Trip Reviews for Colombia

The trip was fabulous. the guide (Alejandro Pinto) was superb. He has excellent knowledge of the local birds and was happy and helpful throughout despite being ill. The most memorable part was staying in Tatama. An excellent place. Good food and great hospitality.

The Colombian Project’s Eastern, Central, and Western Andean Ranges and Valleys 16-day tour exceeded my expectations! We visited a variety of birding areas, so the tour was a great introduction and sampling of the birds and birding in Colombia. Our bird guide, Alejandro, was energetic, enthusiastic, and located many hard to find birds.
I enjoyed dining at a variety of establishments, many of which included local fare, and staying in a variety of accommodation types, all of which were... read more

The Colombian Project’s Eastern, Central, and Western Andean Ranges and Valleys 16-day tour exceeded my expectations! We visited a variety of birding areas, so the tour was a great introduction and sampling of the birds and birding in Colombia. Our bird guide, Alejandro, was energetic, enthusiastic, and located many hard to find birds.
I enjoyed dining at a variety of establishments, many of which included local fare, and staying in a variety of accommodation types, all of which were clean and comfortable. Although there were a couple of long rides in between destinations, the large and comfortable van with big windows allowed for great viewing of the beautiful landscapes along the way.
I’m an avid birder and traveler, and this is one of my top experiences thus far - thanks to the Colombian Project’s planning, experience, and personnel!

Overall a great experience with very sociable and helpful guide, Aljandro really knows his birds.
I would have preferred to see more owls, nightjars and raptors but the forrest birds made for a superb trip.
Tx again KimKim

Lisa from Adventure Colombia was fantastic as our travel coordinator and advisor to the coffee region of Colombia. We flew from Cartagena to the city of Pereira where we were met by a private driver and van for the ride to Salento. Lisa had made reservations for us at the best hotel in right in the heart of the town. We were met by David our tour guide the next morning for a fantastic day of hiking in the Cocora Valley and touring OcaSa Coffee Farm. David has fantastic knowledge of the... read more

Lisa from Adventure Colombia was fantastic as our travel coordinator and advisor to the coffee region of Colombia. We flew from Cartagena to the city of Pereira where we were met by a private driver and van for the ride to Salento. Lisa had made reservations for us at the best hotel in right in the heart of the town. We were met by David our tour guide the next morning for a fantastic day of hiking in the Cocora Valley and touring OcaSa Coffee Farm. David has fantastic knowledge of the region and was extremely accommodating and enjoyable to be with.

Lisa also provided us with great information and ideas for our time in Cartagena, Bogota and Villa de Leyva.

Colombia is a beautiful country to visit. We felt safe everywhere we went and hotels, meals etc are extremely affordable when compared to traveling in Europe or the States. Although we do not speak much Spanish we found that many people had some English language skills.

KimKim and Aventure Colombia really did a great job in making our trip so fantastic.

David, Jan, Ryan and Lauren

Overall, this was a rewarding trip, however, not without some issues. In general, too much time was spent traveling from place to place, especially with some of the long car rides for activities that were only a few hours in length. EVERY flight we took on Avianca experienced delays, significant delays or cancelation. By and large, our guides were excellent, except for our experience on Day 2 going to Chingaza (see below). No events / activities were planned for any of the evenings and it... read more

Overall, this was a rewarding trip, however, not without some issues. In general, too much time was spent traveling from place to place, especially with some of the long car rides for activities that were only a few hours in length. EVERY flight we took on Avianca experienced delays, significant delays or cancelation. By and large, our guides were excellent, except for our experience on Day 2 going to Chingaza (see below). No events / activities were planned for any of the evenings and it might have been nice if we had been able to attend some sort of cultural event or to be directed to a special restaurant. Some specific comments follow:

Day 1- Edgar met us at the Hotel just as the World Cup match ended with Colombia's victory. He was excellent. He took us around the park nearby, to a Sunday craft market, and he made several good dining suggestions. He was also our guide on Day 3 which was also an excellent tour of places in Bogota. At our request, he brought us to the main food and flower market and introduced us to numerous indigenous fruits. In retrospect, we should have flown to Pereida at the end of Day 3 to give us more time in coffee country.

Day 2 - Chingaza was interesting but not worth the long trip. We met our guide in La Calera but the vehicle was not large enough for all the passengers. At the park, it was cold, raining, windy and at high altitude. We needed extra layers of clothing and waterproof footwear. Our guide was completely immersed in her discussion of the surrounding environment, would not stop talking for the entire time we were with her and didn't properly assess my wife's level of discomfort and desire to return. The park was interesting but I think it likely that there may have been other activities near Bogota that would have be more interesting.

Day 4 - By far the best day of the trip. The visit to the coffee farm was without a doubt the highlight of the trip. We very much liked our guide, Juan.
Day 5 - Salento and the Cocora Vally hike were nice but we needed to end early to fly to Medellin. Worst day of travel on the entire trip. No direct flights on Avianca so we needed return to Bogota. Our first connecting flight was cancelled and the later flight was 2 hours delayed. In all, it took us 8 hours. It would have faster to drive and even faster to fly on EasyFly direct in 1 hour.

Day 6 - Medellin, we had a nice morning touring Medellin but it probably should have been the entire day. We did not see as much as we would have liked. Then we spent two hours driving to Guatape, a beautiful town with some stops along the way. Unfortunately, we arrived in Guatape late in the day and during a rain downpour and were not able to walk around much. The visit to the town should be been the priority of the trip, not the side stops. Long drive back resulted in a very late dinner.

Day 7 - Rafting. The trip itself was great and worthwhile but our departure from Medellin should have been earlier, not 11am. Consequently, we didn't get back to Medellin until it was almost too late to go out to dinner.
Day 8 - Cartagena. Excellent day touring the City with Richard.
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Day 9 - Isla del Encanto. Two problems. 1) We were not instructed to bring towels and I had to rent them for 60,000 COP. 2) The guides explained the set up of the resort to all the passengers in Spanish on the boat before docking. After docking, they repeated the explanation to a group in English. It was a busy day (national holiday). By the time they finished us giving information about the resort, more boats had docked and every cabana chair on the beach and near the beach were taken by people who had exited the boats earlier. We asked the staff to help but pretty much got a cold shoulder. Given that we probably paid twice as much as everyone else, we were fairly irritated by this sequence of events. Otherwise, the visit was nice.
Day 10, we spent in the old city on our own before going to the airport.

A great planning experience and an amazing trip. Thank you True Colombian Travel. The entire team was professional and personal and went beyond the extra mile to plan us the perfect Colombian adventure. They are there and touring you around. They are the perfect trip planners and guides. I can’t recommend them more. Responsive and flexible. We felt completely taken care of. Thank you.

This was an incredibly well planned trip that was so enjoyable and excellent. Our guides were so knowledgeable and went at our own pace. Never rushed and each one was early every morning so no stress! Tatiana took us to the gold museum in bogota and her in depth knowledge made the next days trip to guaatavita very meaningful. We also went with her to la calenderlaria and the botero museum. The salt cathedral and guatavita are a must see. A highlight was the days we spent with David in the... read more

This was an incredibly well planned trip that was so enjoyable and excellent. Our guides were so knowledgeable and went at our own pace. Never rushed and each one was early every morning so no stress! Tatiana took us to the gold museum in bogota and her in depth knowledge made the next days trip to guaatavita very meaningful. We also went with her to la calenderlaria and the botero museum. The salt cathedral and guatavita are a must see. A highlight was the days we spent with David in the Corcora valley. We had an intimate coffee experience and amazing hike in the unique Corcora wax palm valley. David is so warm and enthused about his country and made the experience very personal with a coffee experience in pihao with a local farmer. In Cartagena the two best tours was a day trip to the sport baru hotel in the Rosario islands and the fishing with locals in la boquilla. Nathalie checked in on us was very responsive and definitely partnered with first class locals for the tours. It exceeded our expectations in every way!

I had a great time in Colombia. Angel was a remarkable guide who was able to cater to our group in an expert way. Each driver was skilled and they were fun to talk with. The Sierra Nevada in Santa Marta was beautiful and all of the hotels that Juan recommended were great.

Planning Notes

1. Final itinerary should come out to the group sooner. There was little to no time to consider changes for the group (example, we would have liked starting an hour later each day)

Transportation Notes

1. Our Bogota to Santa Marta flight was a complete mess! We didn't have confirmed seats and couldn't pre book them due to bad wifi connection speeds in Bogota. Because of this we almost didn't get to go on our flight and needed to wait while the airline asked 7 volunteers... read more

Planning Notes

1. Final itinerary should come out to the group sooner. There was little to no time to consider changes for the group (example, we would have liked starting an hour later each day)

Transportation Notes

1. Our Bogota to Santa Marta flight was a complete mess! We didn't have confirmed seats and couldn't pre book them due to bad wifi connection speeds in Bogota. Because of this we almost didn't get to go on our flight and needed to wait while the airline asked 7 volunteers to take a later flight. Even when we finally got seats they were all dispersed and it took additional changes to ensure the children could be with someone from our group.

2. Transportation to the fishing village and final transportation to the Cartagena airport for the last transfer were super tight! This was strange considering that for our other trips the vehicle was sufficiently large enough.

Bogota Notes

1. Walking tour was cut short due to rain. Is there anyway to have a more concrete back up plan if weather intervenes?

2. Adding a souvenir destination in some of the market areas of Bogota to the walking tour would be great to explore some of the handmade/cultural items available.

3. Ingrid, our Bogota guide, was kind, helpful, and friendly. Would definitely recommend her to other groups.

4. Hotel (Casa Deco) was in a good location and the staff were all helpful and friendly. Though the construction on that road made it difficult for our transportation to get in and out of the area.

5. Monserrate portion of trip was awesome. Great views, easy to access, & shopping available. Plenty of time to spend at our own pace.

Santa Marta Notes

1. Hotel was in a central location and staff was friendly & helpful.

2. However, hotel (Casa Ferol) nickeled & dimed everything we needed - extra charge for drinks during breakfast, charging for a bucket of ice without previously telling us it would cost us extra, etc.

3. Tayrona Park guides (Angel & Jorge) were great. Friendly, knowledgable, and attentive to the group. They did everything - helping kids and older adults with the hike and helping with ordering of lunch.

4. Tayrona hike is NOT for all fitness levels. Older adults and young children struggled with the heat, length of the hike, and large uneven steps in the hiking areas. Some of the adults with back and knee problems struggled with the hike as well.

5. Large waterfall of Marinka was awesome. High hammock and swimming was very nice.

6. Hummingbird stop was something we really enjoyed

7. Pozo Azul was a long, somewhat treacherous hike (wet rocks that we had to scale) for a small payoff compared to what we saw in the morning. Probably our least favorite stop on our trip.

8. Coffee plantation stop was boring. Nothing was actually happening (none of the equipment was running or being used) so following the guides words was difficult without seeing it in action. Also explanations given to the group were too detailed and made it super hard to follow.

9. A warning about how bumpy and windy the roads in Minca would have been appreciated. Several people in our party felt ill from all the bouncing (especially the children).

10. The driver in and around Santa Marta (and who also drove us to Cartagena) was EXCELLENT.

11. We loved the authenticity of the Minca restaurant on the slide of the cliff.

Cartagena Notes

1. Sergio (our tour gudie) was excellent. Presented things well about the history of Colombia.

2. The Emerald museum stop of our city tour by bus felt forced and more like a ploy to get a purchase of emeralds than an informational stop about Colombia's culture.

3. Rosario Island was a great stop. Snorkeling was fun and this stop was our most relaxing of our entire trip.

4. While walking tour was excellent, again, we would have appreciated a more planned opportunity for souvenir shopping.

5. Canoe trip thru mangroves was a bit too long. Crouched over for a whole hour was a bit rough on our backs and knees (especially for the older adults).

6. Our guide (believe it was Enrique) was awesome. He was open, friendly, and made it a point to learn our names. He also tried to relate to our children to make them more comfortable. He communicated things well and felt like a member of our group versus someone who was hired to guide us. Would definitely recommend him to others.

I am really glad I went with KimKim to book our trip in Colombia. Gael, our trip specialist, took care of all the little trip-planning details that would have taken me days of research and indecision to figure out. We ended up going to the Coffee Region, and our itinerary included staying at a coffee finca with great amenities, hiking in the Cocora valley, visiting charming towns along the way, eating farm-to-table, and of course drinking amazing coffee with our local guides Sebastian and... read more

I am really glad I went with KimKim to book our trip in Colombia. Gael, our trip specialist, took care of all the little trip-planning details that would have taken me days of research and indecision to figure out. We ended up going to the Coffee Region, and our itinerary included staying at a coffee finca with great amenities, hiking in the Cocora valley, visiting charming towns along the way, eating farm-to-table, and of course drinking amazing coffee with our local guides Sebastian and Santiago. We also floated lazily down a river in a bamboo raft for an afternoon. The landscape just seems untouched out there, it was really a treat! I was feeling a bit ill from the altitude on one of the days, and the local guides took really good care of me.

Our trip to Colombia was excellent. We had a wonderful time in the coffee region and the trip organized by Gael and Tucaya was a lot of fun and seamless. We had a few minor snags while booking the trip, as we were originally booked on a return flight that did not leave enough time to catch our connecting international flight, but we were able to switch our flights after bringing this up with Gael. Gael was very helpful with suggesting activities and excursions for us, all of which proved very... read more

Our trip to Colombia was excellent. We had a wonderful time in the coffee region and the trip organized by Gael and Tucaya was a lot of fun and seamless. We had a few minor snags while booking the trip, as we were originally booked on a return flight that did not leave enough time to catch our connecting international flight, but we were able to switch our flights after bringing this up with Gael. Gael was very helpful with suggesting activities and excursions for us, all of which proved very enjoyable.

Once in Colombia, we corresponded with Nicholas at Tucaya via WhatsApp and he was very helpful. He promptly responded to any inquiry and made sure to check in with us in the mornings and evenings to recap the day and preview the next day's activities. On the ground in the coffee region, everything worked very smoothly. We had driver's and tour guides waiting for us at the appointed times without issues, the hotel (Finca Bosque del Saman) was beautifully picturesque, and our activities were great.

One day, we to Filandia, Salento, and the Cocora Valley with our tour guide Sebastian. Not only were these areas beautiful, but Sebastian is an amazing and thoughtful guide who took us both to the main tourist attractions but also took us off the beaten path to local coffee shops and restaurants. Cafe Jesus Martin in Salento and restaurant Helena Adentro in Filandia were highlights. We can't recommend Sebastian enough.

Another day, we visited Finca Casa Vieja, a coffee plantation run by a local family. Santiago, one of the owners, gave us a wonderful tour of the farm (which grows many types of fruits and flowers in addition to coffee), as well as a look inside the coffee making process. After a delicious lunch prepared by Santiago's aunt (using produce from the farm), we visited the family's coffee shop in Quimbaya, Cafe de Altura, where we sampled many different preparations of coffee as well as some baked goods prepared by Alejandra, Santiago's sister. Sebastian, our tour guide from the day before, also joined us for coffee, which was a pleasure. To cap the afternoon, we took a bamboo raft down Rio de la Vieja, which offered great views and some fun swimming opportunities.

The main downside to this trip was that we were only in the coffee region for a few days. We certainly plan to visit Colombia again and would be happy to book through Gael and Kim Kim again, as we had a great trip that went seamlessly after we got everything booked properly.

This was an exceptional trip! Colombia is a beautiful country; a hidden gem. Floriane was as invested as I was in making this trip a wonderful and unforgettable experience. Every driver and every guide was pleasant, professional, knowledgeable and fun. Everywhere we went, the locals welcomed our guides as family and extended the same warmth to us.

Our 8-day trip included Medellin, Guatape, Armenia, Salento, Santa Marta and Bogota. My daughter are already planning our return trip.

A million thanks to Floraine and to all of our guides and drivers.

Maria

Dear KimKim,

Please update the rating scale. Only having five stars from poor to great does not allow me to rate how I genuinely want to. And my words do not provide justice to my overall experience in planning and booking my trip with the services I received from my local specialist.

In the past few years, I faced many tragedies. The first one was dealing with my oldest brother's suicide. Then I encountered looking after my grandfather for six years and witnessing him die with his... read more

Dear KimKim,

Please update the rating scale. Only having five stars from poor to great does not allow me to rate how I genuinely want to. And my words do not provide justice to my overall experience in planning and booking my trip with the services I received from my local specialist.

In the past few years, I faced many tragedies. The first one was dealing with my oldest brother's suicide. Then I encountered looking after my grandfather for six years and witnessing him die with his battle with cancer. After that, I lost the relationship with my mother and two youngest brothers. And finally, I endured a breakup with my ex-partner.

Traveling has become therapy for me. Each time that I have gone outside of the United States, I flew with others who knew how to communicate fluently in Spanish. And going to Columbia by myself and barely knowing and able to speak Spanish, I knew was going to be a challenge.

On May 11, 2018, I contacted KimKim to plan a trip to Medellín, Columbia. My travel dates were May 17, 2018, to May 24, 2018. No one responded to me, and I urgently reached out to KimKim again, on May 14, 2018. Finally, later on, that same day, Juan Ortiz, my local specialist responded.

Juan organized this last minute trip and assisted me 24/7. He was honest, polite, and upfront with me. ATTENTION KimKim, Juan deserves a trip on the house for going over and beyond serving and making me a fulfilled and happy customer.

