Kimkim Trip Reviews for Colombia

I just happened upon KimKim in trying to figure out what to do on our Colombia trip.

We were randomly assigned Andrea as our KimKim Consultant and Colombia local expert.

We hit the lottery of travel agents! Having Andrea as our consultant was like having an old friend giving us all the best recommendations, everywhere we went!

Andrea arranged all the details of our trip! We had great guides and drivers in Bogota, Medellin & Cartagena. The tours were professionally organized and really great. The logistics were all streamlined and detailed, and nothing was missing anywhere along the way.

Some highlights for us (Andrea arranged):
1. Bogota Fruit Market Tour- Maria was an absolute subject matter expert! She was so passionate about everything she did, and we loved it!
2. Medellin- Andres was an amazing tour guide and took us to amazing sights.
3. Cartagena- Juan was great taking us to Baru and the Rosario Islands!

I can't recommend Andrea more. She was always available on Whats App, and went above and beyond to serve our needs.

Thanks Andrea for being amazing!

Overall, Michael was very responsive, with a diverse and exciting itinerary, and would use him again!

The company, Chaska Tours, that they used for the actual services in Colombia I would give 3.5 stars. For the money that was paid, I would have expected fewer problems.
1. Driver was not ready for pickup at first airport
2. Wrong and worse hotel during one part of the trip
3. One not so good tour guide and one average one. One excellent one and one good one.
4. Missed a flight bc of traffic (not their fault, but made the rest of the itinerary very difficult)

What an amazing trip! I found kimkim through a random google search and their tour options interested me-but especially the customization. After figuring out the details with the representative I had an exciting trip to look forward to.

I visited Bogota, Pereira region, a nice hike around Corcora along with a visit to Salento, Medellin, Guatape Day trip to hike up la Piedra rock for beautiful views, Cartagena, Minca and finally Palomino over a two week period. The accommodations selected for my budget were nice and in the large cities, centrally located. Every driver was professional and Michael booked knowledgeable and friendly guides as necessary. Luis in Bogota was wonderful and told me more than I could possibly remember about the city, the gold museum, etc. Tito was very friendly and helpful at my stay in the coffee region, Jose in Medellin was helpful despite my late arrival (he stayed until I got to the hotel and since it was too late for the planned city tour he recommended me places to visit and restaurants to eat at), Cristian found some wonderful toucans in Minca, my guide in Cartagena was wonderful but his name escapes me, and then Palomino was relaxed beach time on my own. The driver's were also great with Diego in Pereira, Emerson around the Cartagena (plus transport to Minca) and the others I can't recall.

Colombia is a beautiful country you need to see for yourself to believe! Gorgeous scenery, delicious food, friendly people, there is so much to see and do. I almost wish I could keep it a secret so it does not become overrun with even more tourists :).

My only suggestion is maybe offer different vendors for the Guatape trip. A boat trip is pretty unnecessary as all you do is sit on the boat for an hour. I would have preferred to have that extra hour in Guatape because it is such a beautiful little town. Aside from that, no complaints!

Thank you for such a wonderful trip!

My husband and I had a wonderful trip to Colombia. We visited Bogota, Medellin, Santa Marta and Cartagena in our 9 day trip. Andrea, our local Colombian specialist was extremely resourceful and thoughtful in planning out the itinerary customizing it to our liking. We were making this trip to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary and Andrea ensured we were treated to a surprise in every location! From upgrading us to a suite in a high end hotel, to a surprise beach picnic lunch with wine, to having chocolate-covered strawberries and roses in our room, we were delighted :)

Colombia as a country for sightseeing is underrated. With such breath-taking landscapes, beautiful weather, wonderful people, we loved Colombia for all that it had to offer,
Kim Kim through its association with local travel agencies in Colombia, not only made us feel safe and gave a true local experience but also help the community by giving them job opportunities.

