Rinolda J

The main reason for this trip was to see the Northern Lights ( bucket list), knowing it might not happen however the first four nights in Iceland I was gifted with sightings! The itinerary Rinolda put together for me was incredible, amazing, awesome! She really listened to my wants and made my adventure all that we talked about and more! Just one hiccup with one of my tours and it was me not giving the correct means of contacting me for directions but Rinolda took care of the miss communication and got me on the tour the next day, again outstanding! This was my first time on a self drive tour and the car was fast and easy and ready when I got to the rental company. My accommodations were outstanding, comfortable and the staff and owners were super nice, friendly and very helpful. Iceland is a beautiful country and its people are wonderful. So much diversity from volcanos to glaciers and all the waterfalls and geography, the history and the weather made for one of my top five vacations and I’ve been to many wonderful places! All and all Kimkim was a great find in my research for an Iceland adventure and will use them again and again for other places and countries. I went in November and will definitely use Kimkim again for a summer adventure in Iceland!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Langaholt

Stadarstadur

Great staff, amazing breakfast (included) and had dinner one night and was so very good! The rooms were very clean and comfortable. I would highly recommend and would stay there again.

Authenticity & Character

Easy to find and remote in the best way!

Location

Was my first night in Iceland and saw the Northern Lights!

Staff

The chef was really great and all were so nice and friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms and the bed was awesome!

Hestakrain Guesthouse

Selfoss

The owner was delightful, the guesthouse is on a horse farm and watching and listening to the horses was so soothing .

Authenticity & Character

Had a hot tub on the back porch to star gaze and watch the Northern Lights!

Location

On a horse farm!

Staff

Very accommodating.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were rustic just the way I like and all was very clean.

Activity Reviews

Dog Sledding

Iceland

Ok my favorite part is the dogs! So beautiful sweet friendly to me and I wanted to take them all home with me! The hides and staff were great too!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lava Cave Explorer Tour

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Oh my goodness we just returned from the most amazing Iceland trip, thanks to Rinolda!!

About a year ago we started working with Rinolda to plan my mom's 80th birthday trip, and she was so very accommodating with all of our requests and millions of questions! She took great care to plan the best (and unique!) itinerary for us. My mom was really trying to maximize the chances of seeing the Northern Lights (staying in more remote, darker areas), while also wanting to see popular touristy things too. And we wanted a mix of active and less active things to do. Rinolda listened to all our requests, tweaking the itinerary several times, until we had it just right.

She booked various Northern Lights tours for us (via Jeep, bus, and boat), as well as a Golden Circle tour, snowmobiling tour, the Blue Lagoon, and even dog sledding. She was very clever with her solutions to our requests, and had a "can do" attitude. She never said "We can't do that" but instead, "Let me figure something out and I'll get back to you." :)

One of the best things about working with Rinolda was that she was very accessible and responsive throughout our trip. We never felt like we couldn't get help if we needed it. And when unexpected things happened (like one of our tours inexplicably getting cancelled the day before, not due to weather), she was all over it, finding us a replacement and taking care of things behind the scenes.

Right before the trip, we also realized that it was looking like the best weather for Northern Lights viewing might very well be the very first night of our trip when we had nothing planned -- so we asked her if she could find us a tour at the last minute and she did! (And yes, it turned out to be the best NL viewing!!!)

There was also a lot of seismic activity going on right before our trip -- with the Blue Lagoon evacuating and closing temporarily -- and Rinolda was very involved with keeping us posted on volcano updates and finding possible other geothermal bath alternatives for us. We were able to go to the Blue Lagoon after all and it was wonderful.

Another day while we were already in-country, we realized that one of the days coming up was kind of open (while we were going to be waiting around for a tour pick-up at 2pm). We asked Rinolda if there was anything we could do that day instead of sitting around at the remote hotel... Well Rinolda took charge and contacted one of her friends who lives in the area and is also a guide, and that friend (TAMARA -- the best!) picked up my mom and I and took us to see some local horses, and to an adorable tomato farm for lunch!!! It was such a perfect solution and we were so, so grateful that Rinolda CARED to help us -- and that Tamara was so wonderful too!! Tam was such great company, and now we can't imagine our trip NOT having included her. <3

Other great recommendations: the Super Jeep Northern Lights tour (you get picked up in an actual Super Jeep and can go off-roading/to more remote places than the bus tours can); also DANIEL from our Golden Circle tour was so knowledgable and friendly and entertaining -- highly recommend; Hotel Gullfoss (Gullfoss) and Hotel Skuggi (Reykjavik) were great accommodations; the snowmobiling tour with NICO/NICK out on a glacier out near Gullfoss was a total blast (and yes, my 80 year old mom did it!); KAREN, the driver on our return trip from the Golden Circle was amazing/funny; and then dogsledding was possibly our absolute favorite (THELMA with Viking Women drove us there and CLARA was our delightful musher) -- imagine being pulled on a sled across a frozen lake by huskies, while it's snowing... it was magical!

All in all a fantastic trip - and we saw the Northern Lights every night except the last night! Not bad!

Thank you, Rinolda, for ALL your help, your knowledge of the country, and your care and concern for your clients. This was a perfect "bucket list" trip for my mom that we will never forget. :)

Hotel Reviews

Skuggi Hotel Reykjavík by Keahotels

Reykjavík

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Gullfoss

Tungufell

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Blue Lagoon

Iceland

Northern Lights Hunt Super Jeep Tour

Iceland

Loved the Jeep 4x4 access (vs a bigger bus that can't go off-roading to more remote places for better viewing) and the smaller group feel

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Golden Circle first-class experience with a geothermal bakery in a semi-private group

Iceland

Highlights: Thingvellir National Park, geysir, and Gullfoss waterfall

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

DANIEL!!

Transport

Snowmobile and Ice Cave Tour in Iceland

Golden Circle

Even my 80 year old mom could do this! Incredible! Nico/Nick was a fabulous guide!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Nico/Nick!

Transport

Cool bus to get out to the glacier!

Dog Sledding

Iceland

This was such a fun, unique activity! Highly recommend!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Clara the musher was awesome!

Transport

Reykjavik Northern Lights Cruise

Iceland

We were not able to see the lights this night but the concept was pretty cool (being out on a boat on the water to see them). Separately, the boat was also very crowded. Also, a lot of times the lights will show up later at night, around midnight, but the boat didn't wait and just returned to the harbor at 11pm (even though apps were showing a break in the clouds coming at midnight). Many people on the boat had to get back to their tour buses. We probably would have preferred a smaller boat or more private option, in retrospect. The captain was really funny though, and it's not his fault that the lights didn't show while we were out there!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport