Kimkim Trip Reviews

My son and I who are Philadelphia Eagles fans, visited Brazil, from August and September of 2024. Our 20-day tour of Brazil included stops at Sao Paulo, Paraty, Angra Dos Reis, Rio De Janeiro, Iguacu Falls, Jumo Lodge in Amazon Jungle near Manaus, the historic City of Salvador, Chapdada National Park at Lincois . Thanks to Kim Kim's tour specialist Sara Martinel, our tour and experiences of Brazil was beyond amazing!! Prior to the start of the tour, we shared with Sara what we wanted to do such as including but not limited to hiking on mountains, snorkeling in the ocean, visit the waterfalls and magnificent caves, appreciate the history and culture and cuisines of Brazil and she made it happen!

Our daily trips were well thought out and provided a variety of options and recommendations! She tailored our trip and itinerary such a way that we were able to travel on road between certain cities to enjoy and appreciate the landscape! Each day we were provided accurate and specific driving plan with stops programmed in and links to other optional places. Travel arrangements were beyond imagination. From the moment we arrived at Sao Paulo, the transfer services from the airport to hotel and hotel to the domestic airports were like timer on a clock. The professional tour guides she selected for us were well informed and kept a pace we could keep. The list of tour guides we has were Alberto Cardoso and Andre Van Berg in Rio, Leon Courtman in Amazon Jungle, Ray Salvador in Salvador and Roco Belletti in Sao Paulo were amazing. These guides commented on wide variety of things in Brazil from Amazon rain forests to history of Salvador and other significance with each place and were recetive to questions and adjustment to the tour. The drivers we had were fantastic. Hotels and the Juma Lodge Sara selected for us were exceeded our expectations.

This was my first time using Kimkim and we highly recommend to other. I can’t wait to use them again!

Hotel Reviews

Pousada do Principe

Paraty

Nice hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nobile Hotel Copacabana Design

Rio de Janeiro

Very nice hotel and convenient location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Viale Cataratas

Foz do Iguaçu

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Novotel Manaus

Manaus

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Juma Amazon Lodge

Autazes

We had the best experience at the Lodge from the location, ambiance, food and staff.

Authenticity & Character

Built with natural wood including the swimming pool built into the lake

Location

Lodge is located in the middle of a lake and atmosphere is very quite and serene.

Staff

Very nice and friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean

Bahiacafe Hotel

Salvador

Beautiful historic building located in a historic district. View of the bay from the dining room windows was magnificient

Authenticity & Character

A historic building is converted to a hotel with all historic architecture still contained in the building.

Location

Conveniently located to all historic buildings and tourist spots and restaurants and activities. Every location within the historic district is walkable

Staff

Staffs speak good English

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel de Lençóis

Lençóis - BA

An historic building converted to a hotel but looks like a beautiful lodge. The entire ambience is so beautiful that we spent significant amount of time walking in and around the hotel. Dining hall is an open air pavilion with an 180 degree view of the nature. Birds simply sit next us while we eat our morning breakfast. We could hear the bird chirping every morning.

Authenticity & Character

Simply it looks like a lodge that is generally built in a jungle

Location

Located at the highest point in Lincois and is next to a beautiful municipal park with multiple water falls.

Staff

Staff were very friendly and cordial.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean facility

Wyndham São Paulo Paulista

Sao Paulo

Nice hotel

Authenticity & Character

Nothing can be improved due to constraint with the building structure

Location

Conveniently located close to other attractions in Sao Paulo.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

private transfer from Paraty to Rio with stop in Angra for boat tour

Brazil

Our driver was very friendly and helpful. Our stay in Paraty was short but we appreciated and enjoyed the time we spent in the Historic Center District

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Telegraph Stone RJ

Rio de Janeiro

One of the best experiences I ever had visiting this Telegraph Stone . Our guide was Andre Van Berg. He picked us from our hotel in Copacabana in the morning and drove to village. .I just turned 65 and the hike takes about an hour to reach the top of the mountain with an elevation gain of 1100 feet.. It was a little tuff going up . But our guide and my son kept the slow to pace to help me climb the mountain. The view of the surround area from the top of the mountain was breathtaking and the pictures were some of the best pictures I have ever taken on a vacation.

Quality of Experience

Hiking a steep mountain (1100 feet tall) and taking photos at the telegraph stone is simply an amazing experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide Andre was very knowledgeable and understand what it takes to hike a steep mountain. He himself was very fit and agile.

Transport

Andre used his own car to drive us from Copacabana to the village and back to Rio. On the way back to Rio, he drove along the coast and showed us numerous beautiful beaches including Ipanema and Leblon

Tijuca Forest and Botanical Garden Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro

Tijuca One of the best botanical gardens I have seen in a while. The extensive selection of plants and trees are labelled. Many of the species were brought from different parts of the world and plated and grown in this garden. There were many that I hadn’t seen before. I was amazed at how they were able to grow so much in the garden. Tijuca Forest is actually largest urban forest in the world. Also, it is growing on steep mountains located adjacent to Rio. We were told by our guide Alberto Cardoso that Tijuca forest was actually created by the reforestation efforts in the late 1800s. The view of Rio from the top of the forest is amazing. Also, the Christ the Redeemer , a colossal statue of Christ is located at the top of one of the mountain peaks in the Tijuca Forest.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Flor did an incredible job making our ideas reality! She managed to get everything we asked for plus more! From Buenos Aries to Mendoza to Iguazu Falls to Ushuaia! All in our 11 day frame! We got as much of the diverse Argentina as we could possibly get! These trips are the once a year time I get to see my bestie so thank you so much Flor for everything you do/did for us! For anyone who gets a chance to work with this amazing person you can rest easy knowing she will do her best to get you exactly what you ask for! Flor was very tentative, responsive, gave great advice and wonderful options. Any questions we had she answered right away! On top of that, we had amazing guides, tours and drivers! We learned so much about the history at each place we went! Saw amazing tango dancers, ate delicious food, drank fantastic wine and had so many write home about experiences! Thank you Flor for an amazing time!!

My daughter and I traveled around Italy and had a blast. Francesco developed the perfect itinerary for us. We went to Rome (saw the Colosseum, Trevi fountain, Spanish steps, Palatine Hill) then on to Sorrento to experience the Amalfi coast (had a day trip to Capri (my favorite) and another day trip to see the rest of the coast) and lastly experienced Venice and all it had to offer. Unfortunately we missed our connecting flight to Rome to start the trip and we reached out to Francesco and he was able to cancel our private transfer, let the hotel know we would be late, and rescheduled the tours we had scheduled for that day. He kept us calm and made everything easy peasy! It was the trip of a lifetime and we will forever recommend KimKim for any travel needs!!

Hotel Reviews

Pantheon Inn

Rome

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tasso Suites & Spa

Sorrento

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Firenze

Venice

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very nice location, but difficult to find initally

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Colosseum, Roman Forums and Palatine Hill

Rome

Our guide was informational and fun!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an incredible trip through Morocco. Our guide, Mouad, made sure we were always having fun, adjusting to our independent plans to ensure we had the best experience. As a group of three girls, we always felt safe and comfortable. Mouad constantly shared facts, jokes, anecdotes, and anything else that could enhance our trip. Everything was well-organized, and the entire journey ran smoothly. We could stop along the drive for photos, snacks, or anything else we needed, and Mouad was always there to help.

On our way to the desert, we were delayed by flash floods that blocked our route to the camp, but it didn’t feel like a big deal at all. We avoided the flooded areas and had a meal with his family since we couldn’t travel further. It was so lovely and heartwarming to experience that kind of Moroccan hospitality. What could have been a stressful travel hiccup turned into a delightful alternative plan, still aligned with what we wanted from the trip.

I loved our time in Marrakech, the desert (my favorite), and Fez. I felt like we truly learned about the rich history of each region while enjoying delicious food and having a lot of fun. I highly recommend heading to the desert (we traveled via Skoura and then to Merzouga), and riding camels to watch the sunset over the dunes. You’ll also witness an incredible starry sky and a stunning sunrise. Other highlights included our cooking class, food tours, ATVing, seeing the oldest university in the world (!!), the leather tanneries, and so much more.

