Alvaro Pereira

I was not involved in the planning of the trip but felt that things could not have gone better. I am just beginning the travel portion of my life so I don’t have much to compare this trip to but I thoroughly enjoyed each and every hotel, meal and excursion we did. David set the standard for guides and it will be hard for any other guide to equal his efforts with our group. His communication and coordination of things with such a large group was fabulous. His love and knowledge of Ecuador shone through in everything we did.

I started planning my trip to Ecuador and Galapagos about 18 months before our travel date. I organized the trip for myself and 15 other people ended up coming too. I started with 4-5 different companies and ended up picking Alvaro at KimKim because he worked quickly, efficiently, and listened to what I wanted. I was extremely happy with the final itinerary and price.

There were a few tweaks that needed to be made, and once initial down payments were made, he didn’t respond as quickly as before. I was very worried, and others who had signed up were getting worried as well, but the trip was amazing.

Our guide throughout Ecuador was David. He was the best guide we could have asked for. He explained so much about his country, history, and culture. He was enthusiastic, passionate, and helpful. He made sure all activities were organized and enjoyable for all.

When we went to Mindo, two parts of the itinerary were left out, a coffee experience and ziplining. Alvaro made sure to add those items later in the itinerary.

Saul was an amazing guide in the Amazon rainforest. He was so knowledgeable about natural remedies and the forest. We all enjoyed the hiking, cave exploration, and indigenous experience.

We were sad to leave David, as he was not going with us to Galapagos, and we got a new guide. As wonderful as David was, our new guide was the opposite. Although she was very nice, this was her first tour ever, and it showed. She didn’t give us any information about the places we visited. Anytime I asked a question, she either didn’t know the answer or gave an incorrect answer. The group felt that she was just on vacation herself as she let the local guides do all of the work and just participated in the activities. We didn’t really need her on the trip at all since we had local guides. In addition, she was sick, and a few people on the trip also started to show symptoms of the cold that she had.

We went to Santa Cruz, Isabela, and San Cristobal and loved the islands. Our guide in San Cristobal even gave the group an autographed copy of his book! Thanks, Ian! I can’t wait to read it!

Overall, the trip was wonderful and everything went very smoothly. We did so many different activities and I appreciate the work Alvaro and David and the rest of the guides put in to make this a fabulous experience.

We booked a one-week trip to Ecuador for 2 people through Kimkim, including Quito, a guided city tour, and 3 days in the Galápagos — and the entire experience was fantastic from start to finish.

Our trip planner was Alvaro, and honestly, working with him was probably one of the best parts of the whole planning process. At the beginning, we only had a very rough idea of what we wanted to do. We were still unsure about the itinerary, duration, budget, and how to combine mainland Ecuador with the Galápagos. Based on that very vague starting point, Alvaro created an excellent first proposal with a concrete itinerary and transparent pricing, which immediately helped us visualize the trip.

What impressed us most was how easy and pleasant communication was. Every question and every requested change was answered incredibly quickly and always very professionally. For example, our first proposal was above our budget, and almost immediately Alvaro sent us an adapted version together with clear explanations of what had been changed and why. It never felt pushy — instead, it felt collaborative and genuinely personalized.

The payment process was also very straightforward and reassuring (30% deposit first, remaining balance later before the trip).

Another thing we really appreciated was that Alvaro kept checking in with us before the trip started, asking whether we still had questions and making sure we felt prepared. He also introduced us in advance to the local Ecuadorian partner responsible for the on-the-ground coordination (Sebastian from Responsible Travel South America).

This was honestly what made the whole experience feel so special: everything was incredibly easy and digital, but still deeply personal at the same time. Even though everything was organized online, we always felt like we had real people taking care of us.

I can 100% recommend Kimkim, and especially Alvaro, for anyone planning a trip to Ecuador.

Our father daughter trip was fantastic. Alvaro was great to work with. He was so responsive and helpful to our individual wants and needs during the trip planning process. Yael greeted us with a welcome gift upon arrival in Quito and made sure everything was going well before our departure across the country.

Our itinerary was perfect and we feel very lucky to have had the guides we did. We had David for our tour around Quito. He was knowledgeable, helpful & paced the day perfectly. For the remainder of the trip we had Chris and he was so amazing. We would not have wanted to do the trip without a driver and Chris was exceptional in this realm. He was a very defensive and great driver on the chaotic roads. He was always one step ahead of the weather & road closures which made our trip so much more seamless than we could have hoped for considering we traveled during the peak rainy season. We had such a good time and kimkim made it an easy & relaxing process. Our itinerary was jam packed and we saw so much but we didn’t feel rushed at all. We feel like the trip was a bargain for all it included. Would definitely use kimkim again & we are hoping to do a Galapagos trip in the future!

