Kimkim Trip Reviews for Ecuador

We just returned from a wonderful 3-week trip in Ecuador that included Quito, Amazon jungle, touring down the Andes to Cuenca, and Galapagos cruise. Our travel agent Alvaro did an excellent job helping us plan our trip - he was very knowledgeable, patient, and kind. All our guides were excellent, special shout-out to Christian, Sergio (aka Mike Tyson), and Pablo. Our favorite experiences were the Napo Cultural Center in the Amazon, biking/hiking at the Cotopaxi and Chimborazo volcanoes, and cruising the Galapagos.

We recently spent 15 days in Ecuador, our son's country of birth. Tamar went to great lengths to insure that this was an extraordinary experience for our family. We met with Tamar on numerous occasions. He approached each call with enthusiasm and many helpful and informed ideas. Our trip began with 5 magnificent days in the Galapagos, followed by a number of exciting adventures on the mainland. Tamar's attention to detail and love of Ecuador made this a trip we'll always remember. We highly recommend Tamar as a tour consultant and look forward to working with him again.

Cristobal was our main guide for our time on mainland Ecuador and he was exceptional; friendly, informative, and thorough. We had a series of help on the Galapagos including Paola, Liz, and the proprietor of our incredible Hotel, Jessica. All of them were wonderful as well.
We shot ourselves in the foot a bit by booking such a short trip and trying to mix evening celebrations with early morning excursions, but we left feeling we had made the most of our time in Ecuador.
Isabel was manning the control decks and absolutely nailed it. We had exceptional guides for every step of our journey and she made sure all of our shuttling throughout Ecuador was adequately chaperoned.
Would emphatically recommend Isabel, Cristobal, and the whole team--but would also encourage anyone using KimKim to book a longer trip than you think you'll need to allow for some R&R (we booked 8 days to hit Quito, Baños, and the Galapagos).

Linda organised a great trip to the Galápagos and Quito.. We went back and forth in what would suit us best. Linda was very patient throughout the process and didn’t hesitate to call to discuss queries. It was great that she came to the hotel in Quito to meet us so that we could put a face to the name.
Our guide Sebastian and his father Alexander who picked us up from the airport were fabulous.
They were knowledgeable and went out of their way to make sure everyone in our group was catered for. Our thanks to the whole team for a truly great experience and holiday.
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We had a few very positive experiences with a few of the drivers/guides. Wilson was excellent. He had strong english and was very patient with my 90 year old mother. Although the vehicle was not very fancy, it was clean and he provided water. He showed us many beautiful areas around Cuenca and took us to a fabulous restaurant in Saraguro. High praise for Wilson.
We were also very happy with Fransisco, our guide in Quito. He was very helpful and did and excellent job showing us downtown Quito. The dinner with him on Saturday evening was great.

Hotels: Disappointing
All the hotels were chains without charm. It was clear that there were much better options of boutique hotels in downtown walking regions that I could have booked for less money on hotels.com. The AC at the Royal Sonesta did not work and no effort was made to rebook us where we would be more comfortable. None of the hotels were in neighborhoods that we would consider charming nor were the rates very good.

Planning: Very difficult to work with
Costs were very difficult to control as individual costs of activities, transportation, lodging and food was kept from us. We had an idea of individual costs as we cancelled and added things otherwise it was obscured. We had initially asked for help in planning the part of our trip to Santiago Chili. We request a wine tasting excursion and we were presented with Casablanca a white wine region. I commented that I prefer red wine and instead of booking a different excursion in a red wine region (many close to Santiago) the response was that there would be reds available. We cut Alvaro out of the Santiago portion at that point.

Transportation: Again high praise for Francisco and Wilson. However, our driver to the airport in Catamayo airport spoke almost no English except Twenty dollars. We offered to take us to the wind farm on the way to the airport. We said great and then he said $20. I looked up the cost of admission and it was free. He said it would only take 10 minutes for $20. We used google translate to communicate. Alvaro said we needed to get to the airport 2 hours early. This was not true. It is a tiny airpot and it took 3 minutes to get ticketed and go through security. Since we had 2 hours to wait, I payed for the lounge. This should be refunded. Our tickets were for the wrong flight which I was able to fix on my own. We requested two window seats and I was given a middle seat.
I was hoping, Anthony would just fix our tickets but no. I contacted him which was a waste of time. He did not fix the ticket only asked that after I had already fixed the ticket find a gate agent and hand them my phone to speak to them. There was no gate agent available.
We could not download the pdfs of the itinerary on our phone. We asked for text updates via WhatsApp. These were sparse. I did not know there was a driver hired to take us to the airport on Sunday until Anthony texted on Sunday. I responded to cancel and refund. Anthony waited 4 hours to answer and say at that point it was too late.
All in all, we will not use KimKim, Alvaro, or Responsible travel ever again and will not recommend it to anyone. We did love Ecuador and will return using a different travel company.

Thanks to Tamer and the guides he recruited, I had an amazing trip that exceeded my expectations. Tamer really listened to what I wanted, and with very little back-and-forth put together an itinerary that was perfect for me. My guides, David and Sebastian, were very knowledgeable and taught me a lot about Ecuadorian culture, history, as well as flora and fauna. The Napo Wildlife Center is a gem, and was a fantastic experience as well.

Hotel Reviews

Chilcabamba Lodge

Machachi

Napo Wildlife Center

Quito

Ikala Quito Hotel

Quito

The Ikala Quito Hotel was clean, comfortable, and met all my expectations. The service was good, and it had everything I needed, including a hot shower.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hiking Rucu Pichincha Volcano

Quito

This was a fun experience and one of the highlights of my trip. The hike was challenging but very rewarding with stunning views. I felt a sense of accomplishment after completing it.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cotopaxi National Park - Quito

Ecuador

Going up to Cotopaxi and getting a clear view of the volcano was impressive. We went past the refuge and got closer to 5000 meters, which was exciting.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Napo River Canoeing Excursion

Yasuni National Park

This was a packed three-day itinerary at the Napo Wildlife Center. Despite the heat, we saw some amazing wildlife and had a great time. The guides were fantastic.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Quilotoa Loop 1st day Quito - Sigchos - Chugchilán

Ecuador

The Quilotoa Loop hike was a memorable experience. It was unique and different. The two days of hiking were the right choice. It was fun and I enjoyed it a lot.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Baños & Pailón del Diablo Waterfall

Baños

Baños was a blast. It was packed with Ecuadorian families celebrating a holiday, adding a festive atmosphere. We visited the waterfall and even crawled through a small opening to get a breathtaking view of the waterfall. Although we didn't visit the hot spring, I enjoyed the town's nightlife and overall festive energy.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our guide Wellington was simply the best! He was very knowledgeable and understood what was important for us. He made our trip feel personalised and took us to places we would have never visited on our own. Also special thanks to Lucia for the perfect planning ahead of the trip. She answered all our questions very quickly. Not to mention Gaby who checked up on us during the trip to make sure everything was going according to plan. A big thank you to the whole team for making our honeymoon unforgetable!
Best regards,
Jasmine and Augustine

Hotel Review

Casa de Piedra

Mindo

The best breakfast we had in our trip by far! The owners are very polite and helpfull. The rooms are clean and are surrounded by very well maintained garden. Would definetly recommand.

Authenticity & Character

You can hear the birds sing in the morning :)

Location

Walking distance to the center of mindo.

Staff

Very helpfull, suggest great activities, restaurants, etc

Cleanliness & Comfort

No hot water in the shower, otherwise perfect.

Activity Review

Laguna San Pablo -Cotacachi - Otavalo

Ecuador

Our stop by Pijal was our favorite activity ! Emmersing ourselves in the indegenous culture where we visited their village, crops, rose garden and were treated to a delicious lunch.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Great vehicule and great driving by our guide Wellington

The trip my daughter and I had to Ecuador was wonderful. We spent 4 days on a cruise and saw all the wildlife you would expect but one surprise was penguins. The guides were super knowledgeable and the beaches pristine. One of the highlights in Quito was a cooking lesson with a chef where we made Ecuadorian biche. I will absolutely use Kim Kim again!

