Kimkim Trip Reviews

Planning my trip to Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands was a daunting task. Luckily I found kimkim and especially Mathias to guide me on a fantastic journey. Mathias worked closely with me to customize the perfect itinerary for all the things I wanted to do and see. Not only this, but Mathias gave me great advice ranging from packing lists to to restaurants to how to split up my time across locations. He also scheduled things like airport/hotel pickups, taxi boat fees and Covid testing which made my life so much simpler. It’s also great that kimkim has a chat tool that let us communicate throughout the whole process.

What put Mathias and this service beyond 5 stars is that after booking, the support didn’t stop. We had frequent communications each day of the trip, ensuring I had a good time on the excursion and was ready for the next day. And each event was top quality, often with private guides!

I was beyond impressed with Mathias and the kimkim service. I 100% recommend the use of the service for a complicated trip like Ecuador and the Galapagos.

Hotel Review

Tambopaxi Cotopaxi Lodge

Parque Nacional Cotopaxi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Kayaking & Snorkeling at Las Tintoreras

Galapagos Islands

So great to get some exercise in the kayak and explore where a boat cannot go. Swam with marine iguanas and sea lions, and saw penguins too!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip exceeded our expectations. The attention to each transfer, quality of guides and the places we visited were fantastic.

Randall provided insider advice on Costa Rica, a country I struggled to piece together things online. He gave a great itinerary for my friends and I based on our likes and dislikes, including great lodging, in great locations, and with activities we got really excited about. It's like having a family friend create a perfect insider's trip FOR YOU. Recommended!

We had an incredible experience working with Kristy from the very beginning.

Kristy answered all of our questions and was always very attentive when we were debating between places to go or activities to partake in. She was very knowledgeable about the country and the various activities to do and places to visit.

Our experience in Peru was incredible. All of the details were taken care for us and it was very simple to figure out where and when we needed to be throughout.

Finally, all of our guides and drivers were great. We REALLY loved Edy in Cusco, who went above and beyond multiple times to help make our tours and stay that much more enjoyable.

Hotel Review

Second Home

Barranco, Lima

Incredible hotel. We loved the Mirador room - it had a beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean and was centrally located in Burranco.

Tips for future travelers

None

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Moray & Maras, and ATV Tour

Peru

Amazing views and really beautiful experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The trip was well planned, but it would be nice to know in advance which tours were private and which were small group. Also, in terms of our itinerary, it would be better if we had the hot springs visit on the evening that we arrived in La Fortuna rather than the next day when we also had a bunch of tours. That would give us more time to enjoy the resort and provide dinner. The fact that the La Fortuna hotel had no restaurant aside from breakfast was a bit of an issue without a car. Thankfully the hotel manager offered us her car so we could get food, but otherwise we had to cross the language barrier to get taxis into town and back. I'd recommend clarifying the hotel's amenities.
Manuel Antonio Park entry rules have changed as well from the information provided in the itinerary. You can now book timed tickets online on the park's website and also get tours there as well. That removes the hassle of going early in the morning to get tickets the day of. Thankfully we checked and booked tickets the day before. There is a cafe in the park as well so no need to pack food.
Otherwise all the guides were good. We especially liked the one in Monteverde cloud forest.

Hotel Review

Igloo Beach Lodge

Manuel Antonio

Activity Review

Arenal Hanging Bridges Guided Walk & Baldi Hot Springs Excursion

Arenal/La Fortuna

The hanging bridges experience was great. The hot springs not so much in the beginning, but better once we figured out the lay of the land.

Everything was fantastic! Olman did an incredible job answering all my questions about places to stay and excursions to take. Every detail was planned and made the trip stress free. We had an incredible room at each of our destinations and I would credit Olman in making that happen. I highly recommend using KimKim. It made traveling to a country we weren't familiar with very easy and comfortable. We are very pleased with everything!!

Hotel Reviews

Hampton by Hilton San José Airport

Alajuela

super convenient airport shuttle! perfect place to stay for quick layover before our adventure. The hotel was very clean and breakfast was perfect

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Mariposa Hotel

Manuel Antonio

What a view! This hotel was amazing and had the best views in the area. The food was great and the customer service at the pool bar and the restaurant were top notch. We were very pleased and would definitely return to La Mariposa without hesitation. It was the perfect location to get around the area and walking distance to so many restaurants and shops. The free shuttle to and from Manuel Antonio was convenient, and the city bus was great too! We enjoyed our room and the panoramic views it provided us. Every afternoon after our excursions we looked forward to relaxing by the pool for a few hours then up to our room to watch the sunset. Amazing!! Photos don't do this place justice. Andres and Harvy at the pool bar were very attentive and Christian at La Papillion Restaurant went above and beyond to make sure we enjoyed our stay. Thank you so much for the outstanding customer service!!

Tips for future travelers

Just relax and chose this place. You will not be disappointed at all!!

Authenticity & Character

Beautifully manicured and very clean

Location

perfect! we could walk to at least 10 different restaurants and the city bus was so easy and clean to use

Staff

everyone was so nice and attentive

Cleanliness & Comfort

very clean and extremely comfortable, especially the padded sun loungers by the pool under the canopyt

Tabacón Thermal Resort & Spa

Fortuna

This place is absolutely magical!! We truly enjoyed everything about this hotel except for the lack of water pressure in the shower. That was disappointing, but it by no means ruined our trip. The robes to walk around in were a very nice touch. The restaurants on site were really good and the signature drinks were fun to try. Shang ri La Gardens- the adult section for hotel guests only was incredible. We spent a very large amount of time there. We loved the server Adrianna. She was fantastic. The little cabanas to rest in were perfect. It was so quiet and calming. Incredible!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Catamaran Adventure with Snorkeling

Manuel Antonio

The boat was very spacious and clean. There were 2 waterslides that some enjoyed. Our captain even spotted some whales so we were able to see 2 whales on our sail. That was a pleasant surprise. The lunch they served was phenominal! The food was very good and they served plenty of it.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Savegre Whitewater Rafting

Manuel Antonio

The guys were so friendly and enthusiastic! I felt safe the whole time in the water and the hike to the waterfall was really nice. We even enjoyed the open air truck ride up to the river. Awesome experience on my 40th birthday!

Quality of Experience

great time!

Food

the restaurant we stopped at for lunch was delicious and the food was nearly ready for us when we got there. The company calls ahead to put our order in. That is a great way to be mindful of time.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

very friendly and enthusiastic

Transport

loved the open air truck ride

Arenal - San Jose - Visit La Paz Waterfall

Costa Rica

Absolutely stunning! We couldn't believe how beautiful this park was. The falls, hummingbirds, and landscape was incredible. It was so peaceful.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Volcano National Park by Arenal Lake

Arenal/La Fortuna

This was a wonderful boat ride and a very relaxing. The hike down to the boat ride was also very nice! We saw some birds and a sloth on the hike.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Hanging Bridges & Hike to La Fortuna Waterfall

Arenal/La Fortuna

We had a great time! The hanging bridges were so fun! The hike through the rainforest was beautiful! Our guide showed us 4 different poisonous snakes on the way. Super cool! We went for a nice authentic Costa Rican lunch after were was fabulous as well.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Surf Lesson

Manuel Antonio

We had a great time learning to surf! The guys were very patient with me and my inability to figure it out! lol! My husband had a blast and I gave up after about an hour, but that was just fine for me. I sat in a lounge chair and enjoyed a wonderful passionfruit margarita in the shade that was provided by the surf club. No worries;) Pura Vida

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The tour organized by Mr. Murat was enjoyable, interesting, and generally "smooth sailing". It was my first time in Turkey, but I now have good impressions of the country and its people. There are some other places I wanted to see and things that I wanted to do which did not fit my itinerary, but it will be a good reason for me to return.

The tour guides and drivers that were assigned to me - Mr. Aydin in Istanbul, Mr. Irfan in Cappadocia, and Mr. Onder in Izmir were very knowledgeable, patient, and kind. They introduced to me Turkey through its history, food, and people that we have met during the trip.

As regards the hotels, I especially liked the Nisanyan House in Izmir. It felt like "home" and was a serene and quiet place. The food that they served were also authentic and very good. The other hotels were also conveniently located and had good amenities.

Thank you, Trail Travel and Mr. Murat for the memorable and hassle-free vacation. I did not have much time planning it but it all went well, even better than what I expected.

I hope to be back soon.

Eduardo did a great job planning our trip. He was very responsive and very helpful, and made the whole experience very easy. I highly recommend using Eduardo's services for a trip to Guatemala.

Review of our trip to Mexico

Mexico City
*******************
We found everything to be well organized.
Our guide Demi was very knowledgeable, flexible, helpful and polite.
The hotel was clean, staff was attentive and the location was conveniently, centrally located.
We appreciated the option to have private transfers to all our destinations.

Puerto Morelos
***********************
The place was beautiful! It was exactly what we were looking for: a lovely little town away from the big resorts! We thank Jorge for understanding our preference!
The hotel was gorgeous – however we have a few remarks:
- Staff tries to sell you a timeshare or purchase when you arrive. We did not appreciate this as we were tired from our travel.
- There is a problem with insufficient beach lounges and umbrellas.
- The hotel would be more environmentally friendly if it offered water bottle refill stations. Instead there were only water plastic bottles and no recycling bins.

Overall our trip was great, and we are very satisfied!

Hotel Review

The Fives Oceanfront

Quintana Roo

An amazing place. The premises are stunningly beautiful. The beach is kept very clean and the ocean is gorgeous! Only two things need some attention: - the staff at the resort tries to sell you a time share -there seems to be a major problem with insufficient beach chairs and umbrellas - they promote water plastic bottles, and it would be great if they could install a water bottle refill station

Tips for future travelers

Yes. Stay firm when hotel staff tries to book you for a presentation to sell you time shares. Unless you are truly interested in making such an investment, you'd better find some good excuses and get out of it...

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Shared walking tour of Mexico City's historic center

Mexico City

Our guide Demi was very well prepared and informative.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Planning our trip with Mr. Sherif and Dunes and Beyond was very easy. We had planned this trip per-Covid and finally were able to go to Egypt this winter. Mr.Sherif and Kimkim let us postpone our trip for close to two years due to Covid lockdowns. When we landed in Egypt D&B and it’s entire team took extremely good care of us. Ahmed was our airport aide and was always there to help us with luggage and visas. Our drivers: Adil in Cairo and Yasser in Luxor drive us around to the various sites in very clean air conditioned cars. The cars were also in very good condition. Our tour guides: Sagy in Cairo and Alexandria, and Mohammed in Luxor made our trip. They were both very knowledgeable in Egyptology and helped us understand Pharaonic history. We truly enjoyed our experience with our tour guides. Sagy was just amazing. We felt we were touring Egypt with a friend and not a tour guide, and that made all the difference. We had an amazing trip of a lifetime in Egypt, thanks to D&B and its entire team. Cheers.

Hoa Tran was AMAZING! super helpful, took her time to understand my preferences, flexed the itinerary accordingly, provided on the spot support, her availability was remarkable.. the list goes on of her off the chart service!
And The local guides.. super kind people and very helpful!
Just trust her and the team, and you go enjoy yourself with a memorable vacation..

Everything was very smooth and went perfectly. No issues throughout the entire trip due to the great planning from the travel team. Fernando and Mathias were particularly helpful, knowledgeable, and very friendly. Would highly recommend.

