Kimkim Trip Reviews for Colombia

From the moment we were connected with Aracanto Travel through KimKim, our Colombian adventure transformed into an extraordinary experience. Their commitment to excellence and attention to detail was amazing.

Margoth designed an awesome itinerary that blended culture, nature, and adventure from the vibrant streets of Bogota and Cartegena, to hiking in the Medellín Cloud forest and Tayrona National Park, and scuba diving in Santa Marta.

Aracanto took care of every aspect of the itinerary, from all the transport, and tours to the accommodation – even making our restaurant reservations for us! The personalized approach and thorough planning meant we did not have to worry about a thing! The Aracanto team set up a WhatsApp group a few days before we arrived in Colombia and this worked so well – someone from the team was always available to answer any of our questions or make any last-minute changes – a huge shout out to the team (Margoth, Felipe, Juanita, Marcela, Fabian and Sebastian)!

Our guides across the cities we visited were also excellent – big thank you to Joel (Bogota), Andras (Medellín), Cesar (Santa Marta), and Ana (Cartegena) for making our trip so special.

Colombia itself was spectacular in its people, culture, nature and history – the amazing street art in Bogota, the history and vibrance of Comuna 13, the lush forests and beautiful beaches, the spectacular food (yes, including all the interesting stuff too – ants, beetle larva and guinea pig), and the amazing, friendly people.

In summary, Aracanto Travel provided an exceptional service turning our dreams of visiting Colombia into a reality. They are certainly a passionate team, and we would highly recommend them to anyone planning a trip to Colombia. Thank you Margoth and Team!!!

Activity Reviews

Guatape and El Peñol

Colombia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day City Tour of Cartagena

Cartagena

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chorro Campana Hike

Medellín

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chicaque Natural Park

Bogotá

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Best of Medellín City Tour (with Comuna 13)

Medellín

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-Day Coffee Farm Tour

Medellín

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tayrona National Park Tour

Colombia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Well organised and everyone very helpful and friendly, but over-priced

Hotel Review

Casa Tayrona Los Naranjos

Thoroughly recommend. Great location, wonderful food, fantastic staff. Perfect place to relax

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Hike Tayrona National Park

Tayrona National Park

Very touristy. No need for a guide - clear paths to follow

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excellent careful driver with good quality comfortable vehicle

Our nine day trip to Colombia began in Bogota. We were delighted with our guide, Oscar. He provided great information, personalized service, and helped make our tours of the city and surroundings enriching and comfortable. We especially enjoyed the historical perspective he provided and his love of cooking! Our tour to Guatavita helped us to appreciate all of the history and the beauty of the gold that was displayed in the Gold Museum.
In Medellin, Sebastian, our guide helped us understand life in this beautiful city. We especially enjoyed seeing Comuna 13 and learning about how the city of Medellin has evolved into the city it is today. Going to Guatape and climbing El Penol was a highlight. Sebastian was enthusiastic and a great ambassador for Colombia.
Cartagena is a vibrant colorful city and our guide, Anna, showed us various areas of the old city on a walking tour. We enjoyed fruit, ice cream, chocolate and rum tasting and learned much about the history of the city. Anna provided great historical insight and even helped us see a sloth in a city park! We also enjoyed a mangrove tour with a local fisherman. It was good to get a view of what life is like outside of the city.
Felipe helped us to arrange a tour that was suited to our way of travel. We covered history, art, food, culture and even managed to get out into the countryside to see life outside of the cities.

Hotel Review

Patio del Mundo

Medellín

Beautiful, peaceful and comfortable. Everything about this place provided a sense of calm. The staff was delightful and attentive. Location was great and near many nice restaurants.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guatavita Lake Tour

Bogotá

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-Day Coffee Farm Tour

Medellín

This was a nice sample of what coffee plantations are like on a small scale and close to Medellin. Our time didn't permit going to the coffee growing region so this was a nice compromise.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Best of Medellín City Tour (with Comuna 13)

Medellín

We really enjoyed being able to take the cable car and see Comuna 13. We also really liked the guide who was a resident of the Comuna 13 area. We enjoyed the vibrance of the community and seeing how this area is transforming.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walking Tour of Cartagena Old City

Colombia

We loved learning about the history of the city and it's people. Our tasting tours were informative and delicious.

Quality of Experience

Transport

Welcome to Colombia!

Colombia

On time and efficient.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Highlights of Bogotá City Tour (with Gold Museum, Local Market and Monserrate Hill)

Bogotá

We enjoyed our entire experience. It was nice to see the Gold Museum prior to going to Guatavita.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guatape and El Peñol

Colombia

We enjoyed climbing El Penol and the city of Guatape. The community was lovely to visit.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rum Tasting with Chocolate Pairing

Cartagena

We learned so much on this tour. We enjoyed tasting the rum and the nibbles that they provided were very good.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Depart Colombia

Colombia

It was really great to have our guides help us with airport check ins. This really made things go much more smoothly than if we had to do the check ins on our own.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

All of our guides made sure we were checked in and good to go before they left us. A nice touch!

Transport

Exotic Fruit Tasting Workshop and Local Ice Creams

Cartagena

The young women who provided the service at this venue were delightful! Koko and Vicky were great fun and very informative.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mangrove Tour with Local Fisherman

Cartagena

Very interesting and enjoyable. We loved seeing the birds and seeing how the fishermen do their work. We learned a lot about the mangroves and the ecosystem there.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Thoroughly enjoyed our family adventure to Colombia, Had several wonderful guides, Juan Pablo, Gabriel, and Carlos and local driver (Francisco , who spoke excellent English) who not only shared their expertise about their country, but offered engaging conversation on various topics, and provided additional adult support, by going on the amusement rides at Parque del Cafe with the children or assisting in hands on activities such as basket weaving, chocolate making. Colombia is a beautiful country with many diverse activities for school age children to participate in. Hotel accommodations were comfortable and conveniently located in safe walkable areas. If you are looking for a destination that has a lot to offer , and is less than a 5 hr flight from the US East Coast, with minimal time difference, Consider visiting Colombia

Michael put together the perfect itinerary for us and it was executed perfectly! He even scheduled some ad hoc requests durning the trip. Super responsive and have already recommended him to family and friends.

We were a multigenerational group of 4, and Michael and his team at Chaska really delivered an exceptional experience! We loved getting a window into Colombia through the personal stories of our guides, and it was amazing to be able to fully enjoy each experience, not having to worry about how to get from point A to B, or if my Spanish language skills were up to the task! Our kids loved Cafe del Parque and our beach day at Rosario Island. Mom and Grandma loved the Corcora Valley hike, and the novel experiential learning via basketweaving, the drum workshop, as well as net-fishing in La Boquilla. Such a great variety and enriching way to experience Colombia.

My wife and I had a wonderful time in Colombia thanks to Michael and KimKim! We had a personalised itinerary that catered to our interests, with a great combination of cultural and historical activities, hiking excursions, and R&R, exploring areas as diverse as Bogota, Salento, Medellin, Tayrona National Park and Cartagena. The tours and excursions were well organised, with everything running like clockwork and a succession of excellent guides, who combined passion and a genuine interest in teaching us about their beautiful country, with kindness and good chat. The hotels were of excellent quality (our particular favourites were Kawa Mountain Retreat in Salento, complete with personal hot tub on the terrace, and Senda Koguiwa on the doorstep of Tayrona National Park). Michael was extremely responsive throughout, reacting to late requests to change our schedule when I unfortunately went down with a tummy bug! The personal highlight for me was hiking Tayrona National Park. We wish we could have spent more time in Colombia, and we hope to return one day. Thank you so much to Michael and KimKim for an unforgettable trip.

Fabulous trip to Colombia. Margoth and her team were fantastic. The communication with Margoth during the planning stage was excellent. She worked with our rough outline for the trip and made suggestions and listened to our feedback. We chose a 12 day trip that included time in Bogotá, Medellín and Cartagena. The team recommended hotels in each of the locations and even suggested restaurants that catered to our dietary needs (we are pescatarians). As we approached our departure date, the team set up a WhatsApp group to make our communication with them seamless.

We encountered travel issues on our journey to Colombia and Margoth and team were very responsive to our delayed arrival. We alerted them of our new schedule through the WhatsApp group and they got in touch with the hotel to ensure that we kept our reservation even though we would be a day later and they cancelled our dinner reservation. They modified our airport pickup and shuffled the schedule to accommodate the changes.

Our time in Bogotá included a trip to Guatavita and the Salt Cathedral one day and an extensive tour of Bogotá the next day. Our guide, Juan, was great. He was extremely knowledgeable and personable. He had a lot of enthusiasm and love of what he does. We stayed at the Artisan D.C. Hotel, which was excellent and in a great location. We had nice dinners at the hotel bar, Crepes and Waffles and at La Mar. All terrific choices.

