Hello, I'm Emerson, a travel specialist. Originally from Tartu, Estonia, I've had the privilege of calling Australia and New Zealand my home.
With a master's degree in nature-based tourism, I'm passionate about responsible travel. I've shared my love for nature through wild food workshops, guided hiking expeditions, and assisting fellow travelers.
My favorite part of the world is North Finland, where I've experienced the magic of snowboarding, hiking, husky sledding, reindeer encounters, and thrilling snowmobile adventures.
I'm here to craft unforgettable travel experiences that blend adventure, nature, food and culture. Let's embark on incredible journeys and create lasting memories together.
What places and activities do you specialize in?
"Baltic states and Finland. Food, adventure, nature and culture."
How did you get involved in travel?
"My travel journey began at the age of 17 with a thrilling hitchhiking adventure across Europe, setting the stage for a lifetime of exploration. I've since explored diverse destinations, from Europe to South Africa, Japan, Iran, and Southeast Asia, enriching my understanding of the world's cultures and landscapes.
"
Please share a unique travel experience you will never forget.
"My trip to Iran turned into an incredible adventure filled with unique experiences. Initially, I went there for a snowboarding trip and, quite unexpectedly, crossed paths with two Iranian girls. To my surprise, it turned out that these girls were living and studying in Estonia, just like me, a rare and serendipitous encounter.
Our journey in Iran went far beyond the slopes. We explored the local culture by visiting the homes of the welcoming Iranians, indulged in the extraordinary experience of diving in the Persian Sea, and embarked on a one-of-a-kind desert adventure with the locals. We also trekked through stunning mountain landscapes, savored a variety of unconventional local dishes, and discovered places that I might not have ventured to otherwise.
As fate would have it, we managed to leave Iran just a day before the onset of the global COVID-19 lockdowns, making it a remarkable and fortunate experience, filled with luck and a touch of craziness that will stay with me forever."
Emerson's favorite itineraries and travel advice
Top itineraries and travel advice
Recent trip reviews for Emerson
Incredible Trip 🤩
Finland
|
Aug 13 - Aug 20, 2024
Mohammed A.
Singapore
| Reviewed on Aug 22, 2024
I would like to extend my sincere thanks to your amazing and trustworthy company, especially to the specialist who arranged our wonderful trip to Finland (Emerson). He was very kind, cooperative and patient with us, and made a great effort to arrange the most wonderful trip. We were there in great luxury and comfort, and lived beautiful moments that will not be forgotten. We will definitely organize all our upcoming trips in cooperation with you. 😍♥️
Local specialist: Emerson Siimer
Emerson Siimer
Local specialist in Estonia
| Replied on Aug 23, 2024
Thank you so much for your thoughtful review! I'm really glad to hear that your trip to Finland was such a special experience. It was a pleasure working with you to make sure everything was just right. Looking forward to helping you plan more amazing journeys in the future!
Fantastic Finland for Family of Five
Finland
|
Aug 3 - Aug 17, 2024
Carol S.
France
| Reviewed on Aug 19, 2024
We had an amazing holiday in Finland, thanks to careful planning and organising by our rep Emerson. He was attentive and responsive to our requests and created a tailor-made itinerary for us. He was also very helpful and attentive during our trip too. His choices meant that we enjoyed a wide variety of activities, locations and experiences which is just what we wanted from the holiday. We even made a day trip to Tallinn, Estonia, only a couple of hours away by ferry from Helsinki. We loved...
Read more
We had an amazing holiday in Finland, thanks to careful planning and organising by our rep Emerson. He was attentive and responsive to our requests and created a tailor-made itinerary for us. He was also very helpful and attentive during our trip too. His choices meant that we enjoyed a wide variety of activities, locations and experiences which is just what we wanted from the holiday. We even made a day trip to Tallinn, Estonia, only a couple of hours away by ferry from Helsinki. We loved the vibrant cities of Helsinki and Turku, balanced with the opportunities to be surrounded by the nature and wildlife in Rovaniemi, Pyhä and Äkäslompolo. We enjoyed the overnight sleeper train to Kolari and found all our transfers to be very smooth and easy. We enjoyed our time with all the guides, who were friendly, knowledgeable and kind. This was especially so in Äkäslompolo, Rovaniemi and Pyhä and they added to our whole positive experience. Our accommodation was always first rate and there we enjoyed the wonderful Finnish breakfast selections plus access to the saunas, another great Finnish ritual. The weather was pretty good throughout our trip and we enjoyed perfect temperatures for us to sightsee and do the planned activities. We are very happy with the holiday we had in Finland and thank Emerson and KimKim for a great experience.
Hotel Reviews
Loved this private house surrounded by nature. It was spacious, tranquil and modern with all the amenities you could want. An added bonus was the private sauna there which we all enjoyed.