My four-day adventure started on Friday when I went on the Pablo Escobar tour. I was mind blown by Carlos, who is one of the two remaining officers that served during the years that Pablo was alive. Saturday, I met my main and magnificent tour guide, Marcelo. That day I went on an Innovation tour of Medellín. Medellín has so many environmental and collected community organizing that I want to create in my hometown, Bethlehem, also known as the Lehigh Valley, in Pennsylvania. Sunday, I went to the Rio Claro Reserve. The Rio Claro Reserve brought me up and also down. It brought me up because it is an environment where I can see myself losing myself and escape from the madness of the world. Rio Claro brought me down because there is a need for new zoning laws to be reinforced. It will be devasting for Rio Claro to be taken over by the industrial invasion. I did not finish my tour small. I completed my journey with a big bang, on Monday and going to Guatapé. Guatapé was breathtaking, and no one has lived until they visit this beautiful "peace on earth." The last two days I was left to explore and have some me time.

KimKim, if there is a way to update your rating scale with all of the stars in the universe it will be a tremendous help. Then the range would be more accurate. Visiting Medellín, Columbia, alone was nerve wrecking. Notably, having uninformed people plant negative seeds into my head about going alone and the dangers that I might encounter. Everyone that I met including the Conquest 33 Hotel representatives treated me like family. Thus far, this has been the most memorable trip I have experienced. On June 1, 2020, please be my travel agency to plan my trip to South Africa.

Greatly appreciative and humbled,

Dèjour

While we really enjoyed our trip overall, I would not book with Kimkim again without there being more transparency on the costs. We spent nearly $6800 with Kimkim for only about 9 days of services including one internal flight for 2 people.

Jules did a pretty good job communicating with us but he did say the following about providing us with some tips on packing but he did not provide this detail, even after we followed up with him inquiring about this. He later apologized saying he was on... read more

While we really enjoyed our trip overall, I would not book with Kimkim again without there being more transparency on the costs. We spent nearly $6800 with Kimkim for only about 9 days of services including one internal flight for 2 people.

Jules did a pretty good job communicating with us but he did say the following about providing us with some tips on packing but he did not provide this detail, even after we followed up with him inquiring about this. He later apologized saying he was on a trek in the Amazon but if he's unable to properly respond to people he should make sure someone else is monitoring his emails to do so. From Jules: "I will get in touch with you 15 days prior to the trip with the last details and a checklist for the things we recomend you bring on the trip (nothing too special, but like this you have a good idea on how to pack ! )."

Our Guides:
Nicholas was fantastic. We really loved him. 5 stars
Diana was also very good. We enjoyed the time we spent with her. 4 stars.
Qapac was okay. He spent too much time talking about politics and religion. He made assumptions about food that we would like. For example we went to a restaurant after a hike and he ordered us plates of spaghetti without consulting with us. I don't want spaghetti when I'm in South America. 3 stars.

Pedro Salazar was an excellent tour guide to have. He was very knowledgeable about the city of Cartagena and helpful with lots of information.

Will Osolinsky was extremely helpful setting me up with information for my trip.

Speaking no Spanish we found that we could not communicate with our drivers. We could confirm where we were going but that was it. Sometimes it would have been good to know a little about where we were on the road, if there was interesting facts about the area and if there were any good view points to take photos along the way. However, the drivers were always punctual and many times our plane or bus was late but the drivers were always there.
Floriane was constantly in contact with me to... read more

Speaking no Spanish we found that we could not communicate with our drivers. We could confirm where we were going but that was it. Sometimes it would have been good to know a little about where we were on the road, if there was interesting facts about the area and if there were any good view points to take photos along the way. However, the drivers were always punctual and many times our plane or bus was late but the drivers were always there.
Floriane was constantly in contact with me to check everything was going well which was very comforting.
Marine who originally helped with our itinerary was excellent. However, when it was given to Floriane to take over all the information given already had to be redone which became quite frustrating. Whereas everything was written down and if Flor had read the conversation she would not have had to ask everything again.

Our trip in Columbia was wonderful. great country, very safe. We had exceptional experience with Aventura Columbia. The organization of the trip was impeccable.
The only bad part was flying with Avianca. All flight we took in Columbia were delayed.

Our family of two teen boys + Mom & Dad had the best time on our trip to Cartagena and the Caribbean coast. Our guide Nicholas was amazing. Flexible enough to change things on the fly, but also got to every place on the itinerary. Jules and Nicholas put together a terrific itinerary based on our looking for a mix of city and country. We wanted some off the beaten path and we got it in spades! Colombia is a big country and we look forward to exploring more next time.

Sidrah - was amazing as our tour coordinator. She worked with us and accommodated our requests for changes as we had some last minute scheduled business meetings. She was really on the ball- and proactive in checking with us and making sure we were ok with all arrangements. She was wonderful to work with and very responsive and prompt. The only problem we had was with the arrangement of the islands tour in Cartagena- we had planned to have a English speaking guide, however that request was... read more

Sidrah - was amazing as our tour coordinator. She worked with us and accommodated our requests for changes as we had some last minute scheduled business meetings. She was really on the ball- and proactive in checking with us and making sure we were ok with all arrangements. She was wonderful to work with and very responsive and prompt. The only problem we had was with the arrangement of the islands tour in Cartagena- we had planned to have a English speaking guide, however that request was lost in communication with Sidrah. As a result of this- we cut short our trip as we were unable to understand the captains of our boat and were not able to learn/ enjoy our trip with them.

Bogota guide- Tatiana- We rated her 6 out of 10- as her English and the accent was hard for us to understand. She was really polite and flexible,however lacked the organization and knowledge that we were looking for. For example- she did not budget enough time for lunch and we almost missed our Graffitti tour. Otherwise- she was really flexible and helped us with things ourtside of the tour as well.

Coffee region Guide- Juan David- 7/10- Was really knowledgeable and great to have around

Cartagena Guide- Densy- 9/10- Her knowledge of the city and history was amazing. She was passionate and really knowledgeable. The only negative about her was her English accent as the children had a hard time understanding her.

I would 100% recommend KimKim. Our local specialist Nathalie was quick to respond and answer our questions. She put together an amazing trip for myself and friend. She took care of arranging our tours, hotels and flights. Nathalie stayed in touched with us while in Colombia and ensured our trip was going as planned.

All of the services were provided just as promised.

The boat ride from Taganga to Playa Cristal was quite unpleasant. (The return trip was OK.) The sea was quite rough. My wife and I felt like we were being tossed around in a clothes dryer for close to an hour. We were bounced very hard on wooden benches with no cushions. I felt very sore for several days after the boat ride. You should warn people about how unpleasant the journey can be.

The drive between Cartagena and Santa Marta was also a bit scary at times, as the drivers tried to pass trucks.

Colombia is one of the most beautiful, diverse places I have ever visited. I would highly recommend it to anyone who would like to experience city life, nature life, and island life all in one place!! Our trip started in Bogota - a huge city, thankfully our guide Tatiana showed us the way, and helped make lasting memories hiking up the Monserrate pathway! Would highly recommend the graffiti bike tour as well! Next stop - the coffee reason, the most stunning place with beautiful mountains and... read more

Colombia is one of the most beautiful, diverse places I have ever visited. I would highly recommend it to anyone who would like to experience city life, nature life, and island life all in one place!! Our trip started in Bogota - a huge city, thankfully our guide Tatiana showed us the way, and helped make lasting memories hiking up the Monserrate pathway! Would highly recommend the graffiti bike tour as well! Next stop - the coffee reason, the most stunning place with beautiful mountains and a jungle feel! The people are very kind, although I would recommend knowing some Spanish! We tried the best coffee in a Salento village!! We had the most wonderful guide to show us the way through Cocora Valley - a once in a lifetime hike!! Additionally our guide David, showed us the quainte Quindio villages, another unique beautiful area of Colombia. To end our trip we stopped in Cartagena, and the Rosario Islands - this place is magical! The town of Cartagena has great vibes and friendly people, and the islands have their own feel of a tropical paradise!! Every hotel we stayed in was well kept, clean and absolutely amazing! I would highly recommend using KimKim to help you plan your next adventure!!

Nathalia was awsome. Very responsive to my particular requests, available for issues, great suggestions, knowledgeable about Colombia, and planned a trip that was very easy.

My Guide in Bogota, Tatiana, my guide in the coffee region, Alejandro, my guide in Medellin,Joachim, were all fantastic. The guides in Cartagena,were Old School, Boring and not cool.-dont remember their names. All hotels were excellent Opera,Diez,Bantu, except the Hacienda in the coffee region.Bosques del Saman-the food was really mediocre and the front desk guy didnt speak English well and didnt communicate well. I was freezing at night and had to walk thru a big field to get to my room. The... read more

My Guide in Bogota, Tatiana, my guide in the coffee region, Alejandro, my guide in Medellin,Joachim, were all fantastic. The guides in Cartagena,were Old School, Boring and not cool.-dont remember their names. All hotels were excellent Opera,Diez,Bantu, except the Hacienda in the coffee region.Bosques del Saman-the food was really mediocre and the front desk guy didnt speak English well and didnt communicate well. I was freezing at night and had to walk thru a big field to get to my room. The swimming pool area was not great. It was really a 3-31/2 star place- not 4-41/2 as requested. Setting was pretty.

