Mery Morelli

Overall, we had a great trip and with minor exceptions all the logistics and tours went very smoothly. Some notes regarding our specific experiences in each destination:

1. Bariloche
- Gabriella, our guide for the first two days (Kawen Adventures) was exceptional. She was extremely knowledgeable and provided a wealth of information regarding the geology, flora and fauna, etc. She was very attentive and accommodating to our individual needs and interests.
- Both drivers (Tricky sp?,... read more

Overall, we had a great trip and with minor exceptions all the logistics and tours went very smoothly. Some notes regarding our specific experiences in each destination:

1. Bariloche
- Gabriella, our guide for the first two days (Kawen Adventures) was exceptional. She was extremely knowledgeable and provided a wealth of information regarding the geology, flora and fauna, etc. She was very attentive and accommodating to our individual needs and interests.
- Both drivers (Tricky sp?, and Freddy) were very good. Freddy in particular was very attentive and functioned almost as a 2nd tour guide rather than just a driver. He shared Mate with us, helped with lunch, and assisted us in navigating some rough terrain when we hiked to a waterfall near Lake Traful.
- Kawen Adventures was very responsive with including Rupert in our tours when his plans for fly fishing on 24 and 25 February did not work out.
- The gluten free lunch we requested through Mery was not provided for Patricia on the first day. Gabriela made the effort to ensure a gluten free lunch on Day 2, but the lunch providers need to improve their ability to respond to dietary restrictions in a creative way.
- The Design Suites hotel was comfortable and the restaurant at the hotel was very good. However, the rooms did not have good sound insulation, and the showers did not drain properly. The front desk staff were a bit surly and not very customer friendly.
- We thoroughly enjoyed all of the tours and activities in the Bariloche area, including strolling around town.
- The white water rafting was well organized and a fun day. Lack of changing or bathroom facilities at the shore where we began the trip was a challenge. The lunch provided was very nice.

2. El Calafate:
- The Esplendor Calafate Hotel was comfortable and had a good breakfast. The front desk staff was very helpful. We had to arrange our own laundry service in town as the hotel's clothes dryer was broken. I don't understand why the hotel could not have taken our laundry to a private facility, but this was a minor inconvenience. There was a problem with elevator floor not stopping at the same level as the corridor floor, which resulted in Carol tripping and falling. The hotel did take the elevator out of service, and fortunately Carol was not injured.
- The Perito Moreno Glacier tour was spectacular, and our guide Natalya was exceptional. She was fun, knowledgeable and responsive to our interests and requests. The itinerary incorrectly identified the meal to be provided as "breakfast". In fact, we ordered our box lunches to take with us from the hotel's kitchen.
- The bus trip from El Calafate to Puerto Natales was OK, but not the most comfortable bus we have experienced. The bus departed about 45 minutes late. The immigration and customs process to enter Chile was time consuming, and we waited in line outdoors in a very fierce wind.

3. Puerto Natales:
- The Weskar Lodge Hotel was cozy and comfortable, although the rooms are a bit small (challenging when you are traveling with luggage). The Ennos Restaurant in the Weskar Lodge is very good, as were the breakfasts. Nicole at the front desk was exceptionally helpful, and even adjusted the breakfast serving time to accommodate our schedule. They also were very helpful with arranging taxis, and coordinating the pick-up times with Patagonia Planet.
- We clearly did not receive the same level of personal service from Patagonia Planet that we enjoyed with Kawen Adventures and Huellas del sur. When we went to the pre-tour briefing on 29 February, Macerana of Patagonia Planet told us we would be in a group of seven (7) rather than with a private guide as per our itinerary. She also seemed to exaggerate the difficulty of the trek. We worked with Ines of Say Hueque while at the briefing and Patagonia Planet honored the commitment for a private tour.
- The vehicle that Patagonia Planet sent to pick us up at the airport appeared to be a personal vehicle and was too small for all our luggage (so we had to hold some bags on our laps).
- They did not provide the gluten free lunch that we had requested for Pat.
- They required that we travel to their office for the briefing rather than meet us at our hotel.
- It appeared that the first time they really paid attention to the requirements that you had arranged for us was when we showed up for the briefing on Saturday evening.
- The the trek in Torres del Paine National Park with Rosanna (our guide) went very well. Rosanna made adjustments to the pace, and Carol decided to stay at the "refugio" (where the cafe and bathrooms are) while Rupert, Pat and I continued. We did not make it all the way up the the lookout over the lagoon, but we made it onto the moraine. We were tired and it was getting late, so we decided to return. On the way back, Rosanna took us to a 2nd lookout behind the ranger station where we ate our lunch. We got back to the vehicle at about 6 p.m. We had a very good day. A little rain at the end, but otherwise the weather was very good (and not windy), although when we arrived at the lookout the clouds and fog was coming in and partially obscuring the 3 towers.
- Overall, Patagonia Planet seems more focused on the physical logistics of moving bodies to the Park, and not really focused on providing personal service and an experience matched to the needs of the client. That said, Rosanna was very attentive and accommodating to our needs and we had a great day.
- The tour of the Balmaceda & Serrano Glaciers was enjoyable, although a bit crowded due to the size of the group on the boat and on the trail. We very much enjoyed seeing the sea lions, and the interesting flora along the trail to the Serrano Glacier. The itinerary indicated that we needed to get a taxi to town to the 21 de Mayo office, but the Weskar front desk was able to call and confirm that they would pick us up at the hotel on the way to the dock.

