A Dream Trip Come True
Chile
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Dec 11 - Dec 24, 2022
This trip was a dream trip for my mother and I – years in the imagination and the making. I decided to use the services of KimKim because I wanted a local specialist to devise the best possible package for us, and on, the whole, Lorena delivered.
In 14 days, we managed to visit the highlights of Chile – Santiago, Valparaiso, Patagonia and Atacama. Most of the tours and tour guides were excellent and went above and beyond what is expected from them. The people were friendly and generous, the food was delicious and the scenery was breathtaking. We left Chile full of great memories and a desire to come back again.
Our favourite guide is by far Felipe who gave us a brilliant, informative and entertaining tours of both Santiago and Valparaiso. The private dinner at Gloria & Leo’s house was one of our most memorable nights as we bonded over food, politics and music, spending over three hours singing songs by Violeta Parra and Victor Jara.
Visiting Pablo Neruda’s houses La Sebastiana and La Chascona was another highlight of the trip. I would highly recommend these visits for the poet’s fans.
And of course, the amazing places in Patagonia and Atacama are all beautiful and worth visiting. The only place I would have skipped are the Tatio Geysers, which were underwhelming.
There were a few minor issues noted below, which should be addressed to help improve future trips:
(1) Some of the tour guides did not speak any English, which was a problem for my mother. I translated most of the time, but this may pose an issue for someone who does not have a Spanish-speaking companion with them.
(2) The hotel (Big Sur) we were booked at in Puerto Natales was of very poor quality. Having no knowledge of local hotels, we trusted Lorena’s recommendation, but were surprised to find that the hotel, which is only 3 months old, to be more of a hostel/B&B than a proper hotel. We changed our booking on arrival to Costaustralisa, and were partially refunded.
(3) Our trip to Magdalena Island was cancelled last minute without the travel agency making alternative arrangements. I had to find an alternative arrangement myself and ask the agency to book us a different tour!
Apart from these issues, I would give the trip five stars.
Hotel Reviews
Activity Reviews
This dinner gave us one of our most memorable nights in Chile and possibly our lives. We were generously hosted by Gloria and Leo in their home: they cooked and sang for us, and we bonded over a shared love of music and politics. They made us feel at home in Chile, creating an intimate experience that we will cherish forever.
I did this activity on my birthday - it was my first ever kayaking experience. The instructor, Juan Pablo, was excellent - funny, helpful, informative and good-looking too :)
Underwhelming experience. The tour guide was very rude and unhelpful. We missed the sunrise because he was late and quite frankly the whole place was underwhelming. I would skip the tour if I were you :)
Sarah, it was very special planning this trip for you and mom and glad you both enjoyed it. I took notice of your suggestions during the trip and appreciate them. Gloria, Leo and Felipe send their regards and along with our entire team, we wish you both a fantastic year 2023 with more traveling adventures to come!
Best always,
Lorena