Lorena was a super duper help before and during the trip. She was flexible, accommodating, super responsive and very available. She arranged for us to have the best tour guides and we loved the hotel she arranged for us. Everything was the best of the best and would recommend to anyone!

I found kimkim with a Google search, and was impressed with the positive feedback given by former travelers. Now, I am the one giving the positive review without any hesitation! Our trip to Spain was planned excellently and with attention to detail by Sam. We certainly had some anxiety due to COVID restrictions, but decided to go ahead with the trip and had a wonderful experience. In addition, my wife had a fracture in her foot that limited her ability to walk distances, but wheelchair assistance was arranged for her when possible. Transportation between sites was always on-time and each driver was very polite and helpful. Each guide was well-prepared and extremely informative and friendly and welcoming: Teresa in Madrid, Joaquin in Cordoba, Maria in Seville, Roberto and Paco in Granada, and Maria and Craig in Barcelona. We experienced so many wonderful sites, too many to mention, but the highlights were: Prado and Royal Palace in Madrid, Mosque-Cathedral and Alcazar in Cordoba, Cathedral and Alcazar in Seville, Alhambra and Albaicin in Granada, and Sagrada Familia and Parc Guell in Barcelona followed by a day trip to Montserrat and a winery near Barcelona. Our trip also included several meals and a Flamenco show, and we thoroughly enjoyed these as well as the sight-seeing planned in each city. Also, Sam and his colleague Fran checked in with us during the trip to make sure everything was going smoothly--and, of course, everything did go very smoothly thanks to the attention to detail by our travel agent! The accommodations were very nice and always in a convenient location in each city. Overall, we had an amazing experience, and would highly recommend Sam and kimkim to anyone. We have no regrets and only wish we had more than ten days to spend in Spain.

Hotel Reviews

H10 Puerta de Alcalá

Madrid

Nice location, great breakfast, helpful staff. Hallway noise could be heard in rooms.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

H10 Casa de la Plata

Sevilla

Hotel is in a great location close to historical sites and shopping. However, if your room has an outside view, it can be noisy during the night. The staff were friendly and hotel was new and clean and nicely decorated.

Tips for future travelers

While the view of the street was nice, choose an interior room for less noise during the night.

Authenticity & Character

New and nicely decorated.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel NH Califa

Córdoba

Hotel was good--clean and convenient. However, it could use some updating. Staff was friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Casa 1800

Granada

Hotel was in a quiet, secluded street. Building was old with lots of character. Staff was extremely friendly.

Tips for future travelers

Highly recommend.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful building and rooms.

Location

Close to shopping and sites in center of city,

Staff

So friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds weren't the most comfortable on our trip.

Gallery Hotel

Barcelona

Great location, very helpful staff, comfortable beds and climate control.

Authenticity & Character

A modern hotel. Nicely decorated.

Location

A little farther from tourist sites, but easily reached by taxi or walking.

Staff

Very helpful as this was our last hotel of the trip and we had documents that we needed printed out.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private City Tour of Seville

Seville

We toured the Cathedral, Alcazar and explored a neighborhood with our guide, Maria. She was very informative and made the experience so much fun and informative.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was fun, informative, and well-prepared.

Transport

Private Tour of Park Güell & Sagrada Família

Barcelona

Parc Guell is fun and whimsical place to visit. Sagrada Familia is just too amazing for words. If you only have time for one place, go to Sagrada Familia. Also, our guide, Sandra, made the place come to life.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Took taxis, but had no issues.

Private Flamenco & Tapas Tour

Seville

Flamenco show was so much fun and interesting. Tapas tour was also informative and our guide explained the traditions and food choices to us. Delicious!

Quality of Experience

Food

Restaurant choices were excellent.

Private Tour of Córdoba

Córdoba

Mosque-Cathedral and Alcazar were fascinating and came to life with our guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Montserrat & Wine Tour

Barcelona

A great day trip from Barcelona. Nice to see the countryside and experience more culture away from the city.

Quality of Experience

Food

Stopped at a restaurant in a small town and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Craig transported us and was a great guide for our day.

Transport

Emi is nothing short of a ROCKSTAR! Even with the time zone difference (prior to booking), she considered every detail when crafting this special trip, despite limitations of COVID. All the hotels I stayed in were super clean and literally in the center of town, so venturing out on my own for dinner or to explore neighborhoods was super easy.

By far, Salta and Mendoza will forever be stained in my happiest memories. From the seemingly endless Salt Flats, hiking in San Lorenzo, lively squares of downtown Mendoza, beautiful mountain views in Cafayate and Purmamarca to the delicious empanadas and peaceful horseback ride at the ranch, this trip was everything I hoped for and more. Thanks so much Emi and KimKim for ending my 2021 adventures with a bang!

Hotel Review

Hotel Raices Aconcagua

Mendoza

The hotel was located mere steps from one of the larger squares and walking distance to shopping and very good restaurants. At night, I felt very safe walking about and the hotel is just outside a bus stop, with buses running very frequently. Despite COVID, there was a decent selection of pastries and juices for breakfast, but no eggs or anything like other hotels I had stayed in. My room on the 8th floor was very clean and offered an AMAZING view, plus the floor was very quiet at night. The elevators are a little slow at times. The front desk was very attentive upon check-in and even went as far to help me make an appointment with a nearby business for a service. If in Mendoza again, I would absolutely consider them for another stay!

Tips for future travelers

No.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The staff was very helpful and spoke very good English if your Spanish is not so fluent.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fresh towels were provided daily. The safe was functional and locked/unlocked very easily by setting a code. Also the windows open with a latch to enjoy some fresh air if you want.

Activity Review

Full day to Salinas Grandes (Purmamarca)

Salta

The mountain views were breathtaking! The time spent at the Salt Flats was truly a highlight of the excursion.

Quality of Experience

The people of Purmamarca were so kind and very gracious and getting to taste llama was surely a surprise!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was full of knowledge about the history Jujuy, Salinas Grandes and the Salta area that I definitely learned more than I would have just trying to visit the area on my own. Great driving through the winding roads in the mountains and was happy to help us take photos.

Transport

Driver picked me up about 10 minutes past my initial pickup time but it seems that no one in Argentina is ever really on time.

In Arenal/Fortuna we took a Traditional Cooking Class at the Arenal Vida Campesina, a family-owned organic farm, where we learned to cook "verduras salteadas con pasta de achiote" over a wood-fire stove. We hiked (Canoa Aventura) and rafted (Costa Rica Descents) at the Arenal Volcano and la Fortuna Falls. The Tabacon hot springs with dinner was an amazing, relaxing experience.

Ziplined and hiked the Cloud Forest hanging bridges; and took a Night Walk (Selvatura Adventure Park) in Monteverde. On the trip from Monteverde to Manuel Antonio, we took a detour to the Jungle Crocodile Safari (Jose's Crocodile Safari & Bird Watching Tour) a must see, along the Tarcoles River.

We spent our last few days in Manuel Antonio, where we were awakened in the morning with the roars of the howler monkeys. What a story to tell!

In addition to our need for adventure, my son and I wanted some relaxation time, so we stayed at resorts: Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs; El Establo; La Mariposa; and Park Inn San Jose Hotel (1 night). All provided excellent accommodations, service, and restaurants. Breakfasts were included at all accommodations. The Arenal Manoa is a couple of miles from the town on a highway, so no hiking into town. Did not feel we missed anything as our excursions usually included lunch and/or dinner. The Establo hotel is located on a hill, so hotel transport is provided to/from the rooms to the reception/breakfast areas. There was a small glitch in our reservation for the La Mariposa, however, the front desk staff accommodated us with cocktails, while we waited. In addition, they arranged for us to have an in-room COVID test prior to checking out. A shout-out to the front desk clerk at the Park Inn San Jose Hotel, who took it upon herself to provide us a take-away breakfast snack as we were leaving at 5:00am the following morning.

Two changes I would make to our trip: (1) the transfer from Manuel Antonio was a 6.5 hr. drive, which meant we did not arrive into San Jose until almost 8:00 pm. (2) Manuel Antonio is known for the howler monkeys, I think I would have liked to have stayed in one of the cabanas at the Howler Monkey Hotel, near the Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve.

Hotel Review

Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs

Fortuna

Great staff, great food, great service, and amazing massages.

Tips for future travelers

We booked a lot of excursions so we were content to be away from town. If someone is planning to spend time in town, they might want to be closer or have access to a car.

Authenticity & Character

The hotel is located in a tropical forest with a variety of birds and wildlife . We had a celebration dinner at the restaurant, which was 5-star presentation and taste.

Location

Loved that we were in a rain forest with a view of the Arenal Volcano. Great way to start our adventure.

Staff

Service at the restaurant was excellent; as well as, the massage therapists.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were clean upon entry; rooms were spacious.

Activity Review

Selvatura Park Self-Guided Hanging Bridges & Zip Lining

Monteverde

The ziplining crew was amazing. They provided constant support and encouragement for everyone in the group; and they were constantly mindful of creating a positive fun experience.

Quality of Experience

1st timer and I am looking forward to trying this again.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Knowledgeable and professional on every level.

Transport

Equipment was well-maintained and secure.

Chris and Randall planned an absolutely fantastic trip for my father and me. We did activities that the both of us enjoyed, and we appreciated still having flexibility during the trip. The trip had a balance of everything; hiking, wildlife, food, culture, beaches, and relaxation.

Hotel Review

El Establo Mountain Hotel

Monteverde

Great views from each room!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Arenal Volcano Hike & Baldi Hot Springs & Dinner

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Felipe did an outstanding job working tirelessly to customize our trip to see as much as possible in 9 days. Once in Colombia, he remained in constant contact and responded immediately 24/7 to any issues that arose. We had a wonderful time with memories that will last a lifetime.

Hotel Review

Sofitel Legend Santa Clara Cartagena

Cartagena

Activity Review

Airport Transfer: {{start_location}} to {{end_location}} & Guatape and El Peñol Tour

Colombia

Guatape and el penol are must sees

When we were looking to travel to Brazil, we knew we needed some help planning and organizing never having been to the country and not knowing the best things to see and do, I spent some time looking online and trying to find people that could help. From prearranged tours to private tours, and nobody seem to have the flexibility to be able to book the things that we specifically wanted to do, if you wanna book a private tour, it’s all private, there’s no option for anything else and it Hass to be using their specific vendors which are generally quite expensive, and if you wanna do one of the prearranged tours you have to stick to those tours and can’t deviate from them. So if you need help finding out what to do, how to get there, and finding accommodations that suit your best needs weather be budget or luxury I’ve done all the research for you, and Camille is the best person for the job, she was able to book tours at an affordable rate rate including flights and make the entire process seamless and smooth. She was able to find budget hotels when we needed them and luxury ones when we wanted somewhere to kick back. I don’t know if you’ve ever had a situation where you show up somewhere and then you need to figure out where to go, how to get there or what to do when you’re traveling, Camille handled everything from A-to-Z and even when we had issues that came up she was there to assist to make sure everything was fixed and went smoothly. I would highly recommend using her, without any questions asked, she did a great and fantastic job was there for us the entire time, and everything was pre-arranged and booked so everything transition smoothly and we didn’t have to stress about anything, and when issues did come up she was there to help immediately handle and address them

Linda did an amazing job planning our trip! We're incredibly grateful for her organizing a last minute trip during such a busy tourist season. Linda ensured we had the best possible experience in Ecuador. Thank you, Linda!

Hotel Review

Jamu Lodge

Quito

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Birdwatching, Indigenous Community Visit & Night Walk

Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport