Andean Travel Experience

I can definitely recommend the trip that was organised for me by Clara (and others).

- All communication was prompt and easy.
- Every single transfer/pick up was bang on time. This I thought very impressive given I had so many of them! Not once was I left waiting at all. That is obviously comforting when you are travelling alone.
- The itinerary was very well spaced out, not too much, not too little. It was nice to have a little bit of down time, especially in the Sol y Luna Hotel... read more

I can definitely recommend the trip that was organised for me by Clara (and others).

- All communication was prompt and easy.
- Every single transfer/pick up was bang on time. This I thought very impressive given I had so many of them! Not once was I left waiting at all. That is obviously comforting when you are travelling alone.
- The itinerary was very well spaced out, not too much, not too little. It was nice to have a little bit of down time, especially in the Sol y Luna Hotel which was absolutely magnificent.
- All of the hotels that were booked for me were excellent.
- All of the tour guides were great company in their own unique way. All really friendly and knowledgeable.

Tips for improvement.

I can only think of two tips whereby the trip could be made even better. Hopefully these tips will benefit future travellers.

- I was booked on a horse riding activity ( I am a novice). The guides were fantastic, the horses were fantastic and the scenery was just incredible. My tip here however is that a novice such as me would be better served riding for say 2 hours/half a day. The ride I was on was an all day affair and the terrain very challenging. The guides conceded that the difficulty level was high. Having checked my iPhone, I believe I clocked up something like 28km's! It was an awesome experience without question, it just needed to better reflect my ability level.
- This tip relates to the amount of time spent in Machu Picchu town (Aguas Calientes). I saw Machu Picchu itself in the morning (absolutely fantastic) leaving me the afternoon to explore the town in the afternoon and evening. I wasn't booked to leave the town until around 4.00pm the next day. If that departure can be moved forward in the day, you would get to enjoy more of Cusco (I arrived at approximately 8.00pm that night).

Many thanks once again to Clara and the entire team. I would absolutely recommend this company.

Excellent experience overall! Everyone involved was great, from initiating the planning process with Clara to working through problems with Paul.

All of our guides were top notch and very knowledgeable. Everyone was prompt and went above and beyond our expectations to ensure we had a great trip. Would definitely recommend KimKim to anyone wishing to travel without the stress of planning.

This was our first time we booked an entire trip using kimkim. At first we were very skeptical of how this worked, however after reading a variety of reviews by other travelers, different travel blogs we decided to go with it. Clara helped plan a perfect Peru adventure for us. We let her know what our budget was, what kind of hotels we preferred and what kind of itinerary we wanted. In the end, she came up with a plan which worked best for us!
In terms of communication, Clara did a... read more

This was our first time we booked an entire trip using kimkim. At first we were very skeptical of how this worked, however after reading a variety of reviews by other travelers, different travel blogs we decided to go with it. Clara helped plan a perfect Peru adventure for us. We let her know what our budget was, what kind of hotels we preferred and what kind of itinerary we wanted. In the end, she came up with a plan which worked best for us!
In terms of communication, Clara did a magnificent job. We had all the information we needed for our trip from who will be picking us up, contact numbers, what time we had to wake up for a particular activity etc. She also swiftly responded to all our questions and concerns.

I would highly recommend booking your next vacation on kimkim, let them know whatever your requirements are and you will have a wonderful experience like we did.

Our guide Gino and the driver were fabulous. Our tour was for two full days and one night with transfers to and from our cruise ship. We combined every tour the cruise ship offered, added a few stops, had a very clean comfortable private coach and paid a reasonable price. Every aspect of the tour exceeded our expectation. Great job by Kimkim arranging the tour when other companies could not. The selection of driver and guide were nothing short of outstanding. Too many attractions for me to... read more

Our guide Gino and the driver were fabulous. Our tour was for two full days and one night with transfers to and from our cruise ship. We combined every tour the cruise ship offered, added a few stops, had a very clean comfortable private coach and paid a reasonable price. Every aspect of the tour exceeded our expectation. Great job by Kimkim arranging the tour when other companies could not. The selection of driver and guide were nothing short of outstanding. Too many attractions for me to comment on but one that stands out was the Peruvian horse show. The site for this show was beyond words. A suggestion for Clara is to always send guests to this horse farm. Gracias to all!

Great trip organized by Clara. All the tours and guidres were simply amazing and added up to the whole experience!

I would like to wish everybody that made my trip so memorable a HUGE thank you. Thank you KimKim for the ease of which you made booking and organizing my recent trip to Peru and Bolivia.

I had been wanting to do this trip for a long time but had previously been put off just thinking of all the organisation it would take. One day I happened to type in to google 'Peru and Bolivia' and their 11 day itinerary popped up, which was exactly what I wanted to do and see. Once I contacted KimKim... read more

I would like to wish everybody that made my trip so memorable a HUGE thank you. Thank you KimKim for the ease of which you made booking and organizing my recent trip to Peru and Bolivia.

I had been wanting to do this trip for a long time but had previously been put off just thinking of all the organisation it would take. One day I happened to type in to google 'Peru and Bolivia' and their 11 day itinerary popped up, which was exactly what I wanted to do and see. Once I contacted KimKim they transferred me to the Wonderful Clara who was AMAZING. She was quick to respond to all my questions and happy to swap and change out the Itinerary. When we were there the tour operators, drivers and guides could not have been more helpful. The only time we had to wait was when I was an hour early for a meeting! Seriously they were never late and the trip worked like clockwork. I spoke to some other travelers who were only complaining about their tour company.

Thank you KimKim and a MASSIVE thank you to Clara and her team. You made the holiday so enjoyable. I definitely recommend KimKim and if going to Peru ask for Clara she's wonderful.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. Jason - London

This was a 5 Star trip, very well organised by Clara, it all went so well it even surprised us. All drivers were there on time, every step was very well sorted out.
Just to give a small suggestion for the next time, I would leave a bit more free time as we couldn't relax or have some more time off to just enjoy the places such as Cusco. The tour including Pisac, Urubamba and Ollantaytambo was like a rally...we had 7 minutes to explore Pisac- it was either walking around or going to the... read more

This was a 5 Star trip, very well organised by Clara, it all went so well it even surprised us. All drivers were there on time, every step was very well sorted out.
Just to give a small suggestion for the next time, I would leave a bit more free time as we couldn't relax or have some more time off to just enjoy the places such as Cusco. The tour including Pisac, Urubamba and Ollantaytambo was like a rally...we had 7 minutes to explore Pisac- it was either walking around or going to the toilet...one choice...and Urubamba was really a road restaurant only. Whereas for Ollantaytambo which was an amazing place, both the ruins and the town we just had some time with the guide and no time to explore and feel the beautiful town. We had to rush to the station to go to Aguas Calientes. It maybe too much for one day...maybe just Ollantaytambo is such a rich experience that there was no need to see the others and to have a lunch at a road restaurant.
Apart from this suggestion, I must say I had a great time, Clara booked us Cicciolina, wich was a great choice of restaurant in Cusco, and also was there for all we needed. I will certainly reccommend the agency and Kim Kim.
Do you have a Brazilian version of the site?
Many thanks
Lorena

We had a great time in Peru. We had no issues with transportation and the hotels were great. Clara did a great job and I really enjoyed the tours and Machu Picchu hike and visit. One of my most memorable vacations for sure.

We only had an issue with the amount of events scheduled in our itinerary. By the last two days, we were burned out. Also, prior to booking, we weren't told about the times of the outings. For example, some treks started at 3 am and we were not made aware until it was too... read more

We had a great time in Peru. We had no issues with transportation and the hotels were great. Clara did a great job and I really enjoyed the tours and Machu Picchu hike and visit. One of my most memorable vacations for sure.

We only had an issue with the amount of events scheduled in our itinerary. By the last two days, we were burned out. Also, prior to booking, we weren't told about the times of the outings. For example, some treks started at 3 am and we were not made aware until it was too late. I'd recommend that if you could send the itineraries with the times on it before people book it would make it easier. If I had seen that, I may have changed some of the events or noticed that it may be too many events for me.

We had an amazing trip, all of our guides made us feel welcome and our experience will be lasting forever. I will highly recommend your services to my friends and will also engage your services again on another trip to South America. The price was right and the level of accommodation was perfect for the trip. Maybe a tent each would of been a little better after a long days hike. We also enjoyed the company of the photo crew, they were amazing. We were promised a copy of the photos and film of the trip, but have not received this. Thank you for your services on behalf of our group.

The whole trip was amazing. Alexandra and Julio were very knowledgeable guides and both went out of their way to make our trip as pleasant and fun as possible. Machu Picchu was amazing and our guide made sure we got the best shots which is priceless taking into account how packed it was. Clara was super helpful and always ready to answer any questions and accommodate changes in our schedule. Thank you guys for making our trip to Peru such a memorable and special experience!!

Or southern Peru trip was wonderful. The petroglyph field of Toro Muerto was amazing and the weather for the trip could not have been better. Our favorite places were the area surrounding Colca canyon (such as Sumbay Caves, Mollenpunko Caves, the viewpoint of the volcanoes, the reserve with the wild vicuñas and all the wildlife, including the wild flamingos) and the canyon itself with the Andean condors. Another favorite was Puerto Inca, staying at the hotel with the private beach... read more

Or southern Peru trip was wonderful. The petroglyph field of Toro Muerto was amazing and the weather for the trip could not have been better. Our favorite places were the area surrounding Colca canyon (such as Sumbay Caves, Mollenpunko Caves, the viewpoint of the volcanoes, the reserve with the wild vicuñas and all the wildlife, including the wild flamingos) and the canyon itself with the Andean condors. Another favorite was Puerto Inca, staying at the hotel with the private beach surrounded by beautiful cliffs and lots of Inca and pre-Inca ruins. Our driver, Luis, did a wonderful job driving and taking care of the car and our guide, Alberto, picked fun places to break up the trip, such as olive stands and small churches. Our guide did seem more interested and engaged in the history around Arequipa and Colca Canyon. Towards the end of the trip he was more interested in his phone than the places or sites so we would explore the areas on our own mostly. Alberto did, through a friend, arrange a last minute change for us in our itinerary as we did decide to fly over the Nazca lines, which was very nice of him to offer to do so. Our guide for Lima, Narda, did an excellent job explaining the history, cultures, trends and politics of all of Peru and was very knowledgable on every subject. She did an amazing job and the driver, Juan Carlos, was excellent and very kind. Narda also pegged all of the food we would like to try and brought us to small food markets and food fairs that were amazing. Our itinerary was full of things to see and fairly fast paced so we did see a lot and most of what was on the itinerary. Clara did a good job arranging the trip at the last minute for us and there was only one miscommunication between us that was ironed out fine in the end. She fit in everything that I wanted to see and we ended up seeing almost all of it. There were some delays in communication over Kim-Kim but I realize that I would also go dark for periods when planning this trip because I was traveling during the time. Recommend the dinosaur footprints attraction more for children - but I am from an area with many dinosaur footprints so it is not such a novelty for me. It would have been nice to have more information about who the guides and drivers would be and how the transfers between places would happen but I also realize that I did not expressly ask for this information.

Everything was well organized and really personalized as well. I loved every minute of this trip. Thanks to Clara and the team for organizing such a fantastic experience!

