Phima Voyages

We had an amazing trip in Peru, planned by Martina with Kimkim. All our local guides were great, and we enjoyed all the places we visited. We booked a private tour and our guides were very flexible with timing and such. We started the tours each morning, and were back to the hotel late afternoon everyday and it felt like a nice mix between guided tour and free time for ourselves each day. Some thing that could have done better -
1. We arrived in Lima late in the evening and were supposed to have a free half day to tour Lima ourselves the next day, before we flight to Cusco in the afternoon(we asked for an afternoon flight so we could have the free half day in Lima). That's why we chose to stay in a hotel in Miraflores(45mins from the airport) instead of right by the airport. However, the pick up time to the airport was 9am for our 1pm flight. We ended up staying in a hotel far from the airport for no reason, wasting our whole morning, just waiting at the airport for the flight.
2. Our return flight from Lima was around midnight so we had a full long day. The tour planned originally was to go to Caral archaeological site, which is 4.5 hours each way. That's 9 hours of car time plus we had to fly home that night. So instead, we decided to do a Lima city tour instead(since again we couldn't do it ourselves earlier). The tour was good, but it did feel like it was dragged long because we had so much time to fill. The local guides were very flexible though, changing our plans from Caral to Lima city tour with short notice.
Overall, we still had a great experience with Kimkim and would go with them again.

My husband and i just came back from a weeklong and activities-filled vacation from Peru. I could not be more thankful that we went along with Martina's agency. Being busy all the time-she has really been my brain throughout this trip. She created a trip for me, and my husband based on our likes, and it was perfect! Huge shoutout to the rest of her team. Gwen was always one step ahead of us in terms of our day-to-day activities. our drivers and guides were absolutely wonderful. We couldn't ask for more. Yuri and Yefry ,Juan Carlos and Percy -they were all professional and knowledgeable. Special mention to both Angel and Edgar-they were there during my toughest time battling through altitude sickness and they went above and beyond to take care of me. Even my husband said that they looked and sounded really concerned for my wellbeing.
With that being said, Cusco was wonderful. A very clean city, I might add. Machu Picchu was extraordinary. But i really enjoyed Palcoyo Mountain. If not for the harsh condition up there, i could've have stayed there all day. Peru is beautiful. We can't wait to go back!!!! Martina, expect am email from me one of these days. We'll do this again!!!!!!!!!!!

Hotel Reviews

Llipimpac Guesthouse

Cusco

A very quaint hotel in the middle of bustling Cusco, you instantly feel at home and relaxed in this hotel. The front desk person-i forgot his name is just oh so respectful and charming. They take good care of the place.

Location

Sol Natura Hotel

Ollantaytambo

I like the hotel set up..They have some sort of indoor garden/oasis in the middle of the hotel, surrounding the rooms. Rooms were big enough and clean. Just a tad bit noisy since our room was right by the entrance and we can hear conversations when people walk by our room but when nighttime comes, it's really quiet Good location too--right across good restaurants and walkable train station.

Casa Vivencial Raqchi homestay

Very authentic Peruvian stay with the local family. Obviously, the comfort is not the same with the hotel but one night of immersing yourself with the locals and they are embracing you and welcoming you to their home--it's an experience in itself.

Casa Vivencial Llachon Homestay Ruben

Puno

Loaction is very good. Overlooking Lake Titicaca. Another first-hand experience with a Peruvian family. They helped me get tucked in bed as this was when i got really sick with altitude sickness. Room was comfortable enough. We just didn't have any hot water for the shower.

Activity Reviews

City Tour Cusco

Cusco

Cusco is surprisingly very clean. I loved all the architectural design. It's a bustling city but still relaxing..

Ollantaytambo - Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu - Cusco

Ollantaytambo

Amazing structure of Machu Picchu--just amazed as how intact it is despite hundreds of years that has passed. and how the people brought all those rocks on top -surrounded by the Andes Mountain is beyond my comprehension. It is a legitimate wonder of the world.

Palcoyo excursion

Cusco

Now this is what i call a marvel...I've seen mountains but not colorful mountains. I would want to go back if i can. I just can't stop appreciating how wonderful it really is. I got sick with altitude sickness, but it was really worth it.

Activites at Llachon, Lake Titicaca : Uros, Textile Workshop and Hiking

Llachon

Another amazing day with the floating villages. Very ingenious of using totoro reeds to build a floating village. How cool is that? Looking at those people--i didn't see any stress in their faces. Do they even know what stress is? They just looked very content in how they live their lives. It was just relaxing sitting with them and just looking at how calm and content they looked.

Our trip to Peru was amazing! Everything was perfectly organized.

Martina did a great job upfront ensuring that all of our excursions , hotels, and travels were booked and coordinated. She did a great job of listening to our requests and altering our itinerary to ensure that it was everything that we wanted. She was kept in great contact before and during the trip!
Lionel was our main contact once we got to Peru, he was very helpful providing us all of the detailed information we needed and ensuring we got from place to place. Our trip included 6 flights, 5 hotels, and over a dozen excursions, EVERYTHING was planned to perfection.
All drivers and tour guides were extremely professional and really made our experience the best that it could be. We loved exploring everything that Peru had to offer. Some of our favorite experiences included sand boarding and camping in the desert, visiting Machu Picchu, hiking to scenic waterfalls, and exploring the amazon via jungle cruise!

I typically do not like booking with travel agents, but I would book with Kimkim again in a heartbeat!