Wow! Tamar was such a pleasure to work with. I am so happy to have been matched with him. This trip was a once in a lifetime vacation with my 13 year old daughter. From the moment Tamar and I began discussions about this coming of age trip he immediately began designing an itinerary with my daughter in mind. We spent at least 2-3 hours on the phone with my daughter really planning this trip. The kindness Tamar treated both my daughter and I as we planned and tweaked our itinerary was really special. We were able to do so many amazing things that we honestly would not have been able to accomplish without him. I wish I was a better writer because Tamar was amazing in every way. During the trip he was checking on things often and really going beyond what I expected of him. It is clear Tamar is extremely passionate about his job.

Everything from start to finish on this trip has been outstanding. From the moment we began planning, Mathias was on point with the experience we were looking for. Our hotels were perfect and each segment of our trip was personalized just for us. Our guide Danny was the best and added so much to everything we did. We loved our Galapagos add on and are so glad we included that portion of the trip! Mathias couldn’t have done better tailoring our excursions. We really appreciated how he kept in contact with us throughout the trip to make sure everything was going well and answer any questions we may have had. This was truly an amazing and unique experience and one we will never forget. Thank you Kimkim, Mathias, and Danny for a great vacation!!

Alvaro did good just had a few times where he didn't respond right away but we enjoyed our trip very much we love Ecuador very much

Alvaro helped me and my husband plan our honeymoon trip to Ecuador and it was amazing! Our guides were very kind and knowledgeable. We learned not only about the area and history, but also about current events and daily life. We got to see beautiful mountains, the Amazon, artistic murals, and historical landmarks. The food was delicious and healthy. In the Galapagos we learned about wildlife and had many up close experiences with the animals. We felt very welcomed everywhere we went, and we can’t wait to come back for another adventure in Ecuador!

Hotel Reviews

Kitu Hotel

Quito

The staff is very kind! The patio/balcony is really cute and the room was cute and cozy.

Authenticity & Character

Cute decorations

Location

Felt safe and is close to many food options

Staff

Everyone was nice!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Posada del Mar

Santa Cruz

Cute and spacious room. Nice view out the balcony and pretty flowers. The man at the front desk was always very nice

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hostal Loja

Puerto Villamil

Cute and spacious room! The pool wad nice and the hammocks were comfy. The boy at the front desk was fun to talk to and very kind.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Expedition to Mindo Cloud Forest

Quito

Mindo was really fun! Francisco was very knowledgeable about the area and was a great guide for this trip. We went ziplining, saw hunmingbirds and butterflies, toured a chocolate place and got lunch.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Adventure in the Amazon

Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve

Cuyabeno was beautiful and we saw so many plants and animals! The guides were nice snd knowledgeable and the food throughout the stay was delicious.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Santa Cruz Island: Highlands & Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

Our guide was very knowledgeable and clearly passionate about the tortoises and lizards she wad telling us about! She was really fun to talk to and took pictures for us. There were so many tortoises when we went and we learned a lot.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

She was fun to talk to and very passionate! I loved that she was ready to reinforce the rules of the Galapagos to anyone and protect the area. She clearly loves where she lives and works and she was a really great guide.

Transport

This is a long overdue review of a trip we made to Ecuador together with my friend Ewa in April this year. It was one of the best trips I have ever experienced in my life. Our trip was very professionally planned and organised by Mathias, who remained patient and cool even with our very late feedback [SIC!] or constantly changing ideas. Something we are certainly very grateful for.
Our itinerary included Galapagos, Cuenca, Ingapirca, Baños, Cotopaxi, Yasuni National Park and of course Quito and all of this in just … 13 days.
Galapagos is considered one of the world’s wonders for a reason with its beautiful landscapes, exotic creatures big and small, unspoiled nature, all of it makes the visit a once in a lifetime experience. We were staying in the Ikala hotel in Puerto Ayora in Santa Cruz. It is a nice, family run hotel, clean with very friendly staff and an excellent restaurant. The hotel offered an early breakfast to go which was a very good idea when heading for day long boat trips to uninhabited islands (Bartolome and Seymour Norte in our case). Exploring Santa Cruz was also an adventure in itself and we were happy to have an extra free day on the island to explore Puerto Ayora and visit the stunning Tortuga Bay. I would also highly recommend a short, half a day visit, to a coffee farm which turned out to be a chocolate farm and aguardiente production site at the same time. Coffee, chocolate, and alcohol in one place, what more could one possibly dream of?
From Galapagos we headed back to the mainland. Cuenca is a unique example of the Spanish colonial architecture with a very vibrant community. We had an opportunity to visit the Panama hat factory, as well as several workshops in the villages nearby, continuing centuries long tradition of local crafts, such as jewellery making, textiles or ceramics. In moments like this you wish you would bring an extra bag or two to be able to bring back home more of those wonders. This was also an excellent opportunity to have a lot of interesting conversations. In Cuenca we stayed in the Hotel Boutique Santa Lucía which has a unique historic charm and a very good restaurant. From Cuenca we went to the archaeological site of Ingapirca, a place to visit if you like history and would like to learn something more about the soul of Ecuador. We visited Ingapirca in rain and fog, but it only added to the experience of mystery and contemplation.
Our next stop was Baños, where we got lucky with the weather, and we could admire the stunning views of the mountains and take advantage of all possible tourist attractions. A visit to the waterfalls is a must. We continued our trip through the volcano road to the bottom of Cotopaxi, again an unforgettable experience topped with a very nice meal at the nearby restaurant. My only regret was that we could not stay longer to do some longer hikes in the area.
The final stop of our trip was visiting the Yasuni National Park and Napo Cultural Center. I would never have thought that I would feel at home in the jungle. Yes, it is hot and humid and there are plenty of insects but the welcome by the local community, its unique hospitality and the unspoiled beauty of the place made an incredible impression on us. The accommodation was simple but clean and comfortable. We made several trips to the jungle (especially a night walk which was an experience in itself) with experienced local guides who were very keen on sharing their knowledge. The eco-lodge provides for the local community allowing it to remain close to the lifestyle of their ancestors and natural environment. It also provides for the local school where children can learn three languages (Kichwa, Spanish and English) which we found very impressive.
As we entered and departed Ecuador through Quito, the guided city tour was an excellent way to end our visit. While in Quito we also had an opportunity to visit the Oswaldo Guayasamín museum, which we would recommend visiting to anyone interested in arts and culture.
On our way back to the airport, a taxi driver asked us what we liked the best in Ecuador, I went speechless, but Ewa brilliantly replied: “gente” – people. We were so very lucky to meet extremely kind and welcoming people all along our journey, proud of their heritage but curious about others. This is why our special words of appreciation go to our two very special guides: Astrid and Milton. Astrid was our guide on Galapagos, and we could not have been luckier! Astrid is very knowledgeable, full of energy and has a sparkling personality; visiting the turtle refuge and the coffee farm with her was a real pleasure. We also haven’t enough words of praise for Milton our guide in Cuenca and further up through the avenue of the Volcanos. Milton is an excellent guide, a great companion, with a sense of humour who is never tired of the strangest question. Even in the most challenging of circumstances, as some parts of our journey were quite difficult because of the weather conditions and heavy rainfall when we had to take a detour around the Pan-American highway through the steep and muddy mountain roads, he kept his cool and we always felt very safe.

the kimkim www site provided a good way to coordinate the planning of the trip among the 6 people in our party.

Drivers and Guides all showed up as planned. Big shout out to our guide Danny (of responsible travel) as he was a wealth of knowledge on the history and culture of Ecuador. Our guide, Miguel, at Husaquila Lodge in Amazon was excellent. Our driver Segundo was excellent.

Great excursions around Banos. Great hike to base camp on Cotopaxi.

All hotels/accommodations were comfortable and helpful.

All three of our guides (and Sabastian's father, Alejandro) services were above and beyond any expectation I had. The guides were incredibly knowledgeable about their, country, politics, the flora and fauna, and as an added bonus, where entertaining with fantastic personalities.
Sabastian and Sergio were especially memorable due to the incredible places they took us and their knowledge, and personalities.

Hotel Review

Casa de Vista Alta

Mindo

We arrived in the amazing setting of the Casa de Vista Alta and were warmly welcomed by Ester. The entire casa is intimate, warm, immaculate, well appointed and has an amazing staff. Our room was beyond words. The meals we had there were delicious and beyond plentiful. The bird watching was top notch. My only regret was not spending another day there.

Authenticity & Character

The way it was nestled in the Cloud Rain Forest and the staff.

Location

Staff

Ester was so helpful and accommodating.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Immaculate! Wonderful towels and robes in the room.

Activity Reviews

The Adventure Continues - Hiking Day at Cotopaxi National Park

Ecuador

Sebastian prepared us well for this adventure. I was a bit nervous since I hadn't been higher than the Matterhorn in Switzerland. He stopped for a warm tea before driving us up to the parking lot for Cotopaxi. The little store we stopped at was charming. I was thrilled by the experience of walking a 100 feet at that elevation, in the stormy elements of the day. On the way down we stopped at the park's cultural center. Sebastian briefed us on the exhibits in the center. We also stopped at a charming and memorable restaurant for a late lunch. There was a "petting zoo" on the grounds of the restaurant. We all were thrilled feeding the lamas the vegetables provided by the restaurant.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sebastian is an amazing driver, driving us for many hours on all sorts roads and driving conditions. I always felt safe. Also, he tells amazing stories while driving.

Transport

The van was incredibly well taken care of, clean and comfortable.

Napo Cultural Center experience

Yasuni National Park

What amazing memories I have from this part of our adventure! It was the complete package with lots of information on the area, the culture, the animals, plants, birds, insects. The people were warm and gracious. Our guide Sergio aka "Tyson" was incredibly bright, informative and a delight to be around. He made our experience in the wonderful setting of the Napo Cultural Center unforgetable.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sergio was top notch!

Transport

There were so many means of transport and they all served us well.

I had a fantastic once-in-a-lifetime holiday in Ecuador - thanks to kimkim! Our local specialist, Mathias, was very accommodating as I had many requests and questions. He was responsive and flexible in setting our itinerary. He was also in great communication with us throughout our trip. I appreciated that we worked with many local tour companies throughout the trip, supporting the local economy and experiencing the culture of Ecuador. I highly recommend kim kim and I am grateful to Mathias for making our holiday memorable, fun and rewarding!

Our guide in and around Quito, Sebastian Carrera, was spectacular.
Our guide in the Galapagos, Vivianna, was good, just not the enthusiasm of Sebastian.
Our guide in the Napo Cultural Center, Sergio, a/k/a, Tyson, was another outstanding guide.

Hotel Reviews

Ikala Quito Hotel

Quito

The hotel was fine, just nothing stellar to recommend. Their breakfast was good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa de Vista Alta

Mindo

The setting of this Casa is absolutely incredible. Our room was large and comfortable. The meals were excellent.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hacienda Pinsaqui

Otavalo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Galapagos Suites

Puerto Ayora

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Napo Cultural Center

Quito

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Mitad del Mundo - Mindo

Ecuador

Sort of hokey. Not worth the stop.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mindo Cloud Forest & Otavalo

Mindo

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cuicocha Lagoon Hike & Otavalo Market & Quito

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Teleferico - Quito City Tour

Quito

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Adventure Continues - Hiking Day at Cotopaxi National Park

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Santa Cruz Island: Highlands & Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Pinzon Island & La Fé

Puerto Ayora

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Experience the Pristine Beauty of Galápagos Islands: Discovering an Uninhabited Island

Puerto Ayora

Took the day off so didn't participate.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cycling at Cerro Mesa Reserve & Kayaking at Garrapatero Beach

Ecuador

The cycling was fun but not long enough. The wasn't anyone at the beech to let us kayak so we didn't.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Quito - Coca - Napo Cultural Center

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Napo Cultural Center experience

Yasuni National Park

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Indigenous community - Mama Cuna Path

Yasuni National Park

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sacred Wayusa Ritual, Goodbye and return to the City (Yaku Kausay Experience)

Yasuni National Park

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tamer was an INCREDIBLE travel agent for our trip to Ecuador! He was all we could ask for:
1. Very attentive to our needs and wants for the trip
2. Patient when I needed time to make decisions for the trip
3. Helpful in giving us tips to prepare and pack for the trip
4. In contact with me daily during the trip to make sure we were well taken care of.

So pleased with his service and I highly recommend him to help you plan your trip to Ecuador!

Hotel Reviews

Patio Andaluz

Quito

Great location, wonderful breakfast, beautiful building. Two story room for the 4 of us which the kids loved!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Fiesta

Puerto Ayora

This hotel left a little to be desired. Staff in the front lobby was not helpful. Rooms were clean at first but a bit dingy and run down. Location was nice bc it wasn’t in the heart of town (aka noise) but an easy walk to restaurants and shops.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Front lobby staff and daily housekeeping

Casa Opuntia Galapagos Hotel

Puerto Baquerizo Moreno

We loved this hotel! The staff really made the experience for us— so thoughtful and friendly. Great location facing the water and delicious breakfast!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were a bit tight for 4 people and our luggage but not unmanageable

Activity Reviews

Colonial Quito City Tour & Mitad del Mundo (Middle of the World) Monument

Quito

We enjoyed this day tour, mostly bc of our excellent guides. Mitad del Mundo is a must see but it’s actually a little hokey when you get there (think kids’ magic show) Colonial city tour was very interesting.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Santa Cruz Island: Highlands & Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

Another fantastic day tour. Lunch at Rancho Primicias followed by seeing the giant tortoises up close in their natural environment was amazing! Then seeing the baby tortoises at the Charles Darwin station made it a full circle day!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Puerto Ayora

This was a VERY full day but also amazing. If you’re not up for a high impact day, I would do both of these activities but split them into 2 half day tours. Tortuga Bay was beautiful. The 2 mile walk to/from the bay was also really nice but make sure you’re prepared for it (water, sunscreen, hat and not carrying too much). Kayaking in the bay was awesome. The second half of the day is more like an eco-trek and a swim in a very cool cove. Not much snorkeling to be had but lots of interesting sights.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Speedboat to San Cristobal Island - Interpretation Center - Tijeretas Hill

Ecuador

The speedboat was ok. If you’re prone to sea sickness. I don’t recommend it. It was fine as a one time experience but I’m glad I didn’t have to do it twice. We only made it half way up Tijiretes Hill as the kids were tired but the halfway walk was nice as well. Snorkeling was the best part of this tour, as we saw tons of fish, turtles and sea lions!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

She seemed a bit preoccupied with her phone

Wildlife Encountering at Lobos Island - Family Activities

Isla San Cristóbal

Absolutely incredible! We saw so much wildlife on this tour! Guide and boat captain/staff were awesome.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

When the guide I had been talking to about our upcoming trip to Ecuador fell through, I reached out to Kimkim on a lark. Mathias responded shortly thereafter and, over the next couple of weeks, put together a fantastic itinerary for us - all the while keeping our wishes and budget in consideration. The week we spent in Ecuador turned out to be our most fun, interesting and relaxing trip ever! Mathias had arranged for Danny Guaman to be our guide – Danny was absolutely wonderful from the moment we met him. Each day was full of things to do and see, while allowing for leisurely meals and time to unwind. We toured the old city and had a cooking class in Quito. We beheld amazing vistas of lakes, lagoons, mountains and volcanoes. We went birdwatching, and visited a butterfly farm and a hummingbird sanctuary. We had a chocolate tour and ate delicious food. We went to the Middle of the World and did fun experiments. We learned about the culture and history of Ecuador, met kind locals, and went shopping at the huge handicraft market in Otavalo. There was also a very sweet birthday surprise at the chocolate shop in Mindo for our son who turned 16 during the trip. Throughout our travels, Mathias kept in touch and checked in on us. I can easily say that, from our airport pick up to drop off, this was an extremely enjoyable and stress-free vacation, and a deeply memorable one – thanks to Mathias and Danny and the entire team! We fell in love with this gorgeous gem of a country and hope to return to see more of Ecuador one day.

Hotel Reviews

San Francisco de Quito

Quito

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

El Geranio

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa de Piedra

Mindo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Mindo Chocolate Tour

Mindo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Otavalo Market

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cuicocha Lagoon

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Birdwatching and time at leisure in Mindo

Mindo

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Quito City Tour

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Quito Cooking Class

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Day trip to Cotopaxi National Park

Quito

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Quito - Middle of the World - Otavalo

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We have spent very nice and rather intensive holidays in Yasuni Natonal Park (by plane and boat), Quito-Mindo-Otovalu-Cotacachi (by car), Galapagos - San Cristobal-Santa Cruz-Isabela (by boat staying/sleeping on 3 islands)
Our experience was very good and I will recommend this type of trip to Ecuador to all people who are limited on time and have no time to plan/manage everything personally. It is possible that you can do it cheaper but you need to have a lot on information and do it long time in advance. I’m no longer a backpacker and wanted to see as much Ecuador as possible during given time. I decided to give this planning to the KimKim company. I think it was good idea.

There are two topic which I want to share however.
In hotel in Mindo someone has stolen a mobile phone of my wife. It was very unpleasant as she had already her pictures/movies from Amazon forest and obviously other important info there. It was family owned small and very nice hotel. The reception area was very small – we noticed that some local people are walking across without any control. The area was not monitored – no cameras. We realized that phone is lost and reported the fact to the owner. But he was of opinion that he can only ask some other guests. It was very disappointing. We left the hotel as there was already next activity planned but my wife was not in good mood… Fortunately and surprisingly after 1-2 hrs our guide (Ximena) got info that smartphone has been found… I do not how the owner has managed it but finally we got the phone back. Apparently someone was already unlocking the phone because date and some other settings were changed. My advice – keep all you important stuff with you, never leave it unattended and ask if there are cameras in the hotels. This is however another argument to travel through agency because owner of the hotel has been contacted by agency representative and this was probably most important.

Second comment is on guides. In general our experience with them was very good. Usually we had a local guides who ware looking after logistics and giving some practical information, sometimes travelling with us. Other guides were in the national parks - the certified professionals. Local guides however were sometimes also very talkative and helpful – sharing a lot of information with us (we send our best regards to Ximena in Quito and Stephany in San Cristobal). I have to mention however that on Santa Cruz Island we met a very nice person but she was not really speaking English. So the guide was only ordering taxi and informing us about time of departure and arrival. This was in contrast to all other locations. I recommend to address it. We were asking some questions about possible activities and places to visit on Island but there was no info - it was embarrassing for both sides (I guess).
I think KimKim/Responsibletravel knew that we do not understand Spanish.

Overall experience was fantastic and we regret that we did not have more time to explore more places.
I travelled with my wife and 13 years old son.

Activity Review

Kicker Rock: A Snorkeling Adventure

Isla San Cristóbal

this was definitely one of the best snorkeling points. Regret there was no time to organize scuba diving. We have seen white tip sharks, many turtles and hammerhead shark - which is not that often showing up. I advise to consider diving and during all snorkeling wear a swimming cloths (against sun)

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport