Kimkim Trip Reviews

Jules, Tara and the staff at Expedition Colombia helped us to plan an AMAZING itinerary, but once we began our active holiday, the places we went and sights we experienced were beyond anything I could've dreamed. The entire trip was truly extraordinary. I figured Colombia was a beautiful place, but everything far surpassed all of my expectations! A great big thanks to the team of wonderful and charming people at Expedition Colombia! The knowledgeable and charismatic guides for our adventures... read more

Jules, Tara and the staff at Expedition Colombia helped us to plan an AMAZING itinerary, but once we began our active holiday, the places we went and sights we experienced were beyond anything I could've dreamed. The entire trip was truly extraordinary. I figured Colombia was a beautiful place, but everything far surpassed all of my expectations! A great big thanks to the team of wonderful and charming people at Expedition Colombia! The knowledgeable and charismatic guides for our adventures (Nicho, Mael and Lucho) and drivers made our experience that much better. I highly recommend an active holiday with Expedition Colombia for anyone who is looking for a truly memorable, once in a lifetime experience in Colombia. Thanks again for such an incredible time!!!!!

Tara was incredibly friendly, knowledgable, helpful and responsive while coordinating with her to plan our amazing itinerary in Colombia. She is an absolute pleasure to work with!

The Peru trip was amazing! It beat expectations and was a marvel on so many levels. Our guide, Aldo, was a huge bonus as he was an amazing person to spend two weeks with escorting us through his magical country.

Very easy and organized booking process.

She was incredibly helpful and always responsive to my questions and/or needs during the trip. Fantastic organization throughout, with a prompt and professional staff.

I do have some feedback, really for North Sailing, but wanted to share here too since they are a partner of KimKim. We went on a whale watching tour which departed from Husavik. The seas were rough on the day of our reservations. When we checked in, the person assisting noted this to us - I was not sure exactly what this meant. They had already canceled some of the other trips that day.

We were provided with the jumpers, raincoats, and gloves. The waves were about 10 feet high and a number... read more

I do have some feedback, really for North Sailing, but wanted to share here too since they are a partner of KimKim. We went on a whale watching tour which departed from Husavik. The seas were rough on the day of our reservations. When we checked in, the person assisting noted this to us - I was not sure exactly what this meant. They had already canceled some of the other trips that day.

We were provided with the jumpers, raincoats, and gloves. The waves were about 10 feet high and a number of them broke partially over the bow of the boat. There was no rain. The boat seemed to rock side to side at roughly a 20-degree angle. My mom (70 yrs-old), who was for a short time next to the side about mid-way down, noted that the sea level was about 2 1/2 to 3 feet from the top of the boat railing. Our backpacks were placed on a bench in front of the captain's control room (bridge on larger ships) and with one of the tips went sliding off and hit the side of the boat where my mom was standing. My husband followed shortly thereafter. He was also seated on the same bench. He slammed into my mom and she sustained a knee injury - it still needs to be diagnosed but it is either a sprain or possibly a minor tear.

After that, one of the guides was very helpful in helping my mom (I was too sick to assist). She made sure she had a raincoat and gloves and brought her to a better location on the boat (top deck). I was sick nearly the whole time. I am susceptible to motion sickness so I knew this would be a possibility; however, over the course of the trip about 2/3 of the approximately 24 guests had thrown up at least once.

That all being said, we did see whales. My perspective is that the decision to go out was not a good call. The conditions I would say were unsafe - considering that it is not unfathomable that someone could have gone overboard which would be pretty terminal (the life ring would not do much in those kinds of seas) - and the majority of the guests were sick. In the cafe afterward, some of the guests appeared pretty stunned - starring into space. Please pass along to North Sailing.

Overall, we were very happy with Chris' work on the Iceland trip. He provided valuable input that really shaped the trip itinerary. We ended up going around the ring road which we would not have thought of if Chris had not suggested it. We are so glad we did! Having information on the sites was very helpful and of course having someone knowledgeable about lodging and booking the accommodations, car rental, and activities was super!

We enjoyed our activities. However, on two occasions our guide/driver arrived earlier than listed so they had to wait for us a bit. I hope they didn't mind! Also, the hotel for our beach excursion was not aware that we were to have access to a room for changing and leaving out items as described in our outline (so we were unable to do so). No big deal though.

Nathalie was very helpful and patient during the planning stages. She listed to what we wanted and was flexible with our requests. We enjoyed working with her!

Thank you so much to the KimKim team for putting together such an amazing vacation for us. Everything was customized to exactly what we wanted. An extra special thanks for working with us through our 2-day flight cancellation/travel delay issues!

Halldor was great!

The service provided was the best I have ever encountered. I highly recommend using the kimkim service in Peru and particularly Mayra and James MacKender.

Mayra was terrific to work with. She was very responsive during a very difficult time in Peru. A strike in the Sacred Valley was announced for the same time I had booked a tour with kimkim. Mayra showed empathy and concern and worked with me to plan alternate contingencies and to keep me updated on the latest news. I heard from her... read more

The service provided was the best I have ever encountered. I highly recommend using the kimkim service in Peru and particularly Mayra and James MacKender.

Mayra was terrific to work with. She was very responsive during a very difficult time in Peru. A strike in the Sacred Valley was announced for the same time I had booked a tour with kimkim. Mayra showed empathy and concern and worked with me to plan alternate contingencies and to keep me updated on the latest news. I heard from her from late at night to early in the morning. She stayed with me as things changed and I felt like she really cared about me and my trip. She made it happen, and our tour was completed and we arrived at Machu Picchu on time. She followed up afterward to make sure everything was okay.

The Norway Trip that we just experienced was with out doubt one of the best experiences that gave us a taste of everything on a short agenda.

Linda followed me up on every detail and I couldn't be happier with her service.

Our trip to the mountains of Nepal was great. It was well organized by Ngima, who was very responsive to the demands of the schedules of members of our group who were all coming and going from different parts of the world. He worked out a trip that made sense, mostly, and it was well organized, everything was thought out in advance and worked out, nearly, perfectly.

The only reason the trip was not perfect was that the weather interfered since we started with a flight to Lukla that was... read more

Our trip to the mountains of Nepal was great. It was well organized by Ngima, who was very responsive to the demands of the schedules of members of our group who were all coming and going from different parts of the world. He worked out a trip that made sense, mostly, and it was well organized, everything was thought out in advance and worked out, nearly, perfectly.

The only reason the trip was not perfect was that the weather interfered since we started with a flight to Lukla that was weather-dependent, so we lost 1.5 days from our trek and had to shorten it by a destination. This was not Ngima's fault, of course. But, in hindsight, I'd recommend that if one is on a very short trip like we were, then losing a few days to weather (only because of flying, we can hike in rain) is painful and I'd recommend a destination that does not require such a flight if it is going to be vulnerable due to weather.

Great facilities. Friendly staff. Flexible about moving us from a rainy day to a sunny one. right. She is delightful and informative.

Our guide Becca was wonderful. She tailored the trip to us just

I was very pleased with the work done by kimkim.

My family and I really made it challenging for Chris to arrange our plans: We were located in 3 different cities all giving different feedback. Chris did an excellent job coordinating and adjusting to our {changing} needs.

The trip was more than we could have expected. We had great hotels, amazing drivers and the team did everything to make it easy for us at the border.

Platform-wise, I would have liked to select my currency while planning the trip or to have it more obvious than prices were in USD. We are Canadians and used to platforms automatically converting to CAD using cookies. The exchange rate was, therefore, a very bad surprise.

Also, a module for the agent to provide local contact details we could... read more

The trip was more than we could have expected. We had great hotels, amazing drivers and the team did everything to make it easy for us at the border.

