Kimkim Trip Reviews for Chile

Chile 2019 - thank you to Daiana and all the drivers and tour guides who made this a trip of a lifetime. Hotel Ismael is Santiago is perfect. Matetic Winery is a must see. Atacama desert experience was beyond expectations. Judy

I liked that kimkim provides suggested itineraries. It helped me to decide what to do on my trip. It resulted in my choosing to start in Buenos Aires, going to Ushuaia and finishing up in Chile. This was my first time using kimkim, so I was unsure of the quality of the service I would be receiving but I was happy with how things turned out.

My reason for giving only four stars is that there was quite often a lag in communication. I would request something or ask a question, and sometimes would only receive a response days later. An immediate response, such as “We got your question, please give us a few days to get back to you”. would have been helpful.

As well, a breakdown of the costs would have been helpful. I only received a total dollar amount with no idea of the costs for the individual tours and accommodations.

Daiana’s service was good. The tour companies she chose were excellent. The tour guides, Sandra in Buenos Aires, and Gabriel in Ushuaia were first class. Sandra spent more than a half day with me. She was flexible in that she was able to start the tour right away instead of waiting until the afternoon. She was very knowledgeable about the city, took me to places that matched my interests, and gave me good advice for the next day when I was on my own.

Gabriel of Nunatak was fantastic as well. I liked being in small groups, he was also very knowledgeable, and provided a good insight into life in Argentina. The lunches provided by Nunatak were very good as well. Daiana picked excursions for me that I found very pleasing. I was happy with everything that she organized.

Again, the area for improvement would be communication. The pickup in the airports were difficult as it took time before I was able to find my driver. Maybe I should be wearing a sign and stand somewhere near the exit of the arrivals area instead of trying to find the driver.

I had difficulty using the emergency numbers provided with my cell phone while at the airport. Nothing seemed to work. At the Buenos Aires airport, the number that finally worked was the one for outside of the city but still in Argentina. It would have helpful to know that at the airport, one should use that particular number.

In Calama, it was particularly difficult. The written instructions sent me to the wrong counter.
Transfer Andion had no idea who I was, and it was only by accident that I found out that arrangements had been made with another taxi service. As well, I didn’t really need a pickup as the resort I was staying in (Awasi) always comes to pick up their guests. I am not sure why Daiana was unaware of this and made these other arrangements.

Finally, on the day of departure for going back to Canada, the written instructions indicated my driver was to pick me up at 2:15 pm. His understanding was that the pickup time was 3:00 pm. Another communication breakdown.

So on the whole, the service was good, but I can’t give it an excellent rating because of these communication issues.

My two trips within Chile which were organised by Oxana were fantastic.The first was a full day outing from Santiago , where our fantastic guide Paolo led a very memorable and stunning day hike in the El Morado national monument and then we had a soak in the hot springs topped offwith a picnic watching the land changing colours in the sunset. Then I had 3nights in San Pedro de Atacama, an amazing place. Oxana organised my transfers from Calama , a great hotel and two full days of experiencing that wondrous region. I found Kimkim to be very helpful, responsive and flexible when I had an issue I unexpectedly needed to resolve which required their understanding. I highly recommend Kimkim.

It is difficult to award “stars” for this experience – but something like 8 out of 5 would perhaps do it justice!

Equally difficult to pick a highlight in a trip full of them:

It started with a warm welcome from Ingrid in Puerto Varras. After a spectacular flight to Chaiten the next morning, a walk to a glacier and a first night in a nice lodge at Lake Yelcho, the trekking started in earnest the next day.
We started at our lead guide Ricardo’s family home in Futaleufú before setting off on a strenuous trek to Lake Las Rosas where we set up camp in an untouched wilderness area. Dinner was great Italian home cooking on open fires! Next morning Ricardo rustled up a perfectly cooked breakfast before we embarked on an exciting horse ride over a steep, rocky and exposed path and eventually out into the valley to Lake Espolon for a paddle across the lake.
Accommodation this day was with a local family, dinner in their home and an interesting stroll the following morning.
A strenuous walk then got us up to the Tree House – a fantastically set out camp with cabins clinging to trees that leave you just about out in the open, overlooking a little pond – and the first of the wood fired spas we came to treasure in the next two camps!
Then came a walk down the ridge for some zip lining into the Futaleufú River! Another great camp – Cave Camp – with cabins open to the rapids just outside. After lunch, a short climb up a huge crag lead to some phenomenally spectacular abseiling. Another spa to bring down the adrenalin before - another - great open-fire dinner!
Rafting some of the serious rapids on the Futaleufú was the main, crowning event before the last stop in Nun Camp – named after the mountain opposite; and my cabin hanging right at the cliff’s edge over the river! A relaxing spa was followed by a lavish feast with a lamb on the spit and a selection of great Chilean wines as the farewell from the whole team and families.

I cannot think of much at all to improve this trip - it went so completely well: First there is Ricardo’s great leadership – making me feel safe (and pampered!) all the way through; the continuous help with a smile from his father-in law Claudio; then there was the flawless execution of the logistics in an exceedingly extreme terrain; and absolutely excellent professional help from all of the team all along the way.
If really pressed I could perhaps comment that paddling on Lake Espolon is good exercise – but is it equally good adventure value?

But, in a nutshell: this was one of the very best trips of my life.

With the help of Mery, I had a wonderful time in Patagonia. She planned a 14day trip of trekking in Patagonia and suggested locations I had not considered that ended up being incredible. El Chaltén, Argentina, was a wonderful addition to my original plans and I would have not discovered this wonderful town if not for Mery. She and her team at Say hueque deserve all the credit for my visit to the Argentine side of Patagonia being a success. Mery also booked a guided trek of Torres del Paine National Park, Chile, with Chile Nativo that was incredible. The park itself is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. But the treks were great in large part because of my guide Josefa aka Pepa. She was incredibly nice, helpful, and knowledgeable about the park and Patagonia in general. I am so greatful to have had her as my guide, she did an amazing job. Thank you Mery, Pepa, and kimkim for making my trip to Patagonia a success!

Really fantastic experience booking my trip to Chile with KimKim. Oxana was very knowledgeable and helped me plan the perfect trip and every detail seemed to be taken care of. The transportation services were excellent and I was able to experience all the parts of Chile I had hoped to visit. I was even automatically checked in for domestic flights I had while in Chile, which was super convenient. The accommodations were also superb. My only quibble would be that some of the tours I was on were with people that were about twice my age (I’m 29 and the median age of a lot of my fellow tourists seemed to be about 60). I would have enjoyed being around those more my own age, but also realize that as a solo traveler, I am being accommodated by tour groups that are able to take me and it’s not necessarily within KimKim’s control as to what age group I end up touring with, and it didn’t negatively impact my experience- just something for others to bear in mind. And in some instances I was the only person signed up for a tour and the tours still went, which was really appreciated as I know some tours won’t go if they don’t get enough participants. Overall excellent experience and service and I will definitely consider traveling with KimKim again in the future!

Marina was very tentative from the very beginning. She’s very responsive and explained very details to us. At first I was a bit nervous using online travel agent since we didn’t have any in person interaction but after a while Marina made us feel very comfortable. I would recommend Kimkim to my friends and our future adventures.

Overall we had a great holiday. Chile is a diverse, amazing and civilised place. Everywhere we went people were friendly and we didn't feel threatened at all. Highlights were the Atacama Desert and the trips run by Rutas Andinas (especially Andreas); they were very laid back and informative. We also loved Torres Del Paine and had the bonus of being on all inclusive, which we didn't realise until we were on the transfer from Punta Arenas. We did a number of trips from the hotel - Grey Glacier, Base of the Tower, Patagon and Laguna Azul, and all of the guides were excellent. If we were to go again I would probably give the Lake District a miss - Puerto Varas is really nice but the Chiloe Island trip, although there is nothing wrong with it, is a long way (400 km round trip) for not that much return. Osorno Volcano trip was good.
We spent 5 nights (in 3 blocks in Santiago) and the Ismael Hotel is in a great position. Lots of positives about the hotel - staff, atmosphere, breakfast, comfortable bed and pillow but be aware there is not much sound proofing in the glazing, so if you are in a room that is low down and either on the noisy side (back of hotel is on a busy street) or in room 413 (next to apartment that has all night parties on a Saturday - till 0700), try to get moved higher. Walking tour of Santiago was good and the Valpariso/Wine Tour was great. Felipe is a good guy. We also went on a Colchagua Wine Tour, which was the only one where we felt we were pushed along by the guide (Vivi). The vineyards were excellent and we had plenty of wine and a good lunch but we kept being told 'we need to move on in 8 minutes; 5 minutes etc', which isn't great considering how expensive it is.
Oxana (supported by Marina) was excellent and planned the whole thing around our wishes. Also, when we had a couple of scheduling issues with transfers they were resolved immediately. One other thing to mention, throughout the tour, regardless of operator, all of the drivers were good and we both felt safe on all trips (bus drivers in Cambodia please note!!).
An excellent trip and I would use KimKim and EcoChile again.

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 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 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, 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 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 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 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 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 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.