A big thank you to Mouad, our guide and driver, for putting up with our shenanigans over ten days and becoming a friend! I would highly recommend this trip to anyone who will listen (I already have been, and I haven’t even been home for a week!). Majid also made our trip so easy to plan and alter as went along.

KimKim arranged several oustanding small group tours for us. Particularly wonderful was the tour of Hanging Bridges park with Mauricio, He was very informative and went out of his way to make sure we saw all the animals we were interested in. I highly recommend him.

The night excursion in the Wild Frog Sanctuary was also greatly appreciated.

Activity Reviews

Private Arenal Hanging Bridges Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

Out guide, Mauricio was outstanding

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Night Excursion in Rainforest and Wild Frog Sanctuary

Arenal/La Fortuna

Wide diversity of animals seen.

Quality of Experience

Very knowledgeable

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ecocentro Danaus Guided Rainforest Walk (without Transportation)

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guanacaste Snorkel Adventure

Costa Rica

The boat crew was outstanding and they did a great job of finding animals and habitats for us to see. Unfortunately the snorkeling reef was unimpressive--just coral rubble (none living) with algae overgrowth. Saw a variety of fish but not what would be expected on a tropical snorkeling experience. The rest of the excursion met or exceeded expectations.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Fabulous trip! John in Began was very good and took us to areas we would not have ventured. Trondheim guide was good and provided an interesting tour. Cycling tour Tromso was very good. We also did our own tour to the Russian border which was eye opening. Went to old and new border crossings. I would recommend this.
The tour itself in both Hurtigrutin and Havila were exceptional. The crew on Hurtigrutin were more relaxed and humorous while Havila was a bit more refined. Enjoyed both. The inn in Aurland was quaint with a very interesting couple running it and room was very good with exceptional views. All the hotels were exceptional and the breakfasts were fabulous.

We didn’t do the planning but our friend Renee and our organizer Mathia did a great job!!

Thanks again for some a wonderful trip and great memories!!

Nancy

Jessica did an amazing job with helping us plan our trip to Florence and Cinque Terra. Accommodations were spot on - perfect and fit exactly within our budget. would highly recommend both Jessica and the kimkim team / app should you need a local expert to hlpe you plan!

Hotel Review

7Florence B&B

Florence

PERFECT -- CLEAN - SAFE - EXPERT STAFF GREAT BREAKFAST TOO

Authenticity & Character

Location

CENTRAL TO EVERYTHING - train and even with parking close by

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Cinque Terre Day Trip From Florence

Florence

seamless from start to finish from the shuttle to the train - perfect!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

tonya spoke perfect english and was a expert tour guide!

Transport

clean comfortable safe

All of the hotels in 4 cities were first class and in great locations for walking and sightseeing. Transportation was seamless. All of the guides were fantastic, and seemed to really enjoy their jobs.
Our tour operator Raquel was very helpful and patient. Highly recommended.

Activity Reviews

Wine & Gourmet Tapas Tour

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Tour of Barcelona & La Sagrada Familia

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Flamenco Show in a Sacromonte Cave

Granada

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guided Visit: Alhambra & Generalife Gardens

Granada

Our guide was very informative.

Quality of Experience

Tapas Culinary Experience

Madrid

Guided Visit of Madrid: History, Culture & Architecture of the Capital of Spain

Madrid

We actually asked for guided tour of the Prado and he happily obliged. Graduate level tour ensued.

Kim Kim organized our visit to Quito, the Galápagos Islands, and several places in Peru, including Machu Picchu. The tour was exceptionally well-organized. Majo (María José) and Tamer were always available to assist.
The tour guides were friendly, informative, and engaging, providing fascinating details at each stop. Pick-up times were well-coordinated, and all transfers went smoothly, including assistance at the airport to ensure we were ready for our flight. Despite occasional difficulties with accents or fast speaking, they were always willing to clarify when needed. Their knowledge and enthusiasm made the experience truly memorable.

