Kimkim Trip Reviews for Mexico

We had an absolutely fantastic experience working with Kimkim travel. I had never heard of this company, which made me rather hesitant. I was immediately put at ease by their direct communication and responsiveness from start to finish. Hugo Romero, our incredible travel agent, listened very carefully to our interests and responded quickly as our plans evolved. His accessibility via email and video call made the process tangible, reassuring and exciting. Ibis, our “travel companion”, was truly amazing. Before our trip we had a wonderful phone call to iron out details of the itinerary. She made it clear that she was available to us for any questions or concerns. She was in contact with us every day, making sure that each transition was seamless and that our every concern was addressed. Our drivers and guides were all very professional, knowledgeable and reliable.

Hugo created an amazing experience that allowed us to appreciate the stunning beauty and rich culture of the Yucatan Peninsula. The specific experiences were all beyond our expectations. Our amazing tour of Rio Lagartos Biosphere Reserve was filled with incredible wildlife encounters and was followed by a delicious meal in the home of our captain. His wonderful family welcomed us with such kindness that it felt like an all-to-short home stay. Our guide at Chichén Itza was a lovely elderly Mayan gentleman who shared his deep passion and knowledge. Our time in the Mayan community of Yaxunah was phenomenal. It was a privilege to be in this beautiful setting, learning of the history and traditions surrounding the preparation of delicious Cochinita Pib. Meters away was the Lol Ha cenote, where we were the only ones swimming in this peaceful, magical place.

Our trip coincided with an unfortunate moment of unrest following the death of a cartel leader. While we never felt any personal risk, we decided to end our trip early as there were shelter-in-place orders along the Mayan Riviera, which was to be our next destination. Ibis and Hugo were both reassuring of our safety and understanding of our decision. They supported us completely as we revised our travel plans. Due to their great effort and the generosity of the tour operators, we were reimbursed for all our missed activities. While we were saddened to miss out on the experiences, it was beyond reassuring to feel that this travel company was looking out for our best interests and responsive to our every need. I can say with great confidence that we look forward to working with them in the future as we are eager to return to Mexico.

I would like to give a Big Thank You to Luz, our local contact. It was like she was right behind us all the time making sure we had a memorable and safe experience. We was very reachable and responsive. A great problem solver and a pleasure to work with.

All the drivers were prompt and most were friendly. Our driver guide for the trip to the butterflies was Pablo and we spent a wonderful 11 hours with him. All the other local guides were very knowledgeable and some had interesting backgrounds.

Our trip was very well organized, with drivers and guides on time and completely knowledgeable. Our guides in Izamal, Chichen Itza and Meridad were outstanding! The drivers were excellent as well! The Hacienda Merida was a gem of a hotel, located in the heart of the Historic District. The rooms were very spacious and colonial style, with a delicious breakfast. El Meson del Marques in Valladolid was lacking. The location is excellent, but rooms are tiny, with no amenities at all! Not even a bathroom hook! Kind of disappointing, although their restaurant is outstanding! Much, much better than the two recommendations we got for Museo de la Gastronomica in Merida and El Atrio del Mayab in Valladolid. Our excursion to Rio Largartos was special, as was Ek Balam! A special shout-out to Luz Ma, who helped me greatly all during the trip, with questions and concerns I had. She went out of her way to be in touch with me immediately and make everything right. I would definitely recommend Kimkim for anyone looking to go to Mexico. Thank you for all of your help in making my trip so special.

Hotel Reviews

El Mesón del Marqués

Valladolid

This hotel gets three stars because of its location. The hotel is nice looking, with lots of trees and plants all around, but the rooms are sorely lacking in everything! Uncomfortable beds and pillows, no hooks in the bathroom, tiny rooms, etc. I requested and paid for a "balcony" room, and got a "Juliet" balcony room. No room for a chair to sit! Was disappointed. The restaurant is outstanding and wished I had eaten there for dinner, instead of the recommendation we got.

Authenticity & Character

Lots of things!

Location

Heart of the city.

Staff

The front desk reception was lacking in knowledge and not helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bad beds/pillows.

Hacienda Merida

Mérida

Beautiful, colonial style mansion, in the heart of the Historic District. The rooms were spacious and comfortable, the staff friendly and accommodating and the breakfast was fresh and delicious! Would definitely stay here again!