All the drivers were great.
The cooking class and salsa classes were fun.
I went on a trip on my own -with a group to Guatape- from Medellin- that should be a must do-which was fantastic.
I hired a guide to take me out at night in Medellin to dance clubs - that was really fun.

I probably travelled a bit too much-for the period of time- next time I would cut out one place- but that was my request.

You need to emphasis to bring clothing for cold and rain- it rained everywhere except Cartagena.

On the whole I loved Colombia- the people, the country side and the cities so well organized and beautiful. I will definitely be back!!

We've just returned from a wonderful four week trip to Colombia, and were extremely pleased with our local specialist, Marine, who was helpful during our detailed planning process and who was always in touch with us during our trip to make certain that everything went smoothly.

All of our guides, Remy, Guillermo, et al, were excellent - well informed and a pleasure to have on our adventure. We covered a great range of places in Colombia, from the beginning of the Amazon region in the south... read more

We've just returned from a wonderful four week trip to Colombia, and were extremely pleased with our local specialist, Marine, who was helpful during our detailed planning process and who was always in touch with us during our trip to make certain that everything went smoothly.

All of our guides, Remy, Guillermo, et al, were excellent - well informed and a pleasure to have on our adventure. We covered a great range of places in Colombia, from the beginning of the Amazon region in the south to the mountain town of Minca in the north. All of our drivers were excellent and always right on time, and we felt confident and comfortable throughout the trip.

In planning our trip, we emphasized that we were interested in archeological sites like San Agustín and Tierradentro, as well as doing some hiking and visiting some of the culturally important cities of Colombia, like Cartagena and Medellin. From swimming/floating down the Sarabando River to the hike in Las Nubes (the clouds), each day was filled with very pleasurable activities. Because we spoke Spanish, it was also fun to have Spanish speaking guides and go to less visited areas of Colombia.

Thanks, Marine, for helping us to organize such a terrific experience.

Bernard and Ann Rubenstein, Santa Fe, New Mexico

We had a wonderful time on our 1 1/2 Medellin tour last week. Our guide couldn't have been more friendly and informative. It was abundantly clear he loved his city and his job! Despite the mix up with the itinerary at the start, everything was smooth and fun, especially the fabulous hike to Angel Waterfalls. Definitely recommend Kimkim Tour for any sort of tour and adventure! They are so responsive and professional from all the emails to their vehicles, thank you!!
Octavia Jones

My wife and I had arranged a holiday to Peru and took advantage of the international flights connecting via Bogota to spend a week in Colombia on the return journey.

I then researched via the internet for itineraries and transport options around Colombia, which is when I came across the Kimkim site for the first time. From then on the trip fell into place very nicely with Elisabeth from Aventur making contact with a suggested itinerary based on my stated preferences. A few changes were made... read more

My wife and I had arranged a holiday to Peru and took advantage of the international flights connecting via Bogota to spend a week in Colombia on the return journey.

I then researched via the internet for itineraries and transport options around Colombia, which is when I came across the Kimkim site for the first time. From then on the trip fell into place very nicely with Elisabeth from Aventur making contact with a suggested itinerary based on my stated preferences. A few changes were made at my request, and were accommodated by Elisabeth readily until we had the perfect itinerary for us. The proposal we received was detailed and clear, and included all transfers, guided tours and internal flights as well as a breakdown of hotels booked and inclusive meals . Everything was covered. The payment system was simple and secure via credit card.

The holiday itself was super, having come off the back of a great time spent in Peru I was concerned that our Colombia stay might have been overshadowed, but not at all! The variety of Colombia was reflected in our itinerary and made for a great experience.

Following our arrival at Bogota airport our polite private transfer driver was waiting at 'Arrivals' and drove us to our standard accomodation in the Candeleria area of Bogota which we found to be a bustling and lively part of the city. I admit that the press and government advice regarding security and safety in Bogota did have us slightly on edge but spending the best part of 2 days there we did not feel threatened at all, but we were sensible about where we walked and careful that we didn't make ourselves look like tempting targets. That said , we did see a bag snatched from a young woman on the walk to the Monserrate funicular/ cable car station, but police were very quickly on the scene.

Our guided bike tour around Bogota, ably guided by ex pat Californian Mike 'the bike', was a great experience where he introduced us to the key sites over quite an area of the city centre, to places that we would not have ventured on our own or on foot. We really covered quite a distance in the 5 hours. In addition to seeing key sites Mike explained historical connections and context to the places that we saw as well as generally giving us an understanding of Bogota and Colombian society, culture. politics, and yes the past influences from the darker side of the Colombian economy.

Time spent in a neighbourhood cafe where they roast their own beans in the back was a worthwhile experience (we were given a peak at the process in action at the back of the shop), and the time that we spent wandering through the central fruit/veg market between stalls tasting different fruits was great. Mike seemed to know everyone!

Ending with a drink and a game of the national sport 'Tejo' which involves throwing rocks at paper wraps filled with gunpowder on a clay base the whole tour was definitely a success. I would recommend the Bogota bike tour to anyone who can ride a bike.

Food options in Candeleria were endless, we ended up having an evening meal in an Israeli restaurant just down the road from the hotel and it was nice food at a good price.

We were transfered on time to the airport for our internal flight to Armenia from where we were transfered to our hotel(Salento Real) in Salento, which was a very nice place just at the edge of the town centre. It was a good location because we were staying over the weekend and the town gets very busy, we were 2 minutes from the wonderful centre but not efftected by the noise at bedtime.

We had a leisurely guided tour to see the Wax palms in the nearby Cocora valley which involved a bit of light hiking, amazing views and lots of flower and bird spotting. Our guide, Blane, was passionate about the environment and had us catapulting wax palm seeds into the jungle to help spread the area where they are growing(as he explained, they are under some threat from agricultural development) Blane had us climb a wax palm(not easy!) followed by him playing the flute pipes while we had a rest at a view point. Then to a restaurant with a view for lunch, where we ate trout on a crispy plantain flat bread, delicious.

In the afernoon we were led, again by Blane, to a small scale coffee plantation, about 45 minutes walk, which was a very informative experience.
The next day we were taken on a full day driven tour of the Quindio villages/ small towns, guided by David who again was a very capable guide with environmental matters being part of the discussion. The villages were varied and beautiful, we took the time to experience churches, crafts , local flora and architecture as well as a coffee producers with a difference, a fermented raw milk cafe and a Bar of memories, all quirky and interesting. We had a 'locals lunch' by the Rio Verde and all in all a great day.

Salento town itself is a fantastic destination, beautiful buildings and open spaces, with a buzzing plaza and central streets with old fashioned entertainment and fair rides, lots of craft shops and bars/ restaurant of good quality.

We transfered early the next morning to Cartagena(internal flights) on the Caribean coast. On arrival at Cartagena airport there was a slight confusion with the transfer driver who was there on time(as it later turned out) but had the incorrect name for pickup, which led to a short delay while we called Aventur on the office number to fix it. Within minutes the mixup was resolved and we were matched up with our driver.

It was just gone lunchtime when we arrived at the hotel(Casa Deco), which is an attractive old boutique place with friendly, helpful staff. The hotel made a room ready early for us while we had some lunch around the corner and then we were met on time at the hotel by our guide for a walking tour of Cartagena. The city is a beautiful, fascinating place, with a rich colonial history but we did find the guided tour which was suposed to be 4 hours but was barely over 2 hours quite light on historical, architectural and cultural details and we came away feeling underwhelmed by the experience... maybe the guide was having an off day!

Anyway, we had a great meal out later and enjoyed the hospitality of the hotel, including the pool.

The next day was speedboat ride to one of the Rosario islands, Isla Bella, which was tiny but beautiful. after an hours boat ride we spent a few hours lounging on the beach-front paradise, enjoyed an inclusive meal and caught the speedboat back, which was a scarily exciting journey, as the wind(and waves) had picked up. We got quite wet but not a problem in the tropical heat and it was quite a laugh.

Another great night out and the next day gave us the morning to explore the city ramparts, and have lunch before getting our transfers back to Cartegena airport to start our journey home.

I have gone on at some length with this review because I wanted anyone reading to get an idea that the trip was a great experience and well organised by Elisabeth (Eventur) with a good selection of interesting activities along the way. The balance of planned activities and free time worked well for us, others way want more time to relax, or want to be more full on. I am confident from our experience that all holiday styles would be ably catered for by Elisabeth.
The Trip was well organised and the itinerary was spot on, with the only exception being the name mix up on arrival at Cartegena, which lets be honest is nothing, and was sorted without delay.

So well done to Aventur, thanks to Kimkim for getting us connected, and our gratitude to Elisabeth for taking care of us so well.

Our tour of Bogota was fantastic, thanks to Katiana. She had all the patience and energy needed to give us real insight into the history and culture of Colombia. She really made the Gold Museum come to life with the backstory she provided. She’s probably the best tour guide we’ve ever encountered.

Susan also did a great job on showing us the sites in Villa de Leyva. What a beautiful setting.

We had both a translator and a guide in Barichara. Waste of time and money. We translated for... read more

Our tour of Bogota was fantastic, thanks to Katiana. She had all the patience and energy needed to give us real insight into the history and culture of Colombia. She really made the Gold Museum come to life with the backstory she provided. She’s probably the best tour guide we’ve ever encountered.

Susan also did a great job on showing us the sites in Villa de Leyva. What a beautiful setting.

We had both a translator and a guide in Barichara. Waste of time and money. We translated for ourselves much more quickly and accurately. The Spanish speaking guide had only very rudimentary comments on the town. We ended the tour before it ever really got started. Nice guys but they need to look for other work.

Marine and Elizabeth at kimkim are both excellent. Patient, thoughtful, and articulate.

My only complaint about kimkim is that it is not transparent in its pricing. No price breakdown is given for the individual components of the trip. Difficult to decide among various trip components / options when planning the itinerary if you don’t know what the individual pricing is. We requested a breakdown on numerous occasions but were politely refused the information. For this reason alone we will most likely not return to kimkim for future travel planning.

Trip to Colombia was fantastic. Guides were terrific, car services were prompt, which made this trip run very smoothly.

This was my first experience using KimKim. I was refered from a friend. I recently traveled for 9 days in Colombia. I use travel agents for most of my international pleasure travel. On the plus side my agent, Flor was very responsive both via email and with telephone calls.

Booking the trip was a bit frustrating. I think this was partially due to my unfamilarity with kimkim. Also my impression was that while Flor was very responsive and doing her best to help but she lacked in-depth... read more

This was my first experience using KimKim. I was refered from a friend. I recently traveled for 9 days in Colombia. I use travel agents for most of my international pleasure travel. On the plus side my agent, Flor was very responsive both via email and with telephone calls.

Booking the trip was a bit frustrating. I think this was partially due to my unfamilarity with kimkim. Also my impression was that while Flor was very responsive and doing her best to help but she lacked in-depth travel experience. For example, I thought I had booked both hotel and intrastate travel. I had challenges securing a particular hotel and also plane travel times that I thought were confirmed ... but actually were not. We had to go back and forth a few times.

On the plus side I had a situation in Medellin with a hotel I was unhappy with. The room had a leak under the sink and they really were not too friendly. Flor was very responsive and moved me to a wonderful hotel. Both the private tour guides and the tours in Bogota, Medellin and Cartenga were all very good with the exception of the private tour in Cartenga- the guide was a bit flat.

If there were a 3.5 star rating, that is what I would give. That being shared, I would give Kimkim another try on my next international trip. Thanks!

We booked our Columbia trip using Kimkim. This was the first time we used Kimkim. What a great company. We will use them again. Nathalie, our specialist, was awesome. She was very helpful in tailoring the trip to what we like. The ideas and suggestions she had were great for us and our kids. We did things that even books such as lonely planet did not even list as activities. Everything we did in Columbia was great. Nathalie even called us several times during the trip to make sure everything... read more

We booked our Columbia trip using Kimkim. This was the first time we used Kimkim. What a great company. We will use them again. Nathalie, our specialist, was awesome. She was very helpful in tailoring the trip to what we like. The ideas and suggestions she had were great for us and our kids. We did things that even books such as lonely planet did not even list as activities. Everything we did in Columbia was great. Nathalie even called us several times during the trip to make sure everything was going smoothly.

The people Kimkim used in Columbia, from drivers to guides, were all very nice, always on time, very helpful and knowledgeable. We loved everything we did, from the beautiful Spanish colonial towns of Barichara and Villa de Leyva to the beautiful beaches of Tayrona and around Cartagena. We loved the lush coffee region and the Valle de Cocora. We all enjoyed a private coffee tasting that even our 10 and 11-year-old daughters loved and asked for more coffee! Best coffee ever. As outdoor lovers, we especially enjoyed hiking, zip lining, white water rafting, tubing on a river and mountain biking.

Just back from 13 days in Medellin, Tayrona and Cartagena, Colombia.
What a wonderful country, full of beautiful scenery, friendly people, good food, interesting (though somewhat tortured) history.
Of course, not all is rosy, and the guidance of the Kimkim team and Marine was crucial in keeping us safe and fulfilled.
Medellin, for example, has its rough spots, but we never felt insecure or vulnerable.
The day trip to Guatapé was great, as was city tour, Park Arvi. Staying near Parque... read more

Just back from 13 days in Medellin, Tayrona and Cartagena, Colombia.
What a wonderful country, full of beautiful scenery, friendly people, good food, interesting (though somewhat tortured) history.
Of course, not all is rosy, and the guidance of the Kimkim team and Marine was crucial in keeping us safe and fulfilled.
Medellin, for example, has its rough spots, but we never felt insecure or vulnerable.
The day trip to Guatapé was great, as was city tour, Park Arvi. Staying near Parque Llera was great.
Cartagena was a great experience too, and staying at Bovedas Santa Clara allowed free access to the Sofitel, a world class beautiful resort.
Tayrona was unique as well though be forewarned, no hot water showers!
Summary.....all connections went without a hitch, all guides, drivers on time, all reservations as described. The trip was perfectly tailored to our preferences. I was very happy with the Kimkim engagement and would definitely use them again.

All of the guides were fabulous. Very knowledgeable and respectful. Most of our tours were in Spanish as requested. Drivers were on time, very courteous and hospitable. Every day on this trip seemed to top the day before. Don't miss the Valley of the Cocora (Wax palms) and a shopping trip through Salento. Staying in the coffee region was a great relaxing time between Bogata and Medellin and provided a feel for the more rural part of the country. Also great was the bike tour of downtown Bogota. Kimkim was attentive and flexible every step of the way. They made our trip! Thank you.

Jules and his colleagues made the trip a wonderful and memorable one. We cannot speak more highly of their guidance, hospitality, support and knowledge.

The trip was great! Nathalie was very responsive and tried to accommodate our requests for the trip. Everything from the hotel to the events for la Feria went extremely well and I would recommend travelers use this service. Especially first time travelers.

All the arrangements were great and professional. Medellin was the highlight. All tour guides were knowledgeable and professional.

12/20 our driver is very nice and did a good job driving us to our destination.
12/22 our driver came with a very old pick up truck, for the price we contract and discription from our agent we should have professional driver with Duster car brand, the driver not only driving super fast on winding road also passing car frequently, we were so worry all the way, the car does not come with air condition, we were suffer from the bad air, dust plus very hot, it was a very uncomfortable trip. We... read more

12/20 our driver is very nice and did a good job driving us to our destination.
12/22 our driver came with a very old pick up truck, for the price we contract and discription from our agent we should have professional driver with Duster car brand, the driver not only driving super fast on winding road also passing car frequently, we were so worry all the way, the car does not come with air condition, we were suffer from the bad air, dust plus very hot, it was a very uncomfortable trip. We will not recommend this car company for future customer.
12/24 our pick and hotel pick are ok.
12/26 our tour with driver and guide are good.
12/27 airport pick up is good
12/31 we were waiting for airport pick up , when the time passed hotel front desk call Nathalie and found out there was no pick up , we paid and schedule for the pick up, Nathalie didn’t confirm for us and kept us waiting , luckily front desk checked for us and hurry arrange a taxi for us, so far I have not receiving any explanation from Nathalie, iwouldliketo request refund and apology for almost missed our flight.
Fran lee

Thank you Marine for all of the calls to check up on us. When our guide handed the phone to me, I knew it was Marine and could talk to her about how things were going.

Guides and transfers:
Every guide and transfer showed up on time or early. We soon learned that this country runs on time. Our first transfer was not an exception but was a bit of a shock when they arrived 30 min early and we were not quite ready. This happened to be the only bus trip we had.

The guides who stood out as... read more

Thank you Marine for all of the calls to check up on us. When our guide handed the phone to me, I knew it was Marine and could talk to her about how things were going.

Guides and transfers:
Every guide and transfer showed up on time or early. We soon learned that this country runs on time. Our first transfer was not an exception but was a bit of a shock when they arrived 30 min early and we were not quite ready. This happened to be the only bus trip we had.

The guides who stood out as exemplary were: Elvis at Calanoa, Fernando at Villa de Leyva, and David and driver who picked us up at Hacienda Combia. David and the driver (sorry, can't remember his name) were so much fun and went out of their way to make our stay excellent.

The one exception to all of the good guides was the one at Tayrona. He told us at the beginning we had to keep up with him as we had a long trip and that's exactly how it was. When my foot got stuck in the mud he was far ahead and not there to help, he never slowed down or stopped to interact with us, when we passed buildings he didn't stop to explain what they were. We had to keep our heads down to keep up the pace while still looking ahead to keep him in our sight. Not a fun trip!

Hotels:
Loved Casa Pizarro in Cartegena and the area it was in. Really liked staying in a residential area with lots of restaurants nearby.
Maloka Barlovento was so beautiful. Would have loved to stay there another day so we could see the beach. We only had time to see the building we stayed in. Bit of a shock to find only cold water shower. This may be normal here, but this is not normal for us. Maybe a heads up would have helped.
Posada Suenos De Antonio in Barichara was lovely and peaceful. Really liked the patio and view.
Casa Deco in Bogota was in a good location but our room overlooked a hostel and could be noisy.
Calanoa Lodge was excellent! The food was superb, our cabana was superb, and all of our interactions with staff (even if we didn't speak Spanish) was superb!

Hacienda Combia had a lovely setting, but was the big disappointment of the trip. When we arrived I asked for water and was told that it was only supplied with dinner. All other hotels had water accessible either in the form of the first bottle free or a fill up station. Seeing as we could not use the water from the tap to even brush our teeth, this was a major drawback to this isolated hotel.
We asked for a glass of wine with our dinner and were told that they did not have this and we could buy an overpriced bottle.
The food was the most disappointing. We spoke with them about the selection and they added a couple of things to the menu, but this didn't really help. Really, really disappointed in 4 dinners here and no option to go elsewhere. The meals we were offered were a stripped down version of the regular menu.
We didn't feel welcomed here.

We loved Colombia and would like to thank kimkim.com and Marine for making it such a memorable trip. We will definitely recommend the country and booking company to anyone who will listen.

We wanted an Amazon Jungle experience and Nathalie recommended Calanoa Reserve.
We booked a 2 night 3 day trip. We were very unsure as to what to expect.
Before the trip Nathalie was very helpful and answered all our questions very promptly.
The trip itself was absolutely amazing! And exceeded all our expectations- it was as Nathalie had described- but we didn’t expect it to be so good!!
The accommodation was beautiful - we had a double bed in the ground floor and twin beds on first floor... read more

We wanted an Amazon Jungle experience and Nathalie recommended Calanoa Reserve.
We booked a 2 night 3 day trip. We were very unsure as to what to expect.
Before the trip Nathalie was very helpful and answered all our questions very promptly.
The trip itself was absolutely amazing! And exceeded all our expectations- it was as Nathalie had described- but we didn’t expect it to be so good!!
The accommodation was beautiful - we had a double bed in the ground floor and twin beds on first floor and a private bathroom.
The staff were amazing - the cooks, the organisers and the guides - all so helpful and couldn’t do enough for us.
It was easy to swap activities around and add extras. The whole 3 days worked like clockwork - such a slick operation- very impressive.
We saw pink river dolphins (and grey), went pirhana fishing, went to a monkey orphanage, indigenous village, forest walk in day and night, early morning bird watching and watched the sun set over the Amazon...... incredible!!
Food was good (lots of fish!).
We would highly recommend Calanoa Reserve and the services of Nathalie at KimKim. Nothing went wrong so we didn’t need to contact her during the trip - but it was reassuring to have her number just in case.
Thank you Nathalie for your recommendation and help with the booking.

We had an excellent trip!! Great local guides, amazing eco-lodges everything flowed well. We especially like Jorge, the guide who took us to Tayrona (and hope he passed his exam on tourism). the whole journey in the Tayrona was spectacular, as was tubing down the river in Palomino and the expertise on birds from our guide David in Minca. The only caveat was that the arrangement was to have our baggage brought to Palomino while we were trekking in Tayrona, and there was no info on that -... read more

We had an excellent trip!! Great local guides, amazing eco-lodges everything flowed well. We especially like Jorge, the guide who took us to Tayrona (and hope he passed his exam on tourism). the whole journey in the Tayrona was spectacular, as was tubing down the river in Palomino and the expertise on birds from our guide David in Minca. The only caveat was that the arrangement was to have our baggage brought to Palomino while we were trekking in Tayrona, and there was no info on that - no guidance given to myself and the driver was also unaware. So instead we made our own arrangements to leave the bags at Finca Barlovento. It would have been better if this piece of info on the trip had been communicated to me so we knew what the arrangement was instead of improvising along the way. All in all the trip was exactly the adventure we were looking for - thanks!!

1. Driver on time - great
2. Jeannine checked to be sure we were aboard - BETTER THAN GREAT
3. Rony Perez- excellent guide - good English , really good with my husband who walks (little) and Slow! Good information - will definitely recommend in the future
4. Meal great - so very fresh
5. experience overall - exactly what we were looking for - thank you Nathalie for suggesting
6. interacting with the local people very good experience - they were very kind to us

We needed to arrange this on very short notice. Marine was very responsive and we we got this planned quickly. We stayed in beautiful small hotels and ecolodges that were immersed in natural beauty. We went to Tayrona Park and Minca and our guides were very good, very knowledgeable. Unfortunately we were slightly disappointed that when in Minca we had car trouble early in the day, another car was not sent to continue our trip but to return us to town.
Cartagena is a beautiful historic city... read more

We needed to arrange this on very short notice. Marine was very responsive and we we got this planned quickly. We stayed in beautiful small hotels and ecolodges that were immersed in natural beauty. We went to Tayrona Park and Minca and our guides were very good, very knowledgeable. Unfortunately we were slightly disappointed that when in Minca we had car trouble early in the day, another car was not sent to continue our trip but to return us to town.
Cartagena is a beautiful historic city and we stayed in lovely boutique hotels in the old part of town. Our guide for here, Sergio, was terrific. He took us to neighborhoods out of the tourist area to see how the locals live and to his favorite places.
Our last days were spent at Punta Faro on an island. Great place for a couple of days to relax. A boat ride is the way to get there and can be a bit choppy but well worth it. Due to weather, our return was difficult. The hotel arranged an alternate method for us (and a few others) to get back to the mainland (shorter boat ride and a bus) including a taxi back to our hotel at no additional cost.
Marine and Elisabeth were in constant contact throughout to check on things. Always easy to get in touch with if necessary. We happened to be there during the rainy season and a holiday weekend so more potential than usual for issues to come up.

We had a really great time in Colombia last October. The trip was adjusted to meet our various requests prior to departure, and everything was perfectly organized once there (visits, drivers, hotels...). We would recommend KimKim and Marine without hesitation. Thanks again!

Nathalie was extremely responsive and our holiday went incredibly smoothly. The guides and activities we did were really high quality and we had a fantastic trip, in large part because of the well organized trip and recommendations we got from Nathalie. The only thing I would have changed is the booking of our flights, which had to be changed due to the strike. These were not booked immediately and therefore the price went up again. However, this is fairly minor as we appreciate that those... read more

Nathalie was extremely responsive and our holiday went incredibly smoothly. The guides and activities we did were really high quality and we had a fantastic trip, in large part because of the well organized trip and recommendations we got from Nathalie. The only thing I would have changed is the booking of our flights, which had to be changed due to the strike. These were not booked immediately and therefore the price went up again. However, this is fairly minor as we appreciate that those were unusual circumstances. We otherwise found the service to be very responsive and easily facilitated through Kimkim.

The quality of the tours was amazing. Everywhere we went, we had dedicated drivers. The only thing I would change is the hotel in Cartagena. It felt a little run down and dirty. Otherwise, everything else was perfect! My favorite stay was in La Jorara.

Juan & his team made themselves available 24 hours a day, even when we had a flight delay.

Nathalie was great to work with. It might've been nice to have a "menu" of activities to choose from in each city. It would also be nice for the pricing to be broken down by activity/accommodation to better understand how the total was calculated.

Nathalie was very accommodating in the planning process, and checking in with us at the beginning and end of our trip was a nice touch. There were a couple of times that we would've liked to call her but couldn't because we didn't want to incur... read more

Nathalie was great to work with. It might've been nice to have a "menu" of activities to choose from in each city. It would also be nice for the pricing to be broken down by activity/accommodation to better understand how the total was calculated.

Nathalie was very accommodating in the planning process, and checking in with us at the beginning and end of our trip was a nice touch. There were a couple of times that we would've liked to call her but couldn't because we didn't want to incur expensive international cell phone charges. It would've been nice to have been provided a cheap cell phone that we could've used to reach her if necessary - this is something we have had from other agencies for other trips.

Planning (with Nathalie) was excellent and everything that had been arranged went off really well.

Excellent service and always on-hand and attentive

Most of the trip was very good and well organized.

The Cartagena portion of the trip could have been better. There was some confusion with our day trIp to Rosario island. We didn't have the right information as to where to go and were told we needed a voucher which we never received. Tour guides in Cartagena tried to change our tour times and insisted on taking us to emerald shops (twice) even after we said we didn't want to go there.

Taxi drivers always showed up on time. Most guides were very good. Our favorite tour guides were Angelica in bogota and David in the coffee region.

I absolutely loved my (2) treks with Expediciones Colombia (in partnership with the other two companies my guides were from). To make the trip better, I would have liked to hike with others. I was alone with my guide and was hoping to make some new friends! So, that was disappointing. I'm not sure why Expediciones couldn't find more trekkers since I made the reservation months in advance for that purpose (of finding other trekkers). The trek itself and the scenery were excellent. Thank you!... read more

I absolutely loved my (2) treks with Expediciones Colombia (in partnership with the other two companies my guides were from). To make the trip better, I would have liked to hike with others. I was alone with my guide and was hoping to make some new friends! So, that was disappointing. I'm not sure why Expediciones couldn't find more trekkers since I made the reservation months in advance for that purpose (of finding other trekkers). The trek itself and the scenery were excellent. Thank you!

Tara's emails were excellent, but I was corresponding with Jules. On the day I needed to contact him, he was held up in an area that didn't have good reception (returning from his rafting trip). It would have been helpful to have had Tara's phone number or my guide's (Erwin's number) so I could speak with someone else instead regarding packing and logistics for the following morning.

It is truly difficult to put into words how amazing our trip to Colombia was! When my friend and I initially decided to travel to Colombia, I did some research and found that there were SO MANY places that looked amazing, but some of them were a little off the beaten path and it seemed like going with a guide would be the best option. I had previously done a private tour with a local guide in India, and it was such an amazing experience that I was hoping to find something similar in Colombia.... read more

It is truly difficult to put into words how amazing our trip to Colombia was! When my friend and I initially decided to travel to Colombia, I did some research and found that there were SO MANY places that looked amazing, but some of them were a little off the beaten path and it seemed like going with a guide would be the best option. I had previously done a private tour with a local guide in India, and it was such an amazing experience that I was hoping to find something similar in Colombia. This is when I found Kimkim and was connected with Jules.

Jules, Tara, and their team really went above and beyond helping us plan the tour. They were very responsive to our questions (and there were a lot of them), and they worked with us for at least a month, going back and forth with different tour options until we had planned a trip that fit our budget and our desired itinerary. I'm sure I drove them a little crazy, but they were extremely kind, patient, and professional throughout the entire planning process. Jules was so enthusiastic about all of the places that we wanted to visit, and it was obvious that he was very genuine and excited for us to be experiencing a side of Colombia that a lot of tourists never see.

Since Jules had another obligation, he set us up with Nico, one of his teammates, as our tour guide for the majority of our tour. Nico was super laid back and fun (and funny!), and we had an amazing time touring with him to La Cienaga Grande/Nueva Valencia, Taironaka Reserve, La Guajira, and Medellin. He was very knowledgeable about all of the places we went, and he was also kind enough to share with us some personal stories about his life and about growing up in Medellin, a city I really never thought I would visit, but one that ended up being really vibrant and beautiful, and that I am so glad I was able to visit. During our 4 days with Nico, we visited a village on stilts in the middle of the swap, cooled off in a peaceful river after a very hot day and spent the night at an archaeological reserve, drove through La Guajira desert and interacted with the Wayuu people, swam in the Caribbean at the most insanely gorgeous beach (that we literally had to ourselves) in Cabo de la Vela, saw Flamingos in the wild, and toured a coffee plantation in Medellin! Every single place we went was incredible in its own way.

After we left Nico in Medellin, we lucky enough to go on a 2-day rafting trip on the Rio Verde, with our guides Mael and Lucho, who were also super cool guys, and who obviously love what they do. It is hard to pick my favorite part of the trip, but the rafting trip was definitely up there. The drive to the town of San Francisco was beautiful, and the 3-hour hike through the mountains down to the river was some of the most beautiful, lush green scenery that I have ever seen. We camped in the jungle that night, and saw fireflies, shooting stars, butterflies, birds, and even a monkey! The next day we rafted for about 3 or 4 hours, swam in a gorgeous waterfall, and just enjoyed the beauty that surrounded us.

This trip was truly unforgettable, thanks to Jules, Tara, Nico, Mael, and Lucho, and also the wonderful drivers that we had for different parts of the trip. I only wish I could have stayed longer! Thank you all SO much!! It truly was a magical experience that exceeded our expectations. There is really nothing better than swimming in the Caribbean on a beach that you have almost entirely to yourselves and seeing Flamingos in the wild.

Tara was very friendly, quick to respond to my messages, and also very helpful in tailoring our trip to make it fit our budget and desired itinerary. I really appreciate her help with adjusting our plans when one of our friends was unable to come on the trip due to work.

Thank you, Tara!

Jules, Tara and the staff at Expedition Colombia helped us to plan an AMAZING itinerary, but once we began our active holiday, the places we went and sights we experienced were beyond anything I could've dreamed. The entire trip was truly extraordinary. I figured Colombia was a beautiful place, but everything far surpassed all of my expectations! A great big thanks to the team of wonderful and charming people at Expedition Colombia! The knowledgeable and charismatic guides for our adventures... read more

Jules, Tara and the staff at Expedition Colombia helped us to plan an AMAZING itinerary, but once we began our active holiday, the places we went and sights we experienced were beyond anything I could've dreamed. The entire trip was truly extraordinary. I figured Colombia was a beautiful place, but everything far surpassed all of my expectations! A great big thanks to the team of wonderful and charming people at Expedition Colombia! The knowledgeable and charismatic guides for our adventures (Nicho, Mael and Lucho) and drivers made our experience that much better. I highly recommend an active holiday with Expedition Colombia for anyone who is looking for a truly memorable, once in a lifetime experience in Colombia. Thanks again for such an incredible time!!!!!

Tara was incredibly friendly, knowledgable, helpful and responsive while coordinating with her to plan our amazing itinerary in Colombia. She is an absolute pleasure to work with!

We enjoyed our activities. However, on two occasions our guide/driver arrived earlier than listed so they had to wait for us a bit. I hope they didn't mind! Also, the hotel for our beach excursion was not aware that we were to have access to a room for changing and leaving out items as described in our outline (so we were unable to do so). No big deal though.

Nathalie was very helpful and patient during the planning stages. She listed to what we wanted and was flexible with our requests. We enjoyed working with her!

Nathalie was awesome and she gave us everything we asked for and the price was perfect!!! We had an awesome time and a lot of that was KimKim making all our arrangements!! It is so nice to get off a plane tired and just see s sign with your name on it!!! Love it!! And even my friends said we will use KimKim again for future travels!! Thank you so much for a great trip!!!

Suggest that the trip summary include the start times of tours.

Nathalie was great

The events and activities we did were amazing and highly enjoyable. We were sad that Natalie was not available to help us or answer our questions while we were here. No one picked us up at the airport in Cali and the Calanoa transport was told the wrong time for our flight. Otherwise, Natalie was very helpful and we have had a great trip.

You guys provided a great itinerary, but I think it also would have been nice to know some other details beforehand. i.e., the walk down to rio verde is rigid and pretty long, wear good shoes. There are no showers or sinks at the camp site. Bring plenty of water, etc.

I put in the passport for that one person from our group was a vegetarian and there was no vegetarian dinner option. :(

For future groups, I would recommend providing a luggage requirement. We were told in the van on the way... read more

You guys provided a great itinerary, but I think it also would have been nice to know some other details beforehand. i.e., the walk down to rio verde is rigid and pretty long, wear good shoes. There are no showers or sinks at the camp site. Bring plenty of water, etc.

I put in the passport for that one person from our group was a vegetarian and there was no vegetarian dinner option. :(

For future groups, I would recommend providing a luggage requirement. We were told in the van on the way to the river that there would be limited space in the dry bags. It would have been nice to know ahead of time so we could have packed minimally instead of having to re-pack bags on the side of the road and leave things in the van.

It was fantastic and planned very well. We had a great time. My only comment would be more detail in the overall itinerary so we don't have to bounce around kimkim trying to find different pieces of information about each activity.

The hotel we stayed at in Santa Marta was not great. The lack of air conditioning was a big problem. Also our guide for the hike in Tayrona did not speak much English and was therefore not very helpful. Other than that, the trip was great!

It was weird that I just got one travel agent, and that there was no choice at all -- an agent that ended up being good, if not perfect. I felt there was no particular reason I got this agent as opposed to any other--why this person? What was so great about them? What was special about who they were, or why I they were the person who should plan my trip?

Communication could have been better. We went 3 days without hearing anything, and then found out that our itinerary needed changes. Trip was still amazing, but going through that was nerve racking.

We were very pleased with our experience in Cartagena and Isla Mucura. We did not appreciate the difficulty of the 13.3-mile hike planned for our second day in Colombia. (For example, we did not know how long the hike would be. We had an estimate of how many hours in would last, but not of the difficulty.) We are in good shape, but this was a daunting scramble though and over boulders and with a 300-meter plus gain in altitude in a tropical jungle.
We were disappointed in the Casa Lina... read more

We were very pleased with our experience in Cartagena and Isla Mucura. We did not appreciate the difficulty of the 13.3-mile hike planned for our second day in Colombia. (For example, we did not know how long the hike would be. We had an estimate of how many hours in would last, but not of the difficulty.) We are in good shape, but this was a daunting scramble though and over boulders and with a 300-meter plus gain in altitude in a tropical jungle.
We were disappointed in the Casa Lina Hotel in Palominos and in the Casa Amarilla Hotel in Mompox. The language barrier was high in both locations, the beds were uncomfortable and the staff were correct but not friendly.

We seemed to have difficulty understanding each other. When we needed help with a billing dispute (in Mompox) and in adjusting our itinerary (in Palominos), she was not readily available.
As in other aspects of the trip, we were to blame for some of this. We should have pursued more subjects before we left, regarding temperatures, hiking difficulties, sunscreen, etc. I was also disappointed when we were asked for full payment earlier than I expected.

I can't say enough what a pleasure it was working with these folks for our trip into the Amazon for our honeymoon. From the time I made the initial contact with KimKim until the end of our adventure, we felt like we were the only concern they had. We worked with Nathalie on the front end for lining the trip up and making sure we had everything we needed. She was very thorough and polite, and kept in excellent contact with me prior to the trip.
Once we arrived at the airport in Leticia we... read more

I can't say enough what a pleasure it was working with these folks for our trip into the Amazon for our honeymoon. From the time I made the initial contact with KimKim until the end of our adventure, we felt like we were the only concern they had. We worked with Nathalie on the front end for lining the trip up and making sure we had everything we needed. She was very thorough and polite, and kept in excellent contact with me prior to the trip.
Once we arrived at the airport in Leticia we waited a few minutes for our ride to show up and then were taken straight down to the office to get ready for our 4 day trek into the Amazon jungle! Thats where we met with our guide Ramiro, were promptly issued some rubber muck boots, and went over some necessities for our trip. We didn't bring enough mosquito repellent or rain ponchos, so we made a quick stop at the store to grab some and then had a nice lunch with our guide at a restaurant there in town. Once we were ready to roll, we hopped in a cab and were driven about 20 minutes outta town, where we got out and the 3 of us began walking through the jungle. Immediately I was feeling grateful that they gave us the rubber boots and told us to grab more Deet!! We eventually started fondly calling the bug repellent "Amazonian Cologne". It worked great though and really as long as we kept some on, the mosquitoes really didn't bother us that much.
We walked for maybe a couple hours into the jungle to a Maloka and met with some of the native people there working on the plantation. Our guide Ramiro knew the people well and immediately introduced us and explained what they were working on. We had some supper and just hung out for a little bit until it got dark. Then we went for a hike into the jungle to look at the nocturnal wildlife, which was really awesome to see everything!! We saw all kinds of cool stuff! That night we met with the Shaman and shared his Mumbai. We had a good talk with him and learned a bit about their culture, which we found very interesting!
The next day we woke up & had breakfast & then hiked for several hours through the jungle to a remote Lodge where we showered & relaxed for awhile. After supper we hiked for about 15 minutes to a huge tree where we repelled UP about 100 feet to a big platform just above the jungle canopy. Ramiro was given instructions by the company to leave us alone in the tree house for a few hours, since it was our honeymoon, so he set us up with some rose petals, grapes & chocolates, and a bottle of champagne, and then they went back to the lodge for a few hours so we could have some privacy ;) The next morning we woke up to see the sun rise over the jungle, zip lined out of that tree into another tree platform, and repelled down to the ground. What an experience! We hiked for a couple hours to the river and boarded some kayaks and took off paddling. It was high water season so the river was swollen up and into the jungle so we had a lot to look at from the kayaks. We paddled a couple hours and finally made it across a big lake to another Lodge where we ate lunch and met our boat captain. The last leg of our journey was in a small boat where we got to see a bunch more wildlife, including sloths, toucans, monkeys, pink dolphins, grey dolphins, green parrots, and piranhas! We fished for and caught piranhas and took them back to the lodge where they cooked them for us! They were great! We drank some cachacas with the folks who run the lodge and then went off to bed. The next day we boarded the boat again and made our way back to Leticia to conclude our trip.
All in all I would say our Amazon jungle experience was truly amazing! The people that we met were all so nice, courteous, and respectful, and you could tell they sincerely appreciated our business. We feel that we made lifelong friends with our guide Ramiro, and hope to stay in contact with him through Facebook. He had everything lined out perfectly and even cooked most of the food we ate on the trip! What seemed like an amazing trip to us was literally just another day to him. He has done hundreds if not thousands of those trips and we felt safe the entire time.
I would highly recommend this company for your trip into the Amazon. They did a great job for us and was worth every dollar we spent on it!!! A+

The overall experience and final results were good but communication was frustrating. You do everything by internet which is fine for a young generation but for a senior generation this impersonal approach is difficult and when in transit usually without wi-fi availability it becomes challenging. Unfortunately our contact left your company at a critical time although both girls were excellent.

The overall plan was generic but the notification of pickups was and van drivers were last minute.... read more

The overall experience and final results were good but communication was frustrating. You do everything by internet which is fine for a young generation but for a senior generation this impersonal approach is difficult and when in transit usually without wi-fi availability it becomes challenging. Unfortunately our contact left your company at a critical time although both girls were excellent.

The overall plan was generic but the notification of pickups was and van drivers were last minute. The local transport companies and drivers you contracted were outstanding punctual and polite. In our party, 3 did not speak any Spanish and I fluent in both ended doing all the translating and acting as a guide not a big deal but if you are going to expand tourists from North America you should try to get ones with a little English.

From Pasto to Cali travel company Tierra y Cielo as well as driver Henry Patoja and guide in Medellin Maria Elena Marín were A1. Travel companies Cali Salento and salento Medellin I give a A. English guide in Salento was charming but English very limited. Your hotel choices Le park in Medellin was good and ideally situated and Hacienda Cairo was excellent and highly recommended. As a born Colombian living in Canada I was happy to show my wife and friends Colombia in a positive way and very happy with your arrangements

Over Xmas, I now intend bringing my children and grandchildren for a two-week visit and hope we can work together again.

Pick up info at each point was last minute, all else was well. Nathalie and Katheryn were good.

Nathalie was the best. We had her redo our itinerary maybe a dozen times and consistently received prompt responses and a ton of help. Nathalie even helped us with arrangements not booked through her, like finding tickets for a football game in Medellin. Within the first ten minutes of arriving to our first destination, Nathalie called us to make sure we were okay. Everything about her service exceeded our expectations.

The Cambio hacienda restaurant staff was mostly not interested in service, the dinners and coffee was substandard and the room was in poor condition.

Katherine was very patient with us in the planning stage and equally attentive throughout the trip.

Katherine worked very hard on our behalf, especially given the short time frame in which we were planning. She also was great while we were in country and got sick and had to revise parts of our trip. She was always available to help re-adjust. There were two of the lodging options that were disappointing. Cartagena, Tayrona and Silvia were the highlights of the trip for me.

It was chaotic from the get go

she was really lovely, however a few things could have more clear

Nathalie was fantastic in helping me plan my trip in such short notice (4 days prior to travel). All of my accommodations were in the heart of each city, and had an authentic local feel to them (Just what I asked for). Nathalie also sent me plenty of restaurant recommendations, and additional activities we could take advantage of on our free time. She kept in touch with me throughout the trip and she went above and beyond to quickly resolve a minor issue I had.
Overall great, despite one of... read more

Nathalie was fantastic in helping me plan my trip in such short notice (4 days prior to travel). All of my accommodations were in the heart of each city, and had an authentic local feel to them (Just what I asked for). Nathalie also sent me plenty of restaurant recommendations, and additional activities we could take advantage of on our free time. She kept in touch with me throughout the trip and she went above and beyond to quickly resolve a minor issue I had.
Overall great, despite one of the guides not showing up (he had the times switched), but that was resolved by Nathalie, the guides that showed up were awesome, their historical knowledge in Bogota, and the 2 in Villa de Leyva, was phenomenal. The people (guides, drivers, and locals) were extraordinarily friendly, and open to sharing their customs.

If I could change one thing it would have been longer planning time (not on you), because I would have altered my itinerary slightly to avoid a lot of movement from town to town, probably returned from Villa de Leyva to Bogota rather than go to Barichara just to avoid the transportation time, and likely headed to Cartagena a day earlier since it was a place I needed more time at. Nothing major, overall great support by Nathalie, and a fantastic trip.

Thanks, looking forward to using your services again.

Regards,

Howard

She was very helpful in such short notice and provided great recommendations. She resolved a minor issue and compensated the hiccup with a great dinner in Cartagena. Fantastic service, and fully recommend her.