Lucia Cazar

Gaby is very attentive and really good at her job! The Galapagos was an amazing adventure. read more

Gaby is very attentive and really good at her job! The Galapagos was an amazing adventure.

the kimkim www site provided a good way to coordinate the planning of the trip among the 6 people in our party.

Drivers and Guides all showed up as planned. Big shout out to our guide Danny (of responsible travel) as he was a wealth of knowledge on the history and culture of Ecuador. Our guide, Miguel, at Husaquila Lodge in Amazon was excellent. Our driver Segundo was excellent.

Great excursions around Banos. Great hike to base camp on Cotopaxi.

All hotels/accommodations were comfortable and helpful.

Dennis, Humberto and Alex were excellent guides. They were friendly, knowledgeable and had positive attitudes

All three of our guides (and Sabastian's father, Alejandro) services were above and beyond any expectation I had. The guides were incredibly knowledgeable about their, country, politics, the flora and fauna, and as an added bonus, where entertaining with fantastic personalities.
Sabastian and Sergio were especially memorable due to the incredible places they took us and their knowledge, and personalities. read more

All three of our guides (and Sabastian's father, Alejandro) services were above and beyond any expectation I had. The guides were incredibly knowledgeable about their, country, politics, the flora and fauna, and as an added bonus, where entertaining with fantastic personalities.
Sabastian and Sergio were especially memorable due to the incredible places they took us and their knowledge, and personalities.

Hotel Review

Casa de Vista Alta

Mindo

We arrived in the amazing setting of the Casa de Vista Alta and were warmly welcomed by Ester. The entire casa is intimate, warm, immaculate, well appointed and has an amazing staff. Our room was beyond words. The meals we had there were delicious and beyond plentiful. The bird watching was top notch. My only regret was not spending another day there.

Authenticity & Character

The way it was nestled in the Cloud Rain Forest and the staff.

Location

Staff

Ester was so helpful and accommodating.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Immaculate! Wonderful towels and robes in the room.

Activity Reviews

The Adventure Continues - Hiking Day at Cotopaxi National Park

Ecuador

Sebastian prepared us well for this adventure. I was a bit nervous since I hadn't been higher than the Matterhorn in Switzerland. He stopped for a warm tea before driving us up to the parking lot for Cotopaxi. The little store we stopped at was charming. I was thrilled by the experience of walking a 100 feet at that elevation, in the stormy elements of the day. On the way down we stopped at the park's cultural center. Sebastian briefed us on the exhibits in the center. We also stopped at a charming and memorable restaurant for a late lunch. There was a "petting zoo" on the grounds of the restaurant. We all were thrilled feeding the lamas the vegetables provided by the restaurant.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sebastian is an amazing driver, driving us for many hours on all sorts roads and driving conditions. I always felt safe. Also, he tells amazing stories while driving.

Transport

The van was incredibly well taken care of, clean and comfortable.

Napo Cultural Center experience

Yasuni National Park

What amazing memories I have from this part of our adventure! It was the complete package with lots of information on the area, the culture, the animals, plants, birds, insects. The people were warm and gracious. Our guide Sergio aka "Tyson" was incredibly bright, informative and a delight to be around. He made our experience in the wonderful setting of the Napo Cultural Center unforgetable.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sergio was top notch!

Transport

There were so many means of transport and they all served us well.

Our guide in and around Quito, Sebastian Carrera, was spectacular.
Our guide in the Galapagos, Vivianna, was good, just not the enthusiasm of Sebastian.
Our guide in the Napo Cultural Center, Sergio, a/k/a, Tyson, was another outstanding guide. read more

Our guide in and around Quito, Sebastian Carrera, was spectacular.
Our guide in the Galapagos, Vivianna, was good, just not the enthusiasm of Sebastian.
Our guide in the Napo Cultural Center, Sergio, a/k/a, Tyson, was another outstanding guide.

Hotel Reviews

Ikala Quito Hotel

Quito

The hotel was fine, just nothing stellar to recommend. Their breakfast was good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa de Vista Alta

Mindo

The setting of this Casa is absolutely incredible. Our room was large and comfortable. The meals were excellent.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hacienda Pinsaqui

Otavalo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Galapagos Suites

Puerto Ayora

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Napo Cultural Center

Quito

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Mitad del Mundo - Mindo

Ecuador

Sort of hokey. Not worth the stop.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mindo Cloud Forest & Otavalo

Mindo

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cuicocha Lagoon Hike & Otavalo Market & Quito

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Teleferico - Quito City Tour

Quito

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Adventure Continues - Hiking Day at Cotopaxi National Park

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Santa Cruz Island: Highlands & Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Pinzon Island & La Fé

Puerto Ayora

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Experience the Pristine Beauty of Galápagos Islands: Discovering an Uninhabited Island

Puerto Ayora

Took the day off so didn't participate.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cycling at Cerro Mesa Reserve & Kayaking at Garrapatero Beach

Galapagos Islands

The cycling was fun but not long enough. The wasn't anyone at the beech to let us kayak so we didn't.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Quito - Coca - Napo Cultural Center

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Napo Cultural Center experience

Yasuni National Park

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Indigenous community - Mama Cuna Path

Yasuni National Park

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sacred Wayusa Ritual, Goodbye and return to the City (Yaku Kausay Experience)

