Kimkim Trip Reviews

challenging getting in but worth it. Friendly staff. beautiful location.

nice hotel. Staff a bit cold. just stayed one night before taking the plane. Nice pool on the roof with a view.

what a nice remote location. Friendly staff. Lots to do beautiful views and sunset.

the room we had was amazing with a view on the volcano Arenal. Staff very friendly.

Very busy hotel. The staff a big stressed. The facility is beautiful but prefer more boutique lodges.

Great location. We were in a bungalow. Would have preferred to be closer to the core of the lodge avoiding to use the car to go for dinner. It is set close to a river. You can see lots of birds by sitting in front of the restaurant for 1 hr or so.

the staff very friendly. great ecolodge. Beautiful sunset

We had a pleasant tour and learned alot. Saw many birds and a Fer-de -Lance viper , blue jean frogs and 2 slots.

amazing guide - Oscar. he took extra time to show us birds. he is very knowledgeable and we had an amazing time with him.

A great experience. turtles and all sorts of fishes to see. water 25c

the boat navigator was amazing. Spot birds and other wild life along the way. he also did a great job navigating the waves when the river reached the pacific ocean.

Disappointed - no whales to see (although we saw one 3 days later in Osa peninsula). We did see brown boobies chase flying fish - which was amazing to see. We saw some dolphins. The snorkelling - nothing to see really. Best to snorkel at Cano island - lots to see there.

It was a rainy day walking through the area. We managed to see spider monkey much not much more. The clouds were affecting the view. The guide did his best to show plants, trees and insects.

The guide did not seem very knowledgeable of the area.

The best guide- he was just amazing - Andres Martin Chavez Rojas. We spent 7 hrs with him and learn and saw so much. Highly recommended

We saw motmot sleeping, tarantella, and bugs/spider. Not my favorite tour. I would have like to see the beautiful frogs.

did not like spending so much time in the parking lot looking for birds. other than that the guide was knowledgeable and firendly

Very unique experience and do not miss this activity

This was a great hotel with an impressive location, great staff and good food. You need to be in decent shape to handle all the stairs at this hotel built on a cliff. Lots of character and great atmosphere.

Very nice hotel with great staff and very good food. The only problem we found was that the price was excessive for Guatemala.

We had a very nice room and staff was excellent but we ended up asking to move to a sister hotel because the room we were given was facing the street and too noisy for our liking. We moved to the Pensativo Hotel as an upgrade which was around the corner from the Casa Encantada. We were very happy there.

Very nice property but a bit dated. Staff was very friendly and food was good.

Food was very good as well as the service and staff. We were quite comfortable considering you are in the jungle.

Beautiful property with excellent location near caves. One of the hotel gardeners served as our guide to the caves we were able to walk to from the hotel. The caves were quite impressive and definitely worth visiting. As many other places we visited in Guatemala we were the only tourists doing the tour and had the place to ourselves. Staff were all very friendly and food was good. Room was adequate.

Modern hotel in a good, safe location.

Hotel is in a great location, comfortable and clean.

our room facing the courtyard was a bit humid and dark. Not a great experience for us.

We had a fabulous experience at this hotel. We were greeted by the owner who was very kind and made sure we had a great experience. The room was very clean and comfortable. Breakfast was great - we felt like we were at a friends house on vacation.

We walked from the town to the Church which is extremely interesting as it is unique being decorated on the exterior with naive art.

Site was very interesting to see and use the hot spring facilities. Main restaurant was under renovations but we were able to have a nice meal at the smaller cafeteria.

Visited an interesting colourful cemetery where you can also see Mayan traditional ceremonies. We enjoyed walking around and seeing the sites.

This was a worthwhile market to visit. Interesting to see all the animals being sold. Also had many previously owned items as well as new items you would see in a local market.

This is quite a colourful and very large market. Few tourists compared to all the locals shopping.

It was quite a different type of experience compared to a what you know of modern saunas. First a wood fire is started to heat the side wall and then once inside you add water to the hot surfaces to get the heat and steam going. Afterwards we got to use a shower which was next to the sauna. We were supplied with clean towels as well as soap.

We had a great experience learning how to cook a traditional Mayan meal, called Pepian. This was done on a wood stove which brings added flavour to the food.

It was fun kayaking on Lake Atitlan. It was a relatively calm day and we enjoyed the experience paddling around the lake for an hour.