In Medellín, we had an excellent guide, Veronica. Her love of Medellín and desire to share it with us was evident from the beginning. When we first arrived we spent the afternoon at a local, family-own coffee farm. This was a very interesting and educational experience. The next day we toured the entire city, including the cable cars and the Comuna 13 district. The transformation of Medellín is something to behold. The following day we went to Guatapé and El Peñol. This was a fun, active day which included climbing 704 steps to the top of El Peñol. In Medellín we stayed at the El Zarzo hotel which was in a fabulous location. We dined at Kaime, Mistura and Il Castillo - again all great choices.

In Cartagena, we stayed in the fascinating old city. One day, we took a day trip out to a beach resort on the Tierra Bomba island. We had some fabulous meals in Cartagena at Cande, Juan del Mar, Lobo del Mar and El Jardin - all great options. We stayed at the Bastion Luxury Hotel which was outstanding. The staff was very welcoming. The room was excellent, as was the location. The roof top deck and pool had great views of the sea and the city.

Margoth and the team were constantly available when needed and extremely helpful. We had issues with a cancelled flight on our departure date. Margoth reacted immediately, finding us a hotel for the night (even though is was the beginning of Semana Santa) and setting up a driver to get us back to the airport the next day.

The trip was terrific in large part due to all of the work and attention from Margoth and team. Their knowledge and love of Colombia were evident in every interaction. We highly recommend working with them.

Though we had a slight apprehension to visit Colombia (because of the country's history) , however after seeing different reviews from other travellers , we still wanted to visit Bogota, Cocora Valley and Medellin, in 7 days.
Margoth designed the entire trip keeping our special requests , interests , strict Vegetarian diet and budget in mind. We had a very comfortable, safe and a memorable trip. Right from the beginning she went above and beyond to accomodate everything we were looking for from this trip. We were pleasently surprised by the food options and restaurants that were chosen for us, we had great vegetarian and vegan options in almost all the restraurants that were recommended.

Margoth and her team made us feel very comfortable during the entire trip. We were connected via WhatsApp group and got the information/help immidiately. Though we don't speak spanish or understand much, it was never a hurdle due to the arrangements made by the team and special thanks to all the guides that were assigned to our trip. And the team also took care of some of the immigration paper work which made our travel very convenient.

On the first day of the trip, on landing in Bogota, I had very bad altitude sickness and a severe headache. Team took good care of me .When we checked into the hotel, they had already arranged for electrolytes (Since I threw up and was not able to eat). They were ready to arrange for a doctor too , immediately. Fortunately it was not needed, I felt better after a night's rest.

It was very thoughtful of team Aracanto to have a welcome gift for us in the hotel , we loved the goodies they had for us.

Our guide in Bogota - Oscar Diaz was very caring and made sure we had good experence in Bogota. We were having a great day on Day 2 , tasted all the exotic fruits and snacks in Paloquemao market , Oscar was sharing all the amazing facts about the local market and people. I wish I was more prepared for handling the high altitude. I started to have a headache again after reaching Monserrate Hill,and as a result we had to cut short the day tour . Oscar took us to a local pharmacy to get medicine for my headache and after taking that I felt better almost immediately. Thanks a lot to Oscar for the recommendation.

We then visited Pereira , our guide there was Claudia and she was extremely knowledgeable about coffee production and farms. She explained it all so well that we felt like we were with a professor in a classroom. We had a very authentic coffee farm experience and she made sure we learnt a few new skills! :)
Next day we visited Cocora Valley, Salento and Felandia with her, she was patient with us and went above and beyond to make sure we had a memorable time there.

And our last destination was Medellin. Sebastian was our guide for three days and he made sure we had the best experience in Medellin. Our most memorable moment was in Commune 13, Sebastian and another local guide Tatyayini showed us around , made sure we experienced best of everything there. Next day, we also visited El pinol, Guatape with Sebastian. He made sure the drive of almost 2 hrs was entertaining, he was playing the role of a DJ playing different music mostly best of Colombia, keeping our taste in mind. :)

We have been travelling for many years now and worked with many amazing tour complanies and guides, however what stood out this time was the extra care we got. The team was checking on my health regularly and made us feel very safe and comfortable.

Especially ,Sebastian is a very kind and amazing human being, he was with us all the while on the last day in the airport helping us with the bags checking and other formalities, at one point we forgot that he was our guide, he made us feel like a family.

Colombia is very different now from what many people still think is. This is the most beautiful, colorful , vibrant country and people are very warm, friendly and kind. Not even once we felt unsafe anywhere.

And we would definelty recommend Kimkim and Aracanto for a perfect trip to Colombia.

Michael was great at planning and helping us during the entire trip. Such a good idea to have Kim Kim help us.

I couldn’t recommend booking with KimKim more. I felt like Michael was always available to us and very helpful. Colombia can be a bit overwhelming and knowing we had picks ups and plans was reassuring.
I couldn’t recommend our tour guides enough
Sara at the Market in Bogota, Jose and Juan helping us learn Tejos, Govinda made Medillin magical! Cartagena and the Rosario islands were made better with Gabe’s help too.
The time spent at Islabela was incredible what a treat to stay overnight and see the plankton!
And all the helpers and drivers working behind the scenes were amazing! How lucky were we to have such an enriching and positive experience!

Thank you for making sure our trip was fun and safe

It was a last-minute decision to go to Colombia and we are so glad we did. Michael was exceptional, he was able to put together a trip that included all the things we wanted to see and do in 24 hours. I did not feel stressed out or anxious about the planning once and Michael was always available to answer questions, with quick replies and very helpful suggestions.
We ended up making a change to our Cartagena itinerary when we were already in the city, and Michael was not only supportive and put together a detailed list of different activities, but he also covered half the cost of our trip to El Totumo Mud Volcano (we decided against a second beach day). Our visit to Medellin surpassed our expectations. Our guide Manuela was wonderful, very knowledgeable and very passionate about her country and her city that she made us fall in love with it too. We visited Hato la Aurora near Yopal and that was another exceptional and one-of-a-kind adventure. Although we did not see any jaguars (the guides tried very hard until the last minute to find them), we saw a lot of wildlife. The staff at Juan Solito were the friendliest and kindest and our guides (Samantha, Anisetto, Jason, Carlos…) were all fantastic. Our guide Jorge in Cartagena was very professional, very polite, and very considerate and I highly recommend Nacar Hotel Cartagena.
I can’t say enough good things about Michael. It was really a joy to work with him. He was so reliable, had an answer to everything and made us feel really valued as clients.

Hotel Reviews

Landmark Hotel Medellín

Medellín

Very nice hotel, friendly and helpful staff and they have a washer and dryer for the guests, which was super practical and nice not to pack dirty laundry. More hotels should have that.

Authenticity & Character

Location

it was in a really nice and safe neighborhoods, close to good restaurants that we could walk to at night alone.

Staff

all of them

Cleanliness & Comfort

the rooms were very clean, but the towels, sheets and mattress could be better.

Juan Solito Ecolodge

Hato la Aurora

It was a charming lodge in the middle of nature, but I wish the rooms were a little cleaner. I don't mind bugs in the room that are alive given the location and the nature of the lodge, but there really should not have been dead ones in the room. It just means that it was even as much as swept before we got there, which is the bare minimum.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nacar Hotel Cartagena, Curio Collection by Hilton

Cartagena

Beautiful and charming hotel in a great location. Highly recommend it. Spacious rooms, nice amenities, comfortable beds, soft linens and good towels. Great little pool, perfect for chilling with a cold beverage.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Fruit Market Tour

Medellín

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Medellín Transformation Tour

Medellín

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Peñol Boulder & Guatapé Boat Trip

Medellín

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Llanos Wildlife Tour (4D/3N)

Colombia

i think it would have made for a much more enjoyable stay had our rooms been a little less dusty and full of dead bugs. hot water would be nice so would AC.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cartagena City Tour

Cartagena

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cartagena Street Food Tour

Cartagena

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rosario Islands Day Trip

Cartagena

This was the least fun activity. The beach was very small and a couple water activities only. We went snorkeling (very unhealthy reef, which is super sad. they feed the fish, also did not feel right) and somehow lost our guide and boat, so it was a little stressful trying to find him and the boat.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour to Totumo Volcano

Cartagena

we did not expect to have this much fun at this volcano. one of a kind and very memorable experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was our first visit to Columbia. Margoth and her team made the experience easy. They are available 24 hrs a day via WhatsApp. Every detail is handled from airport pickup to tours to dinner reservations. Very Grateful for everything.

