Jacquie Granda

My trip to Ecuador was a fabulous excursion. The sights and sounds that I experienced will forever be remembered. Even when a pivot from the itinerary was necessitated by my health issues, it was executed flawlessly. What made the trip so successful was my driver/guide Daniel. He helped me physically get around, but his overall knowledge, his driving skill, his hidden gems to explore, and his other worldly personality combined to make this an unforgettable tour. Beyond that, the accommodations and the restaurants were top notch. From the beaches to the Andes, to the jungle, to the volcanos, there is no other country like Ecuador. The people are friendly, the weather was perfect, the sky was pure blue. I wish I could stop there, but I had an issue with the transportation that was never resolved. I was told by KIMKIM to quote, “anticipate the arrival of a comfortable private transportation service”. What I got was an uncomfortable cramped regular automobile that the guide told me that he borrowed from a friend. Really? This is how your company operates? You don’t operate with a fleet of vans with easy ingress and egress and large viewing windows? This car had a faulty passenger seat which made things very challenging every time I had to get in or out. So, this situation and the fact that it was never addressed and resolved is the reason for the three stars. In conclusion, I would say to potential travelers to Ecuador definitely consider KIMKIM, but be sure of your ride before you commit.

Dani was amazing! Checking in with us throughout the trip, making sure we arrived and got to where we needed to go and had information and were prepared for the next day and any changes that came up. We had so much fun with so many of our guides. Christian who we first met when we were picked up at the Quito to go to our hotel gave us some good recommendations for food and it didn't seem to matter how early he then had to come back and pick us up for airport always had a smile and was phenomenal at getting us through lines with paperwork with ease. We saw others struggling and he got us right through with everything in hand on our way to Baltra where we met Ruben who was just so much fun. He had a ton of energy and knowledge and love for his island. His entire team (and there was an entire team of folks) who were part of the bike riding activity were just amazing. My son is an avid rider, my daughter not so much. But we all had a great time and the views were amazing and so were the encounters with all the tortoise and wildlife. Ruben was using an app on his phone to call birds as we walked thru portions and were able to see so many. The double decker lava tunnel was really something else. The ice cream shop he recommended at the end became a daily stop while we stayed on Santa Cruz. Conrad and crew on the Sebastian for our day to Santa Fe were also amazing! My kids and I have been fortunate to snorkel in several destinations but we've never seen so many fish until that day. And then there were the sea lion surprises and one decided to come play and show us how well it can swim. We had great dinners from restaurant recommendations from Ruben (FRA FRE, went there twice) and reservation help from Dani to go to The Point by Midori. Tortuga Bay was beautiful and the kayaking was so much fun. Alexander tried really hard to find baby sharks for my son in the mangroves and he took us to his favorite spots which were so pretty to see.... that's just the first island we went to Isabela and San Cristobal... I originally booked this trip to see penguins (which I did get to see multiple days in Isabela) and to have an activity filled trip with my kids who had a blast. First trip I haven't had to "plan" which made things much easier for me. I do have to mention Gabriela on Isabela as well. She was fantastic! She was our guide on a couple excursions including the tunnels and wall of tears. We got to meet so many incredible people along the way.

Alirio was incredible. Being with him was like traveling with a family member who is an expert guide. Jacquie did a great job at planning out our trip. Valentina greeted us and presented us with wonderful gifts. First part of our tour was mainland where we experienced diverse experiences such as rainforest , mountains, lagoon, animals, volcanoes, equator line, caves, and new foods. Second part was tropical paradise in Galapagos with incredible experiences with nature and animals, beaches etc! Our guides were kind, helpful and experienced.

Our local specialist, Jacquie was communicative and gave great ideas and opportunities to tweak our trip before we actually left the US. Our hotels and excursions were great.Our guides, Jorge, in Quito was most pleasant, knowledgeable, professional and easy going. Our guide in Santa Cruz, Enrique was a very good guide and very knowledgeable of his island. He was very professional and friendly.

The only problem we had was the lack of knowledge about our tours in the Galápagos Islands.We wish we had known how long each excursion was going to be and What to expect. the names of the tour companies we went snorkeling with would have been helpful so we could get details about each trip before we went . We were told we were going biking and didn’t know how far it was or how long the excursion would be. That was very disappointing to only ride 8.3 miles!One time in Isla Isabel we got picked up at 10:45 for a snorkeling trip. We didn’t know how long it was, what we needed to bring in the reference of food. We later found out we were served lunch, which was very unexpected. Knowing more about our excursions would’ve been very helpful! Jacqui was very good in communicating when we had questions, but we didn’t realize how much we didn’t know until we got to the islands. She was very kind and met us in Quito . She asked if we had questions, but we didn’t think to ask about these things at all. The people who met us to take us to the port were helpful especially since we were not fluent in Spanish.

We do not know if we would use Kim Kim travel for a future trip.

Hotel Review

JW Marriott Hotel Quito

Quito

We had a wonderful stay at the JW Marriott Hotel Quito. The hotel was clean, convenient, and very nice overall. There were no major issues, and it was a comfortable start to our journey. The experience at this location was pleasant, and I would definitely recommend it to others.

Activity Reviews

Wildlife Encounter at Los Tuneles (Cabo Rosa)

Galapagos Islands

I loved the snorkeling activities, which were fantastic and varied due to the different locations we visited. We even got underwater photos, which was a great touch. Our guides for the snorkeling trips were all very pleasant and added to the enjoyable experience.

Day of Adventure: Cycling at Cerro Mesa Reserva

Galapagos Islands

The cycling at Cerro Mesa Reserva was disappointing. We didn't know how far we were riding, and the guide didn't either. It turned out to be about eight miles, and we thought it would be longer. The road was busy, which made it less enjoyable. It would have been nice to know beforehand if we were riding with others or just our guide. Overall, it felt too short and not what we expected.

Valentina and David were exceptional. Very caring and concerned about our health and well being. Our only slight issue was more not enough communication prior to the trip about our departure time. We were checked into the Ilatoa Lodge on the evening of February 11, to then check out at noon on the 12th, although our flight was not until 1145pm. The lodge accommodated us at a cost of another night and offered to take us to a rose greenhouse, which was very thoughtful, but the cost was $35 a person, not paid to the greenhouse but directly to Marcelo. Thought that was pretty pricey. Marcelo did take us to the airport while also encouraging us to call him if we were ever interested in another trip to Ecuador. I would not…..I am very pleased with kimkim and would feel comfortable trusting further travel organized through you.

Hotel Reviews

Ilatoa Lodge

Quito

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hacienda El Porvenir

Machachi

Authenticity & Character

Location

N

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Swissotel Quito

Quito

Very nice hotel. Fabulous breakfast !

Authenticity & Character

Location

N

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hiking Fuya Fuya Volcano - Quito

Ecuador

Very muddy trails plus I was not feeling well

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Alpaca Encounter & Kayaking at Quilotoa Lagoon

Ecuador

Kayaking was not fantastic, kind of lame equipment but understandable. Not worth the effort. Should encourage the rim hike.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Quito - Cotopaxi National Park

Ecuador

David went out of his way to make sure we saw Cotopaxi volcanoes it all her glory

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Antisana & La Mica Lagoon: A Day of Andean Wildlife & Scenic Beauty

Ecuador

Lunch stop was the best

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We just returned from an unforgettable 10-day Galápagos trip that Jacquie planned for us, and we were blown away by the experience! The whole family loved it. Huge thanks to Jacquie and her local team for being so responsive and helpful throughout - we felt taken care of every step of the way.

Special shoutout to Jacquie for the amazing New Year's dinner and the lovely souvenirs she gave us at the end. The guides were knowledgeable and fantastic, transports were seamless, and everything was just perfect. Would highly recommend Jacquie for planning your Galápagos adventure!

From a quote to a return home, we received an incredible support and attention from Josselyn.
at every step, quoting, activity selection, daily checks, and dealing with unexpected diversions, she stood by to help, 24/7.
The entire tour program was well designed, coordinated, and monitored during our amazing 12 days in Galapagos.
There is no denial, that having Kimkim on our side and Josselyn direct involvement, enabled us to reach every corner, secure every excursion, and enjoy comfortable accommodations. on many occasions (and we traveled during X-Mass and NY), we witnessed sold-out tours and limited accommodations. Not for us. Everything was reserved well in advance, local guides waited by the gate/hotel/marina, and entire trip was executed well beyond my expectations. Thank you Josselyn and entire crew to make this a dream vacation

Activity Reviews

Snorkeling at Concha Perla (Private)

Galapagos Islands

San Cristóbal Arrival, Kayaking & Local Cooking Class

Isla San Cristóbal

Quality of Experience

Food

an exposure to local culture in intimate settings was priceless.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hiking the Sierra Negra Volcano

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jacquie was awesome, very attentive, even outside work hours. Our trip was amazing and all of our group vacation couples will be using Kim Kim again.

Hotel Review

M/Y Tribute Superyacht

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The yacht is brand new after a major refab!

Activity Review

Chinese Hat (Santiago Island) & Rabida Island

Cruise Ship

These islands had the best snorkeling of the trip! Sharks, sea lions, morays, octopuses, marine iguanas - it felt like we saw it all.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport