will... read more
Hi Carly! Thank you SO much for writing such a detailed review and for your kind words! It has been a true pleasure helping you plan your trip to the Dominican Republic and I am so glad you had such a fantastic trip :) The Dominican Republic is a true paradise and I am glad you got to discover the island. I will share your kind words with all the team! I look forward to helping you plan another adventure in the future! :) Warm regards, Marina
All guides were incredibly knowledgeable as w...
Spain
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Jun 8 - Jun 14, 2022
All guides were incredibly knowledgeable as well as courteous and helpful. read more
Hi Cynthia, thank you so much for your feedback and for your kind words! It's been a pleasure helping you plan this trip to Portugal and I hope you return soon! I look forward to helping you plan another adventure in the future! :) Warm regards, Marina
Marina was wonderful and very responsive thro...
Portugal
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May 27 - Jun 3, 2023
Marina was wonderful and very responsive through the entire process. I was a little dissapointed in having to upgrade two hotels used during our stay. However, Marina was quick to help resolve and get us where we needed to be, however the additional expense durning the trip wasn't ideal. I think perhaps discussing more room options and cost differences would be helpful during the reservation process and expectations of hotel quality and location should match the travelers desires. read more
Hi Sarah, thank you for taking the time to write a review! It has been a true pleasure helping you plan your mother/daughter trip to Spain and I appreciate your suggestions regarding the hotels, we will include more information about each hotel :) I will be more than happy to help with a future adventure :) Best regards, Marina
Fantastic trip to Portugal and Spain!
Spain
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Jun 8 - Jun 14, 2022
We had an amazing trip. The whole experience from initial contact to the return flight home was memorable. Working with Marina was easy and quick. She is very knowledgeable and listens very well to what her customers want. She was very responsive and the tours, hotels and trip planning were fantastic. The first night stay in Obidos in the Castle was an unforgettable experience. The next day our guide Sandra in Portal was really good. Deep knowledge of the city and region and fun and full of... read more
Hi Gregory, thank you for your kind words and for taking the time to write such a detailed review! It has been a true pleasure helping you plan your trip to Portugal and Spain and I'm so glad you enjoyed every part of it, it is what our team always strives for. I will share your kind words with our team in Portugal and Spain :) I am thrilled that you chose us and I hope our paths will cross again when planning your next adventure. Warmest regards, Marina
We had a fantastic mother/daughter trip to Sp...
Spain
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May 28 - Jun 3, 2022
We had a fantastic mother/daughter trip to Spain. Marina and Kim Kim arrangements made it most enjoyable.
Tapas tour was great. Our guide Lindsey was accommodating, engaging and lots of fun!
Geza (our walking tour guide in Madrid) was terrific! We were on this tour the day after Real Madrid won the European championship —so excitement was in the air. He explained many historical facts and interesting nuggets of information we would have never known about on our own.
We... read more
Hi Libby, thank you for your kind words and for taking the time to write such a detailed review! It has been a true pleasure helping you plan your mother/daughter trip to Spain and I'm so glad you enjoyed every part of it, it is what our team always strives for :) We are thrilled that you chose us and I hope our paths will cross again when planning your next adventure. Warmest regards, Marina
Our Guides were great and they presented oppo...
Portugal
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Apr 4 - Apr 13, 2022
Our Guides were great and they presented opportunities and activities that we wouldn't have gotten on to connect with on our own.
Hi Sara, thank you so much for taking the time to do a review. I am pleased to hear that you enjoyed your trip to Portugal. It was my pleasure to help you plan this trip. Marina :)
Portugal Excursion
Portugal
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May 27 - Jun 3, 2022
Every facet of the trip was organized and executed in the most professional manner possible. Most importantly we loved the agenda, tours, and tour-guides. We will absolutely be using KimKim again.
Hi John, thank you so much for taking the time to write your trip review! It has been a true pleasure helping you plan your trip and I'm so glad you enjoyed every part of it :) Warmest and sincerest regards, Marina
Multiple destinations in Spain
Spain
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May 14 - May 24, 2022
We had a wonderful experience on our trip to Spain. It was great to experience the culture, language and diverse history of various locations in Spain. Marina was very patient and helpful during the booking process. She was able to quickly give advice when we missed our train in Madrid. I'd also like to recognize the efforts of Vanessa at the Petit Palace Puerta del Sol for her repeated efforts to find us dinner reservations. We had personal guides in each city and all added tremendous... read more
Hi Jim! I really appreciate all your feedback and I'm delighted to read that you had such a good time and enjoyed all our guides. It was a real pleasure to host you here in Spain! I will share your kind words with our team in Spain :) Warmest regards, Marina
Our culinary and wine tour of Portugal was ex...
Portugal
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May 14 - May 25, 2022
Our culinary and wine tour of Portugal was excellent! Our specialist was always available for communications and everything went very smoothly. This was our second trip with Kimkim and they go above and beyond. It won't be our last! read more