Yasuni National Park

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We have spent very nice and rather intensive holidays in Yasuni Natonal Park (by plane and boat), Quito-Mindo-Otovalu-Cotacachi (by car), Galapagos - San Cristobal-Santa Cruz-Isabela (by boat staying/sleeping on 3 islands)
Our experience was very good and I will recommend this type of trip to Ecuador to all people who are limited on time and have no time to plan/manage everything personally. It is possible that you can do it cheaper but you need to have a lot on information and do it long... read more

We have spent very nice and rather intensive holidays in Yasuni Natonal Park (by plane and boat), Quito-Mindo-Otovalu-Cotacachi (by car), Galapagos - San Cristobal-Santa Cruz-Isabela (by boat staying/sleeping on 3 islands)
Our experience was very good and I will recommend this type of trip to Ecuador to all people who are limited on time and have no time to plan/manage everything personally. It is possible that you can do it cheaper but you need to have a lot on information and do it long time in advance. I’m no longer a backpacker and wanted to see as much Ecuador as possible during given time. I decided to give this planning to the KimKim company. I think it was good idea.

There are two topic which I want to share however.
In hotel in Mindo someone has stolen a mobile phone of my wife. It was very unpleasant as she had already her pictures/movies from Amazon forest and obviously other important info there. It was family owned small and very nice hotel. The reception area was very small – we noticed that some local people are walking across without any control. The area was not monitored – no cameras. We realized that phone is lost and reported the fact to the owner. But he was of opinion that he can only ask some other guests. It was very disappointing. We left the hotel as there was already next activity planned but my wife was not in good mood… Fortunately and surprisingly after 1-2 hrs our guide (Ximena) got info that smartphone has been found… I do not how the owner has managed it but finally we got the phone back. Apparently someone was already unlocking the phone because date and some other settings were changed. My advice – keep all you important stuff with you, never leave it unattended and ask if there are cameras in the hotels. This is however another argument to travel through agency because owner of the hotel has been contacted by agency representative and this was probably most important.

Second comment is on guides. In general our experience with them was very good. Usually we had a local guides who ware looking after logistics and giving some practical information, sometimes travelling with us. Other guides were in the national parks - the certified professionals. Local guides however were sometimes also very talkative and helpful – sharing a lot of information with us (we send our best regards to Ximena in Quito and Stephany in San Cristobal). I have to mention however that on Santa Cruz Island we met a very nice person but she was not really speaking English. So the guide was only ordering taxi and informing us about time of departure and arrival. This was in contrast to all other locations. I recommend to address it. We were asking some questions about possible activities and places to visit on Island but there was no info - it was embarrassing for both sides (I guess).
I think KimKim/Responsibletravel knew that we do not understand Spanish.

Overall experience was fantastic and we regret that we did not have more time to explore more places.
I travelled with my wife and 13 years old son.

Activity Review

Snorkeling at Kicker Rock

Isla San Cristóbal

this was definitely one of the best snorkeling points. Regret there was no time to organize scuba diving. We have seen white tip sharks, many turtles and hammerhead shark - which is not that often showing up. I advise to consider diving and during all snorkeling wear a swimming cloths (against sun)

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kim Kim provided a great trip itinerary. All of the guides and transportation were on time. The local guides were very knowledgeable and helpful and kind. We very much enjoyed the time we spent a Kicker Rock and Bartolomé Island.

We had a thoroughly enjoyable trip. The activities, Mountain Bike riding, zip lining, hiking up the Cotopaxi Volcano and rafting were so much fun. Our guide was exceptional, very knowledgeable about his country, the various fauna and birds. Our unplanned visit to a chocolate factory was excellent. Christian Chalcualan made the trip for us. Nothing was too much trouble for him. The owner of the biking tour Eric, our Cotopaxi guide Luis and Ronnie the rafting and Kayaker were all top notch... read more

We had a thoroughly enjoyable trip. The activities, Mountain Bike riding, zip lining, hiking up the Cotopaxi Volcano and rafting were so much fun. Our guide was exceptional, very knowledgeable about his country, the various fauna and birds. Our unplanned visit to a chocolate factory was excellent. Christian Chalcualan made the trip for us. Nothing was too much trouble for him. The owner of the biking tour Eric, our Cotopaxi guide Luis and Ronnie the rafting and Kayaker were all top notch people.

Unfortunately the 1st 3 hotels were not up to a standard that we would wish on anybody. All 3 suffered from poor or not enough food. Location were either remote or in a dangerous area (the receptionists comment), all had hot water issues and one of them was in the middle of a road building site with deep mud on the access. To arrive at a hotel 5 miles from anywhere to be presented with a box room, awful food (boiled beef of some description), heating was a very noisy fan and heated blankets on the bed and no hot water was disgraceful: no signal to call our guide to get us out was annoying.

We’d had enough at this stage and after reviewing the next disaster in the middle of a noisy environment we paid over $200 to stop at a 4 star hotel. The final 3 hotels were outstanding just superb and everything we’d hoped for in the 1st place.

Overall a trip made memorable by our guide and mentor Christian. His tried to hide his embarrassment at our accommodation but it was obvious he was in a difficult position.

Hotel Reviews

Kitu Hotel

Quito

Dangerous area, no facilities after hours. Mainly a hostel. A few drunks worn and tired.

Authenticity & Character

Location

The dangerous area.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Worn out hotel with poor facilities.

Casa de Piedra

Mindo

Clean and comfortable accommodation. Inadequate hot water supply with very low pressure. No out of hours facilities. This hotel is in the middle of a road upgrade program. Access into and out of the hotel to the town was wading through mud and various building sites. Breakfast was very small and we asked for more bread. We got an extra croissant. We left went into town and stocked up.

Authenticity & Character

Location

right in the middle of major building works

Staff

When available friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms where great but hot water was an issue.

Cuello de Luna Mountain Lodge

El Chasqui - Pastocalle

Just no! 5 miles from anywhere. Food was appalling. lump of boiled beef of some description, polenta and lentils for our evening meal. Breakfast was adequate and plenty. Room was a box room. The suitcase was in the way so i put it in the hall. No heating except for a very noisy fan that was on all night and a heated under blanket. No hot water and no-one to complain too until the morning. More suited to a budget backpacker who just wants a mattress.

Authenticity & Character

Oh yes a very old dated ranch type environment

Location

Remote valley

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean but no real facilities. No hot water until we complained in the morning.

Hotel El Jardin Aleman

Puerto Misahualli

What a great place with many animals, birds and character. Staff were very attentive when needed. the room was comfortable and spacious.

Authenticity & Character

Claimed to be a jungle hotel and it was. Authentic with character.

Location

Beautiful location on the riverbank.

Staff

When we saw then they were helpful allowed us privacy but were there when needed.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Well maintained

Termas de Papallacta

Papallacta

Great staff (especially Jennyfer on reception) Outstanding food. To come out of your room and step into a hot spring 24/7 was amazing. Rooms were well appointed. Some great walks around the hotel and the spa treatments were fantastic

Authenticity & Character

well thought out hotel.

Location

In a valley at 3000m with hills either side stretching to 4000m. Great walking out of the hotel.

Staff

everyone was very attentive. Nothing was too much trouble.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spotless rooms and facilities especially the spa.

San Jose de Puembo Quito Airport, an Ascend Hotel Collection

Puembo, Quito

Location not brilliant but the on site facilities more than compensate for it. pools, spa various activities. Animals wandering the ground. it sits on a 40km bike route out the back of the hotel. Bikes for hire. Food was excellent and the rooms very well presented with tea and coffee making facilities. The staff were all very good and attentive.

Authenticity & Character

Modern built accommodation for the main annex.

Location

40 minutes from Quito but only 20 to the airport.

Staff

Attentive and friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Excellent very clean and well presented.

Activity Reviews

Jatunyaku River Rafting - Papallacta

Ecuador

Mad mad fun. The guide Ronnie was a real character. Level 4 & 5 rapids. Serious safety brief before we setup. The best new experience of the trip.

Quality of Experience

An absolute hoot af an adventure. But safe.

Food

A small adequate beach picnic half way down the river.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

2 real characters full of fun.

Transport

Bicycle day tour: Nono - Mindo

Ecuador

The 40km ride down the hills from the clouds, cold and mountain tops down to the rainforest was amazing. Eric the owner and his staff made us so welcome and ensured we also had some genuine Ecuadorian experiences in a local restaurant

Quality of Experience

Food

Real Ecuadorian experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Great bunch of guys

Transport

Mindo – Canopy - Cotopaxi

Ecuador

Great fun. 10 rides over the rainforest

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Adventure Continues - Hiking Day at Cotopaxi National Park- Baños

Ecuador

An amazing experience. We hiked from 3400m up to 5010m. the mountain guide was awesome. Knew his stuff, refused to let us push it and guided us at a pace he believe we should be comfortable at. Very hard work in the thin air. As an experience hiker and off piste skier this was probably one of the hardest things I have done. At 69 years old to reach 5010m to the glacier was a personal best for me. We arrived in the area to sunshine and volcano was there in all its glory. As we came to the end of the climb the volcano started to erupt smoke and ash but we were in no danger but it was an awesome sight.

Quality of Experience

The experience of a lifetime that will stay with me.

Food

Greta food in a local restaurant.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

This guy really knew his stuff.

Transport

We had a wonderful time on our trip to the Galapagos Islands and Quito. Our guide in Quito, Sebastian, was a great guide and such a nice young man. he was waiting at the luggage area with a sign and explained very clearly everything we would do and when we would be picked up in Quito. We also thought Astrid on Santa Cruz did a nice job.

There was some disconnect on how we were to meet our guides or tour buses (boats) each day. Telling us to stand outside our hotel at 8:00 a.m. and someone... read more

We had a wonderful time on our trip to the Galapagos Islands and Quito. Our guide in Quito, Sebastian, was a great guide and such a nice young man. he was waiting at the luggage area with a sign and explained very clearly everything we would do and when we would be picked up in Quito. We also thought Astrid on Santa Cruz did a nice job.

There was some disconnect on how we were to meet our guides or tour buses (boats) each day. Telling us to stand outside our hotel at 8:00 a.m. and someone would show up to get us, left us feeling a little insecure. Saying that, someone did always meet us but it was the lack of knowing who or how (private driver, bus, no one) we were to be met that left us a little uncomfortable.

Hotel Reviews

Dann Carlton Quito

Quito

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Sol y Mar

Galápagos

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Opuntia Galapagos Hotel

Puerto Baquerizo Moreno

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Colonial Quito City Tour & Mitad del Mundo - Middle of the World- From Quito Airport

Quito

I loved the Galapagos but our tour of Quito old city was by far the best tour we had on our trip. Our guide, Sebastian, was terrific.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Really great driver/guide.

Transport

Welcome to Santa Cruz Island: Highlands & Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

We really enjoyed the Highland Tortoise preserve and the restaurant on location was lovely. Because of delays in our flight we were unable to see the Darwin Research Station but the Travel agency added a different trip on for us.

Quality of Experience

Food

The restaurant was beautiful and what an amazing location.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Astrid was a very nice guide and had great information about the Highlands of Santa Cruz.

Transport

Experience the Pristine Beauty of Galápagos Islands: Discovering an Uninhabited Island

Puerto Ayora

We had a fun day on the boat and loved the snorkeling and hiking around the island.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Just remember it is a long ride on the bus from Puerto Ayora to the boat docks-approximately one hour.

Welcome to San Cristóbal Island! Visit the Interpretation Center, Tijeretas Hill, or La Lobería (Speedboat from Santa Cruz)

Galapagos Islands

Once we arrived at San Cristobal we were met by our guide but we decided to go to the hotel for a little bit before heading out for our tour because the boat ride had been so rough. The tour included Darwin's Cove where we hiked and snorkeled. This was my favorite place in the Galapagos.

Quality of Experience

Food

Food in the Galapagos is only so-so because it is hard to transport. Saying that, we did not come on this trip for gourmet food.

Transport

Warnings about conditions. The boat was very cramped and you had to sit below where you couldn't see anything.

Kayaking Adventure in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno Bay

Isla San Cristóbal

The kayaking was fun although the equipment could have been better. The trip out and to Darwin's cove was enjoyable and the snorkeling was fantastic that day. Our guides were "ok" . The young woman ( I don't even know what her name was ) spent a lot of time looking at her phone. On the trip back the water was very choppy and the wind was blowing hard. Our kayak couldn't stand up to those conditions and was flooding badly. We are very experienced kayakers (white water river conditions) but couldn't stop to bale the kayak because the sea was so rough. Our guides were off a long ways away and of little assistance.

Quality of Experience

When we set out to plan a week holiday to the Galapagos, we were overwhelmed with the many awesome destinations, activities and adventures to chose from as well as the logistics to get from one place to the next within the limited time that we had.

We reached out to Kimkim team for help and were really fortunate to have Lucia as our trip advisor.

Thanks to her wealth of knowledge and experience, we were able to plan the perfect trip that included our top destinations and every... read more

When we set out to plan a week holiday to the Galapagos, we were overwhelmed with the many awesome destinations, activities and adventures to chose from as well as the logistics to get from one place to the next within the limited time that we had.

We reached out to Kimkim team for help and were really fortunate to have Lucia as our trip advisor.

Thanks to her wealth of knowledge and experience, we were able to plan the perfect trip that included our top destinations and every adventure we wanted to experience, while visiting these wonderful islands.

I must say that dealing with Lucia was exceptionally pleasant and easy, so we have to send special thanks and appreciation to you Lucia!

She made this wonderful trip possible and was so patient, creative and wonderful in finding options that suit our plan, time and budget to make this trip possible and super special!!

Thank you for your amazing support Lucia throughout the planning process, during and after our trip to make sure we were always well taken care of, wherever we were.

We had one helluva adventure being amongst the marine life in the Galapagos.

Hotel Reviews

Andry

San Cristobal

Breakfast was nice, the rooms were clean and kept tidy, they had bathroom toiletries, even offered beach towels etc

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel La Jungla

Puerto Villamil

the rooms were clean and tidy, breakfast and service was not up to the mark as they had shortage of eggs, they did not have basic bathroom toiletries like shower gel, they provided a soap bar only, they did not provide hand towels, just the bath towels

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Coloma Galapagos

Puerto Ayora

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Kicker Rock (San Cristobal Island)

Galapagos Islands

What a start to our trip! Could not have asked for a better day out than what we had. We had one helluva a time snorkelling, spotted sea turtles, sharks, rays, different types of fish. We even did a bit of fishing 🎣 and caught a yellow fin tuna 🍣 which was then served to us in form of ceviche. We were hosted very nicely on the boat by captain and the crew. Loved every bit of it

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wildlife Tour on Isabela Island

Puerto Villamil

If one is going for the excursion to Los Tuneles then we felt there is no point in doing this activity. We were unfortunate as well that we could not get to spot anything as the visibility was very poor during snorkelling.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excursion to Los Túneles

Galapagos Islands

We have one helluva a time snorkeling. Sspotted sea turtles, sharks, rays, different types of fish. We were hosted very nicely on the boat by captain and the crew. Loved every bit of it

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discovery dive in Santa Cruz Island

Galapagos Islands

We thoroughly enjoyed the diving experience and we did a bit of snorkeling as well.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Morning Bay Tour & Afternoon at leisure in Santa Cruz

Galapagos Islands

We felt that we could have skipped this tour and done something else. The visibility in the water was not good at all even though it was bright and sunny. Considering we had seen and done so much the last few days, this tour just felt a bit boring)

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Beyond expectations. Kim kim continues to impress with services, professionalism, and utilizing great tour partners. Whether car sevice, private city tours or week adventures. Bonita yatcht in galapogos was amazing, led by guide David read more

Beyond expectations. Kim kim continues to impress with services, professionalism, and utilizing great tour partners. Whether car sevice, private city tours or week adventures. Bonita yatcht in galapogos was amazing, led by guide David

Activity Reviews

Exploring the Enchanting "Calle de las 7 Cruces" on a Morning City Tour

Quito

Guide daniel was very knowledgeable and friendly

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Afternoon Visit to Mitad del Mundo (Middle of the World)

Quito

So interesting, worth the stop

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arrival Baltra Airport - Dragon Hill (Santa Cruz Island) (M/C Millennium)

Cruise Ship

Quality of Experience

Food

Transport

Espumilla Beach, Buccaneer Cove - Puerto Egas (Santiago Island)

Cruise Ship

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vicente Roca Point (Isabela Island) - Espinoza Point (Fernandina Island)

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Afternoon Adventure to Teleferico Cablecar

Quito

Urbina Bay - Tagus Cove (Isabela Island)

Cruise Ship

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Always eye on safety

Transport

Isabela Island: Elizabeth Bay - Moreno Point

Cruise Ship

Charles Darwin Station - Highlands (Santa Cruz Island)

Cruise Ship

Twin Craters (Santa Cruz Island) - Transfer Out to Baltra Airport

Cruise Ship

we are very happy that we called KIMKIM and Lucia was the best person we talked to . we talked to her multiple times for last 2months for the tour and she was always available to talk and we got great advice and answered all our questions.
She guided us for the trips ,excursions and local smart shopping , hotels ....etc
I would recommend KimKim and Lucia to anybody looking for tour to Ecuador and near by Latin countries .

Transportation arranged by Lucia along with local Guides... read more

we are very happy that we called KIMKIM and Lucia was the best person we talked to . we talked to her multiple times for last 2months for the tour and she was always available to talk and we got great advice and answered all our questions.
She guided us for the trips ,excursions and local smart shopping , hotels ....etc
I would recommend KimKim and Lucia to anybody looking for tour to Ecuador and near by Latin countries .

Transportation arranged by Lucia along with local Guides were great too. Alexandro the driver at Quito was the best.
Marco at Quito as guide and Indira at Santacruz ( Galapagos) were very good.
Danny on last day at Quito was OK , he was rushing us .

Over all we are very happy with Lucia and her teak.

Kalpesh and Jagruti Parikh from USA

A very well organised trip, with excellent and well planned tours. Had an amazing time and exceeded expectations. Will definitely use KIM KIM again.

read more

A very well organised trip, with excellent and well planned tours. Had an amazing time and exceeded expectations. Will definitely use KIM KIM again.

Hotel Reviews

Ikala Quito Hotel

Quito

Had a lovely time here, made very welcome and comfortable. Front desk are amazing.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Itamandi EcoLodge

Quito

Loved being out in the middle of the rain forest. Very comfortable and authentic

Authenticity & Character

Location

Deep in the rainforest, which is a deal good experience.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Blue Marlin

Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, Galapagos

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Cally Galapagos

Puerto Villamil

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Deja Vu Galapagos

Pto. Ayora

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Snorkeling at Kicker Rock

Isla San Cristóbal

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Into the Amazon Rainforest, Arrive at Itamandi Eco Lodge

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Food

Amazing food and service.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Colonial Quito City Tour & Mitad del Mundo (Middle of the World) Monument

Quito

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a transition from Daniel to Lucia around November. So will start off to say that Daniel was AMAZING. Lucia was really good as well - very friendly and responsive. Also we had a fantastic trip, so that’s the most important part. Ecuador is beautiful and we enjoyed each day immensely!

What could have bumped both ratings to five stars:
- we could have benefited from more attention to detail. For example our Sierra Negra hike was 10 miles, which we didn’t know about until the morning... read more

We had a transition from Daniel to Lucia around November. So will start off to say that Daniel was AMAZING. Lucia was really good as well - very friendly and responsive. Also we had a fantastic trip, so that’s the most important part. Ecuador is beautiful and we enjoyed each day immensely!

What could have bumped both ratings to five stars:
- we could have benefited from more attention to detail. For example our Sierra Negra hike was 10 miles, which we didn’t know about until the morning of from the guide.
- some of the transport seemed like overkill. I’m some instances we had a taxi drive us for what could have been a 5 min walk.
- would have liked to have an itemized list of cost breakdown. At times I wondered, “what’s the mark-up for going with KimKim?”

Best guides:
- Israel for the Quito city tour. So knowledgeable and personal! Felt like we were getting a great locals perspective.
- Carmen on the first snorkeling trip. Really knowledgeable and friendly.
- Javier on the second snorkeling trip. Really well prepared and adjusted took videos of our snorkeling excursion which was an awesome bonus.

Guides that could have been better:
- both guides for the Cotopaxi and Sierra Negra hikes had poor communication and didn’t set many expectations. We also didn’t learn much from them during those hikes. Finally, the bikes on the Cotopaxi tour were broken down and unsafe.

Hotel Reviews

Kitu Hotel

Quito

FANTASTIC hotel. Really friendly staff, the BEST and breakfasts and the room was perfect and even had a deck.

Authenticity & Character

The wood floors and tile work was amazing.

Location

Close to a nice part of town.

Staff

Very helpful and friendly! One even let me practice Spanish with him.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean.

Hotel Deja Vu Galapagos

Pto. Ayora

Close to town and generally clean. Can be noisy at times though and lots of loud children. Rooms were dated. Breakfast wasn’t as good as Kitu.

Authenticity & Character

Good beach side place. A bit run down.

Location

Right on the edge of town. Perfect

Staff

Staff helpfulness varied. Had an issue with loud kids at 10am one night that the staff wasn’t addressing so I had to intervene directly which was awkward and frustrating.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Had to chase out a cockroach the first night. Overall the rooms were clean, but the sheets felt really old. Plumbing was dated.

Hotel La Jungla

Puerto Villamil

Felt more like a hostel and really dated room. But friendly staff and great view from our treehouse room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Great view of the beach from our room!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Really dated and sheets here felt really old.

Activity Reviews

Welcome to Santa Cruz Island: Highlands & Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

Quality of Experience

Everything.

Food

The restaurant at the tortoise center was top notch!! Best meal of the trip.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Enrique was awesome! You could tell he was passionate about wildlife.

Transport

Colonial City Tour, Cooking Class & La Mitad del Mundo (Middle of the World) Monument

Quito

Our guide (Israel) made this a great excursion. Learned a lot!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Biking day Cotopaxi National Park

Ecuador

Loved the experience of Cotopaxi. The guides and tour itself were terrible.

Quality of Experience

See rest of comments.

Food

The lunch portions were laughably tiny. The whole tour was pretty annoyed.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide wasn’t very informative and didn’t really set expectations for what we were in for. During meals and downtime they just went into a corner.

Transport

Wildlife Tour on Isabela Island

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Carmen was awesome!! Really fun and knowledgeable

Transport

Fun boat ride!

Sierra Negra volcano - Speedboat to Santa Cruz

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

See below.

Food

Had to share half my lunch with someone else. Really paltry portions given the hike length.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Driver was late. Terrible communication from the guide. Ended up just hiking on our own.

Transport

Late driver.

Experience the Pristine Beauty of Galápagos Islands: Discovering an Uninhabited Island

Puerto Ayora

Quality of Experience

Food

Fantastic food and drink service!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Boat staff was top notch!

Transport

Excursion to Los Túneles

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Great time seeing and learning about the blue footed boobies. Such a cool bird!!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Javier was amazing!

Transport

Daniel and Lucia at KimKim helped to plan our trip to Ecuador - listening to our needs and wants then catering the trip to our wishlist. The initial trip was planned for March 2020 and was delayed due to Covid. Finally, when we were ready- Kimkim helped to make this trip a reality. We visited Quito, Cotopaxi, and the Galápagos Islands. Their efforts allowed us to relax and enjoy all of the beauty of Ecuador- including fantastic active excursions (hiking Sierra Negra, Volcán Cotopaxi;... read more

Daniel and Lucia at KimKim helped to plan our trip to Ecuador - listening to our needs and wants then catering the trip to our wishlist. The initial trip was planned for March 2020 and was delayed due to Covid. Finally, when we were ready- Kimkim helped to make this trip a reality. We visited Quito, Cotopaxi, and the Galápagos Islands. Their efforts allowed us to relax and enjoy all of the beauty of Ecuador- including fantastic active excursions (hiking Sierra Negra, Volcán Cotopaxi; snorkeling with penguins, sea lions, and sharks; and learning the rich history of Ecuador) without being concerned with logistics. Each of our excursions was special and unique- our favorite being visiting Tintoreas with Carmen, full day Quito tour with a cooking class with Israel, snorkeling at Bartholem, and snorkeling at Los Tuneles with Javier. Thank you Daniel and Lucia for being our main points of contact, answering our questions, and planning an unforgettable adventure!

Hotel Reviews

Kitu Hotel

Quito

We had a room with a balcony overlooking Quito. The room was clean and comfortable. The staff were helpful and supportive.

Authenticity & Character

Enjoyed the breakfast

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Deja Vu Galapagos

Pto. Ayora

Authenticity & Character

Location

Easy walk into town

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Some challenges with bugs

Hotel La Jungla

Puerto Villamil

Nice hotel at the edge of town. A little outdated and no room lockbox. Could use some upgrades but staff were pleasant and helpful

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Colonial City Tour, Cooking Class & La Mitad del Mundo (Middle of the World) Monument

Quito

Full day of history in Quito. The cooking class was special. We could have walked more throughout downtown Quito. Felt a bit rushed in the afternoon trying to get everything in

Quality of Experience

Food

Chef was fantastic. We learned so much about Ecuadorian food and ate well doing so!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Israel was knowledgeable and provided tons of information on the history of Ecuador

Transport

Nice and easy to get around. Nice to have the car. Could have also walked more.

Biking day Cotopaxi National Park

Ecuador

Cotopaxi is beautiful. We enjoyed seeing wild horses and a fox. We hiked and bikes on Volcán Cotopaxi. Expectations were not clear so didn’t realize the hike was going to happen, so didn’t pack all of the right gear. Our guide didn’t share too much on Cotopaxi itself - so might consider a different tour group

Quality of Experience

Food

Lunch was fine, just the whole group could have eaten more :)

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Experience the Pristine Beauty of Galápagos Islands: Discovering an Uninhabited Island

Puerto Ayora

Great last day activity! The boat staff were amazing. Had the best snorkeling experience of our life! Saw penguins, shark, starfish, sea lions and more! Learned a lot about the geological history of the Galapagos!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Santa Cruz Island: Highlands & Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

Arriving on the Galapagos, this is a great way to get introduced to the islands!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wildlife Tour on Isabela Island

Galapagos Islands

Carmen was a great guide - showing us wildlife and taking us snorkeling! We even had seals come join us on our snorkeling adventure!

Quality of Experience

Food

N/a

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excursion to Los Túneles

Galapagos Islands

Opportunity to see blue footed boobies, Tortugas, and sea horses! Javier was a great guide even took pictures on his go pro he shared with us after!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sierra Negra volcano - Speedboat to Santa Cruz

Galapagos Islands

Seeing the Sierra Negra was worth the experience. It was a 12 mile hike which took all morning. Group was very large and the guide struggled to help everyone

Quality of Experience

Food

Fine, a box lunch

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide struggled with the large group and bringing 20+ people on a 12 mile hike. As avid hikers we were fine, but worried about others during the experience

Transport

All of our guides were amazing but especially Danny and Louis for our Quito/Banos piece!! Absolutely amazing! Will definitely recommend all of our activities!!

Lucia was very responsive and helped us plan a great trip. The drivers and guides she organized for us were excellent. Thanks! read more

Lucia was very responsive and helped us plan a great trip. The drivers and guides she organized for us were excellent. Thanks!

The trip was fabulous!! The guides and drivers were on time, professional and courteous. No issues, it was seamless!

When I set out to plan a 2-week family trip to Ecuador, I was a overwhelmed with the many awesome destinations, activities and adventures to chose from as well as the logistics to get from one place to the next within the limited time that we had.
I reached out to Kimkim team for help and I was fortunate enough to have Lucia & Angel as my trip advisors - they were both amazing and thanks to their wealth of knowledge and experience, we were able to plan the perfect trip that included our... read more

When I set out to plan a 2-week family trip to Ecuador, I was a overwhelmed with the many awesome destinations, activities and adventures to chose from as well as the logistics to get from one place to the next within the limited time that we had.
I reached out to Kimkim team for help and I was fortunate enough to have Lucia & Angel as my trip advisors - they were both amazing and thanks to their wealth of knowledge and experience, we were able to plan the perfect trip that included our top destinations and every adventure we wanted to experience while visiting this wonderful country.

We were in Ecuador from Dec 24 - Jan 4 and we had an excellent time exploring the history, culture, wildlife and all the unique aspects of its Amazonia and Galapagos that were unparalleled to anything we’ve seen or experienced before in our travels.

I must say that dealing with Lucia was exceptionally pleasant and easy so I have to send special thanks and appreciation to you Lucia! You made this wonderful trip possible and you were so patient, creative and wonderful in find options that suit our plan, time and budget to make this trip possible and super special!! Thank you for your amazing support throughout the planning process and even during and after our trip to make sure we were always well taken care of wherever we were. You are simply AMAZING!!!

Hotel Reviews

Ikala Quito Hotel

Quito

Great hotel in a very good location, amazing service and staff are very friendly. Our room was very spacious and comfortable

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Napo Cultural Center

Quito

A very unique setting for a beautiful and extremely charming lodge - cabins are spacious and super comfortable and the best part is feeling like you are living in the wilderness of the jungle while in the comfort of your private space. The food was delicious and abundant, we were spoiled with fresh cold towels and refreshing natural juices after each adventure. Special shoutout to the chefs and the restaurant staff for doing an awesome job during each meal. But the biggest and best mention and thanks goes to the manager of the lodge and to our guide « Tyson « for making this whole experience so memorable and unique! Highly recommend it!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Blue Marlin

Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, Galapagos

An OK hôtel, not great - accommodation; facilities and breakfast were just average, service was basic and transactional, nothing special to mention

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Posada del Mar

Puerto Ayora

Exceptional and super attentive service from Carlos made our stay at this hotel extremely wonderful and truly memorable. The location is super convenient, walking distance from the ferry port and the facilities are very comfortable. The Views overlooking the harbour especially from the common area were amazing We enjoyed our stay tremendously and we felt right at home thanks to Carlos! Highly recommend staying here when in Santa Cruz!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Quito - Coca - Napo Cultural Center

Ecuador

Amazing, unique experience add super special y our guide « Tyson »

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Parrot Clay-lick Viewing, Visiting a Community Project & The Observation Tower (Sumak Kausay Experience)

Yasuni National Park

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Indigenous Encounter and Hike to Mama Cuna Path (Yaku Kausay Experience)

Yasuni National Park

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Snorkeling at Kicker Rock

Isla San Cristóbal

Wonderful experience but water was too cold to enjoy snorkeling - most of us couldn’t stay in the water for more than 20 minutes. We should have been given long wet suits not short ones. Also the guide was so cold that he was rushing us while going through the kicker rock passage.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kayaking Adventure in Tortuga Bay & Afternoon Bay Tour of Santa Cruz Island

Puerto Ayora

Amazing adventure in a beautiful protected bay where sea turtles and white tip reef sharks roam freely and in high numbers. We kayaked through the Laguna and saw so many turtles and sharks up close from our kayak - it was so unique and special to be able to connect with nature and wildlife in such a way without feeling rushed and enjoy all these wonderful encounters!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We could not have been happier with the service we received from the kimkim team! Lucia and Angel responded immediately to our questions before and during our travel. Every possible effort was made on their part to ensure we had a safe and exciting vacation with exceptional guides at every turn.

Our time in Peru was a once-in-a-lifetime experience! We had an amazing tour of Lima (thank you Juana!), an educational Sacred Valley tour (thank you Henry!). Lucia and Angel reserved Andre as... read more

We could not have been happier with the service we received from the kimkim team! Lucia and Angel responded immediately to our questions before and during our travel. Every possible effort was made on their part to ensure we had a safe and exciting vacation with exceptional guides at every turn.

Our time in Peru was a once-in-a-lifetime experience! We had an amazing tour of Lima (thank you Juana!), an educational Sacred Valley tour (thank you Henry!). Lucia and Angel reserved Andre as our Machu Picchu guide and he was perfect for us. Andre taught us about Incan culture and history as well as the integration of Incan beliefs into everyday Peruvian life. This was a highlight of our stay in Peru.

