Kimkim Trip Reviews for Ecuador

This hotel is fine. It's clean and newish, and is what I would expect from a hotel by the airport. It served its purpose well (a place to stay before catching a flight). They also had an airport shuttle, which was appreciated.

We stayed here one night and it was not enough. Everything about this place was wonderful! Our room was cozy and well-appointed. There were fires being tended in every room, the staff was incredibly friendly and the food was delicious. I went on one of the self-guided walks and it took my breath away (I don't mean the altitude). The paths are easy to follow and the views are stunning. I absolutely loved everything about Hacienda El Porvenir.

The grounds are beautiful, and the pool was great. Our room was comfortable - it was not modern, but we weren't expecting that. But, the hotel was a 5-minute drive from downtown Banos on a busy road - next time, I would prefer lodging downtown because it's a walkable place. The restaurant was not great. The food was okay, at best. Also, the entire restaurant staff was wearing clear plastic masks - I appreciate the effort to by hygienic, but those clear masks get wet from breath/spit and it's unattractive to look at. Also, since they only cover the mouth they aren't actually preventing the spread of germs.

Stunning hotel, very modern and clean. The restaurant has views of the city, and the breakfast spread was fantastic!

This was very fun, but it may have been a bit much for us after a very long day of sightseeing (I was with my 2 kids, ages 16, 13). But the food and conversation was nice. I could have used a glass of wine with dinner but was told I couldn't have one - otherwise, all good!

This was amazing! They let us gallop, and lent us ponchos and chaps, which greatly improved the experience. Our photos from this activity are amazing - kids and I on horses w/ a view of Cotopaxi in the background.

The hike on the volcano was amazing. We did not make it all the way to the Refuge b/c it was a very cold and windy day and we were suffering the altitude, but it was SO BEAUTIFUL! I want to go back already. Not to miss.

This was very fun, for me and my two teens (16, 13). There wasn't a lot of detail provided going into it, but we felt safe and ready for what was to come. The final descent was INCREDIBLE. Highly recommend.

Fantastic! This place was great. As advertised. My two teens also loved it.

Jose took us around the city and it was nonstop fun the whole day. I appreciated Jose's vast knowledge - from the town's history to which vendors we should buy from. He brought his brother to drive the car so that we didn't waste any time looking for parking.

The biking was great insofar as I was sick of being in a car, but we were on the rode with the cars on a busy highway so it was a bit uncomfortable at times. My kids (16, 13) didn't love this.

Great way to experience the Galapagos in more personalized way. There was a total of 14 passengers on our boat. The rooms were small but you don't spend much time there anyway. The common area where you dine and gather was comfortable. David, the bar tender and waiter was amazing. He did everything he could to make sure you had everything you wanted. The excursions and snorkeling allowed everyone to see all the amazing wildlife.

A beautiful destination in the Amazon Rain Forest. Food was excellent. Gregorio our tour guide went out of his way to be sure we saw as much of the wildlife and beauty he could find. Accommodations were exceptional

Located in the center of Quito, this hotel provides everything a traveler could need. Staff is friendly, excellent drinks at the bar and spacious, clean rooms.

Long day driving around. Cuicocha Lake was underwhelming but it was a nice place to get out and stretch. Enjoyed stops along the way for native treats. Could have spent more time at the market. Lunch at old estate was a nice surprise

Chocolate tasting, tour of old town

Crane views, Piranha fishing, indigenous village

Hiking and tower views

Beautiful accommodations in the heart of the Rain Forest. We watched squirrel monkeys jump from tree to tree right from the back deck of our room

No issues

Could have stayed closer to the airport for this brief overnight stay

This was our favorite hotel on our trip. We could see the sunsets from the hotel. Everything was clean and well run. It was very close to the the waterfront and we could walk to the piers for trips and easily walk to the shops and restaurants.

This was a great comfortable hotel in Mindo. The food was wonderful. The view from the dining area allowed for watching birds and even bats at night. There was easy access into town to shop and eat. It was a delight to stay there.

This was the best day for birdwatching to see the Condors. the Carunculated Caracaras, Andean gulls, and a variety of the other birds. The variety of higher altitude hummingbirds was impressive. Also enjoyed seeing the fox and deer.

Very relaxing don't forget your swimsuit

The drive through the country was breathtaking

Very nice hotel. Fabulous breakfast !

Very muddy trails plus I was not feeling well

Kayaking was not fantastic, kind of lame equipment but understandable. Not worth the effort. Should encourage the rim hike.

David went out of his way to make sure we saw Cotopaxi volcanoes it all her glory

Lunch stop was the best

An amazing place to stay.

Boat and nature guide was amazing. Honestly, the food was really not that spectacular, ok but not amazing.

Just wow. Would go back

The hotel was clean, although a bit dated. A/c was nice. pool was very pleasant. The receptionist, Diego, was wonderful! He was personable and spoke very good English and was very fun to talk to. The central area was nice to relax in.

this hotel was very nice, close but not too close to the city (nice walk), near to some restaurants. staff was friendly and helpful although English was marginal. Pool was nice. a/c was great in the room and breakfast room, but the rest of the building was rather warm .

very clean, comfortable, spacious hotel. amenities were good. dining options were a little pricey but food was excellent.

wonderful beautiful and spacious hotel. The little garden was worth the walk. Dinner was amazing. The hotel was a bit remote and far away from ANYTHING>

Room was nice, but a bit warm. It was very quiet. It was a difficult time hauling heavy bags up/down three flights of stairs. Breakfast staff and receptionist were wonderful. Very helpful.

no activities as we got in to the city late.

guide was on time to drive us to the airport.

the pickup at the boat was very confusing as the guides did not speak much English and were not very attentive. a list of available restaurants and a local map would be very helpful.

probably the best experience of the trip! the guides were great, they all were very very helpful and attentive. the food was excellent (cooked on the boat between snorkeling), snorkeleing was great and the guide even took photos and videos he shared with us. he was very patient and even helped with a new facemask that I had purchased for the trip.

This was an excellent tour. the guide was very knowledgeable, took questions, spoke good English yet spoke to the Ecuadorians as well. the animals were very happy letting us observe them. the guide seemed to know exactly where to find the different species that made the trip worthwhile.

I ended up NOT doing this activity as the altitude sickness prevented me safely enjoying the views.

the animals were very very interesting to observe in their habitat. the guide was very knowledgeable but not really interested in interacting as people. She did eventually open up a little bit. The drivers did not speak English and the whole pick up from the airport was rather confusing and a little stressful. One of the airport personnel had retrieved my bag (unbeknownst to me) and put it aside. After all the luggage was retrieved I happened to see my bag in the corner and had to ask about it. The man did not speak English. I had to take the bag and look for my guides in a sea of people. The tree planting was quick and the "gardener" did not speak any English. basically he had dug the small hole, handed me the plant (I am not sure what is was??) and motioned me to put it in the hole. We ate at the newly refurbished dining hall overlooking the Tortoise area. The meal was excellent and the staff was courteous.

it was very very hot on Tortuga bay! even with sunscreen, it was scorching. swimming and snorkelling was very relaxing. There was very little interaction between the guide and myself. He was rather standoff-ish. the walk was nice and the fish were great! I would have liked to paddle the kayak but the guide insisted that he was going to paddle while I just sat and relaxed. Turtles and sharks were very cool to observe in their natural habitat. Guide recommended to take the speed boat back to save time and allow the afternoon to relax. Felt like he was in a hurry to return.

We only could see the volcanoe peaking from beyond many clouds. altitude sickness was a problem. walking around the small lake was nice. Fransisco's knowledge helped a lot.

the weather was POURING on this day but the birds were so very very cool! We saw lots of birds, even a Toucan. the hummingbirds were magnificient.

Both Paulo (the route) and Freddy (the commentary and history) were wonderful. Very nice and paid attention to safety.

Phenomenal !!!! The experience was great and the food was tremendous. Loved the chef as well.

A fine little hotel in an excellent location near to the main street, within easy reach of shops and restaurants. Friendly, informal service and spacious, clean rooms

A wonderful Spanish colonial hotel in the central part of Cuenca, a charming city. Food, decor, location and service are all excellent.

A great hostel in Guamote, a place that is well worth a visit for its market. Basic rooms, good food and friendly service, interesting decor, activities for travelers. Recommended, especially for independent travelers.

Quirky, over-the-top colonial style decor. Fascinating place and well worth an overnight stay. Good food and friendly staff

A wonderful Spanish colonial hotel in the heart of Quito, with excellent food, rooms and service. Recommended.

Cuenca is a wonderful city with a Spanish colonial heart, great bars and restaurants as well. Lots to enjoy, but the Negroni rooftop bar with spectacular views of the old cathedral is a highlight.

We visited the shawl weaving workshop at Gualaceo (about 40 mins drive from Cuenca), where they make traditional shawls (macanas), with ikat designs and macrame fringes. You can see the whole process, and the visit is fascinating. Recommended. We also visited a weaver (Mama Rosa) in Saraguro district. She is about 3 hours drive from Cuenca, and absolutely charming and welcoming. If you are interested in weaving you should also definitely visit her for demonstrations of natural dyeing and weaving on a backstrap loom. Your guide should contact her and her family in advance to arrange.

A spectacular, high-altitude park, underneath the snow-capped peak of Cotopaxi. If the weather is on your side, take the walk around the lake (1-1.5 hours)

The old town is beautiful and full of historic churches. A must-see for visitors to Ecuador

Spanish only commentary during trip. Having Chris along would have been helpful

Hike was good. No bathroom at the lagoon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Quite the view from the walk! Stairs all the way to top and they were well maintained. By shore, say penguins and blue-footed boobies. Had several hawks sitting on railing, as well as then flying above us. Snorkeled, saw wonderful fishes. Bonus - had a sea lion swim among us - having fun.

Enjoyed both the hike and the kayaking. Fun to see the marine iguanas and walk. Saw many sea turtles as well as a white tipped shark while kayaking. Swiming was refreshing also.

Loved seeing tortoises everywhere, as well as ability to walk amongst them. Enjoyed walking in the huge cave.

Beautiful views! Loved the stories shared by guides.

Loved feeding the hummingbirds by hand!

Very good hotel

We loved having the hummingbirds land on our hands. Beautiful experience!

A very authentic hotel although the staff were very inexperienced and seem to lack adequate supervision.

The hotel was excellent although it lacked a comfortable sitting area to have a drink with friends.

Clean, cute and breakfast server was very nice. I liked that we were able to utilize the pool area and 2nd floor balcony for our group gatherings. Kitchen noise (talking and chopping) were easily heard in the rooms above. One key is not enough. Two should be available. Offer wine in addition to beer. An elevator is needed. It was difficult for two of our travelers. There should be a Do Not Disturb sign for when you don't want your room cleaned. The window above the patio door emitted light because there was no way to cover it up. Thus causing us to wake sooner than desired.

It was fine for one night. I appreciate that they accommodated our need for box breakfasts.

Nice facility and rooms. The coffee pot was not plugged in and I could not get to the plug without pulling the refrigerator away from the wall and fishing out the cord. I liked that there was a Bistro as part of the hotel.

The common areas and restaurant were good. The breakfast buffet was good. The restaurant wait staff were a bit slow and forgot about my wine one night. My room was cold - no thermostat - though it was fine for sleeping. The room looked worn. Lighting was poor. There needed to be more coffee in the room. We asked Housekeeping for 2 packets and they brought one. I called Housekeeping the next night and they never answered. I called the front desk and they said they would get some coffee sent up - never happened.

What diverse beauty! Snorckling was great - so many different and colorful fish. A sea lion swam right next to us. Seeing the Blue Footed Boobie was a highlight!!

The water isn't clear so it was difficult to see anything under the water. Some of us were able to make out a shark and we could see sea turtles only when they popped their head out. Still, it was fun to kayak and to see the pelicans. The walk was very enjoyable stopping to learn about the area, see the fauna, marine iguanas and the mocking birds. The white sand is beautiful and a delight to walk on.

We enjoyed planting the trees and were ready to work even harder.

No one can describe how exciting it is to see these tortoises!

It was beautiful scenery even with the rain.

I am selecting "amazing" but it was raining and we decided to go to the hotel. But pictures from one of our group that braved the weather showed us much of what we missed. The Panama hat tour was fun and many of us made purchases!

Hummingbird experience was out of this world. The Equator Museum is another must-do!

We had 3 airport pick ups so we appreciate that. Especially the one very late at night.