Kimkim Trip Reviews

Would have given 4.5 stars if that was an option. Overall everything went smoothly and we had a wonderful time. We especially liked the raft float with Walter and the bird watching tours at Rainforest Adventures with Charo and CATIE Botanical Garden with Jorge. The hike on Turrialba Volcano with Eileen was a highlight. The grounds surrounding Ara Ambigua hotel and Guayabo Lodge were beautiful.

We wished that our KimKim specialist had better understood that in our 70s we were not up for... read more

Would have given 4.5 stars if that was an option. Overall everything went smoothly and we had a wonderful time. We especially liked the raft float with Walter and the bird watching tours at Rainforest Adventures with Charo and CATIE Botanical Garden with Jorge. The hike on Turrialba Volcano with Eileen was a highlight. The grounds surrounding Ara Ambigua hotel and Guayabo Lodge were beautiful.

We wished that our KimKim specialist had better understood that in our 70s we were not up for extensive or rigorous hikes. The indications of where to meet for each tour need to be more precise, maybe even including coordinates. We would use KimKim again.

Trip to Chile

We had one of our best vacations ever thanks to Erin and her team at Kimkim.
Everyone of our airport transfers were waiting for us when we cleared customs and baggage claim and drove us to our destinations giving us good information regarding that region of Chile.
The hotels Erin selected were excellent with nice rooms, good locations for exploring the cities, and great breakfasts.
The activities that were scheduled for us were both challenging and interesting (kayaking,... read more

Trip to Chile

We had one of our best vacations ever thanks to Erin and her team at Kimkim.
Everyone of our airport transfers were waiting for us when we cleared customs and baggage claim and drove us to our destinations giving us good information regarding that region of Chile.
The hotels Erin selected were excellent with nice rooms, good locations for exploring the cities, and great breakfasts.
The activities that were scheduled for us were both challenging and interesting (kayaking, hiking in a temperate rain forrest, fishing, and penguin viewing. )
The restaurants in each city that were recommended were all excellent with local seafood, fresh vegetables, and fine wine.

We particularly enjoyed staying at the Matetic La Casona Hotel with its' beautiful rooms, garden areas, excellent restaurant and, of course, the fine wines. It was nice to get out of Santiago with its' warm temperatures and smoke from the recent fires.
We spent a day touring Valparaiso which was quite entertaining with its' fish market, murals, funiculars, and views.
The San Francisco of Chile.

We enjoyed staying in Puerto Varas with the beautiful beach setting, lake, and volcanoes in the background.
Jass was a perfect host with pickup at the airport and kayaking on a fjord. Learning about the fjord, salmon and mussel farms was interesting but the river was so wide and big the actual kayaking was not much fun. Would have preferred a smaller river to learn about the trees, birds, and animals.

The trekking trip to Alerce Andino National Park was interesting but not a high point. Good for training to climb a mountain with all the stairs you have to negotiate. Our guide Marcella has a spider phobia she pontificated on that was the most entertaining part of the hike.

The fishing trip I took with Matthew (?) was the best day of the trip for me. Rowing me down a quiet, beautiful river with large brown trout hungry to grab my lure, identifying multiple water birds, and cooking me a riverside lunch was perfect.
June enjoyed her penguin trip as well.

We dined at the Casa Varas and Brasas restaurants in the evening and found them both excellent.
The frozen piscos and ceviche at Casa Varas and the king crab and baked Alaska dessert at Brasas were highlights.

Puerto Natales was the gateway to Torres del Paine National Park and a perfect base to launch our different activities.
Our hotel Remota was hip and cooly designed and built using local wood and resources.
It was a long walk from town and we usually took a taxi.
It could use a better sauvignon blanc in the wine list.

Our private tour of Torres del Paine National Park was quite nice hitting all the major waterfalls and mountain views.
Saw lots of wildlife including condors, Darwin Rhea, caracara, black eagles, flamingos. and guanacos.

The Hotel Grey located in Torres del Paine was also quite nice and we enjoyed a hike to the Chorrillo Los Samones with Pablo and Jorge as our guides. Multiple plants, trees, and birds were identified on the hike along the Pingo River.
The best and most comfortable views of the glacier and the iceberg were in the hotel bar. :)

Erin worked easily with us on our itinerary changing several activities to match our interests. She was up front about the costs and provided detailed information and photos on each of the hotels, destinations, and activities.

I hardily recommend Erin and Kimkim to anyone considering a trip to Chile. You will be rewarded with a trip of a lifetime.

Joe and June Spann
Austin, Texas

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Lago Grey

Torres del Paine

great location with good restaurant and bar.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Casona at Matetic Vineyards

Lagunillas

Beautiful, relaxing setting with lap pool, gardens, and on-site restaurant. Great wine!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

quiet, calming setting after a long flight.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Solace Puerto Varas

Puerto Varas

Great breakfast, view from our room of the lake and volcanoes, and great location to access the town.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Accidentally left my electrical conversion equipment in my room at check-out and the house cleaner immediately recognized it and caught me before I checked out of the hotel.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Remota Patagonia Lodge

Puerto Natales

Cool, hip hotel with its' design and materials. Long walk from town. Needs a better sauvignon blanc wine on the menu.

Authenticity & Character

Location

long walk from town

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Stay at La Casona inside of Matetic Winery

Casablanca Valley

wine tasting with Pablo Took a day trip to Valparaiso...very entertaining. Strongly recommend.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trekking in Alerce Andino National Park

Puerto Varas

Too many stairs and guide fixated on spiders.

Kayaking on the Reloncaví Fjord

Puerto Varas

Jass was great but fjord but was wide and large and did not feel very intimate for a kayaking trip.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All-inclusive at Hotel Remota

Puerto Natales

Presented with a menu of possible activities the first evening, We chose the most difficult hike up to the base of the three towers of Torres del Paine. It was a 14 mile round trip hike with sunshine and warmth on the hike up with the last mile picking our way up over giant boulders and the last two hours in a cold rain with driving wind. One of the most difficult hikes I have ever done especially at age 71 but we were rewarded with some magnificent views, incredible scenery, and a sense of accomplishment at the end. It was 10 hours of hiking interrupted with a half-hour lunch. Nicholas was our young guide at 24 years of age and I think he worried we were going to collapse. So did we. :) The next day we took a tour of Puerto Natales downtown and enjoyed visiting the museum and shopping for souvenirs.

Quality of Experience

Food

Snacks, salad, and a warm beer were waiting for us at the end.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide Nicholas was young and energetic but at the end I think he was frustrated with the old people (us) He would get about 10-20 meters ahead of us and only look back to make sure we hadn't fallen or gotten lost.

Transport

Fly fishing on the Rio Maullín

Puerto Varas

Best day of the trip for me with phenomenal trout fishing, beautiful serene setting, and abundant wildlife. The guide was especially skilled and helpful. Would recommend highly to all those interested in one of the greatest fishing trips of their life. I used a spinning rod and reel since I am not especially skilled at fly fishing.

Quality of Experience

Food

riverside steak dinner with beer!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trip Briefing at Dittmar Adventures

Puerto Natales

My wife took this trip and enjoyed it.

Explore Chiloé Island & Puñihuil Penguins National Reserve

Puerto Varas

Wife took this trip and enjoyed it.

Torres del Paine Full Day Private Tour

Chile

We checked all the boxes on waterfalls, mountain views, and wildlife.

Half Day Hiking in the Pingo Valley

Torres del Paine

Enjoyed taking this informative hike with Pablo and Jorge in a visitor restricted area.

Our guide and driver made our trip comfortable and fun. Both our guide and driver made us feel a part of the communities that we were visiting.

Mr Sarun was responsive and more often proactive. For example, when we were purchasing souvenirs he was right with us interacting with the seller and us to make sure we understood the cost.

Sarun taught us key Khmer phrases such as, Sour Sdei for Hello, Orkun Chroeun for Thankyou. Often when we used these phrases the Khmer people asked if we... read more

Our guide and driver made our trip comfortable and fun. Both our guide and driver made us feel a part of the communities that we were visiting.

Mr Sarun was responsive and more often proactive. For example, when we were purchasing souvenirs he was right with us interacting with the seller and us to make sure we understood the cost.

Sarun taught us key Khmer phrases such as, Sour Sdei for Hello, Orkun Chroeun for Thankyou. Often when we used these phrases the Khmer people asked if we knew their language. These phrases helped us feel connected to the community.

Our driver, Thaulm (please correct spelling), was welcoming and helpful. He always had the tour bus ready for us and greeted us at the door.

One suggestion, build a bit more down time into the schedule in Phonm Penh while the day time market is open. And, allow for some more down time in the morning or earlier in the evening while in Battambang. My husband and I like to take our time walking around the city, eating street food and exploring local shops/markets. We finally got this time in Siem Reap on the afternoon of our last day and the extra day we added to our trip. We would have liked some more down time (not in the heat of the day) to explore Battambang and Phonm Penh.

Hotel Reviews

Poulo Wai Hotel and Apartment

Phnom Penh

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Maisons Wat Kor

Battambang

Setting, atmosphere, people and food were delicious! The food was some of the best we had on the entire trip.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

It may have been nice to have at least one brighter light in our room. And, the pamphlet in our room said that we could get coffee anytime of day. I was waking up at about 4am to finish edits to an academic journal article that is being published and like coffee while I write. Since our host and hostess have a full day of work from about 6:30am until about 9:00/10:00pm, it may be nice to have a French Press coffee pot with some ground coffee in our room to substitute for the times when the kitchen is closed. Please know the food we had here was some of the best for the entire trip.

The Aviary Hotel

Siem Reap

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bed service and constant attention to provide clean towels each time we left our room was amazing. One suggestion, check the shampoo and body wash a bit more regularly because we ran out the second day.

Activity Reviews

Additional airport transfer

Phnom Penh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Afternoon introductory Phnom Penh City Tour

Phnom Penh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

National Museum & Royal Palace

Phnom Penh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lunch

Phnom Penh

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tuol Sleng & Killing Fields

Phnom Penh

Powerful experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

{{start_location}} to {{end_location}} via Ondong Rossey

Cambodia

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dinner at Jaan Bai

Battambang

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Intro to Battambang

Battambang

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half day countryside local industries cycling

Battambang

It may help some travelers to have a bit more information about traditional homes and being culturally immersed in this experience. At moments it felt as if we were on a humanitarian tour not a holiday.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Glad we rode bikes. If it’s possible to start this bike outing an hour or 30 minutes earlier it would have helped me. My skin is very light and there have been times that heat and sun exhaust me. I did fine. But, decided to stay indoors for the rest of the day and part of the next morning to make sure I didn’t have heat exhaustion. I got a Khmer massage at Maisons Wat Kor and loved it!

Relax around midday in Battambang

Battambang

It was such a hot part of the day they only thing that seemed good to do was be poolside or indoors.

Quality of Experience

I imagine all of us on this family trip do not all agree about the pace of the days. I speak for myself and know that at least one other person also sat out of activities on this evening after the bike outing. Some family members wanted to have the day packed full of events. So, it’s a challenge to provide feedback that seems reasonable based on what I experienced and what the family members booked with KimKim. Having said that, it is my sentiment that we did too much each day. But, other family members wanted to have each minute of everyday packed with scheduled activities. The down time around the pool seemed to be another schedule activity. Whereas I prefer a mix and better balance of planned events and open time to experience the local environment. My point, I am sharing my feedback and know that my feedback on this item may not represent feedback from the others on this family trip.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bamboo train ride

Battambang

Great fun! Felt as if we were doing something that the locals do. The weather and sunset were fabulous.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Phare Ponleu Selpak in Battambang

Battambang

I did not attend. Don and I completed a rating for this on the paper feedback form we submitted.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Phnom Sampeau sunset

Battambang

I did not attend this. Don and I completed ratings for this on the paper feedback form. He enjoyed it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Made planning our trip and activities in Costa Rica really easy. We could see where we would going, the activities we would do, and the hotels we would be staying at along the way. read more

Made planning our trip and activities in Costa Rica really easy. We could see where we would going, the activities we would do, and the hotels we would be staying at along the way.

Activity Review

Sky Adventures Zip Lines & Hanging Bridges Guided Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

We went on the hanging bridges, and ziplining at sky adventures. It was absolutely amazing. The guides in Costa Rica really work hard to show you what is out there. During the hanging bridges we walked through the rainforest, and our guide Carlos so much informative. He told us lots of interesting facts, and pointed out so many creatures in the forest. We saw a tarantula, 2 different viper snakes, he kept us at safe distances, and took pics for us. The groups for our walk was small, so you could really be involved, the groups for the ziplining are much bigger, so you do a lot of waiting. The ziplining was lots of fun, and all the guides were really good. I would highly recommend you visit this place, as there's lots of different activities you can try. The shuttle to and from our hotel was great.

Quality of Experience

Fun

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Informative and fun.

Transport

Door to door service.

Six of us wanted to see the highlights of Rajistan and Ravi put together a bespoke tour for us over 8 days. We have just finished our whirlwind tour and what an amazing experience; so
Many wonderful sights and sounds, Brilliant local guides who brought everything to life providing detailed history and description of what we’re seeing. Our driver was really friendly and stayed with us for the whole week looking after us and taking us from place to place. When two our our party were... read more

Six of us wanted to see the highlights of Rajistan and Ravi put together a bespoke tour for us over 8 days. We have just finished our whirlwind tour and what an amazing experience; so
Many wonderful sights and sounds, Brilliant local guides who brought everything to life providing detailed history and description of what we’re seeing. Our driver was really friendly and stayed with us for the whole week looking after us and taking us from place to place. When two our our party were unwell, Ravi helped rearrange accommodation at the last minute for us. Communication was excellent and very timely . Thanks so much Ravi from us all - we certainly had a trip we will all remember for a very long time!

Hotel Review

Dera Rawatsar

Jaipur

I loved this hotel. Tastefully and beautifully decorated in an interestingly historical style with helpful and friendly staff. A little oasis of calm in Jaipur.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Characterful

Staff

Very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Old Delhi Sightseeing

Delhi

Delhi - Food Walk

Delhi

Great opportunity to try lots of different local delicacies!

Full Day Delhi Sightseeing

Delhi

A great way to see Delhi highlights especially if short on time with a wonderful guide who gives you insights into what you are seeing.

We are very happy with the trip and looking forward to returning when I have more vacation time available. The Egypt based team handled everything for our small group. From hotel check-in & check-out, baggage handling, visa processing, and airport transfers, the Egypt Promotions team provided constant assistance through all of the processes from our arrival in Egypt, transfer to and from Jordan, and return to the U.S. We felt very safe, and confrontable the entire time in Egypt & Jordan.... read more

We are very happy with the trip and looking forward to returning when I have more vacation time available. The Egypt based team handled everything for our small group. From hotel check-in & check-out, baggage handling, visa processing, and airport transfers, the Egypt Promotions team provided constant assistance through all of the processes from our arrival in Egypt, transfer to and from Jordan, and return to the U.S. We felt very safe, and confrontable the entire time in Egypt & Jordan. Our drivers and guides were always very personable, accommodating, and polite. All aspects of this tour meet or exceeded our expectations. We wish to thank everyone at Egypt Promotions, Ahmed Khaled, Ibrahim, Mohamoud Hashim, Moustafa Yehya in Cairo, and Zain in Luxor for making the trip a wonderfully enjoyable experience. Our driver Shadi Talal in Jordan also went beyond our expectations in providing an excellent experience in Jordan and working with us to adjust the schedule around inclement weather. I would also highly recommend our Egyptian guides Shenda Adel in Cairo and Ahmend based in Luxor. They were excellent resources for explaining the history and culture of Egypt and provided additional information on which sites or tombs would be of interest. It is always impressive to me when the Egyptologists reads the hieroglyphics that are inscribed on the walls in the temples while explaining the stories of the kings, queens, or gods. I would highly recommend to anyone to visit and experience the wonderful culture and history of Egypt and Jordan. I am looking forward to returning to continue learning about the history of these remarkable civilizations.

All of the sites on the typical Ancient Egypt tour were very impressive. Our group was primarily interested in the history of Egypt and the peoples that inhabited the Nile valley and the Levant.

We were very impressed when visiting the valley of the queens in addition to the valley of the kings. There were some very impressive tombs in the Valley of the Queens of the children of the Pharos. Another temple that I was not familiar with before the trip was Din Darah. This was almost as impressive as Karnak and I think should be added to the standard itinerary. Fortunately our Luxor based guide, Ahmed, suggested this temple complex when we were discussing what we were most interested in seeing during our time in upper and middle Egypt.

In Jordan, the ancient city of Petra was very impressive and required more than a day to hike to all of the different spots and visit the museum at the entrance of park that encompasses Petra.

I would also recommend visiting the Egyptian Civilization museum at the beginning of the trip. This will provide a condensed overview of the thousands of years of history that you will be able to explore while in Egypt. If you are not familiar with the history of Egypt, the exhibits will help you understand the significance of the sites you visit.

Hotel Reviews

Hilton Pyramids Golf

Cairo

New and modern hotel located outside central Cairo. Spacious rooms, good food, and near the mall of Egypt should you need to purchase something that you forgot to pack. Selected this hotel since we were interested in visiting Saqqara/Memphis & Giza and wanted to avoid the traffic in central Cairo as much as possible. Only downside is that if you need to go into central Cairo, you will be joining the rush-hour traffic in the morning to visit the museums in the city.

Authenticity & Character

This was a typical modern Hilton hote, could pass for a property in Europe or the US.

Location

Away from central Cairo, but if you are going into town, you will be going with rush-hour traffic.

Staff

Everyone was very gracious and accommodating.

Cleanliness & Comfort

No issues with the facility.

Radamis Nile cruise

cairo

Comfortable cabin, everything worked as designed. There were no problems or issues. The crew was very courteous and efficient. I would not hesitate to spend another Nile cruise on the Radamis.

Authenticity & Character

Everyone was gracious and polite.

Location

Staff

Everyone was very nice and respectful. Everyone enjoyed their time on the ship

Cleanliness & Comfort

No issues, it was like staying on a typical cruise ship

Steigenberger Achti

luxor

Nice, modern hotel in Luxor.

Authenticity & Character

Typical modern resort hotel.

Location

Not in the center of Luxor on the Kornish, but far enough away that the hustle and bustle of the down-town does not cause a lot of noise.

Staff

Everyone was very responsive to requests and questions.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Typical modern resort hotel. Everything was in order and correct.

Hilton Amman

Amman

Wonderful hotel in the center of Amman. Great staff and amenities. I will stay at this hotel again when in Amman.

Authenticity & Character

Modern hotel with great amenities

Location

Center of Amman.

Staff

All staff went above and beyond what was necessary for a hotel and are very well trained and responsive to service requests. Very happy with our time here and looking forward to returning to experience the wonderful hospitality.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Old Village Resort

Wadi Musa

Fascinating hotel with charming rooms, great staff and facilities.

Authenticity & Character

Very much like an old village, very charming.

Location

On a hilltop overlooking the town, although it takes a few minutes to drive to the entrance of Petra a shuttle was offered to guests so there was no issue for transportation. A very quite place to rest after a long day of hiking with all the needed amenities. Much closer than the Marriott to Petra

Staff

Everyone was very polite and responsive to requests.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sonesta cairo

cairo

Modern hotel near the airport. Very close to the sites on the east side of the Nile River and the airport. Chose this hotel to avoid as much traffic as possible while visiting old Cairo and the civilization museum. The drive to the airport was only about 20 minutes with traffic and checkpoints.

Authenticity & Character

Typical modern hotel

Location

Very close to the sites and airport.

Staff

Staff was very polite and provided immediate solutions to requests.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Pyramids, Sphinx, Sakkara & Memphis

Cairo

Some of the sites in Sakkara were closed when visiting, will have to return when the Grand Egyptian Museum is open.

Quality of Experience

Food

Very much enjoyed visiting the falafel restaurant for a taste of the local cuisine on the way to Memphis / Sakkara

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very knowledgeable and polite

Transport

Old Egyptian Museum & Citadel Of Salah El Din and Khan Khalili market

Cairo

The old Egyptian museum still had many great exhibits but you could tell they were moving items to the Grand Egyptian museum which was not open yet. It was still very impressive and I would recommend a visit even when the grand Egyptian museum is open. The citadel and the Mohammad Ali masque were very interesting and beautiful. The Khan Khalili market was the typical tourist market that sold things that could be purchase elsewhere in Cairo. The visit could be skipped if you are not looking for souvenirs.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Aswan

Aswan

Quality of Experience

Food

Enjoyed the visit to the Nubian village and trying their traditional dishes.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Abu Simbel temple and Kom Ombo temple

Aswan

Very impressive sites

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Edfou temple & Luxor temple and Karnak temple

Egypt

Impressive sites. Could have spent a lot more time exploring the different areas at each temple.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit The Valley of the Kings and Hatchepsut temple

Luxor

Very amazing to see the old tombs in such good condition. Purchase the addional King Tut ticket to visit his toomb.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Deir El madina - Habu temple - Valley of the Queens

Luxor

Valley of the queens was just as interesting as valley of the kings. The temple in Dendera was a bonus. If you arrive at the valley of the kings early enough, you can visit the Valley of the Queens the same day. The village of the artisans / tomb workers was also very interesting as you are able to visit the tomb of the head of the workers. It was very interesting to see a less opulent tomb for a commoner.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Q.AIA AIRPORT /AMMAN CITY TOUR/AMMAN

Amman

Amazing to see the roman ruins in the center of the city. Very reminiscent of Rome. Amman appears to be a very modern city with excellent infrastructure. Arrival and transfer to hotel was very easy and smooth. Local representative handled visa and customs.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amman- Jerash – Ajloun – Amman

Amman

The citadel provides an excellent view of Amman, and the museum provides an overview of the civilizations that thrived in Jordan. Since it had snowed, we were unable to visit Ajloun castle so more time was spend at Jaresh, which was needed since it was such a large site. The ruins were fascinating, in very good condition, and very much like visiting Rome.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amman - Madaba - Nebo - Petra

Amman

Madama is suprisingly mundaine for the impressive mosaic. Mount Nebo provide an amazing view of the Jordan river valley. Petra is an impressive place and requires more than one day to visit all of the ruins.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Petra Visit -Petra

Petra

Amazing place, I knew nothing about the history of the people who inhabited Petra. It will take at least 4 hours to hike to the monistary from the entrance. I would recomend more than one day if you want to visit all of the different sites within the national park.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Petra -The Dead Sea - Amman airport

Petra

Fascinating to see the topography of the area. I was expecting the water of the dead sea to be very cold since we visited in February, but it was quite warm. This would be a good location to visit for a day if you were completing strenuous hikes in Petra or the Wadi Rum area. The baptismal site on the jordan river is about 30 minutes north and could be an interesting 1/2 day experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Old Cairo churches and local local food lesson

Cairo

Enjoyed seeing and learning about the Coptic tradition in Egypt. This is a fascinating excursion into the early history of Christianity and how it forms a part of Egyptian culture.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was my first-time using Kim Kim for my travels and I was impressed with the entire process. Mathais was quick to provide information and was very knowledgeable. Milton was an amazing guide and we really enjoyed spending time with him on the first part of our journey. The staff on the Galaxy was also nice. Enjoyed the entire process and plan on arranging another trip to Ecuador in 2024 to see more sites. read more

This was my first-time using Kim Kim for my travels and I was impressed with the entire process. Mathais was quick to provide information and was very knowledgeable. Milton was an amazing guide and we really enjoyed spending time with him on the first part of our journey. The staff on the Galaxy was also nice. Enjoyed the entire process and plan on arranging another trip to Ecuador in 2024 to see more sites.

We had a wonderful first trip to Costa Rica thanks to Olman! He was extremely helpful setting up just the right mix of adventure and relaxation. All of our accommodations, activities and transportation were prearranged adding to the ease and enjoyment of this trip. A special shout out to our Drivers Douglas, Fernando (1), Fernando (2) and Roberto, and to our Guides Kevin, Scott, Ureas, Franklin and Wilton for sharing their knowledge about their country and putting up with our poor español.... read more

We had a wonderful first trip to Costa Rica thanks to Olman! He was extremely helpful setting up just the right mix of adventure and relaxation. All of our accommodations, activities and transportation were prearranged adding to the ease and enjoyment of this trip. A special shout out to our Drivers Douglas, Fernando (1), Fernando (2) and Roberto, and to our Guides Kevin, Scott, Ureas, Franklin and Wilton for sharing their knowledge about their country and putting up with our poor español. Our trip included stops in San Jose, Tarcoles, Manual Antonio, Monteverde, La Fortuna, Tenorio, Tamarindo and Liberia. Activities included crocodile watching, ziplining, hanging bridges, canyoning, sunset catamaran sailing, tours of the Arenal and Tenorio volcanos and a soothing soak at the Ecotermales Hot Springs. The people of Costa Rica are most gracious and welcoming. We always felt right at home; so much so that we are already planning our return. Pura Vida!

