Kimkim Trip Reviews

Overall, the guides arranged through KimKim were mostly excellent. Most were knowledgeable, personable, with good English and easy to spend time with, though not every guide was at the same level.

The drivers, however, were consistently top-notch.

Absolutely wonderful experience! Stephen and his team at Realistic Travel were all outstanding (Special shout out to Dung and Son - they were great guides for our day trips)! They communicated every step with us and delivered perfectly. We were met right at the airport and delivered to our hotel. Typically that is a stressful time, but they made everything very easy for us. The pacing of our trip was perfect. We had a nice combination of scheduled activities and free time. Everything made our trip perfect - we leave Vietnam with wonderful memories and will recommend this group to our friends!
Highly suggest that Kimkim provides guidance for tipping in various countries - We talked to several other tourists about this issue. We all wanted to make sure our guides knew how much we appreciated them and their efforts. It would be nice to have some basic guidance on this.

Uma did an incredible job building our dream trip to New Zealand. She worked with us to build in Lord of the Rings and nature excursions that were important to us (Highlights included Weta Workshop tour, half day lord of the rings tour in Glenorchy, Mt Tarawera Crater Walk in Rotorua, Kai Bites tour in Christchurch, and Zealandia by Night tour in Wellington). We greatly appreciated her partnership on telling us when we were trying to fit in too much during planning, leaving us with an itinerary that was the perfect balance of action-packed activities and free time to explore or relax at our leisure for every location. Before departure, she provided a thorough day-by-day itinerary and many resources to prepare us for New Zealand. On the trip itself, she was crucial to our trip remaining on track as we were there at a very rainy time. She took point on rearranging our itinerary when some of our events were cancelled for inclement weather. The restaurant recommendation list was also phenomenal - some of our best meals were at the restaurants they recommended.

Activity Reviews

Lord of the Rings Scenic Tour (Half Day)

Queenstown (NZ)

We got to see so many filming locations as part of this tour. The guides made sure to calibrate their tour based on who was in attendance, so the super LOTR fan and the casual enjoyer (i.e., my husband and myself) could both appreciate and enjoy their time. They brought a flip book to show the scenes and how they were staged for the film, and Pure Glenorchy was also able to get us onto a privately owned location for the Hobbit and to get a better view of Isengaard. And of course the photo opportunity at the end was an awesome touch. It even included a break for afternoon tea in the park in Glenorchy!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amiki Cultural Food Tours - Kai Bites

Christchurch

Ash was an amazing tour guide for the Kai Bites tour. She took us around to her favorite spots, taking care to point out important history, art, and buildings around Christchurch, including spots that we would not have thought to check out or would have noticed on our own. Ash made sure to point out shops that features local artisans so we could bookmark them for our own time, and when we mentioned our dinner reservation plans, she helped pick out a menu of must haves (which were, to no surprise, amazing recommendations). She clearly has a love for her work and sharing great food with others, and it was such a delight to spend the time with her, which made this a top excursion on our trip.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Zealandia by Night

Wellington

This was the best part of the trip as someone looking forward to the diverse bird wildlife of New Zealand. The guides were so informed and clearly passionate about their work, so the audio tour component was very informative. We were able to see little spotted kiwis in the wild, a Ruru, and multiple tuatara. And it felt more intimate as a small group walking through Zealandia after dark with provided red flashlights to be able to search the brush for wildlife.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Crater Walk on Mount Tarawera

Rotorua

The experience of this rewarding hike was phenomenal. The guides were kind and so fun, helping take photos and explain everything you could see from the top of the crater. The skree down into the crater was the highlight, with the best part being able to go quickly at the bottom.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We used Kimkim to plan our honeymoon to Bali and Lombok, and it was an incredible experience. Our specialist, Marc, was thoughtful, responsive, and truly understood what we wanted—romantic, relaxing, and stress-free. All three of our drivers/guides were fantastic.

When I asked about making changes to the itinerary, Marc took the time to explain why it was originally planned the way it was, and I’m so glad we trusted his expertise and left everything as he designed it. The trip flowed perfectly, the accommodations were amazing, and we never had to worry about a single detail. We also got pretty lucky with the weather since it was rainy season in Indonesia, but much less crowds and I couldn’t imagine going when it’s crowded everywhere and humid!

We’re so grateful to Marc and Kimkim for creating a honeymoon we’ll never forget. We would absolutely use them again and highly recommend them to anyone planning a special trip.

Hotel Reviews

Merusaka Nusa Dua

Bali

Very nice hotel and room. We had some issues with the TV and AC in our first room, which required some elevation to management and finally requesting a new room to get fixed. The hotel itself is the nicest we stayed at. It’s also a very touristy area, so it’s very catered to western standards and safety. Also loved how close to was to the airport for the end of our trip.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Qunci Villas Hotel

Senggigi

It was a great hotel overall, but the rooms could use some updates. The cleanliness was OK. A few issues with cleaning that they promptly fixed when asked. It should be noted the shower is outdoors, which is so fun but can be a bit of an issue sometimes with rainy season. There is also only a shower, no tub. The restaurants were fantastic!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tejaprana Resort & Spa

Bali

Our favorite place we stayed. The cutest little villa with our own private plunge pool. The welcome drink and massages were great.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to ubud but far enough away from the hustle and bustle

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Kecak Dance Performance

Indonesia

We loved this! So unique and it was great to do the temple tour prior to the performance. Our guide was very experienced and spoke English so well. I am so glad this was a part of our itinerary.

Quality of Experience

The show was spectacular, especially at the earlier time because sunset happened during the show.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide spoke really good English compared to most people in this country and he had been doing this almost 30 years!

Transport

Waterfall Exploration and Traditional Sasak Village Visit

Indonesia

The waterfall was so beautiful! It was a really cool little hike through a river and forest there. Our guide was so fun and took great photos.

Quality of Experience

Sooo worth it. Beautiful.

Food

The fried chicken was awesome, meal was authentic and fresh

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Best Beaches of Lombok

Indonesia

I’m sure the beaches are really great, unfortunately it was raining the day we had this scheduled so we got stuck in some rain storms. It’s also a little far from the resort we stayed in.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Balinese massage

Indonesia

Quality of Experience

Boat trip and snorkeling around the Gilis island (Meno, Air)

Indonesia

Our favorite activity- highly recommend this. We even went back to the gili islands another day because we loved it so much. So so many sea turtles!! The viewing glass upgrade to the boat was nice, but overall a speed boat would have been amazing for faster travel. Also, a nicer boat with a better area on the front to lounge would have made it perfect.

Quality of Experience

Food

Sitting on the beach to eat was awesome!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A fast boat or nicer boat would have been ideal

Extreme apologies for this delay
My clients were very slow with their feedback.

They were blown over with the absolutely fabulous experience it was for the whole family.
The services were great and I think the highlight was the boat trip at Amalfi

Thanks very much to Irene who was very patient and prompt with responses and helping fully, for the success of this trip.

Thank you Kimkim

Rosita

Activity Reviews

Private Vatican Guided Tour

Rome

Private Capri Boat Tour from Amalfi for Fernandez Family

Amalfi Coast

Extremely fantastic and loved by the guests Staff were fabulous

Local transfer in Amalfi Coast

Italy

Private Val d 'Elsa Tour for Fernandez Family

Tuscany

Amazing staff and hosts

Private Val d’Orcia Tour for Fernandez Family

Tuscany

Excellent

Quality of Experience

Useful Information

Italy

Clients had a poir experience with the driver who asked for payment

Quality of Experience

Using a travel agency/booking guides to plan, organize and adjust our itinerary and logistics for our trip to Costa Rica was a huge departure from our usual do it yourself travel. It was a first for us actually. So we obviously had some fears and trepidations in how it would all work out. We needn't have worried. Everyone we dealt with was professional and quick to adjust our plans as needed. From early on there were changes that had to be made. Perhaps most notable though were the cancellation of two of our planned and paid for activities due to weather conditions. I am very pleased those were refunded in full. The rental car seemed a little sketchy as we neared our departure day as I was unable to find much information or reviews on them but Sun Valley Rentals turned out to be a pleasure to deal with and we especially liked the pick up and drop off right at the airport. No un-nerving shuttle to deal with. The only glitz was the rep was not waiting for us when we arrived and I ended up paying a local who could see I was searching for awhile for them to call Sun Valley for me. I take the blame here though as apparently he sent us a message via Watts App which we missed. Still, he wasn't there with a sign as planned.
You really listened to what we wanted in Costa Rica and picked two perfect lodgings for us based on those wishes. We really feel we had two vacations in Costa Rica thanks to the dramatic differences between our lodges in Monteverde and Guanacaste. We experienced all the experiences we asked for, when the weather cooperated. We experienced a tropical storm and winds, rain and heavy rain our first three days there. Thanks in part to your help, we were able to salvage much of what could have been a disaster. I suppose you could suggest that folks vacationing in the cloud forest may experience significantly harsher weather conditions than expected. We had temperatures in the upper 40's (F) and winds in excess of 70mph! We took it in stride and even had some good laughs with other good natured tourists as we all admitted we had been wearing all the clothes we brought with us for three days in a row now :)
Our favorite highlights of our trip were the el tigre waterfall, tree top dining and everything about Rio Perdido, especially the thermal river and the overall complete lack of crowding (we hiked to miles without seeing anyone) and incredible privacy of our lodging.
Our planner was Gustavo and Kate assisted us while in Costa Rica.

Hotel Reviews

Río Perdido Hotel & Thermal River

La Fortuna

exceeded our expectations in every way. Perhaps the nicest lodge we've stayed at overall. The bungalows are extremely private and designed so well I found myself photographing many features of them to perhaps implement some of those ideas in my own house someday. The outdoor shower, the lava exfoliating tiles on the floor, the copper trough bathroom sink. Just wonderful. Couldn't believe the privacy we had in everything we did. Had the thermal river to ourselves, the hiking paths to ourselves and even the restaurant almost to ourselves. So much so that I questioned if they were perhaps not very booked and was stunned to hear they were at 100%.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cloud Forest Lodge

Monteverde

Very personal intimate experience, especially with the staff. Excellent food choices and quality. Loved the fireplace! Property is impeccably maintained and offers nice hiking, bird watching and other amenities.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Treetop Dining Experience with Wine Pairing

Monteverde

One of the best dining experiences I've ever had. The waiter was a true professional who really added to the experience. Not only did we enjoy 9 gourmet foods and wines but we learned a lot about the country. The setting was as unique and beautiful as the photos.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

TreeTram, Hanging Bridges & Zipline Adventure

Monteverde

I'm not usually much into such planned and organized activities as this but figured when in Rome. I've done hanging bridges and ziplines before so expected about the same. I was wrong. The Hanging bridges put you in or above the canopy which is other- worldly and a must see in Costa Rica. The ziplines are very fast and with the clouds present gave us the experience of plunging into a fog bank! Exciting and un-nerving at the same time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

El Tigre Waterfalls Excursion

Monteverde

Good description overall. Swimming on this hike should not always be expected. We had 4 layers, raingear and muddy boots on. Horseback ride was cool!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We went on this trip rather last minute after other travel plans fell through. Thanks to Majid everything came together beautifully within a week. He created a truly memorable vacation for us. During the trip Majid was always available to change things around and check in on us. The highlight of the trip? Our driver Yussef! If you are spending hours with somebody in a car you better feel comfortable with that person. Yussef was a great driver (I tend to get car sick and even in the mountains I was fine!). He was super punctual, reliable, entertaining, and genuinely friendly. He waited for us while we had dinner to drive us to the hotel, brought us to places that weren't even mentioned in the itinerary and always kept his good humor even when the weather and traffic were awful. I highly recommend him to anybody planning a trip to Morocco.
We saw a lot on this trip - Casablanca, Rabat, Chefchaouen, Volublis, Meknes, Fes, Merzouga, Dades Gorge, Boumaine Dades, Ait Benhaddou, Marrakesh, Essaouira and every place was a wonderful experience and I am glad we didn't skip any place because of the sometimes long drives. Besides the cities it was the cultural experiences and guides that made this trip extra special.

Great trip, great guides, all the transfers and meet-ups worked out perfectly!

We had a wonderful experience! And especially appreciated the seamless support in country from wonderful tour guides and staff in our various accommodations to our amazing driver, Mo. this was our second trip arranged by Kim Kim and we felt (again) that we were in capable good hands and the choices in accommodation and activities matched our expectations.

We had a wonderful trip to the Philippines!! We were able to really relax and enjoy our time, knowing we didn't have to worry about our excursions and transportation at all. Furthermore, we really liked the dive shops that were chosen - very professional and safe!!

Hotel Reviews

Sheraton Cebu Mactan Resort

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Four Points by Sheraton Palawan Puerto Princesa

Puerto Princesa

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Seda Lio

El Nido

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

North Zen Villas

Panglao

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Club Serena Resort

Moalboal

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Puerto Princesa Underground River Day Tour from Sabang

Sabang, Palawan

Maybe my favorite activity- SUCH a fun experience. Jonall was a phenomenal guide too.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sibaltan Day Tour

El Nido

This was a really nice tour overall. A little off the beaten path, so the beaches seemed very private and secluded. Unfortunately, we were not able to hit all of the destinations, because of high winds. Also, our guide was apparently new to guiding, and we had a few strange interactions. We also ended up having to pay for coconut water, which we were not told about prior to - the guide brought it to us, and then asked for the cash later. Luckily, I did bring cash. However, most of the crew was very pleasant, and the food we were given was phenomenal. It was overall a lovely day, just doesn't get 5 starts from me given a few strange moments.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Very comfortable on the way there, but on the way back, the guide made my partner sit on a cardboard box because his shorts were damp. We didn't disembark on the dock, given the winds, so our clothes got wet once more since we landed on a beach. I think the expectations should have been discussed earlier, not when we got into the car.

Island hopping in El Nido - Tour A

El Nido

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bohol Island Day Tour

Philippines

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Diving in Pamilacan Island (3 dives)

Panglao Island

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Diving in Balicasag Island (2 dives)

Philippines

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Canyoneering in Kawasan Falls

Moalboal

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Diving in Moalboal - 3 dives

Moalboal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This trip was AMAZING!! Every day was non-stop enjoyment – adventurous explorations of Mayan history & culture, beauty of all kinds, and delicious food.
We had about 9 different guides, and every single one was excellent, sharing lots of info, but always in an interesting way. Carlo, our driver for 3 days, proud Mayan speaking perfect English, was simply amazing, as a driver, assistant, and very knowledgeable ambassador for Mayan culture and people.
Valladolid and the archaeological wonders of Chichen Itsa, Yaxunah, Ek Balam and Tulum were all fascinating, and the tours of them quite educational. This 77-year-old successfully climbed the 106 steep, narrow steps of Ek Balam's Acropolis, a former royal palace & temple, and the panoramic views of the surrounding jungle from the top were amazing!
Other highlights:
Imagine me comfortably, peacefully floating in the middle of the beautiful Lol-Ha Cenote.
A private boat ride in Rio Lagartos - Las Colorades was a wonderful adventure in nature - flamingos, mangroves, a great variety of birds perched along the shore, and getting up close to a few crocodiles.
Our private "cooking class" in Nuevo Durango was a rich traditional Mayan cultural & gastronomical experience.
Snorkeling at the Caribbean coral reef – enjoying seeing a big ray, several turtles (some getting very close), & lots of beautiful fish.
Being in an underground river surrounded by thousand-year-old stalactites and stalagmites - a fascinating experience.
Enjoying a wondrous variety of tacos and other foods during our food tour in Tulum.
In conclusion, we want to give all the people at kimkim and Rutopia who were involved in our journey High Accolades for a fabulous vacation. Ana Sofia patiently crafted a trip that was rich and full of marvelous activities, in a balanced itinerary that was structured perfectly to be full, but not tire us out in any way. It was full of Mayan culture, history, architectural wonders, natural beauty, fascinating wildlife, vivid colors, delicious food, basically non-stop enjoyment, and fun! The Real Hispano hotel is beaufiful, authentic, and conveniently located in colorful Valladolid. The Piedra Escondida in Tulum is a tropical secluded beach Paradise!
Ana Sofia patiently worked with us, really listened and understood our desires, concerns, and limitations. In a word, she cared about us and about creating an amazing trip for us. When a proposed activity or location wasn’t right, she cheerfully did more research and replaced it, leading to a truly personalized, nearly perfect, amazing trip of a lifetime!
And then there was Luz Maria from Rutopia, our loyal WhatsApp buddy, cheerfully and competently accompanying, supporting, and caring about us every day of the trip. What a gift! – giving us daily information, helping us in so many ways, answering our questions, really hearing our concerns, and fixing “problems” whenever possible. Just being there for us every day. Making sure that Ana Sofia’s beautiful plan was well implemented. Wow.

This was a perfcct adventure for me. The Kim Kim team responded to my questions with very pertinent information in a very short time. I am pleased to recommend Kim Kim for your travel excursions.

Hotel Reviews

Seaview Resort Khao Lak

Takua Pa

I was not in the best of spirits when I arrived. The staff graciously introduced me to the comforts of my room and the resort, and I soon relaxed and enjoyed the rest of my stay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Furama Silom Bangkok Hotel

I arrived earlier than anticipated. The staff were very accommodating and help me feel welcomed and supported. I think this is a great hotel in a great location in a great city. They are steps away from parks, walks, markets, restaurants and entertainment. I would be happy to spend more time in Silom district, and I would be very happy to use Furama Silom as my base.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Snorkel the Similan Islands

Khao Lak

This adventture gets high marks for the quality of the snorkeling and the staff. We saw many fish at each of the snorkeling stops, and a turtle at the last stop. When it came time to don the life preservers, I was struggling to put on one of the smaller l.ps. The group leader started chiding me about my age and my girth, and it became a point for both of us to make sure that the cajoling was all done with love. In fact, we kept up the act throughout the experince. Another traveler said that our interaction helped bring smiles to other passengers.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Little Amazon and Sri Phang Nga Waterfall Full Day Tour From Khao Lak

Khao Lak

The wildlife was right there. Herons and other birds were comfortable with us floating by. And there was a group of monkeys within 10 feet of us at times, and they were carrying on chasing each other, flying through the trees and falling over each other in the water. It was delightful to see how their families were interacting.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Best to take this trip when the water levels are higher. I did not feel comfortable in the raft. It needs a bench type seat. Those are the only two reasons I didn't rate this experience 'amazing.'

Bamboo rafting in the Sok River

Thailand

The views of the cliffs are spectacular, making this a trip wiell worth taking. the ride was smooth and soothing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Street Food Tuk Tuk Adventure

Bangkok

My guide Asol does a great job of introducing the sites and what to expect when visiting them. We had a little extra time in front of the Grand Palace, which gave opportunities to feel the rhythm of this marvelous city. I especially enjoyed the tour of the China Town district, and the flower marker was amazing both on the variety of the flowers and the scale of the market. The second time that we went by the river to see the palaces at night was inspiring to me. I really enjoyed the entire Tuk Tuk tour, and I highly recommend you hire Asol to guide you through its features.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The KimKim website is excellent. We didn’t see a link for “ more details “ so didn’t have our complete itinerary info immediately. All our Guides were great and knowledgeable.
Our pickup at the airport was an hour late and he seemed annoyed. We had difficulty reaching KimKim when trying to locate the driver.
Olman did a great job on some excursions and hotels but missed on others. Not sure he fully understood what we wanted from our trip despite at least two phone conversations. Think it would have been helpful to get more information from travelers before booking hotels/room locations. Hotel Eco Arenal was very old, outdated and mold/peeling paint in our bathroom. Opposite side of the city where all our activities were. Camino Verde was lovely but our room was on a busy, loud street that was under construction so little sleep for 3 nights. Nammbu bungalow were beautiful! Private and group driver’s were also very good. Enjoyed Costa Rica We never were in contact with Olman once we arrived but referred to a female Costa Rica representative for any questions or issues??

Hotel Reviews

The Coast Beachfront Hotel

Tamarindo, Guanacaste Province

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Front desk staff were not friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Our room had some kind of noise machine in it running?

Nammbú Beachfront Bungalows

Sámara

Great quiet place. Excellent staff. Excellent breakfast. Beautiful pool area and lovely room overlooking the Ocean.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It isn’t walkable to Samara

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Camino Verde Bed & Breakfast

Great location, friendly staff and lovely room. Excellent breakfast!! Our room was on a very busy/noisy street that was under construction. Didn’t get much sleep

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Street noise

Hotel Eco Arenal

Fortuna

The people here were friendly and the breakfast was good. This hotel was outdated and we had water damage/mold in the bathroom. It was farther away from most Arenal activities. Pool was in poor condition.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Needs updating

Activity Reviews

Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve Guided Hike

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

TreeTram & Hanging Bridges Adventure

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Volcano to El Castillo Mountain Bike Tour

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Hanging Bridges & La Fortuna Waterfall Hike with Lunch

Arenal/La Fortuna

Monica our guide was amazing!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a fantastic trip to Peru. We started our adventure in Cusco where we were picked up and delivered to the airport for a flight to Puerto Maldenado. The staff literally walked us into the airport and assisted us getting our boarding passes and bags checked. In Puerto Maldenado, we were met by Carlos who helped us get our bags and into a waiting van which took us to the Peruvian Soul office. At the office we separated out the clothes we needed for the Tambopata River trip and our stay at Finca Sachabacayoc lodge. After separating our clothing, Carlos delivered us to a dock where we were met by Freddy who told us he would be our activity guide while we were at Finca. We boarded a motor boat for a two and half hour ride up the Tambopata River to the the Finca Lodge. Along the way Freddy pointed out Macaws, Parrots and Eagles. The boat also literally took us right up next to a family of Capybaras.
The Finca Lodge was beautiful. Our cabin had two queen beds, a very modern bathroom and shower, and a screened in front porch with a hammock. The main lodge structure had a large restaurant and a lovely bar. We were assigned a table where we ate all our meals with our guide, Freddy.
The Peruvian food served us throughout our three night, 4 day stay, was terrific. I do not know the chef's name but he was awesome! Every meal the he would stop at our table to make sure we were happy with the food and drink; which we were. The bar was also terrific. We made friends during our stay with a couple from Portland Oregon and another couple from the Netherlands. Every evening the six of us had a beer or a Pisco Sour in the bar and chatted about our adventures that day.
Speaking of daily adventures, on the day we arrived, Freddy took us on a night hike where he showed us creatures of the night, including monkeys, scorpions, and tarantulas. The night sounds of the jungle during the night hike were amazing. That night after dinner, we went to our cabin for bed. The cries and sounds of the birds, monkeys and insects were mesmerizing. But just before we went to sleep a thunderstorm rolled in, the temperature dropped 20 degrees, and we slept like babies!
In the days that followed Freddy took us on a jungle hike to a lake where we paddled a canoe looking for Anacondas and Caymens and wild birds like Macaws. We had a marvelous time. Later that day we hiked to a 50 meter tower located in the middle of the jungle. After climbing to the top, we could see the jungle below. Freddy set up a spotting scope and he showed us many different kinds of birds and monkeys. We stayed on the tower until after sunset. Again the sounds of the jungle at night were mesmerizing!
The following day we got up at 2:30AM and took a boat to the Chuncho Clay Lick- a place where every morning at dawn, thousands of birds from the jungle come to eat the salt they need for their diets. We arrived just before dawn and set up our chairs and spotting scopes . As the sun rose, thousands of birds arrived; red and blue macaws, blue and yellow macaws, white and black toucans, green and yellow parrots and a sinister looking hawk that the other birds clearly did not like. The birds were beautiful. Freddy attached our phone cameras to his spotting scope and recorded slow motion videos of the birds flying in and around the salt lick. The video's are wonderful!
After about 2 hours (7:30AM), the birds began to leave the salt lick. We loaded up our stuff and headed back to the boat. But, much to our surprise, Freddy an other staff from the Finca Lodge had set up a breakfast table with eggs, fruit, pancakes, juice and coffee. In the middle of the jungle and on an island in the middle of the Tambopata River we had big and delicious breakfast!
Later that day Freddy took us on another boat ride to the Condenado Lake, where we took a raft built on pontoons that Freddy maneuvered using an unusual rudder device that allowed the raft to move. While traversing the lake Freddy spotted a family of giant River Otters. We followed them and got many great photos of the giant creatures. On this trip we also saw caymans, capybaras, monkeys, beautiful Macaws and an illegal gold mine set up in the middle of the river!
The next day we had to return to Puerto Maldenado. We said good bye to the friends and, with Freddy's help, took the boat back to Puerto Maldenado. It rained the entire trip back, but the boat had a roof with side plastic windows that kept us dry. The boat trip in the rain was actually quite fun.
In Puerto Maldenado, we retrieved the rest of our clothes and went to the airport, where Carlos helped us get our bags checked in and collect our boarding passes for our flight to Lima. Carlos literally walked with us all the way to security.
When we arrived in Lima, a man named Bosco and a van picked us up at the Lima airport and transported us to the Hotel Limade in the Mira Flores district. During the ride, Bosco regaled us with a very entertaining history lesson about Lima.
The Hotel Limade was brand new. I was told it had opened only 4 months earlier. The hotel was like a very fine hotel in a major city in the US. It was bvery nice with a great rooftop bar and a wonderful restaurant for the complimentary breakfast. The hotel was about 6 blocks from the Pacific Ocean and the beaches of Lima. After checking in, Wendy and I walked to the beaches and took many photos of the beautiful beaches, shops and parks. Th beaches reminded me of Miami.
The following day we were met by Nancy, our guide for the day. In a nutshell, she was awesome! Her English was perfect and her knowledge of Mira Flores and especially the Barranco district was superb. Nancy took us to the Barranco District which is famous for it's art, art galleries, restaurants, shops and beautiful boutique hotels. Nancy's tour was to last only 4 hours, but she stayed with us for nearly 6 hours! We ate at three separate restaurants sampling the unique food and drink of Lima. We also stopped at a chocolate factory where we sampled chocolates and watched how chocolate candy was made. We toured some of the beautiful boutique hotels of Barranco that were built in the early 1900's as private mansions for wealthy people from Europe and elsewhere. When Peru's economy struggled the homes were abandoned. Beginning in the late 1990's, these old mansions were bought by local Peruvians and who turned them into boutique hotels. We stopped at the Hotel B where Robert DeNiro stayed a year or so ago. It was magnificent!
Nancy also took us to several art galleries and to many street art paintings. We loved the art so much we bought a print from a famous Peruvian artist by the name of Jade Rivera.
Nancy was a spectacular guide. If you are in Lima make sure you ask for Nancy!
The next morning we had to return to the US. Bosco picked us up at the Hotel Limade and delivered us to the airport, including getting our boarding passes and our luggage checked. During the ride to the airport, Bosco told us more stories about Lima and Peru. Like Nancy, he too is a very good.
We loved Peru and and our trip to the Amazon and Lima. Thank you KimKim for taking such great care of us. Hasta la proxima vez! Tom and Wendy.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Limade

Lima

Great hotel. It is new in 2025. They have a great roof top bar and a nice restaurant for a very extensive complimentary breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

It is in the middle of the Mira Flores District, a beautiful suburb of Lima

Location

It is about 6 blocks from the beaches. There are restaurants, shopping and art all within walking distance

Staff

Everyone was super nice and they all spoke English

Cleanliness & Comfort

No, everything was terrific.

Finca Sachabacayoc

See my review of the trip. But this is a very fun place to stay with great food in the middle of the jungle

Authenticity & Character

It's adjacent to a huge river and in the jungle. The sounds during the day are great but at night they are spectacular

Location

Staff

The chef was terrific. He was always smiling and makig sure we were enjoying the food. Emerson is the manager. He was always around. If you had any questions or needed anything, Emerson would take care of it.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Our cabin was super clean. Staff made the bed and cleaned our cabin every day.

Activity Reviews

Art and Local Cuisine in Bohemian Barranco

Lima

Nancy, our guide was perfect. She spoke excellent English and answered all of our questions. She took us to restaurants, art galleries, unique shops, and boutique hotels. Nancy was to be our guide for 4 hours, but she stayed with us for 6. She is incredibly good as a guide.

Quality of Experience

See above. At the end of our time with Nancy, we were friends.

Food

Nancy took us to three restaurants and a chocolate manufacturing business. The food and chocolate were wonderful. We especially enjoyed the restaurant Horneando Ando.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Although we didn't need a van, when we had to walk a few blocks, Nancy texted the driver and amazingly he would show up a minute or two later to take us to our next stop!

Transport

See above

Finca Sachavacavoc - Farewell Amazon

Tambopata

See my earlier report. We loved the Finca lodge.

Quality of Experience

The Lodge is very well maintained. Staff is very attentive. The food is terrific and the bar a great place to hang out after a day in the jungle.

Food

We loved the food. there was plenty of it and it was always top notch. We drank Barley Juice a couple of times and I have tried to recreate it at home, but alas, the Barley Juice at Finca was much better!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Freddy is the best!

Transport

The boats were great and the drivers excellent.

Finca Sachavacavoc - D3 - Sachavacayoc Lake

Tambopata

Freddy took us on a 2+ mile hike through the jungle to the lake. On the way Freddy educated us on the trees that grow in the Amazon, the various plants used medicinally by the indigenous tribes , and about the Anacondas we might see at the Lake. The canoe trip on the lake was beautiful. We saw anaconda tracks but no anacondas, but the birds, butterflies and monkeys we saw made up for not seing anacondas.

Quality of Experience

Freddy. He is really good.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Freddy knows the jungle!

Transport

The canoe was perfect for the lake.

Finca Sachavacavoc - D2 - Chuncho Claylick and Condenado Lake

Tambopata

Se earlier report. This is a great activity- despite having to get up at 2:30AM. It is well worth the sleep deprivation!

Quality of Experience

This something you cannot see in the USA.

Food

the breakfast at the salt lick was a very nice touch

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Everything was always on time.

Transport

The boat driver and the guide.

Finca Sachavacavoc - D1 - Venturing into the Amazon

Tambopata

Se my earlier report. We loved the Lodge.

Quality of Experience

The Lodge and our Guide, Freddy

Food

The authentic Peruvian food was special. We loved it. We also loved the Pisco Sours!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The van drivers, boat drivers, guides were all super.

Transport

The van was always neat as a pin!

Carolina was incredible, truly. She made our honeymoon so special, and with all the transfers we had to account for with our travels through Argentina and a hula, it was honestly stress free and seemless thanks for her effort. We’ve used kimkim for several trips now but the most stand out feature about Carolina and her team was how accessible and PATIENT she was. I never felt like I was bothering her if I was indecisive. She guided us kindly and the teamwork mentality ensured our honeymoon was a trip of a LIFETIME. Thanks so much Caro!!

Activity Review

Torres del Paine all inclusive - Activities menu provided by the hotel

Torres del Paine

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We have sent Monica a nite of thanks as she was beyond amazing if I could give her 10 stars I would.

Holden was very pleasant and responsive. The drivers we had were excellent and sometimes, they had to drive under very difficult conditions. Overall, however, Holden clearly did not understand what we were looking for in terms of activities. We wanted activity. The hanging bridge trip was fine but in between the bridges, it was a walk at a snail's pace, stopping every ten feet to look at a different spider. The float was fine but I had to argue back and forth to get it later than 7 am, when we would have to miss breakfast and when it was colder. The hike in Manuel Antonio was not a hike-it to was a boring crawl at a snail's pace to look mostly at frogs, spiders and orchids-I was told it was a private hike for the four of us-I explained to our guide that we did not want to stop every ten feet and wanted actually hike and he said that this was not an actual hike and no adjustments could be made. Truthfully, we were elbow to elbow with hundreds of people-how private was that! The sailing cruise was nice and the food was good but Holden did not make clear that it was with 40 or so other people-I thought it would be a much smaller, semi-private activity-but it was fine. The Royal Corin exceeded expectations-the staff could not have been lovelier-the rooms were spectacular-the spa was great and the food was above average. The Mariposa had a beautiful view. That said, the staff were indifferent and the room had the very bare minimum. Overall, except for the drivers, I'm sorry I didn't just use TripAdvisor

We had a wonderful 12 day trip to Buenos Aires & Patagonia this January, and Matias helped us plan an active trip with wonderful hotels and tours. Buenos Aires is a vibrant city, and we enjoyed our tours on bike and by car. As our bike guide, Jackson modified our route to show us a few highlights we really wanted to see, including the El Ataneo Grand Splendid bookstore. He was very knowledgable and energetic. Sonia was our tour guide for the Southern portion of Buenos Aires & she was fabulous - our favorite spots were La Boca and Recoleta cemetary. In El Calafate, the Blue Safari tour of the Perdido Glacier was spectacular - both of our guides were incrediely knowledgeable and added significantly to the overall experience. Torres de Paines was also amazing - we had fabulous weather while there and each of our excursions took us to a different part of the park. It was magical. Our hotels were fabulous - all boutique hotels with character - we took advantage of the pools in several as well as spa services. The food was also top notch. Logistics were flawless, including 2 domestic transfers and a car to get us from El Calafate to Puerto Natales in Chile. All in all a beautiful trip with many amazing memories.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Eco Boutique Bidasoa

Santiago

Spent an extra night here due to a cancelled flight & were happy to do so! The rooms were comfortable & cozy and the restaurant was amazing! We had 2 meals there and absolutely loved it.

Authenticity & Character

Rooms and common areas were comfortable

Location

Easy walking distance to bicentennial park

Staff

Front desk helped us with day trips and securing an extra night in partnership with our travel agency.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Las Torres Patagonia

Torres del Paine

We had the all inclusive package at Las Torres and it was fabulous. The staff, food, and excursions were all wonderful. The rooms were spacious & had amazing views of the mountains. We all took advantage of the spa one afternoon and it was great.

Authenticity & Character

Design fit into the landscape and every detail reinforced sustainability - eg: glassware was upcycled bottles.

Location

Situated within Torres de Paine, we were able to totally unplug and see a broader area of the park without traveling 3 + hours.

Staff

Very helpful and always smiling. We had a mixup with a request about several excursions and Frederica took the time to make sure she understood what we were trying to do and accomodated us.

Cleanliness & Comfort

NOI Indigo Patagonia

Puerto Natales

This hotel has a cool design & is right on the water in Puerto Natales. Our room was right on the street, so street noise was definitely higher than normal when the windows were open. There were also local stray dogs that were chasing cars the day we stayed here, which added to the noise. The highlight was the pool on the top floor of the hotel - we watched the sunset over the water from there.

Authenticity & Character

All green hotel - very cool

Location

Rooms that open to the main street can be noisy.

Staff

Very helpful staff - checked us in early and upgraded one of our rooms as our originally booked room was occupied.

Cleanliness & Comfort

CasaSur Palermo Hotel

Buenos Aires

The neighborhood has a lot of things going on - we found good restaurants for dinner every night. The breakfast is really good - excellent pastries! Rooms are spacious, with a little balcony to sit out on. The pool was also a great way to spend a few hours after a long day of roaming the city.

Authenticity & Character

Balcony off the room, well designed layout

Location

Close to many restaurants

Staff

Very friendly - helped us with dinner options several nights.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Self Guided Santiago

Santiago

Ubered to the Parque Metropolitano (Cerro San Cristóbal) and took the cable car up and funicular down. Fabulous views of the city .

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Uber was very easy and inexpencsive

The Blue Safari

El Calafate

The entire day was incredible, starting with the drive to Los Glaciares National Park. Our local guide gave us the history of the area, inlcuding how Calafate has grown in the past 20 years. The Perdido Glacier was spectacular, and we were able to see it from multiple vantage points. Highlight for us was hiking very close to the glacier and witnessing a massive iceburg calving.

Quality of Experience

All of our stops along the way and in the park highlighted a different view and aspect of the glacier.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

All were very knowledgeable.

Transport

Stops included to stretch our legs.

Nativo Experience - Lakes and Caverns

El Calafate

Great way to learn about early Patagonia and the people who lived there. Lots of information about the local flora & fauna as well.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour Southern Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires

Sonia was a fabulous guide- we had an incredible day with her exploring the city, including an added stop and tour of Recoleta at the end of our day together. Her knowledge of the city was very deep, and no question from us was off limits. Highlights for us were La Boca (including very tasty empandadas), a stop at the open market in San Telmo, where we saw several Tangos, and a guided stroll through Recoleta.

Quality of Experience

Food

Empanadas at La Boca

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sonia was very engaging and modified our tour based on what our interests were. The driver was knowledgeable about the city & got us to our next stop quickly.

Transport

Good communication and timely pickups.

Biking Buenos Aires - Parks & Gardens

Buenos Aires

We had a wonderful time with our guide Jackson. He was very accomodating and added a few stops to our tour based on our requests. (the tour we took was different than what was highlighted in the description we got when booking and on Vamooz - particularly going into Recoleta cemetary). We still had an amazing experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

No food was offered on our tour - we each had a water bottle & stopped at a convenience store for snacks.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer to the hotel

Buenos Aires

Pickup and drop off went very smoothly

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was my first time ever using a site like this and I have to say it was everything I could have asked for. Marisa was fantastic and listened to exactly what we were looking for in our trip and made all of our arrangements so quickly and so perfectly. Recommendations were spot on and the price was so reasonable. Having everything bundled actually made it so easy and I loved how attentive and responsive she was throughout the entire trip. I will use KimKim for every trip going forward-highly highly recommended!!!

Activity Review

Exclusive Panoramic Boat Tour to the Ponta da Piedade Caves

Portugal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ashley and her team were wonderful. She was very attentive to our needs and created a fantastic experience for me and my family. We left our 18 days in Vietnam in awe. We did the touristic things but even better we had the opportunity to visit small communities and meet and spend time with many different families. All of our tour guides while on our journey were excellent stewards of their country and spoke English beautifully. I couldn't recommend Realistic Asia more!