Kimkim Trip Reviews for Romania

Raluca, was outstanding she took care of all are needs. She was always there if we needed her. there are really no words to describe how wonderful she is. She made our trip so enjoyable. Our guides where great so knowledgeable, friendly and pleasant to be with. it was a wonderful memorable trip.

Raluca was amazing!!!! She worked so hard for us every step of the way! She put everything I wanted in the itinerary! She helped us when we had a couple of bumps in the road. She took very good care of us and made us felt safe and taken care of! The guides she picked for our tours, Christi and Alexandru were outstanding! They were so knowledgeable and kind! I can’t imagine anyone better!! It was a wonderful, wonderful trip of a life time!!!! LOVED every bit!!

I wish that I could give more stars. Florin is extremely knowledgeable about the area and the history and he takes care of his people. I got very immersed in the culture and met people and we danced with groups of locals and had an amazing trip. Floin literally goes out of his way to show you things that you would not ordinarily see and or do. Second to none experience. Bravo Florin! Bravo! read more

I wish that I could give more stars. Florin is extremely knowledgeable about the area and the history and he takes care of his people. I got very immersed in the culture and met people and we danced with groups of locals and had an amazing trip. Floin literally goes out of his way to show you things that you would not ordinarily see and or do. Second to none experience. Bravo Florin! Bravo!

Our trip to Romania has been a beautiful surprise. We had no expectations but we were totally blown away by the beauty and diversity of Romania. Our guide Bogdan was exceptional in his knowledge and enthusiasm for what has become his dream job. Nothing was too much trouble for him and he strove to fit in so much more than we had anticipated . From Bucharest to the painted monasteries in the north it was an ever changing landscape. Romania should be on everyone’s bucket list. Thank you Florin for organizing our itinerary and our great guide Bogdan

What was supposed to be a one-week hiking trip in Transylvania in the spring of 2020 ended up to be a great multifaceted three week trip through the entire country. Raluca was extremely helpful with the booking of the original trip, and managing the following Covid troubles.

Once it became clear that it was possible to travel to Romania in the summer of 2021, I wanted to extend my trip to see more of the country. Once again, Raluca was very helpful and in record time my 8 day trip became a... read more

What was supposed to be a one-week hiking trip in Transylvania in the spring of 2020 ended up to be a great multifaceted three week trip through the entire country. Raluca was extremely helpful with the booking of the original trip, and managing the following Covid troubles.

Once it became clear that it was possible to travel to Romania in the summer of 2021, I wanted to extend my trip to see more of the country. Once again, Raluca was very helpful and in record time my 8 day trip became a 21 day trip (1 week hiking, followed with a 2 week roadtrip). Basically it was a combination of the self-guided walking tour in the Carpathian mountains and some of the other tours, exactly tailored to my wishes. The accommodations, both guesthouses and hotels, were good. Everything was perfectly planned out, with detailed descriptions and maps for the hiking part of the trip, extensive list of all possible sightseeing options for the roadtrip and lots of other useful information. I seriously can't think of a way my trip could have been prepared better, highly recommended!

Raluca and her team arranged a perfect trip for my wife and I.

We spent 16 days driving through the Transylvania and Maramures regions. Raluca organized a great itinerary for us; we would drive about 3 or 4 hours on beautiful, scenic roads and then spend a few days at each destination. This made for a very pleasant and varied trip and we had time to really experience each new location. (Side note: the roads in Romania are very good).

We stayed in a variety of places from city hotels to... read more

Raluca and her team arranged a perfect trip for my wife and I.

We spent 16 days driving through the Transylvania and Maramures regions. Raluca organized a great itinerary for us; we would drive about 3 or 4 hours on beautiful, scenic roads and then spend a few days at each destination. This made for a very pleasant and varied trip and we had time to really experience each new location. (Side note: the roads in Romania are very good).

We stayed in a variety of places from city hotels to country guest houses, all very nice. We found great food, great sights, and lots of nice outdoor hikes along the way. The old cities of Transylvania are very well preserved and are great for meandering around. There is some amazing scenery in the mountains and forests, especially when you get to Maramures.

