Kimkim Trip Reviews

Milton was a superior guide, he made the trip very special (mainland).
Liz our contact on the Galapagos was also great.

I worked with Monica to put together a self-driving itinerary for my two college-age children through the South and North Island. Monica was great to work with - very knowledgeable, extremely responsive, good at taking input and making thoughtful suggestions, and sensitive to budget. She put together a fantastic trip with a mix of different activities and highlights, many of which we would not have found on our own. While they were on the trip, she responded quickly to any needs they had and the trip went very smoothly and successfully. I would highly recommend Monica and the Kimkim experience. Many thanks Monica!

Activity Reviews

Glowworm Kayak Tour

Rotorua

This was my kids’ favorite part of their North Island experience. They said it was amazing!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Te Pā Tū - Maori Cultural Experience

Rotorua

The kids said the guide for this evening was excellent. Very fun, knowledgeable and interesting. They also raved about the restaurants she took them to. They loved one so much that they went back the next night.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kayak Tasman Glacier Lake

New Zealand

My kids loved their kayaking guide and found him very entertaining. This experience was another highlight of the trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Doubtful Sound Overnight Cruise (Real NZ) on Navigator or Wanderer

New Zealand

This was perhaps the biggest highlight of the trip! My kids loved it! And we would never have thought to do this without Monica’s encouragement.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jet Boat the Shotover River

Queenstown (NZ)

This was one of my kids’ favorite activities on the trip!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an amazing time, and the guides were as much a part of that experience as the amazing geography. Herman's knowledge and attitude made our introduction to Chile and the tour of Santiago a great start. Our next experience - kayaking the Petrohue and staying overnight by the waters of the fjord was probably the highlight. Our guide, Elisban, the beautiful scenery and wildlife, along with the stay at Yolanda's farm made for a couple of fun and invigorating days. The next day we mountain-biked the Osorno volcano, and our guide Jorge made the challenging uphill and some downhill another great experience. That was followed by a guided walk through the Alerce park, where our guide Luis kept us both informed and entertained with his great sense of humor and it was a good break in between some more vigorous physical excursions. Our 'bike and beer' tour with Jorge (again) gave us some amazing views of lake Llanquihue and the countryside, and while we did sample a few bears (amazing), we had too many Pisco sours the night before so we mostly drank water. We wrapped up the trip by white water rafting with Elisban, and were finally introduced to the coliguacho. We had learned from Jorge that you can break open the coliguacho and extract honey, and were surprised to find that it was true. So...overall incredible trip!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Wyndham Puerto Varas Pettra

Puerto Varas

Very clean and comfortable. Incredible views of the lake and volcanos. Nice breakfast buffet. Lobby room was an excellent place to relax and take in the scenery.

Authenticity & Character

German architecture and rustic feel.

Location

Walking distance to everything in Puerto Varas

Staff

Easy check-in, check-out, and helpful with all questions and recommendations for food/coffee.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Eco Boutique Bidasoa

Santiago

Very comfortable, clean hotel in one of the nicest areas of Santiago. Great restaurants within walking distance.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Rafting on the Petrohué River

Chile

Great way to end our trip! Eli was our guide once again, prepared us well for the white water, and it was a great experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bike & Beer

Puerto Varas

Jorge set us up for a great ride from Frutillar to LLanquihue. The ride wasn't too strenuous, and we had great views of the lake, farms, country side, and the cities. Jorge had an delicious lunch and great assortment of local beers for tasting when we were finished.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trekking in Alerce Andino National Park

Puerto Varas

Our guide Luis had a great sense of humor, was very knowledgeable, and this was a nice, easy hike with a lot of beautiful scenery.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mountain bike Osorno Volcano

Puerto Varas

Jorge our guide was excellent, and the experience was invigorating. It was cloudy so we couldn't see the top of the volcano, but it was still beautiful and we got an incredible view of the Lake of the Saints.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day 2/2: Kayak Journey Across the Fjords

Puerto Varas

See previous day's review...

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day 1/2: Kayak Journey Across the Fjords

Puerto Varas

This was the highlight of our trip. Kayaking the river and fjord, the wildlife, the guide, the food, sleeping overnight in tents near the water, swimming in the icy water, seeing penguins, dolphins and sea lions, the experience of eating farm-fresh food at the farm itself - all were things to remember.

Quality of Experience

The guide was excellent, and the views were incredible, the food was great....

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santiago City Tour - Private

Chile

Herman our guide was so knowledgeable, and his personal experiences and character were a huge plus.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Every part of our trip was incredible and we couldn’t have done it without the Kim Kim team! From their advice during the planning to the guides that introduced us to the incredible sights, sounds and flavors of Peru, we truly experienced the trip of a lifetime!

Angel has been able to organize an exciting and comprehensive plan for our trip to Chile. In the planning phase he’s been capable of accommodate all our wishes for activity despite our time constraints, including impeccable logistics. During the trip he’s been always available for clarifications, small adjustments and coordination.

While all our guides have been extremely professional and offered great adventures, some really stood out. In chronological order:
- Andrej, our guide for an excursion in the Atacama desert, is very experienced and knew the area well, showing us a less touristic route which ended with a breathtaking waterfall view.
- Sebastian, our guide for 2 tours in Rapa Nui, is extremely knowledgeable about the island’s history and was able to provide all the answers to our questions.
- Claudio, our driver from Balmaceda to Puerto Rio Tranquilo, is a very professional driver who provided many insights about the nature in the area and he took initiative to stop several times along the 3 hours drive to let us take photos in the most stunning viewpoints.
- Jose Luis, our contact person in Puerto Natales, was very available to organize our pick up and car rental, and also provided us with lot of trip suggestions for our adventures in the Torres de Paine National Park.
- Our guides for the tour on Magdalena Island also gave us one of the most memorable tours, taking us for a walk across an incredible amount of penguins.

Overall, I would recommend this journey to everyone as it included activities for anyone, with Angel being able to suggest the most suitable activities for your needsz

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Vendaval

Puerto Natales

Very stylish hotel, a hotspot for backpackers and adventurers.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Alma Sur

Punta Arenas

Very nice room and extremely central, the staff was quick to react to our complaints on extremely noisy neighbors.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Valle Exploradores

Puerto Río Tranquilo, Aysén

Cozy hotel with an extremely helpful staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tupa Hotel

Hanga Roa

The hotel is old and full of mold, but it is fairly central and offers a great view.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Panamericana Providencia

Providencia

Comfortable and clean hotel for our stays during flight connections, it is also very central in Santiago.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ckoi Atacama Lodge

San Pedro de Atacama

Amazing stay with llamas in the backyard and fresh and authentic food.

Authenticity & Character

Freshest eggs I have ever had!

Location

Very central

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Not the newest rooms, but that is part of the authenticity.

Activity Reviews

Full Day Valparaiso & Viña del Mar - Group Tour

Santiago

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Magdalena Island - Penguin Encounter Half Day Tour

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kayak Adventure at the Marble Caves - Puerto Rio Tranquilo

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Good Bye Easter Island - Transfer to the Airport for your flight to Santiago.

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Tour Orongo Volcano

Easter Island

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Snorkeling Tour in Easter Island

Easter Island

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rano Raraku Volcano & Anakena White Sand Beach

Easter Island

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer to the Airport for your Flight to Easter Island

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Morning Trek to Puripobre Hot Springs

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sandboard in the Atacama Desert

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Waterfalls & Cactus Trek

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a wonderful trip, expertly arranged by Kimkim. Michelle stayed in touch with us constantly to be sure everything was going smoothly. She quickly came up with a solution to a problem with our rental car so that it was no hassle at all for us. All of our accommodations were great. Our tours were perfect for us. I cannot recommend this company enough and would book through them again in a heartbeat.

Hotel Review

Church Hill Boutique Lodge

Stewart Island

Our room was lovely. The service as personal. The food was amazing. We loved this place.

Authenticity & Character

Location

The big hill up was a bit challenging, but Chris will come down to pick you up. A lovely location.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Te Anau Glowworm Caves

Te Anau

I cannot say enough about how amazing this was.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kiwi Spotting Encounter

Stewart Island

Dan was a great, knowledgeable guide. We saw kiwi!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We did see kiwi, because Chris really knew what he was doing.

We did a 5 city tour to Beijing, Xi’an, Chengdu, Guilin/Yangshuo, and Shanghai.