Dr Joni and Dr Maynard Luterman

Hotel Reviews

Calanoa Lodge

Leticia

It’s an ecolodge in the rainforest. We had the treehouse. Everyone is very helpful. Its beautiful. It places you in the jungle with the nighttime sounds being magical. Our room had a quiet, Bed withfly nets a small fan and a bathroom. There is No where to hang cloths. Food was excellent and consisted of fish mostly and some chicken. the food is all local. Beer wine and soft drinks can be purchased. It’s hot and very humid. It is the Amazon so be prepared. I would bring no cotton clothing as everything gets damp. There is a lot of walking, Balance and core strength are tested daily so be prepared. There are tours to local areas twice a day. Boat trips are. It was a once in a Lifetime experience.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

It’s hot and humid and not much relief so be prepare d

The Artisan D.C. Hotel, Autograph Collection

Bogotá

Modern hotel in financial district. Rooms were on the small side, Front desk staff do not speak English. It was the small items like our room had one bathrobe for my wife and I….great Location and overall very nice

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Pestagua Relais Châteaux

Cartagena de Indias

Perfect location service was impeccable and the place is beautiful

Authenticity & Character

Location

In the old city

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Walking Tour of Cartagena Old City

Colombia

Our tour guide Anna Maria was lovely spoke perfect English and was a joy to hang with. Tour was fun and well done

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Drums and Music Workshop

Cartagena

Pure joy and fun. I think the people doing the workshop would have done it for free just to have been able to teach and play. They use there music to support the children and to get them off the streets and get them to work together and it showed. The kids were great. The teachers were great. We had so much fun playing all the drum types. No experience necessary I have none lol….

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an excellent experience with Chaska tour. Michael was flexible and prompt in attending to our requests. The various guides were excellent (Maria Rosa, Chef Lili, Oedro and Emmanuel, and guides Sarah and Meilein from 321 Colombia culinary experience packed humor with insights into indigenous knowledge and ecoethical approach to food), Alex, Doriel, Gaby and Juan made the places come alive with historical and other nuggets of information, and our drivers (Hernan, Mauricio, Edgardo) were very safe drivers and engaging with conversation. The trip to Palengue was especially memorable with Gleidys providing very good cultural information. The food at Palengue was fantastic as was the food in almost all restaurants that we ate in. Overall a lovely set of memories. Thanks very much

Activity Reviews

Social Dinner-Experience: Colombian Food

Bogotá

Very thoughtfully done by Maria Jose and her team and Chef Lili, Pedro and Emmanuel. We learnt a lot about indigenous knowledges and agroecological concerns around food. Great job 321 Colombia!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to San Basilio de Palenque

Cartagena

A must see for anyone interested in Colombian society and history. The memorial to Biohó who led the escape of slaves, and the tour of the village ahowed ua the resilience of AfroColombians. Our trip was topped with one of the tastiest meals at the village.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Medellín Transformation Tour

Medellín

The trip to Communa 13 was moving.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I had a wonderful tour of Colombia. The tour guides, Dori, Juan, Edgar were very knowledgeable of their country , and wee wonderful hosts. The hotels we stayed at were safe and excellent with friendly and respectful staff. I can’t wait to go back and visit other parts of Colombia I have not visited.

Aaron Tesfaye

This was an absolutely amazing trip and an incredible experience! Planning our trip to Colombia seemed very overwhelming at first but kimkim and our planner Michael made the planning a breeze! Michael was super responsive and always so kind and professional and we felt like he really heard the things we wanted to experience on this trip. Everything was planned so well and we had an almost seamless experience. We will absolutely be using kimkim for future trips and highly recommend this company to anyone looking to save themselves time and stress on vacation.

Hotel Reviews

Finca Hotel del Cafe

Santa Rosa de Cabal

This was our favorite hotel of the 6 total we stayed in on our trip. This hotel was beautiful! The landscape was gorgeous, the hotel itself was super clean and so, so pretty and the entire grounds of the hotel were just stunning. Our room was spacious and very clean with comfortable beds and a lovely balcony to sit and relax. The bathroom was spacious and the room met all of our needs (family of 4) just fine. Unfortunately, we didn't stay at this hotel long enough to actually enjoy the amenities but they had several hot tubs, a sauna and some other luxury amenities. There's also a restaurant and a cafe just a short walk up the hill (we didn't enjoy the restaurant at all but the cafe was lovely) and the breakfast we were served on property was delicious and very fresh. Everyone we encountered was very friendly and Julien was so, so nice to us. It felt like he was our personal concierge and he went above and beyond with everything we asked for and even the stuff we didn't ask for.

Authenticity & Character

Warm, welcoming and full of charm.

Location

STUNNING VIEWS

Staff

Amazing staff, especially Julien.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was super clean and in great condition.

Ecohotel Piedemonte

This hotel is located amongst some absolutely beautiful scenery. The hotel itself is very pretty but seemed a little bit old. The room was a good size for a family of 4 and the bathroom was sufficient in size as well. The property is full of greenery and is really very pretty. I'm not sure what amenities this place offers because the main reason for my low rating is how unwelcomed we felt. The staff wasn't outright rude but seemed annoyed when we asked questions. We had to ask about everything though, no information was offered to us at all. "Is breakfast offered? Where? What time? Is there anything to eat here on the property besides breakfast? Can we get extra waters? What restaurant do you recommend?" So many questions and we still never got answers to all of them. For reference, we are from the US and 3 of us are white, one is Mexican but all of us speak fluent Spanish. It was a very poor experience here and we felt so unwelcome that I was excited to leave, unfortunately.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Wonderful location surrounded by beautiful plants and just so pretty.

Staff

Staff just wasn't at all welcoming, friendly or accommodating at all.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Santa Rosa Hot Springs

Colombia

Wonderful experience here and such breathtaking scenery.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cocora Valley & Salento

Colombia

Of all of the activities we did on our trip, this was actually my favorite. The valley and the views are simply magnificent and so different than anything I've ever seen. It was truly an unforgettable experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coffee Farm Tour in Finca Buenos Aires

Salento

Totally fun and educational experience! This was so much fun for our family and it was really, really cool to learn all about the actual orgins/care of the coffee I love so much.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Peñol Boulder & Guatapé Boat Trip

Medellín

This experience was SO MUCH FUN! First, our guides stopped us at a farm along the way where we got to feed and play with alpacas and llamas. Alpacas are one of my fav animals and this was one of the best experiences of my life because I literally got to hug the alpacas. It was great! Then we trekked up the boulder and while I was pretty intimidated by all of the stairs, it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. Just be sure to take breaks when you need to. Everyone else is also out of breath and out of shape - just take a break when needed.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Michael nos cuidó a cada paso. Tuvimos una experiencia increíble con Kim Kim. Estamos muy contentos.

Hotel Reviews

Sweet Harmony by Xarm Hotels

Minca, Magdalena

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Quetzal Dorado Ecolodge

Zaino

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Casa Tere

Cartagena

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Visit to San Basilio de Palenque

Cartagena

This community has a wonderful story and a rich history but it was worth a 30 minute visit. They parade you around the city and ask for tips at each stop. Not that enjoyable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide that Kim Kim arranged was wonderful. I cannot say enough great things. In Palenque we got passed off to another guide who had an interesting story but not worth more than 30 minutes.

We put together a fairly complicated trip with a lot of varied destinations. Alvaro was totally helpful and very can do in setting the trip up as we wanted it. During the travel, everything went as smoothly as butter. We were met by friendly and competent people at every stop and were escorted to our travels to the next destinations at exactly the times that were promised. We couldn't have been more pleased with the planning that Alvaro did for us. Ivan met us at the Airport in Bogota, and was with us the entire stay, actully had dinner with us. He was exceptionly knowledgable about the birds, and he could hear the calls and identify amazingly. We saw 90 bird species in 2 days. He could also spot birds and point them out to us well before we could see many of them ourselves. We were a little nervous about going to Inirida and alon the Oronico River, esp with the situation in Venezuela , but we were accompanied by able guides all the time and actually felt safer than when we were in 4th grade. The Tucunare Lodge was rustic but far removed from modern civilization. Alexandro, who was our fishing guide was quite knowlegable and competent and PATIENT. We fished for 2 days solidly and came away with some amazing pictures of us holding giant Peacock Bass. Than off to Cartegena for rest and relaxtion. Beautiful old town. Good nightlife, esp rooftop bars, and excellent food. All and all, would highly recommend Alvaro and Kim Kim for planning a trip to Columbia. Plan on asking for the same in a few years to Equador.

Although we were somewhat skeptical about booking through a tour group, we relied upon Kimkim and Chaska Tours to create and execute an ambitious itinerary that took us through four discrete regions in Colombia over a ten day stay. Michael and his team put together a veritable highlight reel of food, history, art, outdoor activities, and scenic drives. The Magic of Colombia tour accounted for all of our hotels, flights, and drivers and also built in some time for us to explore on our own. Our tour guides in each location were locals with a penchant for teaching, immersing us in the culture and helping us make the most of our experience despite our somewhat loose grasp of the Spanish language. Sadly, we were forced to cut the trip short after one of us contracted an illness. In this, too, Michael and his team were exceedingly helpful, coordinating a change of itinerary on a dime and keeping in constant contact to see us out of Colombia and home safely.

Our tour of Colombia was six weeks long and included both activities and accommodations arranged by Kimkim/Chaska and our local specialist, Michael, as well as activities and accommodations we arranged directly.

Overall, we were very happy with our interactions with Michael in planning our itinerary. He made good suggestions and was very responsive to our questions and requests. In retrospect, we would have appreciated being given options ahead of time for such things as upgrades for flights and accommodations, when those were available. In a number of instances, we found out about this options "in the moment" rather than in time to make considered choices. One other suggestion is for Michael to have communicated our interests with each of our guides; a number of them indicated they did not know ahead of time that we were interested in birding, for example, which did affect the activities on some days.

Michael was also outstanding in how quickly he responded to our questions and requests during the trip, sometimes multiple times in a day. One improvement would have been for us to have the names and contact information for each guide and driver at least a day in advance; we understand that sometimes this might not be possible, due to changes in staff scheduling.

Overall, the guides we were assigned were quite good. Likewise, all the drivers were prompt and safe and the cars were comfortable and clean. Specifics:

Bogota - Guide Jose Luis Borbon was excellent, very informative.
Villa de Leyva - Despite some logistical complications, Guide Carmen Trujillo was excellent, very flexible.
Barachara - Our guide for the walk from Barachara to Guane, Jose Luis, tho fairly new, was good, very informative about local culture as he grew up there. Hotel Mission, one of the oldest in the town, was very well situated, and comfortable.
Minca - Our guide Joi Guia, was very enthusiastic and personable. Our hotel, Sweet Harmony, was great, as was the food prepared in its kitchen. Minca is pretty overrun with tourists and the shops that cater to them, so we wouldn't necessarily recommend it.
El Dorado Nature Reserve - This is an amazing place, with views from the high Sierra Nevada to Santa Marta and the Caribbean. This is one instance when we would have liked to know our options for accommodations ahead of time; the two options are very different in many aspects, including proximity to the restaurant, coffee, and wifi. We were very disappointed with our assigned room, a 20 min. dusty walk up hill 3x/day. And downright dangerous in the dark. Our birding guide, Jaruen, was excellent, one of the first trained birding guides in Colombia.
Tayrona - We really like having Jaruen and Joi as guides again here, so we didn't have to get used to new personalities, etc. They each led us on a day's adventure and birding. Our hotel, Senda Koguiwa, was excellent, a welcome change from the relative rusticness of El Dorado, and very near the entrance to Tayrona National Park.
Cartagena - Cartagena is a visually beautiful city, but very very busy with the tourist trade. Our guide, Neybor, was very good and led us on a city bike tour, tour of the food market, and a cooking class.
Cali - We had a great day with Catalina, walking around the city and, especially, learning about salsa. Our hotel, Aiko Hotel Integrado, was ok as it was being remodeled at the time. When complete it will be lovely. It was also quite a ways out of Cali altho walkable to many restaurants and shops.
Aruacana Lodge - This is a beautiful, family-owned birding lodge in the hills about an hour outside of Cali. Luxurious spacious accommodations, excellent food and great birding. Highly recommend, especially for birding. Our birding guide, Vivian, altho just beginning, was very personable and enjoyable.
Salento - The Kawa Mountain Retreat is a beautiful spot, very comfortable, and with very good food. The staff were very helpful, especially when one of us got food poisoning (not at the hotel!), and we had to stay a number of hours after check-out time. Highly recommend. Our guide, Carlos, led us on a very enjoyable hike in the Corcora Valley and, when he learned we were birders, led a great birding walk the next day.
Manizales - The Hacienda Venecia is a beautiful coffee finca with lush grounds and good food. Highly recommend.
Medellin - Our guide for a trip to a flower farm and then Guatepe, Alejandro, was good and flexible. The flower farm was quite interesting; Guatepe is very touristed and less interesting for us.