Kimkim Trip Reviews for Chile

THE BEST
* Advance planning with Erin was very good and was personalized. Enjoyed working with her
*Ohmar was very good and was an excellent guide with excellent park history and knowledge.
Enjoyed being with him.
*The two transfer drivers were good. Carlos was particularly helpful in getting us to an earlier bus
departure back to Punta Arenas. He was very pleasant.
*The Aquaterra accommodations were good.
*The Grey Glacier Hotel and later glacier boat tour were both very good.
*The... read more

THE BEST
* Advance planning with Erin was very good and was personalized. Enjoyed working with her
*Ohmar was very good and was an excellent guide with excellent park history and knowledge.
Enjoyed being with him.
*The two transfer drivers were good. Carlos was particularly helpful in getting us to an earlier bus
departure back to Punta Arenas. He was very pleasant.
*The Aquaterra accommodations were good.
*The Grey Glacier Hotel and later glacier boat tour were both very good.
*The day tour of the park was very good.
*The Refugio Torre Central was a good staging point for the long hike, but there were some other
lodging options one might have considered to shorten hike a little.
*Even though we only had one clear and one partially clear day of the three, the views were
spectacular and what we came to see.
THE OTHER
*Two boat rides are unnecessary; the Grey Glacier tour was much better.
*The two options provided because of the last minute zodiac cancellation wee not good; like take a
chance on another company which may not go, or take an all day boat ride for a 1 hour walk. A
better option would have been to go head and do park tour or have a extra day in the park. Still
had to pay for transfer even though luggage would have been transferred under original plans.
*During the tour day, the hike was a pretty serious climb, considering the long hike to next day.
Might have considered another hike considering our ages and experience.
*For someone my age, a stay at the refugio 2/3 of the way up the Torres Base hike would have
been better. Also provides a weather option.
*The Patagonia B&B was very basic and would not be recommended.
*Lodging in Punta Arenas could have been nearer the penguin boat dock and airport. It was a 50
minute ride from town and back plus long boat ride for 1 hour with penguins at the end of the
season.
*Other than the lost day with the boat ride, the trip was a success.

Really enjoyed the trip that Mery coordinated. Drivers were very professional (some spoke only Spanish and some were fluent in English- all were fabulous and went out of their way to make sure we had the best experience). Note, be very specific with your wishes if you don’t want to take a long (South American style) lunch and would rather finish up earlier in the day. Sometimes a late afternoon vineyard tour and tasting makes for a sleepy evening. We had some last minute schedule changes... read more

Really enjoyed the trip that Mery coordinated. Drivers were very professional (some spoke only Spanish and some were fluent in English- all were fabulous and went out of their way to make sure we had the best experience). Note, be very specific with your wishes if you don’t want to take a long (South American style) lunch and would rather finish up earlier in the day. Sometimes a late afternoon vineyard tour and tasting makes for a sleepy evening. We had some last minute schedule changes and the team went above and beyond to accommodate our requests. Would definitely go through kimkim again!

Patagonia was a trip of a lifetime!
Argentina experience:
The Perito Moreno Glacier ice trek was a truly unbelievably experience. I have never seen anything like it, definitely a trip highlight. Our time spent in El Chalten/Fitzroy was magical. The hotel was very nice and accommodating. Oscar the bartender/ server/ host was our favorite. The scheduled hikes were perfect, tough but perfect. It was the perfect amount of time to spend there.
Chile experience:
The glacier cruise out of... read more

Patagonia was a trip of a lifetime!
Argentina experience:
The Perito Moreno Glacier ice trek was a truly unbelievably experience. I have never seen anything like it, definitely a trip highlight. Our time spent in El Chalten/Fitzroy was magical. The hotel was very nice and accommodating. Oscar the bartender/ server/ host was our favorite. The scheduled hikes were perfect, tough but perfect. It was the perfect amount of time to spend there.
Chile experience:
The glacier cruise out of Puerto Natales was canceled due to wind and we weren't sure what to do. The people at Ditmarr/kimkim helped us quickly change our plans. We had a guided trip to explore the caves. Juan was our guide and we thoroughly enjoyed him and the cave experience.
The "W" hike was outstanding! Patagonia is so vast and diverse. The hiking is challenging with a lot of bouldering. We hiked in the perfect direction, I wouldn't do it the opposite way. Torres del Paine was full of people but the rest of the hike was less so. The refugios were a bit rough with the exception of the domes in Frances which we LOVED! You will get tired of bread, I suggest bringing some protein supplements along. Bring earplugs you will need them to sleep. The "staff" at Refugio Chileno were up until 2:30 AM playing loud music and partying...plus tired snoring hikers can happen. Hot showers are hard to come by so bring wipes etc, also suggest to bring a towel. The weather is unpredictable so bring layers for hot and cold. If you don't want to carry a really big pack you can rent sleeping bags. I would recommend that option. I can't remember if we were offered that. They do give you pillows. All the bus arrangements etc went smoothly.
We loved our trip!!! Patagonia is awesome. Kimkim and Dittmar were great to work with.

Everything was well organized. Erin always responded quickly with answers to our questions. The hotel staff at El Chatan and Portas Natales were exceptional. I learned a few things 1. Pack as light as possible for "W" hike. 2. I have a little difficulty sleeping in small dark places. 2 of the Refugios were very small. Hiking in Patagonia is amazing and challenging. Its beauty unmatched, it is wild and rugged. The lakes and streams every color of blue, greens and greys. So happy i completed this bucket list dream.