We loved our trip to Iceland and Adam was extremely helpful and knowledgeable. The trip was very thought out by Adam and we enjoyed every single stop. We followed about 90% of Adam's itinerary as it was laid out. The places we stayed were very comfortable and the driving directions were top notch. We enjoyed Adam's recommendation of the ferry to West Fjords was very enjoyable. When we did have a problem, we called the emergency phone number and got an immediate response. The Reykjavik Food Walk and our guide Thor was very entertaining and delicious. We loved the walking tour through Reykjavik and even tried the fermented shark. We loved visiting all the waterfalls and the highlight for us was snorkeling in Sitka. The snorkeling was a fantastic experience. The sea kayaking and the guide that Adam booked was amazing. He took us to a really neat cave and it was a great experience. The mountain bike company that Adam recommended and booked us with were extremely friendly, helpful and a great bunch of individuals. We also enjoyed many of the optional activities that Adam recommended. Thank you so much Adam for an unforgettable and adventurous trip!

Earlier this year, I had read an article about how İstanbul, Türkiye was the world’s most visited city last year in 2023 and it got me very intrigued! I started watching videos and did some research as to what there is to see and do. Both my hubby and I love to travel but have not ventured towards this part of the world yet so we thought we’d give it a go. We immediately turned our attention to KimKim for guidance. We were assigned with Berat who has been such a troOper for helping us plan the perfect itinerary. She was able to tweak the details in a timely manner and made the planning process so seamless. Our hotels were all centrally located with so much history and amazing architecture. Once our trip was finalized, she assigned us our drivers and guides, and then the fun begins!

Since we had some very early and long travel days, we were either yawning or dozing off in the car, our tireless drivers were able to get us from point A to point B safely and on time, not to mention the crazy terrain they had to endure. Hubby and I don’t like to drive and so we tend to take ride share more than necessary. Please note your efforts were most certainly not unnoticed.

We have a lot of praise for our guides. We had a handful of days when we were on our own and would tell each other how nice it was not having to wait in line for anything.

Our first guide was Mr. Şafak Emre Kılıç. He was able to squeeze all the major attractions in one day even tho we ran into some major downpour. He was very considerate and only proceeded with the tour once we were comfortable so that we wouldn’t get sick from the rain. It was a great balance of time with him as well as giving us space to stroll around on our own. What a great introduction to our trip.

Our next guide was Mr. İrfan Olmez. He was super helpful and offered additional sightseeing options during our road trip. We didn’t partake at the time because we were still pretty jet lagged but I think it’s important to point out his thoughtfulness on sharing new sights with us. Whenever we take road trips ourselves, we do enjoy making multiple stops to break up the drive so we do appreciate him for sharing those options. We really enjoyed talking with him during our rest stops. Learned a new perspective regarding the industry of tourism which was very eye-opening. It was so wholesome when he pointed out his village home where he grew up. We were trying to squeeze another activity into our two-day trip at the last minute and he was very accommodating in helping us make it happen.

Our last guide was Mr. Ozan Tokcan. We were with him for three days so you can only imagine I have quite a bit to share. He started off by mentioning we should get a hat and I’m so glad I did because hubby was a mess by the end of each day, haha. He also reminded us the importance of staying hydrated before each tour which we didn’t always follow; we really go to town on our beverages at the end. He was also very caring in making sure we were standing in shade since it can be brutally hot during the summer season. He shared with us local cuisine which is something we strongly support back home. At one point, the restaurant owners even asked my hubby to try making the foOd with them. Can’t beat that. I noticed he will sometimes touch the historical sights to be in sync with history which is just such a fun idea as I found myself (and my hubby) doing it as well. My hubby would ask a question and then he would check if his question was answered which I found very appreciative. You can tell he’s passionate about his career and loves his home. He’s willing to learn from us as well, such as finding out the water in a Şirince town can be drinkable. His upbeat personality is infectious and we feel truly honored to have crossed paths with him. Such a beam of light. He will go far in life.

This has been the trip of a lifetime. We only visited for two weeks and still got to see so much and yet have barely scratched the surface of what this country can offer. There are excavations still ongoing which means future generations can see even more. The people of Türkiye are insanely hospitable and we want to thank each and every one of them for making this trip a success. Hoping more and more people can take time to visit this beautiful country and experience the wonderful culture <3

Hotel Reviews

Kale Konak Hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Armada Hotel

Istanbul

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nisanyan Houses

Selçuk

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Doğa Thermal Hotel & Spa

Denizli

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Marmara Pera

Istanbul

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Explore the Ancient City of Ephesus

Turkey

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Byzantine + Ottoman Istanbul

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Public Boat Tour on the Bosphorus

İstanbul

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Flight from Istanbul to Ankara + Road trip to Cappadocia via Lake Tuz

Turkey

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sightseeing Around Uçhisar and Discovering the Cappadocian Valleys

Cappadocia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to Ephesus Archaeological Museum

Turkey

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Şirince: A Guided Stroll in a beautiful Aegean Village

Şirince

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Priene: A beautiful ancient Ionian town

Turkey

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pamukkale and Hierapolis

Pamukkale

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a wonderful trip to Morocco. Tayeb was an excellent driver and knew so much of the history and culture of his country. He was readily available and happy to accommodate all of our requests. He was able to gauge our level of interest all along the way which meant that we experienced and enjoyed the aspects of Morocco which particularly interested us. Having Tayeb as our driver meant that our trip was smooth and gentle and left us wanting to revisit Morocco. Hopefully we will return sometime in the future.

From the start of planning the trip by Abdellah to the end of of 5 days with our guide/driver Tayeb everything was top notch. Our plans changed a few times and every time Abdellah responded promptly and professionally fulfilling all our requests.
Our wonderful guide Tayeb always was prompt and polite and willing to go the extra mile with any requests we had. He was most knowledgeable about everything Moroccan and able to explain all the customs and history to us in an interesting manner

An exceptionally great experience. Here is an event by event summary:
- Lisbon Food Walk...A
- Lisbon Architectural and Historical Walk...A+
- Lisbon Tuk Tuk Tour...A+ ( a half-a-day long tour with stops could be better)
- Day Tour of Sintra...A++
- Day Tour of Evora...A++
- Nazare...A+++
- Fatima Guided Visit...A
- Coimbra Guided Visit...A
- Douro Valley Exploration Drive...A+++
- Wine Tasting...A, an embarrassing misunderstanding but wine tasting event was enjoyable
- River Cruise...B-, this was not informative or enjoyable
- Quinta de la Rosa Winery Tour...C-, unattractive winery, uninspired guide.
- Quinta de la Rosa Lunch...Food A, Service B-, Attitude C---. It was somewhat uncomfortable to be there. Felt like we were uninvited guests. Did not make us feel welcome.
- Porto Guided Visit...A+
- Peneda-Geres National Park Excursion...A++
We liked all the hotels but we were exceptionally fond of the Ventozelo Hotel in Douro Valley. I also liked the Trip Plans App very much. It made it easy to follow the trip day by day without having to look at the paper itinerary. I had not seen this App before. Marina put together an excellent itinerary for us. We enjoyed the entire trip very much. We may even consider coming back to Portugal some day!
Subhash Mundle

My wife and I had an unexpected ending to a planned two week trip to Portugal with Kim Kim. On our fifth day in country my wife Kathi tripped on a stair step at our hotel in Porto. She broke her shoulder in three places. Now here is the huge kudo to our travel guide João.

Upon hearing of the accident he arrived at the hospital late evening. When the orthopedic doctor prescribed four meds to ease her pain he went on his own to a 24 pharmacist to get the prescriptions filled and met us back at our hotel at 2:30 am. The next day he drove us back to Lisbon to catch our rescheduled flight home to the states. We cannot say enough high grades for Joaos help in planning our itinerary and his support on the ground.

Best possible review for KimKim and João! Jim And Kathi Manke in Minneapolis.

Hotel Reviews

Casa Balthazar

Lisbon

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

PortoBay Flores

Porto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

When my wife tripped on a hotel stair the front desk manager Fabio was quick to react and got an ambulance to the scene quickly. He also contacted our tour guide João to meet us at the hospital. When we arrived back at the hotel at 2am the front desk person Diago was extremely helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Meliá Lisboa Aeroporto

Lisbon

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Lisbon Food tour

Lisbon

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Danial was a terrific tour guide.

Transport

Full-Day Guided Tour of Cascais & Sintra

Portugal

Our KimKim guide João selected a wonderful lunch spot. He made the trip very informative and fun!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

João is the best!

Transport

Dinner with Live Fado Music

Lisbon

Food was so so . Music was wonderful in a very small setting. About 30 seats.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cab driver drive like a nut ball!

Port Wine Tasting Tour

Porto

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Experience the Canals of Aveiro

Aveiro

João found a wonderful spot on the waterfront. Little Venice of Portugal!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was a wonderful trip!!! The KimKim people were readily available and led us to some fun sites and activities. The guides were comfortable and knowledgeable and were quick to sell the good of Norway. It really pays to do the city guide deal, getting oriented and finding opportunities for more exploration. The stave churches are pretty amazing, but finding them and exploring their localities makes them even more valuable. We heartily endorse KimKim and our main contact, Katie😎👍

Blue skies!
R&L Gee
Cambridge, Ma

Thank you for all the excursions and hotel stays you planned for us while we were there! Norway is a beautiful country. Clean air, clean water, exceptional people and scenery. Nothing quite like it.
We enjoyed the culinary/historical tour with Frida. She was knowledgeable and fun and the food was wonderful.
I was sorry to have missed the kayaking trip but Mark enjoyed it a lot. The trip to Flam was gorgeous. The Lofoten Islands were a real treat. We loved the speed boat trip to the fjords with the great guide and sea eagles galore.
We regretted the cancelation of a couple of trips due to the weather but because we had a rental car we made good use of exploring a lot of the towns and islands!

Activity Reviews

Food and Culture walk in Bergen

Bergen

This was a great way to see the city, hear the history & sample the food! Frida did a great job of showing us everything.

Quality of Experience

Food

Tasting the food of Norway!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Floating Sauna in Svolvær

Svolvær

It was a good experience but not one that worked out too well because of scheduling. Hurried to get there and weren't sure whether we could change clothes there or should change before we came. A little more info would have been nice. We aren't used to saunas and only lasted a few minutes.

Quality of Experience

It was too hot for us. I could have cooled off in the water but couldn't rely on the steps out of the water to be able to get back on shore.

Northern Lights Hunt with a Photographer

Svolvær

Getting to the correct meeting place seemed hard and awkward only to find out that it was cancelled because of the weather. Because we weren 't able to contact anyone we had to rely on the kindness of a stranger (who also led expeditions) to call for us. It was just disappointing because we hadn't been notified earlier. Even though we understood that the weather would be a factor we were sorry to have missed the opportunity to see the lights.

Sea Eagle Safari RIB to Trollfjord

Norway

Even though I was doubtful that the speedboat would be fun it turned out to be great! We were in for a great ride and the scenery and explanations from our guide were super. We loved the views and the sea eagle experience!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kayaking Adventure in Reine

Reine

I'm unable to rate this since it was cancelled.

We have just finished an amazing 10 day trip to Morocco. From the start, Hamza helped us plan the most perfect itinerary. He was very responsive to all of our questions and did a fantastic job tapering and planning the trip to meet our needs. It was our guide, Tarik, that made the trip memorable and unique. He anticipated our every need and his upbeat personality and fantastic laugh made each part of this adventure so much fun. Not only is he well versed in his country’s history and culture, he was incredibly resourceful in pointing out all of the small and wonderful places to stop, and making my group of 4, part of these experiences. He also provided practical advice with tips for safety and the understanding of local customs, both insightful and respectful of Moroccan culture. We felt like we were always in good hands, Tarik was always on time, flexible to our needs and kept us comfortable. We benefitted from the addition of Hamza, a guide in training, who brought his personal energy and kindness to our group. He was also special and will be a great future guide for your company. In the end, these two wonderful guides felt more like friends who were an integral part of our group, seamlessly integrating themselves into our travel experience of this enchanting country and enriching it beyond my expectations. Thank you, Tarik and Hamza for fostering the trip of a lifetime! It would not have been the same experience without them and their wealth of knowledge and wonderful personalities!

The team was so responsive and insightful prior to and during our amazing trip in Greece! Like clock work, the agenda and accommodation info would be available the afternoon before. Thank you so much!

Hotel Reviews

Athenaeum Grand Hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Argo Hotel

Mykonos

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Agali Houses Santorini

Firostefani, Santorini

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Oniro City

Athens

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Free Day in Athens

Athens

Acropolis and Acropolis Museum!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Meteora Day Trip from Athens

Greece

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Santorini Cultural Highlights Guided Tour

Santorini

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jane and her team did a fantastic job organizing our 17-day honeymoon to Scotland. They handled countless details, and they were readily accessible 24/7 for any hiccups. They very clearly outline every detail for every day with times, directions, ticket confirmation #s, and the tickets to anything pre-booked.

They picked almost all B & Bs which is the best way to experience the culture of the country you're in. Everything was paid for prior to arrival which made it so much easier. We did have one hotel claim it wasn't paid so they made us pay again, but Jane/team quickly handled it and we got a refund ASAP.

Our trip had several tours booked but plenty of free time to explore, which was a perfect balance. We love exploring nature and they had a lot of suggestions for things to do. It can be overwhelming going to a place you've never been to, not knowing where to start. They give a lot of great recommendations of things to check out which was really helpful.

Jane/team were very responsive and flexible when changes needed to happen. There were a couple of hiccups with tickets for distillery tours, but we got them figured out.

It's important for all travelers to set proper expectations when hiring a travel agent. No one knows exactly what things you like to do, what accommodations you consider to be perfect, what cuisine you like, etc. Some of these reviews from people are complaining that a travel agent can't read their mind, which is unreasonable. Everyone needs to be flexible and go with the flow. You will enjoy your trip by setting proper expectations that international travel (or travel anywhere) is never perfect. Delays happen, weather happens, people are people - go with the flow and you will enjoy your trip so much more that way.

I would hire Jane/team again in a heartbeat and will be reaching out again for our next trip.

Hotel Reviews

Motel One Glasgow

Glasgow

Smallest room we had but functional. Great continental breakfast included. Great location.

Authenticity & Character

Locals employed

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

B+B Edinburgh

Edinburgh

Best traditional breakfast we had on the entire trip. Super kind staff, had a quaint little hotel bar we could visit at night. We had an issue with their shower that didn't really get handled which was unfortunate, but no big deal. Location is a 15 min walk to downtown but manageable and in a quiet part of town.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Not optimal for doing anything in the city as it is a 15 min. walk to the nearest car park. However, once you realize you will do a LOT of walking on your trip, it's less of an issue. We just parked our car and left it there for 2 days and walked everywhere.

Staff

Absolutely wonderful staff.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Shower didn't drain and they couldn't fix it so water would just overflow onto the floor after 30 seconds. We went 2 days without a shower which was disappointing. On the last day they finally allowed us to shower in another room.

The Kings Arms Hotel

Melrose

Room was extremely tight but functional. Restaurant attached was great and so was the bar/beer garden. Free parking on the street and easy to find a spot.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fonab Castle

Pitlochry

Very high end hotel. You will absolutely feel like royalty here. Parking lot full of Bentleys and Porches. Bring cash because you will need to tip people (doorman, concierge). Unbelievable views from the deck at the bar. Breakfast was good, service not so much. Restaurant is good but expect everything to be very expensive. The room was about 90 degrees F when we entered and there is no AC. We sweated that night but the bed was comfortable. The bathroom is incredible with the best towels and robes you'll ever use. They made us pay for the room on departure even though Jane/team had already paid, so we ended up having to get a refund.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Restaurant staff gave poor service especially given the prices you are paying. Bar staff was nice.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Glen Mhor Hotel

Inverness

Great location, attached to a bar/distillery. Room was very comfortable and quite spacious. Bathroom was excellent. Included breakfast is a buffet which was mediocre but good enough to tide you over until lunch.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Greshornish House Hotel

Edinbane

One of our favorite hotels. Unbelievable setting, very quaint older house with a fantastic restaurant. Very comfortable bar lounge with a real fireplace, books, chess, and snooker table.

Authenticity & Character

Location

There's a 10 min drive on a single track road in order to get to the B & B so make sure you know the rules of the road on single track. Many sheep roaming which may slow you down :)

Staff

Staff was very friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room is tiny but who cares? It's an absolutely fantastic place to stay!

The Whispering Pine Lodge

Spean Bridge

Incredible views right off the deck of the loch and mountains. The staff is extremely service-oriented. Not owned by native Scots (the entire staff is Indian), so there are lots of Indian food offerings on the menu (which were absolutely fantastic). Just a few Scottish food items on the menu. Not much to do in town but a great location for hiking and sight-seeing.

Authenticity & Character

Not authentically Scottish

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room was quite comfortable

Bridge of Orchy Hotel

Bridge of Orchy

Very busy hotel because it's on the West Highland Way, so lots of backpackers passing through. Great way to meet a lot of non-native travelers from other countries. Beautiful setting with a really nice restaurant/bar. Super friendly staff. This is essentially the only hotel for 20+ miles and you are in the middle of paradise. 15 min drive to Glencoe where you will see the most incredible scenery on planet earth.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Eat Walk Glasgow

Glasgow

Tour guide was lovely and we met some really great people from South Africa. Great way to tour the city and try local foods/beers. Highly recommended.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

N/A - it's a walking tour

Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour

Glasgow

Highly recommended as a great way to get around the city for very little money. Two tiered bus with upper tier having some covered and some uncovered seats. Bus comes every 15 mins to every stop until about 6p.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Secrets of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile

Edinburgh

Extremely educated and knowledgeable tour guide! Tons of history given and his enthusiasm was second-to-none. 10/10 recommended and a fantastic way to see a large city in a short amount of time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Best tour guide we had the entire trip

Transport

Edinburgh Castle Tickets

Edinburgh

A must-see castle. I would highly recommend paying for a tour guide because otherwise you're just wandering around and looking at things you really don't know anything about.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Wish we would've hired a tour guide

Transport

N/A

Visit the Kelpies

Scotland

We ended up driving past them but didn't have enough time to tour them. It's quite a walk from the car park (15 mins).

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lochleven Castle

Scotland

Great experience with the small boat that gets you to the island. Wish we had more time to explore but it was the end of the day so we had to turn around quickly.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

10 min small boat ride

Uilebheist Distillery

Inverness

Interesting distillery that is only a year old, so they don't actually have any of their own whiskys yet (other than blended whiskys from other distilleries).

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was OK but we had better experiences at other distilleries

Strathisla Distillery Tour (Home of Chivas)

Scotland

Fantastic tour through a very old distillery with lots of history

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Isle of Skye Raasay Whisky, Gin and chocolate tour

Scotland

Really great experience. You need to take a ferry to the island, and it's a 10 min walk from the ferry to the distillery.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Glass-bottom Boat Trip by Isle of Skye

Scotland

Guide was very knowledgeable on marine life. We saw a few seals but really nothing else. Luck of the draw, I suppose. Not really sure we'd do this again.

Quality of Experience

It's got to be hard to plan for people to see things that are inconsistently present. However, we saw almost nothing on the tour which was disappointing. They might need to rethink their tour strategy.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was incredibly knowledgeable and tried to make the best of a situation where there was nothing to really look at.

Transport

Evening cruise on Loch Linnhe

Fort William

We ended up not making this tour so I can't really comment.