Kimkim Trip Reviews for Ecuador

We had a fabulous trip hiking in Ecuador, including Cotopaxi, Quilotoa, Chimborazo, Cajas National Park, and Ingapirca with our great guide Milton. It included collaborative planning; when a landslide blocked the road to one of our hotels, the team quickly found a new hotel that we could get to. I cannot say enough positive things about Milton; truly a great ambassador for all Ecuadorians.

We overall enjoyed the experience of booking our 7 day Ecuador Trip with KimKim. The two travel specialists we worked with were very responsive and helpful. We had a great time during our trip thanks to the itinerary put together by the Kim Kim team. Here is a list of Pros and Cons we have found with the process.

Pros:
-Very simple to get the process started by answering a few questions about the length of your trip and the types of activities you like to do. This saved us a lot of research time and allowed us to focus on enjoying our trip.
- You’re provided ahead of time with all the details about the proposed accommodations so that you can determine if they meet your needs. All accommodations on our trip were great, including two memorable ones, Chilcabamba Lodge in the Andes and Huasquila Lodge in the rain forest.
- Our guide, Diego, who drove us around for part of the trip was fantastic. He was very knowledgeable about the Ecuadorian history and culture, and was happy to share his knowledge with us. He was always early to pick us up so we didn’t have to wait for him. He always made sure we were happy with the plan and was flexible in adjusting it to our needs. He also gave us good recommendations for local dining options.

Cons:
-While information was provided about the different activities we had planned, such as canyoning and rafting, it was not possible to obtain the names of the outfitters ahead of the activity despite repeated requests, even after making the full payment. Knowing the names of the outfitters ahead of time would have allowed us to be better prepared for the activities by looking at their specific website. As a family, it is nice to get a sense of the technical and physical levels needed for the activities, which is often better described on the outfitters’ websites.

-Some of the activity descriptions were too generic, such as “you will visit caves”. If more details had been provided, such as “you will tour Jumandi caves”, we could have looked up what that experience involves on the tour provider’s website to be better prepared.

I contacted kimkim to help craft a custom itinerary with a guide spend almost a week hiking in the Ecuadorian Andes. The kimkim staff was professional and responsive. Most importantly, they contracted an independent local guide who spoke excellent english and specialized in hiking trips.

During the trip we had to adjust the itinerary based on road conditions after a very strong storm closed the road to one of our our planned overnight stay locations. Alternative accommodations were made seamlessly, and it was great to see that the kimkim folks and our local guide were on the same page and kept us in the loop.

My one change would probably be to find a location closer to Chimborazo outside of Riobamba instead of staying in town. The town is not terribly clean and fairly noisy. While our time there was completely fine, l would suggest this improvement for the next group interested in doing a trip similar to ours.

Lastly, I can't say enough good things about our local guide Milton. He really made our trip special and we will treasure our time together for a long time.

Hotel Reviews

Mansion Santa Isabella

Riobamba

While the Andalusian style is nice, the staff was only moderately helpful and the room overlooking the street was very noisy.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The weekend staff was not terribly friendly or helpful. It didn't seem like they enjoyed their job very much.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Santa Lucia House - Forum

Cuenca

Wonderful staff, great location, and a lovely interior. Our room was situated at the front of the hotel, so we heard som street noise, but the large sitting room just outside our room more than made up for it. Breakfast was good. We really appreciated they adjusted their breakfast schedule to accommodate us leaving early in AM on two different occasions.

Authenticity & Character

Lovely traditional Andalusian style.

Location

Less than 5 minutes to the town center.

Staff

Everyone we met was friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Explore Cotopaxi National Park

Ecuador

We totally lucked out to see the mountain. Great hikes to the Rifugio and around the lake.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We used a local driver for the last part of the drive.

Explore the Quilotoa Lagoon

Ecuador

The hike around the crater is terrific. There is some steep vertical in the first quarter of the hike going counterclockwise, so be ready for that.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide Milton recommended going counterclockwise, which was totally the right call.

Transport

We made a decision the night before to stay in Chugchilan instead of Isnilivi. Not only were we closer to the lake the next day, but we luckily avoided a major landslide that would have kept us from getting to Quilatoa at all.

Cuenca City Tour

Ecuador

Cuenca is a special town. We were fortunate that our guide Milton was from there, so we totally benefitted from having a local experience.

Quality of Experience

Meeting our guides family.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Milton's family was awesome.

