Kimkim Trip Reviews for Peru

We had an amazing trip to Peru thanks to Fiama and Andean Lodges! We did a 4-day trek through the Ausangate Region with guides Luis and Bruno who were very knowledgeable about the local area and culture and made sure we were well taken care of. The lodges were comfortable and clean and the staff were very accommodating. If you're looking for something off the beaten path, a trek in the Ausangate region with Andean Lodges is it! Thank you!

Quechua Treks did not disappoint! James, Mayra and Zac did an amazing job organizing our trip! This truly was a customized trip and they made it happen for us without any issues along the way. Accommodation, food, staff...all fantastic! Rolfi and Felix were our guides and both made our trip that much better! Everybody at Quechua Treks went above and beyond and made our trip that much more memorable. Thank you!

I'm a traveler success manager at kimkim, and I booked part of my recent trip to Peru with James at Unu Raymi.

I had been itching to check out the Amazon rainforest, but knew that I wouldn't have a lot of time to explore during my recent trip to South America. James helped me plan a great 3-day trip to Huitoto Lodge; a beautiful, family-owned, remote lodge in the Tambopata region of the Peruvian Amazon.

Huitoto Lodge is situated on the bank of its very own oxbow lake, slightly removed from the powerful Madre de Dios river. This location affords the lodge a great amount of privacy, peace, and access to pristine jungle areas.

Each day, I had the opportunity to participate in different excursions with my guide, Efrain, including jungle walks, birding, fishing, and caiman-watching. In the downtime between activities, I enjoyed reading and relaxing in the peace and quiet of the lodge.

During my stay, I also had the pleasure of meeting the owners of the lodge, Flor and Gilberto. The two built the lodge together to share the beauty of the region with travelers, and to protect the land and its inhabitants in perpetuity. They take pride in providing great experiences for all of their guests. I should mention, Flor also helps out in the kitchen and is an excellent cook.

My favorite memory from my stay is of the boat trip I took around the island located in the middle of the oxbow lake. Efrain, Elmer (the boat driver), and I had the lake all to ourselves, so we had the opportunity to see an incredible amount of flora and fauna without interruption. On our way around the island, Efrain pointed out one spider monkey and two howler monkeys. He said that Flor and Gilberto had rescued these monkeys from illegal trafficking, and had given them a home on this island where they could remain free, but also protected from territorial monkeys in the mainland jungle areas. I loved seeing these monkeys playing in the wild!

I feel very fortunate that I had the opportunity to experience this unique lodge, and meet some of the passionate people behind its success.

My husband and I have travelled much of the world and we would put this as one of our top trips. The country was beautiful, the people were amazing.
Nicole helped arrange everything for us and it was a perfect combination of trekking and learning about the local people and their cultures.
Our guide Ruben was fantastic!! He catered to us and went above and beyond to help us and to make our experience as memorable as possible. As an experienced guide, we slowed him down but he waited patiently for us with a smile! All of the people we met along the way seemed very comfortable with Ruben and were very welcoming to us.
When we left Toronto to head to Peru both of us were a bit scared as to what was ahead of us for a trek, but we made it and Ruben helped us every step of the way.

I have suggested to my friends and family to do the same trek, it is a trip we will always remember and cherish.
thanks to Nicole and Ruben!!

I and my wife joined my sister and her fiance on a visit to Peru 4/2018.

From the start, James at KimKim was always available to answers questions and helped us get set up with the travel plan and trek we wanted. He was in touch with us from beginning via phone even to make sure we were able to coordinate with Quechua Treks for what was needed: from contacts, to prices, to dietary restrictions! Thanks so much, James!

On the night before our trek, our guide Rolfi met with us to provide our briefing for the trip. We immediately felt at ease with him and with the entire crew, whom we were introduced to the next morning (muleteers/porters/tent men Americo and Huaman, chef Edgar, assistant cook Donato, and Ronaldino our driver). The men were all very professional but down to earth. We all came to enjoy each other's company quickly and since my wife speaks fluent Spanish, there were no problems there. However, our guide, Rolfi, was fluent in English as well, and there were no communication barriers whatsoever. We were such a small group that everyone had a blast.

The food prepared by our chefs, Edgar and assistant Donato, was out of this world, fresh, filling, healthy, and so good; there were hot drinks, fresh fruits, jams, vegetables, quinoa, bean bread, an abundance of tasty gluten free foods and snacks due to dietary restrictions, salads, potatoes of course, chicken, hearty soups, stir-fry’s, desserts, even a cupcake for my birthday made last minute; we agreed that we enjoyed our meals on the trek much more than the delicious food we tried later in Lima, said to be THE food capital. We got hot water and tea in the morning! Being used to “roughing it” on camping and backpacking trips, when I saw pictures of how our meals would be served at tables with nice table cloth, napkins, utensils, and camping chairs in a tent I thought we were going to be over-pampered but wow was I grateful for the comfort of a space like that after a long day’s trek. Edgar and Donato were with us during days 1-3 of our trek.

