Kimkim Trip Reviews for Galapagos Islands

The Galapagos Islands were an unforgettable experience. We did an 8-day trip during the month of July to the islands where we visited two of the islands--Santa Cruz and Isabela. The wildlife and the natural habitats were spectacular. We saw sea turtles, giant tortoises, lizards, sea lions, reef sharks, penguins, rays, and various birds and fish. On the island of Santa Cruz, there are multiple biomes so you are able to see pristine beaches, a foggy and moist highland, and an arid lowland. The... read more

The Galapagos Islands were an unforgettable experience. We did an 8-day trip during the month of July to the islands where we visited two of the islands--Santa Cruz and Isabela. The wildlife and the natural habitats were spectacular. We saw sea turtles, giant tortoises, lizards, sea lions, reef sharks, penguins, rays, and various birds and fish. On the island of Santa Cruz, there are multiple biomes so you are able to see pristine beaches, a foggy and moist highland, and an arid lowland. The volcanic element to the islands also created an impressive backdrop that made you feel as if you were on a different planet. It is a place we highly recommend visiting.

The people we met were very friendly and all of the guides were very knowledgeable as only resident Galapagueños can be guides on the islands. The one thing that we feel would have made this experience better would have been to have one point of contact person for the whole trip. We had different tour guides every day as they all specialize in different areas, which was fine, but we had a different point-of-contact person each day which resulted in there being inconsistencies between the information in our itinerary and what they communicated. Additionally, they did not always tell us what we would need to be prepared for the following day's activities (e.g. recommending that we hire a wet suit or have appropriate footwear for some of the walking activities). Other than that, it was a really great trip.

Alvaro named this trip "Unforgettable Birthday Adventure in Ecuador" and he was totally accurate. Our trip was 12 days in total and it was full of memorable and magical experiences, breathtaking nature and fun and excitement. The hotels were all fantastic and each and every guide along the way was terrific. There was not one glitch in any of our transfers, travel arrangements or tours. We were treated like special guests in this magnificent country. Alvaro was a pleasure to work with and he... read more

Alvaro named this trip "Unforgettable Birthday Adventure in Ecuador" and he was totally accurate. Our trip was 12 days in total and it was full of memorable and magical experiences, breathtaking nature and fun and excitement. The hotels were all fantastic and each and every guide along the way was terrific. There was not one glitch in any of our transfers, travel arrangements or tours. We were treated like special guests in this magnificent country. Alvaro was a pleasure to work with and he worked closely with us to make sure he put together the exact kind of trip that we were hoping for. He used his expertise to guide us to the right choices for us and, after getting to know us through our conversations, even made sure to include several wonderful surprises along the way. We feel very lucky that we were matched up with Alvaro and we don't have a single bad or negative thing to say about our trip. Don't hesitate to book with Alvaro...you will be so happy you did.

Hotel Reviews

Patio Andaluz

Quito

The hotel is beautiful and has old-warm charm. The staff is extremely friendly and professional. Our two-story room was wonderful. The breakfast was quite nice.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Napo Cultural Center

Quito

This was an amazing experience. It's situated in the jungle but every care has been taken to ensure a comfortable and memorable time. An on-duty chef prepared fantastic meals...even including a beautiful birthday cake for my birthday. Our guide, Tyson, was the greatest guy. He was tireless in making sure we saw as much wildlife as possible. Every time we came back to the lodge we were greeted with a different ice-cold juice and a cold, damp hand towel. The rooms themselves were very nice and comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

A truly educational experience.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Rincon de Puembo, BW Signature Collection

Puembo

We were only here for a night, because of its proximity to the airport. It's a very nice hotel and the staff was very professional.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Galapagos Sunset Hotel

Puerto Baquerizo Moreno

This hotel is exceptional. Our beautiful room had a breathtaking view of the harbor and sunset. Susanah found out it was my birthday and she brought me a complimentary bottle of wine. I can't recommend this hotel highly enough.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Isamar Hotel

Puerto Villamil, Isla Isabela

Right on the water, our ocean front room was lovely and had a spectacular view of the beach. The restaurant (across the street) prepared a wonderful dinner for us and had a beautiful breakfast. Ava did everything to make sure that we had a wonderful stay in this beautiful hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Sol y Mar

Galápagos

This hotel is in the perfect spot in Puerto Ayora. The room was lovely and the view of the pool and harbor was beautiful. The restaurant served a fantastic breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Colonial Quito City Tour & Mitad del Mundo - Middle of the World

Quito

Marco was our guide for all of our time in Quito and he was simply wonderful. Such a kind gentleman and very informative. We feel like we actually made a friend in him. The walking tour of Colonial Quito was terrific and we loved the Mitad del Mundo.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, drivers and staff

Marco was exceptionally great.

Transport

Welcoming Cocktail Class at Night

Quito

We LOVED this experience. So much fun and we made delicious drinks and were served fantastic food. Edwin was truly a wonderful host and his assistants, Josue and Karen, were so sweet.

Quality of Experience

Guides, drivers and staff

Edwin is fantastic. We highly recommend this.

Transport

Expedition to Mindo Cloud Forest

Quito

Another wonderful day with Marco. The hike in Mindo was beautiful. We loved stopping at the Alambi Reserve and seeing the scores of hummingbirds feeding.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, drivers and staff

Marco is the best!

Transport

Quito - Yaku Kausay Indigenous Experience in the Amazon

Ecuador

This was a very interesting and unique and educational experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, drivers and staff

Transport

Indigenous Encounter and Hike to Mama Cuna Path (Yaku Kausay Experience)

Yasuni National Park

Everything we did with Tyson in the rain forest was amazing. The hike to the lookout tower, a paddled canoe down the Black Creek, watching the macaws drink at the sulphur pond. Everything was incredible.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, drivers and staff

Tyson was an amazing, caring guide throughout our time in the jungle.

Transport

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

Yasuni National Park

We opted not to do this ritual.

Cooking Class Experience in Quito

Quito

Back with the fabulous Edwin, this time with Josue, Karen and Mishelle assisting him, we LOVED this experience. So much fun and very informative. We were given drinks and watched so much wonderful food being prepared and then we got to eat it all. Delicious! A very memorable afternoon.

Quality of Experience

Food

The food was truly exceptional.

Guides, drivers and staff

Edwin is the best!

Transport

Afternoon Adventure to Teleferico Cablecar

Quito

Another terrific afternoon with Marco. We loved the spectacular Telefrico ride and the view from above. We got fantastic pictures on the swings that overlook the valley.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, drivers and staff

Marco is so great!

Transport

Welcome to San Cristobal Island! Visit to the Interpretation Center, Tijeretas Hill or La Lobería

Galapagos Islands

This was a great overview of San Cristobal. Lenin was a very informative guide.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, drivers and staff

Transport

Dinner by the Sea on the Enchanted Islands

Galapagos Islands

This is a very nice restaurant and they prepared a lovely meal for us.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, drivers and staff

Transport

Explore Tintoreras Islet

Puerto Villamil

Our guide was terrific. The area where we kayaked wasn't the most exciting but it was a lot of fun. The snorkel area was nice but a little cold and murky.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, drivers and staff

Terrific guide

Transport

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

Galapagos Islands

We loved this experience. We learned so much and had a wonderful afternoon with our terrific guide, Daniel, and the tortoises.

Quality of Experience

Food

The restaurant at Rancho Primicias is really fantastic. We had a delicious lunch there.

Guides, drivers and staff

Daniel was great

Transport

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

Puerto Ayora

The kayaking trip in Tortuga Bay was really wonderful. We saw SO many sea turtles around us, reef sharks, a nest with baby great blue herons. This is a spectacular place to spend the afternoon.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, drivers and staff

Jose was a terrific guide

Transport

Exploring an Uninhabited Island

Puerto Ayora

This trip was truly spectacular. The Altarmar is a gorgeous boat, the crew was friendly and Felipe was an excellent guide. We saw many blue-footed boobies, frigates and such when we pulled alongside Daphne Major Island. We loved exploring the uninhabited Bartolome' and learned so much from Felipe there. Then the snorkeling off the beach at Santiago was fantastic...we saw sea turtles, a reef shark and many beautiful fish. Lunch back on the boat was excellent. As was the trip back. An awesome day.

Quality of Experience

Well worth the money

Food

Guides, drivers and staff

Felipe and the boat staff were excellent

Transport

Transfer to Airport on Baltra Island

Puerto Ayora

This was very smooth. Just like everything else that Alvaro set up.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, drivers and staff

Every single driver we had on this trip was great

Transport

Hi, my daughter and I took a fairly short trip to the Galapagos in August 2022 and Alvaro at kimkim set up every detail. Through Alvaro, kimkim continues to provide a wonderful, small group, personalized trip. We had the luxury of being met at airports and ports, and taken to comfortable, well-located hotels. Whenever I had a question or there was a problem (in our case, in the form of a cancelled flight that threw the schedule off), Alvaro was there and worked intensely to help. ... read more

Hi, my daughter and I took a fairly short trip to the Galapagos in August 2022 and Alvaro at kimkim set up every detail. Through Alvaro, kimkim continues to provide a wonderful, small group, personalized trip. We had the luxury of being met at airports and ports, and taken to comfortable, well-located hotels. Whenever I had a question or there was a problem (in our case, in the form of a cancelled flight that threw the schedule off), Alvaro was there and worked intensely to help.