We enjoyed seeing San Juan La Laguna with its colourful arts scene. We walked up to the viewing platform with impressive views. Lots of tourists and locals visiting here. We then went to San Pedro La Laguna where we had a nice lunch.

Our guide Alex was great. We visited his family and enjoyed his grandmothers baked buns. We also got a chance to watch local women weaving. This hike is a spectacular way to see the magnificent Lake Atitlan.

We enjoyed the spa, massage and sauna and pools. Great experience.

Hiking to the volcano was a lot of fun and impressive as the site and views keep changing as you get closer. Amazing to see all the lava rivers and stone formations.

Antigua is a charming, clean and safe city with lots of character. Our guide gave us a great tour by foot.

We liked the feel and character of Antigua. Safe walking around. We visited local markets and had a nice lunch at a cafe.

Very interesting site to visit.

We enjoyed this boat tour. Spectacular nature and lots of birds.

After seeing Tikal we were surprised to see the lack of tourists here. Certainly not as impressive in size or maintenance but nonetheless worthwhile seeing. Near the Uaxactun site we visited a small village which was interesting to see.

Site was very well maintained and impressive.

This is a nice site but maintenance could be better. It was a hard trek to get there. We did the longer harder round trip from the river, but saw that other people used a more simple route.

This is a beautiful location and well worth the visit. We brought our bathing suits and enjoyed the water.

We enjoyed having a chance to get out and hike to a very nice waterfall. I would recommend this hike.

We visited several parts of the city and got a good feel of its character.

I was expecting better food. Otherwise it was a nice view.

Well organized, food was great, equipment was excellent quality, supervision was top-notch, and the views were spectacular.

Hot and tiring, but the guide made it a good experience. The fanny packs with snacks and water were great. The toilets at the rest stops are ---- ummmmm..... an experience. I'm not sure if that could be upgraded since it's a government run thing. I would like to have had a more meditative experience of just "taking it in" when it was still cool first thing in the morning.

The food was phenomenal, the view was spectacular, and the setting was intimate. I enjoyed the astronomy lesson, but I wish the digeradoo player hung out longer (maybe for the duration of the dinner!).

Everything from the Gold Class train ride to the park to the views from the sky train was amazing. Highly recommend.

Poor location, noisy at night and below standard expected in relation to cost of trip.

Rustic and wonderful. Be warned there is no ac, but sleeping under a mosquito net feels so authentic on this tiny island with no cars and few tourists!

Nice room, friendly staff.

Nice rooms, friendly staff. Good food.

Great location, nice room. Very friendly and helpful staff.

A lot to do I n one day!

Could have skipped this

Great fun!

The hotel is underwhelming. Room was small. Only security at night. Toilet got clogged (happens) but security didn't speak English and no one could solve problem. Over priced.

Top notch hotel set up in a gorgeous park. Everything is superb including different restaurants. But pricy.

A great hotel at the heart of San Jose: roomsare spacious and newly done, and service is top. I am glad we chose this center of town location.

A cacao farm is a must visit! We asked for a quick versions and loved it.

I loved the visit to San Jose and its museums. Our guide was great.

Our guide Andres is a star. This was a tremendous visit. A definite highlight of our visit. We'll send people his way.

A must visit. Although the short version of the visit is sufficient.

Great beach location on quiet Potrero Bay. Rooms nestled into thick vegetation making it feel more private and secluded. Natural modern stying of rooms and close proximity to beach, pool and restaurants. Breakfast included. 2 restaurants on-site: one traditional and one tapas bar. Other restaurant choices walking distance nearby. Kind helpful staff. Our room had issue with availability of hot water.

Secluded private resort at the far end of town provided for a nice mix of quiet with everything Tamarindo has to offer - tours, restaurants, shopping and nightlife. Open air reception area overlooking beautifully landscaped property. Rooms nestled among the native vegetation provides for a feeling of authenticity and remoteness. Pool, restaurant, bar and beach are just beyond rooms. Beautiful setting - you can lounge near pool, under trees overlooking ocean or out on sandy beach. Rooms are well kept, nicely decorated and well stocked. Looking for a boutique hotel with the right balance of seclusion and tourism, look no further.

Conveniently located right next to Manuel Antonio National Park entrance for easy access. Nice kind staff. The hotel itself seemed a little more dated and not as well maintained as other properties we visited. The rooms were more traditional than modern. Nice pool area with snack/drink bar. Property is not on the beach but there are marginal views of ocean from 5th and 6th floors. Beware of rooms on 5th floor - raccoons (or Coati) fighting in attic at 3:00-4:00 am for all three nights of our stay. Issues with hot water availability. Not really our preference of smaller, quiet, serene boutique hotel.

Amazing location, staff and accommodations! Nestled up in the mountains with incredible views of the Nicoya peninsula and Pacific ocean, this was our favorite for our emtire trip. Nestled in the cloudforest between Monteverde and Santa Elena, the climate was cooler than we expected in Costa Rica - but we loved it! Small mountain villages with plenty of site seeing opportunities - coffee & chocolate tour, cloudforest, nature preserves. Allowed us to experience the variety of ecosystems that Costa Rica has to offer. While here we saw beautiful Resplendant Quetzal and Motmot birds. We also saw a variety of insects and a couple vipers on night tour. Staff was fantastic, food was delicious, views were beautiful, bungalows were private and secluded. Don't miss this one - we highly recommend!

We'd rate this more like 4.5 stars. Location was amazing! - nestled among the native vegetation made us feel like we were in the jungle. We saw many local animals (birds and lizards) from our back patio which looked directly at Arenal Volcano. This property was a little more spread out which required a little more walking (not a problem for us) but also contributed to a feeling of being more remote. The restaurant, spa and pool area were all a short walking distance from our room. Breakfast was included. One restaurant on-site: great morning breakfast buffet with quite a variety and dinner selections let us explore local flavors. We both had a massage - nice outdoor setting and very relaxing. Rooms were nicely decorated, air conditioning was great, back patio with large sliding glass door was excellent. Reception area quite far from our room prevented us from spending much time there and developing any relationships with staff. Rooms are small duplex style - limited insulation between rooms made it easy to hear neighbors next door.

A fantastic way to learn more about Costa Rican life outside the tourist towns. Fifst we stopped by the Mercado in Quepos to see where everyone shops. Then Toucanes Tours took us to their rancho located outside of town. They had several different animals on the ranch, we hand picked some herbs and vegetables. Then we cooked! It was just my wife and I - we had a great time learning to make plantain ceviche (delicioso!), rice, chicken and handmade corn tortillas! What a great meal to share with great new friends!

Very interesting to learn more about the mangroves and the animals that live there. We saw many different birds. a couple crocodiles and several howler monkeys. Beautiful boat tour in the mangroves with a humorous tour guide, Moises.

We went out at night and saw mothers coming up on the beach to dig holes and lay their eggs. We also saw baby turtles coming to the surface of the sand and making their way to the ocean - how special to see this whole process. We learned so much about turtles - informative and educational.

We saw everything: Aguti, monkeys, butterflies, grasshoppers and lots of frogs and toads. Our goal was to see famous red eyed tree frog and we saw several. Only wildlife refuge in Manuel Antonio - also had several crocodiles that had been rescued. a great night tour!

Kayaked from Quepos marina to rock outcropping where we snorkeled and saw several different fish. Then a short distance to Biasanz beach where we enjoyed some cold fresh fruit before heading back. Along the way we saw and discussed several types of birds. Calm bays and beaches to launch and land so not big waves - A great time out on the water! Driver spotted some Scarlet Macaw's near seawall in Quepos, so he pulled over to let us see - very accommodating.

An amazing ecosystem with a large variety of plants & animals and several amazing beaches. Unfortunately, too many people made it feel like groups competing with each other to view and experience the park. Still, it was amazing what we did see: dragon flies, lizards, iguana, sloths (2 & 3 toed), many birds and monkeys (white face Capuchin and Howlers).

First introduction to all the ecosystems within Costa Rica - from dwarf forest mountaintops to dry lowlands. Our guide, Andreas, described in great detail all the ecosystems and what to expect. We chose to spend our time in the Rain shadow forest with greatest chance to see Resplendent Quetzal - we were not disappointed! We saw five differnet Quetzal (female, juvenile and male) - spectacular! We also saw the Motmot - beautiful! We also saw several other birds, including a variety of hummingbirds and one special Coati sunbathing on a log. An amazing experience!

Learned so much about chocolate and coffee - from plant to harvest to consumption, fascinating! Informative and educational. New gained appreciation for the chocolate and coffee we consume!

Hanging bridges was a great excursion to see the jungle from different levels, different animals and amazing views. Our Guide, Marco was very knowledgeable and explained the balance of life in the jungle and roles of the different animals and plants - symbiotic relationships, very interesting! A lot of different plant life and monkeys too.

Beautiful natural setting, clean facilities and reasonable amount of people. From what we understand, they limit number of people to ensure a positive experience. Our dinner meal was included - a traditional buffet with several local food options. Bar available for snacks and drinks. Beautiful to go just before dark so you can see both during day and night with dramatic lighting. Pools of varying temperatures and a few different pool settings from private & secluded pools to large open public.

We showed up early and wandered around Hacienda el Viejo - what a beautiful historic building that just takes you back in time. Boat tour, guide and boat drive were all great - we saw a record 52 crocodiles, white faced monkeys, birds and lizards. We ate lunch at the Hacienda after the tour - fantastic meal!

Perfect walking distance to the market, and great street food just outside. The hotel itself did the trick, and had a great selection for breakfast. The beds were hard (common throughout Cambodia), but the rooms were clean and well air conditioned.

Clean, and fun rooms / layout. Did the trick, and perfect way to end our trip.

Everyone here was so welcoming. It was the perfect mix of feeling at home, yet being part of the Cambodian culture. The breakfast portions were massive, but delicious. The pool was great to cool down after biking / walking around in the morning.

The airport is closer to the hotel than you think. But great to have this additional transfer

I think out of all the temples, this was actually our least favourite. Be prepared for crowds during the sunrise. It is beautiful, but everyone talking and walking around (luckily not in front of the water / temple) takes away from the experience. Walking around Angkor Wat afterwards was still beautiful, but I enjoyed Angkor Thom, Ta Phrom, Banteay Kdei, and Pre Rup more.

Seeing the fish drying / smoking was really cool. It's a nice and pleasant drive / boat ride out. It also is a nice change of pace.

This was chaotically, hilariously, fun! It was a fun time, and they definitely are pushing the beers on you. But it was fun.

The remork was a great way to get around and get some fresh air. Ta Phrom is a great temple. It was not too busy, and allowed us to take some great photos, but do prepare for some crowds at some of the main photo spots.

It was cool to go to the market, get some of the ingredients, then actually cook those ingredients. The portion sizes are massive, and don't forget with every meal, you will get a massive bowl of rice. Very little english is known, so having a bit of french and the very basics of Khmer helped. The food was delicious, and it was really cool to actually learn to cook the Cambodian way (from cleaning the bananna leaves for the fish amok to mortar & pestle the spices to using the clay pot stove we saw in Ondong Roussey). It was such an amazing experience, and great to then taste our feast at the end. To top it all off, we were allowed to walk the gardens and they were so accomodating. We even asked what a specific fruit was (milk fruit), and they pulled one down for us to try, just because! Such a beautiful and fun experience.

I wish I had more time walking around Battambang. It is such a cool place, and has more of a hip / artsy feel to it.

Definitely top 3 items on the trip to Cambodia. The performers had SO MUCH ENERGY throughout. Even if they did a little mess up, they wanted to do it again and everyone (including other cast members) would always cheer them on. It is only an hour, but it was really such a positive experience. Some of the tricks they do is at a level that international buskers strive to complete, so it was really cool to see.

This is one of the areas, that highlights how helpful a guide is. Sarrun helped us get a truck transportation up the hill. Even though we are a fit family, even we would not be able to walk the mountain in the heat. Also, having a spot saved for us at the bottom to see the bats leave was perfect. This was the first spot we saw the monkeys in Cambodia, and it was a humbling experience understanding the history of what became of the cave during the Khmer Rouge.

Going at sunset instead of midday was the best decision made (in terms of weather and the scenery). The sunset was beautiful, and I think it would be even more beautiful during wet season, with the rice paddies being more green. However, the only time I felt bombarded / guilted on this entire trip was at the shops at the end of the ride. You go for about 10min, then you get off and there are a couple little shops. The kids all know how to say they're hungry and are poor, though none look malnourished. The parents also try to push that on you. And the only way for you to leave is back on the train, but the train driver is related to the shop owners, so they are in no rush. This probably would be the first thing I would remove if I were to re-do this trip.

This was probably my favourite parts of the entire trip. Just learning about different ways the locals cook with rice and make a living was really well done. Biking the roads and enjoying the calmness of the daily living was great.

One of our favourite meals. The shrimp dish was amazing, and so many shrimp! Massive portion sizes.

It was really cool to see how the pottery is made, and perfect distance to stretch the legs between Phnom Penh & Battambang.

This is a MUST on the trip. It is disturbing how recent it was, and the torture that occured, but humbling and helps you appreciate Cambodians that much more. I would have spent more time at S21 over the Royal Palace any day.

Each dish was amazing. The portion sizes are massive, but was delicious. Even if you are not a fan of seafood, it was all delicious.

It is a great way to learn about the royalty and their history (quite fascinating and to an extent different than other monarchies). That being said, it was quite long. It could have been done in a shorter amount of time, or almost given free time with no guide so we could do it at our pace.

This was a fun experience and great way to start the trip. At first you are a little nervous being cyclo'd around on the busy roads, but within 2minutes you feel comfortable and at ease throughout.

Excellent experience on this cruise, not only they were very attentive and organized but also the activities were great and the food as well.

Great Experience to get to know more about Vietnam Culture!

A MUST in Vietnam! Worth every minute

The Boat Experience was fantastic as well as the visit to the temples!

The experiences regarding Tea, Tofu, cycling, Rice wine and Cooking class were awesome!

The tour guide was amazing on all recomendations about food! Would not be better. I was very pleased with the attention!

This is a clean hotel in the middle of town. If you want a hotel with more amenities or a view, you need to stay elsewhere. That said, the staff was amazing. When we arrived, our assigned room was very dark and small and the manager found us another room with much more light. Thank you! Also, the staff provided great hiking and transportation information and were very accommodating.

A well-located hotel right at the trail head of the W trek. The restaurant was good but expensive. The hotel staff was rather unhelpful. Both before planning our trip and while we were at the hotel, they didn't seem to know what was going on. When we had questions about hikes, or the national park, the referred us to the "excursions" desk in another part of the hotel. The people selling excursions would really only help with things they sold, and even at that, didn't provide accurate info. Finally, the hotel was pretty expensive and we thought they would be more helpful, "I don't know the answer, but let me find it for you". was not in their vocabulary. They also Forgot to give us our 1st day box lunch, even though we asked for it, and two times gave us inaccurate bills in the restaurant.

Good location, very good breakfast - fresh fruit and veggies!

Clean, good location, friendly people - great launching off point for our trip to Torres del Paine

I LOVED our stay here! The villas offer stunning views of the mountains and the food was phenomenal and fresh. I just want to highlight Nico for a moment here… Nico (and some fun furry friends!) gave us a tour of the coffee farm and we learned SO much about what goes into the delicious I consume daily.. Nico was just a kind soul and his energy was calming and he genuinely wanted to teach us about the farm and their goal for delivering the most delicious organic coffee to Colombia; he was simply amazing. I will never forget my time spent here. 100% would come back for another stay.

The location of this hotel was great and is aesthetically pleasing- it’s absolutely beautiful. The bar is fun and I loved the breakfast. There is a beautiful lounge area on the roof where we also got incredibly relaxing massages! Only personal issue I had was the lunch/dinner menu had very little selections for anyone who doesn’t eat sea food which unfortunately is me, so we had no choice than to find food somewhere else every night. One night during our stay, there was someone spackling a wall around 1:00 in the morning which led to my husband and I being woken up to noise outside our door. At some point another hotel guest (who sounded intoxicated) was talking loudly with whoever was working in the hall way, but she moved on after a few minutes. Another night someone was on their phone from 3-4 in the morning outside her door. I was surprised none of the staff asked the person to take their call inside their room or to step outside the hotel to not disturb the other hotel guests, but no one did. I had no choice than to ask the woman myself to please be quiet. Also, the room for some reason got VERY hot in the middle of the night, but was freezing during the day (which wasn’t bad because it was so hot outside). You do not have control over the temperature in your own room, which was not preferable. Lastly, my husband had a very slight altercation with one of the bartenders whom refused to give my husband the correct amount of change and said “tip” when my husband asked for the change back. My husband explained and showed the bartender that he had already placed a tip in the tip jar, but the bartender shrugged and still didn’t not give my husband his change. It was just a rude interaction especially being that they have signs on the bar stating you can tip as little or as much as you please, or not tip at all. It was distasteful. Overall our stay here was pleasant, but I’m not sure it would be #1 choice if we came back to Cartagena.

Beautiful hotel in north Bogotá. Staff was attentive and very kind to us during our stay. Hope to stay here again next time.

Our first stay was better than the second. The first stay was in the newly renovated part and the accommodations were great. Not in the old part of the hotel

Loved the tour, the winery tour and the tour guide