Platform-wise, I would have liked to select my currency while planning the trip or to have it more obvious than prices were in USD. We are Canadians and used to platforms automatically converting to CAD using cookies. The exchange rate was, therefore, a very bad surprise.

Also, a module for the agent to provide local contact details we could have downloaded directly would be great (or kimkim app to save them) and the possibility to download the conversations locally for when we do not have wifi once on the trip.

Otherwise, the platform and concept were really good. Already recommended it in a few Montreal newspaper/tv. Good job guys!

Carina was great, always accessible and made all necessary adjustments before our arrival. Amazing job!

Everything was good and we had a wonderful time on our trip. I do feel like a few things could be improved. Kimkim was not proactive in providing itineraries or details. Everything was booked but I didn't receive confirmation number or vouchers with the tour agency. When I asked about this I was assured that everything was all set and I didn't need any confirmation number or voucher.

While everything turned out to be fine I would have felt more comfortable with some sort of voucher. Also,... read more

Everything was good and we had a wonderful time on our trip. I do feel like a few things could be improved. Kimkim was not proactive in providing itineraries or details. Everything was booked but I didn't receive confirmation number or vouchers with the tour agency. When I asked about this I was assured that everything was all set and I didn't need any confirmation number or voucher.

While everything turned out to be fine I would have felt more comfortable with some sort of voucher. Also, the receipts for payment are not itemized. That would also be appreciated. We did have a couple minor hiccups. Our guide had a hard time locating our snorkel group and the snorkel group had us booked for the next day. It was all worked out and we got to snorkel but there were about 45 minutes of confusion.

On our second day of touring, we had been told that lunch was included. It was not. We had not brought along any food. Luckily our guide shared his extra food with us and all was fine. But had he not we would have gone very hungry as this was an all day tour.

But not to focus on the negatives! We had wonderful and personal experiences with guides who customized our trips. They were all friendly and full of information. We had three days of very rainy weather and they all helped us enjoy ourselves despite that. Booking with kimkim was convenient with the chat function and spread out payment. I would use the service again.

Nicole was excellent at organizing our trip. It was great to talk to a real person on the ground in Peru when I was booking from Australia. At first, our trip seemed expensive but now in hind sight considering everything it included and in comparison to other travelers we met along the way our trip was excellent value for money. Every aspect of our trip was organized we didn't have to worry about a thing. Our guide Josias was absolutely fantastic and really made the trip special. He spoke... read more

Nicole was excellent at organizing our trip. It was great to talk to a real person on the ground in Peru when I was booking from Australia. At first, our trip seemed expensive but now in hind sight considering everything it included and in comparison to other travelers we met along the way our trip was excellent value for money. Every aspect of our trip was organized we didn't have to worry about a thing. Our guide Josias was absolutely fantastic and really made the trip special. He spoke fluent English and helped us translate along the way and told us fantastic history and facts about the region. The food and accommodation were excellent. After a hard day walking it was great to come home to a real warm bed. I am a coeliac and catering along the way was fantastic! We couldn't have had a better trip. We are so happy we chose to book with KimKim.

Nicole looked after all of our needs. She was very patient and always helpful. She helped us booked our salkantay trek and gave me information about other trips and options available.

Nathalie was awesome and she gave us everything we asked for and the price was perfect!!! We had an awesome time and a lot of that was KimKim making all our arrangements!! It is so nice to get off a plane tired and just see s sign with your name on it!!! Love it!! And even my friends said we will use KimKim again for future travels!! Thank you so much for a great trip!!!

Chris had very good suggestions and advice during the planning stages of the trip. His experience was very valuable in customizing the trip. Everything went on smoothly. We had no trouble finding accommodations. The places were comfortable and as cheap as one could get in Iceland. The places were also located strategically such that we could get to the attractions reasonably quickly and before it got completely mobbed.

Chris also provided detailed recommendations for each day for... read more

Chris had very good suggestions and advice during the planning stages of the trip. His experience was very valuable in customizing the trip. Everything went on smoothly. We had no trouble finding accommodations. The places were comfortable and as cheap as one could get in Iceland. The places were also located strategically such that we could get to the attractions reasonably quickly and before it got completely mobbed.

Chris also provided detailed recommendations for each day for places to see, hikes to take, and also restaurants. We fully followed those recommendations and were rewarded. remember that in Iceland, every attraction is not marked 20 miles ahead. Therefore, it is easy to miss some. Having a local expert is priceless.

Overall, booking with kimkim was an excellent decision.

KimKim did a great job customizing the trip for my son and I. I couldn't have put a trip like this together myself. It was more than I was promised and I highly recommend their services. Thanks again

Gabor did a great job coordinating all aspects of this trip!

The north and east was great, the south was so-so. Some of the hotels were passable. The food was good but outrageously expensive.

Chris was very responsive to the wide range of questions. Response time varied a lot depending on his schedule or travel

Really impressive timely response and really appreciated the flexibility to make changes to accommodate different dates. Having now visited Vietnam our only comment would be that it would perhaps have been good to get more and wider suggestions to choose from to tailor the trip e.g. a cooking experience or an interesting stop on the car journey from Sapa to Hanoi. it did feel a bit as if we were on the 'standard' tourist circuit that could have been booked fairly easily locally - although the... read more

Really impressive timely response and really appreciated the flexibility to make changes to accommodate different dates. Having now visited Vietnam our only comment would be that it would perhaps have been good to get more and wider suggestions to choose from to tailor the trip e.g. a cooking experience or an interesting stop on the car journey from Sapa to Hanoi. it did feel a bit as if we were on the 'standard' tourist circuit that could have been booked fairly easily locally - although the service level we got from having booked with you ( guide, driver) was excellent

The guide Ngoc was really excellent. very knowledgeable, helpful, punctual and happy to move things around ( e.g lunch booking when we opted to leave Sapa early because of the rain) . A great guy we'd be happy to recommend to friends.

The trip allowed us to visit many exceptional sites accompanied by professionals, exploring and learning as we went. We especially appreciated the attention to our interests and the design of a trip that met our needs. Highlights were too many to mention but included - great visits to the Blue Nile, the Simien Mountains with opportunities to visit with the Gelada, Lalibela, and Addis. The guides were consistently pleasant, knowledgeable, and helpful.

Marco has a great understanding of the... read more

The trip allowed us to visit many exceptional sites accompanied by professionals, exploring and learning as we went. We especially appreciated the attention to our interests and the design of a trip that met our needs. Highlights were too many to mention but included - great visits to the Blue Nile, the Simien Mountains with opportunities to visit with the Gelada, Lalibela, and Addis. The guides were consistently pleasant, knowledgeable, and helpful.

Marco has a great understanding of the country and opportunities to both see and experience it and an excellent ability to recruit team members across Ethiopia to support the trip.

Really enjoyed our trip and our experience with the guides was fantastic. The whole experience went smoothly and SimienEcoTours and their guides are a large reason for our ability to immerse ourselves into the Ethiopian natural and cultural environment.

Marco was very responsive before the trip, kept track of our experience to make sure all was well along the way, and served as a local guide in Addis as well.

This was a very expensive trip and several things could have been done better. I had payed for a full package but even then had substantial expenses towards drinking water 1-7 USD per liter depending on where on the trek, battery charging 4-6 USD per battery, hot shower 8-9 USD, WIFI 7 USD per day. These extra expenses are very particular to the area. I have never before experienced having to pay for all these things and. I am surprised that no-one has thought of informing of these extra... read more

This was a very expensive trip and several things could have been done better. I had payed for a full package but even then had substantial expenses towards drinking water 1-7 USD per liter depending on where on the trek, battery charging 4-6 USD per battery, hot shower 8-9 USD, WIFI 7 USD per day. These extra expenses are very particular to the area. I have never before experienced having to pay for all these things and. I am surprised that no-one has thought of informing of these extra costs.

Meals were provided but I was always only allowed to order 1 item per meal. This was really not enough when trekking for long hours every day.

Also tipping of guide and porter was a substantial extra expense - 250 USD shared among them. As a lone traveller this has been an extremely costly affair. The guide and porter I was happy with though.

I was overall very pleased with Ngima but I would have appreciated the information I have mentioned previously.

Small hiccup that was weather related. Could have been more responsive during the planning period. Itinerary was outstanding and the way that it was adjusted when the weather threw a monkey wrench was great. Otherwise, we loved it.

Timing of responses could have been better. When I started directly emailing him and calling while in Iceland, communication was much better

Really loved using kimkim. Made everything really simple and convenient. All aspects of the trip were great. The highlights of the trip were the guides - both Bekele and Tadele were awesome to hang out with. I liked pulling over to talk to random people on the street and going on spontaneous adventures. It felt like a bunch of friends hanging out rather than a guided tour.

Suggest that the trip summary include the start times of tours.

Nathalie was great

Planning and booking went pretty well. I would suggest that the organizers answer all of the questions asked by the clients, even if they seem unrelated to the actual booking, just so that there are no misunderstandings. Questions such as recommendations for restaurants were simply ignored. Answers to questions like that would have been extremely helpful.

Giorga did a nice job. She answered emails in a timely fashion and her responses were mostly clear. She was as responsive as... read more

Planning and booking went pretty well. I would suggest that the organizers answer all of the questions asked by the clients, even if they seem unrelated to the actual booking, just so that there are no misunderstandings. Questions such as recommendations for restaurants were simply ignored. Answers to questions like that would have been extremely helpful.

Giorga did a nice job. She answered emails in a timely fashion and her responses were mostly clear. She was as responsive as possible when our driver did not show for a pick up from the VCE airport. Considering we were using a water taxi as transportation from VCE and had never been to Italy, this was somewhat challenging.

It would be great if kimkim could provide google maps links that provide a driving route. I manually created google maps routes each night for the next day- although i am fine with doing it, but i dont think other folks would have been ok with tackling that activity. The manual entry was challenging with the spelling of icelandic destinations.

Chris' trip was outatanding, and I greatly appreciated how he went the extra mile to find a riding tour that was appropriate for my wife's riding experience. It was a highlight of the trip!

We had an amazing time, and thought that KimKim did quite a good job, especially given the short notice for our trip. There were several issues that could have been better:
1) There was several recommendations of places to go that were simply impossible to see at the time of the trip - as an example, the Leirhnjukur Lava Fields were completely inaccessible. This happened to us on several occassions, which caused us to spend time that could have been better spent at places that were simply... read more

We had an amazing time, and thought that KimKim did quite a good job, especially given the short notice for our trip. There were several issues that could have been better:
1) There was several recommendations of places to go that were simply impossible to see at the time of the trip - as an example, the Leirhnjukur Lava Fields were completely inaccessible. This happened to us on several occassions, which caused us to spend time that could have been better spent at places that were simply not accessable.
2) In some of the itinerary, there could have been more detail in terms of actually finding the locations. As an example, where exactly is Hvalnes Nature Reserve? It would be useful, when doing a self guided tour to have more specific directions and suggestions about what to look out for, where to turn, and where to park, etc.
3) In the town of Vik, it would have been I good idea to let us know that we needed to call ahead to make reservations for dinner.
4) There was some really sketchy and somewhat dangerous driving, and I think that we could have been better prepared for that. In addition, the driving times in many instances were a severe underestimate of the actual driving time.

These things being said, we did have an exciting and unforgettable trip!

We thought that Chris did a very good job, and was quite helpful when I reached out to him during the trip.

Our 3 generational family trip into the Tsum Valley and Manaslu Circuit was absolutely stunning!! From beginning to end, we were impressed with the input from Amanda in the organisation/communication with loads of questions promptly answered. She was very friendly and helpful and met us both before and after the hike - we would not hesitate to book through kimkim again and use Himalayan Trails. Both hotels were perfectly suited in both location and budget, we particularly enjoyed 'Mums... read more

Our 3 generational family trip into the Tsum Valley and Manaslu Circuit was absolutely stunning!! From beginning to end, we were impressed with the input from Amanda in the organisation/communication with loads of questions promptly answered. She was very friendly and helpful and met us both before and after the hike - we would not hesitate to book through kimkim again and use Himalayan Trails. Both hotels were perfectly suited in both location and budget, we particularly enjoyed 'Mums Garden' in Pokhara after the hike - a sanctuary to rest weary legs!

As for the hike itself - we were extremely grateful to our fantastic guide Chhiri. He was both very professional and knowledgeable and good company. He and the two porters, Sam and Siri made our hike all the more special. They did far more than meet the minimum requirements of a guide/porting service, they became good friends and went out of their way to share their culture, country and themselves with us.

17 days hiking with 3 generations couldn't have been done in a more special place. The days walking were well mixed with some longer and others shorter, when altitude became a factor. The weather was perfect which always is a bonus and the Tsum valley was probably the highlight (just ahead of Larke Pass) - The mix of monasteries and walking through ancient villages was very special. Chhiri was also very caring and conscientious with the responsibility of taking my 10yr old daughter on such a long hike. While she had done long hikes before, she'd never been to this altitude at 5100m - she loved the experience and Chhiri again took great care with all of us.

Thank you does not quite cover it!!!

Amanda was incredibly helpful, both online prior to booking in answering a myriad of questions and once in Kathmandu, meeting with us both before and after the hike. She made sure the trip was seamless from start to end and was very friendly and knowledgeable.

In wanting to take my 10yr old daughter on such a long hike and to 5100m, Amanda was very careful in giving advise and ensuring that we had a senior guide who had experience with children. This proved to be possibly the making of the hike with Chhiri being an excellent guide -and the envy of other hikers!

Thank you very much to Amanda for giving us such special memories. We would love to be back in Nepal one day!!

Thank you Nichole and William, the guide Javier and our driver Marco were excellent. They were first and foremost good people, they were attentive, and knowledgeable about the people places and culture that we were exploring. We came expecting a trip from place to place with explanations and guidance, and instead were treated as friends being welcomed into a family home. They stopped every time we seemed interested in a landmark or even a beautiful field of Quinoa that we wanted to photograph... read more

Thank you Nichole and William, the guide Javier and our driver Marco were excellent. They were first and foremost good people, they were attentive, and knowledgeable about the people places and culture that we were exploring. We came expecting a trip from place to place with explanations and guidance, and instead were treated as friends being welcomed into a family home. They stopped every time we seemed interested in a landmark or even a beautiful field of Quinoa that we wanted to photograph for memories. They showed us a wonderful part of Peru, and we are grateful for their time and effort.

You chose your people well, they made this excursion perfect.

I know you can't give a detailed breakdown of the price, but it would have been nice to know a bit more about how the price per person was generated in an overall sense. Like our accommodation total, our food total, the guide and porter's accommodation/food/salary total, and any fees.

Small exception with one of the drivers but overall it was exceptional.

Giorgia was quick to respond with any question or issue.

Chris was very fast to answer, and so informative!

We appreciated the open communication and prompt replies to all our questions. Amanda very quickly gauged our interests and capabilities and planned a trip for us accordingly.

Amanda was a gem. Unfortunately I requiredhospitalisation early on in the trip. Amanda was so supportive and understanding. She guided us through the process and after resting she quickly rescheduled our trip so we could maximise our time. This involved organising an alternative trek more suited to our needs at this time. All our drivers, guides and accomodation were top class.

It was pretty much perfect. One day we drove a long way to some hot springs, probably ended up being and extra 2 hrs to find they didn't open untill 4pm. Should've checked but worth adding to the info sheet. Didn't mind too much though.

The events and activities we did were amazing and highly enjoyable. We were sad that Natalie was not available to help us or answer our questions while we were here. No one picked us up at the airport in Cali and the Calanoa transport was told the wrong time for our flight. Otherwise, Natalie was very helpful and we have had a great trip.

Great experience with the website and working with Georgia. She was great. The package of materials was excellent. I loved all the maps and they saved us a few times - I couldn't have gotten the Sicily road map on my own but not all the local maps she sent us. Also loved the driving directions and suggestions with details for optional tours. She worked with us to create our itinerary and her knowledge was so good. We never would have done what we do without her help. I loved all her... read more

Great experience with the website and working with Georgia. She was great. The package of materials was excellent. I loved all the maps and they saved us a few times - I couldn't have gotten the Sicily road map on my own but not all the local maps she sent us. Also loved the driving directions and suggestions with details for optional tours. She worked with us to create our itinerary and her knowledge was so good. We never would have done what we do without her help. I loved all her suggestions for options on our transition days. Lodging was great as well. I really liked having the resources of her office - she sent us stuff that was important during the trip as well - for example, revised driving directions to a hotel because of road construction. The team she works with backed her up and someone always answered the phone and responded to our messages. Joost was great to work with as well.

Raj and the team Social Tours couldn't have been more helpful. It was an expensive trip but we saved a lot of time that we would have otherwise spent finding out about places and organizing trips. The 4 guides who took care of us were very knowledgeable and specialized in their work.
Raj is very knowledgeable with a lot of contacts and is highly respected within the Nepalese tourist industry.
Anura is intelligent and sparkly, and a tremendous asset to Social Tours.
Social Tours helped make... read more

Raj and the team Social Tours couldn't have been more helpful. It was an expensive trip but we saved a lot of time that we would have otherwise spent finding out about places and organizing trips. The 4 guides who took care of us were very knowledgeable and specialized in their work.
Raj is very knowledgeable with a lot of contacts and is highly respected within the Nepalese tourist industry.
Anura is intelligent and sparkly, and a tremendous asset to Social Tours.
Social Tours helped make this our trip of a lifetime!!!

There was only one night where the accommodation was noisy, poky and uninviting, but all our other accommodation was exceptional

Amanda was extremely helpful, the trip was very well organised and she was prompt to answer any queries we had

Hi Alex and wai Lin. We are currently in Inle lake winding up our trip. We want to thank you for the most amazing experiences. All guides and drivers have been overwhelmingly fabulous with their knowledge and ability to accommodate our requests when we have deviated from plan. This trip has exceeded our expectations. We would not hesitate in recommending your services. Jo and Deb
jo perillo

Wai Lin changed itinerary to meet our needs

I made a very good experience with kimkim.com. All my contacts were very friendly and helpful. I specially liked the quick and uncomplicated way to book a trip.

Mads answered all my questions and gave me always a good advice. He motivated me to go for the longer trek. I am very happy that I listened to him. I had a great time and made one of my best treks ever!

Service was great, but the final information for arrival should have been sent through a couple of days earlier instead of me having to prompt the tour provider to send this through.

The only thing that would have made this better was that would have liked to have a trekked a little longer most days, but we realize that the trip has to account for: 1. lower fitness levels, and 2. altitude.

I can't say enough about Himalaya Trails. A custom trek to fit our short time. Great guide and porter, who were attentive, accommodating, helpful and friendly. And when our flight from Pokhara was cancelled because of weather, Himalaya Trails went above and beyond with quick on-the-ball travel rearrangements to make sure we made our flight home from Kathmandu the next day. A big thanks to them!

You guys provided a great itinerary, but I think it also would have been nice to know some other details beforehand. i.e., the walk down to rio verde is rigid and pretty long, wear good shoes. There are no showers or sinks at the camp site. Bring plenty of water, etc.

I put in the passport for that one person from our group was a vegetarian and there was no vegetarian dinner option. :(

For future groups, I would recommend providing a luggage requirement. We were told in the van on the way... read more

You guys provided a great itinerary, but I think it also would have been nice to know some other details beforehand. i.e., the walk down to rio verde is rigid and pretty long, wear good shoes. There are no showers or sinks at the camp site. Bring plenty of water, etc.

I put in the passport for that one person from our group was a vegetarian and there was no vegetarian dinner option. :(

For future groups, I would recommend providing a luggage requirement. We were told in the van on the way to the river that there would be limited space in the dry bags. It would have been nice to know ahead of time so we could have packed minimally instead of having to re-pack bags on the side of the road and leave things in the van.

Our guide was wonderful and Amanda was very responsive. The trek was a whole lot harder than we expected, and we didn't realize how difficult it would be with the altitude. We were glad to have chosen a trek a little off the beaten track, and had a memorable experience.

I was very impressed with the working of the website, it seemed very efficient and beautifully designed. In fact it was the design that first persuaded me to look further.

I would say it was really great. Ngima was extremely professional and gave me the impression that he was understanding all my demands. The trip was organised very well and I felt in capable hands the whole way. This was especially important as I had some medical issues that needed understanding in terms of trekking.
I think on these points you need something between Perfect and Good.

Raj planned a great trip for us. He took our interests & priorities into account really well.

In Pokhara, the local restaurant we visited for lunch was not really nice. Also it was a shame that the manager of the permaculture coffee farm we visited wasn't home when we went there So we didn't gain much insight into the process.

The guide that showed up was not the guide we arranged for. Our visit to Jaresh was not in our original schedule and we didn't talk about it.

As I said, Matt did not appear. No explanation was given

I have never really been much of a "tour" traveler. I can't thank Raj's team at Social Tours for all the high level of detail planning and caliber of guides, drivers and information by his group. Amazing!

Responsive, well planned, all of Raj's staff were beyond excellent and professional. We now consider them friends.

The two initial days walking around with Rajeev in Patan, his home town, were truly wonderful and a great introduction to the urban fabric of the Kathmandu Valley. The two monuments and the cremation ghats were a nice taste of Kathmandu before going to Bhakhtapur, where our little hotel was perfect and the couple who own it incredibly warm and welcoming. Pokara was a great respite from the dust of the Kathmandu valley, and we enjoyed particularly the Gurkha museum and the Tibetan monastery... read more

The two initial days walking around with Rajeev in Patan, his home town, were truly wonderful and a great introduction to the urban fabric of the Kathmandu Valley. The two monuments and the cremation ghats were a nice taste of Kathmandu before going to Bhakhtapur, where our little hotel was perfect and the couple who own it incredibly warm and welcoming. Pokara was a great respite from the dust of the Kathmandu valley, and we enjoyed particularly the Gurkha museum and the Tibetan monastery on the outskirts. The day back in Kathmandu was great both the Darbar monuments and especially the bazaar area.

Mads is amazing, attention to every detail, incredible fast planning ahead of time, and great connections to people on the ground: Amanda, Rajeev, and Dipesh.

- Further details on accommodation type/options for better accommodation at a higher cost should be provided. some of the facilities at the lodges were maintained poorly

I am so very grateful that we stumbled on KimKim. From the moment we inquired with KimKim about a trek in Nepal and then ultimately connected with our local organizer, Ngima Dorji Sherpa with Nepal Mountain Trails in Nepal, we were very impressed with the responsiveness, organization and professionalism of our communications. I can not say enough positive things about our experience, especially with Ngima. Planning a trip for a family of four including a trek in the highest mountains in the... read more

I am so very grateful that we stumbled on KimKim. From the moment we inquired with KimKim about a trek in Nepal and then ultimately connected with our local organizer, Ngima Dorji Sherpa with Nepal Mountain Trails in Nepal, we were very impressed with the responsiveness, organization and professionalism of our communications. I can not say enough positive things about our experience, especially with Ngima. Planning a trip for a family of four including a trek in the highest mountains in the world is no small task. KimKim and especially Nigima made it manageable and enjoyable. Five stars!

I cannot say enough positive things about Ngima Dorji Sherpa!!!! His professionalism, responsiveness and courtesy are top notch! From the moment we were connected with him virtually while we were planning our trip to our first meeting in Kathmandu to our final encounter at the airport, we knew he was holding our trip that included a two week trek with care and professionalism. Also, through the course of our experience, we learned how important he is to the development of his home community in the Solu-Khumu region - he gives back incredibly by helping build schools and a monastery - it was an honor to support his business. Another thing I would like to note is how comfortable we felt with him - it was easy to communicate and connect on both a professional and friendly level. I hope to go back to Nepal - I would absolutely hire Ngima and his company and our fabulous guides Lahkpa and Tashi and our dedicated, strong and trustworthy porters Nima and Tara again in a heartbeat.

It was helpful to have someone with knowledge of the area to help us book rooms. However, the itinerary seemed somewhat generic rather than customized. For example, there were several recommendations on the itinerary that were not open during the winter season. Also, because it was winter and the roads were not always in the best condition, it would have been nice if the itinerary was a little more specific with directions (i.e. what roads were before/after) rather than just saying look for the signs. We relied a lot more on a Rough Guide and a detailed map than I had expected to.

It was fantastic and planned very well. We had a great time. My only comment would be more detail in the overall itinerary so we don't have to bounce around kimkim trying to find different pieces of information about each activity.

The hotel we stayed at in Santa Marta was not great. The lack of air conditioning was a big problem. Also our guide for the hike in Tayrona did not speak much English and was therefore not very helpful. Other than that, the trip was great!

I was really pleased with the itinerary put together for us. We weren't able to do everything but we did almost everything and found some other interesting additions along the way.

The whole trip was planned half-way easier knowing what to do and what shall be expected in Iceland with assistance of kimkim's service.

Chris was able to adjust / alter the itinerary according to our preferences and requests and it turned out to be a successful journey. Most of the time we stayed 2 night straight at the same hotel and as a result it allowed us to revisit places and savor the dramatic landscapes we were not able to enjoy at the first day due to extreme weather condition in this April.

We were so pleased with how quickly you were able to put together the kind of itinerary and services to both meet our requests and to make the trip work smoothly.

I do shy away from using 'perfect' loosely but must say it was as close to perfect as things usually come.

Our trip went very smoothly and was a wonderful experience. We didn't wind up doing the activities on the days of our trip planned, but all of them were covered and it fit very nicely based on weather, etc...

Catia was very prompt in responding to any questions that we had during our trip.

I had the most fantastic trip! I saw everything I wanted to see and lots that I didn't know I wanted to see. Everything went smoothly. Hotels and guides and drivers were all great. Travel arrangements all worked well with no delays. Very pleased with all aspects of my trip.

Wai Lin was great with organising my trip. Always very prompt with replies and planned a trip that suited me perfectly.

Our guide Dawa Sherpa was tremendous, can't imagine the trip without him. He speaks great english, was very friendly and knowledgable, and was an excellent manager of our expectations. He also helped out with photos / videos for the trip which was an excellent value add. I genuinely would give him the highest rating possible and would recommend him to anyone else in an instant. He made the trip for us!

Mads provided timely responses to all of our questions and was extremely helpful. Overall his customer service was excellent.

Amazing! Well planned and amazing guide!

Our Manaslu Circuit trek in Nepal was everything I imagined it could be. Beautiful scenery, kind and interesting people, friendly and professional guide and porter, smooth logistics. Ngima Dorji Sherpa did an outstanding job for us arranging the trek, and was always responsive and accommodating. Tshering and Kaji, our guide and porter, kept a watchful eye on us on the trek and showed patience at every turn. I highly recommend this trekking agency.

As already mentioned, Ngima provided... read more

Our Manaslu Circuit trek in Nepal was everything I imagined it could be. Beautiful scenery, kind and interesting people, friendly and professional guide and porter, smooth logistics. Ngima Dorji Sherpa did an outstanding job for us arranging the trek, and was always responsive and accommodating. Tshering and Kaji, our guide and porter, kept a watchful eye on us on the trek and showed patience at every turn. I highly recommend this trekking agency.

As already mentioned, Ngima provided outstanding service in a professional, responsive, and accommodating way from my initial inquiry through the end of the trek.

Thanks Tiago, Cathy and I really enjoyed our week (post whale watch). We plan to return to visit other islands in the future.
You and your team were great!
Thanks so much - Joe

Overall, the trip was very good. There could have been a lot more communication about the daily itinerary and I wish that there had been more optionality provided for what was done each day. For example, when visiting the Elephant Sanctuary, there were several tour options that the sanctuary provided, but one of the tour was just selected for me without providing me an option (when I would have preferred to be on another tour). Also, I feel like many of the days ended the activities... read more

Overall, the trip was very good. There could have been a lot more communication about the daily itinerary and I wish that there had been more optionality provided for what was done each day. For example, when visiting the Elephant Sanctuary, there were several tour options that the sanctuary provided, but one of the tour was just selected for me without providing me an option (when I would have preferred to be on another tour). Also, I feel like many of the days ended the activities earlier than expected without any option to visit more sites or deviate from the itinerary. Overall, while the tour was great, I was expecting more for the money that I paid (even despite the fact that I realize I paid a premium for being a solo traveler).

Andy was phenomenal in some respects, especially when I was presented with a health issue. But again, some of my comments about the optionality of the trip and the communication could have applied. I think we could have come up with a more tailed trip for me if I had been provided more options and there had been more communication.

The trip was amazing. Loved the tips on stops and restaurants. Really happy with most of the accommodations. Will definitely be using Kimkim in the future

Only complaint was we weren't the happiest with the car rental place, didn't seem the reputable. Also the accommodations at the centric house, while centrally located, were very dirty for the price paid. Other than that, very happy.

Loved working with Chris, however would like an heads up when credit card would be charged so we could make sure the money was in the account.

Great guides, great itinerary

Amanda was the best and most helpful especially when things didnt go as planned. Like when the airport was closed 8-)

The actual trip itself was amazing - can not fault it, and the guide and porter could not have been better. There was good communication, and Amanda was helpful with all of my questions along the way. The only bit of advice I would offer is around clarity - for example, at the start (not having ever done this before) I didn't realise I was signing up for a solo/private trip. In the end, someone joined, which made the trip 500% better than it would have been, as there were not the... read more

The actual trip itself was amazing - can not fault it, and the guide and porter could not have been better. There was good communication, and Amanda was helpful with all of my questions along the way. The only bit of advice I would offer is around clarity - for example, at the start (not having ever done this before) I didn't realise I was signing up for a solo/private trip. In the end, someone joined, which made the trip 500% better than it would have been, as there were not the opportunities to talk to other trekkers at the teahouses that I imagined there would be. The other one is around timeliness - the actual details (pickup time and where etc) I didn't receive until I was en route to Nepal - a bit nerve wracking as I wasn't sure what kind of internet access I would have. Might seem silly from the point of view of someone living in Kathmandu, but I like to have everything locked in as much as in advance as possible. But these are just very minor points to consider, especially for first time trekkers, and more than made up for by the quality of the trip itself.

Aside from previous comments = always helpful, always as quick as possible in the replies, met with me prior to both trips (trek and half day trip) .

We highly recommend Amanda and team. We had a fantastic trip and everything was organised seamlessly​

Amanda and team were always there looking after us. We really didn't need to worry about a thing. Our trekking guide was the envy of the rest of the group's we met on the trek so we felt very well looked after and in capable and safe hands.
We highly recommend a helicopter to get you to the where the best trekking starts if your budget allows.
Amanda and her team went above and beyond to make our trip to Nepal unforgettable.

We had the BEST time! Thanks so much Chris!

It was weird that I just got one travel agent, and that there was no choice at all -- an agent that ended up being good, if not perfect. I felt there was no particular reason I got this agent as opposed to any other--why this person? What was so great about them? What was special about who they were, or why I they were the person who should plan my trip?

Communication could have been better. We went 3 days without hearing anything, and then found out that our itinerary needed changes. Trip was still amazing, but going through that was nerve racking.

We were really pleased with Chris's response time and the trip schedule for making our way around the country. It was clear that Chris was not aware that a few of the sites and one of roads were closed for the winter. I also specifically asked about Glymur falls in the winter and if the log was across the river and what it would be like in March. Chris said the log would be there, however it was clearly marked on the sign at the trailhead that the log is not there in the winter. The hike... read more

We were really pleased with Chris's response time and the trip schedule for making our way around the country. It was clear that Chris was not aware that a few of the sites and one of roads were closed for the winter. I also specifically asked about Glymur falls in the winter and if the log was across the river and what it would be like in March. Chris said the log would be there, however it was clearly marked on the sign at the trailhead that the log is not there in the winter. The hike was very snowy. We were prepared for that. Good hike either way but again some misinformation given the time of year. Our accommodation was generally excellent and very comfortable for our family of four. The OK hotel was good but the "pull out couch" was not long enough even for me to sleep on (I'm 5 foot 5 inches) let alone two 17 year old boys. Just good to know if you are putting a family in there it would work for two young kids.

Everything was well organized and explained in the itinerary

They checked in in the trip when I was there and ensured everything went as planned

We had a wonderful experience in Nepal with the help of KimKim and Ngima Dorji. KimKim helped plan the trek and answered lots of questions. Joost of KimKim gave us itinerary and hotel ideas, all of which were great. When we arrived in the Kathmandu airport, we were met by Ngima's son and later Ngima himself. During our entire 3 week stay in Nepal and throughout both of our treks, Ngima made us feel as if we were his only clients, even though he had many groups and trekkers there at that... read more

We had a wonderful experience in Nepal with the help of KimKim and Ngima Dorji. KimKim helped plan the trek and answered lots of questions. Joost of KimKim gave us itinerary and hotel ideas, all of which were great. When we arrived in the Kathmandu airport, we were met by Ngima's son and later Ngima himself. During our entire 3 week stay in Nepal and throughout both of our treks, Ngima made us feel as if we were his only clients, even though he had many groups and trekkers there at that time. I would definitely use KimKim to help plan another trip. Ngima Dorji was amazing in Nepal and I cannot imagine using any company other then Nepal Myths and Mountain Trails.

Chris was very helpful and insightful. Always repsonded promptly.

Loved his suggestions and his possible itineraries he laid out for us. There were options and comments to help us gauge how we can cover all that we intended to see.

We were very pleased with our experience in Cartagena and Isla Mucura. We did not appreciate the difficulty of the 13.3-mile hike planned for our second day in Colombia. (For example, we did not know how long the hike would be. We had an estimate of how many hours in would last, but not of the difficulty.) We are in good shape, but this was a daunting scramble though and over boulders and with a 300-meter plus gain in altitude in a tropical jungle.
We were disappointed in the Casa Lina... read more

We were very pleased with our experience in Cartagena and Isla Mucura. We did not appreciate the difficulty of the 13.3-mile hike planned for our second day in Colombia. (For example, we did not know how long the hike would be. We had an estimate of how many hours in would last, but not of the difficulty.) We are in good shape, but this was a daunting scramble though and over boulders and with a 300-meter plus gain in altitude in a tropical jungle.
We were disappointed in the Casa Lina Hotel in Palominos and in the Casa Amarilla Hotel in Mompox. The language barrier was high in both locations, the beds were uncomfortable and the staff were correct but not friendly.

We seemed to have difficulty understanding each other. When we needed help with a billing dispute (in Mompox) and in adjusting our itinerary (in Palominos), she was not readily available.
As in other aspects of the trip, we were to blame for some of this. We should have pursued more subjects before we left, regarding temperatures, hiking difficulties, sunscreen, etc. I was also disappointed when we were asked for full payment earlier than I expected.

David was responsive, friendly and helped with his expertise of travel and the country. I felt like he completely understood the needs of my family and what it took to make our trip the best ever. He answered every single question I had and helped to make our trip even more memorable with his suggestions of where to stay, eat, and what areas of Ecuador we should see. He helped to make sure every little detail was thought of and taken care of. I didn't have to worry about anything. I would plan every trip I had with David.. he was great!

Ngima took care of all of the planning and everything worked out perfectly (apart from the weather!)

Ngima gave us a great service, make everything painless.
The guide and the Porter where really nice, they did a great job. Definitely we did love the experience

I can't say enough what a pleasure it was working with these folks for our trip into the Amazon for our honeymoon. From the time I made the initial contact with KimKim until the end of our adventure, we felt like we were the only concern they had. We worked with Nathalie on the front end for lining the trip up and making sure we had everything we needed. She was very thorough and polite, and kept in excellent contact with me prior to the trip.
Once we arrived at the airport in Leticia we... read more

I can't say enough what a pleasure it was working with these folks for our trip into the Amazon for our honeymoon. From the time I made the initial contact with KimKim until the end of our adventure, we felt like we were the only concern they had. We worked with Nathalie on the front end for lining the trip up and making sure we had everything we needed. She was very thorough and polite, and kept in excellent contact with me prior to the trip.
Once we arrived at the airport in Leticia we waited a few minutes for our ride to show up and then were taken straight down to the office to get ready for our 4 day trek into the Amazon jungle! Thats where we met with our guide Ramiro, were promptly issued some rubber muck boots, and went over some necessities for our trip. We didn't bring enough mosquito repellent or rain ponchos, so we made a quick stop at the store to grab some and then had a nice lunch with our guide at a restaurant there in town. Once we were ready to roll, we hopped in a cab and were driven about 20 minutes outta town, where we got out and the 3 of us began walking through the jungle. Immediately I was feeling grateful that they gave us the rubber boots and told us to grab more Deet!! We eventually started fondly calling the bug repellent "Amazonian Cologne". It worked great though and really as long as we kept some on, the mosquitoes really didn't bother us that much.
We walked for maybe a couple hours into the jungle to a Maloka and met with some of the native people there working on the plantation. Our guide Ramiro knew the people well and immediately introduced us and explained what they were working on. We had some supper and just hung out for a little bit until it got dark. Then we went for a hike into the jungle to look at the nocturnal wildlife, which was really awesome to see everything!! We saw all kinds of cool stuff! That night we met with the Shaman and shared his Mumbai. We had a good talk with him and learned a bit about their culture, which we found very interesting!
The next day we woke up & had breakfast & then hiked for several hours through the jungle to a remote Lodge where we showered & relaxed for awhile. After supper we hiked for about 15 minutes to a huge tree where we repelled UP about 100 feet to a big platform just above the jungle canopy. Ramiro was given instructions by the company to leave us alone in the tree house for a few hours, since it was our honeymoon, so he set us up with some rose petals, grapes & chocolates, and a bottle of champagne, and then they went back to the lodge for a few hours so we could have some privacy ;) The next morning we woke up to see the sun rise over the jungle, zip lined out of that tree into another tree platform, and repelled down to the ground. What an experience! We hiked for a couple hours to the river and boarded some kayaks and took off paddling. It was high water season so the river was swollen up and into the jungle so we had a lot to look at from the kayaks. We paddled a couple hours and finally made it across a big lake to another Lodge where we ate lunch and met our boat captain. The last leg of our journey was in a small boat where we got to see a bunch more wildlife, including sloths, toucans, monkeys, pink dolphins, grey dolphins, green parrots, and piranhas! We fished for and caught piranhas and took them back to the lodge where they cooked them for us! They were great! We drank some cachacas with the folks who run the lodge and then went off to bed. The next day we boarded the boat again and made our way back to Leticia to conclude our trip.
All in all I would say our Amazon jungle experience was truly amazing! The people that we met were all so nice, courteous, and respectful, and you could tell they sincerely appreciated our business. We feel that we made lifelong friends with our guide Ramiro, and hope to stay in contact with him through Facebook. He had everything lined out perfectly and even cooked most of the food we ate on the trip! What seemed like an amazing trip to us was literally just another day to him. He has done hundreds if not thousands of those trips and we felt safe the entire time.
I would highly recommend this company for your trip into the Amazon. They did a great job for us and was worth every dollar we spent on it!!! A+

Chris was there to help me with everything with a fast response!

The Guides were fantastic and I was impressed Harpa put it together exactly to our needs with so little notice

The overall experience and final results were good but communication was frustrating. You do everything by internet which is fine for a young generation but for a senior generation this impersonal approach is difficult and when in transit usually without wi-fi availability it becomes challenging. Unfortunately our contact left your company at a critical time although both girls were excellent.

The overall plan was generic but the notification of pickups was and van drivers were last minute.... read more

The overall experience and final results were good but communication was frustrating. You do everything by internet which is fine for a young generation but for a senior generation this impersonal approach is difficult and when in transit usually without wi-fi availability it becomes challenging. Unfortunately our contact left your company at a critical time although both girls were excellent.

The overall plan was generic but the notification of pickups was and van drivers were last minute. The local transport companies and drivers you contracted were outstanding punctual and polite. In our party, 3 did not speak any Spanish and I fluent in both ended doing all the translating and acting as a guide not a big deal but if you are going to expand tourists from North America you should try to get ones with a little English.

From Pasto to Cali travel company Tierra y Cielo as well as driver Henry Patoja and guide in Medellin Maria Elena Marín were A1. Travel companies Cali Salento and salento Medellin I give a A. English guide in Salento was charming but English very limited. Your hotel choices Le park in Medellin was good and ideally situated and Hacienda Cairo was excellent and highly recommended. As a born Colombian living in Canada I was happy to show my wife and friends Colombia in a positive way and very happy with your arrangements

Over Xmas, I now intend bringing my children and grandchildren for a two-week visit and hope we can work together again.

Pick up info at each point was last minute, all else was well. Nathalie and Katheryn were good.

My itinerary was great overall. Well paced, stopped at many terrific highlights and quite achievable.
It did however feel like it was written quite generically - that is to say, just a copy paste job rather than something tailored. As an example, one restaurant in Hellnar which was recommended (and pretty much the only one for miles) was closed for the winter. This is confirmed with a search on Google, it's not a one off. I would expect this recommendation to be removed for winter trips.... read more

My itinerary was great overall. Well paced, stopped at many terrific highlights and quite achievable.
It did however feel like it was written quite generically - that is to say, just a copy paste job rather than something tailored. As an example, one restaurant in Hellnar which was recommended (and pretty much the only one for miles) was closed for the winter. This is confirmed with a search on Google, it's not a one off. I would expect this recommendation to be removed for winter trips. Mentions of daily drive distances were a bit off - example, the second last day I had to drive from Skaftafell to Reykjavik (320km, 4hr), not Vik to Reykjavik (180km, 2hr20min) as mentioned in the itinerary. My guess is that Chris used a base itinerary to build mine which is fine, but some of the smaller details were not altered to conform to mine.

My main gripe though is the choice of car hire. I should have looked more closely before agreeing, but I'm generally wary about dodgy operators other than the core Avis, Budget, Hertz, Thrifty. While it might be cheap initially, they do the hard sell at the desk on added insurances, in this case 30 Euro a day (for things like gravel protection, sand protection, reduced excess etc), which still has exclusions. I asked Chris about insurances, he said it included liability and collision and asked if I wanted any additional. Turns out that cover doesn't cover much, and it still includes an approx. $2200AUD excess. Further - the company would put a hold on my card for $2200AUD for going on 10 days after the rental has ended. This is really unsettling and not to mention an inconvenience.

While this isn't strictly Kimkim/Chris's fault, the selection of the car hire company is really important. The discussions online about the chosen car hire company are really worrying.

Chris was very responsive and answered all of my questions promptly.

Our trip to Iceland couldn't have been more perfect. To start with, it is a beautiful country and we were very fortunate to have had perfectly clear weather the entire 5 days we were there in February/March, after what we had been told was a very rainy winter. 18 inches of snow fell just before we arrived, and the Northern lights were out every night, making it a winter wonderland. That part was sheer luck, but on top of that, the trip was as smooth as we could have hoped. Our driver was... read more

Our trip to Iceland couldn't have been more perfect. To start with, it is a beautiful country and we were very fortunate to have had perfectly clear weather the entire 5 days we were there in February/March, after what we had been told was a very rainy winter. 18 inches of snow fell just before we arrived, and the Northern lights were out every night, making it a winter wonderland. That part was sheer luck, but on top of that, the trip was as smooth as we could have hoped. Our driver was waiting at the airport and took us right to our hotel which we had booked the previous night because of our very early morning arrival. The first day in Reykavik we planned on our own. The next 4 days were planned by the kimkim operator. We had private tours of the Golden Circle and the south coast, and a group tour to the Thorsmark wilderness area. On the final day we took a quick tour of the Reykjanes peninsula and then a stop at the Blue Lagoon before heading to the airport. We had 2 guides for those 4 days, and both were very friendly and knowledgeable and made everything run so smoothly that we didn't have to worry about a thing. We felt very lucky that our guide for the south coast tour had grown up in the area, and he took us to see places where his family had lived and told us the stories behind them. Although we did some of the usual tourist things, we loved also going to a few places where we didn't see another person. The hike up the mountain where his great-great grandfather had a farm was spectacular. We appreciated his flexibility in changing the plan on the last day when we were tired and wanted to get back to the hotel a little bit earlier than planned.

The only thing I would have changed about our trip was the trip to the Blue Lagoon, but that is in hindsight. We had heard a lot about it and felt like we had to go see what it was all about, but it was too crowded and too touristy for our tastes. The hot lagoon was a unique experience, but if I had to do it over again I would try one of the natural springs out in the countryside instead, and save a lot of money too!

As far as the planning process, I have tried several different online travel planning services, and I really like the way kimkim uses a back and forth conversation to plan the details. It's much quicker than other services that start with a formal proposal, which then has to be laboriously modified if you want changes. For our Iceland trip, the local operator started with a general plan, then narrowed down the details, and then presented a completed proposal. Most of my communication was with the local tour operator, but on 2 occasions when there was a breakdown in communication the Kimkim team stepped in and sorted it out quickly. I hope kimkim adds more locations to their offerings. I will use it again.

A couple of very small details that could have been improved - our trip to Thorsmark was 1-1/2 hours longer than described. It seemed as if our guide added on some things at the end to give us our money's worth, but we were tired and would have been happy to end on time. Part of the reason we were so tired was because on our hike the guide raced ahead of the group instead of going at our pace. We weren't all 20-somethings who hike glaciers in our spare time, and it isn't much fun hiking if you are worried about keeping up! A final small detail - water in the jeep would have been nice. But these were small things. Overall the trip was amazing.

Actually, very good except for day in Pandaya which we found disappointing at best. The drive was too long for relatively little to see or do. Additionally the Pindaya Inle Inn was terribly shoddy. The bed and pillows were so hard we ached the following day. The room was dark and not vey clean, and the wooden floor uneven posing a trip hazard. This is not a 4 star room...a 2 in our view.

The time lag with responses was a bit trying at times, but overall very good.

I was met at the Kathmandu airport by Raj as promised. He had a cab waiting for me, and I was taken quickly to my hotel. After I settled in, Raj introduced me to Dawa who was to be my guide for the trip.

Dawa proved to be an excellent guide. He was courteous and knowledgeable. Also, Dawa was very patient with me, as uphill riding is not my strong point. The next morning, our first ride was through parts of Kathmandu and up to the Shivapuri National park. I was able to see parts of... read more

I was met at the Kathmandu airport by Raj as promised. He had a cab waiting for me, and I was taken quickly to my hotel. After I settled in, Raj introduced me to Dawa who was to be my guide for the trip.

Dawa proved to be an excellent guide. He was courteous and knowledgeable. Also, Dawa was very patient with me, as uphill riding is not my strong point. The next morning, our first ride was through parts of Kathmandu and up to the Shivapuri National park. I was able to see parts of the Nepalese culture that most tourists don't see. The ride in Shivapuri was fantastic, and I actually saw some monkeys among the trees. That night we stayed in the Shivapuri retreat where we had a nice meal of Dal Bhat with tea.

The next morning, we rode back into the Shivapuri forest, and hit some awesome mountain biking trails, making our way to Bodinath. We spent time at the Stupa until the car came and picked us up to catch our flight to Pokarrah. On the following day, we flew from Pokarrah to Jomsom for the center piece of the trip...Mountain Biking the Lower Mustang region. Once we got to Jomsom, we rode our bikes up the Kali Gandaki river to the village of Kagbeni. We stayed in a tea house in Kagbeni for 2 nights and for two days rode bikes on through some amazing high desert terrain.

After the stay in Kagbeni, we turned our bikes down the river course to back to Jomsom. One night in Jomsom, and then back on our bikes to Kalopani. Riding down the river course took us through several small villages that reflect the real Nepal. Truly a great experience. After leaving Kalopani, there was one more big ride to a point some 25 km down stream where we were met by a Jeep to take us back to Pokarrah.

Through this entire trip, everything was well planned out and prepared. The hotels, the flights, the ground transportation, nothing was overlooked. I was well taken care of. My guides, Dawa and Tendu were superb, and basically just good people to be around. The coordination and professionalism of all of the guys who handled my trip made it a great success. I will be going back to Nepal, and I will use this crew again. Many thanks to Dawa, Tendu, Raj, and Mads!!

We asked for a challenging trek- more or less two days in one- in the season at the end of the winter.
Our years long experience with Ngima Dorji Sherpa through Nepal Myths and Mountain Treks, and our guide, Karma Sherpa with whom I also are climbing many years, proved once more key to a successful and memorable week.

My guide Lhakpa was a really sensitive and thoughtful man, gave me plenty of space on my own to walk and reflect but was also companiable and knowledgeable and that made the trip even more enjoyable.

He is really accomplished and personable and I would thoroughly recommend him.

The trip was well planned! Only thing is i wished that the porter and guide where treated more as guests than employees of the hotel. In our night at dhulikhel, the employees said that our guide & porter could only eat when they ate. While we had hot shower and luxuriously a heater, our guide and porter only had cold water. The disparity was not nice to witness

Mads was patient in answering my questions, proactive, had suggestions to my problems.

It was a last minute thought about trip, however the tour got planned by Raj of Social tour through kimkim so well that it gave feel of well planned one. The tailor made trip of four day was planned perfectly with A/C car , excellent guide Mr Sushil and versatile driver Suman. It was extremely pocket friendly despite mountain view flight thrown in the package by Raj. Exposure to genuine singing bowls was a mesmerising experience among other events.

Immediate responses. Professional and knowledgeable. Listened to my wishes and added advice.

A pro. Friendly. Trustworthy.

Steve was good at arranging the trip, dropping off the Tourist Tickets at our hotel the day before our tour, and finding us a good guide. Our guide, Aldo was just great. He was flexible and agreed to take us to Pisac earlier than planned, so we could see it while fresh. When a portion of the Pisac Inca site was inaccessible, he found a way for us to see the site by entering at a different place. No, he didn't break any laws doing so. It was a beautiful day, so he arranged for us to walk down... read more

Steve was good at arranging the trip, dropping off the Tourist Tickets at our hotel the day before our tour, and finding us a good guide. Our guide, Aldo was just great. He was flexible and agreed to take us to Pisac earlier than planned, so we could see it while fresh. When a portion of the Pisac Inca site was inaccessible, he found a way for us to see the site by entering at a different place. No, he didn't break any laws doing so. It was a beautiful day, so he arranged for us to walk down a path, through the Inca site to meet our driver in the town of Pisac. When we expressed an interest in Andean condors, he took us to a wildlife rehab center where we could see these impressive birds close up and also watch them take off and fly.

It was (almost) perfect. The guides were knowledgeable -- MauMau in Mandalay was especially warm and made me feel like a good friend, not a paying customer. The drivers were on time; the hand-offs went smoothly EXCEPT for my arrival in Yangon. That, however, has already been discussed/remedied in country. I could never recommend the overnight bus from Bagan to Yangon. The bus "shimmied" constantly in addition to driving the potholes. Most uncomfortable. I realize it was inexpensive,... read more

It was (almost) perfect. The guides were knowledgeable -- MauMau in Mandalay was especially warm and made me feel like a good friend, not a paying customer. The drivers were on time; the hand-offs went smoothly EXCEPT for my arrival in Yangon. That, however, has already been discussed/remedied in country. I could never recommend the overnight bus from Bagan to Yangon. The bus "shimmied" constantly in addition to driving the potholes. Most uncomfortable. I realize it was inexpensive, but not worth it.

Wai Lin was most responsive in trip planning, and got back to me right away when I got into "trouble" in Yangon. Most impressive.

Nathalie was the best. We had her redo our itinerary maybe a dozen times and consistently received prompt responses and a ton of help. Nathalie even helped us with arrangements not booked through her, like finding tickets for a football game in Medellin. Within the first ten minutes of arriving to our first destination, Nathalie called us to make sure we were okay. Everything about her service exceeded our expectations.

The Cambio hacienda restaurant staff was mostly not interested in service, the dinners and coffee was substandard and the room was in poor condition.

Katherine was very patient with us in the planning stage and equally attentive throughout the trip.

Our trips are never predictable and this trip was no exception! I generally plan my own trips from beginning to end but this time to avoid stress, I went with an agency. Kimkim was fabulous to work with and Matthias was always there to smooth out the wrinkles and make sure we knew what was happening. We absolutely loved our adventure and will definitely consider using the agency again on future adventures!

Matthias was very concerned with making sure our trip went as smoothly as possible.... read more

Our trips are never predictable and this trip was no exception! I generally plan my own trips from beginning to end but this time to avoid stress, I went with an agency. Kimkim was fabulous to work with and Matthias was always there to smooth out the wrinkles and make sure we knew what was happening. We absolutely loved our adventure and will definitely consider using the agency again on future adventures!

Matthias was very concerned with making sure our trip went as smoothly as possible. His communication skills are fantastic as well as his knowledge about Iceland and his ability to make sure your vacation is fabulous!

The trip couldn't be more perfect! Ngima ensured that everything went smoothly and even spent a fair bit of time with us. Our guide, Pemba was very knowledgeable and ensured we were safe and comfortable throughout our trek.

Booking it thorough kimkim was an easy and straightforward process. We love how we got a customised trip based on our interest and could communicate and plan everything with Ngima easily through the chat function.

We highly recommend kimkim and ngima's company as service and quality is top notch.

Great organization!

Chris did an awesome job and answered whenever i had a question!