These guys, and gals, are great. It was our first time using a tour company, Patagonia has so much to do and see that I needed some help connecting the dots. Erin was super easy to work with and got back to me promptly whenever I had a question. It was a treat not to have to figure out the hotel/hostel piece as well as the bus schedule, they did it all. The tours were great, my favorite tour was the Estancia La Peninsula, an incredible day spent on the Estancia. Paula, our guide in Torres,... read more

These guys, and gals, are great. It was our first time using a tour company, Patagonia has so much to do and see that I needed some help connecting the dots. Erin was super easy to work with and got back to me promptly whenever I had a question. It was a treat not to have to figure out the hotel/hostel piece as well as the bus schedule, they did it all. The tours were great, my favorite tour was the Estancia La Peninsula, an incredible day spent on the Estancia. Paula, our guide in Torres, was top notch too, she was a wealth of information and I felt that getting the full scope of the park was really valuable. Emily also lent a hand with final logistics. The entire crew was knowledgeable and easy to work with , the entire trip was way beyond our expectations and I highly recommend Dittmar Adventures if you are planning a trip to Patagonia. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

We had a great trip to the Santa Rita Wine Estate - thoroughly recommended for a two night stay - the Atacama Desert, Lake District and Patagonia (Punta Arenas and Torres del Paine).
The Atacama was just after their first heavy rainfall in years, which added extra beauty as the salts emerging from the ground gave the effect of a light sprinkling of snow. The mountains around were also topped with snow. The NOI Casa Atacama was good, apart from some oddities like the worst faucets of the... read more

We had a great trip to the Santa Rita Wine Estate - thoroughly recommended for a two night stay - the Atacama Desert, Lake District and Patagonia (Punta Arenas and Torres del Paine).
The Atacama was just after their first heavy rainfall in years, which added extra beauty as the salts emerging from the ground gave the effect of a light sprinkling of snow. The mountains around were also topped with snow. The NOI Casa Atacama was good, apart from some oddities like the worst faucets of the trip but the best shower. Despite a small mosquito and fly problem in the room, the staff couldn't supply any fly spray, which we thought was unhelpful.
The Cumbres hotel in Puerto Varas was good, but I wouldn't recommend spending the extra cost of a room with full mountain view, as the clouds were down over the mountains most of the time! It's a great area for hiring a car and exploring yourself.
Punta Arenas and Torres del Paine were amazing, and fantastic weather most of the time too. I'd recommend booking at least the Full Paine tour well before you arrive, rather than at the last minute.
Avoid connections at Santiago airport with less than a couple of hours. A delayed arrival on one flight meant that we were stranded overnight in a cheap airport hotel, which lost us most of one day.
Oxana was very helpful in the plannning stage, with good suggestions and good choices of hotels, and in monitoring our progress through the trip, and gave us all the help we needed in rebooking flights after disprutions, and making changes to the programme.
I can't remember all the names of the guides and drivers, but they were excellent throughout, and everyone turned up preceisely when and where they were needed!

Would be very happy to come to Chile with Eco Chile again, or to use Kim Kim for other trips.

Andrew Dakin

The Dittmar team went above and beyond for our adventure. Erin really took the time to understand the type of trip we were seeking from the very beginning. She brought to the table amazing suggestions on how to incorporate both the Cerro Castillo trail with Fitz Roy and a classic road trip. They made logistics easy as pie for our small group. Even when we blew two car tires on the classic Carrera Austral, their team jumped in with support immediately. The four day through hike for Cerro... read more

The Dittmar team went above and beyond for our adventure. Erin really took the time to understand the type of trip we were seeking from the very beginning. She brought to the table amazing suggestions on how to incorporate both the Cerro Castillo trail with Fitz Roy and a classic road trip. They made logistics easy as pie for our small group. Even when we blew two car tires on the classic Carrera Austral, their team jumped in with support immediately. The four day through hike for Cerro Castillo was my favorite trail to date. It lived up to all of the expectations that the Dittmar team provided. I'd highly recommend using their team if you are looking for a laid back, self-guided adventure through Patagonia!

Great trip. Expensive for what you got. Most tents and sites were available and empty. Had been , prepaid for by guide companies, who monopolize the park. Locals would not let anyone stay in open sites if they did not have a reservation. Everyone we talked to had great difficulty getting reservation on their own. Drove the cost up exponentially. Kimkim was great to work with and tried to help with costs. Tent sites were the best vs. Made beds in dorms and snorers. Dittmar was ok. The sandwich... read more

Great trip. Expensive for what you got. Most tents and sites were available and empty. Had been , prepaid for by guide companies, who monopolize the park. Locals would not let anyone stay in open sites if they did not have a reservation. Everyone we talked to had great difficulty getting reservation on their own. Drove the cost up exponentially. Kimkim was great to work with and tried to help with costs. Tent sites were the best vs. Made beds in dorms and snorers. Dittmar was ok. The sandwich they gave us the day before at orientation was bad by the next day. Totally soggy with tomatoes,cucumbers. Transportation in the park was not always on time as stated. Buses didn't run sometimes and neither did the ferry. A lot of standing around and waiting for it.

Everything was fantastic, we did the W trek, it went flawlessly. Would highly recommend this service.

We are one couple that were from a group of 10 but we did not have any part of the planning we simply were part of the group, others in our group did the planning and therefore had all the interactions with the team.
We were greeted at the departure from the cruise ship by Mauricio Masserano and spent the majority of 4 days with him touring the wineries of Chile. His English is impeccable and he has a very broad understanding of the wineries. He took us to lots of wineries that had... read more

We are one couple that were from a group of 10 but we did not have any part of the planning we simply were part of the group, others in our group did the planning and therefore had all the interactions with the team.
We were greeted at the departure from the cruise ship by Mauricio Masserano and spent the majority of 4 days with him touring the wineries of Chile. His English is impeccable and he has a very broad understanding of the wineries. He took us to lots of wineries that had different and unique places for example each day would be at least three wineries that had totally different ways of making wines. We visited some really great wineries and Mauricio chose different luncheons at very unique places that were all very delicious.
He and the driver left us at our hotel and the next day we had a father and son that gave us a tour of Santiago and took us to the airport for our flights home. They were both very knowledgeable with the City of Santiago and we enjoyed our day immensely. They also chose a very unique restaurant that was truly a great experience.

Thanks to Kimkim our W trek was amazing. Diana was fantastic in all sense. She responded promptly and made changes to our itinerary as required.

Only one suggestion, which is for fantastic sur, on day we could have stayed in Frances, day 3 Paine Grande which would have made things a bit better in terms of covering more.