Carol and the China Highlights team was amazing. They arranged for all lodging, transportation, and coordinated private tour guides for each city. We setup our itinerary so that each day had an anchor event or two, and we had flexibility to work with the guide in the evening plans.

Here were a few highlights along with our guide name. We recommend all of them highly and would request them again.

1. Beijing - guide was Sally. We ventured to the Forbidden City, Tianamen Square, Great Wall, Hutong Village, Olympic Village, et al. She was extremely thoughtful and had great food recommendations as well

2. Xi’an - Jenny was an amazing guide, high energy and extremely knowledgeable. We saw the terracotta warriors, bike riding the old city walls, shopping and snacking through the Muslim quarter and more.

3. Chengdu - Helen guided us through the Panda base where we saw some of the new baby pandas in their habitat, the Leshan Buddha, evening show with changing masks and we had to have Sichuan local hot pot as well!

4. Guilin/Yangshuo - William did an amazing job showing us around the beautiful countryside via scooter. We also visited the Reed flute cave and elephant rock. The river cruise was great and we had many great local meals.

5. Shanghai - our last stop was with Kris. He took us on a full day tour starting at Shanghai Tower, eating local cuisine at Nanjing road then walking down to the Bund. We also took some time on our own in the French quarter.

Overall a wonderful trip. Highly recommend!

Emerson was very organized. He responded promptly to questions even on his day off. He was very patient and reassuring. There were no surprises. We would go with Emerson again

Hotel Reviews

Haawe Boutique Apart Hotel

Rovaniemi

Very cute apartment.it was spacious, modern and located right in the center of the city center. The kitchen was stocked with dishes, cutlery and crockery. The fridge was stocked with an eggs, cold cuts, cheese, jam and butter, yoghurt, assorted fruits, oatmeal, chocolate and candy bars. There were condiments for cooking a quick meal. Cereal, milk and berry juice was also stocked and yummy breads. There was a toaster, a dishwasher and a microwave. Laundry is free and the pods for the dishwasher and laundry were also free. The highlight was the deep white soaking tub!!!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Northern Lights Village Pyhä

Pyhä

Loved the cabins. Toasty warm! Beautiful sightings of the Northern lights right from your bed. Gaze upon the beautiful stars from the comfort of a warm cabin as well. The breakfast and dinner were included and was absolutely amazing- great choice of entrees, salads, cheese with jams and breads. The staff were friendly and helpful and the place was very clean.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Far away from the city lights and so chances of seeing the northern lights are greatly.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Evening snowmobile experience

Pyhä

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Oscar and Ari were great guides.

Transport

Ice-Climbing Experience

Pyhä

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guides were fantastic. Max was very encouraging and his colleague from Mexico were both patient and gave very clear instructions.

Transport

Reindeer Farm Visit (No Safari)

Rovaniemi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Northern Lights Tour

Rovaniemi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Riisitunturi National Park Expedition

Rovaniemi

Just tracked through the snow. Nothing to do- the trees were bare of the snow as the snow had all meted due to the high temps. Very uneventful- there was no historical detail or narrative offered by the guide- we all walked in silence for about 2 miles. Took a couple of photos- very underwhelmed and a waste of time.

Quality of Experience

Food

Smoked sausages and marshmallows.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Be ready with a narrative or educational activities if the weather does not cooperate.

Transport

The van could be a bit more spacious. We were 7 people cramped like sardines.

Fabulous trip. Seamless from start to finish even with an intentionally tight timeline. Everything accomplished. We did appreciate that the Bens Ricoleta Park found a room for us when we arrived early (twice!).

Activity Review

Full-Day Martillo Island with visit to Penguin Rookery and Beagle Channel Navigation

Ushuaia

Being on the island with the penguins was our favorite part of the trip.

Quality of Experience

We had an excellent experience working with kimkim. Holden and Wilman from Serendipity Adventures were great to work with. They helped create an incredible 6-day trip in Costa Rica.

From beginning to end, Holden and Wilman were responsive, answered all our questions in a timely fashion, offered super helpful suggestions before and during our trip. The trip they put together for us was perfect! Our lodgings (Cloud Forest Lodge in Monteverde, and La Mariposa Hotel in Manuel Antonio) were incredible. The rooms were excellent, comfortable, clean, and the views were amazing. The staff at both hotels were so nice, friendly, and accommodating. We would highly recommend both hotels. We are vegan, and Holden made sure both hotels offered vegan options, which was so helpful and really appreciated. During our trip, Wilman sent us vegan friendly restaurant recommendations, which was so thoughtful and really helped save time!

All of the tour guides were super knowledgeable, friendly, and provided an excellent sightseeing experience. All of our guides were on time and highly professional. They were also very caring and respectful to the animals and to the forests. We learned a great deal from them, and we saw so many incredible animals.
--Andrés from Monteverde Outdoor Center provided an amazing tour of the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve where we saw many animals including Quetzal.
--Ed from Don Juan Coffee, Chocolate & Sugar Cane Experience Tours was super friendly, and we learned a lot about the coffee making process.
--Jorge and Gerardo from Finca Madre Tierra, along with all of the other people who worked there, were warm and welcoming; so were all the farm animals! You could tell they cared deeply for their animals. We had a great horseback riding experience.
--Guillermo from Children's Eternal Rainforest Night Walk gave us an awesome night tour where we saw many interesting insects, spiders, and leaf cutter ants, to name a few.
--We also traveled to Manuel Antonio National Park, where our guide Eidersen from Endemic Bird tours, brought so much enthusiasm and care; we saw sloths, coati, howler monkeys, to name a few. It was an excellent tour!

Thank you, Holden and Wilman, for organizing this amazing trip! It was everything we hoped for. We definitely want to make a return visit!

A great trip that led us to see a lot of the country, gather wonderful memories and met so many great people

A lot of waiting around in Thailand, as it felt like I was passed on from one group to the next. Having said that, Jeab was fabulous, helped with so many things, including reservations and recommendations. All my excursions were great.

I was very disappointed in our Vietnam Trip. The first hotel was horrible (at least, I hated it). It was run down, messy and had no lobby. The following trips, Cambodia and Thailand, were fabulous. The other hotels were fine, some beautiful. The boutique cruise was terrific.

We had great time in Patagonia, enjoying the beautiful landscapes and nationsl parks and the good logistic of the trip thanks to Marcela . Absolutely stunning and the highlight in the trip was the Mini trekking in Perito Moreno. Brilliant recommendation for a hotel was Arakur in Ushuaia, Rest of the hotels / Xelena in El Calafate and Hotel Lago Grey in Torres del Paine/ were middle range hotels although I can not hide the magnificent view to Grey Glacier from the restaurant of the hotel, but not from the rooms. Our first trip with Kim Kim was to Colombia where we experienced exclusive service and guides from Aracanto agency there. We expected similar with the budget we spent here but maybe there are different standards between the countries. Anyway I would recommend Patagonia to everyone who enjoys outdoor and sceneries that you could see on very few places on the Earth.

All local guides were great, our trip went smoothly, and we saw many interesting and beautiful places.
We really enjoyed both cultural shows one in La Pas and other in Rapa Nui.

Hotel Reviews

Hote Hotu Matua

Hanga Roa

There was no AC, only one portable fan...there is available only one electrical outlet to accommodate either the fan or the TV. The bathroom and room furniture need some update.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful entrance area

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

ICON Hotel

Santiago

Authenticity & Character

Location

Located in quiet neighborhood, great park and mall is in walking distance. We used subway to get to other parts of Santiago

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Presidente

La Paz

Excellent location, clean and quiet.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Good Bye Easter Island - Transfer to the Airport for your flight to Santiago.

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kari Kari Cultural Show and Dinner

Easter Island

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ahu Akivi & Tahai - Visit a Ceremonial Site

Easter Island

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rano Raraku Volcano & Anakena White Sand Beach

Easter Island

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer to the Airport for your Flight to Easter Island

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Valparaiso, Viña del Mar and San Alfonso del Mar- Private Tour

Chile

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wine Tasting at Viña Cousiño Macul & Visit the Bahai Temple

Santiago

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santiago City Tour

Santiago

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Copacabana, Titicaca Lake and Sun Island

Bolivia

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

La Paz - City Tour & Moon Valley

La Paz

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our tour in Sri Lanka was an absolute delight from start to finish! The lush landscapes, rich culture, and warm hospitality left us in awe. Each day was an adventure, from exploring ancient temples to wandering through vibrant markets and beautiful seaside beaches.

One of the highlights of the trip was the scenic drive through the hill country, where we were treated to breathtaking views of tea plantations and cascading waterfalls. Our guide Shamaka was knowledgeable and passionate, making each site visit engaging and informative.

Sri Lanka's cuisine was a feast for the senses, with aromatic spices and fresh ingredients. Every meal was a culinary journey in itself. The local people were incredibly friendly and made us feel at home wherever we went.

The tour was well-organized, under the permanent care of Danushka, the local organizer, with smooth transitions between activities and first-class accommodations. We were able to relax and fully immerse ourselves in the experience, knowing everything was taken care of.

However, the Yalla Park Safari could have been better organized. Very crowded and not guided as expected. Despite this hiccup, the overall experience remained overwhelmingly positive and did not detract from our enjoyment of the trip.

Our Sri Lanka tour was a perfect blend of adventure, relaxation, and cultural enrichment. We can't recommend it enough and look forward to our next visit with KimKim Team!

over all we are happy with service from KIMKIM team and had nice time and received timely help from team. All the drivers were nice and humble and tours arranged were fine and time saving.

Impossible to point out anyone as all were helpful and pleasant

Hotel Review

Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla lodge

Authenticity & Character

Location

O

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Gorilla Habituation Experience

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our first time to Australia. We only read in books and as divers, we could not wait until we experienced the Great Barrier Reef. It was great working with our local specialist Paula who helped us sort out a lot of family-fun activities as we were traveling with our 3 kids ages 11, 9 and 7.

Planning a kid-friendly trip (especially in another country) can be incredibly time consuming and risky as you can trust a brochure only so much. Not to mention, there are a lot of the logistics like car travel that are often overlooked and you end up late or over paying. Working with KimKim and Paula helped alleviate all of these concerns and we even received a nice welcome packet on our arrival.

As a family, we really enjoyed Sydney, although we warned on traveling near New Years as that seems like a particularly high tourist season, so lines everywhere. Uluru, is magical and gorgeous but be ready to be hot and plan your water accordingly. Cairns and Great Barrier Reef was my personal favorite but I think as a family, Sydney was the best.

I would recommend any working family living outside Australia, took book through a local expert. You do end up saving a lot of time, money and anxiety.

Buenos Aires is a beautiful city and our tour guide was excellent. She spent over 6 hours showing us all the sites. She was a wealth of information.
We loved the cooking class-delicious food and fun making empanadas.

Activity Reviews

Full-day Nibepo Aike Ranch

El Calafate

The full-day visit to Nibepo Aike Ranch was incredible. The scenic drive through the National Park, with views of glaciers, was just beautiful. At the ranch, we witnessed sheep shearing and enjoyed a nature walk learning about local flora. The highlight was a delicious grilled lamb lunch, which was a true taste of the region's cuisine.

Half-Day Iguazú Falls Brazilian side (Shared tour)

Puerto Iguazú

It was fantastic to see the Brazilian side of Iguazú Falls too. The hike was manageable, and our guide was very helpful in getting us through customs. It rounded off our exploration of the falls excellently.

Full-Day Iguazú Falls Argentine side (Shared tour)

Puerto Iguazú

Iguazú Falls were breathtaking, and we loved visiting both the Argentine and Brazilian sides. Each side offered unique views and experiences. Despite the slightly uphill hike on the Brazilian side, it was still easy and enjoyable. The guide made the customs process smooth despite the long lines.

Half-Day Dinner & Tango Show

Buenos Aires

The Tango show was wonderful! The dancing was amazing, and the food served at the restaurant was very good. It captured the essence of Argentine culture for us and was a memorable evening.

Half-Day Buenos Aires City Tour

Buenos Aires

Wonderful tour-over 6 hours! We went everywhere and the guide was a history book of fun facts.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

They always helped with bags and arrived on time.

Half-Day cooking class at Criolla "Foundations of Argentine Cooking"

Buenos Aires

The food was amazing and the chef made it all so fun. The beef was delicious. It was great making the empanadas! Good wine too!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Always on time! Very nice and good help with our bags!