Kimkim Trip Reviews

We booked an incredible 7-day Costa Rican vacation inclusive of daily private excursions with Tachiz Travel, through KimKim. It was truly by far one of the easiest and most professional travel agencies we have had the pleasure to work with over many years traveling across the world. From first contact to our final farewell, Alex and Francisco went above and beyond to ensure our adventures in Costa Rica were well organized and memorable utilizing the best tour operators in country.

Due to our last-minute decision to travel to Costa Rica for vacation, the accommodations we had selected were unfortunately not available for our entire stay. Therefore, Francisco recommended The Springs Resort & Spa overlooking the Arenal Volcano; what a fabulous resort! It is centrally located to the many activities available in the area including hiking, rafting, ziplining, bird watching, horseback riding, ATV excursions, or just relaxing in the hot springs. The Springs staff was not just accommodating but very friendly and happy to share incredible stories of their beautiful country and make sure our needs were met every step of the way. The resort has several onsite restaurants that are world class. Specifically, La Ventana restaurant, was phenomenal with an incredible chef (Jason Roja), sommelier, and staff. Maikol and Armando went out of their way each day to make our dining experiences special. The menu was extraordinary, creative, and diverse to meet anyone’s palate. We enjoyed every meal and experienced many customary dishes.

Francisco, Tachiz Travel, really listened and understood our interests and goals for the trip. He and Alex developed the perfect itinerary personally design for us. Every excursion guide and driver were exceptionally knowledgeable and spent quality time explaining the local history, customs, culture, and significant landmarks. The guides were true subject matter experts sharing their knowledge and showing us amazing birds, wildlife, and topography. It was one of the best vacations we have ever had. World-class trip.

We are planning on returning to Costa Rica soon and will leave the planning once again to the incredible team Tachiz Travel Team.

Emanuela was amazing she was informative helpful and was able to help pivot and adjust our schedule when asked and even worked through our flight delay to move bookings around on the fly. This enabled us to still see all of the sites we had desired without a hiccup. She listened so well to all of my questions, needs, and wants and created a trip of a lifetime for my children and I! All of the local nuances and recommendations she made were spot on. She gave us plenty of information and clearly communicated throughout our trip to keep us on track. I left in love with Iceland and long to come back to see more. I can’t thank Emanuela enough for putting together the trip of a lifetime!!

My husband and I had a wonderful trip to Colombia. We visited Bogota, Medellin, Santa Marta and Cartagena in our 9 day trip. Andrea, our local Colombian specialist was extremely resourceful and thoughtful in planning out the itinerary customizing it to our liking. We were making this trip to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary and Andrea ensured we were treated to a surprise in every location! From upgrading us to a suite in a high end hotel, to a surprise beach picnic lunch with wine, to having chocolate-covered strawberries and roses in our room, we were delighted :)

Colombia as a country for sightseeing is underrated. With such breath-taking landscapes, beautiful weather, wonderful people, we loved Colombia for all that it had to offer,
Kim Kim through its association with local travel agencies in Colombia, not only made us feel safe and gave a true local experience but also help the community by giving them job opportunities.

All our travel guides and drivers were fantastic. Bogota was fun with Rosita, we had a 4 hr city tour but got a great glimpse of what the city had to offer. Medellin with Maria was excellent . Santa Marta with Yubelis was exceptional. We stayed the longest in Santa Marta and was probably our favorite city amongst all that we visited. Marlon and Tavo in Cartagena were wonderful as well.

Couple of recommendations from our experience:
We wish KimKim does better by having fluent English speaking guides, some guides/drivers were not proficient and barely beginners in English speaking and that made conversations and experience very difficult. While we appreciated their efforts, but communication was almost impossible.

We traveled in times of Covid. Although arrangement of testing and receipt of test were seamless, we wish KimKim had informed us of the costs upfront. We had assumed it was covered in the overall quote they mentioned and we paid. This came as a surprise and was the need of the hour that we didnt account for. We managed but budgeting can be tricky for many.

Overall we enjoyed the experience working with KimKim and loved Colombia! I would highly recommend friends and family to use KimKim and work with Andrea. She was with us every step of the way ensuring we had a great time. I was lucky to have met her in person in Colombia! She even gifted us a keepsake when we met.

KimKim created a once in a lifetime vacation for my family. We had three generations of my family travel to South America for the first time, exploring Buenos Aires and Patagonia, creating memories that I could have never imagined.

No one had been to South America before, and this was one of our first trips since COVID so we were all a bit anxious, but KimKim made the experience unforgettable.

Highlights of trip:
- The Argentina Experience cooking class- competing in the an empanada contest, learning how to make mate and tasting regional dishes
- Watching a beautiful tango show in an architectural gem
- Eating delicious steak and drinking excellent Malbec for nearly every meal
- Riding horses in a traditional estancia (ranch)
- Getting up close to hundreds of penguins in the wild and seeing a rare emperor penguin
- Trekking to the end of the Pan-American highway
- Sending a postcard from the southern most post office in the world
- Sailing on a catamaran though the Beagle Channel between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and watching sealions hunt for fish

Key benefits of using this service:
- Limited planning of the day-to-day activities on my part. As before, no one in my family had been to Argentina so we did not know necessarily what to plan. We just knew that we wanted to see the highlights of Buenos Aires and go hiking in Patagonia. KimKim planned the rest. They gave us a few options for our itinerary and we went ahead with it.
- Transportation. We had scheduled transportation everywhere. Our guide was there to pick us up at the airport and we had a car take us from our hotel to all of the activities. This was critical for our large group, as otherwise we were have had to organize multiple taxis to get anywhere.
- Communication. Our Kimkim agent Emi was wonderful and quickly answered all of our questions. We organized this trip relatively late (about two months prior to departure) and she worked very quickly for us. All of guides specifically Fernando (Buenos Aires) and Ilya (Ushuaia) were a joy and expressed to us how much they love their county through more than words. I also felt like they care about my family and made small adjustments throughout the trip as needed.

Things to know about using the service:
- The money was more than I had previously paid for a trip, but it was completely worth it. Everyone in my family is already planning to go back to Argentina. All of my friends already want to know how to go on this amazing trip.

Why you go definitely go to Argentina
- All of the food we had was excellent: the lamb in Patagonia, the fish in Ushuaia and the steak in Buenos Aires- all top notch
- The country has nearly ever type of terrain. You can going tango dancing in Buenos Aires, horseback riding in the county, hiking or ski. Everything available.
- The exchange rate is very favorable for tourists. The most I paid for a bottle of wine in a restaurant was USD $5. All of wine was delicious and better than the best I’ve had in France.

Overall, I have absolutely no regrets about using this service and would happily do it all over again. Already trying to figure out my next adventure!

Hotel Review

Huinid Obelisco Hotel

Buenos Aires

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Walking with Penguins 🐧

Ushuaia

Exceeded my expectations. This was an island of hundreds of penguins and we could get up close to them in the wild. We saw three different species including a rare emperor penguin!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The February weather created a challenge as several of our booked tours were canceled or cut short due to storms. Our agent, Emanuela, was remarkable in rebooking tours, hotel rooms and reassuring us that she would take care of us!! We can't thank her enough for making our holiday a success! We visited the Katla Volcano, ice cave and and glacier; Víðgelmir Lava tube; Blue Lagoon water spa and enjoyed visiting the shops on Laugavegur in Reykjavik. We met so many nice people from Scotland, Ireland, England, Lithuania and even Brazil. To see Iceland in the winter was amazing!

Dear Margoth.
We are back home 😔 after a fabulous visit to your glorious country.
I wanted to express our gratitude for your exceptionally attentive, helpful and timely help in organising the trip.
We simply loved our stay at Calanoa in the rainforest & have taken away such wonderful memories that will last a lifetime
The logistics all ran so smoothly thanks to you 🙏
Your are an absolute star ⭐️ thank you so so much.
You have two happy fans !
All the best
Adam & Lola

Hotel Review

Calanoa Lodge

Leticia

Amazing Lodge, in a spectacular location run by the loveliest of people

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Boat Ride to Peruvian Margin to see Pink Dolphins and the Sunset from the River

Calanoa Lodge, Leticia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Herman was excellent

Transport

We leveraged kimkim for a Guatemala trip and they made our stay so smooth and convenient. Eduardo organized transportation (to/from the airport and local tour destinations), COVID-19 testing, lodging, and hooked us up with some of the best local tour guides I've experienced. What was great about the itinerary was that it provided a nice structure while being very flexible. We made a few changes in plans and Eduardo navigated those changes with finesse. With kimkim, we had the luxury of worrying less about travel logistics and could really focus on enjoying the finer parts of the stay.

Overall, working with kimkim was an exceptional experience during our visit.

Exceptional Service during Exceptional Times

Traveling during COVID means uncertainty and ever-changing plans. We made changes to our itinerary until the night before we landed in Guatemala City! It could have been a disaster but it wasn't - we were able to do everything we wanted to do. We were even able to arrange for COVID tests to be administered at our place in Antigua the day before we flew back to USA.

Eduardo was incredibly kind, patient, compassionate and flexible with our group of six. Shortly into our trip, I knew we were in the absolute best hands. He was also so knowledgeable about the best places to visit and activities to do for our 1 week stay without feeling over-exerted or uncomfortable. One of my favorite highlights was the 2 night stay in Lake Atitlan where Eduardo booked us the most beautiful stay at Hotel Sanbuenaventura in Panajachel and connected us to the best tour guide of our entire trip, Pablo Chumil. Please request Pablo if you want an expert in Guatemala nature (especially birds), local history and safety - great guide, great human all around.

Antonio was our trusted and only driver for all the many hours we spent exploring Guatemala. As a driver, he was prompt and drove safely at all times. We cherished our time together laughing, using broken Spanish and sharing snacks and a meal - we miss you Antonio, thank you for keeping us safe always!

Before I went, I did not know much about Guatemala or its culture and people. However, thanks to the kind and warm-hearted people, both from Kimkim and the locals we met, I am left with the best impression of Guatemala and would no doubt visit again.

Hotel Review

San Buenaventura Hotel

Panajachel, Sololá

If and when we return to Lake Atitlán, I would 100% book a stay at the Hotel Sanbuenaventura. We got to stay in a standard double bed room one night and upgraded to a two-story suite the following night. Both rooms were very clean with comfortable beds, FILTERED TAP WATER(!), delicious breakfasts (we did not eat lunch and they do not provide dinner). The property feels very tropical with lush landscaping, a beautiful heated pool and many lookout points and green space where you can admire the beautiful lake and volcanos on the horizon. We were always looked after by the hotel staff, they called tuk tuks every time we needed to go into the city center (takes about 15 minutes for them to arrive so plan accordingly).

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Boat Tour of Lake Atitlán Villages

Guatemala

Over 2 days, Pablo Chumil and his expert boat captains took us to 3 villages - San Juan, San Pedro and Santiago Atitlan. We spent the majority of time in charming San Juan, visiting it over 2 days. At first I didn't know why we would go to the village twice but I am so glad we did - we spent 1 day touring an organic coffee cooperative, LA VOZ QUE CLAMA EN EL DECIERTO, SAN JUAN LA LAGUNA and the next day at a women's owned textiles coop, Artesania La Voz De Los Tzutujiles (coincidence in naming). We only made a brief stop in San Pedro so I can't comment on my experience there. Santiago Atitlan was so rich in Mayan history - we visited Maximon, ate the best traditional Mayan/Guatemalan lunch, and enjoyed soaking up the sights and sounds of their culture. I would highly recommend spending an afternoon here. To quote Jurassic Park, "hold on to your butts" during afternoon boat trips across the lake - the water is surprisingly choppy and some rides can be ~30-40 minutes if you're going across the lake. Calm in the mornings, but it was a fun experience! A few of us get sea sickness so we were prepared (turns out natural non-drowsy Dramamine = ginger pills) but we didn't get it too badly.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our drivers were so exceptionally skillful at navigating a particularly windy afternoon - our boat was top notch as well!

Transport

Our honeymoon trip to Jordan was amazing. Having secured a great deal, Samir managed to book amazing hotels and created a wonderful programme in Jordan. He also was in regular contact with us to make sure everything is up to high standards. He solved some hotel issues instantly and efficiently (we didnt have to worry about a thing). If you want to visit Jordan then Samir is your guy.

We were treated with respect and everybody was very nice and friendly.

Our guide and driver Sulaiman was very friendly and knowledgeable as well as flexible. What ever questions we asked about regarding history, shops, coffee, diving, etc.. he always had the answer.

Visiting Jeresh, Petra (one of the seven wonders), camping in Wadi Rum and diving in the red sea in Aqaba were the highlights of our trip.

Hotel Review

Sulaf Luxury Hotel

Amman

Amazing, very friendly

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Meet & Assist - Queen Alia Airport

Jordan

Very professional, smooth process

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I have nothing but great things to say! Sharon from Morocco Immersion Tours & Adventures worked with me to create an awesome itinerary given I only planned the trip 2 weeks before and only had 5 full days in Morocco, and she was even able to help me make some changes when my airline pushed my flight back by a day while minimizing the price changes. On the ground, Hicham executed the plan flawlessly and was always happy to help me get anything I needed to help make the trip that much more comfortable. The hospitality and positive energy from the team as well as the guides/partners they worked with during the trip is something for which I am very grateful and will never forget! Thanks again for such a great experience, and I can’t wait to visit again!

Jenny was amazing to work with. Despite working with a shorter than ideal planning timeline she found us a truly memorable vacation experience. With a daughter on the autism spectrum our travel needs can sometimes be very specific with a lot of flexibility built in and Jenny found that perfect balance for us. I doubt I’ll ever plan my own vacations again now that I’ve experienced first hand how smooth this process was. She removed the stress of planning and potential travel challenges so all we had to do was enjoy our time as a family.

Activity Reviews

Horse Riding Tour

Iceland

We loved the horse riding experience through the snowy fields. Toni, our guide was great; friendly and knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Crystal Blue Ice Cave

Iceland

This was a fun and informative trip. My kids were less than pleased with the distance we had to walk to get to the ice cave but our guide made it all worthwhile once we got there. He engaged the kids personally in some of the things he was showing all of us and made sure they were having fun. The cave itself was beautiful to see but sad to think about how the glacier keeps getting smaller each year. We were all glad we got a chance to see it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Neat to ride in the giant 4x4 but VERY bumpy. Almost like being in a boat so if you typically get motion sick you may want to plan accordingly.

I cannot even begin to express how incredibly thankful my boyfriend and I feel to have found Jesus's team at KimKim for our trip to Peru. From our very first message with Jesus to the second we landed back in the U.S., we had just an amazing experience. In part due to the rich history and culture Peru has to offer, but mostly because of the wonderful people we met along the way. We had private transportation everywhere we went (Carlos, Jose, and San), who were always friendly, accommodating, safe, and very hard working, and we were also paired with the best tour guides we could have ever asked for! Guido and Abel in Cusco both will be lifetime friends, they were incredibly knowledgeable, funny, and caring.
We were given all of the flexibility in the world by Jesus's team, which really helped keep the stress of a big/long trip at bay. We opted to arrange our own sleeping accommodations with the exception of a few nights, one of which we stayed with the sweetest local Andean family. Each day, we were able to choose within reason the time we wanted to start our day, there was never any rushing to be anywhere at a particular time. Every single day was a new adventure and we learned more than we were ready to! We spent 11 long days in Peru, but we still didn't want to leave. We miss the people, the food, the sites, but we are so thankful for the friendships and memories we made!

Activity Reviews

Machu Picchu Exploration

Aguas Calientes/ Machu Picchu

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Journey through the Vinicunca Rainbow Mountain: {{start_location}} to {{end_location}}

Peru

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Booking this trip was the right choice. The specialist were patient and helpful with any questions we had. It was the perfect way to celebrate a birthday. The schedule kept us busy but there were a few moments where we were able to explore on our own. Most of the guides spoke some english and most drove carefully. Only once was I ever concerned about being in the cars or transportation. Kimkim made it easy to enjoy the experience without the worry. Our lodging was great but not luxury, it fit our needs. Costa Rica was a great experience and I would definitely recommend to others.

Hotel Reviews

Arenal Country Inn

La Fortuna

The welcome was great. The hostess and the rest of the staff were helpful and suggested ways to get around and places to eat. You get your own little villa with AC, tv, and a safe. The pool and dining hall areas were well kept and they were very environmentally focused. The mattresses were very hard.

Tips for future travelers

Take lots of pictures and enjoy your time. The place is lovely and homey.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sleep Inn Hotel Paseo Las Damas

San José

The location of this hotel was perfect. Right in the middle of downtown, we were able to visit museums and take in some local life. The rooms were a bit dated and the beds hard but the staff was always nice and helpful. The second time we stayed on our way back the room was nicer and had a city view. Good experience overall

Tips for future travelers

Keep in mind that it is a 2 star. Its perfectly nice and clean but there is some dated and older fixtures there.

Authenticity & Character

good location

Location

its in the middle of everything

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

hard mattresses but clean overall. Older carpets and bathroom fixtures.

Activity Review

Arenal Volcano Hiking Tour & Tabacon Hot Springs

Arenal/La Fortuna

Very well planned day. The tour was very knowledgeable despite the trails being a little longer than expected. We saw many cool animals and even learn about costa rica conservation and history of Arena/Fortuna. Going to the hot springs after was a great plan as we were tired after the hiking. We got to the hot springs when it was dark so I do wish that we could have enjoyed some of it during the day light. They had well-lit paths and the pools were lovely. The resort was so well kept and felt very luxe.

Quality of Experience

Food

Good food but it is a set menu

Guides, Drivers and Staff

very knowledgeable and local

Transport

guides suggest local places to eat

We had a wonderful trip organized by Olman, who was always there to answer any question. Olman organized beautiful hotels and great activities for us to discover the country. The highlights of our trip were our transfer to Tortugueros with Jonathan, who stopped to show us a sloth on an electric pole, and told us about the banana plantations - I'll never look at a banana the same way! White water rafting with Orlando was amazing. I recommend doing a night walk as well, you get to see sleeping and nocturnal animals, for example a scorpion that shines in black light. In Manuel Antonio, we saw a mother and baby humpback whale on the catamaran tour. The fresh tropical fruit is so tasty! It was a wonderful trip, I highly recommend booking here!

We had an amazing experience in our trip to Egypt and Jordan. The pyramids, the Petra, the White Desert, a cruise on the Nile, and scuba diving in Sharm el Sheikh were truly unforgettable. Ibrahim and the Kimkim team put together the perfect itinerary for us and were able to quickly resolve any issues that arose during our trip. They handled all of our lodging and transportation and made sure we were always comfortable.

Both of our tour guides, Mohammad Kamal and Noor, were respectful, professional, and extremely knowledgeable about the various sites we visited across Egypt. They answered any question that we had and we learned a lot about Egyptian and Jordanian history and culture from them.

One of the highlights of our experience was when we visited a small village along the Nile river. We met some of the families there and enjoyed their hospitality. Additionally, the night we spent camping and star gazing in the White Desert was an experience we enjoyed very much.

Overall, this was a phenomenal trip and we will definitely be planning more trips through Kimkim in the future!

We have never had a travel advisor like Loreena with KimKim. We had many issues with government forms and procedures and Lorenna went way beyond the call of duty for us. Her itinerary for our trip to Chile belongs in the travel hall of fame. 10 stars for her and Kimkim.

Norm and Lynda
Colorado

I would like to give my highest recommendation to both Guatemala as a country and to KimKim/Old Town Outfitters. My wife and I have travelled quite a bit and this was one of our favorite destinations that we have been to. From the inception of our idea to travel to Guatemala, Eduardo was incredibly responsive, receptive and flexible in creating an itinerary that matched our desired level of adventure and relaxation. In traveling to Guatemala we missed our connecting flight which altered our arrival time significantly. After contacting Eduardo he sorted everything out and changed our itinerary to accommodate this unforeseen issue.

While in Guatemala, our guide Oseas, was also incredible. His local knowledge, flexibility and overall joy and passion for showing visitors his country enhanced our experience in a wonderful way. He was easy going but also a go getter with no hesitation in driving many long hours often starting early in the morning. We truly feel that Oseas has become a friend and would love to show him around our neck of the woods.

As far as highlights of the trip go, it is hard to nail down just one. That being said, we absolutely loved our time in the Lanquin/Semuc Champey region. The 7 hour drive from Guatemala City is absolutely worth it for those who are seeking a little adventure. Lake Atitlan surpassed its extensive reputation and Antigua was truly a city that we feel we could live in long term.

I speak Spanish which was helpful but absolutely not necessary as both our guide and everyone we interacted with from Old Town was fluent in English. The people of Guatemala are welcoming and friendly, rarely did I feel out of place or unwelcome. As a seasoned traveler, both Guatemala and Old Town Outfitters/KimKim come with my highest recommendation. Please consider a trip here and with them if you are looking for a Central American destination with all the natural and cultural beauty you can imagine.

We had the best trip to the Galapagos Islands with Jackeline's help! She helped us decide between a few types of trips and was always available to answer questions. We picked an 8-day cruise through the Galapagos and it was definitely a once in a lifetime experience. Jackeline called ahead to let the crew know it was a special trip for us. Our cabin on the boat was upgraded and the chef baked us a surprise cake (no easy task on a small yacht!). We realized we needed a covid test to re-enter the states and Jackeline had someone meet us at the airport to administer. It was so easy and seamless - we had results within one hour. I highly recommend Jackeline, KimKim and the Galapagos Islands for future travel!!

The trip was well organised and everything was as expected - thanks to Erin's thoughtfulness and preparation. Gothe was excellent as our day guide - she was sharing interesting information about the landscapes, geology and the animals . Hotels were comfortable.
I will definitely recommend Erin & Dittmar as a travel agent for Patagonia.

Diego did an amazing job arranging a babymoon vacation to Costa Rica for us. Everything went seamlessly and all transfers/tours were on time. Would recommend highly!!