We will definitely come back to Kimkim for our next Chilean and Argentina adventure

Thanks,
Pre and Elisabeth

I found the web platform and payment method a bit challenging as I was travelling with a group. Marie-Lou was generally prompt in responding to me. It would have been better if we could have talked directly to Mauricio, our guide for the wine tours as he had a plan that would have involved less driving. We went the way I requested but that was because I really didn’t understand the driving times/traffic etc. However, we did enjoy driving up the coast from San Antonio to Valparaíso as we were... read more

I found the web platform and payment method a bit challenging as I was travelling with a group. Marie-Lou was generally prompt in responding to me. It would have been better if we could have talked directly to Mauricio, our guide for the wine tours as he had a plan that would have involved less driving. We went the way I requested but that was because I really didn’t understand the driving times/traffic etc. However, we did enjoy driving up the coast from San Antonio to Valparaíso as we were able to see where Chileans spend their summer holidays.
Mauricio was very good - he was always striving to give us a good experience. The wineries he chose were so diverse that we were always surprised that we were learning something new. Mateo and Leo were our guides for touring Santiago, were very good at answering questions and giving us options (such as walking or driving through the city center). Going up the gondola for the city view was a highlight.
The hotels - Hotel 17 in Valparaíso - great location, beautiful rooms with amazing views, Good breakfast, but a little run down and it could have been a little cleaner. Inca Hotel in Los Andes, Great pool area, good location, good breakfast, modern looking but moldy showers! Hotel Torremayor Lyon - nice neighbourhood, very good breakfast but this once very beautiful hotel needs renovations - it wouldn’t even look that bad if the floors were cleaner and stains removed from upholstery and carpets. The pool was very grubby.
Our guides and drivers definitely made this trip enjoyable and informative and I would recommend them to anyone. I would also use Kimkim in the future as it is a good way to find customized, unique travel experiences.

How do I even begin to review our 21 day Patagonia trip? It was incredible. After trying and failing to figure out the logistics of what we wanted to do, we found Ditmar Adventures and worked with Erin via KimKim. After the intro phone call, we felt like Erin had a really solid idea of what we were looking for and had nothing but faith that her and her team would put together something that we would be pleased with. That was an understatement. She worked with our group in the planning phases... read more

How do I even begin to review our 21 day Patagonia trip? It was incredible. After trying and failing to figure out the logistics of what we wanted to do, we found Ditmar Adventures and worked with Erin via KimKim. After the intro phone call, we felt like Erin had a really solid idea of what we were looking for and had nothing but faith that her and her team would put together something that we would be pleased with. That was an understatement. She worked with our group in the planning phases and was able to make the trip everything we were looking for and within our price point despite varying numbers on participants. Ahead of the trip, she was super helpful in our preparation and packing (bringing our own food and snacks was a lifesaver).

Once we arrived in Chile, everything was handled - a luxury that we have never experienced. All of the lodging selections were wonderful and fit perfectly with what we were looking for in the way of being affordable without doing the hostel thing. Each destination that we stayed at was exceptional in its own way and Erin anticipated the amount of time that we needed in each location very well. While trekking the Cerro Castillo circuit was something that we added in ourselves, it proved to be an amazing addition to the trip and the Ditmar team's support of that sub-trip was excellent. David meeting us in person before we embarked was also a treat. He had so much insight to share on where to eat and things to see along the route. The tips in the itinerary on where to get gas and money along the route were invaluable as well.

Overall, everything we had asked for, all of the activities that we wanted to take in as a group were accounted for. We saw craggy peaks and hiked a lot, drove through some of the prettiest (and ugliest) landscapes I've seen, saw the marble caves, rock climbed, fished, drank all the red wine, ate all of the delicious food, sat on front porches and watched sunsets, stood in wide valleys with snow kissing our cheeks, sat in hot tubs with mountains of bubbles, and savored every moment of it. While the hours saved in planning such an adventure were worth every penny, the most vital element of their service was that it afforded us all the opportunity to be free and present in the moment, something we all desperately needed and are very much grateful for. Aside from a few flat tires (which as Clayton mentioned were a blessing in disguise), everything exceeded any expectation I could have had. I can't recommend this route enough for adventure-loving folks and Ditmar enough for making it possible. Cheers!

Hi Erin

We have recently returned from our travels, which included our W trek co-ordinated by your team from 31 December – 5th January 2019.

Overall – we thoroughly enjoyed our opportunity to experience Patagonia and the wonderful places we visited during our time in Puerta Natales and Torres Del Paine National Park.

We would particularly like to give mention our guide Sophia. She was simply outstanding. Her experience, and the knowledge she could share with us ensured that we... read more

Hi Erin

We have recently returned from our travels, which included our W trek co-ordinated by your team from 31 December – 5th January 2019.

Overall – we thoroughly enjoyed our opportunity to experience Patagonia and the wonderful places we visited during our time in Puerta Natales and Torres Del Paine National Park.

We would particularly like to give mention our guide Sophia. She was simply outstanding. Her experience, and the knowledge she could share with us ensured that we had the best possible time on the trek. She is clearly very well-known and respected by her peers that we met along the way as well, and certainly we cannot recommend her highly enough for her skills, humour, practical sensibilities and care she took to ensure we had the best possible time. Sophia was also not advised that one of our group had a Cheese allergy.

We experienced many different weather scenarios along the way – snow on the walk to the towers and blazing sun on our way to Frances. Wind in the French Valley and gale force 80+kmh gusts heading to Glacier Grey. Throughout our entire time we felt confident that Sophia had our back and put our safety first.

On day 4 – we were meant to walk to Refugio Grey and catch the boat to go to the Glacier before return to the bus pick up point. This could not occur due to the fierce wind on that day, and indeed we watched the ferry turnaround as it was unable to continue on the lake in the extreme weather that was in play that day. As such, we returned to Paine Grande and caught the ferry across Lake Pehoe to pick up the bus transfer there. We assume as a result there is a refund due to us for the Grey Glacier boat tour that we unfortunately could not enjoy. Can you please advise details on the likely refund for this portion of our travels.

On a more serious note, we also need to provide feedback on the planning and execution of our trek. What we had discussed with us prior to departing NZ, and also during our briefing with Emily in Puerta Natales was not the trek experience we had and as such we planned poorly for some aspects of our trip which could have mitigated had the correct information been provided. As travellers, we are all very experienced and well rounded people who can manage what is required through careful research and planning. We are not a group of people who try to wing-it. We like to be sure we are careful and well informed on what we need to have with us to ensure our safety.

During our time corresponding with you, we started out with a plan to stay in the Refugios during our time on the trek. As there was limited space available – you suggested an alternative itinerary which saw us camping – the first night out of the park, an hours bus ride away at a camping site, then camping Frances on night 2, camping at Paine Grande night 3. We had expectations that this indeed was our itinerary until we received our paperwork and itinerary from Emily late Nov/Early December before we departed NZ. This shows that instead we were back on track with the original plan – that we would be in refugios, we would be staying at Los Torres on night one, Cuerno on night two, and Paine Grande night three. We queried this as we wanted to be sure we packed appropriately for camping versus refugios, and it was confirmed that we would have beds as per the itinerary. We met with Emily and had a detailed briefing with her upon arrival in Puerta Natales on Dec 30th – again querying our accommodation details, and having it confirmed that we were in Refugio accommodation as per the itinerary. So no need for camping style preparations, we would be in the refugios.

The morning of departure we met Sophia, and embarked on our journey in the bus. She mentioned our camping arrangements prior to departure, and we met Daniel our lovely driver as he would be driving us to the offsite location etc. You can imagine we were all quite shocked to hear that now we are back to the Camping plan as per our previous correspondence with you. Mentally and indeed from a gear perspective – we had all prepared for our time in refugios. During the first hour of our journey to the national park, we all took time to reflect on this new development, and indeed at our coffee stop – we sat Sophia down and explained that we are quite taken aback by the news that we are camping as only 36 hours prior – we had sat with Emily, in the Dittmar offices, and confirmed a completely different itinerary. Sophia could see we were all a little concerned about what we were doing, so took the time and went through step by step with us, the camping plan, the fact Rodriguez would be cooking for us on the first two nights and breakfast mornings, and ensured we had all the details about what were actually booked for.

Our first day was particularly long, in part due to the snow and cold, and the fact we were prepared for a day of around 18km, when in fact it was more like 23km. We arrived at our camping site on night one, and there were no tents for us. It was 10:30pm, we were freezing cold, the shower block had no power, and potentially we had no bed. With no power, we showered in the dark, in the hope we would warm up a little. Thankfully Sophia clearly managed to call in some favours for us and was able to get two domes for us to sleep in, and we squeezed our party of 7 into domes designed for 2 people each and through exhaustion all slept fitfully on night one. The team at this camping site found some sleeping bags, but due to their thin-ness, also rustled up some blankets and cushions as make shift pillows, and found some sleeping matts for the extra bodies that needed to camp on the floor. It wasn’t a great start to our trip, as we are sure you can appreicted. But at his point we realised how invaluable having our guide Sophia would be. Night 2 and 3 – tents were ready for us when we arrived so that was reassuring to us all.

As a group of travellers, we are resilient and we will roll with the punches. Indeed this is what we did during our time. We had to make the best of our situation. And we did, and so did Sophia.

However as far as the organisational skills that went in to preparing us for this guided tour experience, we would like to express our abject disappointment. We were not prepared for the trek as well as we should have been. We paid well for a guided all-inclusive experience, as we wanted to do our best to have no surprises (within all reasonableness). The team at Dittmar let us down by being ill prepared with the wrong itinerary. It was potentially dangerous as we did not necessarily pack the right level of clothing and accessories for the camping accommodation we ended up with.

As such we feel that it’s very important that we bring this to your attention, to try and eliminate this kind of error for your future travellers. We would be interested to hear about Dittmar’s willingness for some compensation for the group as well, as I am sure you can appreciate where we are coming from around what we felt we paid for versus what we ended up being delivered.

Finally, we would like to reiterate that Sophia made our time on the W trek, special and memorable for us all – and for that we are eternally grateful to her. She was the consummate professional always and it is a credit to her for her ability to assess and manage every day and we absolutely enjoyed the scenic splendour. Our thanks to Rodriguez too for looking after our cooking for us(very tasty and muchly needed!), and to Daniel for looking after our transportation.

We look forward to hearing back from you with you feedback.

Kind regards

Gabrielle Satherley and friends

CBF. It was an amazing trip.

This trip was exceptional. We were travelling for about 9 weeks throughout southern Chile and Argentina. Everything ran smoothly. Accommodation was delightful, guides were awesome, especially Inti in Puerto Varas, and Eduardo in Puerto Natales. I have no hesitation in recommending the team at Terra, especially Marie and Emily, they went way beyond what we expected. Our thanks go out to them for a hassle free trip.

We enjoyed the trip very much. Marie-Lou was very attentive to our needs, and was very helpful. One complaint was we basically lost a day in Santiago because all the museums were closed on Monday. We should have done Valspario on Monday instead of Tuesday.
Anyway, Easter Island and the Atacoma desert were a lot of fun and we enjoyed our stay in Chile.
Thanks.
Steve & Julie

Emily and Erin were SO helpful throughout the entire process. It was a trip of a lifetime, and we couldn’t have done it without them. Highly recommend this trip and KimKim to anyone looking for adventure!

We went to Chile as a honeymooning couple and had an amzing time... Oxana was incredibly helpful and reactive as we changed the plan a few times to incorporate a lot of things we wanted to do. The hotels chosen were brilliant, the lovely Matildas in Santiago and fabulous Altiplanico in San Pedro were comfortable, well equipped and had great levels of service, something we would later appreciate when we stayed elsewhere. We started in Santiago and went on a brilliant day trip with Javiera who... read more

We went to Chile as a honeymooning couple and had an amzing time... Oxana was incredibly helpful and reactive as we changed the plan a few times to incorporate a lot of things we wanted to do. The hotels chosen were brilliant, the lovely Matildas in Santiago and fabulous Altiplanico in San Pedro were comfortable, well equipped and had great levels of service, something we would later appreciate when we stayed elsewhere. We started in Santiago and went on a brilliant day trip with Javiera who showed us around the pretty and historic town of Valparaiso. Her wonderful knowledge of the history, the hotspots and where to find a good cup of coffee were what made it fun. We then went onto the Emiliana vineyard which was definitely the highlight of the day, learning how an organic vineyard works, the lack of pesticides and chemicals and the use of chikcens instead... The wine of course was very decent ! We chose to drive to Calama but were pleased with the pickup and accomodation once there. We had 3 fantastic day trips to the Tatio Geysers, Salt flats and the atacama salt lakes to see the flamingos. Our tour guide Michaelangelo, once again made the difference. Knowledgeable, smart and with a great sense of humour helped us understand where we were and the significance. He was always on the lookout to show us soemthing different, from the wild Chinchillas to Vicuna's and the Condors circling the carcass of an Alpaca. Many thanks to Oxana and the team for helping us map this out and the recommendations.

Erin and Emily were very knowledgeable, skilled, and helpful. We booked a 4 day W-Trek in Torres del Paine and we received help with booking or good recommendations about every aspect of the trip. On top of this both ladies are very pleasant and friendly, making it easy to ask questions. We had one miscommunication, which was taken care of immediately (on Christmas eve no less). Alexandra was 27 months pregnant, so we had a lot of questions. Erin took the time during a phone conversation to... read more

Erin and Emily were very knowledgeable, skilled, and helpful. We booked a 4 day W-Trek in Torres del Paine and we received help with booking or good recommendations about every aspect of the trip. On top of this both ladies are very pleasant and friendly, making it easy to ask questions. We had one miscommunication, which was taken care of immediately (on Christmas eve no less). Alexandra was 27 months pregnant, so we had a lot of questions. Erin took the time during a phone conversation to describe the trek to us in such detail that it made us feel comfortable with undertaking the endeavor. All in all stellar service!

We had an incredible trip. Everything went smoothly, we were met and picked up promptly at every location/airport etc. The guides were good especially James? on the half day tour of Santiago and Ozzie (Ozwaldo) on the half day Altiplanics Lagoon Trip in Atacama Desert. The street art and painted houses in Valpariso were interesting , Vina Del Mar was not.
I would highly recommend the drive we took from Puerto Montt through part of the lake district to Bariloche, while Bariloche is very... read more

We had an incredible trip. Everything went smoothly, we were met and picked up promptly at every location/airport etc. The guides were good especially James? on the half day tour of Santiago and Ozzie (Ozwaldo) on the half day Altiplanics Lagoon Trip in Atacama Desert. The street art and painted houses in Valpariso were interesting , Vina Del Mar was not.
I would highly recommend the drive we took from Puerto Montt through part of the lake district to Bariloche, while Bariloche is very touristy and commercialized the scenery around it is breath taking.
Our accommodations were all good especially as we were on a budget. It would have been nice to have had an early check in at San Pedro Atacama Hotel as we had been travelling since 3 AM and had arrived at the hotel at 10:30 AM and had to wait until 2 PM to check in. This was NOT disastrous but it would have been great to get into the room earlier.
The small hotel in Francis Drake in Porto Natales was really lovely and comfortable and the people there very sweet and accommodating.
The mix up with our final hotel in Santiago was unfortunate but Mery took care of it the moment we contacted her and it all worked out very nicely in the end.

We had a great trip and everything Oxana recommended and organised for us was fantastic. I would highly recommend both Kimkim and Oxana.

An absolutely awesome trip. The W Trek was simply remarkable. Mayra and Quechua did an amazing job of arranging everything. All our transfers came off without a hitch. Hotels and guides were wonderful. Will definitely work with them again on my next trip to South America.

I cannot recall any disappointment during the five weeks I was in Chile.
The only comment I would make is this. Twice my transfer rides were thirty minutes late which caused me worry and, in one instance, an email to Oxana to confirm there was someone on the way. It turned out that the transfer company had scheduled the pickup at a different time from EcoChile but I wasn't informed of the discrepancy. It worked out in the end, but it caused some anxiety. There was another mix up at the... read more

I cannot recall any disappointment during the five weeks I was in Chile.
The only comment I would make is this. Twice my transfer rides were thirty minutes late which caused me worry and, in one instance, an email to Oxana to confirm there was someone on the way. It turned out that the transfer company had scheduled the pickup at a different time from EcoChile but I wasn't informed of the discrepancy. It worked out in the end, but it caused some anxiety. There was another mix up at the airport on my arrival but the owners of EcoChile, much to their credit, made amends and the remainder of my tour of Chile was sensational.
I would absolutely recommend EcoChile to any visitor looking for someone local to organize their vacation. I'm impressed. Considering the number of flights, hotels, venue changes I experienced, things went very well.

We spent an amazing 4 weeks in Chile. Mariano helped us organize the trip from beginning to end and absolutely everything went according to plan. The local guides were knowledgeable and professional. Roberto went out of his way to help us with a minor health issue and still managed to show us the best of Vina del Mar and Valparaiso. Mario shared his love for Chile, and especially the Atacama and all its diversity, and Anna from Akorn was there 24/7 if we had any questions. Chiloe and... read more

We spent an amazing 4 weeks in Chile. Mariano helped us organize the trip from beginning to end and absolutely everything went according to plan. The local guides were knowledgeable and professional. Roberto went out of his way to help us with a minor health issue and still managed to show us the best of Vina del Mar and Valparaiso. Mario shared his love for Chile, and especially the Atacama and all its diversity, and Anna from Akorn was there 24/7 if we had any questions. Chiloe and Pucon were also on our list, and biking in the Lake District surrounded by volcanoes was an absolute highlight.
Thank you!

We have just returned from a spectacular four week journey to Chile. Thanks in no small part to all the stellar folks at Kimkim and their wonderful contractors, our diverse wanderings went off without a hitch. Mariano, our Kimkim specialist was there for us at the start. We were a group of four people with diverse interests and pretty much zero prior knowledge of the country. We threw our various desires into a pot and Mariano sorted us out with a trip which took us from the high plains of... read more

We have just returned from a spectacular four week journey to Chile. Thanks in no small part to all the stellar folks at Kimkim and their wonderful contractors, our diverse wanderings went off without a hitch. Mariano, our Kimkim specialist was there for us at the start. We were a group of four people with diverse interests and pretty much zero prior knowledge of the country. We threw our various desires into a pot and Mariano sorted us out with a trip which took us from the high plains of the Atacama desert to the rugged coastline of Chiloe, from the bustling city of Santiago to the bohemian hills of Valparaiso. We had amazing local guides set up by Acorn where Ana was our 24/7 "go to" for requests, wrinkles and suggestions. From finding dentist to dealing with a missed flight, Ana was always there for us - cheerful and helpful!

We would definitely use Kimkim again any time!

This was a complete mess.
We were given no details regarding the tours beforehand. Only what time they began.
The paperwork said someone would be in touch to confirm our pickup time, etc. We didn't hear from anyone. I had to make an international call at midnight the night before to find out when we should be ready. When I inquired about a drop-off time, she couldn't tell me.
Then, we hated our guide (about 99% sure she was hungover). She threw up the entire first half of the tour, told... read more

This was a complete mess.
We were given no details regarding the tours beforehand. Only what time they began.
The paperwork said someone would be in touch to confirm our pickup time, etc. We didn't hear from anyone. I had to make an international call at midnight the night before to find out when we should be ready. When I inquired about a drop-off time, she couldn't tell me.
Then, we hated our guide (about 99% sure she was hungover). She threw up the entire first half of the tour, told us next to nothing about the places we saw. Then we were dropped off in town at the tour office, so had to walk back to the hotel. We only had about an hour and a half in between tours. The morning tour was so miserable, we didn't even go on the 2nd tour of the day.
We did however, stop by the tour office to find out what time our next morning pick up would be.
And lo and behold, we had the same guide. At least she was not sick the following day, but we were once again underwhelmed with her knowledge. We basically ended up eavesdropping other tours who had knowledgeable guides with interesting information.

Overall, our experience in the Atacama desert was underwhelming, which was extremely disappointing considering all the wonderful things we heard about it before going.

Loved every part of it. Erin and team saved our holiday and made our trip to Patagonia unforgettable. THANK YOU!!!

Amazing day with Juancho and Andres in Torre del Pine. Juancho is very knowledgeable and is happy to share his knowledge. Fantastic views and opportunities to take photographs of wild life. Totally recommended.

Another amazing day with Claudia, Christian and Pedro from Kayak Agua Fresca. Memorable moments watching the dolfins playing near our zodiac. Watching the sea lions and so many different birds. Claudia is an amazing guide who speaks very good English and Christian is a very experienced sailor. Totally recommended

I worked with Emily and Erin in planning my solo hike through Patagonia. It was ane ady process and they were happy to answer all my questions. They even put my mind at ease when I voiced my concerns about my readiness to do this experience, having never hiked before and feeling a bit apprehensive about doing it self-guided. They were right though, it was amazing and I'm so glad I did it. Highly recommend Dittmar and the ladies for the care and professional service.

Silvia and the team at Argentina / Chile on the Go are great. Silvia designed a 16 day trip for us to see the highlights of Chile including Atacama, Santiago, the Chilean Lake District, Torres del Paine and Easter Island. Everything went according to plan and without any hiccups. Thank you Silvia!

Martin was easily contactable and helpful in providing tours, and selected some perfect tours for us in the end. However it was hard to determine the exact day itineraries to see what was involved. It would have been useful to have been sent final overviews to what each day covered and what was included with more information than was provided. This lead to a bit of confusion on arrival as there was a misunderstanding of the plan for the day and being dropped at the hotel for lunch when we... read more

Martin was easily contactable and helpful in providing tours, and selected some perfect tours for us in the end. However it was hard to determine the exact day itineraries to see what was involved. It would have been useful to have been sent final overviews to what each day covered and what was included with more information than was provided. This lead to a bit of confusion on arrival as there was a misunderstanding of the plan for the day and being dropped at the hotel for lunch when we thought we were out all day, and when we were late being picked up on day 1 we weren't sure who to contact.

The local agency was very good - very knowledgeable guides and great trips.

I can't say enough about how effective and awesome Erin was -- and everyone I interacted with at the local guiding company Dittmar Adventures. Erin was very fastidious with her correspondence, always answering quickly and thoroughly, from our very first exchanges, when I was outlining what we wanted to do, and what our budget was. She tweaked the itinerary to suit our, quite unique, needs. Because our situation was pretty unusual -- in that I was traveling with a 3-year-old and a... read more

I can't say enough about how effective and awesome Erin was -- and everyone I interacted with at the local guiding company Dittmar Adventures. Erin was very fastidious with her correspondence, always answering quickly and thoroughly, from our very first exchanges, when I was outlining what we wanted to do, and what our budget was. She tweaked the itinerary to suit our, quite unique, needs. Because our situation was pretty unusual -- in that I was traveling with a 3-year-old and a 6-year-old alone while my husband hiked the "W" trek in Torres del Paine -- Erin really had to think hard about what would work for me and two small children to do that would be manageable. Her itinerary worked so well. It was a combo of two days of group tours (one to an estancia, Estancia La Peninsula, which was INCREDIBLE, and the other a boat tour aboard the Agunsa to the Bernardo O'Higgins national park to see glaciers) and one day of a privately guided tour to Torres del Paine national park, with a guide (Victor, also amazing, who Dittmar uses with some regularity). Everything Erin chose was awesome, including the days off for the kids and I to recuperate from long days of activity! We thoroughly enjoyed the inn she chose for us, the Amerindia, and the staff there were so helpful and friendly, particularly with my boisterous children. The owner of Dittmar, Laura, even lent me two carseats to use for the children on the day-trip to Torres del Paine. All I can say is that Erin, and all others from Dittmar I associated with, were so personal, so interested in us having a good time, and so available to help when needed. We ended up needed some help because a member of our party had her hiking backpack lost by LATAM, and Erin coordinated with Laura and another Dittmar employee (the amazing Emily) to be sure our traveling companion could rent everything she needed the night before their trek began. All I can say is that my whole experience with KimKim, and then with Erin and Dittmar, was excellent. Erin is so generous with her time and all the information she shares. I highly, highly recommend working with her!

