Isabel Pérez

We are not young couple, that decided to visit Galapagos islands and Ecuador for our annual vacation.
I want to thank our local specialist, Isabel, for the perfect organization of this vacation. The positive experience started from a mutual planning of the trip, half a year before the vacation: Isabel was sensitive to every word and wish and we changed and adjusted the plan a number of times, until we were absolutely pleased.
In our case, I preferred to book the hotels and flights by myself, however, most of the hotels were selected according to Isabel's recommendation and they answered our expectation and even, in two locations (in Isabella Island and in Quito), exceeded them.
The trip was organized in a way that we were followed by a guide or a driver most of the time. So, we could feel relaxed and enjoy the scheduled activities. Everything worked according to the plan, on time and without unpleasant surprises. It happened that by mistake, we took a wrong car to the airport and had to pay for it. Although it was our mistake, the agency returned us the price of this trip that was pre-paid.
The ongoing communication with Isabel continued by WhatsApp during the entire trip, which was very comfortable. However, the internet in Galapagos is poor in some places and not always the connection was possible.
The English of local guides in Galapagos was not always clear, sometimes it required effort to understand, but they were patient, and we normally repeated the question and understood the answer.
In Galapagos we selected the option to stay in hotels rather than at yacht, and it was a good choice for us, because we were free to go around the island anytime and performed snorkeling, kayaking and hiking to the extend we wanted. The only detail that was not properly addressed was the size of the wet suit for my husband: he is unusually big person, so, in one place we could not get a suit for him. I would recommend addressing this information in advance.
In continental Ecuador we were accompanied by a local guide, Rodrigo, who took us to Banos, Cotopaxi and Quito. Rodrigo was a very informal, calm and knowledgeable guide, and we learned a lot about the country, its history and nature, both are fields of our interest. The country is amazing and rich in resources and nature!
Although, we encountered, unexpectedly, the electricity shutdowns in the continental Ecuador (I hope, temporary), the vacation could not be better!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Las Plazas

Quito

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Holiday Inn Guayaquil Airport

Guayaquil

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Cally Galapagos

Puerto Villamil

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Isla de Baños

Baños

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Transfer to Guayaquil Airport, Arrival to Galapagos & Highlands of Santa Cruz

Galapagos Islands

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

We visited there at the end of the long day and were tired. The guide was hard to understand and sometimes we gave up.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excursion to an uninhabited island

Galapagos Islands

The trip was amazing and interesting, all the explanations were clear. We went to Bartolome Island; the landscape is breathtaking. Recommended!

Quality of Experience

Food

Unbelievable, but the food prepared on the ship was tasteful and of good quality!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide (Martin) was very good, we had amazing discussion.

Transport

Kayaking & Snorkeling at Las Tintoreras

Galapagos Islands

Kayaking-the waves because higher during kayaking and at the end we were a bit nervous, but the guide was very professional , so we did it! My husband did not snorkel that time, because there was no XXXL wetsuit to rent in this company.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

For snorkeling the guide trained us in detail, because we had no experience, and then hold my hand most of the time to cause me to feel secure. It was very helpful, because next day I was able to snorkel much better.

Transport

Snorkel at Los Túneles

Galapagos Islands

Waw! the sharks were my highlights! :) And they had XXXL wetsuit, so we both could snorkel. At the end the photos of the underwater animals and fish were available, made by the guide-the places we sow by our eyes.

Quality of Experience

Food

the food was simple.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide was perfect, he took care of everything and everyone.

Transport

Biking to Pailón del Diablo

Baños

Waw again! So beautiful views of Ands! The guide for the biking (Roberto) was energetic and enthusiastic. Our main guide, Rodrigo, followed us with the car, which contributed to the secure biking, since part of the road passes on the side of the local highway. We also visited with Rodrigo the Casa del Arbol, the swings, which was amazing experience. For the launch Rodrigo took us to the restaurant of the artist, the food was good and also the place is very interesting, with paintings and a studio and the green was everywhere!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Cotopaxi National Park

Galapagos Islands

We hiked around the lake with birds and received explanations about the volcano and the park. There is a small visiting center before approaching the hiking routes. The volcano resembled Fugi in Japan :) The route is situated at about 4000m, we tolerated the altitude rather well, however, we had to move slowly to breath normally.