What a trip to Peru! It was an incredible family holiday. Even more so for not having done an adventurous trip before like this with our children (16, 14 and 11) mainly because of their age and then covid. I soon realized that I needed help planning this as there was such a lot or organize and (although I normally like to plan holidays myself) it was clear that I definitely needed help with this.

Martina was so helpful ... we went through each part of each day. We added places and activities that I knew I would like us to do and Martina made suggestions for those I didn't know or wasn't sure about. She put together an amazing itinerary for us. We were very busy but it was thoroughly enjoyable and very importantly manageable and fun for my kids.

I really also appreciated the support from the team in Peru. Information was provided for each day in advance (tickets, guide names, transfer details) and all the work was done for me and arrived via What's App on my phone .... which was so easy! Everything went very smoothly (which I think would not always be the case in Peru!) and the services provided were excellent ... very helpful as our Spanish is extremely limited.

I definitely would plan a holiday with Martina again!

Hotel Reviews

Pisac Inn

Pisac

Loved this cozy hotel. Food was amazing!!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Desert Camp

Huacachina

Incredible experience! Beautifully set up for us. A great adventure. Also, the sand boarding and buggy ride before were so much fun!!!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pullman Lima Miraflores

Miraflores, Lima

Such a luxury! A real treat for the the beginning and end of the holiday.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Waman Hotel Machu Picchu

Can't recommend. Basic rooms, noisy all night. Awful breakfast. Our only bad experience.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything.

San Agustin Paracas

Paracas

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The view, the pool, the location. A little threadbare generally but we thoroughly enjoyed our stay.

Tika Wasi Casa Boutique

Cusco

Very pretty hotel ... cozy and very authentic. The staff were incredibly helpful with everything. Breakfast was good. Very nice to have coca leaf tea any time you want it! We were very happy to go back there after our travels in the Sacred Valley.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tika Wasi Valley

Sacred Valley

Very pretty hotel. Very convenient location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Sacred Valley tour : Chinchero, Maras and Moray by bike

Peru

Great fun family day! Yuri was an excellent guide.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

From Paracas to Huacachina Sand duning and buggy

Paracas

Such a fantastic experience! Thoroughly enjoyed all of it ... the buggy ride, the sand boarding and the camping. All of our family loved doing this and we will always remember it!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

From Lima to Paracas, visit of the Paracas Reserve

Lima

This was really good ... stunning actually. We had traveled to Paracas to see the Ballestas Islands and I didn't really have much expectation for this reserve but it was actually incredibly beautiful and I'm really glad we went.

Quality of Experience

Food

The view! The guide was also excellent.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

From Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu and overnight in Aguas Calientes

Peru

The train ride from Ollyantaytambo to Aquas Calientes was great ... the views were amazing. The guide we had in Machu Picchu (Ana) was absolutely excellent. There was a small protest (very peaceful though) going on which she swiftly navigated us past and straight onto a bus up to Machu Picchu. We LOVED Machu Picchu. Ana's English was excellent. She was patient with our children mucking about (!!!). She had lots of information which was fascinating. Hotel Waman not great. We loved the hike to the top of Machu Picchu Mountain. Our 11 year old found it the easiest, funnily enough! It was much harder than expected but totally worth it and something we will never forget. The views from the top were out of this world! So glad we did this. The train ride down was HILARIOUS! There was dancing and a fashion show. So much fun!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Pisac archaeological site and market

Pisac

I didn't get to see very much of this as I wanted plenty of time in the market! What I did see was very interesting and I had an excellent guide ... Milton .... whose English was just incredible.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit of Islas Ballestas

Peru

This was good ... lovely to see the penguins jumping in the water.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Martina and her team were amazing. They made me a custom made trip in a short amount of time. I really recommend their treks as I had one of the most stunning hiking experiences in my life. They are friendly and helpful and knowledgeable.

We had a complicated custom itinerary involving many different guides and drivers that was put together very quickly (and at a very reasonable cost) through Phima Voyages, going from Lima to Cusco to the Parque de la Papas to the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu (including a 1-day trail hike), the Rainbow mountains, Lake Titicaca and various sites in between. All the guides and drivers were excellent (and very multilingual), the handoffs between them were smooth, and when troubles arose (e.g. an airport closure) they put together an alternate plan to get us where we needed to go with minimal fuss. There was always a helpful agent on call over whatsapp if we had any questions. It was a top-notch operation and an amazing experience. The Parque de la Papas is less visited, but if you are interested in traditional agriculture, cultural heritage, and biodiversity (and are also acclimated to the altitude and comfortable with a very rural homestay) I can't recommend it enough.

I had a fabulous experience exploring the pre Inca archeological sites of northern Peru. Martina from Phima Voyages and Sheila at its Chachapoyas office checked very often if all was going well without being intrusive. They made some minor changes at my request and were very gracious about it. My guides (Jorge in Caral, Julio in Trujillo, Sheila in Chachapoyas ) were exceptionally well informed and great company. As for the drivers all were very prudent and handled bad roads and long drives with extreme competence. I never felt unsafe (Jorge, Eusebio and my driver from Leymebamba to Cajamarca, an expert on driving in dangerous curves while keeping an interesting conversation going).
All places were extremely interesting and I was particularly impressed by Chankillo, a great alternatve to the visit in Sechin which I could not do( Oscar was a very good guide on the site).

Many thanks for a great experience all around.