Characterful hotel in a great location. It had spacious, modern rooms but also unique communal areas with architectural features. Loved the amazing breakfasts!
Kurula's Resort
Pyhätunturi
Beautiful location surrounded by nature. Particularly enjoyed the private sauna in the apartment and possibility to cook own meals.
Location
Couple of kms walk to town, so not quite so easy without a car for meals/shopping.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Double room was a longer hot during our stay but comfortable enough.
Solo Sokos Hotel Turun Seurahuone
Turku
Great location and modern hotel
Arctic Light Hotel
Rovaniemi
Wonderful hotel in great location . Friendly and helpful staff.
Fantastic first experience on a sleeper train. Surprisingly quiet and comfortable with pre booked breakfast. It was a punctual and smooth journey.
Activity Reviews
Taste of Helsinki & Tour of Suomenlinna
Helsinki
Great guided tour with Janica in Helsinki, who was friendly, informative and kind.
Quality of Experience
Informative tour of main Helsinki sights
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Janica was kind and personable not just informative.
Transport
Ferry ride to island was smooth and easy.
Guided Hike in the Archipelago Sea
Helsinki
Loved our visit to the archipelago and to see what is beyond Helsinki city.
Quality of Experience
Really nice tour but could have been made even better for us with longer hike.
Food
Enjoyed eating the local Finnish food.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Christian very good guide
Tallinn Day Trip
Helsinki
Very positive addition to our Finland trip. Easy to get there and so much to see.
Quality of Experience
Easy ferry ride and great guided tour of city.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Enjoyed our private tour with our very knowledgeable and friendly guide.
Transport
Ferry is super comfortable and easy and full of amenities
Turku City Walking Tour
Turku
Interesting tour of main sights in Turku and added to our understanding of Turku’s position in Finland’s history.
Quality of Experience
Overall very interesting
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Sanna was a good guide for us and gave a full and comprehensive private tour.
Transport
On foot but totally walkable
Full Day Hike in the National Park
Äkäslompolo
One of our best experiences during the whole holiday.
Quality of Experience
Fantastic tour to experience the nature of Finland at its best.
Food
Enjoyed our grill experience in one of the hiking huts
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Both guides were extremely kind, helpful, friendly and knowledgeable. They added to the whole experience and made it very positive and enjoyable for us all.
Transport
Very good door to door pick up and drop off and transfer to hiking area.
Bird & Wildlife Watching Tour
Pyhä
Great hiking tour in a beautiful gorge with knowledgeable guide.
Quality of Experience
Enjoyed being immersed in nature and having a great guide too.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Super knowledgeable and friendly guide.
Transport
Great transport in mini van
Canoeing Experience on Pyhäjoki River
Pyhä
Fantastic experience to canoe/kayak on the river and lake in the national park.
Quality of Experience
Enjoyed physical activity of canoeing and kayaking but also the immersive experience of being in the beautiful natural environment.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Great guide again , same as our previous trip in the area which helped build our rapport and ease with each other.
Transport
Minivan pick up and drop off
Amethyst Mine Photographing Tour
Pyhä
A great unique experience which we all loved.
Quality of Experience
Really great to learn about this wonderful unique place and then to get the opportunity to actually mine for ourselves! We all left with some self-mined amethysts, very special souvenirs of our trip.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Very informative and friendly guide at the mine.
Transport
Minivan pick up, transfer and drop off by our same private tour guide. All went very smoothly.
Northern Lights Tour
Rovaniemi
Enjoyable experience even though we didn’t get to see much activity in the sky. Enjoyed the campfire and photo opportunities at the lake at sunset.
Quality of Experience
Enjoyed the trip and liked the photography tips. Good picture opportunities at the lake at sunset too.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Ryan and Aurelian were both friendly and knowledgeable.
Transport
Minivan ride smooth and easy.
Meet Arctic Animals (Summer)
Rovaniemi
Great opportunity to meet Arctic animals up close and learn more about them from the farm owners.
Quality of Experience
Great experience at both husky and reindeer farms. Owners were welcoming and enthusiastically shared their knowledge with us. The animals are obviously well cared for too.
Food
Lunch was lovely at the reindeer farm and we enjoyed the local dishes made with local Finnish ingredients. The big hut and campfire were a great place to eat in too.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Our guide was friendly and personable and we really appreciated learning from the farm owners too.
Transport
Smooth minivan transfer from tour guide office.
River Cruise on an Eco Rubber Boat
Rovaniemi
Great experience to see the sights from the river.
Quality of Experience
Enjoyed the whole trip even though we had a rainy day.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Sakke was particularly kind and friendly. As it was so rainy, he offered a sauna experience for us instead of river swimming. This was one in his own garden and was of the traditional design. He kindly offered us sandwiches, drinks and cookies too. This kind hospitality added to our overall enjoyment despite the wet weather.
Transport
Good fun being collected and dropped by boat!
Local specialist: Emerson Siimer
Emerson Siimer
Local specialist in Estonia
| Replied on Aug 21, 2024
Thank you so much for your kind words! I'm thrilled to hear that your holiday in Finland was such a success and that the itinerary we planned together met your expectations. It’s great to know that you enjoyed the perfect mix of vibrant cities, stunning nature, and unique experiences like the day trip to Tallinn. I’m especially glad that the guides and accommodations added to your positive experience. It was a pleasure to help make your trip memorable, and I look forward to assisting you with future adventures!
Beautiful Finland
Finland
|
Aug 5 - Aug 15, 2024
Katie C.
Chicago, IL
| Reviewed on Aug 17, 2024
We had an incredible trip to Finland - with a bonus day trip to Tallinn, Estonia - thanks to Emerson’s expert planning and advice. He made it super easy to plan and prepare for our trip. All accommodations, experiences and transportation were taken care of leaving us to simply enjoy! Our guides in each city were wonderful and the experiences in Rovaniemi were particularly memorable. Thank you Emerson!!
Read more
We had an incredible trip to Finland - with a bonus day trip to Tallinn, Estonia - thanks to Emerson’s expert planning and advice. He made it super easy to plan and prepare for our trip. All accommodations, experiences and transportation were taken care of leaving us to simply enjoy! Our guides in each city were wonderful and the experiences in Rovaniemi were particularly memorable. Thank you Emerson!!
Hotel Reviews
Beautiful hotel and rooms, great location, delicious breakfast.
Staff
Super friendly and helpfull
Nice rooms, unique building/history, and food was great.
Convenient way to travel. Nice to be able to stretch out.
Original Sokos Hotel Arina
Oulu
Convenient location, beautiful private sauna.
Arctic Light Hotel
Rovaniemi
Gorgeous room and building, comfortable beds, beautiful private sauna, and good location.
Comfort Hotel® Xpress Helsinki Airport Terminal
Vantaa
Tiny rooms, could use some deep cleaning. Convenient and served its purpose as a quick place to shower and sleep before a super early flight.
Activity Reviews
Tallinn Day Trip
Helsinki
What an awesome city! Our guide Dominic was wonderful - enthusiastic, incredibly knowledgeable, and patient with all our kiddos’ questions.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Chris was an excellent teacher and guide. We had an amazing time.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Short Arctic Wilderness Hike (Summer/Autumn)
Rovaniemi
Leo and Pierre were very friendly and knowledgeable. They matched our pace, shared great information, and made the experience fun and enjoyable.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Finnish Sauna Experience
Rovaniemi
Leo was wonderful, setting up the sauna as well as paddle boards for us. We were given plenty of time and privacy to enjoy the sauna and lake as a family. It was beautiful and relaxing. The homemade lunch of salmon soup and blueberry pie was above and beyond!
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Local specialist: Emerson Siimer
Emerson Siimer
Local specialist in Estonia
| Replied on Aug 19, 2024
Thank you so much for your kind words! I'm thrilled to hear that you had an incredible trip to Finland and enjoyed the day trip to Tallinn as well. It was my pleasure to assist in planning and preparing everything for your adventure, and I'm glad that you found the process easy and stress-free. Knowing that the experiences, especially in Rovaniemi, were memorable for you makes me very happy. I’ll be sure to pass along your compliments to the guides as well. Thank you again for your trust, and I look forward to helping you with your next adventure! Safe travels!
Emerson was great to work with
Finland
|
May 20 - May 27, 2024
Jane G.
Los Angeles, CA
| Reviewed on May 28, 2024
It was a pleasure working with Emerson. He gave us a framework from which we planned our trip, made suggestions of things we wouldn’t have done, especially our day trip to Tallinn,
Estonia. The guides he found for us were all very good. Logistics were easy. The whole trip went smoothly and was great fun.
Read more
It was a pleasure working with Emerson. He gave us a framework from which we planned our trip, made suggestions of things we wouldn’t have done, especially our day trip to Tallinn,
Estonia. The guides he found for us were all very good. Logistics were easy. The whole trip went smoothly and was great fun.
Hotel Review
Hotel F6 was wonderful. The room was great, service was excellent, and the people were nice. The breakfast was fantastic, and the hotel's location was very convenient. We stayed there for four nights and had no complaints.
Activity Reviews
Guided Hike in the Archipelago Sea
Helsinki
The guided hike was in a beautiful location, although it was a beginner-level hike. Since we are pretty big hikers, we probably would have enjoyed a more challenging route. The people we went with were very nice, and the guide was excellent. It was a good experience overall.
Tallinn Day Trip
Helsinki
The Tallinn day trip was a big plus and not something we had originally planned. The ferry ride was fine, and our guide was knowledgeable and proud of his country. We learned a lot about the old city of Tallinn and Estonia. It was a fun and unexpected addition to our trip.
Canoe Tour on Lake Näsijärvi
Tampere
Initially apprehensive about the canoe tour, it turned out to be a great experience. We were all in one canoe with our guide, who was fascinating and knowledgeable about his business, which included plowing a skating route on the lake in winter. The lake was beautiful, and the weather was perfect.
You can’t go to Finland without going to sauna. Our guide, Matti, is a sauna expert. He took us to a beautiful place, taught us how to “do” sauna, and made the afternoon very special.
Local specialist: Emerson Siimer
Emerson Siimer
Local specialist in Estonia
| Replied on May 28, 2024
Thank you for your kind words! It was a pleasure organizing your trip. I'm glad the framework and suggestions, especially the day trip to Tallinn, enhanced your experience. Hopefully, I see you in Tartu as well one day :) I'm delighted to hear the guides and logistics worked well and that you had a smooth and enjoyable journey. Looking forward to planning your next adventure!
Finland and Estonia expertly managed by Emers...
Finland
|
Apr 20 - May 2, 2024
Thirawit L.
Thailand
| Reviewed on May 03, 2024
Finland and Estonia expertly managed by Emerson and the team. Everything went like clockwork, on-time, every time. I asked Emerson to plan for some history, nature, good walks and that was delivered. I had read up some history about Estonia and Finland but I still had many gaps, so with the tours and the sites I visited these gaps were filled
All the guides were informative, on-time and courteous but most of all they were all full of small anecdotes of the places we visited and sites we saw....
Read more
Finland and Estonia expertly managed by Emerson and the team. Everything went like clockwork, on-time, every time. I asked Emerson to plan for some history, nature, good walks and that was delivered. I had read up some history about Estonia and Finland but I still had many gaps, so with the tours and the sites I visited these gaps were filled
All the guides were informative, on-time and courteous but most of all they were all full of small anecdotes of the places we visited and sites we saw. Alvaro our guide for the Helsinki city tour was excellent giving us a brief history of Finland and how Helsinki came to be, also great advice on local delicacies. Filipe our guide for Porvoo was great with the history and show us great place to take pictures. Elena in Saumeleena was excellent with the historical perspective and strategic importance of this fort/base. While Jeff who took on the Taiga magical nature walk was a delight with his expertise on all things natural in the forest. As I come from Asia, these forests are quite different and hide magical berries, mushrooms and birds.
The hotels booked were OK, the good part was their location; all close to interesting sites and plenty of restaurants.
Transports, pick ups were excellent.
All in all well worth it. Thanks to Emerson, saved me a lot of time by coming up with the itinerary and very fast response times.
Local specialist: Emerson Siimer
Emerson Siimer
Local specialist in Estonia
| Replied on May 28, 2024
Thank you for choosing us for your trip to Finland and Estonia! We're delighted to hear everything went smoothly and that you enjoyed your experience with us. We appreciate your trust in us and hope to welcome you back for more adventures in the future. Safe travels and warm regards!
10/10 trip of a lifetime!
Finland
|
Apr 13 - Apr 19, 2024
Emily F.
Newark, NJ
| Reviewed on Apr 26, 2024
Emerson did such a great job adjusting out trip to our preferences before we even put a deposit down. He was super accommodating leading up to our trip and made sure to adjust the plans as needed (due to weather). He checked in with us once arrived and was super receptive throughout the trip. He even gave us great recommendations for our free time. I would highly recommend booking a trip through kimkim to ease the stress of trip planning and make sure you get all the best opportunities for tourism!
Local specialist: Emerson Siimer
Amazing Trip Planning!
Finland
|
Apr 13 - Apr 19, 2024
Darian R.
Kearny, NJ
| Reviewed on Apr 26, 2024
Emerson was an amazing guide from the beginning stages of planning to the end of our journey! He helped a group of friends and I create an unforgettable experience, and provided excellent service throughout the entire process. I couldn't recommend Emerson and the KimKim website more!
Read more
Emerson was an amazing guide from the beginning stages of planning to the end of our journey! He helped a group of friends and I create an unforgettable experience, and provided excellent service throughout the entire process. I couldn't recommend Emerson and the KimKim website more!
Hotel Reviews
Arctic Light Hotel
Rovaniemi
Northern Lights Village
Sirkka
Activity Reviews
Luxury Log Sauna and Finnish Dinner Experience
Rovaniemi
This experience was unlike anything I've ever done. The space was clean and the owners really made us feel special! They're a wonderful small business to support!
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Private Northern Lights Photography Tour
Finland
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Levi Fell Snowmobile Adventure
Levi
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Aurora Ice Floating
Finland
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Local specialist: Emerson Siimer