Quality of Experience

Food

After the hiking in the park, on our way to Quito, the guide, Rodrigo, brought us to the restaurant located in the former Markise palace, the portions were very-very good!!! Unfortunately, I do not remember the name :(

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My husband requested to drive, so he did it in the park, which was also interesting experience. To drive you need an international license.

Quito City Tour

Galapagos Islands

Quito guided tour and artisan market. The city tour included churches, general explanations, city viewpoint on the hill, vising of artisan chocolate shop (recommended!) and - at the end, the market where we purchased souvenirs and presents for the family. Rodrigo, the guide, accompanied us in every activity, so the shopping was easy and pleasant. Before the market, we visited, per our request a leather shop in the historical part of Quito and bought bags of beautiful local design. In order to maximize the potential of this tour (we had only half a day in Quito before the flight), Rodrigo brought a driver, so we were free to go with him by foot and by car, as needed, without interrupting the tour for parking and waiting for pickup.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My son and I just returned from a trip to the Galapagos islands planned and arranged by kimkim.com. It was an amazing and wonderful experience made easy and worry-free by Isabel Pérez's diligent planning and responsiveness to our requests and force major causes requiring changes in the itinerary.
Our guides were prompt, knowledgable and friendly: Andrei and Christian in Guayaquil, Solange in San Cristóbal, Danielle in Santa Cruz as well as the crews of the boats to Kicker Rock and North Seymour island. The hotels Ibis in Guayaquil, Miconia on San Cristóbal and Galapagos Suites on Santa Cruz were clean and accommodating with a friendly and courteous staff.
We will definitely recommend the kimkim company to family and friends who are thinking of the Galapagos islands as a trip destination.
Sincerely,
Ora Yadin & Gil Benezer
Manhattan Beach, CA
USA

Cristobal was our main guide for our time on mainland Ecuador and he was exceptional; friendly, informative, and thorough. We had a series of help on the Galapagos including Paola, Liz, and the proprietor of our incredible Hotel, Jessica. All of them were wonderful as well.
We shot ourselves in the foot a bit by booking such a short trip and trying to mix evening celebrations with early morning excursions, but we left feeling we had made the most of our time in Ecuador.
Isabel was manning the control decks and absolutely nailed it. We had exceptional guides for every step of our journey and she made sure all of our shuttling throughout Ecuador was adequately chaperoned.
Would emphatically recommend Isabel, Cristobal, and the whole team--but would also encourage anyone using KimKim to book a longer trip than you think you'll need to allow for some R&R (we booked 8 days to hit Quito, Baños, and the Galapagos).

We had a wonderful time in the Galapagos, partly on our own and partly with guides and drivers arranged by Isabel. We loved staying on two different islands (Santa Cruz and Isabella) to experience the contrast -one developed and busy, the other slow slow slow with a dirt road as main street.
Snorkeling at Concha de Perla and las Tuneles and kayaking at las Tintoreras were highlights. Beware the boat ride to Los Tuneles on a rough sea, it can be pretty exciting.

Isabel was lovely - patient and helpful throughout the planning with many changes on our part including a delay in our trip due to unexpected surgery for one of us.

We had fun! Isabel was excellent in providing the right amount of preparation and support for this vacation. Quito and the national parks were truly unique experiences for our party of seasoned cyclists yet there were no fears, there were no surprises and nothing went wrong on our vacation. Thank you Isabel for maintaining What'sApp contact with us throughout our journey. Biking guide Alirio and driverJose were the best , always accommodating to our needs. Both anticipated our biking abilities and had prepared routes that were appropriately challenging. KimKim, Isabel, Alirio, Jose you are the best! Thank you.

Isabel planned the perfect trip for the 4 of us (2 couples 50 -62)! We spent 3 nights in Quito at a remarkable hotel in Old Town, which included a city tour, visit to the Equator, a cooking class, and a free day (on our own). Lucia was our guide and went above and beyond to make us happy! We even stopped at her home to pick up bug repellent bracelets for our trip to the Amazon. Her English was very good and her pride for her Country was impressive. The cooking class with Josue and Jonathan exceeded our expectations! Our driver for the day, Manuel, became our driver/guide for the hiking days in the Andes, and transport to/from Quito Airport, which was a huge benefit as we developed a rapport and special relationship with him. Manuel was patient, professional, and accommodating. He is an experienced and accomplished hiker, guiding us on high elevation hikes in the Andes covering dormant and active volcanos, an 8.2 miles section of the Quilotoa, Pasochoa, and the trek to Jose Rivas Refugio at 16K"! The mountain lodges/hotels Isabel booked for us were each very different and uniquely special.
Our stay at the La Selva Lodge in the Amazon was more laid back and a nice change from the city in Quito and the high-country, moderate/strenuous hiking in the Andes. We saw numerous jungle animals and birds, fished for (and caught) piranha, climbed a very tall structure (205 stair steps) towering above the jungle to observe birds, and visited a native/indigenous tribe to learn about their culture and lifestyle.
Finally, we spent our last afternoon/evening (and the next morning) at the Terme de Papallacta Thermal Springs which also had spa treatments available and a gorgeous hike.
Overall, we were thrilled with Isabel's attention to detail and adventurous itinerary and Manuel's thorough, caring attention. I would absolutely recommend both and would book a future trip with Kimkim again.

Isabel, our local specialist, rocked it! She checked in on us and was always there with any guidance if needed. She provided us with Manuel, who guided us during this trip. He amazed us with his knowledge of the places he took us, both on the road and while hiking areas that were very remote. He was always on time picking us up, always kind and courteous and worked very hard to make our time in Ecuador special. It was like we had a good friend in Ecuador showing us around! We asked for 3 days in Quito, 5 days of hiking the mountains and volcanos and 4 days in the Amazon and could not have written a better script. Anyone wanting to visit this beautiful country should use Kimkim...we will use them for our next trip back. My wife is already talking about a girls trip in the future! Thank you for some amazing memories!!!!

Our guides were amazing. Christobal had so much to share with us on this trip. He gave us a real feeling for the national parks. He is kind, funny and great company. Not to mention, being a great photographer!
Sebastian was bursting with information, and insights. He took us to various artisans.

Victor knew his territory and was fun to be with.

The layout of the trip was great, with all the beautiful national parks, the visit to Cuenca.
The only suggestion I would make would be less time in Loja— it’s a bustling city, more like a college town.
All of our guides were wonderful, full of knowledge about Ecuador, local customs, and easy to get along with.

All of our local guides and experts were extremely knowledgeable, helpful, and quick to respond with help and recommendations. In our relatively short trip, we felt like all of our major interests were planned out and we didn't feel like we missed out on anything at all.

Plenty of snorkeling, hiking, and sight-seeing, with just enough downtime to check out the towns and local digs. We don't normally travel with so much hand holding, but for the Galapagos where so much is protected and must be visited with a National Guide anyway, this process and itinerary were perfect!

The lodgings selected for us were also right up our alley--quaint and boutique with a local touch, while still providing respite and privacy.

We had one morning with miscommunicated tour times, but it was not a big deal and it just meant we had more time for breakfast!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Galapagos Suites

Puerto Ayora

Photos don't do this place justice, honestly! The rooms are spacious and comfortable, with lovely balconies equipped with hammocks. Run by a mother/daughter dream team, we felt so welcomed and comfortable every night we stayed!

Authenticity & Character

Location

A close walk to local restaurants and shops while still off the main road enough to be quiet.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Casita de la Playa

Puerto Villamil

Incredible location and very helpful staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hiking Sierra Negra Volcano

Galapagos Islands

We were nervous in the morning that the overcast and misty weather would keep us from seeing the caldera, but it was actually a blessing in disguise to keep us covered and cool from the sun on the first half of the trip. By the time we were out and back from Chico, we had a wonderfully clear view and made it home without too much sunburn. Easy hike, but long with the amount of stopping and sight seeing along the way.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer Baltra Airport - Puerto Ayora with visit to the highlands of Santa Cruz

Galapagos Islands

Our guide, Astrid, was incredible. So knowledgeable and insightful--she made all the difference to our experience of what was already fantastic sight seeing.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kayaking & Snorkeling at Las Tintoreras

Galapagos Islands

Best snorkeling of the trip in my opinion. Wide, open cove with very clear waters that don't get too sandy or crowded. You're able to see a lot of sea life without too much hard work or feeling rushed by the group.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our tour didn't actually include kayaking, which is fine in retrospect as it was the last day of our trip and I probably would have been more tired!

Visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

I would have liked a bit more time here, but our guide, Astrid, was extremely knowledgeable and it was so great to see the babies.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excursion to an uninhabited island

Galapagos Islands

A full day on the boat! A fairly large group, but accommodations were adequate (and lunch was so good!) and we got a bit of everything--light hiking on North Seymour with plenty of wildlife sightings, snorkeling in clear coastal waters, and beach time to relax and swim.

Quality of Experience

Would have been nice to see the boat's sails in its full glory, but not a big deal! A pretty big group, which means more chances that people are late/slow/affecting the overall experience. Really not a deal breaker at all, but we ended up preferring some of the smaller group activities. I just wish we saw more flamingos!

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Snorkel at Los Túneles

Galapagos Islands

Great guide who shared photos and videos after (love that!), but really a crowded location that made it hard to see all of the wildlife. Felt a little rushed. Everyone in the group seemed to have very different levels of swim skill, so it was really hard to stay focused on a given area for sea life spotting.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was an amazing trip. Everything was so organized and Isabel, the travel specialist we worked with, was so helpful in promptly answering all questions. Once we got to the Galapagos everything went so smoothly. The hotels and tours were great. Overall, I cannot recommend this trip, and using kimkim and Isabel to arrange/organize everything enough.

Hotel Reviews

Ikala Galapagos Hotel

Puerto Ayora

The hotel is in a great location. The rooms and grounds are great.

Authenticity & Character

Location

We were just a couple blocks from the water, and within walking distance of everything you would want in Puerto Ayora.

Staff

So helpful and kind

Cleanliness & Comfort

Albemarle

Puerto Villamil

Very quaint hotel right on the water. Our room had a balcony overlooking the beach.

Authenticity & Character

The balcony overlooking the ocean was so nice and the sun deck on the roof was great for an evening glass of wine!

Location

Staff

They were so helpful and nice!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Transfer Baltra Airport - Puerto Ayora with visit to the highlands of Santa Cruz

Galapagos Islands

Our guide was great! He was so knowledgeable and passionate about the Galapagos.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

Seeing the conservation efforts up close and the tortoise breeding center was great.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excursion to an uninhabited island

Galapagos Islands

The guide was so knowledgeable and this is such a cool excursion!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kayaking & Snorkeling at Las Tintoreras

Galapagos Islands

There was no option to kayak, but the snorkeling was cool with a focus on white tipped reef sharks. The guide seemed a little less into the trip than other guides, but still had a ton of information to give.

Quality of Experience

Snorkeling over the reef sharks was so cool.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Snorkel at Los Túneles

Galapagos Islands

This was amazing! Such a beautiful and unique area. There was amazing diversity while snorkeling and we saw so many sea turtles. Bonus we also saw penguins, orcas and albatross! This is a must-do experience if you are on Isabela.

Quality of Experience

Overall just a great day and we saw so much!

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Everyone was so nice and the guide was so knowledgeable.

Transport

Fun and fast boat ride!

Hiking Sierra Negra Volcano

Galapagos Islands

Our guide Nadia was clearly passionate about the area and the ecology. She was so knowledgeable. The hike is beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Food

Sandwiches which were filling, but basic.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Nadia was amazing.

Transport