Transport

Cajas National Park

Ecuador

Who knew Scotland was in Ecuador. This is a very special place to hike.

Quality of Experience

We lucked out on the weather. Go early!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Planning with Kimkim and the local agency in Ecuador was a great choice. It made our life super easy and everything was immaculately planned for and organized. Paola was super responsive and kind in her communications. Her local team did their best to make our stay memorable and we especially enjoyed our local tour guide, Jose, in Quito. The activites we did and places we visited were well selected for our family and we enjoyed them very much.

This is our second time using KimKim to plan a big international trip for a couple or small group. We appreciate the individualized care and service given right from the start by agents online. It is easy to customize your itinerary based on budget, activities, and timing. During the course of this trip, we encountered a third party guide who did not meet our expectations in the service or interactions provided. When we provided feedback about this experience, our KimKim agent was quick to respond and help to make changes so that the remainder of our trip was not negatively impacted. We appreciated the time and effort this took. The rest of our trip, activities, and guides were superb, allowing us to enjoy the wonder and beauty of the Galapagos while feeling truly listened to and taken care of. We continue to hold KimKim in high regard and would use their services again in the future to help in planning a memorable trip.

My trip to Ecuador was wonderful thanks to Kim Kim and their local partners. The guide they assigned to meet me at the designated airport in Quito was amazing, had no problems finding me, and/or need of further clarifications. The customized trip itinerary was seamless , clearly understood, required some last minute changes and easily modified as that took into consideration. The tour guides provided were highly skilled, knowledgeable, and personable in each of the areas of Ecuador I visited. I highly recommend using Kim Kim for all your travel needs/destinations.

Hotel Reviews

Riviera Sucre

Otavalo

Authenticity & Character

Character and charm

Location

Central

Staff

Friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean

Casa Aliso Hotel Boutique

Quito

Hotel was beautiful and charming. The lobby hostess Michelle was amazing and helped me resolving a personal health issue.

Hacienda El Porvenir

Machachi

So beautiful and charming. Highly recommend.

Activity Reviews

Arrival and transfer to hotel in Otavalo

Ecuador

Hiking around Cuicocha Lagoon - Quito

Otavalo

My tour guide knew about local flora and birds. He was amazing and so much fun hike with.

This trip to Ecuador and Galapagos Islands was now my third trip planned with Kim Kim and they did not disappoint! The recommendation to cruise on the Legend rather than stay on one Island was great. We were able to see multiple Islands and a ton of wild life (Sea lions, tortoise, sea turtles, blue footed booby, red footed booby, nazca booby, flamingo and land and marine Iguana. Since Quito was our landing point, we used it as an opportunity to tour attractions near the city including the Center of Earth Musuem and various churches in the city. Javier was a great guide and very knowledgeable. We ended our trip with an excursion outside of Quito to Cayambe to a Rose Plantation (Rosadex) / Hacienda, which was beautiful. A great Trip!

Hotel Reviews

Boutique Expedition Legend

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were not conditioned well.

Le Parc Hotel, Beyond Stars

Irlanda

Authenticity & Character

Location

Great location! Safe area

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

PM – Highlands Tortoise Reserve and “Fausto Llerena” Tortoise Breeding Center

Cruise Ship

We booked a 3 week trip to Ecuador with KimKim. The agency made the trip very easy for us, for the most part. The three weeks included time in the Andes for a Cotopaxi expedition, the Galapagos, and the Amazon.

The booking and planning process was simple and convenient as well.

As far as the trip itself goes, the Galapagos and the Amazon went seamlessly, and we were grateful to have gone with KimKim. Outside of that, our tour guide, Marco, was fantastic - taking us to Mindo, Otavalo/Cotacachi, Riobamba, Cuenca, Cajas, Guayaquil, and Antisana. Not to mention, multiple trips to the airport and back. He went above and beyond to keep us comfortable and happy.

For the Andes portion of our trip, we realized it might have been better to go with a company specialized in mountaineering to ensure we got the experience we wanted—proper acclimatization and ultimately summiting Cotopaxi. We had to make last-minute itinerary changes in Ecuador, and we felt some of the acclimatization days at the start could have been used more effectively. Additionally, we had some confusing experiences with our mountain guide. The most stressful part for me was that the itinerary we were given and following had us staying an extra night at Chilcabamba lodge (the night we were to summit Cotopaxi), and I believed we could safely leave our luggage there while we summited Cotopaxi. However, when I asked about it, we were told we'd need to check out before the climb and that a driver would watch our luggage while we climbed—this was not the case. In the end, our mountain guide arranged for our luggage to be left at the ranger station at Cotopaxi National Park. This aspect of the plan felt poorly executed, and I was stressed about our luggage being left behind in such an uncertain manner.