Before the trip, Alvaro worked through several different itineraries with me, as I tried to figure out what would work. He was, throughout, friendly, cordial, responsive, and full of suggestions that might fit. He listens well, and never seems to get impatient. I'll always associate our memorable trip with his benevolent presence, and would highly recommend both him and kimkim!

This trip was fantastic. Exceeded expectations. We swam with so many sharks (totally safe). My wife and I went for our honeymoon. Alvaro tailored the trip to our budget and special requests even last minute requests were accommodated.

The discovery dive is great for beginner divers and was definitely worth it. All the fish and shellfish based specialties were the best foods and we had fun hiking and sampling the local beer.

Who knew sharks at Galapagos would be friendly! read more

This trip was fantastic. Exceeded expectations. We swam with so many sharks (totally safe). My wife and I went for our honeymoon. Alvaro tailored the trip to our budget and special requests even last minute requests were accommodated.

The discovery dive is great for beginner divers and was definitely worth it. All the fish and shellfish based specialties were the best foods and we had fun hiking and sampling the local beer.

Who knew sharks at Galapagos would be friendly!

My trip to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands was very pleasant and enjoyable. Thanks to Daniel, my travel details were ironed out before , during and after the trip. I had issues with my covid test result being delayed and had a mild panic, anxious situation, but with Daniel help I was able to enjoy the rest of my trip, During the trip, Daniel was very easy and fast to reach when I had questions . He helped me speak to one of the receptionist over the phone because I couldn't communicate in... read more

My trip to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands was very pleasant and enjoyable. Thanks to Daniel, my travel details were ironed out before , during and after the trip. I had issues with my covid test result being delayed and had a mild panic, anxious situation, but with Daniel help I was able to enjoy the rest of my trip, During the trip, Daniel was very easy and fast to reach when I had questions . He helped me speak to one of the receptionist over the phone because I couldn't communicate in Spanish . Daniel is very thorough when booking tours , he would follow through with the tour guides and made sure they were there on time and explained what I would expect on the tours. I also felt safe knowing that Daniel was only a call away via whatsapp. I'm using kimkim again for my next trip because my experience with Daniel's help made a huge difference.

Galápagos Islands trip review

This is the second time we worked with Mathias for our trip. The first trip was Ecuador adventure tour including Quito, Banos, and Amazon. It was a great trip.

This time we worked with Mathias for our Galapagos island trip and it was amazing. Mathias is super thoughtful, he made sure that every single detail of the trip was taken care of. He is very patient and is so accommodating with our requests and needs. When we first arrived at the Quito hotel,... read more

Galápagos Islands trip review

This is the second time we worked with Mathias for our trip. The first trip was Ecuador adventure tour including Quito, Banos, and Amazon. It was a great trip.

This time we worked with Mathias for our Galapagos island trip and it was amazing. Mathias is super thoughtful, he made sure that every single detail of the trip was taken care of. He is very patient and is so accommodating with our requests and needs. When we first arrived at the Quito hotel, Mathias met us in person with a gift of wine, chocolate, coffee, and soap. This is such a wonderful personal touch that made us feel so welcome.

During the trip, Mathias was available any time we needed any assistance and fixed any issues. On one our trips that they put us on a tour without kayaking, Mathias made sure to put us on another kayaking tour—complimentary from him. In the morning we left for Galápagos Islands the hotel forgot to pack us breakfast, Mathias offered us free breakfast after we checked in at the airport. In addition, we got an upgrade for our flight back to Quito from Santa Cruz. All these gestures made us feel super welcome and taken care of.

All the day tours we were on were amazing: with awesome tour guides and on time pick up and drop off—not a worry at all from our part. We were confident that we were well taken care of.

I would work with Mathias in the future again. He is truly an incredible person to work with and I give him the highest recommendations!

What a wonderful experience we had in Galapagos!

Alvaro was super attentive and responsive to all of our questions and had great insight on local activities. We felt very safe in our travels. Safe even to walk at night dressed like a tourist honestly. In all the places we visited in the Galápagos Islands. We speak Spanish but in all honesty the trip was so completely planned from start to finish with transportation and quick support that it really didn’t matter. I would definitely... read more

What a wonderful experience we had in Galapagos!

Alvaro was super attentive and responsive to all of our questions and had great insight on local activities. We felt very safe in our travels. Safe even to walk at night dressed like a tourist honestly. In all the places we visited in the Galápagos Islands. We speak Spanish but in all honesty the trip was so completely planned from start to finish with transportation and quick support that it really didn’t matter. I would definitely recommend the planning service to my friends who speak no Spanish. We wish we had done our scuba certificate because this is an incredible place to dive, but we did get to do a beginner/non-certificate “discovery” dive which was an amazing experience.

Some favorite places we visited below:

Isabella: smallest town we visited but the tours were WOW

Hotel- Casa de Marita - beachfront boutique hotel with an incredible view walking distance from the doc/ snorkeling/ beachfront dining. Walk the boardwalk and explore the seaside. =]

Volcano (Sierra negra) 10 mile hike in Isabella - Visit to the second largest crater in the world. This was an intense, gratifying hike. Definitely bring hiking boots (not sneakers) and a camera. Incredible view, and and quite satisfying.

Tintoreras: This tour was rather short compared to some others but we saw the most penguins, blue footed boobies, and sharks (in just a snorkel) than any other tour! Also lots of sea lions and marine iguanas.

San Cristobal:
Here the sea lions are everywhere along the boardwalk area (the most we saw anywhere). Go for a walk and greet MANY sea lions on the way on the park benches and sidewalks.

Casa Blanca- ADORABLE boutique hotel with incredible view (on the bay) and just in front of the main doc which was very convenient for our tours that left from there. Restaurant there is superb. Hostess was incredible.

Tijeretas- easy paved hike with a favorite snorkel spot. Up close and personal experience with playful sea lions and tortoises! Interpretation center is a great family activity.

Santa Cruz:
This is a fun island with lots of food, shopping, tours, and activities! The below 2 favorites are great family activities!

Acacia hotel - beauuuuutiful eco hotel that definitely felt like a treat with a private pool and modern/tasteful amenities.

Exploring and uninhabited island- Bartolomé. I wasn’t sure what to expect here but this was a great package because it was a larger boat with a great crew/ tour guide. Breakfast, lunch, snacks, and champagne included with a rather easy hike and beautiful snorkel. We saw new and different creatures such as a manta ray and puffer fish in the reef, as well as tortoises, playful sea lions and parrotfish up close.

Highlands tortoises farm- a beautiful home for the tortoises and we were able to see them up close, watch them eat their fruits freely and had a wonderful tour guide who was passionate about her work. Wonderful restaurant was there too.

Hotel Reviews

Acacia Galápagos Boutique Hotel

Puerto Ayora

This was so wonderful and charming. Beauuuuutiful eco hotel that definitely felt like a treat with a private pool and modern/tasteful design and amenities. The had robes hung up for us and several beautiful lounge areas. Also the hostess was wonderful, helpful, and inviting. Breakfast was fantastic!

Authenticity & Character

Modern eco style was very tasteful

Location

Central location

Staff

Warm, inviting and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and comfortable. Lived the robes and also the bathroom was no the stylish and clean.

La Casa de Marita

Puerto Villamil

This place was very impressive. One of our favorite hotels! The waterfront view was incredible. The garden was also so charming! Water front tapas for happy hour was a classy treat and dinner was also very good. Staff made us feel very taken care of as well.

Authenticity & Character

This place was very charming and definitely had a proud Latin American personality.

Location

This is located on the end of the beach where it’s quieter, but also just a few steps down the beach are many waterfront restaurants and also pharmacy/essentials in walking distance.

Staff

Welcoming, warm, and took great care of us!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Areas were clean, comfortable, and beautiful.

Casa Blanca

Puerto Baquerizo Moreno

We stayed at the top floor suite and it had a great view, and a huge private patio. We could see the sunset from their incredible restaurant downstairs. Hospitality was wonderful and we felt well taken care of as well as safe in the area. Overall very impressed. This place is right near the bay doc which is both convenient and provides a great view!

Authenticity & Character

Lots of personality- was quaint and charming.

Location

Very convenient and beautiful sunset waterfront view .

Staff

Very attentive and took care of us.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and comfortable. Loved the privacy of the top floor suite.

Activity Reviews

Hiking the Sierra Negra Volcano

Galapagos Islands

This was an intense, gratifying 10 mile hike. Definitely bring hiking boots (not sneakers or hiking sandals) and a camera. Incredible view, and and quite satisfying. Tour guide was very energetic and knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Was the kind of challenging hike I was hoping for!