Authenticity & Character

Character, beauty, details.

Location

The best location in the heart of the Historic District.

Staff

Friendly and accommodating.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds were very comfortable, bathroom was large and stocked, all perfect.

Activity Reviews

Ek Balam Archaeological Site & swim in a cenote

Mexico

Mayan ruin in the jungle! Again, try to get here as early as possible, as it gets very hot in there! Climbed and walked around and then to the cenote and lunch, which is on the same premises. Lunch was EXCELLENT and the cenote is huge and beautiful!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Chichén Itzá, Wonder of the Maya World

Mexico

What can you say about this?! Outstanding! Be there at 8am when the gates open. It takes about 2 1/2 hours to really see the place, which is bigger than you think. All kinds of vendors waiting to get in at 8am as well. Lots of bathroom facilities around too. EXCELLENT guide here! We really had a great time here. The total Mayan experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A pink-ish day at Río Lagartos!

Mexico

It takes a while to get there, 2 1/2 hours, but worth it! You take a small boat far into the bay to see all kinds of birds, crocodiles, etc. Had lunch in the Captains house, locally done. Interesting.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Yellow Izamal: the City of Hills

Mexico

A very cool experience, small town, great guide, nice ruin you can climb for a view. Definitely worthwhile!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

City Tour of Merida: The White City

Mérida

Excellent tour guide with tons of knowledge and information! Showed us the biggest local market, explained everything we were looking at, walked up to monuments, museums, etc. Highly recommend!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dining recommendations in Mérida

Mérida

Unfortunately, we did not like the two dining recommendations we were given: Museo del Gastronomica and El Atrio del Mayab. Very mediocre food. Do not understand why so many people are there.

Quality of Experience

All activities and drivers were where they were supposed to be.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

All very knowledgeable, spoke very good English, friendly and helpful.

Transport

Clean, friendly, knowledgeable, on time.

Our entire trip was wonderful and went smoothly. Our contact Luz Ma was attentive and checked in daily. Our excursions were perfectly curated and a special shout out to our driver Victor when we were in Merida. Our accommodations were exceptional.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Can Cocal eco boutique

El Cuyo

Felt like being with family

Authenticity & Character

So small and eco friendly

Location

At then end of town and short walk to the beach

Staff

Every single person provided great service, Aretzia (maybe spelling wrong) was the perfect initial contact person. She was very helpful with letting us know about the hotel etc… she is so kind and thoughtful. LUIS! Well he made our day everyday. His enthusiasm and joy was contagious. Jose was always interested in talking to us and made us feel like friends. All the staff are exceptional.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very comfortable bed

Hotel Posada San Juan

Valladolid

This was like coming home every day

Authenticity & Character

Gorgeous rooms and sitting area for breakfast

Location

Not far from the plaza

Staff

Kind and attentive

Cleanliness & Comfort

Loved the sitting area outside the room. Bed comfortable. Quiet

Hacienda Merida

Mérida

Spacious rooms, attentive staff and great location. Wonderful breakfast. Shout out to Armond

Authenticity & Character

High ceilings- “seperate houses” with dedicated pools

Location

East to get to the plaza and trendy 43-47 street

Staff

Always kind and attentive

Cleanliness & Comfort

Overall nice

Activity Reviews

Beach days in El Cuyo

El Cuyo

Just what we hoped for

Welcome to El Cuyo

El Cuyo

El Cuyo is a gem

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The taxi was in poor shape- ripped seats and dirty.

Cooking Cochinita Pib with locals at Yaxunáh

Mexico

Def a highlight of the trip. The education and then able to help with the meal was special.

Food

Cochinita pibil!

Visit to Lol Ha cenote in Yaxunah

Mexico

Not crowded cenote… what a treat!

Quality of Experience

Our guide was so thorough and educational

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was wonderfil

Transport

Uxmal, a city with Puuc style

Mexico

Our guide was so knowledgeable and interesting.

Quality of Experience

Perfect amount of time

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Again…Victor

Transport

Street Food Tour in Merida

Mexico

Laura was the perfect guide. She thoughtfully picked out great places to eat. Her interactions were genuine.

Quality of Experience

Aww

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Víctor from Ricalde was outstanding

Transport

On time and Comfortanle

Chicken Itza and Siam Ka’an were fantastic experiences made eve better by our guides. Ana Sophia did an outstanding job planning the trip and itinerary. Once there, our local specialist Luz arranged for pickup and all the on-the-ground coordination as well as informing us the night before what the next day’s activities will be.

Hotel Review

Blue Diamond Luxury Boutique Hotel

Playa del Carmen

A nice hotel, but maybe getting a bit long in the tooth. Helpful staff. The pool is nothing special and the beach is just okay. It was all inclusive so food and drinks are part of the package. Be sure to bring ample cash and make sure to tip, and tip often. Three large projects are being developed right next to it which may be a bit overwhelming in the future. I’d give the Blue Diamond a solid four stars…but definitely doesn’t approach a five-star property.

Authenticity & Character

Nice gardens.

Location

It’s going to get pretty crowded in that neighborhood in the next couple of years.

Staff

Very helpful staff…be sure to show your appreciation by tipping.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The rooms are nice and spacious

Activity Reviews

Thank you!

Mexico

The Ancient Canal Experience in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve with transportation from Playa del Carmen (afternoon)

Playa del Carmen

Beautiful area. Lots of wildlife. Great boating experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Fantastic guide and boat driver. They spotted a lot of wildlife

Transport

Cooking Class in the Mayan Community Nuevo Durango: A local feast!

Mexico

A good authentic experience with a Mayan family. We ground corn, made masa, and made the tortillas. A lovely guide helped with translation and explanation to enhance our experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Helping to make the meal

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

"Playa del Carmen Authentic Local Experience"

Playa del Carmen

Great guide on our food tour. Went to a number of “hole-in-the wall” spots that most tourists would miss.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Had to arrange for our own transportation for this trip

All of our arrangements were done well. We enjoyed both the provided tours and exploring on our own. Our guides were very knowledgeable and great people to talk with as well. The drivers for our transfers were also wonderful. I think one thing that will always stay with me is the feeling I got as I climbed the steps at Monte Alban, knowing that those same steps were once walked upon by the Zapotec people very long ago.

Hotel Reviews

El Sueño Hotel & Spa

Puebla

The room was clean and nice, but we noticed that the lamps by the bed kept flickering and upon inspection the wiring for them was scary. The restaurant was kind of spendy with a limited offering. The breakfast that came with the room was okay at best, and also very limited.

Authenticity & Character

A bit too much spa like for our taste.

Location

The location was good, near most of what you will want to see in Puebla.

Staff

The staff were wonderful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Our room was clean and comfortable.

Majagua

Oaxaca

It felt like some of the staff was exhausted and overworked. The bar was supposed to be a restaurant too but all we saw was a rudimentary breakfast. Most of the staff were pleasant and helpful, but others, not so much. The facility was quite pleasant looking and most things worked well.

Authenticity & Character

New and modern but I prefer traditional.

Location

Adjacent to a great park with lots going on and one of the best Italian restaurants I’ve been to - Arte Italia.

Staff

Mostly fine.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa González

Mexico City

We have stayed at this hotel twice now, it is always clean, the gardens are beautiful and a pleasure to sit and relax in after a day of exploring. The breakfast they offer is as good as you will find in any of the restaurants nearby.

Authenticity & Character

Like the city itself, it is a mix of newer amenities but, with that old world look and charm.

Location

It is located in an area that is very walkable to many sites in Mexico City.

Staff

The staff is warm and friendly, as well as always being ready to help, rather you need something in your room or a recommendation.

Cleanliness & Comfort

This is. Very clean hotel, they also offer laundry service for a reasonable fee.

Activity Reviews

Explore the history and crafts of Oaxaca through Monte Alban, Arrazola, Cuilapam and Coyotepec.

Oaxaca

Fabulous!

Puebla City Tour & Talavera Workshop

Puebla

Bottom line - I’d do it again.

Hugo was very helpful especially cancelling and refunding the bioluminescence trip which would have been a waste of money due to prevailing conditions. Eduardo arranged all our transfers efficiently and was helpful too.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Santa Fe

Puerto Escondido

Authenticity & Character

Location

Quiet end of town

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

But interiors are tired and could do with upgrading

Majagua

Oaxaca

Excellent location , clean and comfortable accommodation , especially the beds. Helpful staff. Disappointing breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Very modern and clean. Nice terrace for drinks and breakfast

Location

Quiet end of town but still within walking distance of Santa Domingo

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hasta Luego Mexico!

Mexico

Puerto Escondido at your own pace

Puerto Escondido

Free Afternoon in Puerto Escondido

Puerto Escondido

Casa Wabi

Puerto Escondido

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Oscar was excellent

Welcome to Puerto Escondido

Puerto Escondido

Quality of Experience

Explore the history and crafts of Oaxaca through Monte Alban, Arrazola, Cuilapam and Coyotepec.

Oaxaca

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Free Time in Oaxaca

Oaxaca

Oaxaca's Hidden Gems: Discover Mitla, Hierve el Agua, Teotitlán & Mezcal!

Oaxaca

Mixed. We were left to visit the waterfall without our guide as rules precluded him from taking us round.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walk through Oaxaca's colourful streets

Oaxaca

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

NA

The guides provided were certainly of high calibre particularly Fermin at Anthropology museum and victor who took us to Guanajuato.
The highlights were Rosario butterfly sanctuary,
Guanajuato and the Anthropology museum.
The charm of San Miguel was magical too.
The friendly Mexicans and the great food made the trip memorable.

This trip was AMAZING!! Every day was non-stop enjoyment – adventurous explorations of Mayan history & culture, beauty of all kinds, and delicious food.
We had about 9 different guides, and every single one was excellent, sharing lots of info, but always in an interesting way. Carlo, our driver for 3 days, proud Mayan speaking perfect English, was simply amazing, as a driver, assistant, and very knowledgeable ambassador for Mayan culture and people.
Valladolid and the archaeological wonders of Chichen Itsa, Yaxunah, Ek Balam and Tulum were all fascinating, and the tours of them quite educational. This 77-year-old successfully climbed the 106 steep, narrow steps of Ek Balam's Acropolis, a former royal palace & temple, and the panoramic views of the surrounding jungle from the top were amazing!
Other highlights:
Imagine me comfortably, peacefully floating in the middle of the beautiful Lol-Ha Cenote.
A private boat ride in Rio Lagartos - Las Colorades was a wonderful adventure in nature - flamingos, mangroves, a great variety of birds perched along the shore, and getting up close to a few crocodiles.
Our private "cooking class" in Nuevo Durango was a rich traditional Mayan cultural & gastronomical experience.
Snorkeling at the Caribbean coral reef – enjoying seeing a big ray, several turtles (some getting very close), & lots of beautiful fish.
Being in an underground river surrounded by thousand-year-old stalactites and stalagmites - a fascinating experience.
Enjoying a wondrous variety of tacos and other foods during our food tour in Tulum.
In conclusion, we want to give all the people at kimkim and Rutopia who were involved in our journey High Accolades for a fabulous vacation. Ana Sofia patiently crafted a trip that was rich and full of marvelous activities, in a balanced itinerary that was structured perfectly to be full, but not tire us out in any way. It was full of Mayan culture, history, architectural wonders, natural beauty, fascinating wildlife, vivid colors, delicious food, basically non-stop enjoyment, and fun! The Real Hispano hotel is beaufiful, authentic, and conveniently located in colorful Valladolid. The Piedra Escondida in Tulum is a tropical secluded beach Paradise!
Ana Sofia patiently worked with us, really listened and understood our desires, concerns, and limitations. In a word, she cared about us and about creating an amazing trip for us. When a proposed activity or location wasn’t right, she cheerfully did more research and replaced it, leading to a truly personalized, nearly perfect, amazing trip of a lifetime!
And then there was Luz Maria from Rutopia, our loyal WhatsApp buddy, cheerfully and competently accompanying, supporting, and caring about us every day of the trip. What a gift! – giving us daily information, helping us in so many ways, answering our questions, really hearing our concerns, and fixing “problems” whenever possible. Just being there for us every day. Making sure that Ana Sofia’s beautiful plan was well implemented. Wow.

Both Jaime (guide, may have it spelled wrong) and Roberto our driver were great. Punctual, flexible and full of information.
The information given to us by Charlotte about times and places was a little vague. We were told to refer to different sources to get our schedule. I think that could be improved

Hotel Review

Casa de la Luz

Mexico City

Staff friendly and accommodating. Breakfast was great.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Colorful Markets Tour

Mexico City

My favorite day of our trip. Loved the local markets. Roberto was particularly helpful guiding us through the local markets, as was Jaime

The canals of Xochimilco, the bohemian neighborhood of Coyoacan & Casa Azul

Mexico City

Tour Tacos & Cantinas

Mexico City

Loved going to local cantinas we would not have gone to on our own. Food was fabulous

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hot air balloon ride over Teotihuacan

Mexico City

Weather precluded the balloon ride. After standing for several hours waiting to see if we were ballooning it was difficult to spend the rest of the day walking around the pyramids

Despite a few health concerns that caused us to cancel a few excursions, we had a wonderful trip and learned a lot about the Mayan culture and history, which was our objective. Everyone was especially helpful with Robin as she had difficulty walking after she fell a couple of times. Julio, our private driver, was kind and pleasant, always smiling. The guides were all very informative and helpful as well. We did experience bites from bed bugs somewhere along the way, and I learned I was allergic to mosquito bites. But I guess that comes with the territory, so not a complaint. The planning for the trip with Charlotte was exceptional, and for that reason we would use kimkim again in the future.

Hotel Reviews

IKAL Tulum Hotel

This hotel is good for anyone looking for a more rustic Mayan experience. The room was like a Hobbitt's hut, with curved ceilings and cave-like interior, with very little light. I had to use the light on my camera to see inside my suitcase, even in daytime. If you have back problems or walking difficulty, this is not the place for you. We did like the fenced privacy and the outside private pool with jetted water. We experienced some bed bug problems here, though. The restaurant overlooking the beach was good, and the staff was very helpful. Would be an excellent choice if you are young with no health issues.

Authenticity & Character

Location

You have to pay a fee to get into the area every time you leave.

Staff

When one of us had a mobility problem, a staff member came to our hut and helped her walk out to catch our van.

Cleanliness & Comfort

We had bites from bed bugs here.

Hotel boutique Saastah

Valladolid

beautiful, peaceful hotel, excellent staff

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Staff in restaurant and front desk were very helpful. They helped us find a source for laundry and offered to arrange for a doctor when one of our party was ill.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room needed a more comfortable chair to sit in.

Hacienda Mérida

Mérida

Loved the old colonial feel of this hotel. Good location. Staff very helpful. Wish they had more comfortable chairs in the room, though.

Authenticity & Character

authenticity of chairs did not make them comfortable for anyone with a back problem

Location

in historic section of town

Staff

everyone was very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

at least one comfortable chair to sit in, some attention to clear out possibility of bed bugs

Activity Reviews

Boat tour in the Natural Reserve of Sian Ka'an

Mexico

This was our favorite tour. The guides were all helpful and accommodating. The area is beautiful with many birds to see. Very relaxing.

Quality of Experience

The area is beautiful, and there were many birds to see.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guides were very attentive and helpful. One of us had trouble with mobility, and they made sure she was safe as she got in and out of the van and also the boat.

Transport

Punta Laguna

Mexico

The guide was very helpful and knowledgeable. The Mayan ceremony was meaningful. We did not see any wildlife though.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Uxmal site with an English speaking guide

Mexico

The guide was very knowledgeable and helpful. He was very accommodating when one of us had some difficulty walking. He found shady spots to sit when the heat became too much. We learned a lot about the Mayans.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Optional: Boat tour in Celestun

Mexico

This was wonderful. We saw many beautiful flamingoes.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Optional: Walking tour in Mérida with an English speaking guide

Mérida

The guide was very informative. We learned a lot about the Mayans and their history. He altered the route when we asked and accommodated our slow walking.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The trip was amazing , fabulous part of the country and we are so happy to enjoy the wonderful organized trip by Kim Kim> Rutopia . Highlights of our trip was Catamaran in Bacalar, the hotel we stayed in Valloldid so glad they could arrange the passport drop , the Mayan lunch in Punta Laguna.
What could improve
The experience after lunch in Punta Laguna was not very interesting- could skip
Add a sunrise by beach tip
The cancellation of the taxi last minute was not pleasant.. glad we could manage Uber
For you Ibis I think was good to know we could call you in need , when we called you were available for us to help. You could be more proactive in following up what you mentioned us you would do. Like proactively responding. I found it easier to reach out to the supplier directly -it was efficient!
Regarding the organization, the eSIMs , the transport van and drivers , the guides.. all of it was nicely done ✅ thanks you for such awesome lifetime experience.. we highly recommend you, Rutopia and Mayan side of Mexico! Loved it

Activity Reviews

Look for spider monkeys in Punta Laguna

Nuevo Durango

Explore Coba by bike!

Cobá

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Traditional Mayan Lunch

Mexico

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the archaeological site of Tulum

Mexico

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sailing Tour in the Bacalar Lagoon

Mexico

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Immerse Yourself in the Peaceful Yokdzonot Cenote

Mexico

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Chichén Itzá, Wonder of the Maya World

Mexico

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to Mexico City and Oaxaca was terrific. Such an interesting itinerary! And all of our guides were so professional and flexible. If we needed extra time somewhere we could do that. Other times if we all agreed to switch up our itinerary we could. It. It was just a matter of another place to visit being better for us. Everyone’s attitude could not have been more positive. And they were all well informed so we are full of facts about Mexico!
Our stay at Pug Seal in Oaxaca was magical. The whole ambience of the hotel is so relaxing and beautiful. The service is top notch. Smiles all around on the staff. That makes anyone’s stay so much more fun. Also, the breakfast there is quite good. You can have delicious unusual Mexican dishes or you can order the classic eggs and toast. They accommodate you and are pleased to do it.
Our opinion of our stay at Casa Decu in Mexico City is mixed. The neighborhood is perfect. Close to restaurants and lots of other things you might want to see or need, yet quiet and comfortable at night. Our room had the added attraction of being huge. We actually had a small living room and small kitchenette. The extra space came in handy as my husband was sick and was able to sleep in the living room on the comfy sofa. The downside was that is was quite dark and you had to walk four flight of stairs to get to breakfast, which was a bit of a disappointment. Really more of a continental breakfast. Not really worth four flights of stairs. The terrace setting is lovely though.
All in all, KimKim gets a 90% from us. We hope to use you again.

Hotel Reviews

Pug Seal Oaxaca

Oaxaca

Magical environment. Amazing staff. Terrific breakfast. Wanted to take the bed, sheets and all home.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Decu

Mexico City

Our room was really large which was convenient as my husband was ill and able to sleep in the “living room.” However, it was quite dark and you have to walk up four flights of stairs to get a mediocre, continental style breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Oaxacan Handicrafts Route

Oaxaca

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Monte Alban (Half Day)

Oaxaca

Juan has so much enthusiasm. He ended up being with us for 3 days and we really got to know how professional and flexible he is. He’s a great guide!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cooking Class - Oaxaca

Oaxaca

Our chef and we made healthy tasty authentic Mexican Mole Verde. It was delicious. Also homemade tortillas. He was gracious and wonderful.

Quality of Experience

Food

Transport

Hot air balloon ride over Teotihuacan

Mexico City

Do this! It’s worth getting up at 4am for.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private car with driver (Spanish speaking ) and english speaking guide

Mexico City

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private car with driver (Spanish speaking ) and english speaking guide

Mexico City

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hugo did an amazing job! In general, every pick up and drop off and guide did a great job. The trip met all of our goals and expectations and I would recommend using Hugo to anyone who wants to travel to the Yucatan!

Our guide, Isabel, was amazing. So knowlegeable about everything from Mexican history to city neighborhoods to food. We would return to Mexico City again because there's just so much to do and see.

We were very well supported by Luz on What’s App. She even went ahead and got us boarding passes for our internal flights when o expressed some anxiety.
We found the guide Anna excellent and our guide for the larger public tour was excellent, too, with a great sense of humor.
Overall, we were really happy and wouldn’t hesitate to use KimKim again. We would have liked a wider range of hotels as they’re were only two from which to choose in Oaxaca. The hotel that you arranged for us in Puerto Escondido, Hotel Santa Fe was perfect. I had to find my own hotel in San Miguel de Allende, since KimKim’s suggestions were not to my liking.
It was an ambitious trip for us, going to three different locations over 12 days and the transfers and travel were excellent. All the drivers showed up on time and were courteous with safe driving skills.

Hotel Review

Hotel Santa Fe

Puerto Escondido

We loved the architecture, location and restaurant. When and if we return to Puerto Escondido, we will definitely stay at Hotel Santa Fe.

Authenticity & Character

Colonial charm!

Location

Across from the water which at the time of year in December was a place to swim , unlike other times of year when I’m told the water is too rough.

Staff

Wonderful. Please delete the poor star. I seem to have made a Mistake.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Free morning in Puerto Escondido

Puerto Escondido

Loved being on our own in this sunny, warm environment. We went for a long walk along the water ending with a market visit.

Quality of Experience

Transport

Lovely scenery and good toll roads from Oaxaca to Puerto Escondido

Oaxaca's Hidden Gems: Discover Mitla, Hierve el Agua, Teotitlán & Mezcal!

Oaxaca

Mitla was amazing and an excellent complement to Monte Alban. It was fun to taste and see the mezcal production place and the weaving demo and the proprietor was a delight. The guide well informed and a good driver, but his very slow walking was about frustrating when we Toured the ruins.

Quality of Experience

Variety of stops

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Slightly faster pace

Transport

Comfortable

Explore the history and crafts of Oaxaca through Monte Alban, Arrazola, Cuilapam and Coyotepec.

Oaxaca

Dry interesting assortment of activities. Guide was bilingual and informative as well as entertaining. Like most tours, when the participants buy something from a place that we were escorted, the guide probably gets a cut. We didn’t Like the second stop which had thousands of painted animals, a well know. Craft in Oaxaca. The place seemed a little too touristy and over priced. Loved the outdoor, buffet lunch. I didn’t need to see the church ruins after seeing mont -Alban. That second archeological site could have been skipped and substituted with something a bit different.

Quality of Experience

Monte Alban was a well preserved site and lunch was authentic food with wide variety

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Comfort

Rural cooking workshop in Oaxaca

Oaxaca

Lovely family with open fire cooking. Cleanly and delicious and it was fun to stop in the market ahead of time to pick up a needed ingredient. We also got to see a more rural location outside of Oaxaca. Not sure I picked up Any Cooking tips or things I learned to make, bit it was fun and stimulating.

Quality of Experience

Unique flavors and cooking techniques

Food

The soup was a bit bland, but I loved all the super fresh, healthy ingredients

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Comfortable van and not too long a ride, but long enough to get a feel for another area.

Oaxacan Markets: A Culinary Journey through Colors and Flavors

Oaxaca

Great fun going to all the Markets. We had a huge variety and generous amount of foods to eat

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Driver and guide worked well together

Transport

For three of us with the guide and driver, Making five, we were more comfortable in a van, which we had from the second day onward

Kayaking in the Manialtepec Lagoon

Puerto Escondido

We’ve done lots of kayaking and this was the best kayak we’ve ever done. This was an outstanding tour. The scenery was incredible, the dinner on the beach was excellent with whole fish freshly caught and the ride back by motorboat under the full moon was fantastic.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our overall trip from Mexico City to Cancun (over 17 days) was amazing! Phenomenal lessons about a variety of cultures and civilizations that permeated Mexico over the centuries - Mayans, Zapotecs and Aztecs. Really enjoyed Mexico City for its culture, food, people and vastness; loved the small town feel of Oaxaca (Mezcal tasting barrel-trolley tour is a must!); the beauty of Merida and the Yucatan peninsula and finally the beaches of Tulum. Visits to the Celestun biosphere and Sian Ka'an reserve are a must-do.

While the planning of the tour seemed perfect, we had several executional issues. I must add that while all the issues were remediated as and when they arose, it seemed like we had to confirm and manage communications around expectations almost daily . There were a few individuals involved on the ad hoc Whatsapp group created for the trip but several members jumping in from time to time added to the confusion. It started with the wrong vehicle sent to Mexico city (starting point) for pickup - a sedan vs. an SUV that we had booked. We did get an SUV the next day but only after we raised a hue and cry the first day - this was not proactively addressed. Then there were the guide related issues. At El Tule, we had no guide when we reached the destination and we had to manage with our local driver acting as a guide with very little to no knowledge of English. At Mitla, they had to scurry and arrange for a guide last minute after we arrived at our destination. MExplorer (our travel agency through Kimkim) did process a refund for this day but it just seemed like, almost daily, we needed to confirm logistics for the day, which should not have been the case, since everything should have been pre-planned. None of the drivers could even have a simple conversation in English (Google Translate came to the rescue). Additionally, most of the guides had very basic English speaking skills which detracted from the overall experience. Our best guide was in Monte Alban - fluent in English and extremely well informed about the history, geography and culture of this site. Our best driver was Marco during our travels from Merida through Tulum! Finally the hotels seemed ok overall but not up to the levels we expected for a lower-end luxury package. e.g. the toilet in Mexico City's hotel was so small, one could barely squeeze in, although its location was great! This hotel choice needs to be reconsidered. Hotel Boutique Olbil Valladolid in Valladolid was the most luxurious of them all! Had a great time there - felt like all other hotels should have been of the same caliber!

All in all, I think we made the most of our trip, really enjoyed the various experiences of food, culture and nature while traversing the country. I would highly encourage Kimkim and MExplorer to closely consider this feedback for future visitors!

We loved our trip to Mexico! We booked through Kim Kim on a friend's referral, and the Kim Kim team was patient, knowledgeable, and exceptionally helpful as we navigated the process of building our customized trip plan. We went through a variety of options through the design of our trip, and Hugo and the team were extremely helpful - finding options, presenting them and waiting as we reviewed everything, giving us time to make decisions, ask questions, and then modifying as we needed to. They have a ground team support that connected with us a month before our trip date, who were kind, approachable, knowledgeable, and extremely responsive. This made us feel confident and supported from day one through the post-trip period. This team understands how to value their customers. We will definitely use them again, and we look forward to it.

First, Veronica was absolutely terrific. Top notch customer service; incredibly prompt and knowledgeable. She never hesitated to go the extra mile for us, particularly with restaurant reservations. We didn’t have the time to research these, and she was so helpful in this department. Thank you so much! I would also compliment the team with whom I spoke on the phone, who asked a number of targeted and insightful questions that helped with the initial itinerary. They also were great when i edited/modified the itinerary. No push back at all.

As for experiences, these were the top:

1) Lucha Libre - an absolute must. Our guide was fantastic - mezcal tasting, walking tour and the match itself. Just fantastically fun.

2) Teotihuacan - a must do as well. Luis was incredible. Walked the whole thing with so much fun, insight and attention to detail. The photos don’t do it justice at all. Preserve your leg strength for lots of walking and steep steps!

3) the cooking class with Pame in Roma Norte. She is an excellent teacher and we loved the other attendees.

4) the cartoon museum in El Centro. Visit the caricature artist.

5) the kayak tour of the canals (Xochimilco) and the axolotl place. We had a great time but do know that the canals are dirty. Our guide was very nice; just know he had limited English. He even gave us a bonus bike ride through the village, which was super fun, and delicious coffee at his excellent coffee shop.

Criticisms :

1) The tour guide for El Centro was sub-par. He really didn’t know his way around and stalled for times at points.

2) we did not like Porfirio’s or Mestiza Polanco (both restaurants in Polanco). They were too corporate. In all fairness to KimKim, they were very nice and safe, etc, but just more corporate than we normally eat in.

Two other things:

1) check out Museo Jumex - it’s great and free. Also loved the cafe.

2) I did not find many people who spoke English. This is (or course!) fine, but for those who don’t speak Spanish, you should just be aware before you go. Mexican hospitality is amazing, so everyone was so nice and patient with my rudimentary Spanish (plus Google Translate helps).

My husband and I travelled in the Yucatan Peninsula for 16 days. Hugo designed our trip which included a number of private drivers and guides. Every single driver and guide was excellent. There were 2 small glitches along the way, but both were quickly and efficiently handled. During our trip we were in contact with an assigned "assistant", Luz Ma , who checked in with us to confirm each day's schedule. She was also excellent and responded immediately to our questions. The hotels that Hugo booked with us were all very good, with the best being the Hacienda Merida. It was a pleasure to work with Hugo and the Rutopia staff.