Juan Carlos led an exceptional excursion in Cusco and we can personally recommend his services. There were extenuating circumstances during our Cusco stay but Juan Carlos and the kimkim team made sure that we remained comfortable and cared for without interruption.

Off to Ecuador where we were treated like royalty by Angel and Sebastian in Quito. The next morning, we flew to the Galapagos and the attention from the kimkim staff did not disappoint. Rita was attentive to our every need (drivers, boat transfers, flights, ferries) --- she could not have done more for us! Julio (our guide for nature hikes) was knowledgeable, humorous and energetic.

Definitely take the snorkeling trip to the uninhabited island and try to secure Ricardo as your guide. He and the boat captain went above and beyond to create a memorable experience for everyone. The food and staff on board the Nautilus were friendly and accommodating in every detail.

Our final stop was at the Middle of the World where Marco provided an interesting and amusing tour. We truly enjoyed our time with him. Before we boarded our flight home, Angel took the time to meet us personally at the airport and share much-deserved hugs and farewells.

Because of an unexpected event in Peru, we were unable to meet our daughter on the Galapagos Islands as stated on our original itinerary. Lucia and Angel not only ensured that she was able to participate in the activities as planned, they also rescheduled events for us back in Peru until we could join her. We were never concerned for her safety and she even got one-on-one tours from the guides on the Galapagos Islands.

A final observation: You will not be disappointed with the service provided by this kimkim team. Lucia and Angel managed everything: meals, tickets, transfers, taxis, luggage transport, tours, entrance fees... the list is lengthy! You will be well taken care of and can be secure knowing that your agents are on top of every activity, hotel, and transportation need.

No one could have asked more from Lucia and Angel. We recommend them --- and the tour they created for us --- without reservation!

Happy travels to Peru and Ecuador, everyone!
Barb and Dan

Hotel Reviews

Union Hotel Cusco

Cusco

Great food, excellent and attentive staff. Fun location near the mercado and a short walk from the plaza.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arawi Miraflores Prime

Lima

Location in a funky part of Lima: short walk to Larcomar and Miraflores park.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Excellent breakfast buffet!

Tierra Viva Valle Sagrado

Urubamba

Gorgeous setting, fabulous food, great staff. The room itself was basic, but we were outside most of the time. Beautiful setting near mountains and the river. The town of Ullantaytambo is not remarkable, but it's lively and interesting!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Maritza was a lot of fun. We enjoyed everyone, but she was very kind and friendly!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kitu Hotel

Quito

Authenticity & Character

Definitely a boutique hotel. We were on the 4th floor (walk up) and our drive and guide carried our heavy bags all the way up for us!!

Location

Beautiful night time view from the balcony

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Villa Laguna

Puerto Ayora

Great pool!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very close to the piers and the nightlife and the music and the plaza and the restaurants!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Isamar Hotel

Puerto Villamil, Isla Isabela

Sea breezes lulled us to sleep!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right on the beach. Nice.

Staff

Stored our luggage, put out a great breakfast buffet, provided extra towels: they couldn't have been nicer or more attentive!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Afternoon Highlights of Lima- City Tour

Lima

We had a unique experience due to political upheaval --- our guide kept us safe and informed!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Juana was excellent

Cusco - The Sacred Valley

Peru

We enjoyed an amusing and educational tour of the area and the peoples of Cusco!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Maras & Moray Tour

Peru

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Machu Picchu - Huayna Picchu - Cusco

Peru

We were blown away by Andre and our experience at the citadel. Mystical, practical, humorous, intelligent... an indescribable experience.

Quality of Experience

Everything was ready for us: train tickets, bus tickets, knowledgeable tour guide. It was perfect.

Food

We ate at Toto's. Good lunch buffet. Avoid the drink "Machu Picchu" unless you like toothpaste or mouthwash!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Andre was amazing!

Transport

Colonial Quito City Tour & Mitad del Mundo (Middle of the World) Monument

Quito

Marco was hilarious and was a good sport while we practiced our Spanish and asked him to take photos.

Quality of Experience

Great tour on site; the woman was humorous and intelligent

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Thank you Marco!

Transport

Experience the Pristine Beauty of Galápagos Islands: Discovering an Uninhabited Island

Puerto Ayora

We were unprepared for the amazing the boat ride! Schooner to the island, hike to a spectacular view, snorkeling with penguins and sharks and sea lions. And they never stopped feeding us on the boat!! Breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, snack. Lovely voyage!

Quality of Experience

I love boat rides. That was enough for me. The hike and snorkeling were extras. :)

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ricardo crushed it! Concerned about the environment, intelligent, worked well with the entire group.

Transport

Woohoo! Sailboat!

Dinner by the Sea

Galapagos Islands

Delightful night time boat shuttle to an adorable restaurant.

Quality of Experience

The food was exceptional, great cocktails, loved being near the water

Food

We upgraded to lobster. Worth it!

Transport

Short ferry ride and you're there

Isabela Island's Treasures: Exploring the Breeding Center & Wetlands

Galapagos Islands

One of the highlights of the islands! If you want to see tortoises, take this tour!

Quality of Experience

This was a must-see for us. LOTS of tortoises to see.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Julio showed us flamingos, Darwin finches, different flora and fauna of the Galapagos. We arrived when the tortoises were being fed and that was a bonus for sure!

Transport

Well, we walked.