Clara and her entire team were outstanding to work with. They went above and beyond expectations to insure our trip unfolded without a hitch. We had an air travel problem that left us stranded, so a team member came and picked us up, and took us to temporary lodging. Behind the scenes, Clara took care of the chain reaction from the problem, so the trip continued along smooth for us--without a wrinkle in our general enjoyment. Her team also fixed a problem that I created. It was a misread of... read more

Clara and her entire team were outstanding to work with. They went above and beyond expectations to insure our trip unfolded without a hitch. We had an air travel problem that left us stranded, so a team member came and picked us up, and took us to temporary lodging. Behind the scenes, Clara took care of the chain reaction from the problem, so the trip continued along smooth for us--without a wrinkle in our general enjoyment. Her team also fixed a problem that I created. It was a misread of the itinerary in which I had wash done that I would have not been able to pick up. Her team picked up the wash and had it ready at a hotel in time for me to avoid losing a significant amount of my clothes. Our experience with Clara as our travel agent was excellent. She picked well thought-out details that enhanced our experience. Most of all, we could count on her to be there when we needed her. Bravo Clara, and thank-you for the stellar planning of a memorable trip to Peru!

Marseille in lima was great however she never showed the catacombs.

Alexandra in cusco was fantastic

Jose was a little stiff at first but got better

The tours themselves were not bad but the specialist Clara should be avoided at all costs. Slow to respond, repeatedly failed to answer questions (or gave me incorrect information), and provided misleading descriptions (ex. My 2 day "kayak trip" was about an hour alone in a kayak with a guide and no group before being dropped off to travel by motorboat the entire trip). She sent me a list of things I'd need a long time after I'd left home, 2 days before the trek, so I couldn't get any of them. Please, please do not book with Clara.

Fantastic travel planning by Clara and her team on our 15-day trip to Peru. They went above and beyond by helping us rearrange and rebook our schedule when our flight from Cuzco to Puerto Moldonado was cancelled because of weather conditions. They even helped up pick up our laundry and have it delivered to our hotel! I can't say enough good things about them. They helped make our trip to Peru amazing in every way.
We highly recommend them.

Clara planned a perfect getaway for the few days that we were there. A sightseeing excursion that included lunch and a Pisco sour tasting, a bike ride through the city and then a ride to an ancient ruins sight. It was perfect for our time there.

My time on this hike was memorably concerning. The hike did not have enough guides. There were initially two guides and one person in the group paid for a private two day hike and so the second guide left the group. As a result there were five of us with one guide. Since I hiked at a slower pace than the others, the guide had to somehow make it work so that we all had support. Often times I was hiking several miles without any of my group members. This was quiet concerning -especially on... read more

My time on this hike was memorably concerning. The hike did not have enough guides. There were initially two guides and one person in the group paid for a private two day hike and so the second guide left the group. As a result there were five of us with one guide. Since I hiked at a slower pace than the others, the guide had to somehow make it work so that we all had support. Often times I was hiking several miles without any of my group members. This was quiet concerning -especially on the second day when it was rainy, and difficult to see anything and I was completely drenched in rain and shivering. It was a miracle that I made it to the group at some point-especially since I had to cross difficult terrain alone and without a guide a various points. Times that the guide did assist, he would insist that I could walk through raging rivers without assistance-which I could not and told him I could not. I argued several times with him about this. Additionally, when I was uncomfortable with cross the river by the use of a rickety zipline due to the landslide, I was told to shut up.

Additionally, I was told I had not paid for the emergency horse by the guide, however in this package it said this horse was already paid for. At the beginning of the hike, I had to pay money to get into the the park and according to this package I had already paid for everything. I also had to pay for breakfast. I don't understand why I had to pay additional fees throughout. It appears that KimKim and the hiking group that had been contracted failed to communicate information about the packages. Based off of information from the guide-it sounded as though I paid for the basic package not the full package inclusive of what is listed by KimKim.

Overall, this experience was not a good one. I would definitely not recommend this company to others as there were issues throughout and I had several dangerous issues during this hike without support and was treated rudely.

I am so thankful to have used KimKim for my trip to Peru and have Stephanie as my local specialist. We had only 7 days to explore Lima, Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Pichu and Stephanie made it all fit perfectly. Every detail was figured out, which was such a relief because travel between these sites requires multiple forms of transport -- from arrival at the airport to departure from the trip we had train tickets or buses tickets or private drivers waiting for us at each leg. She made... read more

I am so thankful to have used KimKim for my trip to Peru and have Stephanie as my local specialist. We had only 7 days to explore Lima, Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Pichu and Stephanie made it all fit perfectly. Every detail was figured out, which was such a relief because travel between these sites requires multiple forms of transport -- from arrival at the airport to departure from the trip we had train tickets or buses tickets or private drivers waiting for us at each leg. She made sure all of our tours had excellent English speakers (on later legs of my travel that I planned on my own, I quickly learned how varied English capabilities can be and how difficult it can be to determine the quality of English of the guides without local knowledge of the companies). Every tour/driver/guide we worked with were incredibly professional, punctual, polite, kind and helpful. Stephanie was readily available when we had a minor payment issue at one hotel and took care of it. I can't say enough about our experience traveling with KimKim and Stephanie! Thank you! You truly took the stress out of travel and made a wonderful, memorable experience for me and my brother!

My husband and I just came back from our trip to Peru and it was amazing. Stephanie was great to work with and always went the extra mile in helping us out when we had last minute plans or changes. Although it was hard to get ahold of her in country, we were glad to meet her the first day and to be able to still communicate while on vacation some way or another.

Our transportation included terrific drivers, nice vehicles, and great views. The staff was on time and always helped us with our... read more

My husband and I just came back from our trip to Peru and it was amazing. Stephanie was great to work with and always went the extra mile in helping us out when we had last minute plans or changes. Although it was hard to get ahold of her in country, we were glad to meet her the first day and to be able to still communicate while on vacation some way or another.

Our transportation included terrific drivers, nice vehicles, and great views. The staff was on time and always helped us with our luggage. Likewise, the drivers ensured we were safe during the festivities of Carnival.

Our guides were amazing and we were pleased to have one on one private tours the entire time. We especially loved Juan in Machu Picchu because he gave us the freedom to explore while still receiving information about the magical sites. Although we cannot remember the guides name we had for Cusco and the Sacred Valley, we adored her! She was enthusiastic and always was concerned about our health especially with the altitude change. For example, the first day she let us cut part of our tour short because I was not feeling well! She was very knowledgable as well with the area! She even suggested great places to eat and things to do for the rest of our trip.

As for hotels go, not all of them were excellent and we did run into a couple of problems with room arrangements. Nevertheless, the hotels upgraded us twice and made us feel very welcomed and we were grateful for that! Meals were never too much of an issue, except towards the end of the trip. We wish we would have had the chance to know of places to eat that "won't get you sick" because we ate on the streets towards the end and we ended our last two days of our itinerary in bed instead of out and doing what we had originally planned.

Overall this was a great trip and I would definitely book again with this company! The only suggestions are to include more about packing tips or essentials, money exchange, and popular foods or restaurants to try! We were very satisfied though despite our hiccups here and there.

Thank you for arranging this amazing trip! We have a really big party so there were a lot of times we had to change the reservations but Stephanie really handled all the situations well which I feel really thankful. She is also very informative whenever we asked her questions. During the trip, everything was prepared really well and we really like all the tour guides as they are very friendly, knowledgable and are really helpful to us. Overall, it had been a fun and memorable trip. Thank you again for your help and also for the chocolate!

Initial planning process was great - Stephanie was knowledgeable, assisting, and patient. However, the service "during" the trip was a bit inconvenient. Stephanie was hard to contact and in the moment we couldn't reach out to anyone, like the time we arrived at Uyuni but no one was there to pick us up, we waiting til 10 am local time Peru to call Stephanie, but still we couldn't reach her.

Other than that the trip was well organized with great guides in every stop. Especially our Macchu Picchu guide and Norma from Puno. Our Uyuni guides were great too.

It was the most amazing hike we ever did and Stephanie was of great help from the day we arrived in Cusco until the time we left. The hotels were really nice and all the people were very nice and friendly. One suggestion would be if you will be able to pair the hikers in the group based on abilities; our group was small and that was perfect. Thanks again for the wonderful trip!

Again, Stephanie went above and beyond to customized our trip based on our needs and she helped us from the time we arrived in Cusco until the day we left. Thanks Stephanie! It was a great pleasure to meet you!