Hotel Reviews

Swissotel Quito

Quito

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Sangay

Baños de Agua Santa

I would note, especially for American travelers, that this hotel has no air conditioning and no screens in the windows so getting airflow without getting bugs in the room was difficult.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Inti Sisa

Guamote

This was our favorite stay of the trip. The cultural experience and community outreach this hotel does are wonderful. My Dad and I bought so many gifts here from the shop & wish we could have gone to the local market! We just stayed on the wrong day.

Authenticity & Character

Location

I

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Victoria

Cuenca

The river view and getting to sleep with the sound of the water right outside our hotel room was a wonderful surprise.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Holiday Inn Guayaquil Airport

Guayaquil

Authenticity & Character

We don’t book airport hotels for authenticity or culture! Just practicality

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Immersive Cultural Exploration: From Riobamba to Guamote

Ecuador

The night before we got to wander around Baños and had a delicious dinner at the Italian restaurant in town. We started the day with a tour of waterfalls around the Baños area and then continued onto Guamote. Our only wish is that we could have gone to the market in Guamote but we were ther a day early!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discovering Cuenca's Charms: A Journey Through History and Culture

Cuenca

We loved Cuenca. It is such a beautiful town and we see why a bunch of expats have moved here! The tour was great and we got to see a lot in our day here. This is also where we did our cooking class instead of having it in Quito like the itinerary stated. It was a private cooking class at a very fancy hotel with a beautiful view of the blue domes! We could tell Chris had a good relationship with many of the vendors at the market & wish we had more time to sample things here but we didn’t want to eat anything right before our cooking class!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cuenca - Cajas National Park - Cacao & Mango Hacienda - Guayaquil

Cuenca

Unfortunately, due to weather & road closures, we didn’t get to do Cajas but that was in no way our guide or KimKim’s fault. We loved the mango & chocolate hacienda. I would note that it isn’t mango season so we just did the chocolate experience which was wonderful. The family that ran it was so great. Jamil & Estefano were very knowledgeable and we loved making our own cacao drink & chocolate bars.

Quality of Experience

Food

The lunch we had at the hacienda made by the family was one of our favorite meals of the trip. It was delicious.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Connect with your flight to Galapagos

Ecuador

The airport hotel was extremely convenient. The shuttle was efficient and got us to the airport quickly. Guayaquil airport was small and easy to navigate & security lines were quick.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Ecuador: Let Your Adventure Begin! (Transportation Service)

Galapagos Islands

Our flights got in too late to do anything in the city this day. Our driver picked me up because my flight got in 5 hrs before my Dad’s and then he went back for my Dad which was greatly appreciated and gave me time to settle into the hotel & grab dinner instead of sitting at the airport for 5 hrs.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Colonial City Tour, Cooking Class & the Middle of the World Monument

Quito

We got to see a ton for only being in the city one day.

Quality of Experience

We did a ton in one day but it didn’t feel rushed. We truly feel like we got to see the highlights of Quito!

Food

The breakfast that was included at the hotel was fantastic & David chose a wonderful lunch spot with a view with great local fare for us to try.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

David was great! Extremely knowledgeable, friendly & kind. He was also friends with so many people at the different stops that it made our day even easier than expected!

Transport

David’s car was very clean & he was a very good driver who tailored our day around the traffic.

Quilotoa Lagoon - Baños

Ecuador

This was a beautiful stop & we are very happy we got to see it!

Quality of Experience

Food

Chris chose a great restaurant by the lagoon for us to have lunch.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A Full-Day Amazon Experience from Baños!

Ecuador

We broke up our waterfall tour & our Amazon tour to the local community. This day we visited the local indigenous community & got to go on a waterfall hike. Michaela was our face painter as well as our waterfall hiking guide and she was great. The lunch they made for us was delicious and we even had their pet monkey make an appearance! We then got to go to Yanacocha which is an animal sanctuary for animals rescued from the black market or who were orphaned and aren’t able to be released back into the wild. It was great to see them all treated so well!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guamote - Palmira - Ingapirca - Cuenca

Guamote

We loved Ingapirca and are very glad we got to go. It is a beautiful ruin!

Quality of Experience

Food

We loved our lunch near Ingapirca at Posada Ingapirca.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Alvaro was very helpful in planning our trip and connecting us with in-country people who managed our itinerary and made sure we got to each stop. Transportation was seamless and someone was always waiting for us with our name on a sign so we could quickly negotiate airports and hotel stops. We also had knowledgeable and English-speaking guides at key points of interest. Our favorites were the tours of El Cajas National Park near Quito, Ecuador and Machu Picchu and Rainbow Mountain in Peru. Highly recommend

Activity Reviews

Hiking El Cajas National Park (self drive)

Ecuador

Amazing trip and our guide was fantastic

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Rainbow Mountain - Vinicunca

Peru

Exhilarating trip to Rainbow Mountain. Highly recommend taking the optional motorcycle trip up the mountain

Quality of Experience

Food

The stop for breakfast and lunch was great. Well equipped for travelers and great food.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an amazing trip to Peru! We loved how the trip felt catered to our interests and what we wanted to see during our time in Peru. Some of our favorite sites were Machu Picchu, Ollantaytambo, and Rainbow Mountain. Our tour guides were all very friendly, great, and knowledgeable. Enrique was our tour guide for the Inca Trail; he made this hike an incredible experience. We felt very taken care of on this trip and were frequently checked in on, especially by Yael. We have been on several trips now with KimKim, and Peru has been top notch as far as satisfaction goes. I would recommend this trip to any friends and family, and would feel very comfortable having them book with Alvaro and interact with the same tour guides. Thank you to everyone who helped make this trip truly memorable!

Hotel Review

Terra Andina Mansion Colonial

Cusco

We loved this hotel! The staff members were extremely friendly, personable, and helpful. The breakfast and restaurant was amazing, and it was conveniently located near the heart of Cusco.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Hike the Short Inca Trail to Machu Picchu

Aguas Calientes/ Machu Picchu

Enrique was our tour guide for this portion of our trip, and he was nothing short of amazing! He was friendly, knowledgeable, and professional. I could not have asked for a better experience to such a memorable part of our trip!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Just returning from an incredible 10 day family trip to Ecuador and Galápagos Islands.
Our planning for this trip started with Alvaro, who worked tirelessly planning a trip that would appeal to all ages and abilities.
The communication with so many “moving parts” , was outstanding!
A short time before our trip was going to start, Alvaro introduced us to Ibeth, who was our contact person until we touched ground back in Canada. I’m not sure if she actually sleeps, because she responded instantly with all questions and requests! We met her on a video call before leaving which was very helpful for all.
Our guides in each and every stop were knowledgeable, kind and extremely flexible with our requests. True professionals!
Matteo, in Quito, communicated to Fabricio in San Cristobal that our youngest granddaughter was showing signs of altitude sickness, so that he was aware and offered a stop at a pharmacy if needed.
Fabricio was so passionate and knowledgeable at the breeding station.
Gabriel, on Isabella Island was the very same when it came to our snorkeling adventures as well. Gabriel was also able to obtain a missing suitcase for our 11 year old- so she didn’t miss out on our snorkel trip - he really came through for us!
As you can see, there is a theme here- kudos to James, Phillipe and Andreas as well!
Our accommodations were perfect for our family- small, family run hotels, with good breakfasts in the am and locations to restaurants, beaches, etc, were excellent.
Thanks to all that made this a once in a lifetime trip for our entire family!

Hotel Reviews

SeaSide Hotel

Galapagos

This was a quaint hotel - very quiet - perfect location to local beach and to town as well. It was perfect for a family stay with a small pool outside our door. Breakfast was home cooked and the “honour” fridge was really convenient with soft drinks and beer.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to local Beach and restaurants and stores, but secluded.

Staff

Provided towels and bag breakfasts for early morning trips.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The air conditioning worked well

EB Hotel by Eurobuilding Quito

Quito

Relaxing, accommodating hotel! We spent three nights total and we found that staff were very helpful and professional! We were able to store a bag for our return and they found an e-book that was left in the safe! Their complimentary breakfast was 5 Star! My only criticism would be the lack of a wine list - very little choice, considering the abundance of South American wines.

Authenticity & Character

I wouldn’t say it’s authentic decor- but the local roses in the lobby were unbelievable!

Location

Good location for airport - not great for exploring around unless with a taxi.

Staff

Covered in initial review

Cleanliness & Comfort

Albemarle

Puerto Villamil

The picture…is exactly the way it looks outside our room - but I would recommend requesting an exterior room. That being said - all the rooms were spacious and clean.

Authenticity & Character

The small pool and gardens were lovely and the rooftop pool view was stunning!

Location

Perfect- on a quiet sandy road - steps away from town!

Staff

Excellent- because of the island holiday celebrations, she warned us of noise/music that would go on quite late and offered ear plugs proactively!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beach towels and robes provided

Plaza Luna Suites

Puerto Ayora

This is a gem!! Lovely, quaint accommodations, locally owned and with a history to go with it! Rooms were perfect with amenities well thought out. Breakfast on the terrace was a lovely way to start the day. Beach towels provided, unlimited filtered water and location couldn’t be better

Authenticity & Character

Authentic- but updated so well!

Location

Right on the Main Street, but you didn’t know it until you walked out of the high gate - all right there!

Staff

Delilah (owner) greeted us in a very personal way, learning about her family and their role in th Galápagos Islands. Us

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lovely- even a small communal kitchen area where we used the dishes for a take out dinner one night.

Activity Reviews

Wildlife Encountering at Lobos Island - Family Activities

Isla San Cristóbal

This involves a boat ride and a stop at Lobos where we hiked about an 1 1/2 hours - we couldn’t believe our eyes being able to see the male frigate birds with their red expanded breasts hoping to be picked by a female. Also, blue footed boobies, iguanas, baby frigates.

Quality of Experience

The mating Frigates!

Food

Local restaurant - great food!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very helpful, but there was really no alternative to not have to walk on the unstable rocks.

Transport

Visit Intiñan Museum

Quito

Great guides - super experience!

Quality of Experience

The guide!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide!

Transport

Good driver

Exclusive Experience at The Agave Route in the Middle of the World!

Quito

This was our second time to visit - bringing family this time…very cool experience for all ages - during the tasting, our 11 and13 yr old in the group was able to participate as well - with non alcoholic agave tastings.

Quality of Experience

The bartender was the same person as last year and he makes it all very fun during the cocktail making.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

As stated

Transport

Safe and prompt

Unforgettable Day Trip to Bartolome Island

Puerto Ayora

Our last full day in Galapagos and it couldn’t have been more enjoyable! Our family of 8 and 6 others gave us lots of space on a lovely cabin cruiser - with great staff and a delicious lunch!

Quality of Experience

Our skipper was skilled and the ride was smooth and relaxing

Food

A delicious full hot lunch! Very tasty- with a cash bar !

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Philippe was a wealth of information! And for those that did not want to walk up to the top, a zodiac ride around the island - pointing out a baby penguin, baby sea lions and many varieties of sea birds!

Transport

Safe and relaxing

Alvaro was very helpful and patient during the planning process. During the trip, Jacquie was amazing; every day we were updated with the next days plans in detail. We always knew exactly where & when we were going. Every driver & guide was prompt, helpful, informative polite, professional and friendly. We didn’t have any glitches on our 12 day tour through Peru & Ecuador even with planes, buses, boats, trains, and multiple hotels. I will use KimKim again.

Hotel Reviews

Del Pilar Miraflores Hotel

Lima

Nice location, clean room, helpful staff

Hotel Ferre Boulevard Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu

Nice room, not far from restaurants, shops, buses to Machu Picchu. Room on the river, very picturesque. Nice breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Palace Galapagos

Puerto Ayora

Good location, very clean room with king & twin bed, AC and fridge, very helpful owner, amazing breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Boutique Hotel Cultura Manor

Quito

Amazing old building with palace like room, huge bathroom, 2 full beds.

Authenticity & Character

I can’t describe, not lije any other hotel I’d been in.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Majoro Hacienda Boutique & Resort

Nasca

Beautiful setting and grounds, decent room but FYI, no AC. A little out of the way.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Terra Andina Mansion Colonial

Cusco

Good location, pretty hotel, nice clean room with fridge.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ilatoa Lodge

Quito

Very quaint lodge with nice room and great owners. Lots of character and good view.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

San Agustin Paracas

Paracas

Great location close to city center, beautiful view

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Arrival to Lima

Peru

Driver was on time, professional, helpful & friendly

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lima City Tour; The Colonial & The Modern

Lima

Lilliana provided a brief but nice overview of Lima. It was short because our flight was late.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Nazca Lines & Huacachina Adventure: Lima - Nazca Lines - Paracas

Peru

We really enjoyed the flight but it was a long way to travel to get to the area.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Santa Cruz Island: Highlands (Plant a Tree) & Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

We toured the lava tunnel then saw giant tortoises while enjoying a nice lunch. Very special day. We learned lot from our guide.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ballestas Islands Discovery: A Journey through Nature's Paradise

Peru

Fun boat ride around the island searching for penguins, sea lions and other marine life. Prettyride.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Awana Cancha Day Tour with Alpaca's Experience

Cusco

We loved seeing the llamas and alpacas up close, learned about the culture and had a chance to buy some beautiful products,

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Departure from Cusco - Lima

Peru

Driver was on time, professional, helpful & friendly

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Ecuador: Let Your Adventure Begin!

Ecuador

Driver was on time, professional, helpful & friendly

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Afternoon Bay Tour in Santa Cruz

Puerto Ayora

We loved seeing sharks then snorkeling in the blue water. Las Grietas was stunning.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

History and Nature: Full Day to Floreana Island

Puerto Ayora

Speedboat to the island where we saw blue footed boobies, walked on a short hike to hear history of the island then walked to an area to snorkel. We had a nice lunch along the way.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome Back to Quito

Ecuador

Driver was on time, professional, helpful & friendly

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer to the airport for your flight back home (Departure)

Ecuador

Driver was on time, professional, helpful & friendly

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport