Carolina Luduena

Carolina was incredible, truly. She made our honeymoon so special, and with all the transfers we had to account for with our travels through Argentina and a hula, it was honestly stress free and seemless thanks for her effort. We’ve used kimkim for several trips now but the most stand out feature about Carolina and her team was how accessible and PATIENT she was. I never felt like I was bothering her if I was indecisive. She guided us kindly and the teamwork mentality ensured our honeymoon was a trip of a LIFETIME. Thanks so much Caro!!

Activity Review

Torres del Paine all inclusive - Activities menu provided by the hotel

Torres del Paine

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We've just returned from our trip to South America, travelling through Chile initially and then Argentina.
Our first stop was Santiago, the hotel was fine, smooth pick up at the airport and transfer, all good
After two days we transferred by air to Puerto Natales and we were picked up at the airport to Transfer to Torres Del Paine . The Torres Hotel was amazing in every respect ,the food service and rooms ,the guides were excellent, special mention to Alonso who we walked part of the W with and Paulina .We thoroughly enjoyed our time here .
we then travelled to El Calafate by coach , The Wyndham hotel was slightly tired ,decent but out of town.We checked in and were told we had been upgraded to corner rooms ,otherwise we would have been overlooking the car park.we enjoyed our trip to the Perito Moreno Glacier which was amazing and on the boat ,our guide was Rebecca who was very knowledgeable. we transferred by bus to El Chalten ,and had two days on our own.The National park was amazing ,we did two self guided walks and enjoyed the Bars and restaurants .The Hotel was The Hosteria Senderos which was very accommodating ,special mention for Tony who looked after us in the restaurant.
we were picked up and transferred to El Calafate airport and flew to Ushuaia ,smooth pick up at the airport and transfer to The Las Hayas ,a lovely Hotel ,a little out of town ,it did have a shuttle to Town Centre .
two fulls days one Raft ride and walk in the National Park which was very well done ,the tour guide did and excellent job,Gabi he was very knowledgeable,and entertaining.the second day we had a trip to Port Almanza where we were taken by boat along the Beagle channel where we met some penguins ,it was amazing and the ride to and from the Island was exhilarating.Afterwards we enjoyed some local Tapas and wine then back to Town for some Ice Cream with Regina and the Driver .
We then flew to Iguazu via El Calafate ,then Buenos Aires ,we would suggest for future travellers that a direct flight to BA then connect to Iguazu would be far better as we spent all day travelling ,arriving quite late at our Hotel.
We were picked up by Diego ,who discussing our plans realised that Scott and Tracy needed a Visa for the Brazilian side of the Falls trip ,which had not been mentioned in any communication with Kim Kim.This was disappointing that this issue was overlooked and we did not have sufficient time to get the necessary Visa .we were able to change our plans to do the Argentina side first ,and on our second day the local company arranged two different excursions plus a sunset boat tour .Unfortunately no one arrived at the agreed time to pick us up for our proposed boat tour ,and we had no communication as to what happened .
We stayed in the O2 Hotel ,which was near the centre ,but disappointing standard ,the views from the rooms were over scrapyards and the Towels were thin ,grey and Shabby .We can provide photos ,we did enjoy the nearby Bars and restaurants but were overall disappointed with the Hotel.
We then transferred to BA and stayed in the Palladio M Gallery ,a superb hotel in every respect .We had a great tour with Andrea who was very pleasant and knowledgeable .We enjoyed the Tango experience and Dinner.
overall we were very pleased with our trip ,there were a couple of issues with the Hotels and Visa issue .we had excellent ,warm weather almost everybody we met during our visit was warm ,welcoming and accommodating .
we would certainly use Kim Kim again ,thank you.
Scott,Tracy,Sandra and Bill.

Hotel Reviews

Palladio Hotel Buenos Aires—MGallery

Buenos Aires

This Hotel is superb, classy interior ,spaces to relax in ,great lighting and atmosphere.Amazing choice for Breakfast ,and great bar ,unfortunately we did not have dinner during our stay due to planned activities but the restaurant looked very inviting if you are looking for a Classy ,Authentic and Stylish hotel then look no further ,this is the one for you if all the Mgallery hotels are as good as this then they are going to the top of my list

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

O2 Hotel Iguazú

Puerto Iguazú

A well situated Hotel for Bars and Restaurants ,the style is a little of putting ,bare concrete walls and glass elevators our rooms were at the rear of the Hotel and the views were of industrial yards and rubbish . the towels were old grey ,thin and repaired and not a very good standard the beds and bedding were fine Im not sure how old the Hotel is but it could do with an update

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Las Hayas Ushuaia Resort

Ushuaia

a good standard of Hotel ,a little out of town but with a Hotel shuttle ,nearby Park and bike trails the staff were friendly ,warm and welcoming.Nice size rooms well decorated and good finish

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hosteria Senderos

El Chalten

A pleasant hotel ,with friendly staff and cosy feel. it has the feel of a Ski lodge or Lakeside Log cabin ,good location ,the staff were friendly ,good restaurants and coffee shops nearby

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Esplendor by Wyndham El Calafate

El Calafate, Santa Cruz

A decent Hotel but not outstanding or overly welcoming .We felt the room Decor was tired and in need of refreshment . The Hotel is out of the main street of El Calafate and would not have been our first choice

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room decoration and standard of furniture

Hotel Las Torres Patagonia

Torres del Paine

This is a gem of a Hotel ,i can find nothing to criticise and everything to applaud .The Ethos of the Hotel ,its attitude to nature were a refreshing change . The food was fresh ,beautifully prepared and presented ,the cocktails and drinks menu amazing . Everyone we met was friendly helpfull and always smiling , I cannot fully explain the experience we had here ,you must visit ,it is more than just accommodation,it is reviving ,refreshing and you feel totally at ease and welcome .

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pullman Santiago Vitacura

Santiago

lovely Hotel in a quiet district ,walking distance to good restaurants ,the Hotel staff were friendly ,helpful and accommodating

Authenticity & Character

Location

good restaurants close by ,quiet and great views opposite

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

the rooms were clean ,bathrooms spotless

Activity Reviews

Almanza, sunset and Penguins 🐧🍽️🌅 PM Excursion

Ushuaia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tierra del Fuego National Park: Trekking and Canoes 🌲🚣

Ushuaia

Quality of Experience

Food

local food ,simple and delicious

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Perito Moreno Glacier Excursion 🗻

El Calafate

City Tour "Santiago Green Parks"

Santiago

Lovely green city; especially enjoyed the cable car. Good way to see Santiago from different viewpoints.

Quality of Experience

Guide was very accommodating and helpful

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We just got back from our two week trip in Patagonia. We had a wonderful time and loved hiking and exploring both in Patagonia and in the cities of Santiago and Buenos Aires. We really appreciated the ability of the KimKim team to be flexible to our specific trip preferences and itinerary desires, and having the in-country help number was very helpful. We particularly loved our time in El Chalten, where we could easily go on day hikes straight from town. In contrast, in Torres del Paine we had opted to do a group hike so that we could stay in Puerto Natales to save money and still do the Base de los Torres hike, but a few members of our group were very slow hikers and our experience was impacted by the need to constantly wait and the challenge of trying to lead a small group across many different ability levels.

There were a few areas where, in hindsight, the KimKim team could have done better in guiding our trip planning and providing locally relevant recommendations to make things a bit more smooth:

1) We did not receive specific times for bus departures and domestic flights between destinations until a couple days prior to arrival at our second destination (the first destination organized by KimKim). Even when we asked on the portal a couple days before the trip, we were unable to get a response until we reached out to the emergency Whatsapp number. This made it challenging to make specific plans that required reservations or to decide what activities we could do in the time either before departures or after arrivals.

2) We were in Puerto Natales for Christmas Eve and Christmas, and it would have been helpful to know in advance that restaurant reservations would be required for these days. This is the type of insider information that we hoped to get by using a trip planning service, but we were unaware and struggled to find a place to eat.

3) Two of our four pre-booked outdoor activities (Kayaking and Rafting) were cancelled due to adverse weather. While this is somewhat unlucky and bound to happen in a place like Patagonia where the weather can change on a dime, we would have appreciated a bit more of a warning or conversation about the potential likelihood of this happening when we were having the conversations around planning. We got the sense from the tour operators that they have to cancel a large proportion of their trips and this would have been good to know from the get go. While we were able to get refunds for these activities, they took some time to come through.

Overall, we did enjoy our trip and had a blast hiking, exploring, and eating our way across both Chile and Argentina!

Hotel Reviews

Savoy Hotel

Buenos Aires

This hotel is a nice gem in this neighborhood of Buenos Aires! The inside, with the high ceilings and ornate decorations feels like a luxury experience. Our stay was very pleasant. The included breakfast is good, the staff speaks very good english and is very helpful, the rooms were clean, and they were able to accommodate storing bags and showering before our evening flight. The location worked out well for us. It seemed centrally located, about a 10-30m walk from most things.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Chalten Suites Hotel

El Chalten

We stayed at this hotel right in the center of El Chalten for 4 nights while hiking. Overall we had a very pleasant stay. The highlights were the amazing views, breakfast, location, and kind staff. Our only less than perfect experiences was no way to cool the room (it was very warm despite no heat and it being ~15 degrees outside), and the bathroom fan being on a 5s timer making it nearly useless.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sent Hotel Calafate

El Calafate

Our stay here was mixed. It is very close to the bus terminal making it convenient, but a decent walk from the town. The bad: The interior was slightly outdated, and the room was small. On the first day, the common spaces smelled of cigarette smoke, but that was gone on future nights. The street lights from outside are very bright, so the blinds are a must at night. Finally, the wind is so powerful, and the roof so flimsy, there were sounds of metal clanging on the roof throughout the day and night. The good: Breakfast was great, and the rooms were very clean. The price seemed reasonable given this is a tourist town.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

More attentive front desk staff for check in

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ensure there is no cigarette smoke smell, and better secure whatever is on the roof making a ton of noise in the wind

Weskar Lodge

Puerto Natales

This is a nice hotel just outside of town. The rooms are warm, and ours had a great view of the fjords. The walk to town is beautiful, but also must contend with the extreme wind making it feel like more than the 5-10m walk advertised. This would be a 4-star review, however on checkout the hotel presented us with a bill of unexpected charges (box lunches, and the welcome drinks we thought were included).

Authenticity & Character

Location

In vs Out of town

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Dinner Tango Show at Café de los Angelitos 🍷🎶

Buenos Aires

This was our first tango show and was enjoyable. The dancers were professional, and musicians (especially the accordion player!) were great. However, it was over the top targeted at tourists and felt like a whole production. The food was not good, the tables were packed together and not intimate (big long tables of people, not individual tables). We would have preferred to find a more authentic feeling tango experience, but still enjoyed ourselves.

Quality of Experience

Food

The food tasted like it was prepared on an assembly line. Despite them asking how the steak should be cooked, they were all medium well.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full day tour to Parque Nacional Los Glaciares and Minitrekking

El Calafate

This is such a unique experience, one of the few places in the world you can experience hiking directly onto the glacier. The operation is very commercialized (probably ~70 people per hour), but the actual glacier trekking is done in smaller groups and was amazing. This made the otherwise so-so time in El Calafate worth the stay!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our bus broke down on the way back, but a new bus was sent out promptly so the delay was <30 minutes.

Dinner at Mako Fuegos y Vinos

El Calafate

What a fantastic dinner! The food was amazing, the wine was superb, and the steak was the best steak I'd ever had. This dinner was a highlight of our whole trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Full day Hiking Base Las Torres - 20km approx

Puerto Natales

This hike delivers what it says - a guided trip from Puerto Natales to the base of the towers. However, there were some aspects for us which could have been better. The main struggle was our group had a wide variety of hiking abilities. This was a challenge to manage for the two guides. This meant we paused often for breaks to let the slower folks catch up. It felt like playing stop and go at times. The weather was also not ideal, and the guides suggested at a few points we wouldn't even attempt the final stretch to the lookout. In reality, the final stretch was totally fine for the ~half of the group with some hiking experience and we (along with all the other guided and unguided hikers we saw) made it up without issue despite all the hesitation from the guides. Overall, I think the hike was probably 2-3hr longer than it needed to be given our fitness level. The guides themselves were very nice and knowledgeable about the park, and could answer many questions about the plants and animals we saw along the hike. While there could have been aspects navigated better in retrospect, the guides were stuck with a difficult range in hiking fitness for the group and no matter how they approached it not everyone would be satisfied.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The driver was great, but the climate control in the van was all over the place