Joël Massé
I'm the "southern man" of the team at Objectif France. I was born in Perpignan, at the south border of France with Spain, and I've spent the first 30 years of my life in the South, before “coming up” to Lyon, where I've worked for a tour operator for 10 years. That allowed me to travel in more than 30 countries around the world…before I finally realized that my own country was undoubtedly the most beautiful destination to live in and to visit !
Exclusive authentic experiences, unexpected encounters and charming accommodation spots are the main components of a successful trip for me. The most memorable part of a trip comes often from what is not written or planned! I will help you to design the voyage of your dreams, that rides that subtle balance between rigorous organization and real moments of poetry.
My most recent vacation: Corsica
My favourite areas in France : the soft mountains of the sunny Cerdagne in the Pyreenes, the majesty and mystery of the famous castles in the Loire Valley, the perched villages of Luberon in Provence, with their vibrant local markets...
What places and activities do you specialize in?
"As I've got two kids, I know pretty well how to organize a family trip, chosing an appropriate ryhtm and activities. I also love to design really tailor-made trips for honeymooners, and put some romantic suprises for them during the tour. Regarding the geographical expertise, I know Provence and the South of France pretty well, as well as Loire Valley, Normandy...and Lyon of course, where we are working.
In Europe, I know Spain, Scotland and Iceland very well. "
How did you get involved in travel?
"I did my Civil Service in a NGO in Senegal just after my studies. After 2 years of working and living in Tambacounda, at the East of that country, I've travelled as a backpacker with a friend of mine for 5 months in West Africa : Mali, Burkina Faso, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Ivory Coast...A wonderful first experience of long time travel...After coming back home, it took me a few years before I could find a job in travel industry, but then I never came back to another sector ! "
Please share a unique travel experience you will never forget.
"It's undoubtedly my first encounter with a mountain gorilla in the Parc National des Volcans in Rwanda. When your eyes meet those of these gentle heroes of the bamboo forets on the slopes of the mountains, you feel like you meet one of your ancestors or cousin. It's indescriptible ! I'm really fascinated by apes, and mountain gorillas are among the most incredible creatures in the world. "
Joël's favorite itineraries and travel advice
Top itineraries and travel advice
Pack the family and hit the road for a self-drive trip through western France. Spend eight days seeing art in Paris, learning about history in Normandy, and vacationing on the...
You will be delighted by this trip in Paris, Normandy, Bordeaux and the Dordogne region. This is a subtle mix of French history and culture, wine and flavors, and some bucolic...
This two-week adventure covers a great deal of ground while offering a range of unique excursions that capitalize on France's culture, cuisine, and scenery. Start the trip in...
Family itineraries
Two weeks is the perfect time to dive deeper into some of France's western regions with the family. Start in Paris to see the highlights like the Eiffel Tower and Louvre, then...
For a family road trip that leads you through the diversity of French culture and history, look no further than this week-long itinerary. Start in Paris to savor its highlights...
Perfect for first-timers, this weeklong itinerary kicks off in the French capital where you'll summit the Eiffel Tower, gain skip-the-line access at Le Louvre, and sample some...
Road trip itineraries
Eat and drink your way from Paris to the Mediterranean coast on this three-week, self-drive adventure. Start in Paris with wine, cheese, and chocolate tasting, move on to Annecy...
For a family road trip that leads you through the diversity of French culture and history, look no further than this week-long itinerary. Start in Paris to savor its highlights...
Take the back roads of western France to discover a splendor of highlights and hidden gems on this three-week adventure. Start in Paris, where you'll climb the Eiffel Tower and...
Favorite experiences
Explore the Castle of Blois
Visit the royal castle of Blois, known as the Château Royal de Blois. Classified as a historical monument since 1845, the royal chateau presents a magnificent panorama of the art and history that filled the castles of the Loire Valley. Surrounding an inner courtyard, its four wings constitute a...
Explore the Lakeside Town of Annecy
Nestled by the northwestern shore of its namesake lake, Annecy is the jewel of the Haute-Savoie. From its crowning Château d'Annecy down to its gurgling canals, Annecy's Vieille Ville (Old Town) is infused with antique charm. Made great by the medieval Counts of Geneva and augmented by the Dukes...
