Kimkim Trip Reviews

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!

Lize planned an amazing trip for us! We saw all the animals we hoped to on the safari and had fun and memorable experiences in Cape Town and Franschhoek as well. Our kids said that it was the best trip we’ve ever taken!

Hotel Reviews

Kapama River Lodge

Hoedspruit

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

L'Ermitage Franschhoek Château & Villas

Franschhoek, Western Cape

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Table Bay Hotel

Waterfront

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Final Morning Game Drive

South Africa

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kapama Game Reserve Game Drive

Kapama Game Reserve

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A Day at Kapama Game Reserve

South Africa

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

VineBikes

South Africa

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Cheese, Wine and Chocolate Tour (including lunch)

South Africa

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Hermanus tour including Whale Cruise

South Africa

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Cape Peninsula Tour (including lunch)

South Africa

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day City, Table Mountain & Robben Island Tour

South Africa

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to Dublin and Northern Ireland
was a trip of a lifetime. This was our first time using a travel agency and we loved it. The trip was more than we could have planned for ourselves. Castle Eske has beautiful accommodations, amazing staff, calming location in the countryside, and delicious food. We just wish we made more time for their relaxing spa. The historic Bushmills Inn had a perfect location on the coast. The food and service were top notch. Our guides Barry and Paula showed us the Causeway Coast and Belfast. They were personable, flexible, and very knowledgeable. We would recommend them to anyone planning a trip to the North of Ireland.
In Dublin, Diane was our guide for a walking tour of the city. She was so knowledgeable! Her historic anecdote were entertaining and informative. The Irish people, food and culture were so warm and inviting, Even our teenage children can’t wait to revisit.

The trip to Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands was a celebration of Beth and my 50th wedding anniversary and has been on our bucket list for sometime. We were not disappointed! It was exceptionally well designed by Nickolas at Kimkim and we were pleased with all aspects (except for our contact not picking us up upon our arrival, noting that Nickolas remedy the situation in the early hours of the morning). Our accommodations at the Patio Andaluz in Quito were very good and exceptionally situated for touring the old part of the city. We have to give a shout out the staff at the hotel for their exceptional level of service, support and friendliness.
Our guide for city, Sebastian Carrera, was outstanding, providing us with great recommendations for dinning, visiting and strolling. His knowledge of Quito and Ecuador was deeply appreciated, as well as his friendly demeanor. Beth and I thought that the highlight of the day was the cooking class we experienced with Sebastian at the La Casona de la Ronda. The chef, Carlos, guided us through the preparation of several Ecuadorian dishes, which turned out to be one of the best meals that we experienced. We highly recommend this opportunity to visitor, getting to know the people, food and culture! It was additionally special to visit the Middle of the World exhibit and straddle the equator!
Our tour of the Mindo, with Diego, was exceptional in all aspects. His knowledge of the ecosystems, wildlife and birds of the Mind Cloud forest was informative and fascinating. He took us to the resort Bella Visit, where we saw so many tropical birds, and he provided his time to help Beth with the use of her professional camera for which she was deeply grateful. The photos and memories from this part of the trip will be cherished.
The center piece and absolute highlight of our trip was visiting several islands in the Galapagos on the Archipel 1 and with our guide, Christian. We want to thank Nicholas of Kimkim for arranging our trip on the ship, Archipel 1. This vessel is owned and operated by the people of the Galápagos Islands, which had profound meaning to Beth and I, knowing were supporting the local economy. The ship, its amenities, and especially the crew were top flight in all aspects (excluding running out of hot water on a few occasions). The 10-person crew members did everything they could to provide you with the best experiences on the ship and make your life comfortable. They deserve a 5-star rating. Our guide, Christian, is also from the Galápagos Islands. His exceptional knowledge of the people, culture, natural history, and ecosystems of the islands provided us with incredible insights and opportunities. The agenda and information that Christian provided us everyday on the trip encompassed all we could have imagined, blending field excursions and evening briefings with opportunities to snorkel and swim with the sea life. Christian is a star and anyone who gets the opportunity to be with him should be very pleased.
Overall, the trip that Kimkim provided for us was truly five star and we would recommend them to anyone and everyone.

Hotel Reviews

Wyndham Quito Airport

Quito

The Wyndham Quito Airport was a great place to stay for relaxing and decompression before the flight back home. It was a good place to decompress after the trip to the Galapagos before flying home, and was conveniently located for airport access.

Archipel I

Guayaquil - Ecuador

The crew on the Archipel I were phenomenal, extremely supportive, and friendly. The food was outstanding, and the catamaran itself was ideal for relaxation. However, the hot water availability was limited, which was a minor inconvenience. Overall, it was a wonderful experience, especially with the guidance of Sebastian on board.

Activity Review

Colonial City Tour, Cooking Class & the Middle of the World Monument

Quito

The cooking class was fantastic! We made a traditional potato soup that turned out to be phenomenal and also prepared a fish dish with sautéed vegetables, followed by a fruit dessert. It was an enriching experience, and we're even planning to recreate the soup for friends at home.