Food

Bagged lunch provided was good!

Guides, drivers and staff

Very knowledgeable

Transport

Dinner by the Sea on the Enchanted Islands

Galapagos Islands

Isla Grill was incredible. There were small sharks by the foot of the restaurant in plain view which was an added bonus for us! It really felt like a special occasion place. We had a bottle of the Isla Grill wine which was so good!

Exploring an Uninhabited Island

Puerto Ayora

I wasn’t sure what to expect here but this was a great package because it was a larger boat with a great crew/ tour guide. Breakfast, lunch, snacks, and champagne included with a rather easy hike and beautiful snorkel. We saw new and different creatures such as a manta ray and puffer fish in the reef, as well as tortoises, playful sea lions and parrotfish up close.

Quality of Experience

Staff was so attentive and friendly! Also so many amenities. Very relaxing yet eventful day.

Food

Salad and dressing, fish, fried/battered bananas, huge breakfast, champagne, flan, everything was great and they thought of everything!

Guides, drivers and staff

Very friendly and attentive.

Exploring the Underwater World: Discovery Basic Diving Day in Santa Cruz

Galapagos Islands

We did the discovery tour and felt very well taken care of. We had an instructor walk us through instructions (just 2 students:1 instructor) and our instructor was very attentive. He made me feel safe and comfortable and took great go pro pictures and videos which were provided to us for free!

Explore Tintoreras Islet

Puerto Villamil

This was a favorite tour for sure. This tour was rather short compared to some others but we saw the most penguins, blue footed boobies, and sharks (in just a snorkel) than any other tour! Also lots of sea lions and marine iguanas.

Quality of Experience

Food

Gave us tangos (local chocolate covered biscuits kind of) after our snorkel =]

Guides, drivers and staff

Super knowledgeable and friendly, enthusiastic, and funny =]

Transport

Kayaking on Tortuga Bay

Puerto Ayora

This tour was rather self paced which was good for fitting different schedules. A long simple walk through town and on a beach, then kayaking was so much fun!

Quality of Experience

Guides, drivers and staff

Self paced and more hands off large group tour

Transport

This was a lovely walk to the beach through town

Exploring the Santa Cruz Highlands & Charles Darwin Research Station

Galapagos Islands

Beautiful family friendly experience with wonderful guide and ability to get up close and personal with land tortoises free range style. They seem very happy here. It was a beautiful tour.

Quality of Experience

Food

Cafe we visited on site was a delicious 3 course meal. So good!!

Guides, drivers and staff

Amazing tour guide. Passionate about her field, educated, and an obvious live for the wild life.

Transport

Cabs

Welcome to San Cristobal Island! Visit to the Interpretation Center, Tijeretas Hill or La Lobería

Galapagos Islands

This was our first real tour. We actually were offered to do both areas to snorkel but elected to do just the first (tijeretas). This was a wonderful snorkel with an easy paced hike beforehand. Sea lions were very playful and friendly. Tortoises also were happy to swim with us! Snorkeling go pro pictures were included for free =]

Quality of Experience

Quito and the Galapagos - with Daniel
This was our first time using Kimkim and we were so impressed. Our local specialist was so helpful from the beginning to the very end of our vacation. His recommendations provided us with all of the highlights and were perfect for our adventurous and nature-loving family of 5 (kids 9, 12, 15). We enjoyed snorkeling daily with playful sea lions and sea turtles. One of our best days was visiting the beautiful uninhabited island of Española were we saw... read more

Quito and the Galapagos - with Daniel
This was our first time using Kimkim and we were so impressed. Our local specialist was so helpful from the beginning to the very end of our vacation. His recommendations provided us with all of the highlights and were perfect for our adventurous and nature-loving family of 5 (kids 9, 12, 15). We enjoyed snorkeling daily with playful sea lions and sea turtles. One of our best days was visiting the beautiful uninhabited island of Española were we saw newborn sea lion pups and blue footed booby chicks and families of Albatross.
During our stay in Quito, we did day trips to Mindo which was one of our favorite places with the butterfly garden, bird watching and ziplining.
Daniel was quickly responsive with any questions we had and regularly checked in to make sure everything was going smoothly. The airport and boat transfers were seamless. We always had a guide waiting for us when disembarking, insuring we had no moments of feeling lost in a foreign country.
I would absolutely use Kimkim again to plan our next adventure.

Hotel Review

Kitu Hotel

Quito

The staff at Kitu were so welcoming and kind. Our room was comfortable and clean. Breakfast was conveniently located in the attached restaurant , and on days we had early pick ups, they were kind enough to provide a bagged meal for us. We would definitely stay there again when visiting Quito

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to town, markets and restaurants

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Colonial Quito City Tour & Mitad del Mundo - Middle of the World

Quito

Our guide Cristian was absolutely amazing. He was so knowledgeable and accommodating.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, drivers and staff

Transport

Expedition to Mindo Cloud Forest

Quito

We fell in love with Mindo! The variety of birds and butterflies were phenomenal. We also loved being able to see every stage of butterfly development from egg to hatching from their cocoons.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, drivers and staff

Transport

Excursion to Los Tuneles

Galapagos Islands

Our guide Darwin was phenomenal. He was so knowledgeable and great with our kids (ages 9, 12 and 15). We loved seeing all of the animals while snorkeling and on land

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, drivers and staff

Transport

Wildlife Encounter in San Cristobal: Española Island

San Cristobal Island

This was the highlight of our trip to the Galapagos! We felt like we were right in an episode of National Geographic. We arrived to the beach to see newborn sea lion pups. We saw nesting blue footed boobies and albatrosses. We snorkeled with playful sea lions. Absolutely incredible experience

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, drivers and staff

Transport

This was my first experience ever using a travel agent or having any kind of help planning a trip. I didn't even know where to begin when planning a short trip to the Galapagos, and Mathias took my wishes into account and created the perfect trip. He was also very helpful when we had to postpone the trip due to a family emergency. The trip itinerary was just about perfect, full of wildlife growing as we wished. Our favorite day by far was visiting Espanola, which surprised me because I... read more

This was my first experience ever using a travel agent or having any kind of help planning a trip. I didn't even know where to begin when planning a short trip to the Galapagos, and Mathias took my wishes into account and created the perfect trip. He was also very helpful when we had to postpone the trip due to a family emergency. The trip itinerary was just about perfect, full of wildlife growing as we wished. Our favorite day by far was visiting Espanola, which surprised me because I assumed visiting the giant tortoises would be my favorite (and that was still amazing, obviously, and I loved it, but Espanola just blew us away). But I think that's the beauty of using local experts --they know what to suggest and what you might enjoy even more than you. All of our guides were amazing (Sol, Martin, Ulf, and Camilo). We had Martin two days in a row, which we loved, as he was so enthusiastic and knowledgeable. The Galapagos Sharksky boat and crew were also fantastic, and we were lucky to also have them two days in a row. The liaisons we had were so friendly and informative as well (Liz and Jorge). The hotels were perfect for us and it was so nice having the little things like transportation and snorkeling gear taken care of for us. Overall, it was such an amazing vacation and I'm so grateful for the experience!

Hotel Reviews

Casa Blanca

Puerto Baquerizo Moreno

Authenticity & Character

Location

I'm

Cleanliness & Comfort

Posada del Mar

Puerto Ayora

The bed was huge and comfortable, the staff was friendly, and it was a wonderful location off the main road but so close to everything. The WiFi was terrible, which was only an issue because we had a family situation come up that we needed to deal with, but everything else about the hotel was amazing. Thank you for a great stay!

Location

Good restaurants next door! Easy to walk around, closer to the center of town, safe.

Staff

The staff were so friendly and accommodating!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Day-Trip to Española Island

Galapagos Islands

This was our favorite activity. I had no idea I would enjoy seeing the albatrosses as much as I did--the mating ritual was fascinating. The blue-footed boobies were amazing as well, and so close I couldn't believe it. We also saw a Galapagos hawk and its nest. We saw a baby sea lion so young the placenta was still next to the mom. Marine iguanas everywhere, swimming and basking on lava rocks. Sweeping views of the ocean and the unusual landscape. The whole day was just magical.

Quality of Experience

Guides, drivers and staff

Martin, our guide, and the boat crew on the Sharksky were beyond amazing.

Highlands of Santa Cruz Island

Galapagos Islands

I couldn't believe how close the tortoises are (stay back 6 feet, but sometimes that's tricky!), nor could I believe how many there were. The cloud forest atmosphere was a nice change from the beaches and sunny skies on the other parts of the island. Having a super knowledgeable guide also made the experience perfect--we even had a stranger asking him questions, she she said we were lucky to have him as our guide! We knew Ulf was the best already, but that helped confirm it. We had great discussions and he answered all of our crazy questions. Also, the bike riding ended up being way more fun than I expected, even though it was raining and I got super muddy. It was so nice that the bus followed us, so my boyfriend was able to stop when he didn't feel like continuing but I was able to keep going.

Quality of Experience

Guides, drivers and staff

Transport

Visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

Quality of Experience

Guides, drivers and staff

Excursion to an uninhabited island

Galapagos Islands

We went hiking on Bartolome and snorkeling at Pinnacle Rock, and both experiences were amazing. It was such a contrast to the other islands we had visited. The diversity of the Galapagos is just stunning. The hike up the 365 steps is actually really well designed, so it's doable for people of many fitness levels. Our guide stopped a lot to talk about the geography, geology, etc, which gave us a chance to catch our breath. The stairs are wide and safe. The timing on everything was really great.

Quality of Experience

Guides, drivers and staff

Transport

Snorkel at Kicker Rock

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Guides, drivers and staff

Transport

We are so lucky we found Kimkim!
We had booked our flight and airfare already and were looking at pre-booking excursions for our Galapagos trip on our own, piecemeal trying to choose companies based on websites and pricing. Then Kimkim came to the rescue! Our specialist from Ecuador responded right away and asked what our trip goals were. She fashioned an individual itinerary that was perfect with local guides - Julio and David - that were terrific. The packaged price was very reasonable... read more

We are so lucky we found Kimkim!
We had booked our flight and airfare already and were looking at pre-booking excursions for our Galapagos trip on our own, piecemeal trying to choose companies based on websites and pricing. Then Kimkim came to the rescue! Our specialist from Ecuador responded right away and asked what our trip goals were. She fashioned an individual itinerary that was perfect with local guides - Julio and David - that were terrific. The packaged price was very reasonable and we just got back from our trip of a lifetime very satisfied! Only reason I didn't give 5 stars was there was a gap of a day to two hearing back from Erika when I was trying to firm up some details, but it was quickly rectified with a call to Kimkim customer service.

Activity Reviews

Breeding Center & Wetlands of Isabela Island

Galapagos Islands

A nice walk through the Wetlands and informative Breeding Center tour - lots of marine iguanas and tortoises.

Quality of Experience

Guides, drivers and staff

Transport

Explore Tintoreras Islet (Private)

Puerto Villamil

Saw penguins, blue-footed boobies, sharks, sea lions - combo land walking and snorkeling tour

Quality of Experience

Guides, drivers and staff

Transport

Kayak in Puerto Villamil

Galapagos Islands

Similar sights you see as the TIntoreras tour but you stay on the kayak - no walking - so good exercise and can get a bit closer to some of the wildlife - sea turtles, penguins. At the end we walked to Playa Concha to snorkel and that was great

Quality of Experience

Guides, drivers and staff

Transport

Excursion to Los Tuneles (Private)

Galapagos Islands

About a 45 min bumpy boat ride that was a little bit freaky in rough waters, but the end result was worth it - walking and pictures with the Blue Footed boobies and then to a 2nd site where w snorkeled with sea turtles!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, drivers and staff

Transport

Everything was delightful with the guides extremely wonderful, esp Julio and David read more

Everything was delightful with the guides extremely wonderful, esp Julio and David

Activity Review

Explore Tintoreras Islet (Private)

Puerto Villamil

Quality of Experience

Guides, drivers and staff

Transport

We had the great good fortune to work with Daniel Larrea over the course of two years as we navigated COVID to plan our Rediscovery of Ecuador. Daniel arranged the first leg of our visit to the Galápagos Islands on the beautiful Galapagos Legend. The ship was most comfortable; the crew paid great attention to the many needs of their guests; and the guides/naturalists were knowledgeable and great fun. The second leg of our journey was intended to revisit Quito and surrounding areas and to... read more

We had the great good fortune to work with Daniel Larrea over the course of two years as we navigated COVID to plan our Rediscovery of Ecuador. Daniel arranged the first leg of our visit to the Galápagos Islands on the beautiful Galapagos Legend. The ship was most comfortable; the crew paid great attention to the many needs of their guests; and the guides/naturalists were knowledgeable and great fun. The second leg of our journey was intended to revisit Quito and surrounding areas and to reconnect with family. While we were not able to follow much of our originally planned itinerary due to social unrest and changing circumstances, we knew we were in great hands with Daniel who was concerned for our safety and in regular touch, keeping us apprised of a very fluid situation. Our driver/guide, Christian Chalcualan, provided safe passage to a number of alternative destinations and exhibited great knowledge of the culture and country. We particularly enjoyed the Guayasamin Museum, the cable car ride to Teleferico, and a visit to beautiful Papallacta with its hot springs and hiking. We also very much enjoyed our stay at La Palma Polo Club in the bucolic setting of Puembo. We would highly recommend Daniel for his personal touch, attention to detail, knowledge and love of Ecuador. Words cannot possibly express how grateful we are to Daniel with whom we look forward to planning our return trip!!

Lucia helped us out so much after we had some inconvenience getting into Ecuador, and had to change our flights and plans at such short notice.
The itinerary was amazing, with lots of snorkeling, and day trips, with some free time to explore and do more ourselves.
The only minor inconvenience was that when it said that breakfast was included we were not sure if it was in the hotel or on the tour. It was in the hotel so we missed breakfast our first day
All the guides in the Galapagos were... read more

Lucia helped us out so much after we had some inconvenience getting into Ecuador, and had to change our flights and plans at such short notice.
The itinerary was amazing, with lots of snorkeling, and day trips, with some free time to explore and do more ourselves.
The only minor inconvenience was that when it said that breakfast was included we were not sure if it was in the hotel or on the tour. It was in the hotel so we missed breakfast our first day
All the guides in the Galapagos were very knowledgeable and helpful.

Activity Reviews

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

Galapagos Islands

Great way to get to know the Galapagos and the local wildlife

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, drivers and staff

Transport

Morning Bay Tour & Afternoon at leisure in Santa Cruz

Puerto Ayora

Great snorkeling, some great videos and pictures from this experience, and our guide knew the best places to see turtles and other fish. The hike and swim were also incredible

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, drivers and staff

Transport

Speedboat to Santa Cruz Island & Kayaking on Tortuga Bay

Galapagos Islands

Our guide Viviana was great but we couldn't see much on the kayaks as the water was quite cloudy and dirty. Tortuga bay is a must visit on Santa Cruz island though!

Quality of Experience

Guides, drivers and staff

Transport

Excursion to Los Tuneles

Galapagos Islands

Incredible snorkeling experiences, guide knew the best spots and was very accomodating to help get pictures and videos using the GoPro. Very knowledgeable on the local wildlife and surrounding area

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, drivers and staff

Transport

Discover Pinzon Island & La Fé

Puerto Ayora

First snorkel spot was very wavy and tough to see much. Second snorkel spot was so clear as we swam with sea lions, turtles, sharks and more! Definitely worth it for the second snorkel alone. Did some fishing (didn't catch anything unfortunately), got a lovely lunch on the boat, and enjoyed both la fe and pinzon

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, drivers and staff

Transport

Speedboat to Isabela Island & Wildlife on Las Tintoreras Islet

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, drivers and staff

Transport

Our trip turned out to be one of the best we’ve ever taken! The kimkim team switched team members mid planning but after a “get to know you” period all was good! Covid also played a major roll in getting this trip from planning to execution. So even though we had some hiccups, all turned out well.

Daniel Larrea, our travel planner, put together an amazing itinerary. Learning about my passion for art, he created an Art day for me. From touring museums to wandering through the street... read more

Our trip turned out to be one of the best we’ve ever taken! The kimkim team switched team members mid planning but after a “get to know you” period all was good! Covid also played a major roll in getting this trip from planning to execution. So even though we had some hiccups, all turned out well.

Daniel Larrea, our travel planner, put together an amazing itinerary. Learning about my passion for art, he created an Art day for me. From touring museums to wandering through the street art fair, I saw amazing Ecuadorian art. Our guide, Daniel Silva, was engaging, honest and a joy to be around. He guided us for two days around Quito. From the Art day to the City walk day, our days were filled with stunning churches, an engaging cooking class and lots of knowledge about a city I knew little about. It was a wonderful experience.

Daniel Larrea also provided us with seamless transfers between airports and locations. Upon our arrival in Baltra, we expected a driver to our hotel. What we got was an incredible naturalist, Vivianna, who took us to a land tortoise preserve, giving us a first class tour and background of this incredible animal. Then we were taken to our hotel for the evening. The morning transfer from the hotel back to Baltra to meet the cruise team was seamless. My husband, who typically avoids tours and having people meet us at the airport and guide us to a our hotel, actually really saw the value and agrees this is the only way to travel from now on!

Thank you kimkim for making our trip to Ecuador and its natural wonders one for the ages!

A quick note that my family had an amazing trip to the Galapagos. A special thank you to Mathias who helped with the pre-planning, advance trip details and check-ins during the trip to make sure everything went smoothly.
We visited all three islands and had great excursions and experiences on all. Mathias planned just enough snorkeling, hiking and travel with down time to spend with the family. ALL of our guides were top notch and were prompt and very knowledgeable and engaging.
It is... read more

A quick note that my family had an amazing trip to the Galapagos. A special thank you to Mathias who helped with the pre-planning, advance trip details and check-ins during the trip to make sure everything went smoothly.
We visited all three islands and had great excursions and experiences on all. Mathias planned just enough snorkeling, hiking and travel with down time to spend with the family. ALL of our guides were top notch and were prompt and very knowledgeable and engaging.
It is hard to pick favorites as we encountered something special everyday from swimming with playful sea lions to having an hour on our own private beach. Bartolome Island is a must and seeing and snorkeling with the penguins was an added bonus.
It was a once in a lifetime trip for my family and the service we received was A+ - thank you Mathias

Hotel Reviews

Albemarle

Puerto Villamil

Services were very good. Staff was very helpful. The hotel had a good courtyard for breakfast and leisure, and we enjoyed the rooftop for evening family social time.

Authenticity & Character

Location

right on the ocean

Staff

very helpful. We did our laundry on this portion of the trip with the hotel. Well done and very reasonable.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Acacia Galápagos Boutique Hotel

Puerto Ayora

Very comfortable rooms and beds. Breakfast was good and location close to but off the strip was ideal for my family.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Interpretation Center & Tijeretas Hill

Galapagos Islands

Enrique was a great guide. He got us all setup with our snorkel gear and wet suits. He gave us a good overview and let us view the interpretation center before going snorkeling. He was a great snorkeling guide. We went further into the cove with him and definitely saw more marine life. The sea lions were great, and this was the first place we swam with the turtles.

Quality of Experience

Guides, drivers and staff

Fantastic!

Transport

Timely and comfortable

Snorkel at Kicker Rock

Galapagos Islands

Great rip- we really enjoyed the beach stop and of course kicker rock. Snorkeling on the beach was fun and then seeing the hammerheads and marine life around kicker rock was amazing.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, drivers and staff

Guide was excellent, boat was very good. They spotted dolphins on the way out and engaged us with them.

Transport

Timely. Boat was comfortable.

Exploring Isabela Island by bike

Puerto Villamil

This was our relaxing day. Bike ride was fun and we stopped at different spots on the ride. We really enjoyed body surfing and swimming on the beautiful beach.

Quality of Experience

Guides, drivers and staff

picking up the bikes was easy with the service from Emilee

Snorkel at Los Túneles

Galapagos Islands

Maximo was excellent - the kids got to see a school of 20+ young sharks. The tunnels and landscape are amazing. We were treated to some great blue footed boobie dances on this trip.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, drivers and staff

Transport

Kayaking & Snorkeling at Las Tintoreras

Galapagos Islands

This was very close to the hotel and a shorter trip. We saw sea lions, many turtles and snorkeled over the sleeping sharks.

Quality of Experience

Guides, drivers and staff

Transport

Excursion to an uninhabited island

Galapagos Islands

This was a very special day and trip. Roughly two hours to get to the island via boat but well worth the time. The hike tour was very information on the volcanic formation. And the view ..... WOW. The lunch was great and the snorkeling with the penguins was something everyone wanted to see.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, drivers and staff

Guides were very information, engaging.

Transport

Highlands of Santa Cruz Island

Galapagos Islands

This was a very relaxing day before we left the island. Our guide was simply fantastic! Seeing and learning about the tortoises were great.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, drivers and staff

Transport

Tamer created us a brilliant trip to the Galápagos Islands which turned out to be the most wonderful experience. Tamer was extremely helpful with all our requests and very quick at responding and assisted us beyond what was required! What we loved were the personal touches including greeting us as Quito airport and checking in with us whilst we were out there, not to mention my generous bday gift! All tours and pickups were smooth with no issues. We had lovely hotels with excellent views,... read more

Tamer created us a brilliant trip to the Galápagos Islands which turned out to be the most wonderful experience. Tamer was extremely helpful with all our requests and very quick at responding and assisted us beyond what was required! What we loved were the personal touches including greeting us as Quito airport and checking in with us whilst we were out there, not to mention my generous bday gift! All tours and pickups were smooth with no issues. We had lovely hotels with excellent views, friendly staff and were all clean. Acacia hotel was our personal favourite. All three islands were beautiful. We would highly recommend the Pinzon snorkelling tour, Kicker rock, the volcano Hike aswell as the trip to Espagnola! Memorable guides include Vivienne from Santa Cruz who took us on the highlands tours to see the amazing giant tortoises and Sol in San Cristobal. We will be forever grateful to Tamer for organising this trip for us who even went out of his way to help my husband plan something nice for my birthday. We would highly recommend!

Hotel Review

Acacia Galápagos Boutique Hotel

Puerto Ayora

Everything from cleanliness and service to breakfast was absolutely brilliant. We couldn't not fault this place!

Authenticity & Character

Lovely rooms with good decor

Location

Close proximity to restaurants, pier, shops.

Staff

Friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sparkling clean

Activity Reviews

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

Galapagos Islands

Discover Pinzon Island & La Fé

Puerto Ayora

A successful trip! we saw so much- sea turtles, rays, sharks and played with sea lions. Boat was comfortable and food great too

Sierra Negra volcano - Speedboat to Santa Cruz

Galapagos Islands

The hike took us about 5 hours and was more challenging than expected but definitely rewarding with stunning views!

Food

Guides, drivers and staff

* It was a 'last minute' solo trip of high expectations - they have been meet in 99% .
1% missing for skipping few breakfasts ahead of several-hours long activities - overlooking timings of my breakfast VS my departure - accommodation places could have prepared take away breakfast.

* Quality level of the activities will depend on a random assignment of the available guide. I have had a luck to meet wonderful knowledgable Señor Wilson Rojas at San Cristóbal Island, who provided me with... read more

* It was a 'last minute' solo trip of high expectations - they have been meet in 99% .
1% missing for skipping few breakfasts ahead of several-hours long activities - overlooking timings of my breakfast VS my departure - accommodation places could have prepared take away breakfast.

* Quality level of the activities will depend on a random assignment of the available guide. I have had a luck to meet wonderful knowledgable Señor Wilson Rojas at San Cristóbal Island, who provided me with the knowledge for the whole trip in one go.

* Planning the trip conversation is very American-tourist oriented; you are flooded with overly merry and abundant in adjectives vocabulary, as if you haven't chosen the place yet and you need to be convinced (feels like advertising to sell) - unnecessary; you need to fish out from all the redundant content what actually is the essence that the place has to offer - bullet points KIKKIM Guys, no need to sell me, what I have chosen to buy already, lol.

* Reliable, fluid logistics, well-in-place communication and organisation (even though remote), all details, including most of petty expenses have been secured. Overall great experience with KIMKIM; and guides preparing my plan - Lucia and Dani - gracias!

Hotel Review

Hotel Deja vu

Pto. Ayora

Overpriced for the value ($140 per night is outrageous); * Choice of young travellers (16+); very noisy, as adolescences are fun (not rest) oriented * Room comfort is low (old furnitures, bed sheets, no aesthetics) * Insufficient internet - almost not working when hotel has 50% of residents in place * Far from the main street

Authenticity & Character

Furniture, bed sheets, overall aesthetics and integrity of the place - all seemed of random choice

Location

Nothing... building is built already :) ...bit far from the main street, unpleasant too come back to at night

Staff

Standard, polite, informative staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Not much comfort, noisy, practically no internet

Activity Review

The Treasure of Galapagos: Snorkeling at Kicker Rock

San Cristobal Island

Very interesting deep water spot, lots of wildlife to observe, long satisfying activity, rest on serene scenic island in vicinity. Enjoyable boat facilities.

Quality of Experience

Uninhabited island visited after the snorkelling, where you can observe marine iguanas.

Food

Excellent diversity available for customers on any type of diet.

Guides, drivers and staff

Standard

Transport

Great full-day-trip-equipped boat, unfortunately gasoline polluted water in a bathroom, they had it covered with extra water supply.

Linda, Sebastian, and Alejandro were all fantastic! Linda planned the perfect week for our family to enjoy activities and take in the beautiful country. We had so much fun and loved our accommodations and tours. Would absolutely recommend! read more

Linda, Sebastian, and Alejandro were all fantastic! Linda planned the perfect week for our family to enjoy activities and take in the beautiful country. We had so much fun and loved our accommodations and tours. Would absolutely recommend!

Hotel Review

Old Town Quito Suites

Centro Historico, Quito

Super comfortable, great rooms, and really nice kitchen set up.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Cooking Class

Quito

This was so fun and engaging for our kids! It ended up being quite tasty, too. A real highlight!

Quality of Experience

Guides, drivers and staff

Transport

I had an INCREDIBLE trip to the Galapagos, with major MAJOR thanks to Daniel (and his colleague Alvaro). They took the time to understand me and what I wanted to do (they knew I liked to swim, wanted to see animals, and would be a solo traveler so would need support with logistics, etc) - and then organized an itinerary that solved for all of this. Daniel was always available to help me answer questions and ensure I was set for the next day, and really made me feel welcome. He even left a... read more

I had an INCREDIBLE trip to the Galapagos, with major MAJOR thanks to Daniel (and his colleague Alvaro). They took the time to understand me and what I wanted to do (they knew I liked to swim, wanted to see animals, and would be a solo traveler so would need support with logistics, etc) - and then organized an itinerary that solved for all of this. Daniel was always available to help me answer questions and ensure I was set for the next day, and really made me feel welcome. He even left a welcome package for me at the hotel the first night I arrived, with some gifts and a welcome message (and an incredible hand drawing he did himself). My final day I had a 6 hour layover in the airport, so Daniel and Alvaro actually came and picked me up and took me out to dinner as well. I even had an incident where clothes in my suitcase got wet in the rain one day in the Galapagos during transport, and a local person came and picked up my clothes, dried them, and brought them back the next morning. Overall the entire experience was so wonderful, hassle-free, and really nice - I always felt safe, taken care of, and relaxed when it came to thinking about the trip. I had a great time in both Puerto Ayora and Puerto Villamil (Isabel island was really amazing), and also on all the side trips where I benefitted from Daniel's recommendations (e.g., Bartolome Island). The best part is that Daniel made all of this happen on incredibly short notice - I asked to book the trip just one week before I traveled. I'm super SUPER grateful to Daniel, Alvaro, KimKim, and all of the local partner agencies, and I can't wait to meet Daniel and everyone again sometime in Ecuador. Thank you thank you :)

Hotel Review

La Casa de Marita

Puerto Villamil

Really loved this hotel. The staff were INCREDIBLY nice, the food at the restaurant was amazing, and the location right on the beach was perfect to take a swim any time of day. Perhaps the only downside was that the roof had a leak so on a rainy night I had to put a towel on the floor where the roof was leaking, but I think this will be fixed. Overall, really happy to have stayed here.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Exploring an Uninhabited Island

Puerto Ayora

Day trip to Bartolome island was amazing, highly recommend!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, drivers and staff

Transport

We had the best trip to the Galapagos Islands with Jackeline's help! She helped us decide between a few types of trips and was always available to answer questions. We picked an 8-day cruise through the Galapagos and it was definitely a once in a lifetime experience. Jackeline called ahead to let the crew know it was a special trip for us. Our cabin on the boat was upgraded and the chef baked us a surprise cake (no easy task on a small yacht!). We realized we needed a covid test to re-enter... read more

We had the best trip to the Galapagos Islands with Jackeline's help! She helped us decide between a few types of trips and was always available to answer questions. We picked an 8-day cruise through the Galapagos and it was definitely a once in a lifetime experience. Jackeline called ahead to let the crew know it was a special trip for us. Our cabin on the boat was upgraded and the chef baked us a surprise cake (no easy task on a small yacht!). We realized we needed a covid test to re-enter the states and Jackeline had someone meet us at the airport to administer. It was so easy and seamless - we had results within one hour. I highly recommend Jackeline, KimKim and the Galapagos Islands for future travel!!

Planning my trip to Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands was a daunting task. Luckily I found kimkim and especially Mathias to guide me on a fantastic journey. Mathias worked closely with me to customize the perfect itinerary for all the things I wanted to do and see. Not only this, but Mathias gave me great advice ranging from packing lists to to restaurants to how to split up my time across locations. He also scheduled things like airport/hotel pickups, taxi boat fees and Covid testing which... read more

Planning my trip to Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands was a daunting task. Luckily I found kimkim and especially Mathias to guide me on a fantastic journey. Mathias worked closely with me to customize the perfect itinerary for all the things I wanted to do and see. Not only this, but Mathias gave me great advice ranging from packing lists to to restaurants to how to split up my time across locations. He also scheduled things like airport/hotel pickups, taxi boat fees and Covid testing which made my life so much simpler. It’s also great that kimkim has a chat tool that let us communicate throughout the whole process.

What put Mathias and this service beyond 5 stars is that after booking, the support didn’t stop. We had frequent communications each day of the trip, ensuring I had a good time on the excursion and was ready for the next day. And each event was top quality, often with private guides!

I was beyond impressed with Mathias and the kimkim service. I 100% recommend the use of the service for a complicated trip like Ecuador and the Galapagos.

Hotel Review

Tambopaxi Cotopaxi Lodge

Parque Nacional Cotopaxi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Kayaking & Snorkeling at Las Tintoreras

Galapagos Islands

So great to get some exercise in the kayak and explore where a boat cannot go. Swam with marine iguanas and sea lions, and saw penguins too!

Quality of Experience

Guides, drivers and staff

Transport

Planning a visit to a “bucket list” location like the Galapagos can be daunting…especially if you are a working parent on a budget. Whereas many people will tell you that you need to go via a “got you covered, take you everywhere and serve your every need” cruise, that just wasn’t in our budget…and quite frankly, isn’t our style either. We’ve traveled to 5 continents and doing it on our own – getting local flavor – that’s the way we’ve planned all of our trips…But to do the Galapagos right,... read more

Planning a visit to a “bucket list” location like the Galapagos can be daunting…especially if you are a working parent on a budget. Whereas many people will tell you that you need to go via a “got you covered, take you everywhere and serve your every need” cruise, that just wasn’t in our budget…and quite frankly, isn’t our style either. We’ve traveled to 5 continents and doing it on our own – getting local flavor – that’s the way we’ve planned all of our trips…But to do the Galapagos right, (in a pandemic!)..well, we were beyond thankful to have KimKim (and Daniel specifically) on our team.

Originally planned to go in December 2020, we needed to postpone during the pre-vaccination Covid days. So, we punted a year – and rejiggered our thoughts. We shared what our interests were…hiking, horseback riding, snorkeling...and a little down time. We shared our budget. We shared our needs and wants. And KimKim came up with several options for us to look through and decide between. Once we were a go, we felt great about our itinerary – and even got hotel confirmations to help us feel like we for sure had a place to go (something we worried about a little since we’d never done business with KimKim before.).

At the last minute – weeks before our trip – we asked to add a new option to our plan. Again, KimKim came through. In the end, we were able to explore four islands and had a really wonderful understanding of the geography, endemic animals, and saw every bird, reptile, amphibian, and mammal on our list more than once. We’re an active family – we were genuinely very happy with how busy our days were but that we also had evenings and sometimes afternoons to do a little swimming in the ocean and enjoy local flavors.

We had guides meet us at every point, helping us navigate tricky things like the boats between Santa Cruz and Isabela…if we needed dinner ideas or reservations, they were there. And if a guide was running behind, we had Daniel on WhatsApp always willing to check things out and ensure we had what we needed in real time. As we were there over the holidays, we also appreciated Daniel explaining local traditions to us so we weren’t operating as ugly tourists (and also knew to buy some grapes to bring in the new year!)

In short, we cannot recommend KimKim / Daniel highly enough.

This was Eileen’s dream trip. In March of 2020 we came one question away from booking our trip with another company when COVID-19 stopped the world.

At the beginning of June 2021 we started talking to KimKim and they connected us with Daniel Larrea, their Ecuadoran expert. They could not have found anyone better. Three different itineraries came to us in a couple of days. They were all good, but one was really on target for us. We asked, and Daniel answered a lot of questions over the... read more

This was Eileen’s dream trip. In March of 2020 we came one question away from booking our trip with another company when COVID-19 stopped the world.

At the beginning of June 2021 we started talking to KimKim and they connected us with Daniel Larrea, their Ecuadoran expert. They could not have found anyone better. Three different itineraries came to us in a couple of days. They were all good, but one was really on target for us. We asked, and Daniel answered a lot of questions over the next few months. A number of tweaks to the schedule were not a problem. We booked and waited for October.

At every step, Daniel was superb and a pleasure to speak with from the “middle of the world” as he likes to say. Responses to our questions came within hours.
They always contained an amazing level of detail, whether on hotels, guides, pickups, or transfers. Everything was well planned.

He even came to meet us at the hotel the day we landed!

We got home on November 4th and it could not have gone better. Everything Daniel arranged worked out like clockwork. The guide, David, in Quito was a true professional. He has an amazing level of knowledge on everything from history to the flora and fauna we saw along the way. After we expressed interest he rearranged the whole 5 day schedule so that we could participate in the Sunday Quito bike ride. The bonus to that was being able to hike at Cotopaxi on Monday with almost no one else there.

Once we transferred to the Galapagos, the ship the Integrity, was luxurious and beyond our expectations. The staff was outstanding. Having a stateroom with a kingsize bed, a private balcony, and only 16 other guests certainly helped add to the level of luxury and attention provided. 8 days flew by in a blur of hikes, snorkeling, kayaking led by the expert naturalists on board. All of the meals were delicious and varied and they accommodated a dietary restriction perfectly .

Another terrific choice by Daniel was our guide in Guayaquil. Francisco provided us with a wonderful city tour in the morning and early afternoon. He then came back to get us at the hotel at 11 PM to drive us to the airport and walk us through every aspect of airport check-in up until we said our goodbyes at the entrance to security.

We are happy to give top marks in every category for Daniel and all the folks he lined up to take care of us. The KimKim model of using local experts certainly worked for us and we wholeheartedly recommend the company and its chosen experts!

Peruvian Soul is amazing!! They crafted a truly unique dream vacation to Machu Picchu and the Galapagos. Nicholas and the entire team navigated the challenges of Covid in the most exceptional ways and took all the stress away to experience a dream vacation of a lifetime. Julio is a world class guide who lead our trip through Peru. We got to see the sunrise over the Temple of Sun near the solstice and we got to see the full effect and connect with the ancient Incas through this shared... read more

Peruvian Soul is amazing!! They crafted a truly unique dream vacation to Machu Picchu and the Galapagos. Nicholas and the entire team navigated the challenges of Covid in the most exceptional ways and took all the stress away to experience a dream vacation of a lifetime. Julio is a world class guide who lead our trip through Peru. We got to see the sunrise over the Temple of Sun near the solstice and we got to see the full effect and connect with the ancient Incas through this shared experience. The Galapagos was also amazing, and the team took care of the intricacies of traveling there so we could enjoy swimming with Penguins worry free! Truly remarkable, I highly recommend Peruvian Soul.

We had a wonderful trip to the Galapagos! the trip went smooth and we always had a guide to meet us at different islands upon arrival. Our guides were helpful and great at rectifying situations. For instance, my boyfriend and I were going to go on a snorkel/dive session. He was going to dive while I snorkeled, but we were going to be on the same boat. For some reason, I was instructed by one of the boat companies to go on a different boat. I assumed we were meeting together but thought it was... read more

We had a wonderful trip to the Galapagos! the trip went smooth and we always had a guide to meet us at different islands upon arrival. Our guides were helpful and great at rectifying situations. For instance, my boyfriend and I were going to go on a snorkel/dive session. He was going to dive while I snorkeled, but we were going to be on the same boat. For some reason, I was instructed by one of the boat companies to go on a different boat. I assumed we were meeting together but thought it was odd. Our guide Darwin recognized this and called the guide on my boat and asked them to turn around so we could be on the same boat. Darwin was great at looking out for us! Our flight also got delayed and he was able to change his schedule so that we could walk around the island more instead of wait for several hours in the airport. Also, I had left my phone charger on a different Island and Karina, our guide from that Island, had it sent to Darwin! I figured it was gone forever! All in all, the Galapagos is a wonderful place and we would love to return!

Thank you Edwin for organizing the perfect experience in the Galapagos for us. Our guide Karla was the best! She was knowledgeable about all aspects of the island and very sensitive to our needs. We had a great time and would highly recommend Karla as a guide!

Hi Linda was the most wonderful source and seemed to tune in to our
particular needs.
The guides were wonderful. Christian did a great job in Quito with our
two excursions..even took Bob to a shop for him to buy a coat. Impressed with
his knowledge and driving in difficult conditions...rainstorms.
Carlos in Santa Cruz took us to a great beach where we were the only people for an hour or so and we loved that...great swimming.
The ships crews were just amazing...great food and terrific... read more

Hi Linda was the most wonderful source and seemed to tune in to our
particular needs.
The guides were wonderful. Christian did a great job in Quito with our
two excursions..even took Bob to a shop for him to buy a coat. Impressed with
his knowledge and driving in difficult conditions...rainstorms.
Carlos in Santa Cruz took us to a great beach where we were the only people for an hour or so and we loved that...great swimming.
The ships crews were just amazing...great food and terrific outings..was
impressed by all the activities that were offered.
We liked all the hotels especially liked our stay on Santa Cruz Island and woul
have stayed there for one more day and one less day in Quito.
I loved the atmosphere of the hotel in Quito, but it was very noisy ...with
dogs barking and the cars so sleeping for me was difficult.
Truly a wonderful trip for two seniors that suited us perfectly.
Well done Linda and her associates!
Pat and Bob Yaccato

I can’t remember all of the guides names but they were all very good. The entire trip was incredible.

My family just came back from our Christmas trip to Galapagos and it was wonderful. Since I booked the trip too late (even it was 6 months ahead), I couldn't find a cruise that would fit our schedules. So I turned to my old friend Kimkim. They once again did a good job arranging our 8 day trip among the three islands. The whole trip went smoothly and we were in good hands at each step, all the tours and guides we had were very good as well. We will never forget the experience of swimming... read more

My family just came back from our Christmas trip to Galapagos and it was wonderful. Since I booked the trip too late (even it was 6 months ahead), I couldn't find a cruise that would fit our schedules. So I turned to my old friend Kimkim. They once again did a good job arranging our 8 day trip among the three islands. The whole trip went smoothly and we were in good hands at each step, all the tours and guides we had were very good as well. We will never forget the experience of swimming with sea turtles, it was surreal. Thank our local specialist Edwin for being patient with my while designing the trip and also his speedy help during the trip. Especially thanks for our guide Nelly (The lady who lead our Tuneles tour on the Christmas day), she encouraged and helped me (since I had an injured arm) to complete the snorkeling which turned out to be the highlight of the trip.
If I have to say one thing to improve, it would be that the instruction should emphasize the entrance fees etc. can only be paid by cash.

I cannot say enough about Iveth and her team. They were absolutely phenomenal. Our trip to the Galapagos went off without a hitch. And given the fact that there was a countrywide shutdown of transportation and its providers, it was a miracle that none of our plans were changed. They were quick on their feet, responsive and- most of all- protective of us and of our experience. The tours that Iveth arranged in the islands were informative, fun and adventurous. A few times we had personal guides... read more

I cannot say enough about Iveth and her team. They were absolutely phenomenal. Our trip to the Galapagos went off without a hitch. And given the fact that there was a countrywide shutdown of transportation and its providers, it was a miracle that none of our plans were changed. They were quick on their feet, responsive and- most of all- protective of us and of our experience. The tours that Iveth arranged in the islands were informative, fun and adventurous. A few times we had personal guides that provided one-on-one insight into the Galapagos and its amazing inhabitants. We saw every animal we wanted to see! The hotels that we stayed in were all good to great with hot showers and comfortable beds (true necessities after a day of exploring!).
Iveth was truly lovely and she made sure that we were taken care of every step of the way. She knows her territory and she loves her country and its people. Her enthusiasm shows through in her attention to detail and her ability to put the right guide with the right people. When we return to Ecuador, which we have promised Iveth we would, we will definitely use her services again.

Trip was wonderful overall, and Parque Hotel was exceptional. Receipt of itinerary details could have come earlier. Also, itinerary should include address and phone number of Hotel (some confusion since several hotels have similar names in Guayaquil). Katie was very pleasant and responsive .

We had a most memorable trip. From our conversations via message with Edwin, who answered all my queries, to Karla who met us at the airport and then guided us through her Galapagos. Her passion and knowledge for the Islands was evident and she was patient in explaining all the different flora and fauna. She was so accommodating with me when we had to do the 3x 3 hour boat trips as I can get sea sick and also helped out a complete stranger who was really sick on one of the trips. We enjoyed... read more

We had a most memorable trip. From our conversations via message with Edwin, who answered all my queries, to Karla who met us at the airport and then guided us through her Galapagos. Her passion and knowledge for the Islands was evident and she was patient in explaining all the different flora and fauna. She was so accommodating with me when we had to do the 3x 3 hour boat trips as I can get sea sick and also helped out a complete stranger who was really sick on one of the trips. We enjoyed having our own free time and Karla’s suggestions for dinner.
I was great to have someone who spoke Spanish and knew the ways to get tickets, where o go and the best places to sit.
The different activities were good but I would suggest offering to be able to bike ride the wetlands on Isabela Island so that the wall of tears could be reached as well. Also just something a bit different as we enjoy bike riding. Or maybe offer it as something that could be done on the free afternoon.
Taking into account where we were, I felt the first stay on San Cristobel was just adequate. Santa Cruz’s Hotel was lovely but Isabela Island hostel was very basic. Our room was next to a generator that constantly went off. The ‘taxi driver’ was the son of the hotelier. He was not friendly, drove like he was on a car rally and totally did not understand his clients.
That was really the only down side to an otherwise memorable trip to the Galapagos!! Thanks kimkim

Ps- other that me losing my necklace that will hopefully be at one of the hotels!!
Raeanne and Colin McLean

Bob and I truly enjoyed our time on the Yacht Anahi. The staff was warm and very helpful. Any request was immediately attended.

Our cabin was spacious and comfortable. We were surprised to find that it was bigger than the hotel room we had in Quito! We had all of the amenities and then some! Couldn’t have been happier.

Our guide, Gallo, was extremely knowledgeable, organized, efficient and funny 😄. He was informative on all aspects of the Galapagos - flora, fauna, birds, reptiles,... read more

Bob and I truly enjoyed our time on the Yacht Anahi. The staff was warm and very helpful. Any request was immediately attended.

Our cabin was spacious and comfortable. We were surprised to find that it was bigger than the hotel room we had in Quito! We had all of the amenities and then some! Couldn’t have been happier.

Our guide, Gallo, was extremely knowledgeable, organized, efficient and funny 😄. He was informative on all aspects of the Galapagos - flora, fauna, birds, reptiles, sea life...we left this trip with a lot more than we bargained. We can’t wait to return and visit the other islands that weren’t part of this trip.

The food was delicious. Karen is a great chef and produced wonderful meals each day. My only suggestion is to offer snacks that are readily available to the guests...like a bowl of fruit. Snacks were available when the crew put them out after an occasional excursion, not all excursions, and were in the form of a bowl of potato chips or pork rinds. Things we don’t normally consume. No real options.

Lastly, the jacuzzi on the second level was not utilized. Twice I requested turning on the unit and was met with a “later” excuse that never materialized.

Overall, it was an amazing experience. Truly a trip of a lifetime. We are very grateful to the crew, our guide Gallo and Gabor at Kimkim.

We enjoyed our 5 days of sailing in the Galapagos aboard the Fragata. Our guide, Roberto, was entertaining and knowledgeable about the islands. We especially enjoyed our interactions with the crew, namely Ramon and Jordan. They made our time aboard the boat fun by joining us for games. It was great to get to know them.

Overall, we had a great experience.

One suggestion is about snorkel gear rental. The Fragata website is not clear about cost of rentals. It lists a price for snorkel... read more

We enjoyed our 5 days of sailing in the Galapagos aboard the Fragata. Our guide, Roberto, was entertaining and knowledgeable about the islands. We especially enjoyed our interactions with the crew, namely Ramon and Jordan. They made our time aboard the boat fun by joining us for games. It was great to get to know them.

Overall, we had a great experience.

One suggestion is about snorkel gear rental. The Fragata website is not clear about cost of rentals. It lists a price for snorkel equipment. What is not clear is that this price is for either snorkel and mask OR fins. If you want the full package, it is double the cost.

I am so glad I found this site. I was able to describe our interests, and Isabel put together a very nice itinerary that hit all our interests and maximized the use of our limited time, but still had some down time built in. Having a local "shepherd" us, first from the airport onto the bus/hotel, and then each morning to the group activity, took so much stress off of us (standing in line, buying tickets, wondering where the meet point was, etc.). We have traveled in many countries, but this... read more

I am so glad I found this site. I was able to describe our interests, and Isabel put together a very nice itinerary that hit all our interests and maximized the use of our limited time, but still had some down time built in. Having a local "shepherd" us, first from the airport onto the bus/hotel, and then each morning to the group activity, took so much stress off of us (standing in line, buying tickets, wondering where the meet point was, etc.). We have traveled in many countries, but this by far was maybe the smoothest and best thing I've ever done -- all the comfort of a local who speaks the language without the constraints of being tied to the same group/same activities each day. Once in Puerto Ayora, Karina checked us into the hotel and explained the itinerary for the coming week, including what activities, recommended footwear, etc. Karina was both personable and efficient - always on time to the minute, with the taxi right on time as well - no stress at all. The group tour (hiking and snorkeling - our two favorite things) with Fausto on Santa Cruz was a big highlight - great tour!

Linda was absolutely amazing and put together the ideal itinerary for us which turned out to be the trip of a lifetime! Not only was she there for all the preparation and planning but when we arrived she was a total star in sorting out lost luggage, making sure we were ok, and even tracking down a lost pair of glasses that caught up with us by high speed boat just before we were about to leave. 5 stars is just not enough, Linda really was a life saver! I highly recommend Linda and Kim Kim, absolutely brilliant!

There were some slight variances from the descriptions but some were lacking while others were above and beyond expectations! Fernando was so great we felt as though we were leaving a friend after out short stay in Quito. Richard in Galápagos was very knowledgeable and clearly proud of all that he has learned. The day tours in Galápagos are not really as described although we enjoyed them thoroughly. I suggest contacting the excursion companies and request updated information.
When I look... read more

There were some slight variances from the descriptions but some were lacking while others were above and beyond expectations! Fernando was so great we felt as though we were leaving a friend after out short stay in Quito. Richard in Galápagos was very knowledgeable and clearly proud of all that he has learned. The day tours in Galápagos are not really as described although we enjoyed them thoroughly. I suggest contacting the excursion companies and request updated information.
When I look back at my trip I can only think how very perfect and wonderful it was! I will highly recommend Kimkim to friends.

Overall the trip was absolutely amazing. It was also very easy to organise the trip through Kim Kim.
Two things to note were that on one day we sat on the boat stationary for 6 hours without a guide and weren't able to do anything as we waited for others to arrive.

Secondly, on our itinerary it was different to the itinerary the boat had for us on the last day. We had to go off by ourselves to see the tortoises and meant we were additionally out of pocket to go see this site as another... read more

Overall the trip was absolutely amazing. It was also very easy to organise the trip through Kim Kim.
Two things to note were that on one day we sat on the boat stationary for 6 hours without a guide and weren't able to do anything as we waited for others to arrive.

Secondly, on our itinerary it was different to the itinerary the boat had for us on the last day. We had to go off by ourselves to see the tortoises and meant we were additionally out of pocket to go see this site as another place was planned for the others. This was our last chance to see them so we had to do it at this time. The people on the boat said this was an issue with the people who made our booking.

Other than that, was a great trip.

Thanks for everything.

Ben

Overall I can sum up our experience as Excellent!! Thanks to Linda who did a wonderful job of getting the tour planning and arrangements taken care of. Our entire trip was very well organized and worked like a clock right from the day we landed in Quito. Linda worked methodically answering every question that we had during the planning process, customizing the minute details, dietary requirements, transportation, guide information etc. I liked the personalization of the whole package. I would... read more

Overall I can sum up our experience as Excellent!! Thanks to Linda who did a wonderful job of getting the tour planning and arrangements taken care of. Our entire trip was very well organized and worked like a clock right from the day we landed in Quito. Linda worked methodically answering every question that we had during the planning process, customizing the minute details, dietary requirements, transportation, guide information etc. I liked the personalization of the whole package. I would recommend Kimkim travels to anyone who considers planning a vacation to the Galapagos and Amazon. Great staff, very courteous and affordable.

Linda was absolutely wonderful. She booked my last minute Galapagos trip . She was eager to help very responsive and knew the area really well. I am grateful for her help and I strongly recommend her to other travelers. Thank you Linda

Our 4 day custom tour was nearly perfect. The only glitch was an early morning pick-up that didn't happen. I reached our contact person and we were instructed to hire a cab to deliver us to the pier (a 30 minute drive). I paid the driver $25.00 for which I was reimbursed 2 days later. All of our guides were professional, pleasant and very accommodating. Marielisa was our knowledgeable travel specialist and arranged quality tours, boats and helped with planning the itinerary. Thank you. KimKim helped to make our Galapagos Islands vacation the trip of a lifetime!

All went as planned... except I got sick, had to see a doctor a day before one of the trips to an island. I was told even though I called in advance, they would not refund my money for that day. She said the company who they contracted with said no, they would not refund it. I asked for the info of this company, supervisor, contact info, etc but I never received it. Very disappointing.

We really enjoyed the whole trip. We found it was well planned. It ran very smoothly in terms of logistics. We particularly liked the itinerary and the scope of activities were simply great. All three islands are a delight. The food provided was, overall, extremely good. Zambo was very attentive and responsive.

The only recommendation we can give from our experience is related to the opportunity to have a dive. Unfortunately, the dive operation was not able to provide daily insurance cover,... read more

We really enjoyed the whole trip. We found it was well planned. It ran very smoothly in terms of logistics. We particularly liked the itinerary and the scope of activities were simply great. All three islands are a delight. The food provided was, overall, extremely good. Zambo was very attentive and responsive.

The only recommendation we can give from our experience is related to the opportunity to have a dive. Unfortunately, the dive operation was not able to provide daily insurance cover, something is commonly available in diving operations around the world in our experience. The expectation was that we would have already taken dive insurance before we arrived. As a result the only choice was to dive without insurance which we opted not to. We would advise Kim Kim to make their clients aware in advance that if they may wish to dive they must arrange their own insurance in advance. Or better still, Kim Kim partners with a diving operation able to provide daily insurance cover.

Saying that, this did not detract from our full enjoyment over snorkelling ar kicker rock.

Overall, we would recommend this trip to our friends.
Patricia & Martin

We had a great time on each of the tours you organized. Thank you!!

I wish we had known the physical level required for the trip. I found it to be more physical than expected - - not undo-able, but would have appreciated knowing that walking sticks over the lava beds are suggested and vaulting from the panga to the yacht is a 2-3 times a day requirement.

Tariq was responsive and had an answer for our questions within a few hours every time.

The trip was awesome!