Hotel Reviews

Parador Resort and Spa

Manuel Antonio

The views from this resort are spectacular. The food was excellent, the staff was courteous and the vibe was laid back and quiet.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The staff was extremely helpful, especially Michael and Nelson

Hotel Lomas del Volcán

Fortuna

The grounds are breathtaking. You are surrounded by rainforest wildlife. The bungalows are quaint and comfortable. The food is amazing; especially the morning fruits and juices.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Our housekeeper had tremendous towel art.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tenorio Lodge

Bijagua de Upala

Christine is an incredible hostess. Set in the low rainforest, you awaken to the Howler monkeys, Toucans and a host of other amazing birds. And with the family style dining, you make new friends from around the world.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Jungle Crocodile Safari

Costa Rica

A fun and memorable experience traveling up and down the Tarcoles River. We saw a few crocodiles and a lot of native birds. This activity includes an trip into a Mangrove forest.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Costa Rica

Our guide Kevin was excellent. He was extremely knowledgeable about the native plants and animals. On this hike we encountered Monkeys, Sloths, Toucans, Red Eye Frogs, Land Crabs and much more. Make sure to pack your swim suit. The water at Playa Manual Antonio is warm and refreshing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Monteverde Hanging Bridges & Zip Lining

Monteverde

We had a great time with our aipline guides Scott and Ureas. The scenery is amazing, the lines are long and fast and you are left wanting to go again. The Hanging Bridges are a unique experience. Be prepared to have a little bounce in your step as you cross several bridges suspended over the tropical cloud forest.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal 1968 Hike & Visit to Ecotermales Hot Springs

Arenal/La Fortuna

Even though the Arenal Volcano had it's head in the clouds the views from the vistas were breathtaking. Our guide Franklin was the absolute best. His knowledge and passion for the area was infectious. It was a great learning experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Canyoning Adventure in Arenal Volcano

Arenal/La Fortuna

Wet, Wild & Wonderful. What an incredible experience as you rappel down through a tropical canyon with waterfalls on either side of you. The guides are fun loving, professional, safety conscious and make it a day you won't forget.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Celeste River and Tenorio National Park Hike

Costa Rica

A very beautiful walk through the rain forest with multiple vistas from which to view the Celeste River and Waterfall. We also had a lot of fun with our driver Fernando and our guide Wilton. They really added a touch of Pura Vida to our day!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We've always planned our own vacations, but this time decided to get help with Tricia and Kimkim. It was one of the best decisions we could have made. The vacation that Tricia planned for us was tailor made for us and was truly the trip of a lifetime. Everything we did felt like a personal experience, the guides and folks that we met were amazing. The adventures and experiences we had were things we couldn't have done without Tricia's help. It was a trip that we won't ever forget. read more

We've always planned our own vacations, but this time decided to get help with Tricia and Kimkim. It was one of the best decisions we could have made. The vacation that Tricia planned for us was tailor made for us and was truly the trip of a lifetime. Everything we did felt like a personal experience, the guides and folks that we met were amazing. The adventures and experiences we had were things we couldn't have done without Tricia's help. It was a trip that we won't ever forget.

Hotel Reviews

Trasti & Trine´s Lodge

Alta

This is the most personal and amazing dog sled trip that you'll ever find. Here you aren't just a number, you're a friend and a fellow traveler.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

GLØD Aurora canvas dome

Alta

Want to glamp under the northern lights while eating 5 star meals? This is your place.

Activity Review

Northern Lights Sailing Cruise

Tromsø

You can tell a lot about a captain by his boat, and this is one of the most well maintained vessels I've ever seen. You won't find a better boat or a more experienced captain in Norway.

Natalia did a fantastic job! From the time we arrived in Buenos Aires to our departure 15 days later, it was nothing but perfect. The guides in all five locations were quite knowledgeable. I would recommend this trip to anyone that wants a full Argentina experience.

The service provided both prior to and during our trip was exceptional. The KimKim team is knowledgeable, organised and reliable. The team understood our high needs especially given that we were travelling with small children (3 and 6 years old). Thank you for welcoming us and making this trip such a beautiful memory. read more

The service provided both prior to and during our trip was exceptional. The KimKim team is knowledgeable, organised and reliable. The team understood our high needs especially given that we were travelling with small children (3 and 6 years old). Thank you for welcoming us and making this trip such a beautiful memory.

I'm so glad I found Kimkim and got to know Tom. He's such a lovely person, planned our trip and tailored it to my liking. Because we planned it very last minute, it was a little rushed but Tom was able to accommodate to my last minute changes such as the dates etc. Our accommodation and activities were booked by Tom so it was really convenient and easy for us, and he got back to me really quick whenever there were issues I needed help with.

We visited Tromsø, Lyngen and Alta. It was... read more

I'm so glad I found Kimkim and got to know Tom. He's such a lovely person, planned our trip and tailored it to my liking. Because we planned it very last minute, it was a little rushed but Tom was able to accommodate to my last minute changes such as the dates etc. Our accommodation and activities were booked by Tom so it was really convenient and easy for us, and he got back to me really quick whenever there were issues I needed help with.

We visited Tromsø, Lyngen and Alta. It was freezing cold as we visited in late December, but it was one of the best experiences of our lives! We got to go on a northern lights cruise, see reindeers, went husky sledding and try local cuisine. We were quite lucky on this trip, as we saw northern lights nearly everyday. Overall, would recommend this platform to anyone looking to plan a trip to anywhere, not just Norway 😊

Hotel Reviews

Scandic Ishavshotel

Tromsø

Comfortable rooms with good view and the breakfast is really good too!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Quite in the centre so everything you need is close by

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lyngen North: Lyngenfjord House

Rotsund

Really homey accommodation, had all 3 meals here during my stay here and it was lovely. Lovely staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sorrisniva Arctic Wilderness Lodge

Alta

The place is stunning with an igloo hotel and rooms are amazing. The only downside was they kept messing up my meal reservations.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Northern Lights Sailing Cruise

Tromsø

Such a cosy cruise with the lovely Sachi and Kenneth. Had reindeer stew on board and saw northern lights.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Snowmobiling Tour

Lyngen

Worth every penny, nice guides who are serious about their work and also want visitors to have an amazing time.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Reindeer and Sami Experience

Alta

Wish there was more to it

Husky Sledding Experience Along The Alta River

Alta

I personally loved it, such a unique experience. Was a little scary at first to drive the sled but it's fun once you get the hang of it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Leslie was awesome at planning our trip. She took all my requests into consideration and was patient when I wanted to change some things at the last minute. The hotel choices were excellent, well located, safe and clean. Ximena and Melia took great care of us while we were in Mexico. They were easily available via text when I had questions. They were in touch with our transport and local tours guides all the time, so well that they could give us 5 minutes notice. As in "your transport... read more

Leslie was awesome at planning our trip. She took all my requests into consideration and was patient when I wanted to change some things at the last minute. The hotel choices were excellent, well located, safe and clean. Ximena and Melia took great care of us while we were in Mexico. They were easily available via text when I had questions. They were in touch with our transport and local tours guides all the time, so well that they could give us 5 minutes notice. As in "your transport will arrive in 5 minutes", and they were always right! The tour guides they organized for the ruins, bike tours, etc were all top quality. All transports were safe and efficient. I would highly recommend using Kimkim to plan your next adventure.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Catedral

Mexico City

Excellent staff. Clean rooms. Great location. Yummy breakfast. They even packed us a fruit salad for our departure day when we left earlier than the buffet breakfast opened. Highly recommend.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Pepe Puebla

Puebla

Great location for walking around Puebla. Such a cute street that a car commercial was being filmed there one day! Good breakfast, cute vibe. Very clean. The upstairs area has some spacious seating areas with nice rugs that I was able to use to get my workouts in each day. Highly recommend.

Authenticity & Character

Location

so convenient to walking around Puebla

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Niyana Biocultural Hotel

Very cute hotel focused on sustainability and being kind to our planet. Plants everywhere, a small pond with swinging seats around it was so peaceful. Roof top terrace was a quiet space to hang out and I was able to use it to get my workouts in each day. Don't be scared of the dry toilets, they really do work! Even my mom and me, age 80 and 50, had no problems-I guess you can teach old dogs new tricks. There a kitchen open for use. Make your own coffee etc. The staff were super helpful. They called us taxis when needed, even to pick us up at a restaurant and bring us back to the hotel. Highly recommend.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Gastronomic Workshop in Coyoacán

Mexico City

This was described in my itinerary as a "gastronomic experience". I didn't really know what that meant, but I like food, so I figured it would be good. It is actually a cooking class where your group can be interactive in helping prepare the meal. The chef was great and the food turned out delicious! He is also the owner of the coffee shop next door and gave a some tastings, history and education about Mexican coffee. He is so proud of Mexico and it made our experience really great.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lucha Libre Experience & Mezcal Tasting

Mexico City

Our guide was great! He used to be a Lucha Libre wrestler and knows so much about the sport. He made our walk fun and engaging. I wasn't too sure about this one because I am not that into wrestling, but after reading a few reviews, I decided it sounded pretty fun. It was so fun and funny and great. Our group was small, 7 people, and we all had fun together wandering the neighborhood, tasting the mezcal, and cheering for the wrestlers. This is a great tour; you should go even if you think you don't want to!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Corn & Markets in the Magical Town of Cholula

Mexico

Our guide was amazing! Born in Mexico, lived in Chicago, moved back to Mexico. Thus excellent English and Spanish. She adapted to our pace very well. Was very kind to all the vendors in the market. Showed us foods we had never tried before and really like. Explained how the market works, how to purchase, how to turn it into a meal. We also went to a restaurant that uses the local corn to make all their dishes and drinks. We tried our hand at making tortillas and tried some of their ice cream. It was a fun day. Our driver was also amazing. He kept in touch with us via text to make sure we had everything we needed. He was super kind and gave us a safe ride and was fun and chatty along the way.

Quality of Experience

Food

Pineapple tamales! Who knew there was a dessert version of tamales?

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Archeology and handicrafts in Monte Alban, Arrazola, Cuilapam and Coyotepec

Oaxaca

Our guide for Monte Alban was excellent. Very knowledgeable about he history of the inhabitants. Carefully explained some complicated astronomy. Was super kind and helpful. Our driver was also awesome. We had a great bufffet lunch with so many food options. The experiences at the pottery place and the artistic painted animal place were not super salesy which I liked. We were able to see the wares, learn about the process, but then weren't pressured to buy anything. The people were helpful with our purchases, don't get me wrong, but they managed to do that without being annoying. I like that much better than the higher pressure sales tactics you get some places. Both locations packed up people's souvenirs very carefully so they could travel.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was the first time I’ve ever used a Travel Agency and the first time I’ve ever been on a small-group guided tour. It was a fantastic experience. The itinerary that Mathias put together was well coordinated and thought out. The activities varied from the active to the intellectual. Milton was a fantastic guide who was knowledgeable about Ecuador in general and the Andes in particular. He was helpful, patient, and flexible changing plans to accommodate our needs. He went out of his... read more

This was the first time I’ve ever used a Travel Agency and the first time I’ve ever been on a small-group guided tour. It was a fantastic experience. The itinerary that Mathias put together was well coordinated and thought out. The activities varied from the active to the intellectual. Milton was a fantastic guide who was knowledgeable about Ecuador in general and the Andes in particular. He was helpful, patient, and flexible changing plans to accommodate our needs. He went out of his way to make sure everyone had an enjoyable experience. I particularly enjoyed our hike to Catopaxi. I also greatly appreciated his role as translator when he accompanied our group on a hike in the Amazon jungle and an exploration of a cave. His presence made me feel safe and comfortable. Galapagos snorkeling was my favorite part of the entire trip. I had the chance to Galapagos penguins, rays, octopus, sharks.. even two hammerheads, turtles, a large blue spiny lobster, and too many fish to name. Our Galapagos guide, David, and the crew aboard the Galaxy were fantastic. They all were friendly, competent, knowledgeable, patient, and accommodating. I would love to do this again!

Erin and Nara helped us with our W trek and our transport and lodging from Lago Grey in Chile to our El Calafate and El Chalten stays. They were very responsive and the KimKim platform made it very easy for us to review our conversations and trip details. When one of us left her sunglasses on a shared ride van, Nara was very responsive and contacted the transport provider who found and delivered the sunglasses to us! After we made a change to one of our lodging arrangements, Erin went anboce... read more

Erin and Nara helped us with our W trek and our transport and lodging from Lago Grey in Chile to our El Calafate and El Chalten stays. They were very responsive and the KimKim platform made it very easy for us to review our conversations and trip details. When one of us left her sunglasses on a shared ride van, Nara was very responsive and contacted the transport provider who found and delivered the sunglasses to us! After we made a change to one of our lodging arrangements, Erin went anboce and beyond and was able to get us refunded for the 2 nights we didn’t stay. The only thing that would have been even better is if we had both elevation and distances for each of the W segments but it appears that most available maps only had approx time and some distances.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Aquaterra

Natales

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Kosten Aike

El Calafate

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Las Torres Patagonia

Torres del Paine

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

El Chileno Refugio

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Los Cuernos Refugio

Torres del Paine - W trek Circuit Reserva Cerro Paine

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Refugio Paine Grande

Puerto Natales, Chile

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Refugio Grey

Torres del Paine National Park

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Lago Grey

Torres del Paine

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lunajuim

El Chalten

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Minitrekking Ice Hike on Perito Moreno Glacier

El Calafate

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The great: rafting trip
The good: Hotel in San Jose; The pick -up
The marginal: everything else

Especially frustrating was that nobody talked with us the history, culture and traditions of Costa Rica. So we spend a week and learned nothing except for reading in Wikipedia read more

The great: rafting trip
The good: Hotel in San Jose; The pick -up
The marginal: everything else

Especially frustrating was that nobody talked with us the history, culture and traditions of Costa Rica. So we spend a week and learned nothing except for reading in Wikipedia

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Wagelia Turrialba

Turrialba

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

El Nido del Tigre Set-Campsite

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Terrazas del Caribe

Puerto Viejo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Everything

Cleanliness & Comfort

Crowne Plaza Corobici

San José

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Irazu Volcano Tour

San José

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

There was no guide just driver

Transport

Overnight White-water Rafting into the campsite, meals included,

Río Pacuare

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overnight White-water Rafting Out of the Campsite

Río Pacuare

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had never been to Colombia before and in fact some friends asked us why we were going there. Felipe, our local specialist was very attentive and on each leg of our trip we were met at the airport by a greeter and a driver (very welcome on our arrival at 4:00am). Anytime we had a question through Watsapp, Felipe or a member of his team would reply within minutes even late at night. For each transfer Felipe confirmed the pick up details and gave the name of the people meeting us. We are now... read more

We had never been to Colombia before and in fact some friends asked us why we were going there. Felipe, our local specialist was very attentive and on each leg of our trip we were met at the airport by a greeter and a driver (very welcome on our arrival at 4:00am). Anytime we had a question through Watsapp, Felipe or a member of his team would reply within minutes even late at night. For each transfer Felipe confirmed the pick up details and gave the name of the people meeting us. We are now spoiled by the handholding but it absolutely eliminates the stress of travelling to a new place. A minor issue in the booking was sticking to the budget we had given for the trip.
We had guides in Bogota (Tom), Medellin (Manuella), Cartagena (Oscar) and the 4 hr drive from Taganga to Cartagena (Javier, who gave us an impromptu seminar on Colombian music). The latter was a pleasant no-cost surprise as the drivers rarely spoke English. In every case, the guides gave us a thorough overview of their cities, made restaurant recommendatons and were a very time efficient way to learn about Colombia. All were very enthusiastic and proud to teach us about their country.
The accomodations were all well selected boutique hotels, even the ones owned by Marriott and Hilton in Bogota. The locations allowed us to mostly walk to dinner and we never felt any security concerns. The restaurant bookings were excellent and made for some memorable evenings.

Hotel Reviews

The Artisan D.C. Hotel, Autograph Collection

Bogotá

A nice boutique hotel in a trendy part of Bogota. There was never a security concern and restaurants were all a few minutes walk. The bar and dining room were very nice (although we found that a glass of wine in the bar was a little pricey). The breakfast was excellent and the service was great. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was the noise. At 6:00am someone outside was shouting something that sounded like he was selling and there was ongoing conversation in the room next door that made me wonder if it was being used as an office. We stayed here again on a different floor the night before our trip home and I had to call the front desk about the noise coming from our neighbor at 11:00pm.

Authenticity & Character

Cool design of the room and very nice bar and restaurant

Location

Safe and trendy, near restaurants and bars

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Patio del Mundo

Medellín

This hotel is located in two large houses across the street from one another. Both have beautiful gardens where breakfast is served and nice lounge areas. While they are right in the heart of a restaurant and bar neighborhood, the gardens made it seem like we were in the country. The hosts were very welcoming and attentive. We met another couple at dinner who were scouting wedding venues and enthusiastically recommended Patio del Mundo as a place to book the wedding party during their stay in Medellin.

Authenticity & Character

Every room has a theme, we were in Argentina. There was no TV in the room but we didn't miss it and has a nice time on the patio of our room surrounded by tropical gardens.

Location

we only took an Uber for dinner once and walked to our other dining spots.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Quadrifolio

Cartagena de Indias

We ended up in this hotel because our original choice was booked by the time we pulled the trigger. It turned out to be the No 1 hotel in Cartegena and we were lucky to get it at no extra cost. It is set in a Colonial building that has been completely restored (there is a book in one of the lounges that describes the three year project to bring it back from ruin). The location was in the heart of the old town with bars and restaurants on every corner. We were met on arrival by the manager and checked in while sitting comfortably on a couch with a cold welcome drink. The room was incredible with high ceilings and a period appropriate theme. Breakfast was excellent and served at a community table so that you can meet other guests (however you can also dine privately across the hall). One morning we had an early pick up and the hotel served us a half hour before the usual starting time without a question. There is a hot tub on the roof with a small seating area that made a nice spot to sit outdoors (the hotel also supplied us with plastic wine glasses and a corkscrew so that we coould enjoy some wine we had bought).

Authenticity & Character

Beautifully renovated colonial building with a central courtyard. This was the highlight of the trip.

Location

The heart of the old town a quick walk to dining and bars.

Staff

Friendly and attentive, met ou every request including where to buy wine and water.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel San Pedro de Majagua

Isla Grande

People go to Rosario Islands because the beaches in Cartagena are not very nice. This hotel is served by it's own speedboats from the main port. We were fortunate to have a guide and driver take us to the departure point which was a bit chaotic. Our guide stayed outside the fence until we had checked in and were ready to board. It takes about an hour but on the return seasonal winds caused a detour that resulted in a 2 hour trip. Pro tip: sit on the right side on the way to avoid the sun and also on the way back to avoid the spray, some people were soaked. There are 2 boats carrying 40 people each, most of whom were day trippers. When the boat docks there is an orientation and welcome drink and then a stampede for one of two small beaches (one has music, the other does not and both have bars). There are beach chairs and a few Bally beds with curtains. Activities included scuba diving, cycling and kayaking through the mangrove but we found them quite pricey for what they were and in the case of scuba, about twice the going rate (300,000 COP for a 1 tank dive). It seemed more like a community money-maker than paradise lost. A positive was the great service and warm reception at the main desk and would like to cite Evelyn specifically. The service in the dining area was also excellent and the food and drink were good and reasonably priced for an island. A drawback were the ever present flies in the outdoor dining area, there were a couple of propeller type devices to shoo them which sort of worked but at breakfast we actually changed tables to get away from relentless flies. The rooms were little cottages scattered around the property. They were clean and comfortable, with outdoor seating areas and a hammock. We turned off the mini fridge at night as it was a little noisy and the room had a broken towel hook and toilet paper holder. On the whole, nice but in need of an update.

Authenticity & Character

The rooms need an update, service was excellent

Location

Staff

Evelyn at reception was a standout and spoke excellent English

Cleanliness & Comfort

The rooms were clean but had a few issues

Nacar Hotel Cartagena, Curio Collection by Hilton

Cartagena

A good hotel owned by Hilton. Great location, the best feature was the rooftop pool with dining/bar area. The room was modern, spacious and clean with separate toilet and shower area and double sinks. A deep and narrow modern building resulted in long narrow halways that reminded us of a movie set for an institution with blank walls holding multiple small wall planters. Breakfast had many options with a buffet and menu choices. The in-house Peruvian restaurant looked cool but we did not dine there.

Authenticity & Character

Modern and nice but could have been in any city.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Welcome to Colombia!

Colombia

Arriving at 4:00am we were very happy to have a guide (Tom) and driver to take us to our hotel. When we arrived there was no one at reception and Tom stuck around to make sure we were checked in. Thanks Tom!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coffee Shops Usaquen recommendations (no transportation and activity not included)

Bogotá

We did not do this activity, we did lunch instead

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lunch Reservation at Abasto (Usaquén area)

Bogotá

Very authentic local restaurant.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

City Tour of Bogotá with Gold Museum, Local Market and Monserrate Hill

Bogotá

Tom gave us a great tour of the city and a trip up to Monserrate. He was particularly helpful and interesting during the gold museum tour which I hadn't really been keen to do. Due to time constraints we did an interesting coffe tasting at the end of the day near our hotel. At the local market we tried a number of fruit that we had never seen before.

Quality of Experience

Tom was very knowledgeable and personable. He gave us a restaurant recommendation that turned out to be a highlight of our trip

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lunch Reservation at Madre

Bogotá

This was a recommendation from a friend who visited Colombia last year. Very cool vibe and filled with locals. We asked Tom to join us and had a great meal and Cervesa. We were told it was better to do at lunch as the location was a bit sketchy at night..

Quality of Experience

Very cool, set in an area between two buildings with a roof.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dinner Reservation at Tierra Cocina de Entorno

Bogotá

A busy, trendy restaurant we had good food and a fun time. At the end of the evening they provided dry ince and sparklers for eveyone to celebrate the evening.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dinner Reservation at Alambique

Medellín

This was another highlight of our trip. Very cool ambiance, live music and great food.

Quality of Experience

You would not find this place if your didn't look for it. It is down a long hallway in an old building on a busy street. Very cool,

Guides, Drivers and Staff

we went on our own, the restaurant staff were excellent

Transport

we took and Uber

Dinner Reservation at Andrés Carne de Res

Medellín

This was doubled booked to give us an option. We chose Alambique instead and cancelled the reservation.

City Tour of Medellín (Comuna 13)

Medellín

Manuella was an experienced and enthusiastic giuide who gave us a thorough tour of Medellin. She worked effectively with our driver who made a convenient and fun recommendation for an al fresco lunch in a local spot. We all had a great time.

Quality of Experience

We visited a local marketn took the metro, the goldolas and explored the hilltop communities and graffiti art of Medellin.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The driver was particularly personable and made a great recommendation for lunch. He seemed happy in his work and we requested him for our trip to the airpiort

Dinner Reservation at Rocoto

Medellín

This was an outdoor dinner spot a short walk form our hotel. At first we thought the reception was a bit abrupt but the waiter warmed up during the evening (picture a rough character from a Bond film). In many of the restaurants we went to we found the portions large enough for us to have 2-3 apetizers and wine.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

we walked

Sunset Drinks Suggestion at Café del Mar

Cartagena

We skipped this activity, it sounded touristy and busy/expensive. We have seen many sunsets.

Dinner Reservation at Candé

Cartagena

A very potpular restaurant, it was big, busy, expensive and touristy. We had a nice meal - mostly appetizers and there were dancers around the tables and live music. We prefer smaller and more authentic local spots.

Quality of Experience

The location was convenient and the restaurant was nice.

City Tour of Cartagena (Half Day)

Cartagena

Very interesting given the history of the city. Oscar was a very competent and enthusiastic guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Traditional Coffee Tasting

Cartagena

We had very insightful comments from the coffee person and had samples of coffee prepared in different fashions

Quality of Experience

Depart Colombia

Colombia

We were met on time at our hotel and had an uneventful 35 minute drive to the airport. We delayed our departure time to reduce our wait for our flight.

Arrival to the Islands

Rosario Islands

We and boatload of day trippers arrive to a welcome drink and orientation. Then there is a mad dash for the beach chairs at one of the two small beaches. We can check in at 2:00 pm but get in a bit sooner.

Quality of Experience

A bit crowded and impersonal, a tourist event but for locals

Transport

A 40 person sppedboat, check in and boarding is a bit chaotic and time consuming

Day at the Islands

Rosario Islands

The actrivities are good on paper however in practice underwhelming and a little pricey. The cuba diving was twice the going rate so we dove with a local dive shop nearby. The local guides wanted to sell us on the pricey cycling/kayaking in the mangrove tour saying there were no mosquitos (there were). We passed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The staff at the hotel were excellent

Transport

The trip home took 2 hrs because of the wind. The left side of the boat was soaked, fortunately we had chosen well.

Departure from the Islands

Rosario Islands

The seasonal wind is very strong so they start the boats home early. The wind comes from the left so we boarded 20 minutes early and were rewarded by not getting soaked like those on the left side. Because of the wind the route back was along an artifical river made 300 years ago that adds an hour to the trip home.

Quality of Experience

Dinner Reservation at Marea

Cartagena

we cancelled this reservation

Bird Sanctuary

Cartagena

Interesting but not the same as seeing birds in the wild

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Oscar was very enthusiastic

Transport

Dinner Reservation at Juan del Mar

Cartagena

We had walked by this restaurant earlier and thought it looked cool. There was live music and again we shared appetizers, a main and dessert. Service was very good as was the music. Lot's of locals dining there. It was a block from our hotel.

Quality of Experience

Dinner Reservation at Mistura

Cartagena

Live music, a place popular with locals. We shared an apetizer, main, dessert and wine.

Quality of Experience

Dinner Reservation at El Chato

Bogotá

Due to confusion at the reception we were led to a table on the second floor which turned out to be exclusively for the 6 course wine-paired tasting menu. We had no interest in that and had some discussion about whether to just leave. Finally, they just accomodated us and we had a very good meal of three appetizers and a main in full view of the kitchen. Very interesting experience. The pastry chef was introduced who recommended a Vegan dessert which was great.

Quality of Experience

What an incredible trip. I have had some terrible experiences with Travel Agents in the past, so I was hesitant to work with them again. With such a logistically complex trip, I am so happy we decided to work with Jason.

Firstly, his recommendations and guidance ahead of the trip ended up being very key. With so many places to visit in Patagonia, Jason took the places we knew we wanted to visit and crafted an itinerary that mixed that with his know-how of the region. What we ended up with... read more

What an incredible trip. I have had some terrible experiences with Travel Agents in the past, so I was hesitant to work with them again. With such a logistically complex trip, I am so happy we decided to work with Jason.

Firstly, his recommendations and guidance ahead of the trip ended up being very key. With so many places to visit in Patagonia, Jason took the places we knew we wanted to visit and crafted an itinerary that mixed that with his know-how of the region. What we ended up with is a trip where we hit everything we wanted to do, as well as some surprises along the way.

Most importantly, the trip was planned out to the hour and all the transfers, flights, tours, and guides went perfectly (with the small exception of one transfer, which was not a big deal).

I would recommend Jason to anyone that wants a trip where they can truly trust someone's expertise. It was one for the ages and he made it so simple for us on the ground.

Activity Review

Hike Base of Tower Torres del Paine

Chile

This is basically a must. An extremely demanding hike with the most stunning and incredible views at the end. The highlight of our trip.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Thanks you for connecting us to the best guide for our trip to Jordan and Egypt.
Amman-Dead Sea-Petra-Cairo
Feb 2023
My wife and I were paired with Mr Sherif Khalil from Dunes and Beyond in February 2023, for an 8 day trip of Jordan and Cairo, Egypt. Everything went perfectly! This company is very professional. Do not have any doubts whether or not to use them. They delivered exactly as described and were always punctual. Thank you Sherif. Thank you Jad in Jordan, and Lina in Cairo, and... read more

Thanks you for connecting us to the best guide for our trip to Jordan and Egypt.
Amman-Dead Sea-Petra-Cairo
Feb 2023
My wife and I were paired with Mr Sherif Khalil from Dunes and Beyond in February 2023, for an 8 day trip of Jordan and Cairo, Egypt. Everything went perfectly! This company is very professional. Do not have any doubts whether or not to use them. They delivered exactly as described and were always punctual. Thank you Sherif. Thank you Jad in Jordan, and Lina in Cairo, and Mohammed, our driver. The Middle East is my favorite part of the world. This is our 3rd Middle East trip, and I will be using Dunes and Beyond (KimKim) for our next trip.

We had a wonderful trip to Costa Rica thanks to Olman! Our itinerary was just the right mix of adventure days and relaxing days. The hotels and activities he suggested were perfect for us, and it was so nice to have all our transportation arranged. Highlights were ziplining in the cloud forest at Monteverde, sunset catamaran in Tamarindo, and staying at the Tabacon hot spring at Arenal.

Ravi was extremely helpful in sorting out our 8 day trip between Mumbai and Delhi. He arranged for 4 different hotels, excellent guides and all transport. We never felt alone, although we also enjoyed the intrepid nature of moving from place to place. We saw fantastic temples in Khajuraho and Bhopal. The safaris were all good (although the lack of wildlife is a reality). Our drivers did their utmost to find a tiger- and we finally got lucky. Our train trips were fun, and the drivers taking... read more

Ravi was extremely helpful in sorting out our 8 day trip between Mumbai and Delhi. He arranged for 4 different hotels, excellent guides and all transport. We never felt alone, although we also enjoyed the intrepid nature of moving from place to place. We saw fantastic temples in Khajuraho and Bhopal. The safaris were all good (although the lack of wildlife is a reality). Our drivers did their utmost to find a tiger- and we finally got lucky. Our train trips were fun, and the drivers taking us from location to location were an absolute treat. A professionally run trip from beginning to end. Ravi was contactable throughout. Exactly what we wanted.

Pros: Service and convenience was great. Simplified the process of planning enabling a relatively last minute vacation (2wks notice) without the planning stress. Curated options for hotels and activities to simplify. Responsive to chat messages. All the tours and transfers and hotels showed up on time.

Cons: Price points of hotels, activities, and travel agent services ($320 that they tell you at the end) were high vs. booking oneself. Guessing 10-20pct more expensive on my 2wk trip. ... read more

Pros: Service and convenience was great. Simplified the process of planning enabling a relatively last minute vacation (2wks notice) without the planning stress. Curated options for hotels and activities to simplify. Responsive to chat messages. All the tours and transfers and hotels showed up on time.

Cons: Price points of hotels, activities, and travel agent services ($320 that they tell you at the end) were high vs. booking oneself. Guessing 10-20pct more expensive on my 2wk trip. I'm price sensitive so if planning with more notice, would book myself and save the money.

Hotel Reviews

Fonda Vela Hotel

Monteverde

Old hotel being renovated. Working through kinks as of writing; would recommend trying somewhere else for the price. Location is also less walkable than most in Monteverde.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Mountain Paradise

Fortuna

Had a great experience especially bird watching across the property including from our porch.

Activity Review

Coffee Experience and Nighttime Nature Walk

Monteverde

One of the most authentic feeling activities from our trip. Junior has his own (with his business partner and wife) small farm and showed us around. Felt less commercial than the other coffee options in the area, which was nice. Price was also reasonable. Bring extra money to buy coffee!

Kimkim Review

Dear Tricia and Christina,

We had a wonderful time in Norway! Everything went smoothly, all the guides were most personable and the cooking class was fantastic.

To make my response more precise, I am going to organize my comments in accordance with our daily schedule

Days 1 & 2, Oslo: We took a taxi from the airport to the hotel, as recommended, and all went well. The Thief is a lovely hotel with an amazingly good brunch. Best gravlax we ate on the entire trip!... read more

Kimkim Review

Dear Tricia and Christina,

We had a wonderful time in Norway! Everything went smoothly, all the guides were most personable and the cooking class was fantastic.

To make my response more precise, I am going to organize my comments in accordance with our daily schedule

Days 1 & 2, Oslo: We took a taxi from the airport to the hotel, as recommended, and all went well. The Thief is a lovely hotel with an amazingly good brunch. Best gravlax we ate on the entire trip! Stig met us at the hotel as anticipated and we planned the next day. Our time on Day #2 at the folk museum was well spent. After several hours walking around, we ate at their restaurant and then walked along the Oslo harbor while I took photographs. Stig was a very knowledgeable and enjoyable guide.

Day 3, Sigdal: We met Einar as planned and he drove us out to Sigdal where we met with our prearranged contacts. Again, we found Einar a very pleasant companion for the day and I’m sure he’s very knowledgable re: hiking expeditions. We enjoyed a nice lunch together and he found a place where we could buy needed umbrellas (as well as some fun socks for gifts that said things like, on the bottom of one foot “The wife is always right” and on the bottom of the other, “The husband is always wrong” . . in Norwegian.) He was very patient with my photographic needs.

Days 4 & 5 Oslo to Bergen: The train ride was beautiful and I imagine it’s even nicer in the summer. John met us at the station and helped us to our hotel. Again, John was an exceptionally nice guide and showed us around the city - commenting on its history and directing us to the best reindeer sausage in Bergen. The weather was not good so we didn’t do the Funicular. The hotel was very interesting although we missed the extravagance of the buffet in Oslo.

Day 6, Bergen to Bekkjarvek: John was so kind - he came down to help us take our luggage to the ferry. We enjoyed the ferry very much - even though the seas were a bit rough. A driver from the hotel was waiting for us when the ferry landed and we were pleased to have the opportunity to see the island. The hotel at Bekkjarvek has a quasi-museum in it, as well as stores and a library - so it was really fun to walk around. The cooking class went well beyond our expectation. The chefs were extremely nice and we sipped on white wine while we watched them cook and learned about life in the kitchen. Ken even got to do a bit of the chopping himself. Afterwards, during dinner, we were invited back to watch as each separate course was prepared. Needless to say the food was delicious and the entire experience was really fun. Highly recommend this for future guests - especially once Chef Johanssen’s new facility is completed.

Day 7: Bekkjarvek to Tromso: The ferry stop is right outside the hotel - so convenient - and the bus was waiting at the conclusion of the ride to take us to the airport. Again, it was an easy transition for us to navigate. We took a taxi to the Edge - a most wonderful hotel - and then had a lovely evening on the sailing cruise. In all honesty, we could have used a bit more food on board the ship i.e. I’d recommend they serve cheese and bread with their soup. We were able to see a bit of Northern Lights but the cloud cover was substantial. The captain and his crew were very congenial - we really enjoyed talking with them and the other guests.

Day 8, Tromso: Bernard, our guide in Tromso, was extremely knowledgeable about the city and answered all of our questions in detail. He took us to some interesting shops and showed us the Sami market. I enjoyed talking with him very much. That evening we went Northern Light hunting with Dan - who did his best to find a break in the clouds so we could get photographs. We drove 3 hours into Finland, where he prepared a camp fire and served us stew. He then took pictures of us under the Northern Lights and processed all of them that night (impressive since we didn’t get back until after 1 AM). He wanted us to be able to see the photos when we woke up the next morning. Again, I think he is a top pro at what he does.

Day 9: Tromso: The breakfast buffet at The Edge (thanks to Marcus Samuelsson - the world renowned chef) was the best I have ever had anywhere. (The gravlax was not quite as good as that at The Thief - although the scrambled eggs were better). We loved being able to try the incredibly wide variety of offerings. We spent the day at the reindeer races, the art museum and buying presents to take home. We wished we had more time to see the other museums as well.

Day 10: Back to Oslo where we enjoyed returning to the Thief and walking around the harbor. Had a nice (although expensive) dinner at a nearby restaurant and packed up to head out very early in the morning for our flight home.

In summary; 1) All beds were very comfortable, 2) All guides were most congenial, 3). All transitions occurred smoothly, and 4). We had a great time! Thank you for all your work in putting this together for us. We are recommending you to all of our friends.

Moving on - do you offer a similar service for Iceland? We’d love to visit Iceland this September. Particular interests include photographing fishing villages and sheep round-ups. Also, we are trying to convince Ken’s brother and his wife (who is of Norwegian descent) to join us in Norway in late spring or early summer of 2024. When should we start working on that trip?

Best regards,

Robin and Ken

Everything was very good to excellent. All the local guides were good. Rutas360 in Atacama is merely a "middle man" to the local guide companies so that made it a bit challenging to know who to contact, but it all worked out. All the transfers to and from the bus stations and airports worked well, as did all the airline reservations.

My only minor issue was some of the hotels. The Doubletree in Santiago and the airport Holiday Inn were both very good. Don Tomas in Atacama was... read more

Everything was very good to excellent. All the local guides were good. Rutas360 in Atacama is merely a "middle man" to the local guide companies so that made it a bit challenging to know who to contact, but it all worked out. All the transfers to and from the bus stations and airports worked well, as did all the airline reservations.

My only minor issue was some of the hotels. The Doubletree in Santiago and the airport Holiday Inn were both very good. Don Tomas in Atacama was excellent.

Hotel Otai was a mixed bag. We had a noisy dog nearby and the breakfast was ok, and they got the AC working well, but on the last day I saw two cockroaches in our room. That was not horrible for me, but for most people that would be very bad.

Hotel Casa de Patagonia in Puerto Natales had good service but it was a bit noisy with thin walls. Hotel Germania in Puerto Varas was fine though our room, which faced the street, was stuffy, noisy and a bit small.

It was unforgettable trip. The service in every point was accurate, that means each pickup point we had ready driver waiting for us, which was even above expectation, compare to other countries we have traveled before. Good selection of the hotels and accommodations in every point we have chosen. Also the people in each town that provided service to us, drivers, guides, tour guides were cheerful and genuinely liking what they're doing, which reflected on us, as a clients. This may be because... read more

It was unforgettable trip. The service in every point was accurate, that means each pickup point we had ready driver waiting for us, which was even above expectation, compare to other countries we have traveled before. Good selection of the hotels and accommodations in every point we have chosen. Also the people in each town that provided service to us, drivers, guides, tour guides were cheerful and genuinely liking what they're doing, which reflected on us, as a clients. This may be because of overall tourism and service industry culture in the country. This whole trip was above every expectation. I would give 6 stars if I could. Thank you!

Hotel Reviews

Pestana Buenos Aires Hotel

Buenos Aires

All good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cumbres Nevadas Hotel

El Chalten

No internet or very-very slow internet. Rest is all good

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mirador del Lago Hotel

El Calafate

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Los Acebos Ushuaia Hotel

Ushuaia

Far away from city center. Once you get in, no way to get out, other than calling taxi or wait 2 hrs for scheduled shuttle. Hotel itself is good. Since it is far away from anywhere, no evening entertainment of any sort, just restaurant to eat.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Far away from city center. Once you get in, no way to get out, other than calling taxi or wait 2 hrs for scheduled shuttle. Hotel itself is good. Since it is far away from anywhere, no evening entertainment of any sort, just restaurant to eat.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Diplomatic Hotel

Mendoza

5 stars hotel in center of the city. All good. Can walk out of the hotel to walk through the town, Good location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

5 stars hotel in center of the city. All good. Can walk out of the hotel to walk through the town, Good location.

Staff

5 stars hotel in center of the city. All good. Can walk out of the hotel to walk through the town, Good location.

Cleanliness & Comfort

5 stars hotel in center of the city. All good. Can walk out of the hotel to walk through the town, Good location.

Activity Reviews

Neighborhoods Tour

Buenos Aires

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tango Show & Dinner

Buenos Aires

No suggestions. I liked everything, performance and location of the theater.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Safari Azul Experience

El Calafate

I am so glad that we were not chosen for the ice walking but Emilci offered to us this Azul excursion instead. That was a hit! The ice walking was not really needed since we had enough walking around the glacier with a professor glaciologist explaining nature and all details about this glacier. I am really satisfied with this tour and guide, educational.

Quality of Experience

I am so glad that we were not chosen for the ice walking but Emilci offered to us this Azul excursion instead. That was a hit! The ice walking was not really needed since we had enough walking around the glacier with a professor glaciologist explaining nature and all details about this glacier. I am really satisfied with this tour and guide, educational.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I am so glad that we were not chosen for the ice walking but Emilci offered to us this Azul excursion instead. That was a hit! The ice walking was not really needed since we had enough walking around the glacier with a professor glaciologist explaining nature and all details about this glacier. I am really satisfied with this tour and guide, educational.

Transport

Half day Tierra del Fuego National Park

Ushuaia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half day Walking with Penguins

Ushuaia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full day tour to Vineyards: Wine and Olive

Mendoza

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Very friendly driver, guide, accommodating us all times we were in Mendoza