For the most part, Oxana did a very good job planning and organizing out trip to Chile. We had printed our itinerary and had access to the Axios app of our daily activities. The itinerary was well organized and structured with lots of helpful information(I.e., confirmation codes, flight #s, seats, check-in and departure times, hotel names, et. al. info). The bilingual tour guides were all knowledgeable, capable, well-prepared, punctual, and professional. We were especially impressed by two... read more

For the most part, Oxana did a very good job planning and organizing out trip to Chile. We had printed our itinerary and had access to the Axios app of our daily activities. The itinerary was well organized and structured with lots of helpful information(I.e., confirmation codes, flight #s, seats, check-in and departure times, hotel names, et. al. info). The bilingual tour guides were all knowledgeable, capable, well-prepared, punctual, and professional. We were especially impressed by two tour guides: Maria Teresa Vargas Casanova on Easter Island(Rapa Nui) and Felipe Maureira, our driver, tour guide and sommelier for Colchagua and Maipo Valley tours to the wineries. They were exceptional. We would highly recommend them and now consider them lifelong friends.
The connections went smoothly and our pickups/drivers at the airports were always there waiting for us with our names on signs. First, the accommodations on Easter Island could have been better since the room looked old and needed an update. It looked better from the outside. The service, and breakfast were good, as well as location to the airport,
However, in retrospect, we would have liked to see what other places were available in that category or even a higher category hotel. We would not recommend this hotel If there is a better choice available.
Each time we based out of Santiago at the Ismael Hotel and it was great. It was a nice boutique hotel with great service and breakfast and was centrally located in a fashionable area close to Lastarria, the art museums, the seafood market, and other places of interest. It was a great choice. Our only criticism was during our time in the Atacama. Oxana, even though we did have your telephone #, there were times when the communication could have been conveyed more clearly. For example, though you organized the itinerary, it would have been better to know that local tour operators(i.e.
Rutas Andinas) were handling the tours and schedules. The itinerary you gave us was suddenly in question as the driver who picked us up at El Loa Airport in Calama handed us a different itinerary. The order of activities and the days were changed. The first activity was supposed to be at 5:30am and not at 8:00am as now scheduled. We didn’t want to miss an activity so we prepared for the earlier time. This could have been more clearly communicated to us and the night person at reception was not sure himself. Also, while we had a very nice, modern room, there was no telephone in the room of this new wing of the Hotel(Don Jose). One activity had us going to the salt flats(Salares) with a stop off at a village famous for its church bell tower and the market in the plaza. Unfortunately, we were there so early, the market was closed,! Somebody should have clarified this since it was part of the tour. A big highlight of the Atacama, which we greatly anticipated, was the astronomical observation. Since we had cloudy weather all week, the day was not promising, but it wasn’t until ten minutes before that it actually came off. It was spectacular and we highly recommend this activity with Jorge Corante F. The Atacama part of the trip was where we felt that communication was not clear and we needed more help from you, Oxana. This is the only reason we feel you didn’t get the 5th star rating. However, you did respond quite well after this and notified us of what the last three days of our itinerary were and we considered those updated. We really appreciated that since I had requested help initially with checking in for our flights. You did that with confirmed Check-in info, but we found it was more helpful and direct to just go to the Latam app which we had from our trip last year to Ecuador to get our Tarjetas de Embarque(Boarding Passes). These were superior to what was sent us. For future travelers with Latam, download the app and put in the confirmation codes. A couple of other considerations we would have wanted.
We wanted to go to Pablo Neruda’s house near Valparaiso, but we were given The choice to go there or to do the walking tour as scheduled. We opted for the latter. Luckily, it was closed on Monday so that made it easier. Our good tour guide, Javiera, recommended his house in Santiago. Finally, given our time constraint, we probably needed another day of “down time” in Santiago to more fully appreciate Lastarria, the art and cultural museums, the seafood market, and other places of interest. Santiago has really good food. Dine at Aqui Esta Coco. We started our walking tour in Santiago with our good tour guide, Max, and ended in Santiago walking in Lastarria by ourselves. All in all, we appreciate the itinerary organized for us by Oxana and want to compliment her for her efforts. Gracias por todo(Thanks for everything).

I have done a good few trips and this one was definitely up there with the best. I travelled the length and breadth of Chile - which has plenty of the former and very little of the latter, so it meant a lot of flying north and south. I feel like I got a taste of the entire country, from Atacama to Patagonia. Could doubtless have spent longer at a few key places, but on the other hand, Chile is such a long way to come from the UK I felt I had to pack as much in as possible on this one trip. I... read more

I have done a good few trips and this one was definitely up there with the best. I travelled the length and breadth of Chile - which has plenty of the former and very little of the latter, so it meant a lot of flying north and south. I feel like I got a taste of the entire country, from Atacama to Patagonia. Could doubtless have spent longer at a few key places, but on the other hand, Chile is such a long way to come from the UK I felt I had to pack as much in as possible on this one trip. I met some lovely people, both other travellers and tour guides (especially Roderigo, tour guide to Valparaiso, Elvin, guide to Osorno and Petrohue, and Victor, guide to Chiloe island). My interactions with natives were curtailed by my regrettably poor Spanish - it was noticeable that many Chileans spoke little or no English, including airline staff and even people at Information desks, so English speakers should be aware that many of the service personnel do not have the level of English that some other countries do. This is not a criticism, and the attitude of the Chileans that visitors to Latin America should speak decent Spanish is perfectly reasonable. Having some command of the native tongue is obviously desirable, and I am sorry that mine was limited. That aside, the people were helpful and things ran smoothly - I was impressed by the efficiency of the Chilean airline Sky and the airports that I passed through; the embarkation, departures, and bag claims were some of the fastest I've experienced, which takes a lot of the hassle from flying. The scenery throughout was spectacular, notably in Atacama, Lake District and Torres del Paine. I also enjoyed a couple of days in Santiago, which is an underrated city. Some great food and drink, not least the pisco sours. All in all, a memorable trip and a country I would strongly recommend. Thank you kimkim, and Maria!

Once again, another perfect, memorable trek by Quechua Treks. From planning and booking with James, who I swear never sleeps to the trek itself we had perfect service. Cem, our guide met us the night before our trek to go over the layout of the park and what to expect which was wonderful. He then met us the next morning with our driver Patricio for the drive to the Park. Patricio suggested an additional trek that most people don't do, but we decided to do and it was a beautiful start to... read more

Once again, another perfect, memorable trek by Quechua Treks. From planning and booking with James, who I swear never sleeps to the trek itself we had perfect service. Cem, our guide met us the night before our trek to go over the layout of the park and what to expect which was wonderful. He then met us the next morning with our driver Patricio for the drive to the Park. Patricio suggested an additional trek that most people don't do, but we decided to do and it was a beautiful start to our journey! The scenery of the Torres del Paine is breathtakingly beautiful and we had an amazing time. The refugios are well equipped and very comfortable. Cem is a wonderful guide, full of stories of the area, great tips, pointed out things of interest as we went by, we even got to sample ripe berries as we walked by the plants on the trail!!! One of my best memories is of Cem, Micky and myself all on the ground looking in a burrow we found with a light trying to see if it was an armadillo burrow or a skunk burrow. We had so much fun!!!

My favorite refugio was Cernos, small, but oh so comfortable. Toasty warm, wonderful staff, beautiful views of the surrounding Park. Fabulous wine.

Many, many thanks to Quechua Treks for this truly amazing adventure that will always hold a special place in my heart. This isn't my first adventure with Quechua Treks and it certainly won't be my last (I already have three more adventures planned with them!) James and Mayra did an outstanding job coordinating the trek and Cem did an outstanding job guiding us. I already miss it and want to go back!

I personally didn’t get this trip started Kristin did. The email chain was informed and answered Most questions what questions I did have was promptly answered by James. Cam our guide was amazing I can’t thank him enough for the experience he gave us all.

Thank you

Cem was a wonderful guide!!! Though I think I was the guide for most of the time haha——loved every moment of my trip to Patagonian Chile. Learned a lot and greatly appreciated Cem sharing his knowledge about the area. Everyone was amazing and will greatly miss this trip. Definitely a memory that will last forever in my mind and my heart.

Cem was fantastic and truly entertaining. He was focused on providing our group with the best possible experience in Patagonia and was very considerate of hiking paces and experience levels. Also, he was prepared to assist with any small injuries or areas of discomfort caused by the trails themselves. I truly enjoyed every moment of hiking the “W” and can’t wait to hike even more in the future! Thank you!

Bob and I had an incredible and very varied trip to Chile for our honeymoon. We spent the first 5 days of it in Patagonia, where we did the "W" route. Our guide, Camilla, was the perfect person to take me, and inexperienced hiker, from place to place. She took such good care of us, and her pacing was perfect to get us where we needed to go without making me totally work out. Her cheerfulness and enthusiasm were such a treat.

After that we spent a day in Santiago and three days in... read more

Bob and I had an incredible and very varied trip to Chile for our honeymoon. We spent the first 5 days of it in Patagonia, where we did the "W" route. Our guide, Camilla, was the perfect person to take me, and inexperienced hiker, from place to place. She took such good care of us, and her pacing was perfect to get us where we needed to go without making me totally work out. Her cheerfulness and enthusiasm were such a treat.

After that we spent a day in Santiago and three days in Cochagua Valley doing wine tours and eating unbelievably good food. Our guides for the wine tour, Jose and Fransisco, were a lot of fun and really knowledgeable. We enjoyed all of the tours and tastings we did and were grateful to meet everyone there.

The two highlights of the wine-touring part of our trip were lunch at Fuegos de Alpata, the restaurant at Montes vineyard. Both the food and views were unbelievable, and it took us several hours afterwards to be able to recover and for the haze to wear off. The second was our accommodation - Hotel Quinta Maria. The massive and colorful room in the middle of a gorgeous garden was pretty great, but the best part of the stay was the hospitality of the hotel's owner, Eduardo, who took great care of us and made us a multi-course breakfast, including home-grown fruit and eggs from his own chickens, each morning.

Overall, we couldn't have asked for a better experience and are very grateful for James and Mayra's planning and decision-making. They captured exactly what we wanted.

We were impressed by our guides along the way. In Santiago, Maria showed us the sights. She was very knowledgeable. Vivian picked us up at the airport and dropped us off for the flight home. She was lovely, stayed in contact on Whatsapp and was very helpful.
In St Pedro, the tours were interesting, guides Elaine and Sina were very good. Really enjoyed the Moon and Mars valley with Sina very much. She was a fountain of information. The wine and cheese at sunset was a nice surprise.
All went... read more

We were impressed by our guides along the way. In Santiago, Maria showed us the sights. She was very knowledgeable. Vivian picked us up at the airport and dropped us off for the flight home. She was lovely, stayed in contact on Whatsapp and was very helpful.
In St Pedro, the tours were interesting, guides Elaine and Sina were very good. Really enjoyed the Moon and Mars valley with Sina very much. She was a fountain of information. The wine and cheese at sunset was a nice surprise.
All went well in Puerto Varas and Chiloé. The car rental experience was excellent and it was nice to drive around and make our own plans. Parque Quilquico Hotel was outstanding. Lovely scenery, peaceful surroundings, great staff and fabulous food.
In Patagonia, we were met by the Los Torres driver, Hernan, who had lots of sights to point out and was very interesting. The Cerro Negro stop was nice. The Las Torres hotel was great. Glad we did the all inclusive. Room was comfortable, staff very helpful and the food was excellent. Even the box lunch was well done. The excursions were very interesting. Our guide, Steve, on the Full Paine was excellent, very knowledgeable and helpful. The horseback ride toLake Norgenskjol was fun, lovely horses and guides there too. All in all an unforgettable vacation!