All our travel guides and drivers were fantastic. Bogota was fun with Rosita, we had a 4 hr city tour but got a great glimpse of what the city had to offer. Medellin with Maria was excellent . Santa Marta with Yubelis was exceptional. We stayed the longest in Santa Marta and was probably our favorite city amongst all that we visited. Marlon and Tavo in Cartagena were wonderful as well.

Couple of recommendations from our experience:
We wish KimKim does better by having fluent English speaking guides, some guides/drivers were not proficient and barely beginners in English speaking and that made conversations and experience very difficult. While we appreciated their efforts, but communication was almost impossible.

We traveled in times of Covid. Although arrangement of testing and receipt of test were seamless, we wish KimKim had informed us of the costs upfront. We had assumed it was covered in the overall quote they mentioned and we paid. This came as a surprise and was the need of the hour that we didnt account for. We managed but budgeting can be tricky for many.

Overall we enjoyed the experience working with KimKim and loved Colombia! I would highly recommend friends and family to use KimKim and work with Andrea. She was with us every step of the way ensuring we had a great time. I was lucky to have met her in person in Colombia! She even gifted us a keepsake when we met.

Dear Margoth.
We are back home 😔 after a fabulous visit to your glorious country.
I wanted to express our gratitude for your exceptionally attentive, helpful and timely help in organising the trip.
We simply loved our stay at Calanoa in the rainforest & have taken away such wonderful memories that will last a lifetime
The logistics all ran so smoothly thanks to you 🙏
Your are an absolute star ⭐️ thank you so so much.
You have two happy fans !
All the best
Adam & Lola

Hotel Review

Calanoa Lodge

Leticia

Amazing Lodge, in a spectacular location run by the loveliest of people

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Boat Ride to Peruvian Margin to see Pink Dolphins and the Sunset from the River

Calanoa Lodge, Leticia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Herman was excellent

Transport

Our 14 day trip to Colombia was great and we owe it all to our wonderful local specialist, Andrea.
Not only did she patiently help the 3 of us plan and customize of trip (we must have changed our plans 10 times!), she was with us (virtually) every step of the way while we visited 4 locations in this stunning country. We traveled from Bogota (loved the Gold Museum!) to the coffee region (highlight: Cocora Valley hike in the Andes to see Wax Palms) to Medellin (highlight: visiting Communalist 13 at night) and last to Cartagena (highlight: Street Foodie Tour). Accompanied by lovely guides in each location who shared stories of their community with us. Lodging in each location was top notch too.
While we had a few disappointments, Andrea was quick to make sure we could do something to make up for it later on. I was a bit nervous booking such a big and expensive trip on an online platform, I would now not hesitate to use Kimkim to help us plan our next adventure.

Hotel Reviews

Bio Habitat Hotel

Quindío, Armenia

This was such a unique and relaxing place to relax. Each guest "nest" is a glass box perched in the trees. Quite amazing! The food was also quite nice here. I loved the breakfasts. The view at sunset from the pool deck (or in the hot pool) is spectacular!

Tips for future travelers

If you are mobility challenged, be sure to ask for a room close to the top near the reception building! The route to our room was steep and at this altitude, we needed to rest walking up! Oh, and wear your bug repellent that they provide!!!

Authenticity & Character

Loved the guest room and the public areas

Location

We had a day here just to enjoy the resort. it was great. Very relaxing

Staff

very helpful staff - especially if your Spanish is good!

Cleanliness & Comfort

what you'd expect from a 5 star property

The Click Clack Hotel Medellín

Medellín

This was a nice hotel but a bit too trendy. For my taste. My least favorite on the trip. The rooms were quite small and the corridors so dark, it was spooky! Nice bar and great breakfast . Loud music playing somewhere at night.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Traditional Farmers Market

Bogotá

We enjoyed this activity and our guide made it special by introducing us to special Colombian pastries, cheeses, coffee and fruits! I tried several that I had never seen or heard of!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Smaller more comfortable Van

Cartagena’s Street Food: The Soul of a City in Every Bite

Cartagena

This tour was a great introduction to Cartagena! We recommended it to several other travelers. Andrea was our chef guide and she was terrific and the food was awesome!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We walked!

Covid Test

Colombia

The lab came to our hotel the day before our flight. So easy. Quick results. No problems

We thoroughly enjoyed exploring the country of Colombia. Felipe and his team planned an itinerary for us that was perfect. We had outstanding guides and drivers. In particular Diva, in Santa Marta and Jose in Medellin were excellent for learning the culture, the food, the history, and all the natural beauty that their regions had to offer. Having a professional driver throughout the country was critical to a relaxing trip. The roads are good but crowded with many different types of vehicles and people. We felt very safe everywhere in the country and the local people clearly enjoy having Americans among them.

Hotel Review

Hotel Casa Medina Four Seasons

Bogotá, Cundinamarca

Beautifully renovated property in downtown Bogota. Staff is excellent and speaks English and super comfortable beds! Breakfast included were delicious.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Zipaquirá Salt Cathedral and Guatavita Lake Tour

Bogotá

One of the most unique tours we have seen. This former salt mine converted into a very creative and sacred Cathedral. Definitely worth visiting.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This is the first time my wife and I have used a service like KimKim and we would recommend it very highly. We told Andrea the areas that we wanted to visit and the activities that we like doing and she developed a detailed itinerary for us. This included our daily activities, local flights, transportation, hotels, etc.

We spent 20 days in Columbia and had a very active trip of multi day hiking, city tours, food tours and different excursions in various parts of Columbia. Andrea was there every step of the way, very helpful and unbelievably responsive and available 24/7. My wife and I have traveled for business and pleasure throughout the world over many years and Andrea is exceptional in the service that she provides. She was efficient, knowledgeable, responsive and very thoughtful.

We really enjoyed our Columbia trip, the people are very friendly, the food is great and the beauty and variety of scenery is incredible. Our 20 day trip just scratched the surface. We will definitely be back and will use Andrea and KimKim to help us plan another great trip.

Colombia was phenomenal - we had such an authentic, local experience due to the effort and care put into our trip plan by our local guide, Felipe. KimKim made it easy to communicate with updates constantly through WhatsApp while we were in the country, and catered to every need we had that popped up.

Medellin was like a tropical, Spanish-speaking San Francisco - a must see! Cartagena was an enchanting colonial Spanish town. I hope to have those wooden windowsills and white walls on a latin ranch someday :).

Hotel Review

Hotel San Pedro de Majagua

Isla Grande

Charming and comfortable, and surrounded by massive local trees, the hotel is adorned with hammocks and private outdoor living rooms attached to your hotel room. Can sit in the evenings and look out over the coast, with the sea breeze and waves all around you.

Tips for future travelers

Use the bikes to get to town!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

City Tour of Medellín (with Parque Arvi)

Medellín

The cable car trip is amazing. Stunning views, and you interact with friendly locals the entire time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We have never heard of KimKim or used it before, but it worked out very well. Felipe and his associate were very responsive and available at all points, checked in with us to make sure things were running tight and we’re just super helpful. We loved Medellin and our city tour there. The restaurant reservations everywhere worked well and were appropriate for what we wanted. Cartagena was more heavily touristed than we expected but our city guide Manu was great, and the hotel was very nice, conveniently located, much nicer for us than a big hotel would be. We absolutely loved staying at Isla Grande. (The boat ride back was a bit choppy and wet but fun anyway.) We loved our first trip to Colombia and are so pleased with how all of the planning worked out. Thanks again!

Hotel Review

The Click Clack Hotel Medellín

Medellín

Very stylish, playful, great location, terrific service although breakfast could be a bit slow some days.

Activity Review

Dinner Reservation at OCIO / OCI.Mde

Medellín

They took such good care of us. They didn’t immediately have a table ready but apologized and more than made up for it by sending complimentary dishes. The food was our favorite of the whole trip. Great place

So glad we used this service! COVID had really taken a lot of the fun out of planning trips since there was so much uncertainty and so many restrictions to keep track of. Rafaja's team made it so easy. We knew very little about Colombia coming in to the trip planning and Rafaja was so patient as we honed in on what we wanted and made recommendations that we never could have come up with on our own. A great example was when we went to the Pacific coast and people kept asking us how we found out about the place since they never see people from the United States there. In addition to all the planning assistance, everything was seamless as we were traveling as well and it was easy to continue communication with Rafaja's team. With all the ideas and resources Rafaja provided we could easily do many more trips to Colombia!

My 16 year old daughter & I took a trip to Cartagena, Colombia this past summer. I was a little nervous about a trip like this with just us , but the help planning & the tips that I was given from Rafaja made the trip amazing.

Rafaja helped us arrange a walking tour of the city with our amazing guide Will, a trip to Rosario Islands, a mother-daughter photography session in our favorite part of town(Getsemani) and a fishing trip that we couldn't go on due to my food sickness. Our favorite part was the walking tour as Will was knowledgeable & passionate about his city, and he was also friendly & funny. I highly recommend the photographer Rafael that was arranged-he captured some fabulous images.

Because our experience was so good, I'm currently in the process of arranging my second Mother-Daughter trip with KimKim-as much as I'd love to visit Colombia again, we are heading to Nicaragua this time.

Thank you Margoth, Felipe, Martin, Juan Carlos, Jaruen, Jose, Maria, and drivers for a fantastic trip to Colombia. Thank you for sharing your beautiful country with us. Margoth put together a wonderful trip fitting in everything I asked for at a busy time of year. Our trip included Cartagena, Santa Marta, Rosario Islands, Tayrona, Minca, Medellin, Guatape, Rio Claro, Tabio, and Bogota. The guides were very passionate about their cities and taught so much about the places and culture. They were also very patient with our kids (8 and 12). Thank you for the gifts, help with a sick child, dinner reservations (yum), and transfers. Our trip exceeded our expectations and we definitely plan to return. Margoth and Felipe kept in touch and made sure everything went smoothly.

Hotel Review

Movich Hotel Cartagena de Indias

Cartagena de Indias

Location was great. Breakfast delicious. Great vibe with rooftop pool and bar. The people managing the front desk of the hotel were outstanding.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Front desk especially, but everyone was great

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Suggested Sunset Drinks at Café del Mar

Cartagena

Great location with spectacular sunset views and good drinks.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

WOW! A truly special and personalized trip to a beautiful and diverse country. From start to finish, this experience with the Colombia kimkim team made every detail easier and unique. Special thanks to Felipe, Margoth, and the whole team at Aracanto for paying attention to all my special requests, detailed questions, and connecting me to guides/excursions to fit my interests.

The kimkim team were attentive to detail and knew the logistics of each day to the minute. I felt safe, listened to, and even surprised by extra gifts the team setup. They made my visit to Colombia a memorable one. Thank you for sharing your country with me. ¡Fue un viaje bastante bacano!

Hotel Reviews

AC Hotel by Marriott Santa Marta

Santa Marta, Magdalena

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Click Clack Hotel Medellín

Medellín

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Minca Tour and Cacao Farm and Coffee Farm

Colombia

Este dia fue mi favorito de todos vacacciones. I felt like I was visiting with an old friend instead of a tour guide. The coffee farm and coffee demonstration was educational and the location in the mountains of Cierra Nevada was amazing. But my favorite was the lunch spot where me, my tour guide (Diva), and my driver (Sr. Juan) enjoyed delicious food together overlooking the view. Diva and Sr. Juan shared stories with me, and we even practiced my salsa dancing!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day trip to Nature Reserve Cerro Bravo

Medellín

This hike was SO fun because it was hard & challenging, but the summit was WORTH every hard step of the amazing view of Fredonia/Cerro Bravo. Even more so, my guides (Pablo and Luis) were fantastic. I felt like I was hiking with 2 mates, rather than 2 tour guides. 13K feet climb! Then to finish, a beer together in Fredonia to celebrate!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Felipe did an outstanding job working tirelessly to customize our trip to see as much as possible in 9 days. Once in Colombia, he remained in constant contact and responded immediately 24/7 to any issues that arose. We had a wonderful time with memories that will last a lifetime.

Hotel Review

Sofitel Legend Santa Clara Cartagena

Cartagena

Activity Review

Airport Transfer: {{start_location}} to {{end_location}} & Guatape and El Peñol Tour

Colombia

Guatape and el penol are must sees

Family of 4 (kids ages 9 and 11), 1 week in Colombia (Bogota and Cartagena), Margoth arranged an amazing trip. Everything was seamless from pickup/dropoff at the airports, to all tours with local English guides, and reservations at top restaurants. It was my eldest daughters birthday and she arranged a very special day for her with treats and birthday celebrations throughout the day. There was constant communication throughout the trip and nothing was left to chance. They even arranged a nurse to come to our hotel for the obligatory Covid test to come back to the US. 10/10, I've already recommended them to other friends.

I want to preface this review by saying that I've traveled to almost 50 countries, so I've had my fair share of trip planners that I've worked with. Margoth has by far been the most efficient, professional, responsive, and thoughtful one I've ever encountered!

We just got back from a trip to Medellin last week. There were 8 travelers, all with different arrival and departure dates. Margoth seamlessly planned around each individual and crafted an itinerary that best fit our needs and numbers on any given day. We had a mix of requests for her - from adventure to food to relaxing days - she was able to meet them all, offering several suggestions that helped make the most members of our group happy. She always responded within a few hours of our requests (often much sooner), even over the holidays! There was never a time when I felt something would not be taken care of because we had that much trust in Margoth. She is amazing!

Beyond Margoth, the trip we took was so great , in large part because of our tour guide, Juan Manuel. His English is perfect - he was able to describe to us in detail about the history of all we were seeing, often bringing in vivid imagery to bring home his commentary. He was patient and helpful - from e-biking to waterfall hiking (where his patience was needed in spades!) to our various questions about everything - he could always be relied upon to help! There was one day our car had issues (small!), but he made up for them by getting another car ASAP. I could not have imagined a better guide for us on this trip.

Overall, we loved Medellin, and we are so happy that we used Kim Kim to book it. I researched thoroughly before choosing a trip provider, and we chose Kim Kim due to a combination of reasonable pricing, great offerings, and the responsiveness of Margoth. Thank you for a great trip!

Hotel Review

Sites

Medellin

Sites was good for our needs - we had three different families, so it was nice to have a common area to hang out in while in our rooms. The amenities were nice and clean and modern. The cleaning staff was amazing. We appreciated the on-site laundry and breakfast each morning. The pool and workout facilities were also good for our needs. The dinner at the hotel restaurant was fantastic! What we think could have been better: --Lighting - it was so dark everywhere. Some brighter lights would have added to the cheeriness of this place --Breakfast - we had to make a reservation to go down in the morning, but if we didnt let them know in advance, we would not get the timeslot we needed. We are used to being able to go down at anytime for an included breakfast, especially considering that the meal was the exact same, EVERY SINGLE DAY (no variation at all). --The elevator was very very slow, and there was only one on site. We often walked down or up the stairs to get anywhere. --All of the above wasn't a huge deal to us. We are not too picky when it comes to hotels, and we would not even complain about the above. But the biggest problem for this hotel was bad wifi. Only if you were in the lobby or floor 12 was it good. In our room (floor 6), our wifi came and went constantly. If it was connected, it was very fast. But for the most part, it rarely connected, and we could not even get 3G or LTE service, so we were often without internet for our entire stay. In nice hotels these days, to not have reliable wifi, especially for international travelers who don't have local phone plans, is tough.

Tips for future travelers

Do not stay here if you need reliable wifi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

'La Miel' Waterfall and Hike Tour

Colombia

So much fun to hike along the river, but not for the faint of heart!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Timely resolved all issues expected during complicated travel times ( COVID ), complex trip plan and changing airlines schedules.

Where to even begin! First, I believe Margoth deserves a lot of credit for her resilience in assuring me a safe and very special experience for my first ever international trip outside of the US! Having never even left the country before, I always had major doubts in myself, but something in my gut told me to go with this..
I didn’t want to do anything really typical. I didn’t want the all-inclusive resorts with lots of other US tourists. I wanted to be plummeted into another culture and embraced by love and beauty and freedom. And what better way to spend than on my birthday, 11/11, which also happened to be Independence Day for the beautiful Cartagena. We danced and celebrated in the streets, I felt at home and very embraced.
I took a chance on a country everyone often questions.. as a solo FEMALE traveler, for the first time in my life. And i loved EVERY SINGLE MINUTE OF IT.
From Margoth, Felipe and the rest of the Aracanto team, to Manuel, my tour guide.. Martin, my driver. The infectious Carolina at Oh La La Bistrot! The hotel staff and my lovely Island Boys at Rosario, to the locals ON Rosario Island i met during my Mangrove tour, to the local Cartagena vendors who I’ve been texting on Whatsapp every day because I’ve genuinely made deep connections with several of them. And on my own, even! The Hotel Sophia team who basically treated me like a princess all week. Christina and Juan, and the bartenders at the Arsenal Rum Box who introduced me to all the Colombian rum. To Dyllan, my super handsome salsa guru.. to all the staff and servers at all the restaurants (and my goodness, i never changed a single recommendation for dinner because y’all made some very impressive reservations!!)
I could not have done this without the help and extra push from Margoth and Aracanto Travel! They have really set the tone for me and i have already intrigued so many of my friends here in the states.
Many conversations i had ended up being about me traveling there alone and for my first international adventure, leaving many locals shocked, yet impressed with my choice… and continuously thanking me for trusting their home enough to come see it for myself.
I spent all my money on locally-made items, I had no reservations against supporting the bracelet/gift vendors because they took such good care of me all week! Like i said, I’ve left with many local friends!

The first night, I spent with a group from Medellin who were heading home after a fun weekend together in Cartagena. However, after an hour at Cafe Del Mar sunset with them, we decided it was imperative that i come back and make Medellin a necessary stop!
On my last morning, a street bracelet vendor who actually ended up taking me on a casual walking tour of the entire walled city the day before, stopped by my hotel just to give me a gift he made… simply because i let him take me on a tour and trusted him every step of the way.
I fell in love with myself AND Cartagena. I plan to be back before you know it…
I would recommend KimKim for anyone who needs help with traveling; especially solo travelers! And definitely plan to be an advocate, specifically for Colombia, as I hope the positive image of this beautiful country can replace anyone’s initial doubts about experiencing it. Aracanto team is FIVE STAR!!!

Until we meet again…¡ muy bacano!

Carly M

In one word "EXCELANT".
I would like to say as a traveling person, the trip that we had to Colombia was more than what we expected. Other than the beautiful sites that we visited, it was organized so well that all 4 of us were very happy from all the organization that Margoth and Felipe arranged.
They took care of all the reservations for the hotels, restaurants and even they made all the flight check ins for us. We did not waste even one minute for any arrangements.
The local guides Oscar in Bogota and Daniel in Medellin were great. Other than their knowledge of the places, they were very attentive of where we were and showing us all the realities of Colombia.
It was a great decision to have the trip with them and we were very satisfied and I believe we did the maximum that we can in the 8 days that we were in Colombia.
Thank to all the team, thank you Margoth and ViVa Colombia.
I hope we will be back soon.
Simon