October was a great time of year for this trip: we had great weather, beautiful foliage, and no crowds.

I would highly recommend visiting Romania and having Raluca help you out.

Silviu set us up with great road bikes and some great routes for our self guided biking week.. Romanian drivers drive fast and with aggression, so the quieter routes were much more enjoyable. With hindsight we would have requested that Silviu keep us off extended rides on major highways with no shoulder, as riding those roads can be frightening and dangerous. Silviu’s selected hotels and guest houses were excellent, as were his restaurant recommendations which we requested. We would have... read more

Silviu set us up with great road bikes and some great routes for our self guided biking week.. Romanian drivers drive fast and with aggression, so the quieter routes were much more enjoyable. With hindsight we would have requested that Silviu keep us off extended rides on major highways with no shoulder, as riding those roads can be frightening and dangerous. Silviu’s selected hotels and guest houses were excellent, as were his restaurant recommendations which we requested. We would have liked to see more detail in our itinerary for restaurants, points of interest, rest spots, etc.
Silviu also set up a driving week for us. Again excellent lodgings and restaurant recommendations, when requested. We rented the car ourselves, through a major international rental agency, and were shocked to learn at pick up that an international drivers licence was required. We were able to switch last minute to a local rental agency that didn’t required the international licence, which was a godsend, although our vehicle was smaller and cost more.
Romania is a very interesting country to visit, with many buildings and fortifications, dating from the 15th century, which blend seamlessly into modern life. Food is excellent, as is wine and beer, and all very reasonably priced. We highly recommend Romania, and Transylvania in particular, as a great place to visit.

The KimKim portal turned out to be an excellent tool to work with Silviu during the planning stages of the trip. It is easy to navigate and by keeping and allowing full access to the running dialogue, I found it a very good repository for reference and sharing with the rest of our group.

Silviu was responsive and very willing to tailor the trip to our requirements. He included everything that we had set out for him as our "wish list" for the trip and offered some options for our... read more

The KimKim portal turned out to be an excellent tool to work with Silviu during the planning stages of the trip. It is easy to navigate and by keeping and allowing full access to the running dialogue, I found it a very good repository for reference and sharing with the rest of our group.

Silviu was responsive and very willing to tailor the trip to our requirements. He included everything that we had set out for him as our "wish list" for the trip and offered some options for our consideration as we planned the journey which was very helpful landing on our final itineray.

Silviu was very accommodating during the planning phase as well as throughout the trip. He was knowledgeable about the countryside while sharing history of the various towns, villages and regions while we were on tour. The accommodations were well appointed, comfortable with great amenities and the food was beyond our expectations. The bicycles that Silviu provided and maintained were very good quality road bikes that performed excellent.

His transport vehicle was comfortable for the transfers that we made between cities.

My husband and I are retired school teachers and usually plan our own trips, however because Romania is brand new to us, I checked online. When I read reviews of Raluca I was convinced to give it a try. I was not the easiest client, because first I said we like to hike. When Raluca offered us a complete hiking vacation, I saw that would be too much. So she changed our itinerary to include one all day hike in Craiului National Park and the rest exploring old Saxon villages, going in a rental... read more

My husband and I are retired school teachers and usually plan our own trips, however because Romania is brand new to us, I checked online. When I read reviews of Raluca I was convinced to give it a try. I was not the easiest client, because first I said we like to hike. When Raluca offered us a complete hiking vacation, I saw that would be too much. So she changed our itinerary to include one all day hike in Craiului National Park and the rest exploring old Saxon villages, going in a rental car. Our nine day road trip included quaint hotels and guest houses in the old town section of each village. If you want first class lodging, I suggest booking it yourself and keep to the big city hotels. But if you really want an authentic experience where you meet real people, go with Raluca. A couple of times we felt stuck and had questions. Both times Raluca answered our call right away and got us answers.

Our most memorable night was our “night in a museum” where our guest house was a farm house in the small village of Viscri, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. We have visited a couple of museum villages in Europe where they have houses set up to show how people lived 100 to 300 years ago. The beds were fine and the food very good, down home cooking, the sense of community among the other boarders was very welcoming.

I cannot do this review without mentioning a place we were fortunate to stay two nights; that was at Casa Dobre, in the village of Madura, in the Carpathian Alps. This couple were so nice, they made our stay outstanding. Most places serve you breakfast. They served dinner as well, with home made plum schnapps on the side, plus whatever beverage you wanted, including beer or wine. And both mornings they sent us off with a sack lunch, because they wouldn’t want us to starve! And the views all around them were Sound-of-Music BEAUTIFUL!

Every time we thought we might have a problem, such as with parking in the pedestrian zone of little old downtowns, where we were always booked, things were fine when we got there. We have no regrets at booking with Kimkim and Raluca at Romania Active.

Raluca is a smart, friendly and meticulous planner who really came through for us. When we had to cut our trip short due to a death in the family, she helped us immensely and we are very grateful to her for her assistance.

Raluca was very knowledgeable and responsive during the planning of our trip. We were comparing a few different tour otions and Raluca’s route seemed the best. Our bikes were great. The logistics were seamless. The route was fantastic. Wonderful country roads. No traffic. Beautiful. For the most part the acommodation was quite good. The food was standard fare for Romania. I would recommend Romania Active without hesitation. Trip of a lifetime. Translyvania is undiscovered. ... read more

Raluca was very knowledgeable and responsive during the planning of our trip. We were comparing a few different tour otions and Raluca’s route seemed the best. Our bikes were great. The logistics were seamless. The route was fantastic. Wonderful country roads. No traffic. Beautiful. For the most part the acommodation was quite good. The food was standard fare for Romania. I would recommend Romania Active without hesitation. Trip of a lifetime. Translyvania is undiscovered. It was refreshing to be in Europe and not be surrounded by tourists and to experience the traditional Romanian lifestyle.

We enjoyed a wonderful Romanian experience thanks to Raluca’s excellent planning and organisational skills. She was always quick to reply to our questions and it was great to finally meet her in person when we picked up our road book, vouchers and itinerary in Bucharest. We enjoyed the variety in our itinerary which included a visit to the Bear sanctuary, visits to beautiful Medieval towns and castles and a steam train ride through the scenic Vaser valley. Our Romanian experience has left us... read more

We enjoyed a wonderful Romanian experience thanks to Raluca’s excellent planning and organisational skills. She was always quick to reply to our questions and it was great to finally meet her in person when we picked up our road book, vouchers and itinerary in Bucharest. We enjoyed the variety in our itinerary which included a visit to the Bear sanctuary, visits to beautiful Medieval towns and castles and a steam train ride through the scenic Vaser valley. Our Romanian experience has left us with beautiful memories.
Thank you Raluca and the Kimkim team.

Sue & Kerry Walker
Melbourne Australia.

We have given detailed feedback to Raluca face-to-face so I won't be writing it all down again.

The Saxon villages of Transylvania sounded to me like an intriguing place to visit on a bike. it is marketed as a region full of history, social upheaval and change, all set to a backdrop of stunning scenery. it is all of these things and more, the little medieval villages inhabited by industrious saxon farmers for over eight hundred years lie in amongst the pretty wooded meadows and valleys.
Due to economic deprivation over many years, these once prosperous villages are now set in a time... read more

The Saxon villages of Transylvania sounded to me like an intriguing place to visit on a bike. it is marketed as a region full of history, social upheaval and change, all set to a backdrop of stunning scenery. it is all of these things and more, the little medieval villages inhabited by industrious saxon farmers for over eight hundred years lie in amongst the pretty wooded meadows and valleys.
Due to economic deprivation over many years, these once prosperous villages are now set in a time freeze. unchanged in over a century. beautiful castles and fortified churches sit beside well constructed houses set out in the neat linear fashion of the Saxon village.
Since the communist era many of the Saxon people left their houses and businesses and returned to Germany . much of the land is common ground, grazed by the romany shepherds with their flocks of sheep, usually assisted by half a dozen big dogs helping to guard against the bears and wolves also living in the area!
Poverty is evident in this area, the villages and churches are very run down, though there are signs of funding and investment to repair and maintain.

It is a fabulous place to tour on a gravel bike, in fact just made for gravel bike touring! some of the roads are well surfaced, but many are either really badly potholed or just clay and rubble surfaces. there are many footpaths throughout the region which make great cycling in dry weather, beware though, when it rains the mud becomes a tenacious sticky clay that will stop any bike in its tracks! The topography is gently rolling hills with some steep but short climbs. all the while travelling through open meadows, woods and forests.

So its a great place to cycle tour, but if like me you prefer to stay in bed and breakfasts rather than camp then logistically its very difficult to make a plan. I was unable to confirm any bookings until I contacted Silviu Martin of Martin Adventures. Silviu was terrific, he arranged all the accommodation along the way , no mean feat as even with use of the native language tying down bookings was difficult. Silvui is the consummate professional, he is conscientious, and really cares that his clients get a good experience. We were a self guided group, but Silvui kept in touch to ensure everything went smoothly. I would highly recommend Martin Adventures

Thanks for a well organised holiday Raluca!

I really enjoyed travelling in Transylvania. The infrastructure is good even if not top rate. The people were friendly and helpful. Communication was quite good as most young people spoke some English and non-speakers were keen to try to understand and help. Speaking a bit of German and Hungarian was useful.

Accommodation was reasonable in price. At times I felt that I would rather look at history than live in it. However every place was... read more

Thanks for a well organised holiday Raluca!

I really enjoyed travelling in Transylvania. The infrastructure is good even if not top rate. The people were friendly and helpful. Communication was quite good as most young people spoke some English and non-speakers were keen to try to understand and help. Speaking a bit of German and Hungarian was useful.

Accommodation was reasonable in price. At times I felt that I would rather look at history than live in it. However every place was spotlessly clean and inviting.

I enjoyed walking through old villages where the old pace of life was still visible. Seeing storks nests on top of electricity poles was amusing.

The food was mostly good quality if not very varied.

I would like to return and explore other parts of Romania.

Our 15 day, self-drive tour of Romania was exceptional! Raluca and her team put together a terrific itinerary which brought us to a wide range of scenic, historic, urban and rural sights. In addition to the ‘must-see’ stops and historic town centers, the itinerary provided the opportunity to visit a variety of unique, out-of -the-way places like former monasteries, wooden and fortified churches, and castles and fortresses, all in varying states of repair. There were also great country drives... read more

Our 15 day, self-drive tour of Romania was exceptional! Raluca and her team put together a terrific itinerary which brought us to a wide range of scenic, historic, urban and rural sights. In addition to the ‘must-see’ stops and historic town centers, the itinerary provided the opportunity to visit a variety of unique, out-of -the-way places like former monasteries, wooden and fortified churches, and castles and fortresses, all in varying states of repair. There were also great country drives through farms and pasture land and some truly impressive rides through the mountains. Don’t miss the Transfargarasan mountain road to Balea Lac!
We stayed in a mix of city hotels and country pensiuneas. These rural B&B ’s were all different. Most were unique. All were good.
We drove 1300 miles in 15 days. We were surprised and awed by the scenery. We saw an agrarian and pastoral life that will likely disappear in the next 25 years. We learned about the history and culture of a people of which we knew relatively little.
If you are travelers who are comfortable on your own, like to discover new places and learn the ‘what and why’ of its people, we highly recommend this trip to you.

Cristi was amazing...very knowledgeable and helpful and just good company.
I loved the time I spent over at the Black Sea...hotel wasn't the best. My room was near the lobbly and the elevator so it was kind of noisy.
Bucharest is an amazing city. I enjoyed all my time spent there.
The Equus Silvania was great. Food, people, lodging and horses were all great. Didn't get to ride as much as I thought I would though.
Guesthouse Daniela was not the best. Food, and Lodging were not... read more

Cristi was amazing...very knowledgeable and helpful and just good company.
I loved the time I spent over at the Black Sea...hotel wasn't the best. My room was near the lobbly and the elevator so it was kind of noisy.
Bucharest is an amazing city. I enjoyed all my time spent there.
The Equus Silvania was great. Food, people, lodging and horses were all great. Didn't get to ride as much as I thought I would though.
Guesthouse Daniela was not the best. Food, and Lodging were not good.
Boat ride on the Danube and Bigar falls were fantastic
Hike up to Poenari Fortress was great!
I loved the city of Brasov.
Overall...a great and memorable experience.

Thank you all,
Sandy

We could not be happier with our experience with KimKim and Romania Activ. Raluca created an excellent itinerary for us, taking into account our peculiar habit of travelling by train as much as possible!

All the accommodation she booked was comfortable, clean, and ideally located to see the sights in the cities we visited. Particularly memorable was our stay with Georges Iurca in Botiza, a wonderful and knowledgeable host in a beautiful village.

Had a great time, Silviu was very helpful and kept in touch with our progress, he was very professional. We will recommend you and Silviu. Thanks again. Steve, and rest of group.

Raluca was fantastic! She met us at the hotel and made sure we understood the route and itinerary as well as arranged for car pick up at the hotel. She was also easily contactable the we wanted to make some minor adjustments to the program we had arranged. Would highly recommend her as a tour organiser.
We mainly stayed in a B&B in a small village in the Carpathian Alps (Maluga). The hosts were friendly, helpful and efficient with ample breakfast and dinner provided as well as opportunity to... read more

Raluca was fantastic! She met us at the hotel and made sure we understood the route and itinerary as well as arranged for car pick up at the hotel. She was also easily contactable the we wanted to make some minor adjustments to the program we had arranged. Would highly recommend her as a tour organiser.
We mainly stayed in a B&B in a small village in the Carpathian Alps (Maluga). The hosts were friendly, helpful and efficient with ample breakfast and dinner provided as well as opportunity to make sandwiches for treks into the mountains. Room was comfortable, clean with en suite.
Carpathian Alps have well marked, long walking tracks with views comparable to Austria or Switzerland. Guidebook provided was accurate with good directional assistance.
Also stayed in Brasov. Accomodation was in an Austrian styled villa hotel walking distance from old town with nice views of Black church and the hills behind the city from the balcony. Brasov also had a very pretty old town if maybe already a bit touristy. There are also skiing resorts in the mountains 30 min from Brasov with walking, cycling tracks etc.
Bram castle was a chaotic place with too many tourists and buses and probably worth avoiding in June / July. Krasnov citadel was easier to access and more interesting.
Dont expect to get anywhere quickly by road in summer. Lots of traffic jams, around towns and road works. Alpine roads are likely to be dirt or gravel a lot of the time - so drive carefully!
Prices were very reasonable everywhere in Lei. With the arrival of the Euro and more tourists Romania will more than likely become as unreasonably expensive as the rest of Europe. So, get there before more of the regular tourists discover it.

The best part of the trip was Magura - a magical village in the mountains. We were lucky in that the rain stopped while we did the planned hike- but it could have otherwise meant 2 days in a small place being cold and wet. The hike was very challenging- about 6 hours ( not 4 hours as written). We did it, but I would suggest doing it with a guide or small group. The food and staff at the lodge were warm and friendly- even through the language barrier.
The car was dependable,and the driver... read more

The best part of the trip was Magura - a magical village in the mountains. We were lucky in that the rain stopped while we did the planned hike- but it could have otherwise meant 2 days in a small place being cold and wet. The hike was very challenging- about 6 hours ( not 4 hours as written). We did it, but I would suggest doing it with a guide or small group. The food and staff at the lodge were warm and friendly- even through the language barrier.
The car was dependable,and the driver was punctual and drove us to the airport. It would have been good to be picked up after our midnight flight as we missed the transfer bus and had to wait an hour for the 2 km trip to the RIN hotel. An all wheel drive would be more suited to the country roads. The RIN hotel staff was helpful, letting us leave our bags and then giving us a room to change on the way back from the trip.
We only had 3 days, so we devised our route after Magura via Rasnov fortress and then continuing over the mountain into Brasnov. Bran and Peles Castle were full of tour buses, so hard to enjoy these visits.
I would suggest going to a city first to get used to the language, roads etc and then to Magura.
We saw a lot in the 4 night stay- thank you!

I was a little skeptical initially about using Kim kim to assist w my travel planning as I had never heard of them and the 2 local travel agents that I know had not heard of them either. My family decided that Romania would be an interesting place to visit, but our local travel agents knew nothing about it and I was at a loss when attempting to plan the trip myself, using travel guide books etc.

I found Kim Kim while doing internet searches about travel planning for Romania. Kim kim... read more

I was a little skeptical initially about using Kim kim to assist w my travel planning as I had never heard of them and the 2 local travel agents that I know had not heard of them either. My family decided that Romania would be an interesting place to visit, but our local travel agents knew nothing about it and I was at a loss when attempting to plan the trip myself, using travel guide books etc.

I found Kim Kim while doing internet searches about travel planning for Romania. Kim kim connected me to a local travel guide, Raluca Teodor who was very helpful and responsive. Kim kim also was extremely helpful and responsive when I contacted them initially, they returned my calls and answered my questions about how their service worked immediately and then followed up with emails to be sure that all my questions were answered. I felt reassured that they were a legitimate company and I could feel secure in using their service to plan our vacation for our family, which ended up including 5 adults ranging in age from 25-70.

Raluca assisted me in planning every step of our trip including hotel transfers, itinerary, hotel and guest house bookings and suggestions for activities. The planning was made more difficult as everyone had different travel schedules and to make it back to Bucharest to go home at different intervals during the trip. Every hotel or guest house booked was clean, in a nice location and included a free, very nice breakfast. The guest houses provided home cooked dinners as well, preparing local specialties and some of them even provided picnic lunches. Romania is a beautiful country with many of the same attractions of other European destinations, including several Unesco designated sites, but at about 1/3 the price. We found many english speakers, especially among the younger people, though not as much as other European countries, we had wi fi in most of our accommodations. It was great to stay in the guest houses with the local people and learn some of their customs.

We enjoyed Transylvania which is beautiful and maybe the most populated area in Romania, but we also loved Bucovina for the painted monasteries and Maramures for the wooden churches and observing how the local people still dress in their traditional clothing, work in the fields daily and use horses and carts to transport hay and other products of their daily work. Romania is a great combination of old world charm with modern conveniences in most places. It was a great experience and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to go somewhere a little off the grid but without too much roughing it.

We met Raluca after the visit and gave feedback. Overall the trip was exactly what we asked for. We are pleased.
Every host did well albeit very differently from UK! To UK travellers I'd say it's like France in the 80's; no facilities for making hot drinks in your room except at hotels, and take bags of tea with you with travel kettle! After meals that you bought as part of the trip, you still have to pay for coffee as extra. Learn some Romanian - you'll need it. Driving there isn't hard... read more

We met Raluca after the visit and gave feedback. Overall the trip was exactly what we asked for. We are pleased.
Every host did well albeit very differently from UK! To UK travellers I'd say it's like France in the 80's; no facilities for making hot drinks in your room except at hotels, and take bags of tea with you with travel kettle! After meals that you bought as part of the trip, you still have to pay for coffee as extra. Learn some Romanian - you'll need it. Driving there isn't hard if you're calm, but country roads can be unmetalled and deep potholes make for slow progress. Host-provided picnics can be clumsy chunks - and remember always you provide your own drink. Watch out for impulse stops; we were scammed by nuns! Do not use any yellow car at airport. I made a mistake and thought I would solve it using one and was overcharged and dumped away from target. If you use Bogdan in the Delta, rest assured he is an excellent boatman. He also speaks English excellently but don't expect him to be a nature guide too. We wanted to be self guiding and are happy, but for some people I'd suggest considering hiring guides for the mountain walks.

Accomodation all good.

My only one thing is that our itinerary had has going to the bear sanctuary on a Monday but it is closed on a Monday. Thankfully we worked this out in advance by looking at out Lonely Planet book and looking at their website on line so we could plan ahead and alter our itinerary. It would have been very frustrating to get all the way there and realise it was not open and miss it all together as it was one of the highlights of the trip.

Raluca made our trip very enjoyable. She organized car rental, all accommodations and an itenerary which was interesting and easy to follow with places of interest etc