Jesse Barrera

We have just returned from a truly wonderful 14-day February trip to Chile, booked on kimkim with the excellent, professional help of Jesse. First we must write about Jesse. From the moment I began looking into doing this trip, Jesse provided thorough, competent, and sensitive assistance. She "listened " to all our hopes and preferences, designing for us the trip of a lifetime. She adjusted hotels for us to make the package more affordable. And every tour she arranged for us revealed things we had hoped for and amenities we couldn't even have imagined - like early morning outdoor breakfasts in the desert, and phenomenal trekking and viewing experiences.

Once we arrived in Chile, again, Jesse could not have been more helpful. Communicating with her on WhatsApp, she ensured that all pick-ups and drop-offs went smoothly, and answered all the questions we had immediately, even sometimes quite late at night. Her responses were always kind and personable. We always knew we were in good hands with her guidance, and when we return to Chile - which we will! - we hope we will be lucky enough to work with Jesse again.

We began our trip in Santiago, and thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Valparaiso, with its incredible murals and steep, winding streets. Our guide, Javi, made sure we spent as much time as possible walking those streets, and she pointed out many treasures that we would have missed without her help. And we were thrilled with the "San Jose Volcano and Andes Mountains" experience. We had our guide, Juan Paulo, all to ourselves, and his love of the area and of the climb was so evident and genuine that it filled us with love for the experience, as well. He was also a true professional, teaching us things about the flora and fauna and ensuring that we were always safe as we climbed and descended.

Then we flew to the Atacama desert, and began our time there there with what was my favourite tour of all - the "Atacama Experience." We visited the farm of Gonzalo, a young indigenous farmer who introduced us to his llamas, and then demonstrated and talked us through the experience of making pottery with local materials, helping us each to create pieces of pottery that we could take home. Next we sat 'round a small fire with him while he prepared infusions from local herbs, which we gratefully drank. And last of all, he "gave" us each a llama to walk, and we spent an hour or so walking with "our" llamas in the desert as the sun was setting. Gonzalo was an excellent, knowledgeable and gentle host whose passion for the way of life he was retaining has stayed with me and made me want to return to Atacama.

Everything we experienced in the Atacama was wonderful. Our guide for "Exploring the Atacama Salt Flats" and "Valley of the Moon Tour" was Daniel - a true professional with an uproarious sense of humour. We learned about the salt flats, saw statuesque flamingos and wild vicunas with their young and had a great outdoor breakfast. Daniel brought us to a small village where he helped us find and purchase genuine alpaca products - and when we saw things we wanted to photograph he always made that possible. We were thrilled to have him as a guide again to visit the Valley of the Moon. The trek along the salt caves and stone formations was awe-inspiring, and Daniel thoroughly explained the formation of these geological wonders.

Marta was our guide to the Tatio Geysers, and she too was a wealth of knowledge and a great outdoor breakfast provider. And seeing the geysers steaming into the air at sunrise was beautiful and otherworldly.

I was sad to leave the desert, but other wonders awaited us. We flew to Santiago and from there, via Puerto Montt, to Puerto Varas. We loved our "Day Trip to Vincente Perez Rosales National Park" as well as our wonderful and quick-witted guide, Jorge. The highlight of this tour for us was the amazing view of the volcanoes and glaciers, and our ascent of the Osorno volcano. We chose to take the lifts up the side of the volcano, and I'd recommend that to anyone taking this tour. We also had a fabulous lunch of local salmon. All the while Jorge had us learning and laughing. He was an excellent guide.

Nest we went "Trekking in Alerce Andino National Park" with Luis, whose knowledge of local flora was impressive. He shared with us his fascination with the plants, flowers, and trees of this rainforest - and kindly taught us a lot of Spanish, which really pleased us.

Then we flew to Punta Arenas. It proved too windy to go see the penguins on Magdelena Island, but we enjoyed time to ourselves exploring the town with its amazing waterfront statues. We could feel the pull of Antarctica from there. Punta Arenas is another place we'd like to return to.

In Puerto Natales. the "Boat Tour to Balmaceda and Serrano Glaciers" was a fantastic day. We saw sweeping waterfalls, sea lions resting on shore, and beautiful views of the glaciers. It was doubly gratifying to be able to land and walk to the base of one of them, where the view was amazing. So was our stop at the ranch and our meal of lamb there. And so was our surprise treat of whisky served with glacier ice, on the boat!

We finished our time in Patagonia with a day of trekking Torres del Paine. Three treks in one day was challenging, but the views of mountains, glaciers, and waterfalls was memorable.

Jesse and Kimkim made all of this happen for us, and we will certainly want to work with them both again for our next South American adventure. Thank you for this amazing experience.

Our trip was spectacular. Jesse did an amazing job shepherding us through each step of our adventure. She accommodated a number of last minute requests for documents promptly and she made a series of changes to our itinerary as the trip was unfolding with a great "can do" attitude. There is no way we could have coordinated all of the connections on our own. Thank you Jesse!

My trip to Chile was a blast! Every tour guide I met was so friendly and helpful. They really made my day trips exciting and educational.
My coordinator, Jesse, in Santiago was very knowledgeable and patient. She listened well to my needs and questions; together we worked out this fantastic 14 day itinerary in Chile from north to south, from land to island, from desert to ocean,… I had a great time! Thank you, Jesse and Kimkim, for making my trip fun and productive!

Thank you for making our trip special for us and customized to our preferences. Jesse took the feedback and incorporated into the plan.

Hotel Reviews

Central Hotel Panama

Panama

This hotel is absolutely lovely and loved the location. They make you feel very special there. It is a beautiful hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Great history associated with the building and surrounding location

Location

Lots to walk around and see

Staff

Super friendly and welcoming

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spotless

Global Panama Hotel

Panama City

Very nice rooms and amenities like the pool, hot tub and gym. Great restaurant too

Authenticity & Character

Location

Nice and centralized but also quiet

Staff

Super friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spotless

The Hummigbird

Bocas del Toro

All the reviews online are accurate - absolutely beautiful and so peaceful.

Authenticity & Character

So serene and exactly what I was hoping for

Location

The beach and surf are so close by. It is down a very bumpy dirt road but loved the fact it was so Far out

Staff

Makes you feel like family

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spotless

Activity Reviews

Panama Canal Partial Transit

Panama City

Very informational and interesting - lots of yummy food

Quality of Experience

Food

Excellent - get breakfast and lunch and was a lot of food - big portions.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Awesome

Transport

Coral Cay and Red Frog Beach

Bocas del Toro

Super interesting and loved the guides. Good way to see all the different islands

Quality of Experience

Great guides

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Excellent

Transport

Nice boat ride

Boca del Drago & Playa de las Estrellas

Bocas del Toro

This is a great way to see starfish island and others

Quality of Experience

Very interesting and educational

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Excellent

Transport

Nice covered boat

The trip was AMAZING! Every tour was so well organized and all the guides worked so hard to make sure the guests were safe, informed, and entertained. Jesse did a great job planning everything and did all the thinking for us so all we had to do was enjoy!

Hotel Reviews

Our Habitas Atacama

San Pedro de Atacama

The accommodations were very comfortable and the staff was so kind. The restaurant had delicious food and drinks.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Boutique La Yegua Loca

Punta Arenas

This was such a unique spot. Cute rooms. Delicious food!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Remota Patagonia Lodge

Puerto Natales

The hotel was beautiful and the food was delicious!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Cejar Lagoon, Ojos del Salar & Tebenquiche

San Pedro de Atacama

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Stargazing Experience

San Pedro de Atacama

Even though it was almost a full moon, we had an amazing experience! We got to see some really beautiful things. The people were so knowledgeable and friendly.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Superb trip planning and execution! Hotels were top notch - interesting properties and excellent food. All transfers were perfectly done. Communication clear and helpful.
Excursions and tours were excellent and professional.
Top notch service!

Hotel Reviews

Our Habitas Atacama

San Pedro de Atacama

Beautiful property and excellent staff. Food was very good - restaurant staff excellent. Great restful home base for Atacama desert experience.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Quiet area

Staff

Restaurant staff. Spa service.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Remota Patagonia Lodge

Puerto Natales

Interesting architecture. Great staff and food.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Quiet location. Spectacular views.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Boutique La Yegua Loca

Punta Arenas

Small property with something interesting in every corner. Each room is different- beautifully decorated with local items.

Authenticity & Character

Local character!!!

Location

Staff

Staff was super attentive and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Super comfortable beds. Heated towel racks. Wool slippers!!

Activity Reviews

Base Torres Hike

Patagonia

Amazing hike but at the top of my ability range. Stunning views. Guide was excellent.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Stargazing Experience

San Pedro de Atacama

Lots of great information and incredible sky views despite full moon.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full-Day Tour of Torres del Paine National Park

Patagonia

Great overview of the park. Guide was excellent.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport