MATER Sustainable Travel

Overall, the trip planning, communication, and execution went mostly smooth (thanks, KimKim team!), with a few surprises, due to lack of communication/advanced notice from KimKim
1. at the Santiago airport, we did not know we need to provide hotel reservation on Easter Island in order to board;
2. arriving on Easter Island, we were told to pay $100/pp for touring the island. It was not the extra $100 required by the island that surprised us, but there was no mention as such from KimKim in advance at all.
3. we were a bit confused (and worried) when the tour guide on Easter Island told us she has a different tour route than what KimKim had on the Itinerary.

Hotel Review

Hotel Teanehi

Rapa Nui

Poorly maintained, mosquitos in the common area with open windows, hot water stopped at night, far away from the town, etc.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full day exploring Easter Island

Easter Island

Exploring Vinapu

Easter Island

Day 3 of Las Torres activities, All included program

Torres del Paine

Day 2 of Las Torres activities, All included program

Torres del Paine

Day 1 of Las Torres activities, All included program

Torres del Paine

Las Torres All Inclusive Classic program

Torres del Paine

Perito Moreno Glacier & Safari Azul

Patagonia

Estancia Cristina Upsala

El Calafate

Glaciar Sur Aventura, an immersion in the Glacier National Park

El Calafate

On behalf of our travel group, I would like to share the following review and feedback.

We have participated in many tour groups and have traveled to numerous countries and famous destinations around the world. However, our trip to Patagonia still left an especially deep impression on us. We hiked to the famous Mount Fitz Roy and were able to photograph the magnificent three dramatic granite towers of Torres del Paine. We also had the opportunity to experience the world-famous Perito Moreno Glacier up close, and on Easter Island we took photos with the 15 iconic giant stone statues, the Moai — almost as if we had become the “16th Moai” ourselves.

This is truly a journey that we will often look back on and proudly share with our friends in the years to come.

While we sincerely appreciate KimKim for organizing such a memorable trip for us, we would also like to offer several constructive suggestions that may help further improve the quality of service.

1. Communication and professionalism between the agent and travelers could be strengthened.
Before the trip, one of our group members became ill and could not participate, so we requested to replace that person with another traveler. However, because the KimKim agent was not sufficiently familia r with the relevant policies and the communication was not fully clear or transparent, the process was repeatedly delayed. This ultimately resulted in an unpleasant experience and left us with a rather negative impression. Handling such matters more promptly and professionally would greatly improve the customer experience.

2. Accommodation arrangements should better reflect the travelers’ clearly stated preferences.
During our planning discussions, we repeatedly emphasized that we hoped to stay in good-quality hotels. However, on Easter Island we were assigned accommodation in a very remote location, which made transportation inconvenient. Furthermore, on the first evening there was no hot water available for showers, which caused considerable dissatisfaction among several members of our group. For such an important destination, the quality of accommodation has a significant impact on the overall travel experience.

3. Greater transparency regarding trip costs would be helpful.
Our itinerary included two days of touring on Easter Island. However, upon arrival we were asked to stand in line and pay an additional $100 per person for the national park entry tickets. In our view, this fee should either be included in the overall travel package or at least clearly communicated in advance in the itinerary. Otherwise, it can easily lead to confusion and dissatisfaction among travelers.

4. Closely follow and communicate entrance requirements and policy changes.
When boarding our flight to Easter Island, we were stopped at the checkpoint and asked to show the hotel reservations for each traveler on the island. This situation nearly disrupted our trip. We repeatedly tried to explain the situation to the boarding agents and were eventually allowed to proceed. However, the experience was very stressful and disturbing at that moment. Ensuring that travelers are clearly informed in advance about such requirements would help prevent unnecessary confusion and anxiety.

Once again, we would like to thank KimKim for providing us with such a memorable, once-in-a-lifetime travel experience. We sincerely hope that KimKim will continue to improve communication efficiency, service details, and information transparency in order to provide even higher-quality travel experiences for future clients

Most memorable places: Glaciar Sur Aventura, Torres del Paine and Easter island

Below expectation: Except hotel at EI Calafate and Las Torres, all other hotels are below my expectations.

I am writing this review as a first user of the KimKim platform for booking a trip. I have travelled with several other luxury and boutique companies. Here is my feedback regarding the overall experience:

- The travel agent should inquire regarding the interests of the guests and suggest places of interest. Here I was suggesting the places after my research and they were enabling it.
- Kim Kim travels has a very opaque pricing policy. You can review our text chat - you will note that when I added an extra day the pricing was increased by $3000 . I had to point it out and then it was brought down to the original estimate. That's not trustworthy.
- Travel agent did not highlight that the US citizens need Brazilian visa since April 2025. I had to scramble to get one.
- I called before reaching Iguazo falls regarding airport pick up- when I did not get a response I called the hotel to pick up- cost me extra for the pick up and buy the Iguazo Park tickets.
- We were promised a jazz show dinner on December 25th- when I reached Buenos Aires and inquired- they stated it was closed for the holiday- made me a hurried reservation for elsewhere for Jazz- there was no jazz there that night.
My trip to Iguazo falls was made memorable because I booked the Gran Melia hotel on my own. That was an amazing hotel with great views and excellent hospitality.
This was my most expensive trip abroad and I will hesitate to recommend Kim Kim - the company needs to have transparency and more engaged agents.

Hotel Reviews

Windsor Leme Hotel

Rio de Janeiro

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Four Seasons Hotel Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires

Excellent accommodation, hospitality and food.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Jeep Tour Historic Center

Rio de Janeiro

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide and driver took extra care of the guests and took us to all the important places

Transport

Hike Morro Dois Irmãos con Favela do Vidigal

Rio de Janeiro

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was great- very accomodative to each persons pace

Transport

We had to use Uber

Christ the Redeemer, Botanic Garden and Sugarloaf Mountain

Rio de Janeiro

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half day tour to the Iguazú Falls (Brazilian side)

Argentina

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gran Aventura Navigation tour

Puerto Iguazú

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full day to the Argentinian side of the falls

Argentina

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Argentine Experience in the Iguazu jungle

Puerto Iguazú

Quality of Experience

Excellent staff and the experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tango & cena show at El Querandi

Buenos Aires

Quality of Experience

Dancers

Food

2 hours for the food service before the dance- too long

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Buenos Aires Walking tour, La Boca & City centre

Buenos Aires

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was our 6th trip with KimKim, and while we had an AMAZING time, it was not the level of KimKim professionalism and/or efficiency that we have come to expect. We started with Augustina as our trip advisor, then she moved on and we had Juan. Juan left the company just as we started our trip, so Justo took over (and while he did an excellent job, there was obviously some lack of communication/coordination in the pass-off. Also, we ended up with 2 itineraries (one from KimKim, the other from Mater). While they were mostly identical, there were a few times where there were some inconsistencies that caused confusion (and honestly, it was annoying to have to go back and forth to determine which itinerary to use, more details below). An example of this was our trip to the Estancia where the itinerary indicated in one place that we had a 45-minute horse-back riding experience, while in another it indicated 3 hours. We were sure it would be 45- minutes so we booked a dinner reservation only to find out that it would be a 3 hour ride and we wouldn't get back in time for our reservation. Thankfully, the staff at the ranch called the restaurant and arranged for a late dinner (for my husband's birthday), otherwise it wouldn't have been a big deal. Another time, the itinerary for KimKIm indicated one activity, while the Mater itinerary repeated what we had already done a few days prior. items: In Ushuai, our itinerary indicated we should arrange for the hotel to take us to the National Park and back to hike. However, there was a public bus going to/from the park multiple times a day right across the street from our hotel--this should have been an obvious notation on the itinerary (as the bus was inexpensive, efficient and very helpful!). In El Calafate, it would have been nice to know that the established "pick-up" times for the experiences are "rough estimates" and the bus pick up can be as much as 45 minutes later given the number of pick-ups to different hotels that they make. Had we known this, we would not have worried that we had been "missed" or forgotten (we did call, and they let us know they were on their way. Also, our itinerary had indicated that the hotel could provide lunch for us for our "glacier walk", but they do not do this. Thankfully the hotel staff helped us find an alternative caterer who could have a box lunch ready for us in the early morning before we departed. In El Chalten, it would have been helpful to know that tickets to the park should be purchased in cash; aditionally, had I not had a trail "app" on my phone, the directions provided to get to a couple of the hikes were not particularly helpful/useful or accurate. For the day at the private reserve, though we were able to get in, we were the "lucky" ones, as we were supposed to have made reservations in advance (which we wrongly assumed KimKim or Mater had done since this was on our itinerary). Others were turned away. Had we been turned away, given that we had taken the bus to get there, we would have been out of luck and sitting in the rain for 6 hours waiting for the return. Justo was our point of contact from Mater, and he was very helpful/personable, though there was a bit of a language barrier in translating some of our requests. In Torres Del Paine, Juan had mentioned the need to get Park tickets right away, though this turned out to be easy, and nothing to stress over. FInally, while it would not have changed anything, it would have been nice to know that the roads between El Calafate and Torres Del Paine are often gravel, rough and slow, and that you need to download Google maps "offline" to ensure you have map service. So again, we had a phenomenal trip, there were just these little inconsistencies, omissions and/or annoyances that we have not been used to on prior KimKim trips.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Poincenot

El Chalten

We loved the hotel in El Chaltén because of its fantastic location, just a few minutes' walk from the trailheads, which was perfect for our hiking adventure. The hotel was comfortable, and while it wasn't fancy, the staff were amazing and made our stay exceptional.

Pampa Lodge Quincho y Caballos

Torres Del Paine

The views from our hotel in Torres del Paine were simply breathtaking, making our stay truly memorable. The hotel was comfortable, adding to the overall experience of the surrounding natural beauty.

Koi Aiken

El Calafate

We stayed here the longest, and though it was by far the most humble of accomodations, the staff were incredibly helpful in (1) helping us find box lunches for our glacier walk; and (2) reaching out to the Glacier Walk experience provider to figure out if we had been forgotten or if they were just running late. The room had a nice view, though the furnishings and bathrooms are quite dated and in need of repair. Staff made up for any issues with the room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It's a long walk from town though taxi service is easy.

Staff

Amazing and helpful staff.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The hotel furnishings in our room (drapes, bedspreads etc) were all falling apart; and the bathroom tub did not drain, but the helpfulness of the staff made up for any deficiencies we experienced.

Activity Reviews

Estancia Nibepo Aike

El Calafate

while the experience was wonderful, it's a long day, informative and enjoyable, but it's a long way to go w/not alot of "action". The gauchos were very friendly...the food was "OK" (mostly fat, though the 2nd serving was better). Our itinerary was not clear as to whether we had a 45-minute horse-back ride or 3 hour ride, and we tried to reschedule to 45-minutes (given our impending dinner reservation), but were unable to. THankfully, the ranch staff called our restaurant and let them know we would be very late (for my husband's birthday celebration!)

Quality of Experience

Food

Everything except the meat was exceptional. Felt like we received the "cheap" cuts of meat that they could effectivey serve a large group.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transportation was HOT and long.

Trekking on Perito Moreno glacier

El Calafate

One of the best experiences of the trip. Awesome guide, great hike, spectacular views and wonderful people we met along the way.

Quality of Experience

Dramatic scenery, and experienced guides

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

It's a long day, and the only thing I recommend is that the drivers or transport company let you know ahead of time that it might take time to pick everyone up (depending on where your hotel is along the route).

Overall ... good but not great.

Booked through kimkim but local planning through Mater Travel. I am not sure exactly how the information flow goes between the two but some thoughts.

1. Our local contact Justo from Mater Travel was great. Very attentive and prompt. Great energy. Always willing to help.

2. Some gaps in our bookings which we were surprised about. I had assumed using a travel agent would have made this seamless. I think I could have organized some of this equally well just using google.

a. We happened to stumble (11 days before the trip) that an evisa was needed for Brazil part of Iguazu Falls. I would have thought our agent through kimkim would have been more proactive to tell us this. Thankfully my wife looked this up and then we feverishly submitted our documents. We would have wasted 1 day in Iguazu otherwise.

b. Our plane arrived at 10:40am after overnight flight from US to Buenos Aires. Pick up was arranged at 10:50am. Lunch experience scheduled for 12:30pm. Of course, clearing immigration and deplaning does not take 10 minutes. And we were late to our lunch by 30 min. Again ... we noticed this and not kimkim.

c. Hotel Hunidad Obelisco is a nice hotel in a very ok (being generous) street. Even our local contact Justo said that he would have to talk to the company about booking there again. Why was this a surprise for everyone? I feel like I could have booked a better location myself.

d. One of our excursions changed ... and it was never mentioned to us. Again, I guess we should have checked ... but assumed a travel agency would have proactively mentioned.

3. Iguazu was great.

4. Buenos Aires as well

5. Tigre Delta good for 24 hrs for our family.