Kimkim Trip Reviews for Galapagos Islands

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!