Totally Latin America

The trip was lovely. All the hotels were spectacular. Airlines were great. Two things I was not pleased with...we did not have an English guide 100% of the trip and this caused a lot of confusion at the crossing into Chile. Also, we were unaware if the boat luggage restrictions and had to pay extra. Outitinerary said tariff was included and it wasn't. This could of been explained by an English guide which was not present. It would have been nice to know that as we had that type of info for our airlines. I was removed from the cue and had to wait 30 minutes to pay, nearly missing the boat. STRESSFUL. And more details need to be added to the " lake crossing" to the Andes. I felt like we were grasping for details. And didn't realize there would be 3 boats 4 busses, an uphill climb plus no portage upon exit. Paul's only reply was that he " was surprised " I did not know that when I shared my concerns. I looked at other itineraries from other travelers and they were very detailed, informing them of all changes. There was also a pick up error on the itinerary I had to verify. All in all, we enjoyed it very much, but I feel your agent needs to review some of his work as a traveler needs to feel comfortable and safe in a foreign country. Thank you.

Jason (and later Paul) at Kimkim did a nice job planning our itinerary, accommodating specific scheduling needs, and answering questions. We appreciate them. The tours we did in San Pedro de Atacama area were pretty much on the "standard list" of tours, so it was not really unusual or personalized. Guide Nicolas was notably good.

Paul was excellent and the resulting itinerary was what the group wanted. However, when we arrived at some of the locations, the itinerary was not what we had planned with Paul. It would seem that local people did not get information from Paul or ignored information from Paul/Kim-Kim. Transfers were handled well except at Las Torres Hotel.

Atacama: Thoroughly enjoyed the stay in Atacama. One of my favorite parts of the trip.

Punta Arenas: Enjoyed the Magdalena Island tour from Punta Arenas. However, the hotel room was awful - small for two people in twin beds. Window did not open, AC did not work. Others on the trip had much better rooms. Also did not have good information on options for dining.

Patagonia: Long trip by van to Hotel Las Torres. This part of the trip did not go well. We had communicated with Paul about each of our desires for activities during our stay. But the excursions were not personalized according to each of our requests. The following were problems:
(1); Horseback riding for Martha was approved after many exchanges via email before we arrived. However, when we arrived she was told that she couldn't do horseback riding. Martha has been horseback riding for over 40 years, owns her own horse and rides every week. I had to get firm and somewhat aggressive with Chris and eventually Martha got her rides. But it was a bad start to the time we had there.
(2): Hikes and other excursions: Again, the group had worked together and each of us had our preferences for activities. However, I question the sensibility of assigning myself and Richard to two 13km hikes in one day for people who were 74 and 85 years old! While I can do a single 13 km hike - two in one day was not possible. That left me with a free afternoon and not much was offered in terms of activities.
(3): The transfer from Las Torres Hotel to Punta Arenas Hotel was initially supposed to be in late morning - providing us time for a leisurely breakfast and some exploration around the hotel (including an easy hike). However, at the last minute that morning we were told that we had to leave right away because another couple had to get to the airport. That left no time to enjoy the park that morning. In addition, the van was crammed full, a flat tire had to be repaired in route, and there was no plan for what we were going to do with the 6-7 hours we would have had at the airport. Fortunately we worked with the driver to get us transferred into town at a hotel that kept our luggage, provided an opportunity for a nice lunch, and found a van to take all of us back to the airport at the appropriate time. What frustrates me is that 7 hours could have been spent at Las Torres enjoying more of the area.
Overall I was disappointed with the arrangements in Patagonia.
Easter Island: Amazing! Great guide, interesting history, wonderful hikes. Great hotel. So glad we added this to the trip.
Santiago: Wine tasting tours were excellent and the Santa Rita tour of the garden was an unexpected treat! We arranged a separate tour of the city on our final day - great tour guide.

The trip , accmodations amd guides were excellent. Everything was well planned and service from Paul was first rate.

This was our first time contacting a third party to plan a long celebration trip. Traveling to Chile, was a dream come true, and Kim Kim, couldn't have planned better. First, they were extremely responsive and dedicated from the start, listening to all my requests and answering my questions in terms of schedule, sites and season to visit, all in a timely manner. Second , we were ready for our trip with enough time ahead, no concerns about bookings, internal flights, or schedule. Third, once we got there, everything worked like a precision clock. The instructions were accurate, the transfers punctual, the hotels great, the guides and tours AMAZING!!!. This is definitely the best way to plan a once in a lifetime trip, or even a short one. Worth every penny. We had a taste of everything we wanted, it was an extremely busy trip with multiple internal flights and activities, yet we never felt overwhelmed or stressed. I also have to say that Paul went above and beyond when we forgot essential meds in our first hotel.
Thank you Paul and Kim Kim for a wonderful trip. You did a great job.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Cumbres San Pedro

San Pedro de Atacama

Beautiful hotel! All the amenities, wonderful spa, the gardens are so beautiful and the staff amazing.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beautiful place to stay in san pedro de Atacama. It is a bit far from the city but they have a shuttle that runs all the time as you need.

Hotel Hare Nua

Hanga Roa

We felt welcomed and taken care of! The staff was wonderful. This hotel has all what you need in rapa Nui.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Hiking Excursion to Base of Torres del Paine

Puerto Natales

This was a long hike, challenging at times. The guides were so kind and patient. Helpful at all times. It made the experience feel safe and comforting. They were very responsible, attentive, kind. We had a wonderful time.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The most kind guides!

Transport

It was great. I felt really supported by the team. Our guides Dennis and Roger were really knowledgeable and friendly. Paul checked in with us to make sure we were okay when our flight was delayed without being prompted. I've never used a travel service before but this was a pleasant experience.

Each of our transfers, guides, and tours were all top-notch. We enjoyed our hotels as well.

Hotel Review

Antigua Casona San Blas

Cusco

Very cool vibe, nice touches, like hot water bottles in our bed, hot tea in the evenings , etc. Nice breakfast. Central location. Excellent staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Private One Day Inca Trail Hike to Machu Picchu

Peru

Our guide, Freddy, was the best!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jason Kearney provided us with everything we would have wanted in our itinerary. He was an incredible support throughout our trip and answered all the questions/concerns promptly. I believe his availability and willingness made our trip memorable! He was just awesome!!
We had two tour guides: Francisco (Santiago, Valparaiso) and Christian (San Pedro de Atacama). Both of them made our trip stress-free and totally enjoyable. Their knowledge of the towns, restaurants and landscapes was invaluable. We could not have asked for two better individuals ferrying us around!
We also had a guide (unfortunately, cannot recall her name) to the geysers ~ again, an outstanding source of information and and very environmentally conscious!
Overall, everyone starting with Jason worked together (including the drivers - Cristian and Jose) to make our journey in Chile an unforgettable experience!!
Karla and Ashok