The other thing I would have liked is to have an idea of how many guides we would have to tip and how much cash would be required- we arrived in Ecuador with far less cash than we should have brought with us. Luckily, the agency was able to get more cash to us so we could appropriately tip.

For the Galapagos and the Amazon, we had several domestic flights, which all went rather smoothly. KimKim booked us a cruise for the Galapagos, which was fantastic, and a wonderful Amazon lodge where we had some great experiences. I would definitely recommend KimKim for vacationing in Ecuador, as long as mountaineering is not involved.

Our visit to Ecuador exceeded our expectations. Alvaro was detailed in his planning and offered options when booking accommodations and activities. Overall, his recommendations were excellent like the Lodge in the Yasuni National Park. I would go back there to visit again. Adres and Mariano, our guides there were very knowledgeable about the Amazonian animals and plants which made the trip exciting and rich.
We would highly recommend visiting Hacienda Zuletta, a beautiful hotel in the Andes. It is set in the mountains with hiking, biking and horseback riding. Also, they make cheese on site which is served with every meal - quite delicious!
The Galapagos surprisingly, while beautiful, were a bit touristy for our taste. However, we enjoyed the Finch Bay Hotel - a luxury hotel on a snorkeling beach.
Alvaro met us at the end of the trip in Quito for a debrief. He is extremely professional and knows the country quite well. I'd recommend him strongly.

Milton was a superior guide, he made the trip very special (mainland).
Liz our contact on the Galapagos was also great.

The Trips were well organized. I just don’t know why all the entrance fees were not inclusive. The Tour Guide Alex has a great Knowledge
and has Done a good Job.
The Radisson Hotel is in a very loud area.

Hotel Review

Hotel Casa Sakiwa

Machachi

I have made a Review on Trip Advisor

Location

Activity Review

Hotsprings in Termas de Papallacta

Ecuador

Our custom private trip through Ecuador designed by KimKim exceeded all expectations. Maria Jose was our local specialist and she was very easy to work with throughout the whole planning process. It took 5 drafts to get the trip to look exactly how we wanted which was a very fast process only taking about 2 days. Maria was happy to make any and all adjustments to the trip until it was exactly how we wanted it. She booked all parts of our trip for us: hotels, excursions, private guides, and private transportation for the entire trip. All of the excursions and activities were amazing and so much fun!
There were multiple points on our trip where plans had to change due to unforeseen circumstances and Maria was quick to get everything handled. She checked in on us daily and even stopped by our hotel the first day to drop off some goodies and welcome us to her country! She was so kind and attentive throughout it all and we are so grateful for her!

Our first guide, David, took us birding in the cloud forest of Mindo. His excitement for birds was infectious and his love for his country was obvious. He was such a wonderful guide and we thoroughly enjoyed our day with him.
Our second guide, Sebastian, was so easy to get along with. Laid back and kind, he took us from Quito to Cotopaxi to Mindo. For 2.5 days, he guided us on little hikes and adventures and he felt more like a friend than a paid guide. We changed plans multiple times and he always was amenable to whatever we wanted. His knowledge about his country was impressive. We had so much fun with Sebastian.
Our final guide was Eva who guided us through the Amazon jungle for 4 days. So kind, so knowledgeable, and so fearless when it came to handling the Amazonian creepy crawlers. We did so many adventures together and it always felt like she was just our really cool friend who was doing everything with us.
All three guides were top notch and had multiple similarities: so laid back, kind, knowledgeable, and were clearly proud to be Ecuadorian.

Our trip was a 10/10 from start to finish and we would absolutely do it all over again!

Working with KimKim took all the hassle and stress out of planning and navigating our trip, well worth the money spent!

Thanks Maria and KimKim!

A fantastic tour put together by Mathias! Every detail was thought out carefully and planned for our group of 4 adults and 5 children aged between 4-9. All we did was show up and the airport, and everything else was handled for the rest of the trip until we got back to the airport. Mathias was very responsive through the planning phase and always answered my multiple questions with consideration of my family and the needs of the kids and what we would all enjoy. All allergies and dietary restrictions were conveyed to everyone involved and all restaurants we ate at, so we never had to worry. When anything unexpected came up, our guide Mishell was quick to make changes on the fly and make sure everything was handled. She would always help watch out for our family and kids and watched their reactions at certain points ... She would then make suggestions on making any changes to future plans based on what she thought they would like. We had a great time in Quito and Otavalo seeing all the sights, the old town, the market, crater lake, the teleferiqo cable car, and so much more. Our time in the rainforest at was very different than other trips we have taken, but we thoroughly enjoyed our time visiting the Amazon and learning about the culture and people that call it home, including a boat ride down the river looking out for animals, and hiking through the forest. To end it all, we stopped (as planned by Mathias) for a few hours at the Papallacta hot springs to recover and relax after all the days of activities and excursions. Overall, the planning and execution by Mathias and the Authentic Ecuador team, as well as constant communication thought the trip between Mathias and Mishell, and with us... Was unmatched and unbeatable. Would highly recommend to anyone considering this tour or this company! Ask for Mathias, and you will not regret it and will have the time of your life in beautiful Ecuador! We are already thinking about a return trip in a couple years to the Galapagos!

Hotel Reviews

Swissotel Quito

Quito

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hakuna Matata Lodge

Archidona

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Quito City Tour

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Otavalo Market & Cuicocha Crater Lake

Quito

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jungle Hike

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the "Middle of the World"

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chocolate Session

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Quito Cooking Class

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amazon Safari

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Archidona - Papallacta Hot Springs - Quito

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I am a kimkim employee traveling with family, and Paola went out of her way to make sure we were taken care of, and every one of our needs were met! She set us up with a knowledgeable driver/guide who showed us all the best places and introduced us to authentic food choices and experiences. We couldn't have asked for anything more.

Hotel Reviews

La Casona de La Ronda

Quito

Great location, safe, clean, nice accomodations

Authenticity & Character

Location

very centrally located

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Celebrity Flora

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Quito City Tour - Middle of the World

Quito

This activity was so interesting and informative. It was worth the drive south.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Airport transfer to Quito City

Ecuador

Nice clean car with safe driving!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ride the Cable Car to Pichincha Volcano

Quito

We enjoyed the hike, the swing, and the views from the cable car.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a fantastic time in Ecuador with so many different experiences and did not expect that a small country had so much to see and do. In our travels in central and south America, Ecuador is definately one of the best places we have visited. Each area we visited were special in their own way, making it hard to pick a favourite.
Our trip would not have been as enjoyable without the planning that Jacquie and Alvaro did.
Further the guides we had, Sofia in Galapagos, Guido in Amazon, and Dan in
Quito were some of the best we've come across. Their knowledge of their areas, the support they gave, their enthusiasm and professionalism made our trip very fulfilling.
We would like to specifically mention Dan who spent so many days with us and made it very enjoyable by being flexible on our tours, very knowledgeable on many aspects of Ecuador, and showed his fondness of his country with his upbeat personality. He is an asset to your company and we definately would recommend him to anyone who would travel to the area.
We hope to someday come back to Ecuador and hope to have Dan, Sofia and Guido show us around again and for Jacqie and Alvaro plan our new adventures.
Our best wishes to you all.

Andrea’s at the cloud forest was fantastic as was Gabriel at le selva I enjoyed the rides and service from Sebastian and getting information about Ecuador

Hotel Reviews

Piripe Lodge

Pacto

Very peaceful place

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Selva Eco-Lodge & Retreat

Yasuní National Park

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Galapagos Suites

Puerto Ayora

Very clean and great service

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel La Laguna Galapagos

Puerto Villamil

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Pululahua Crater

Quito

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Andean Cock-of-the-rock

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Optional Activities in the Cloud Forest

Ecuador

Great bike ride and am viewing of birds

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Maquipucuna Reserve

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bicycle Tour through the Cloud Forest

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arrival to Coca, transfer to rainforest lodge, rainforest hike

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Observation Tower, Garza Cocha Lake & Night Walk

Yasuni National Park

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Parrot Clay Lick, Indigenous Community & Jungle Hike

Yasuni National Park

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Last rainforest activities, Transfer to Coca & Arrival to Quito

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Scuba Diving - Day Trip from Santa Cruz

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to another uninhabited island

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hiking Sierra Negra Volcano

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the Flamingo Lagoon

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kayaking & Snorkeling at Las Tintoreras

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Snorkel at Los Túneles

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excursion to an uninhabited island

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was a great trip Linda did a great job planning everything! The drivers were wonderful loved the Carrera family they were always on time picking us up and dropping us off. They went above and beyond teaching us about Ecuador and what we needed to know. Guides were also amazing Andreas in cloud forest, Gabriel in ran forest were both my favorites! I can not express my gratitude enough we will definitely use KimKim again!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Galapagos Suites

Puerto Ayora

Great hotel Douglas made us feel right at home! He made great scrambled eggs too,🤣

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walking distance from downtown!

Staff

Douglas

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Selva Eco-Lodge & Retreat

Yasuní National Park

Rooms were nice! Food was very good!

Authenticity & Character

Location

In the Amazon rainforest

Staff

Always had a clean room

Cleanliness & Comfort

Piripe Lodge

Pacto

Nice rooms in the cloud forest staff was very accommodating food was great also!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel La Laguna Galapagos

Puerto Villamil

Hotel was nice breakfast was good! It was not as nice as the other hotels and was noisy at night.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ikala Quito Hotel

Quito

Loved this hotel located in downtown Quito. Liked that every room we stayed in was decorated differently

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Pululahua Crater

Quito

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Night Walk in the Cloud Forest

Ecuador

Gabrielle was great we saw a lot of different things at night

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We were able to see an hear different things at night in the rain forest

Optional Activities in the Cloud Forest

Ecuador

Hike to the waterfall for a swim at piripie lodge was great along with the tour of the grounds learned about different fruits etc Also hike to waterfall in Mashpi was wonderful also if you like to hike along the way Andreas should us different birds frogs and plants loved it!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Bicycle Tour through the Cloud Forest

Ecuador

I did have a good time riding bikes in cloud forest but felt it wasn’t the best place to ride! It was all up hill for a little while but Andreas was right there with the truck to help the down hill was a little scary but had fun!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Andreas was great!

Arrival to Coca, transfer to rainforest lodge, rainforest hike

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Observation Tower, Garza Cocha Lake & Night Walk

Yasuni National Park

Saw a lot of birds it was great!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Andean Cock-of-the-rock

Ecuador

These birds are very beautiful and we were delighted we got to see a few and video them

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Maquipucuna Reserve

Ecuador

Loved learning about this reserve would visit again. The hike and guide were ok lunch was very good lots of hummingbird loved there organic garden

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Parrot Clay Lick, Indigenous Community & Jungle Hike

Yasuni National Park

Never saw anything like the clay lick before! Also, loved the indigenous community it was very interesting

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Last rainforest activities, Transfer to Coca & Arrival to Quito

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transfer to Quito Airport, Arrival to Galapagos & Highlands of Santa Cruz

Ecuador

Loved the land turtles and lava tunnels!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

The research center was ok we did learn about all the turtles and George! I thought there would be more about Charles Darwin also would have liked to be able to change it was chilly in Quito so I wore jeans and a light sweater by the time we got to the research center it was pretty warm!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was ok

Transport

Excursion to an uninhabited island

Ecuador

Bartolome hike was beautiful at the top definitely worth doing! Snorkeling was amazing there also visibility was great!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to another uninhabited island

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the Flamingo Lagoon

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kayaking & Snorkeling at Las Tintoreras

Ecuador

Loved the kayaking again saw some amazing things penguins watch blue footed boobies dive, sea lions pelicans guide was really good I don’t remember her name but she was good 👍

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Snorkel at Los Túneles

Ecuador

Best snorkeling ever! Sea turtles,sea horses, sharks, mana rays it was wonderful

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hiking Sierra Negra Volcano

Ecuador

It was a good long hike the guide was very enthusiastic the crater and lava flows were great to see very interesting! This was another place were it was rushed right after this we were picked up to go back to Santa Cruz we were so dirty and dusty we just wanted to take a shower but I am glad we did the hike even if it meant we had to be really grimy for a couple hours.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

It was a tailored / customised trip without budget. Few points about the planning and service with Responsible Travel.
1. Itinerary inaccurate information compared with actual program. We had a few days with less hour in the program mainly hiking compared to actual and Restaurant was too far, which we had our lunch only after 4PM. Due to poor planning from Alvaro.
2. Timing planned by Alvaro was not accurate, failed to check and/or update the latest information since the plan was almost a year ago. He should update and inform us as we paid 30% and in full prior to trip.
3. We had reminded him 1 month and 2 weeks prior to the trip if he checked all program and requirement are in order. Obviously, he did not as it was not well planned on some days.
4. Dietary concern was also not properly managed and/or arranged. Portion of lunch was insufficent especially the protein since I was not able to eat many other items due to my health - Informed a year ago.
5. Alvaro has not provided accurate information and/or the equired information to the local guides about our requirements - according to the local guides that informed us.
6. We requested price to be ALL-IN as we do not want hassle during the trip with too much phyiscal cash on hand and wrote Alvaro to make of that, which includes the Domestic Flight to Galapagos island. We were not informed at all of the limited luggage for domestic flight. We had to last minute pay for the over weight luggage. Unnecessary inconveniences if Alvaro had provided clear information - we would request for him to include any extra weight for domestic flight.
7. I had obviously provided my displeased on the program and Alvaro did not take the construtive criticisim well. The arrogant attitude handling a displeased customer was what put us off. He stop addressing me by name and addressed only to my husband which was disrespectful considering I was the one a year ago decided and planned this with Alvaro.
8. There were unsincere apologies from Alvaro and his boss. We have arranged all our customised trips with many other agencies all over the world including other South America countries - Every agencies would provide some form of compensation due to the poor planning, lack of information, bad hotels, food etc and poor arrangement with local guides. But Responsible Travel gave only excuses for their mistakes and nothing more.

Last point, tourist travel always take time to take photographs, especially one with a proper camera. However, we were always in the rush with the local guide cum driver and/or driver, with no consideration whatsoever to slow down or check if we needed to take a proper photos. Either thats the people in Ecuador or just the guide selected by Responsible travel, which was not good.

This is not the travel agency we were recommend and certainly we will not use them again.

My husband and I loved our 10-day trip to Ecuador with Kimkim. Nick put together a great itinerary and was very patient with our many questions and changes. Once we arrived, Nick checked in periodically to make sure all was going smooth. And we had great experience with Sebastian, our local guide, who drove us between destinations, took us on tours/hikes, gave us tastes of local cuisine, had vast knowledge of the flora/fauna, culture and history of Ecuador, helped with translation, and generally made sure we were taken care of. We had never used a travel service, generally preferring to arrange our own travel, but we were very impressed with everything. And for our honeymoon, it was so nice to not have the extra stress of planning.

I would like to say I am grateful for Tamer and most especially to Karla who made the plans, changes and answered all my questions as i planned for this trip. Having a tight budget, Karla still managed to put together a good itineray for me. I also appreciated that Karla went to see me personally and took me out for coffee overlooking the city of quito. I felt special and i can say this is above and beyond her duty. So thank you, Karla.

My guides in Quito and Amazon - Christian and Sergio, respectively, are very knowledgeable and really took care of me and ensures my safety. They are very welcoming and i did not felt alone with this trip. So thank you very much for them. The reason for the 3 stars is that i did not have a positive experience in my 3 days Galapagos trip. It was supposed to be the highlight of my trip. I have shared my feedback as a solo traver and also provided improvements / recommendations to Tamer/Karla.

I would still like to explore more of the Galapagos and hopefully my experience would be better next time.

Hotel Reviews

Isla de Baños

Baños

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

More friendly receptionist

Cleanliness & Comfort

Wyndham Quito Airport

Quito

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Napo Cultural Center

Quito

Best experience I had!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Villa Laguna

Puerto Ayora

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

English speaking should be helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Toilet was leaking

Cuello de Luna Mountain Lodge

El Chasqui - Pastocalle

Owners are welcoming, genuine and very plessant

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kitu Hotel

Quito

Activity Reviews

Quito - Coca - Napo Cultural Center

Ecuador

Kayaking Adventure in Tortuga Bay & Afternoon Bay Tour of Santa Cruz Island

Puerto Ayora

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kuri Muyu (Kichwa traditions) - Canopy Tower - Traditional Dinner

Yasuni National Park

Welcome to Santa Cruz Island: Highlands (Plant a Tree) & Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

language; did not ask how i am feeling or if i have questions. We ate lunch, in silence and continued usung her phone while eating

Transport

History and Nature: Full Day to Floreana Island

Puerto Ayora

Guides should tell the traveler what to expect, what kind of clothes and shoes to wear, etc. i was told a guide would come in the water for snorkeling but that was not the case. So i ended up not going to the water.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boat journey wasnt that nice

Transfer to Baños via Quilotoa Lagoon

Ecuador

Pailon del Diablo; the Charm of Baños - Back to Quito

Ecuador

Quito - Cotopaxi National Park

Ecuador

Wayusa Ritual - Coca - Quito

Yasuni National Park

I did not go to the ritual

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport