Me encanta Colombia!
Colombia | Aug 9 - Aug 17, 2022

Victoria
Victoria S.
San Rafael, CA | Reviewed on Aug 21, 2022

My husband and I spent 8 days traveling in Colombia in August. This was our first time using a travel agency or service such as kimkim, and we are so grateful that we did! From the very beginning, our specialist Andrea developed an exciting itinerary that fulfilled our travel wishes; when I asked if she could lower the overall cost, she was able to make adjustments without sacrificing too much of the fun and comfort.

All of our local guides in each city (Andrea in Bogotá, Juan and Ivan in Pereira, and Aura in Cartagena) were all spectacular! It was so special to have guides who were both passionate about their regions and excited to share it with others through tourism. We learned so much from our conversations with each guide (all of whom spoke exceptional English)!

Some other general comments include that most of the trip was already paid for once we arrived in Colombia, that we really didn't have to worry about having cash on us - from activities to transportation! Additionally, our specialist Andrea was extremely responsive through WhatsApp and answered any questions we had very promptly and thoroughly.

Colombia is a beautiful country, the people that we encountered were so warm and friendly, and the food is just delicious! 12/10.

Hotel Review
Casa San Carlos Lodge
Pereira

Casa San Carlos is absolutely stunning and we are so happy we were able to stay here during our visit; we even had a free day that we were able to spend by the pool. I did, however, want to share some feedback surrounding the food and hospitality: things were a bit disorganized. Staff seemed eager to please but, as culminating example, when we were checking out and settling the bills for meals (which we had charged to the room each evening) all but one or two items were incorrect. The front desk worked with us to go through and correctly itemize, but it felt very messy and I ultimately feel like we payed less than we ought to (could have easily been the opposite problem, as well).

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Traditional Farmers Market
Traditional Farmers Market
Bogotá

Maria, who leads the food tour, is just wonderful! We learned so much from her about the diversity of fruit in Colombia and sustainability efforts. We really enjoyed this; however, the quantity (not quality!) of fruit did manage to give me indigestion so be sure to prepare your gut accordingly!

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Hiking in the Cócora Valley up to "The Hummingbird House" & Explore Salento & Filandia
Hiking in the Cócora Valley up to "The Hummingbird House" & Explore Salento & Filandia
Colombia

This hike is not for the faint of heart! I was sore for the following two days but WOW what a gorgeous vista and awesome experience. Our guide Ivan saw that we only had sneakers and helped us rent rain boots to hike in, which I am grateful for since the trail can be very muddy!

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Rum & Chocolate Tasting
Rum & Chocolate Tasting
Cartagena

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would! Jesus is so charming and conversational, and the rums were very delicious. Really fun way to have a taste of Cartagena.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Our driver in Cartagena, Emerson, was one of our favorites! He was so kind and accommodating!
Transport
Knowing Cartagena to the Rhythm of Salsa
Knowing Cartagena to the Rhythm of Salsa
Cartagena

Wish we had enjoyed this more, but it was very basic and took place in a pretty bare bones dance studio in what felt like an apartment building. If you have any salsa experience already, this is probably not for you - but it might be if you are total beginner.

Quality of Experience
Local specialist: Andrea Morita
Andrea
Andrea Morita
Local specialist in Bogota | Replied on Aug 22, 2022

My dear Victoria,
Thank you, thank you so much for your lovely review and feedback about all your experiences in our country. Thank you so much for your time and for providing these valuable details to always keep working hard for our travelers and our country.
María, Aurita, Andreita, Juan, Iván, and Emerson send both of you a lot of love and hugs for your beautiful words. They were all so happy to hear from you.
Here we are always happy to welcome you back to our country.
I wish you all the best. Take care!
With love,
Andrea