Ronaldino was a skilled driver, negotiating rough and narrow roads expertly, getting us to our starting point and meeting us later at different points of our adventure on day 3 and at the end on our last day to get us back to Cusco from the train. We thoroughly enjoyed our time with him and loved getting to know him a little! A very sweet guy!

Americo and Huaman were our muleteers and the entire crew helped quickly and efficiently set up and break down our camps. We typically started ahead of them on our treks while they finished packing up the horses and mules but before we knew it, they were passing us up, running ahead to meet us at lunch and the end of the days. Americo and Huaman were with us during days 1-2 of our trek. They were wonderful.

Rolfi our guide was the heart of the entire group, bringing everyone together. He never stopped cracking jokes, was a wealth of history and information to our million questions, constantly pointing out things to us as we trekked, and always had the best stories to share. Our group was interested in just about everything on the trek (fauna, history, culture, etc.), and Rolfi had something to each about everything we asked about. He was unendingly patient with us as we were perpetually, “National Geographic,” stopping to take photos of the beauty around us and as we huffed and puffed during our ascents. Rolfi was nothing but encouraging and great fun. I don’t think we ever ran out of good conversation. He was there with us from start to finish, ensuring that each of us were feeling well and enjoying ourselves, extremely astute to each of our interests, and we all learned a lot from one another. We loved him and could not have asked for a better guide! It was hard for us all to say farewell to everyone in our crew and especially to Rolfi.

The sights were unforgettable. Incredible microclimates with endless kinds of flora and fauna, butterflies, waterfalls, wild strawberries, racing clouds, tree canopies. Thousands of years old aqueducts and ancient Incan ruins, meeting local people along the way. We were awed by the numerous valleys, towering mountain ranges, glaciers, and our summit views. On our 1st night of camp, our bright view of the milky-way galaxy was incredible. We loved touring the coffee plantation, zip-lining and very much enjoyed the hot springs on our 3rd day. Our camping tents were perfectly comfortable. Our train ride on Peru Rail and accommodations in Cola de Mono and Aguas Calientes were also very nice. Machu Picchu and its history was unreal and climbing Huayna Picchu was totally worth it!

Salkantay Trek with Quechua Treks Peru to Machu Picchu, 5 Days, 4 Nights

After a couple years saving up for our dream adventure to Peru and Machu Picchu, my fiancé and I were finally able to take the time to plan our trip for the end of the rainy season in early April. My brother and his wife joined us as well and the four of us had an absolutely amazing visit to Peru! After a lot of research, we decided on booking a guided trek through KimKim with Quechua Treks Peru; this turned out to be an experience of a lifetime, one to be so fondly remembered and that cannot be fully shared with others in words and photos. You simply had to be there.

From the start, James at KimKim was always available to answers questions and helped us get set up with the travel plan and trek we wanted. He was in touch with us from beginning to end and made sure we were able to coordinate with Quechua Treks for what was needed, from contacts, to prices, to dietary restrictions! Thanks so much, James! Mayra was also in touch with us from Quechua Treks and helped us along the way.

We arrived in Cusco in order to acclimate to the altitude for about 2 days before our trek. Cusco is located at over 11,000 ft and our Salkantay Trek would take us to almost 15,000 ft. On the night before our trek, our guide Rolfi met with us to provide our briefing for the trip. We immediately felt at ease with him and with the entire crew, whom we were introduced to the next morning (muleteers/porters/tent men Americo and Huaman, chef Edgar, assistant cook Donato, and Ronaldino our driver). As two women, my sister-in-law and I felt respected and never uncomfortable in a group of otherwise all men. My sister-in-law was the only one among us four who really spoke Spanish and while Rolfi our guide was very fluent in English, no part of the language barriers between us prevented us all from enjoying each other, constantly laughing, gesturing, translating for each other, cracking jokes, and learning from each other. I felt that everyone became family and I will never forget each of the wonderful crew members and the warmth they showed us. They took such good care of us.

The food prepared by our chefs, Edgar and assistant Donato, was out of this world, fresh, filling, healthy, and so good; there were hot drinks, fresh fruits, jams, vegetables, quinoa, bean bread, an abundance of tasty gluten free foods and snacks due to dietary restrictions, salads, potatoes of course, chicken, hearty soups, stir-fry’s, desserts, even a cupcake for my birthday made last minute; we agreed that we enjoyed our meals on the trek much more than the delicious food we tried later in Lima, said to be THE food capital. Hot water and tea in the morning! Being used to “roughing it” on camping and backpacking trips, when I saw pictures of how our meals would be served at tables with nice table cloth, napkins, utensils, and camping chairs in a tent I thought we were going to be over-pampered but wow was I grateful for the comfort of a space like that after a long day’s trek. Edgar and Donato were with us during days 1-3 of our trek.

Ronaldino was an excellent driver, negotiating rough and narrow roads expertly, getting us to our starting point and meeting us later at different points of our adventure on day 3 and at the end on our last day to get us back to Cusco from the train. We thoroughly enjoyed our time with him and loved getting to know him a little!

Americo and Huaman were our muleteers and the entire crew helped quickly and efficiently set up and break down our camps. We typically started ahead of them on our treks while they finished packing up the horses and mules but before we knew it, they were passing us up, running ahead to meet us at lunch and the end of the days. Americo and Huaman were with us during days 1-2 of our trek. They were wonderful.

Rolfi :) our guide was the heart of the entire group, bringing everyone together. He never stopped cracking jokes, was a wealth of history and information to our million questions, constantly pointing out things to us as we trekked, and always had the best stories to share. He was unendingly patient with us as we were perpetually, “National Geographic,” stopping to take photos of the beauty around us and as we huffed and puffed during our ascents. Rolfi was nothing but encouraging and great fun. I don’t think we ever ran out of good conversation. He was there with us from start to finish, ensuring that each of us were feeling well and enjoying ourselves, extremely astute to each of our interests, and we all learned a lot from one another. We loved him and could not have asked for a better guide! It was hard for us all to say farewell to everyone in our crew and especially to Rolfi.

The sights were unforgettable. Incredible microclimates with endless kinds of flora and fauna, butterflies, waterfalls, wild strawberries, racing clouds, tree canopies. Thousands of years old aqueducts and ancient Incan ruins, meeting local people along the way. We were awed by the numerous valleys, towering mountain ranges, glaciers, and our summit views. On our 1st night of camp, our bright view of the milky-way galaxy was incredible. We loved touring the coffee plantation, zip-lining and very much enjoyed the hot springs on our 3rd day. Our camping tents were perfectly comfortable. Our train ride on Peru Rail and accommodations in Cola de Mono and Aguas Calientes were also very nice. Machu Picchu and its history was unreal and climbing Huayna Picchu was totally worth it!

After this extraordinary trek, I felt changed, refreshed, and encouraged in many ways related to my personal life. I returned home feeling better about myself, the extreme physical challenges I faced, and my motivation to take the time to eat healthier and take kinder care of myself re-emerged. I left Peru gaining new perspective and new friends I felt sorry to part with. From the bottom of my heart, thank you Quechua Treks Peru and KimKim family.

Tips about this trek, during the end of the rainy season in early April:
The weather for us ranged from 30’sF at highest altitudes to 60’sF. Obviously, the weather will vary from year to year but during the trek, there are MANY difference microclimates you will travel through, with weather changes occurring even from minute to minute, from rainy, windy, sunny, freezing, very comfortable temperate, to humid and hot. You will always feel different based on whether you are moving or sitting still.

Our guide provided us each with a duffel bag the day before our trek that would mostly be carried on the mules to hold our belongings that we could mostly access at the end of each day only, until the next morning when we were back on our way; at times later during the trip, we were also responsible for hanging on to our duffels ourselves (carrying them to our hotels, the train, etc). The bags are meant to hold 7kg of your belongings maximum, which is completely manageable.

- General packing: while you are away on a trek, many people find that they are able to leave some things with their hotel/air bnb in cusco. I ended up leaving my main 42 L hiking backpack and souveniers I had picked up in Cusco to this purpose and taking just my 22L REI flashpack as my day pack, the rest stored in the duffel bag that was provided. They do keep your bags covered on the mules but it was advised to store the belongings inside the duffel in a trash bag or dry sacks just in case of heavy rains, so we did so.
- Clothes: clothes with merino wool mixed or tanks of polyester fabric are the way to go to prolong your laundry and to temperature regulate. For our trek, I did fine with 2 pairs of trekking pants, 1 pair of shorts, a merino base layer top and bottom for the cold evening/days, 3 tshirts/tanks, 1 merino bra, swim suit, 2 merino toe socks, 1 regular merino pair of socks. Toe socks are amazing, I did not get one blister. Merino wool socks are double-amazing, you really can wear them for many days without developing odor. I brought extra changes of things in case of dirt and/or getting wet from rain.
- Outerwear/Raingear: Umbrella. Genius Rolfi. He gave credit to a group of Japanese trekkers he led about 15 years ago. I did not have one and being a bit of a Seattle snob about umbrellas, wish I had. The weather changes are fast and often on the trek and there already is a lot of stopping to un-layer and re-layer jackets, hats, hoods, rain covers, etc. Having an umbrella would have reduced some of that :) My trekking pants dried very quickly from body heat even after getting soaked several times, and while moving I was not cold. Others in my group brought outer rain pants and that was helpful to them as well. I had one ultralight down and one fleece in addition to a base layer if needed for warmth and that was plenty. A headband to go over the ears, beanie, and a water-proof hat for sun and rain in addition to my light rain jacket/wind breaker. Sunglasses, of course. Rain cover for my day pack. Gloves. Small dry sacks and sandwich/freezer bags for some things just in case to extra protect some items in my pack.
- Shoes: To lighten weight, I was happy I went with Saucony Peregrine trail runners; these are not water proof but dry quickly while wearing from body heat and whenever I expected rainy weather, particularly the first 2 days, I went ahead and wore water-proof Sealskinz socks. For the most part, the peregrines stayed dry anyway. I also brought a pair of LL Bean Maine Hunting Shoes and a pair of flip flops to wear around camp and also at the hot springs for the flip flops.
- Other Equipment: I brought one trekking pole and this was helpful to me during steep ascents and especially descents. At Machu Picchu itself, they may or may not let you in with a trekking pole but if so you will definitely require rubber caps. Power adapter for when there was access. My 5000mAh external battery was perfect for keeping my phone charged for photos. Headlamp.
- Snacks: snacks were actually provided to us for the trail every day but we did bring some of our own such as jerky, chocolate/candy, peanut butter.
- Backpacks: My day pack was under 10 lbs not including water, while my porter pack was about 12 lbs. In my day pack/on me, I kept personal valuables like my passport, an extra pair of socks, my baselayer top, hats, gloves, sometimes my camp towel, snacks for the day, water, external battery for my phone, jackets and fleece, rain cover, some toilet paper, pain relievers like advil, first aid basics, insect repellant, sunscreen, sunglasses, trekking pole.
- Water: Camelback pouch, 2 to 3 liters size is plenty. You will get clean water refills every evening and morning. No need to bring water purifiers.
- Altitude prophylaxis/meds: acetazolamide is essential to help protect you from altitude sickness. Start 24 hours before you arrive to Cusco and continue for 1-2 days after your highest elevation. I also acquired the typhoid vaccine.
- First aid/bug repellant/sunscreen: lip balm, sunscreen, insect repellant (we really liked the Picaridin instead of DEET; it doesn’t leave a residue and a little bit goes a long way). Quechua Treks carries a first aid kit and oxygen tank if needed but I brought my own kit as well, including ace wrap, Zofran, some basic antibiotics in case of bacterial diarrhea, bandaids, advil/Tylenol/Benadryl/antibiotic ointment, leukotape in case of blisters, among other first aid basics of choice.
- Sleeping: My thin sleeping liner plus down quilt for 20 degrees F was plenty warm for the purpose of this hike. Quechua Treks provides the inflatable sleeping pads and for the first night or two comfy sleeping liners and pillow were also provided; however, I believe these got wet during a heavy rain and so I was glad to have brought my own liner. Earplugs were very nice to have.
- Toiletries/laundry: you may laugh, but having the Pstyle for the ladies was perfect, especially when we had to use that “Incan toilet” on the trail. At camp and at rest-stops on the trail, there were toilets. Bring your own toilet paper just in case. Aside from your personal toiletries, wet wipes were nice to have for extra clean up if needed and Dr. Bronner’s liquid soap (2 oz) was perfect for hand-washing a couple things along the way. I found that bringing a couple clamps/clothespins was helpful for drying out some clothes on the trail (hooked onto outside of my pack) or overnight. Camping towel.
- Money: If you have a debt card with no foreign transaction fee, withdraw money in soles at an ATM such as at the airport when you arrive in Cusco. In Cusco, while restaurants generally accepted mastercard or visa, pretty much everywhere else except for fancy stores only take soles. In Aguas Calientes, most of the shops in the market will take a credit card as well and will often accept small denominations of USD. Best to have denominations of 50 or less in soles while you are on the road and keep some 1 sole coins to use toilets at rest-stops along the trail. Set aside some soles ahead of time for tipping your crew.

Tom and I had a wonderful experience in Peru. Every detail was taken care on so we could just relax and enjoy. Luis was very knowledgeable and so easy to be around. He spoiled us! Paul was our driver and he too was very helpful. Aspiring Adventures had every detail planned so that our trip was seamless. Love the bike ride down the Andes and this special group did a great job of making us feel comfortable. The value was terrific! Two recommendations. Try another accommodation in Olyamtamba and make sure local drivers in Santa Teresa have seat belts. That's picky so as you can see the entire trip was wonderful and we will definitely use this group again. Their planning let us VACATiON!
Tom andDonna

This was a bucket list trip for myself and my family and James made sure it delivered.
James is quick to respond and quick to understand the style of trip you're trying to attain.
He helped us customize our trip to our exact specifications and delivered on experiences and accommodations that helped us feel like we were having a customized experience rather than a generic one.

The highlights of our trip were the rock climbing in the Sacred Valley and our hike into Macchu Picchu. Our guide Zacarias was incredible - knowledgeable, accommodating and fun, he made sure our kids were constantly engaged while they were learning about this incredible country. Zac quickly became a part of our family.

What made this trip extra special were the unexpected touches - a gourmet picnic overlooking Cusco when we landed, a picnic lunch on our bike riding trip through the valley, reaching out to the hotel when my son got altitude sickness to ensure he got the care he needed - in short, personal service every step of the way. We also appreciated their commitment to making every part of our trip as eco-friendly as possible ensuring our impact on the environments around us was minimal - from providing litter-free lunches to personal water bottles we could refill.

When weather issues forced us to change plans due to safety issues, both James and Zac were on it with great suggestions, helping us make decisions and being flexible with their time and services.

My only constructive feedback would be that we felt 3 days was too long to spend in Huacacchina as we exhausted the activities there pretty quickly. While we loved the pool at the hotel, our hotel room was a little generic and bare bones for our taste.
As well, when our day trip to the Lost Canyon was cancelled due to safety concerns, the replacement trip to Laguna de Moron was pretty boring and uninteresting. I would not recommend this day trip as there is very little to do for a family of four. Trekking into the desert to see a lagoon that is less impressive than the oasis at Huacacchina seemed like a poor use of our time.

All in all, KimKim delivered an unforgettable trip and am looking forward to planning another trip with them in the future. Thank you!

I would like to say thank you to Martina. She put an incredible tour together in a very short amount of time. She always responded immediately to any question i had. She was a real pleasure to work with.
Our guide John was great. He was very friendly and always upbeat and helpful.
Our stay at Casa Hacienda Milpuj was great. The freandly conversations were nice and the food there was best of the entire trip. I could have stayed the entire trip in Hotel Achamaqui. The service and food were very good and the scenery was amazing. I loved the quiet peacefulness.
All the day trips were great but I think the waterfalls of Gocta was the best. Riding horseback provided some great photo opportunities. I have traveled extensively in the past and this was the most organized and well planned tour i have ever been on. Thank you Martina and Kimkim.

My time on this hike was memorably concerning. The hike did not have enough guides. There were initially two guides and one person in the group paid for a private two day hike and so the second guide left the group. As a result there were five of us with one guide. Since I hiked at a slower pace than the others, the guide had to somehow make it work so that we all had support. Often times I was hiking several miles without any of my group members. This was quiet concerning -especially on the second day when it was rainy, and difficult to see anything and I was completely drenched in rain and shivering. It was a miracle that I made it to the group at some point-especially since I had to cross difficult terrain alone and without a guide a various points. Times that the guide did assist, he would insist that I could walk through raging rivers without assistance-which I could not and told him I could not. I argued several times with him about this. Additionally, when I was uncomfortable with cross the river by the use of a rickety zipline due to the landslide, I was told to shut up.

Additionally, I was told I had not paid for the emergency horse by the guide, however in this package it said this horse was already paid for. At the beginning of the hike, I had to pay money to get into the the park and according to this package I had already paid for everything. I also had to pay for breakfast. I don't understand why I had to pay additional fees throughout. It appears that KimKim and the hiking group that had been contracted failed to communicate information about the packages. Based off of information from the guide-it sounded as though I paid for the basic package not the full package inclusive of what is listed by KimKim.

Overall, this experience was not a good one. I would definitely not recommend this company to others as there were issues throughout and I had several dangerous issues during this hike without support and was treated rudely.

I am so thankful to have used KimKim for my trip to Peru and have Stephanie as my local specialist. We had only 7 days to explore Lima, Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Pichu and Stephanie made it all fit perfectly. Every detail was figured out, which was such a relief because travel between these sites requires multiple forms of transport -- from arrival at the airport to departure from the trip we had train tickets or buses tickets or private drivers waiting for us at each leg. She made sure all of our tours had excellent English speakers (on later legs of my travel that I planned on my own, I quickly learned how varied English capabilities can be and how difficult it can be to determine the quality of English of the guides without local knowledge of the companies). Every tour/driver/guide we worked with were incredibly professional, punctual, polite, kind and helpful. Stephanie was readily available when we had a minor payment issue at one hotel and took care of it. I can't say enough about our experience traveling with KimKim and Stephanie! Thank you! You truly took the stress out of travel and made a wonderful, memorable experience for me and my brother!

My husband and I just came back from our trip to Peru and it was amazing. Stephanie was great to work with and always went the extra mile in helping us out when we had last minute plans or changes. Although it was hard to get ahold of her in country, we were glad to meet her the first day and to be able to still communicate while on vacation some way or another.

Our transportation included terrific drivers, nice vehicles, and great views. The staff was on time and always helped us with our luggage. Likewise, the drivers ensured we were safe during the festivities of Carnival.

Our guides were amazing and we were pleased to have one on one private tours the entire time. We especially loved Juan in Machu Picchu because he gave us the freedom to explore while still receiving information about the magical sites. Although we cannot remember the guides name we had for Cusco and the Sacred Valley, we adored her! She was enthusiastic and always was concerned about our health especially with the altitude change. For example, the first day she let us cut part of our tour short because I was not feeling well! She was very knowledgable as well with the area! She even suggested great places to eat and things to do for the rest of our trip.

As for hotels go, not all of them were excellent and we did run into a couple of problems with room arrangements. Nevertheless, the hotels upgraded us twice and made us feel very welcomed and we were grateful for that! Meals were never too much of an issue, except towards the end of the trip. We wish we would have had the chance to know of places to eat that "won't get you sick" because we ate on the streets towards the end and we ended our last two days of our itinerary in bed instead of out and doing what we had originally planned.

Overall this was a great trip and I would definitely book again with this company! The only suggestions are to include more about packing tips or essentials, money exchange, and popular foods or restaurants to try! We were very satisfied though despite our hiccups here and there.

Hi there, I am catching up on sleep and starting to feel more normal. I even cooked a Peruvian dish, tacu tacu, last night! My husband is on an alternating vegetarian diet. Loved the food, especially on the Phima portion of the trip. Remember we did an Intrepid trip to Machu Picchu before. All in all the trip was very good. The sites we visited were all very interesting and the meals that were arranged for us were fantastic. The only thing we were unsure of was tipping as we didn't know the price of the meals.
Our hotel room, for Trish and I, in Trujillo was quite disappointing.
I don’t think Bev and Amy’s room was as drab as ours. Unfortunately, there was a stain on the carpet, mildew in the shower and some windows opened into the hotel lobby and the others fronted onto the street, so it was very noisy.
I did feel that the reception and breakfast areas of the hotel were clean and modern looking and I do want to emphasize that the staff were very kind and helpful. I checked the hotel on line and some of the comments said that the owners were going to have to step up the quality of the rooms, but otherwise good value.
The itinerary was good . I thought the pace was pretty good and we really loved everything we saw. On day 4 we couldn’t go to Ventarron as there had been a fire, we went to Huaca Rajada museum and site, were supposed to go to the Bruning Museum , but opted to go to Tumbas Reales as we really only had a couple of hours after lunch and Jhon told us the museum closed at 4. The museum guide told us that it was open until 5 p.m. and you could stay in longer. If we had known that we might have taken in the Bruning museum. We really enjoyed what we saw in any event!
Just looking at the Itinerary now, We did not see all the destinations on Day 5, We went to the Bosque Pomac, there were a couple of pyramids in the distance,. I think they were Ventanas and Loro, but I am not sure that we went to the valley of the Pyramids in Tucume/ We drove through Ferranafe but did not visit the museum. We had lunch after going to the museum in Tucume though. I believe that driver Jhon had said that there was construction or some other obstruction on the road and he felt we should leave earlier to get to the airport so we could get our flight back to Lima. I think the itinerary was a bit too ambitious for that day.

One thing I might tell you, after going to the Sipan museum at the site of Huaca Rajada, we might not have seen the actual site with the Huaca and where the tombs of el Senor de Sipan y El Viejo were found if the local guide hadn’t taken one of our group there. This is a very important site and am so glad we saw it. It should be compulsory on the tour. It all fits in with what we saw at Tumbas Reales.
Regarding our guide Jhon’s English, I thought his knowlege was very good, but when you asked him a specific question, he either didn’t understand the question, or didn’t know the answer. His pronunciation could be improved, but he was fine to chat to. He tried very hard and was very pleasant and kind.

For future tours, it would be good for the Phima guide to know when Tumbas Reales closes. The museum guide, Orlando, said it closed at 5, but you could stay later.....we might have been able to squeeze in the Bruning museum. We were happy with what we saw that day.
Just to be clear, I didn’t think there were too many excursions in our itinerary, the pace was pretty good for day two and three. Day four, we didn’t go to Ventarron because of the fire, but really enjoyed the Museum at Sipan and Huaca Rajada. After lunch we didn’t have time to see both the Bruning Museum and Tumbas REales, so we opted to see Tumbas Reales which was fantastic.
I think I might be repeating myself. Sorry, still have a bit of jet lag. If you need any clarifications, just let me know. Gracias,

I loved all of the information provided to us in preparation for our trip (Lists 1-3) and the detailed itinerary that was provided. Everything that we had requested was on the itinerary and we were pleased to have some of the added items, such as the Garcia brothers who played and sang some of the traditional music using some of the instruments that date back over the years. I also enjoyed the Forest of Pomac as it was different from the other temples we saw. We didn't see everything that was on the itinerary - the Ventarron site was closed because there had been a fire. On day 4 we did not go to the Bruning Museum as we were running out of time and we all wanted to see the Tumbas Reales. On Day 5, I don't think we went to the Valley of the Pyramids but we did go to a museum in Tucume that had interactive displays. In hindsight, I think we tried to get too much into each day. It was great to finish our day around 5:30. The other consideration is that we were nearing the end of our vacation, so may have wanted the additional sites if we had started in the north and then done the south after. As it was, for me, I liked what we did in a day.

It was nice to have John the guide (Yeltsin), and John the driver meet us at the airport on our arrival and get us settled into our hotel. Definitely enjoyed the night tour of Trujillo, but may not have given Yeltsin my full attention because I was tired from the travel.

All of the meals provided in the tour were excellent. In hindsight we figure we may have been a bit cheap on our tips as we did not know what the actual meal cost so went on a similar formula used on the southern tour. I would recommend that one of your lists include some suggestions around tipping valets, waiters, hotel housekeepers, and for breakfast.

Our hotels were basic but clean. Staff were very helpful even if we spoke minimal Spanish and they spoke minimal English. it is amazing how much you can understand with a smile and sign language and a few key words.

John, our guide, had great knowledge of the history and particular features of the sites we visited. He was willing to respond to any questions we had but at times may have had some difficulty in understanding what we were asking him. He had a great personality and great humour. He was a good guide.

John, our driver, was also very friendly and willing to help. He was a very competent, professional, and calm driver. He also pointed out things along the way - such as the tree where the egrets were nesting. He pulled over and made sure we were safe when taking pictures.

It was really nice to have the same guide, driver and van for the whole tour. It was also nice have the bottle of water (some days 2)/day.

I have and will definitely continue to recommend KimKim Tours and PHima Voyages to others.

Bev

Martina was very helpful regarding our pre-trip planning. We had planned all facets of our trip to Peru prior to contacting Martina. We decided to do so because we wanted to go to the area and found it somewhat difficult to research travel options there. Our tour stated that we would have an English speaking guide.
Day 1 we were met by Joan/John and Carlos @ Cajamarca airport. After dropping our bags we visited Cumbe Mayo. This was a wonderful place. Our guide was clearly enthusiastic but, not fluent enough (in English) to convey much of his knowledge. As became clear at that point, Anna often needed to translate for my benefit. ( I sensed the visit was the short version. ). We learned that J was a guide-in-training. He had to train for some 900 hours before receiving license.
We returned to Cajamarca. Having risen @ 3 in the morning for our 7:30 flight we were hungry at that point and asked J for recommendations. He dropped us at a lunchroom on the square. A fairly grim experience. I mention this only because perfunctory drop-offs became the norm. I think this is an issue of manners. We are outsiders, the guide the insider. This in addition to the fact that the Hostal had no heat — it was cold and mercilessly rainy,— or WiFi. There was no way not to hear our next door neighbor’s TV. If we had foreknowledge of the lack of heat, we would not have agreed to stay there. How hard is it to recommend a few places to eat?
Driver Carlos was excellent throughout. No fruit or water in car throughout our tour.

Day2 7 hr drive to Leymebamba. Prompt pickup. J asks if we want to stop @ a grocery store. Having stocked up on snacks at the Cajamarca market, we only needed more water and stopped at bodega. We naively assumed that there would be a plan to eat along the way. We chatted for about 1 hour as we left the city and headed in the direction of Leymebamba. We stopped for lunch and J suggested we take our food and eat on the little square. Another point of confusion. We hadn’t packed a lunch. Meanwhile J & C headed into a little restaurant for lunch. Since it was clearly the only place to eat in this locale, I joined them.
We stopped only once thereafter for a photo op. For the remaining 6 hours there was an abundantly obvious silence. Our questions like, ‘what river is that?’ were answered but, no comments/ info from guide.
Then a stop at woodworker’s place. This was kind of crazy. After 7 hours in a car we did not feel like doing this but, felt obliged to do so.
We reached Leymebamba and checked into our Hostal. This proved to be a far nicer stay. A lovely well maintained Hostal and it was fortunately warmer than Cajamarca. Great family, delicious breakfast. Again though, after that very long drive, no food recommendations. We made the wrong choice. Ironically, the next day after visiting the Museum we had a great lunch, in plaza. The restaurant owner, a relative of Carlos’, was a delightful woman who really knew how to cook!

Day 3
Visit to Leymebamba museum. Wonderful visit. Felt a bit rushed as we followed J through. This seems to be an occupational hazard for tour leaders. One though that they surely need to develop the flexibility to allow for. It seems to me that a tour guide to be really good, needs to get to know his clients. Perhaps J is too young? Not curious? ( He might have heard that one of our reasons for visiting Peru was our interest in its cuisine. )
After a terrific lunch we set out to visit Revash. Sadly rained out. Roads in dangerous conditions. We were dropped off at Lola’s and Perico’s. Heaven. Spent an afternoon at their wonderful place with our consummate hosts. We loved each other’s company. Nine hundred stars!

Day 4
Kuelap Visit. Terrific.
Lunch @ Shubet also good. Again Carlos’s friends/relatives..
Drive to Gocta. Rafael not there but, his in village helper arrived promptly to let us in. Somewhat unsure how to interpret Rafael’s absence but, made ourselves comfortable. (Footnote hot water unavailable.)
Had a wonderful afternoon enjoying Rafael’s place. Also later when another guest arrived.

Day 5
Hike to Gocta Waterfall. Strenuously wonderful. Took horses half way back down.
Arrived back to Rafael’s hot and tired....wanting to clean-up and relax. J announced we were to go next door for lunch. We went. When one is staying at Rafael’s, the setting isn’t really impressive.
The food is mediocre. J had told us that C would be driving us to Jaen the following morning; a gesture we very much appreciated. Carlos happened to be dining @ same time we were (next door) with his family. We confirmed that we would see him tomorrow.

Day 6
Instead of Carlos, his young relative ( no more than 18?) w/ his friend to airport in Jaen.
Nice person. Friendly but, not a mature driver. Thought we would be seeing C and planned to give him a tip then. Plz send info regarding how we can do so.

My advice to Trip planner. Suggest visitors to this region—-@ least @ this time of the year— come and go via Jaen. Spend time in Chachapoyas and environs.

Thank you for arranging this amazing trip! We have a really big party so there were a lot of times we had to change the reservations but Stephanie really handled all the situations well which I feel really thankful. She is also very informative whenever we asked her questions. During the trip, everything was prepared really well and we really like all the tour guides as they are very friendly, knowledgable and are really helpful to us. Overall, it had been a fun and memorable trip. Thank you again for your help and also for the chocolate!

Thank you, Haku, for arranging this wonderful trip. All aspects of the Salkantay trek were excellent. Our guide, Rubin, was knowledgeable about all of the logistics and provided us with lots of information on local culture and customs, and plants and history.

Our first evening accommodation at the refuge at Soray Pamp was a great start. We were served a delicious lunch and the refuge was rustic but lovely. We could see Mount Salkantay in the distance. We took a day hike to Glacial Lake Humantay which was spectacular. We were welcomed back with a delicious dinner cooked by the gentleman who ran the lodge.

The day 2 hike over the Salkantay pass to Chalullay was grueling but satisfying. We arrived at Chalullay in the late afternoon. Accommodations were a bit chilly but beds were comfortable. Day 3 we hiked through rainforest cloud, a more gentle up and down hike with lush vegetation and views of the river. The evening at the Coffee plantation was a highlight. Fredy the owner and his family were wonderful hosts and the accommodations were very nice. We enjoyed the warmer climate at this elevation. With our guide translating, Fredy showed us the step by step process from growing and harvesting the coffee beans to roasting them for our breakfast. From here we started on an Inca trail with a long but not as challenging hike.

Highlights were the ruins of Llactapata and lunch with views to Machu Picchu. At the end, we took a short train ride to Aquas Caliente and Macchu Picchu. We were very glad to have the opportunity to climb Huayna Picchu on our visit to Macchu Picchu. At Nicole's recommendation, we added an evening in Ollantaytambo where we enjoyed the lively town square, local activity, and the ruins. On our return trip to Cusco by car, we explored the salt mines and a village were weaving and knitted goods were produced and sold. The knitted goods in Peru are beautiful.

We also booked 3 days in the Amazon rainforest in Puerto Maldonado, also arranged by Nicole and Haku. Our guide Efraim was excellent-- extremely knowledgeable and helpful. And Freddy, the local contact who picked us up by boat, cooked us lunch and carried our luggage through the jungle had endless energy. Our stay at Lake Sandoval lodge was memorable. Great food and service and the setting, overlooking the lake was memorable. The lake was full of otters, caiman, and fish, and at the water's edge, we enjoyed the monkeys and variety of birds.

We would highly recommend Haku to plan a custom itinerary for a Cusco based travel adventure.

Initial planning process was great - Stephanie was knowledgeable, assisting, and patient. However, the service "during" the trip was a bit inconvenient. Stephanie was hard to contact and in the moment we couldn't reach out to anyone, like the time we arrived at Uyuni but no one was there to pick us up, we waiting til 10 am local time Peru to call Stephanie, but still we couldn't reach her.

Other than that the trip was well organized with great guides in every stop. Especially our Macchu Picchu guide and Norma from Puno. Our Uyuni guides were great too.

Our trip was full of activity and adventure in Northern Peru for 2-1/2 weeks. Our guide Jhon was young and full of energy and our driver Carlos was an attentive, safe driver. In Trujillo, we thoroughly enjoyed the Sun and Moon Temples and Chan Chan. The demonstration of the straw boats and cooking class in Huanchaco was fantastic.

Heading into the Andes is spectacular. Outside Cajamarca, we loved our hike through Cumbemayo to see the remarkable Andean water works. The Revash was very interesting and we enjoyed our horse ride to the site. Visiting Miguel in his workshop and painting our own Sarcophagus was a lot of fun. Perico and Lola's private conservation property in the Utcubamba Valley was so beautiful and was a favourite of ours. It was hard to say goodbye to them and the family they had visiting at the time. Then off to Kuelap by cable car and another hike to the site...fantastic!

The biggest surprise and highlight for us was our stay at Villa del Monte in the coffee country of Rodriguez de Mendoza. We have a coffee roasting business and requested some time with coffee growers. The home we stayed at in the area was really great and the caretakers living next to the home were warm and friendly. We did an afternoon at an underground cave that was pretty cool although fitting through a small hole to start was a little scary but worth the effort. The best part for us was spending our time with the coffee farmers (owners of Cafe Monteverde) who provided us with such a detailed education of their business from the growing of the coffee at their farm (tasting included) to going to their laboratory in town to watch and participate in grading and cupping of the coffee. This was fantastic for us.

The Gocta Falls is another favourite. The hike is fairly difficult so the horses came in handy. Lunch at the Gocta Lodge is outstanding and so is the view. Our last stop on the coast was the Pyramids of Tucume and Museum Tumbas Reales with the latter being our favourite museum.

With a little more time, Jhon will get better at his English. It's good but sometimes we had translation difficulties. He is a great guide and really cares about what he does. Both him and Carlos were always available and willing to make things work for us.

Thank you Phima Voyages for a great adventure in Northern Peru!
Darlene & Gary Carlton

Miguel is friendly and helpful. 1 of the best i have met. Carlos is nice too altho' due to language barrier, we didn't interact much.

i guess the best part of Miguel is he can take great pictures! now I have headaches with so many potential IG post-able photos!

As for Lima, Arturo definitely knows where the good local food is. we had a great time of food sampling.

thanks again.