Visit the Villages of the Dordogne River
Explore the picturesque and historic villages of the Dordogne River, starting in Domme, a trapezoid city creating a bastide (fortified medieval town) adapted to the surrounding terrain. The city is one of the Plus Beaux Villages de France (The Most Beautiful Villages of France). Enjoy a walking...
Avignon & Hilltop Villages of the Luberon Region
Just about an hour northwest of Aix-en-Provence is the medieval city of Avignon. You'll find centuries' worth of fascinating history here, as this is where Pope Clemente V moved his court in the 14th century. For several decades after that, it was the seat of the Catholic popes. Spend the day...
Recent trip reviews for Joël
Western France circuit
France
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Apr 8 - Apr 30, 2023
We had an excellent trip, exploring some of the most beautiful parts of France. Highlights included Park Asterix, walking on the Emerald coast of Brittany, the incredible troglodyte villages of the Dordogne, cycling in the Loire and our incredible private tour of the Louvre. Highly recommend. read more
Bonjour Kylie,
I've just read the feedback you've left on Kim Kim and I wanted to thank you for the time you've spent doing such a detailed and commented review. This is very helpful for us and I'll share it with all our suppliers involved on your trip (hotels, drivers, guides...). That definitely helps us to maintain and control the quality of our services. I'm truly happy that you've had a great family experience on such a long and immersive adventure.
Have a nice day !
Joel
Joel was outstanding both in helping us plan ...
France
|
Sep 15 - Oct 16, 2022
Joel was outstanding both in helping us plan and all that he planned for us read more
Hi Don,
Thank you so much for having taken the time to post your review following to your trip in France. It was truly a challenge for us to make this 1 month adventure a full success and I'm glad to see that we have met your expectations. I'm happy to see also that you could attend the cooking class in Dordogne that I had suggested to you. Sara from le Chevrefeuille sent to me a message saying that her team really loved to work with you !
Thanks again for your trust in Kim Kim
Best
Joel
We had a great trip! We are home and reflect...
France
|
Jul 11 - Jul 21, 2022
We had a great trip! We are home and reflecting on it all. We did a ton in Paris, and it worked out great. We wanted to get out in the countryside, so we did not want to spend too much time in the city, but we fit in The Catacombs, The Louvre, The Eiffel Tower, St. Chappelle, and the outside of Notre Dame in a day and a half. We missed the boat tour down the Seine, but that is okay because our hotel was just across the river and our hotel was very centrally located so we could fit a lot in.... read more
Hi Gretchen,
Thanks for having taken the time to make such a detailed review on your trip. Among the lessons I'll learn from your trip :
- The Royal Appartment in Annecy has nothing to do with Privilodge Royal Appartments, though located in the same street !
- The Bastide du Paradou in Moustiers seems to be a lovely place, though I guess this is the first time we use it !
- The Mas Saint Joseph still deserves its reputation of simple but lovely 3* hotel in Saint Remy, with the great... read more
Amazing Honeymoon Trip to Southern France ( Lyon-Annecy-Chamonix-Aix en Provence) - 5 July - 15 July 2022
France
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Jul 5 - Jul 15, 2022
Truth be told, we took a leap of faith when we engaged KimKim.com for our honeymoon in Southern France, because no one around us had heard of KimKim.com before. It turned out to be one of the best decisions for our honeymoon trip, especially since we could not speak French.
Pre-trip wise, it was lovely to work with Joel, and the detailed itinerary he prepared as well as the prompt responses he gave to all our countless enquiries made the preparation so much easier. He gave priority to... read more
Hi Lyon,
Thank you so much for having taken the time to write such a detailed and enthusiastic feedback upon your honeymoon trip in France ! I really appreciate !
These comments are very important to us, because they help us to control, maintain, and improve the quality of our services and those of our local partners.
So all the details you've mentioned are really helpful for us, including your chaotic train journey from Geneva to Lyon. YOu're right, we should give more details in our... read more
I couldn't have asked for a better trip!
France
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Jun 24 - Jun 30, 2022
Overall, Joel was very helpful, responsive, kind and excellent in helping us put together the perfect trip in France. There were several times that details were missed - for example, I was going to the airport home by myself (on the last day) without my family, which I mentioned several times leading up to our trip. When the airport transport came to my hotel, he had a large truck for all of our luggage and for the three of us. It was only me. I wondered if I paid more for that type of... read more
Hello Cherri,
Thank you so much for having taken the time to make a review on Kim Kim.
These comments are very important to us, because they help us to control, maintain, and improve the quality of our services and those of our local partners.
I'm all the more happy that your first impression with the hotel in Bordeaux was not very positive! Glad to see that it finally met your expectations. And glad also to see that you enjoyed most of the experience. Maybe we have missed something in the... read more
Travel to Paris, Bordeaux and Cassis in June, 2022
France
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May 30 - Jun 10, 2022
Joel did a great job helping us plan our trip to France in early June. We were a little late getting started and had a number of changes and complications on our end (adding my son and his friend to the trip mid-way through) and Joel was very helpful and patient with us. We hade great experiences in Paris, Bordeaux and Cassis. Joel arranged great guides and experiences and arranged the travel in a manner that worked perfectly. He seemed to think of everything and made the trip stress... read more
Hi Mark,
I realize I have not yet taken the time to thank you for your detailed and positive feedback on your trip in June with us. We've still been extremely busy for the last 3 months as many travelers continue to decide to visit France at the last minute. Not easy for us !
Your comments are very important to us, because they help us to control, maintain, and improve the quality of our services and those of our local partners. I'm sincerely glad that you enjoyed your trip with us !
Best
Joel
From Paris to Provence through Alsace and Burgundy
France
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May 16 - May 29, 2022
We had an amazing trip to France and are so glad we used KimKim to help plan. Joel took into account everything that we wanted to try to do while we were in France and planned a truly incredible trip for us. While we lost a day due to flight delays on the front end of our trip, we were able to get a wonderful taste of Paris and Versailles. Our favorite tour while in Paris was the Murders and Mysteries of the Louvre tour with David. The next stop was the Alsace region and we can’t stop telling... read more
Hi Magen,
I realize I have not yet taken the time to thank you for your detailed and positive feedback on your trip in May with us. We've still been extremely busy for the last 3 months as many travelers continue to decide to visit France at the last minute. Not easy for us !
Your comments are very important to us, because they help us to control, maintain, and improve the quality of our services and those of our local partners. I'm sincerely glad that you enjoyed your trip with us ! Enjoy your summer !
Best
Joel
Our trip to France was over 2 years in the ma...
France
|
May 27 - Jun 8, 2022
Our trip to France was over 2 years in the making due to COVID delays. The wait was totally worth it. Joel curated our trip to our exact specifications. We visited 3 regions - Normandy, Alsace and Provence. In each of these locations he chose the accommodations, tour company’s, organized rental cars, train tickets and most of our transfers. I was grateful for his expertise in planning what was reasonable and what was not. There is absolute value for dollar in the expertise Joel... read more
Hello Jodi,
Thank you so much for the review that you posted on Kim Kim. I'm so glad that you enjoyed your trip after having waited for it for more than 2 years !
Your comments are very important for us as they help us to maintain and improve the quality of our services and suppliers. Be sure I'll share it with all the people who have contributed to the success of your trip !
Best
Joel
Trip of a lifetime
France
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May 24 - Jun 1, 2022
We had a wonderful trip. Planning a multi-generational trip for 5 seemed daunting, but KimKim hooked us up with Joel and he worked tirelessly with us to plan the trip of a lifetime. We appreciate all he did and the knowledge he provided was invaluable. read more
Hello Stephanie and Ladies,
Thank you so much for your review on Kim Kim. I truly appreciate your comments, and that helps us to maintain the quality of our tours and suppliers.
Amazing tours and great moments!
France
|
May 2 - May 10, 2022
Our trip was simply amazing! Every tour was great and we had a lot of fun. Our gastronomic tour with Carole felt warmth and tailored made. She took us to a place we found more appropriate to our style.
The tour to the palace was also great, although it felt a little rushed.
But the idea to go to the south of France and visit the little towns around Avignon was simply amazing and it could not have been without the help of Joel. We were simply amazed by the beauty of Saint Remy the Provence,... read more
Hello Enrique and Victoria,
Thank you so much for your review ! I'm so glad that you liked my native region of Provence ! You're most welcome as soon as you want to come back!
Joël
Our trip to France was awesome. Kimkim put m...
France
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Sep 29 - Oct 8, 2021
Our trip to France was awesome. Kimkim put me in touch with Joel who put together a perfect trip for us. He listened to me and executed exactly what we wanted. He was unfamiliar with a couple of our requests but set out to find options for us and delivered an experience of a lifetime! Huge thanks! Online travel agent.... worked for me!!!
Hello Kathleen,
Thank you so much for your great review. Indeed, we were not familiar with the possibilities of horseriding in South Corsica, but I had a good feeling with Marina and I knews it would "fit" well with you and Joey. Do not hesitate to talk about Provence and Corsica and their beauties around you!
Best
Joel
Great Trip . . . A few constructive comments
France
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Feb 15 - Feb 20, 2020
Overall this was a wonderful trip, and we were very pleased with our accommodations at Hotel a la Villa des Artistes in the Montparnasse area. That Les Jardins de Luxembourg was walking distance made it even lovelier.
All of our guides through Localers were extremely knowledgeable. We do want to offer a bit of constructive feedback regarding the Treasures of the Marais walking tour with
Patrick. I was at first reluctant to book this tour during discussions with Joel because I felt it... read more
Bonjour Mary,
I want to thank you for taking the time of sending us your feed-back upon your recent past trip in Paris. These comments and reviews are indispensable for us to maintain and consistently improve the quality of our trips and services.
While I'm glad to see that you had a global very positive experience, I'm a bit concerned by your disappointment for the tours in Le Louvre Museum and Le Marais district. For Le Louvre, I had specified in the description that it was a small group... read more
Trip to France
France
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Sep 13 - Sep 17, 2019
Our trip to Paris was flawless and memorable thanks to Joel’s help from Kimkim. From airport pick-up to drop off, we didn’t have to worry about anything. Each guide we had was knowledgeable, helpful, and kind. We especially loved our guided trip to the Louvre, our pastry baking class, and our bike trip to Versailles. Our guide, Rachel, showed us where to get the best crepes and make the trip memorable and fun.
Hello Lauren, bonjour de France !
As I didn't have any news from you during your trip, I was wondering how it went and I'm glad to see that it went well ! (as often, no news is good news...). Thanks for your trust and your feed-back. It's definitely essential for us to have these comments (both positive or negative), that help us to control, maintain and improve the quality of our services and suppliers (guides, drivers, hotels...).
You can now open a bakery or a creperie near your home and prepare the best crepes for your compatriots !
Best
Joel
Trip to France
France
|
Jul 2 - Jul 14, 2019
Really enjoyed all 4 stops. Learned so much. Such a wonderful trip — we and our kids love France!!
Hi Damien,
I'm now back from my holidays after a revigorating 3 week break. I know we're lucky in France to have 5 weeks of vacation per year !
I'm dealing with my (long) list of tasks and things to do, and as usual, I always start with the post trip reviews.
As I really took care of your family trip, I'm really happy to hear that you had the great experience you expected, though there has been some minor quacks and some details that could have been improved.
Well noted that the... read more
Trip to France
France
|
Jun 29 - Jul 12, 2019
The trip was fantastic, the locations, the pace, and all the guides we encountered were terrific. Stand outs were Yoann at canyoning, Francesca at the Louvre and Dan for the bike tour around Versailles.
Joel was very patient and helpful during our planning, and providing ideas and insight as we were really not sure how to begin the planning of this trip.
Trip plan and vouchers were easy to use and follow, a very stress free vacation.
Hi Sarah,
I'm now back to the office after great holidays in Dordogne and the Atlantic Coast. I'm glad to hear that your stay in France has been great as well and that you enjoyed the excursions and visits we had planned for you. Thanks also for your positive comments on our documents, which we always try to do as complete and easy-to-read as possible.
I wish you a great summer and stay at your disposal if you have any other future project of trip in France.
Best regards
Joel
Trip to France
France
|
May 30 - Jun 22, 2019
I had a great experience working with Joel in planning my month-long wine and food-focused road trip in France. I started in Bordeaux and went through all of the major wine regions in France (except for the Loire and Alsace) ending with an epic visit in Champagne and a few days in Paris. He planned the route, selected fantastic hotels and Chambre d'Hotes for me to stay. And in each location, he arranged wine excursions and food tours that were perfect for my interests.
At one point we had... read more
Hi Gigi,
This is just a quick mail to acknowledge I received your feed back on Kim Kim, otherwise it stays in my queue ! I'm leaving tomorrow for a 2 week vacation in Dordogne ;-)
Have a nice summer !
Joel