4. Santiago de Chile:
- Luis, our driver, was great. It was nice that he did all the transfers for our stay.
- The Cumbres Lastarria Hotel was very luxurious and comfortable, and the staff very helpful. We had a great dinner at BocaNariz just a short walk from the hotel.

5. Regarding the entire vacation, we are very pleased with everything. The only significant issues have been that the tour providers did not provide the requested gluten free meals for Pat (although Kawen Adventures made an effort to provide a gluten free meal for Pat on the 2nd day), and the disconnect with Patagonia Planet regarding the private guided tour to Torres del Paine.

The trip to Argentina was incredible! Such convenience of having all of our transport coordinated for us. We loved the tango dinner show experience and our tour of Buenos Aires was fantastic. They accommodated the needs of my kids by scheduling us an earlier dinner tango show and a van service for our city tour which made sightseeing much easier for our family. Everything coordinated for us in Iguazu was excellent as well. I really liked Say Heque which was the tour company in Argentina that... read more

The trip to Argentina was incredible! Such convenience of having all of our transport coordinated for us. We loved the tango dinner show experience and our tour of Buenos Aires was fantastic. They accommodated the needs of my kids by scheduling us an earlier dinner tango show and a van service for our city tour which made sightseeing much easier for our family. Everything coordinated for us in Iguazu was excellent as well. I really liked Say Heque which was the tour company in Argentina that they used. Our tour guide Laura was friendly, warm, knowledgeable, and her English was perfect. I really liked the games and kid facts she incorporated into the tour. My only suggestion for improvement for Kim Kim and for Mery would be that they should recommend “kid friendly” itineraries and time schedules from the beginning...I really had to specifically ask for this rather than our agent suggesting things from the start. My experience using in Kim Kim for my trip in Ecuador was different in the sense that right from the start they made sure we had everything booked that was kid appropriate. No big deal this time around, as Mery was happy to help and was very flexible, and overall everything was excellent!!! Thank you!

Edwuardo was good, at times a bit condescending. I think he needs to show more background info on the trips he guides in other words plants and animals. Trips were to short. Back to the hotel by 14:00. I paid a lot of money not to have short days. On one day we did the geyser basin plus the 10km hike that was to be schedule the next day. back to hotel by15:30. because of this I pointed out to my guide that I had an empty day. We ended doing a hike up this volcano. Again back early. Your... read more

Edwuardo was good, at times a bit condescending. I think he needs to show more background info on the trips he guides in other words plants and animals. Trips were to short. Back to the hotel by 14:00. I paid a lot of money not to have short days. On one day we did the geyser basin plus the 10km hike that was to be schedule the next day. back to hotel by15:30. because of this I pointed out to my guide that I had an empty day. We ended doing a hike up this volcano. Again back early. Your rep. Santiago should have met me, not talk on the phone and give me a number to contact. You should REALLY stress with your clients in Chile not to lose their PDI and were to get a replacement. This will avoid challenges I had to put up with hotel manager in San Pedro(19% surcharge on hotel cost if I could not get one by the end of my stay)

Considering how packed our schedule was for this trip, things ran smoothly. Service by Marcela in Buenos Aires was amazing. Thank goodness for her because we didn't know about the weight limits in our carry on to fly to El Calafate. Tour around Buenos Aires with Nicolas was fun. It was nice that we were the first to get picked up so we could talk about other things that interested us about Argentina
There was a small hiccup when we got to El Calafate and nobody was there to pick us up. It... read more

Considering how packed our schedule was for this trip, things ran smoothly. Service by Marcela in Buenos Aires was amazing. Thank goodness for her because we didn't know about the weight limits in our carry on to fly to El Calafate. Tour around Buenos Aires with Nicolas was fun. It was nice that we were the first to get picked up so we could talk about other things that interested us about Argentina
There was a small hiccup when we got to El Calafate and nobody was there to pick us up. It seems like someone missed our reservation entirely since our hotel was also closed for business when we got there. Luckily, another hotel owned by the same company was available for us.
Tours and service after that was great. Noelia was with us during our tour to Perito Moreno. We loved she had lots of information about the area for us.
Private Service from Puerto Natales was a bit scary sometimes. A three hour long trip was done in two hours and 15 minutes. We were going FAST!
When we got to Santiago, the driver was not waiting where we were told. He didn't know he had to wait for us there. All got sorted after I called.
Hotel in Santiago was super convenient. Perfect way to finish; close to parks and restaurants.
We liked that we had a combination of full service hotels to smaller boutique ones. We liked that for the most part things were confirmed for us by Say Hueque before we had to do so.
Thank you Mery for helping us plan this amazing trip!

The entire kimkim team was fantastic! We had several flight delays and changes and could not have been more impressed by the support provided by Mery, our drivers and our tour guides to quickly and seamlessly resolve any issues with the airlines. Knowing we had a team behind us we could depend on was an added bonus.

Our guide, Manuel, in Iguazu was terrific!

I cannot recommend kimkim enough and will reach out to the group first as we begin planning or next journey.

Chile is an outstanding travel experience. I have traveled extensively in the world and I believe the country of Chile is one of the best. The scenery is stunning and the people are warm and friendly. My wife and I returned from a three week trip yesterday and are basking in the afterglow.
Our guide and driver in the Santiago and the Elqui valley areas were Alejandro and Luis. There can be no better guide than Alejandro with Senderos Nativos and no better driver than Luis.
Alejandro is a... read more

Chile is an outstanding travel experience. I have traveled extensively in the world and I believe the country of Chile is one of the best. The scenery is stunning and the people are warm and friendly. My wife and I returned from a three week trip yesterday and are basking in the afterglow.
Our guide and driver in the Santiago and the Elqui valley areas were Alejandro and Luis. There can be no better guide than Alejandro with Senderos Nativos and no better driver than Luis.
Alejandro is a personable individual whom I immediately felt comfortable with on an interpersonal level. I feel privileged to be shown the country of Chile by a person of his stature. He is brilliant in his knowledge of all aspects of Chilean culture, history, flora, fauna, and landscape etc. Luis is likewise easy to get to know and is extremely efficient and dependable. He has raised the level of driving to an art and I never once felt uncomfortable with him behind the wheel.
Travel to the Atacama area is a must. It is a travel experience that is singularly unique and powerful.
Our guide and driver in this area was Javier with Huellas del Desierto. Like the two individuals just mentioned, he is easy to communicate with and is completely knowledgeable of the Atacama area. He went above and beyond to make our experience in San Pedro both fun and informative. He is a professional in every sense of the word.
Our guide in Valparaiso was April who was perfect in every sense. Valparaiso is another must visit travel destination. April brought the city alive in a manner that would have been impossible without her.
Mery ( primarily) and Daiana (backup) worked hard to make our travel experience happen the way I wanted. Mery was critical to the success of the trip and she came through perfectly. Daiana also provided assistance at critical moments. Everything that was arranged happened as planned and occurred like clockwork. I have friends and family considering a trip to Chile and Argentina and I would not hesitate to recommend either one of them for travel assistance.
All of these individuals are complete professionals and are excellent at their respective skills. I have never written a review before but I can honestly say if you are planning a trip to Chile and/or Argentina, you can have complete trust and confidence in them to provide an unforgettable first rate travel experience.

All came together well. Guides were very knowledgeable and had a sense of humour which is always a bonus. Mery had everything planned and organized. Thank you 😊

The first two nights of the trip were terrible. Our original campsites were indiscriminately closed without warning. As a result all the campers were forced to use the facilities of much smaller refugios, which were inadequate for the number of people. We were herded in and out of the eating areas like cattle, with strict time limits for consuming our meals.

Furthermore, I was dramatically overcharged compared to other people in my group who booked directly with the tour operator, Chile... read more

The first two nights of the trip were terrible. Our original campsites were indiscriminately closed without warning. As a result all the campers were forced to use the facilities of much smaller refugios, which were inadequate for the number of people. We were herded in and out of the eating areas like cattle, with strict time limits for consuming our meals.

Furthermore, I was dramatically overcharged compared to other people in my group who booked directly with the tour operator, Chile Nativo. I was charged approximately $2500 US, including KimKim's fee, while others in my group paid approximately $1700 US!! I have requested a refund and will not use or recommend KimKim's services to my social network unless I am properly reimbursed. This is very unprofessional.

This was my first time in South America and Chile, and also my first time as a solo traveler. Mery put together a fantastic and thorough 15 day itinerary for me in Chile covering all the highlights and more that I had not thought off. I am grateful and privileged to have covered so much of Chile in such a short amount of time. All credit for this goes to Mery and her team.

The tours that were arranged were on-time, professional and very informative. The guides, whilst mainly catering to... read more

This was my first time in South America and Chile, and also my first time as a solo traveler. Mery put together a fantastic and thorough 15 day itinerary for me in Chile covering all the highlights and more that I had not thought off. I am grateful and privileged to have covered so much of Chile in such a short amount of time. All credit for this goes to Mery and her team.

The tours that were arranged were on-time, professional and very informative. The guides, whilst mainly catering to Spanish speaking passengers, also took the time and patience to explain the same to me in English.

I was also impressed with the accommodation that was booked, it felt like someone had really thought about the location and quality of the places. The accommodation in the various towns/cities was centrally located, close to shops and restaurants and very comfortable.

The highlights of the trip were the San Pedro de Atacama desert (would recommend the Altiplanics Lake tours, Laguna Cejar, Moon Valley tour & the Night Sky tour) which has so many varying and unique landscapes. Patagonia including the Torres del Paine national park and Balmaceda/Serrano glaciers are a must see, these are truly spectacular.

Overall a very well organised and thought out trip, that exceeded my expectations. Thank you for putting this together and ensuring I had a great experience. Would not hesitate to recommend kimkim/Say Hueque again.

With the help of Mery, I had a wonderful time in Patagonia. She planned a 14day trip of trekking in Patagonia and suggested locations I had not considered that ended up being incredible. El Chaltén, Argentina, was a wonderful addition to my original plans and I would have not discovered this wonderful town if not for Mery. She and her team at Say hueque deserve all the credit for my visit to the Argentine side of Patagonia being a success. Mery also booked a guided trek of Torres del Paine... read more

With the help of Mery, I had a wonderful time in Patagonia. She planned a 14day trip of trekking in Patagonia and suggested locations I had not considered that ended up being incredible. El Chaltén, Argentina, was a wonderful addition to my original plans and I would have not discovered this wonderful town if not for Mery. She and her team at Say hueque deserve all the credit for my visit to the Argentine side of Patagonia being a success. Mery also booked a guided trek of Torres del Paine National Park, Chile, with Chile Nativo that was incredible. The park itself is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. But the treks were great in large part because of my guide Josefa aka Pepa. She was incredibly nice, helpful, and knowledgeable about the park and Patagonia in general. I am so greatful to have had her as my guide, she did an amazing job. Thank you Mery, Pepa, and kimkim for making my trip to Patagonia a success!

Really enjoyed the trip that Mery coordinated. Drivers were very professional (some spoke only Spanish and some were fluent in English- all were fabulous and went out of their way to make sure we had the best experience). Note, be very specific with your wishes if you don’t want to take a long (South American style) lunch and would rather finish up earlier in the day. Sometimes a late afternoon vineyard tour and tasting makes for a sleepy evening. We had some last minute schedule changes... read more

Really enjoyed the trip that Mery coordinated. Drivers were very professional (some spoke only Spanish and some were fluent in English- all were fabulous and went out of their way to make sure we had the best experience). Note, be very specific with your wishes if you don’t want to take a long (South American style) lunch and would rather finish up earlier in the day. Sometimes a late afternoon vineyard tour and tasting makes for a sleepy evening. We had some last minute schedule changes and the team went above and beyond to accommodate our requests. Would definitely go through kimkim again!

We had an incredible trip. Everything went smoothly, we were met and picked up promptly at every location/airport etc. The guides were good especially James? on the half day tour of Santiago and Ozzie (Ozwaldo) on the half day Altiplanics Lagoon Trip in Atacama Desert. The street art and painted houses in Valpariso were interesting , Vina Del Mar was not.
I would highly recommend the drive we took from Puerto Montt through part of the lake district to Bariloche, while Bariloche is very... read more

We had an incredible trip. Everything went smoothly, we were met and picked up promptly at every location/airport etc. The guides were good especially James? on the half day tour of Santiago and Ozzie (Ozwaldo) on the half day Altiplanics Lagoon Trip in Atacama Desert. The street art and painted houses in Valpariso were interesting , Vina Del Mar was not.
I would highly recommend the drive we took from Puerto Montt through part of the lake district to Bariloche, while Bariloche is very touristy and commercialized the scenery around it is breath taking.
Our accommodations were all good especially as we were on a budget. It would have been nice to have had an early check in at San Pedro Atacama Hotel as we had been travelling since 3 AM and had arrived at the hotel at 10:30 AM and had to wait until 2 PM to check in. This was NOT disastrous but it would have been great to get into the room earlier.
The small hotel in Francis Drake in Porto Natales was really lovely and comfortable and the people there very sweet and accommodating.
The mix up with our final hotel in Santiago was unfortunate but Mery took care of it the moment we contacted her and it all worked out very nicely in the end.