Kimkim Trip Reviews

We visited Costa Rica for the first time and spent 9 days in the country. We spent our first night in San Jose and then 2 nights each in Manuel Antonio, Monteverde, La Fortuna and Tamarindo. We wanted to see as much as possible on this trip and we feel like we got to see a lot of different places. Getting to these different places wasn't easy. My wife gets car sick and she really had a rough time on the roads. If I could do it again I would have considered flying from place to place when possible. The drive times were all longer than we expected. Most roads were paved but not all. And some roads had many potholes. Even when paved the winding roads made the drives feel extra long. Fortunately our drivers were one of the highlights of our trip. They were all personable and professional. They were excellent drivers and handled the challenging road conditions like true pro's. They were very hospitable. They answered our questions and let us practice our bad Spanish.
All of our guides were wonderful. They were all very knowledgeable and professional and friendly. You can tell they enjoy what they do.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Pasatiempo

Tamarindo

We got to stay in the Villa. It was basically a one bedroom house with a full kitchen and living room and nice covered patio section. When we were escorted to the villa the sofa bed in the living room looked like it had been used and not cleaned and a coffee cup was in the sink. The hotel employee assisting us had somebody come and makeup the sofa while we were out at lunch. Not a huge deal but not a great first impression either. The shower water pressure was weak. The property is full of trees and animals. We saw an Iguana, monkeys, squirrels, lizards and cats. The breakfast was served a la carte and was delicious. The restaurant staff was very friendly. The pool was simple but very relaxing. Live music sounded good too.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walking distance to beach and all you need in Tamarindo. Right across the street from a supermarket and ATM. Many restaurants within walking distance.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Paradise Hot Springs Thermal Water Resort

La Fortuna

Fantastic hotel. The combination of the various hot spring pools, surrounding vegetation and the view of the mountains made this property really impressive. I think there was 7 or 8 different pools/hot tubs to enjoy. My favorite part was the view of the pasture and mountain from the coffee shop. The property feels luxurious and natural at the same time. The breakfast buffet at the restaurant was my favorite breakfast of all the hotels we stayed at. Good selection of hot breakfast food and all the fruits you could want. The rooms were modern, spacious and comfortable. Staff was friendly. Kenneth helped us schedule a taxi and make a dinner reservation on our first night.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Beautiful location but not very walkable. Must taxi or drive to town or restaurants.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel & Spa Poco a Poco

Monteverde

This is a beautiful property. The landscaping is beautiful with a garden and walking trail. Didn't get to use the heated pool or hot tub but it looked like the perfect way to finish a long day. The rooms were modern and comfortable. Great shower water pressure. The front desk staff, especially Lilly, was very helpful and hospitable. The restaurant had a yummy ala carte style breakfast in the morning. My only complaint is that with high winds during our stay, the branches from the trees kept hitting the roof above our room making it very difficult to sleep. We should have said something after the first night. If you're on the 4th floor make sure the tree branches are clear of the roof.

Authenticity & Character

Simple and stylish

Location

Right across the street from a shopping plaza that includes a supermarket and several restaurants

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Karahé Beach Hotel

Manuel Antonio

We didn't have any hot water on our first night. Of course when the hotel sent someone to check on it the next morning the hot water was working. We had intermittent hot water for the rest of our stay. Besides the hot water, I don't have any complaints about the hotel. The room is simple and comfortable. Our 3rd floor room had a balcony overlooking the gardens. The restaurant served a yummy buffet breakfast. My favorite part of the property was the proximity to the beach. The beach is beautiful and only a few minutes from our room. We saw a sloth perched in the trees at the beach on our last day.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Beach access. 15 minute walk to Manuel Antonio park.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Delta Hotels by Marriott San José Aurola

San José

This hotel wasn't "amazing" but it was fine and served it's purpose. We checked in at 10 at night and were gone the next day by 2. The rooms were dated and drab but everything worked. Great water pressure in the shower. We were hungry when we got in but didn't know where to find food at such a late hour. The person at the front desk let us know that we could order via Uber Eats. 45 minutes later we were eating Chinese food in our room. If he hadn't mentioned it, I'm not sure we would have thought of delivery. The breakfast in the morning was a good mix of hot foods and fruits. The waiter helped us when my wife overcooked her waffle in the waffle maker. The location of the hotel is very convenient to downtown San Jose. They held our bags as we went out to explore the city. Overall a solid choice for 1 night.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Tamarindo Turtle Nesting Tour (Seasonal)

Costa Rica

There were 21 of us on this tour, by far our most crowded tour of the trip. The ride to the beach took an hour and then it was a 20 minute walk to the beach. We waited for over an hour while our guide scouted the beach for turtles. There was only one turtle on the beach that night. We were able to observe the turtle nesting and laying it s eggs.

Quality of Experience

It felt a little unorganized when we got to the beach but really we were just sitting and waiting for turtles. The group also felt too big for one single guide.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Backroad Mountain Biking Around Lake Arenal

Arenal/La Fortuna

Our guide, Otto was fantastic. We were the only 2 on the tour. Otto had great energy and was so nice. The bike ride lasted about 90 minutes. You bike the road around Lake Arenal. We saw birds, cows, horses. Lots of farmland and great views of the lake. Otto even stopped on the way out of town to show us a sloth. Biking was a fun way to experience the area and get some exercise. After the ride Otto cut up a pineapple for us to snack on. And on the way back to the hotel Otto serenaded us with romantic ballad in Spanish.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Monteverde Cloud Forest Night Walk

Monteverde

We were in a group of 6. Our guide Andre was very knowledgeable and showed us many things we would never have seen on our. We saw a tarantula, glowing mushroom, several sleeping birds, lizards and opossums. I thought we would see bigger animals but I was wrong.

Quality of Experience

Our guide was great.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Damas Island Kayaking

Manuel Antonio

This was a very peaceful and relaxing activity. Albi, our guide was very friendly and did a good job explaining the ecosystem. We saw a monkey, a tiger heron, a kingfisher and a Black Iguana. We kayaked for about 90 minutes. The kayaking was easy and we saw a few other guides doing tours at the same time. We then were taken to a restaurant for a small breakfast and then transported back to the hotel. We had hoped to see more animals but we still enjoyed our experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

So grateful to have found Kimkim. Everything was seamless. Great communication and wonderful ideas. The concert at Palau de la Musica was phenomenal. Pintxos tours sublime. Our guides Nereae and Diego so helpful and knowledgeable.

Worked with KimKim and specifically Cecilia at a local Italian travel agency to plan our honeymoon to Italy in Fall of 2022. It was a breeze to plan, and Cecilia made sure to work in all our requests while still helping us find experiences with best local guides for things we were not sure about. Can't beat the ease, safety, value, and guaranteed high quality experience that kimkim ensures your vacation will be. This was our 3rd trip in different parts of the world that we booked through them and we will definitely be back!

Activity Reviews

PRIVATE VISIT TO THE SORRENTINE HILLS AND A FARM WITH LOCAL TASTINGS

Sorrento

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amalfi Coast experience from Sorrento

Sorrento

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Colosseum, Roman Forums and Palatine Hill

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

COOKING CLASS IN ROME

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Murano, Burano and Torcello Excursion

Venice

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Capri Day Trip from Sorrento

Sorrento

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vatican & Sistine Chapel - Small Group Tour

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

SEMI PRIVATE - FLORENCE: PISA, SIENA, SAN GIMIGNANO, CHIANTI TOUR

Florence

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walking tour with the Accademia Gallery

Florence

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

SMALL GROUP TUSCANY WINE AND OLIVE OIL TOUR

Florence

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Best of Venice guided walking tour with gondola ride

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Pizza and gelato making class

Florence

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

KimKim review: Emi was amazing and curated such a wonderful trip for us. Booking on KimKim was very convenient for us as we had very little time ourselves to plan a whole trip. The one aspect that caused some frustration was that Emi was only reachable by email effectively which makes the process very slow. I think even having one phone call to sort out small details and ask questions would have been much more efficient. In addition, factors outside of our control (big storms that take out internet for a week or Park Ranger strikes) made Emi inaccessible for a week. We certainly don’t blame Emi for this at all, but it did create kinks in the planning process.

Once we were in Patagonia, our local support on WhatsApp Mateo was SO responsive and immediately available when issues came up (a lost reservation at one of the hotels, a lost cab, etc). None of these were KimKim’s fault but each issue was resolved in minutes. This was such an amazing feature!

Our trip review:

Transitions:
The transitions were seamless and we didn’t have any issues at all! Cab transfers to and from the major airports with local guides was a nice touch but ultimately for those wanting to save money, getting a cab/uber on your own seemed easy in Buenos Aires and Santiago and was likely a lot cheaper. I would therefore offer the transfer as an option. I would definitely recommend the private transfer from Calafate airport to El Chalten lodging. Puerto Natales also has a great cab system, and Weskar lodge can call a cab for you at any time that will be there in 5 minutes. That being said, not having to worry about calling cars was such a luxury. Our Taxi driver in Puerto Natales from the bus terminal to Weskar was really great.
- The bus from Argentina to Chile was very easy but a little confusing at the boarder. We could have used some instruction on what to expect.

English speaking guides:
- We found the guide in Buenos Aires to be helpful, especially because we had just arrived and money changing is quite difficult in Argentina. The English speaking guide in Santiago was not necessary for us, although if you are starting your trip in Santiago it could be nice.
- In general, we felt we did not need english speaking guides for transit purposes.

Airport timing: We appreciated getting to the airport before international flights early, but 2 hours early would have sufficed and definitely you don’t need to get to Calafate airport or Puerto Natales airport more than one hour in advance (2 hours early was way too much time). It felt like we were sitting for hours waiting for those flights. Others may have different preferences.

Hotels: We loved all of the hotels we stayed at. Weskar Lodge in Puerto Natales and Alto Calafate were our favorites. The pools and sauna at Alto Calafate after our 30 mile trek in Chalten was such a nice treat. It’s sort of away from the main town, but they have an hourly shuttle that takes you to and from the center of town. Weskar Lodge is also a bit outside of the center but we loved the 20-30min walks along the water to get into town.
For younger people like us wanting a more social lodging situation, staying in hostels in Chalten and Puerto Natales or even the major cities would have also been fun options. But we were really happy with the hotels Emi chose.
-We ended up booking a one-night stay at the Patagonia EcoDomes which was an absolute highlight. From the Domes you can hike directly to Lagos de los Tres and then hike down to town and they had a car that could bring your belongings down El Chalten for free. We had already paid for a private transfer, but this was a great option! They can also call you a cab easily so a transfer isn’t necessary if you want timing to be flexible.

Highlights:
Lagos de Los Tres
Mini Trekking in Calafate
Kayaking in Puerto Natales
(We also heard Paddle boarding with PatagoniaPaddle (you can find on IG) is an amazing activity although we didn’t do it.)
Hiking Base Torres in Torres del Paine (and our guide Claudia was amazing)
Tango show in Buenos Aires
All of the food in Puerto Natales- we were happy to have so many nights there!

We enjoyed the second hike in Torres del Paine through guanaco territory because we saw cave paintings and learned a bit more about the natives and the geology, but it was a very mild hiking day (~6 miles) and some may have preferred a larger trek in the park. We were tired after hiking Base Torres so it was actually nice! Also, Gabriella our guide was fantastic

Balmaceda and Serrano Glaciers was also a really fun boat excursion. We also heard great things about the Grey Glacier boat excursion.

Overall AMAZING trip with basically no issues. Thank you all so much!!

Hotel Reviews

Weskar Lodge

Puerto Natales

Amazing view over the bay. Great staff and breakfast. They can easily call cabs within 4 minutes. Only a 20-30min walk into town (beautiful walk along the water) or a 5 min cab away.

Alto Calafate Hotel Patagonico

El Calafate

Spa, massages, sauna, pool was so nice after trekking in Chalten! AMAZING view of Calafate-- we sat outside reading with wine every afternoon. Shuttles every hour can take you into town.

Posada y Cabañas El Barranco

El Chalten

Basic amenities, private ground floor room. Very close to trails and main strip. Nothing special. A hostel would have probably been just as nice and more social.

Two Hotel Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires

Nice hotel, basic amenities, continental breakfast, good location.

Activity Reviews

Navigation to Balmaceda & Serrano Glaciers

Puerto Natales

Good to do after a big trek to rest. The average age was definitely 60-80 (or young children) so we felt a little bit young but the glaciers are so cool to see (although not as impressive as Merano glacier), they serve whisky on the rocks and serve an enormous plate of lamb for lunch- we had a BLAST.

Full day Hike Porteria Lago Sarmiento - 6/7 km approx

Puerto Natales

Definitely an easier day. We enjoyed seeing cave drawings and learning about guanacos, the other fauna, and the native history and geology.

Eberhard Fjord Kayaking Tour

Puerto Natales

It was very windy and difficult but still so much fun! There were many beginners on our trip who did great, and one blind woman! It was definitely hard, but worth it. There is a mini hike on the island where you kayak to with amazing views of Patagonia.

Full day Hiking Base Las Torres - 20km approx

Puerto Natales

Our guide was amazing and we had a great group. The hike is spectacular. They provide trekking poles. You definitely want to be in good shape for this one. The drive from Puerto Natales is a couple hours so bring a book or something to listen to.

Full day tour to Parque Nacional Los Glaciares and Minitrekking

El Calafate

Such a highlight!! Would recommend 100%

We spent three weeks in Mexico on a trip organised for us by Rutopia. Mexico was astonishing, beautiful, interesting, fun and we cannot wait to return. But we will not be doing so with Rutopia. We were put in contact with Rutopia via the site Kim Kim, which is an independent travel website putting users in touch with country experts… ostensibly. I’d used Kim Kim before and had been happy with the resulting trip. Not this time.

Rutopia seemed great before setting out. They were friendly and efficient in their communication and their detailed itinerary also seemed fine. Their local contact – via WhatsApp was helpful, friendly and responded quickly. But the sheer number of providers they subcontract to and the subcontractors in-turn subcontracting to others make for a supply chain of chaos. And we start to see things change a day or two before we depart.

First, Rutopia was unable to book us tickets to the Frieda Khalo museum (this was part of the detailed itinerary we paid for). They blamed the large visiting New Year’s Eve crowds buying up all the tickets. I thought it was odd because we had planned the trip with them months before, so if Rutopia – as local experts – would expect crowds, they’d be able to jump on the tickets right away. Or Rutopia would have alerted me to this possibility so I could’ve made sure to be on the alert as soon as the tickets went on sale. Rutopia proposed a virtual reality Khalo experience instead, but we weren’t interested. I opted instead for a free day in CDMX. Did Rutopia offer a refund for that day? No. And I thought it was odd, but I didn’t ask for one. The reason: at our request, Rutopia got us an upgraded room in the hotel they had booked for us. We requested the upgrade because our original room had a paper-thin connecting door to the next room and we could hear our next-door neighbours clearly as if they were in the room with us. Five days of that was a non-starter. So, considering the upgrade, I didn’t ask for a refund for that day. We had a lovely time on our own and visiting Teotihuacan as per our itinerary.

Second, we depart CDMX and our flight arrival time was not listed properly on our itinerary. That didn’t affect us, but the transfer driver had been told an even earlier time and had been waiting for us for something like three hours. We thought it was odd, but again, didn’t suspect what was about to happen.

Third, our departure from San Cristobal was scheduled for 3am via a private transfer. This was clearly stated in our detailed trip itinerary Rutopia drafted for us and which we agreed before paying them a five-figure sum for our trip. We would then stop en-route to visit two waterfall areas.

At 3am on the designated day, a large, multi-person van pulls up. The driver is cross seeing our luggage and says he would’ve sent a different vehicle if he knew we had luggage. We thought this was odd. It wasn’t a lot of luggage for two people travelling for three weeks: a weekend-sized rollaboard, a large duffel bag (these were the two largest pieces), two small rucksacks/daypacks, a small camera bag and a small handbag. This attitude and the type of vehicle prompted me to ask if we would be the only persons. The driver said no. He needed to pick up more people between 3am and 5am. We were merely the first stop.

We were stunned. I explained, in my basic Spanish, we had paid for a private transfer. The driver calls his boss (not Rutopia – each driver we’ve had so far and would have for the trip is from a different company – supply chain hell as I previously mentioned) and the boss tells him he doesn’t know what’s going on. The driver asks us for a confirmation voucher. We never received any vouchers from Rutopia and no one until then had asked us for any. It’s the digital age after all, and we had our detailed itinerary, which I showed the driver. The driver is now visibly annoyed with us and asks us what we want to do. It’s after 3am, we’ve checked out of our hotel and we are trapped. So of course we say we will stay on the bus and make the several hour journey like this. But this wasn’t satisfactory to the driver! He drives us back to the hotel and dumps us there. In Spanish he says to the passenger in the seat next to him that he’s washing his hands of us. My spoken Spanish isn’t good, but my understanding of it is excellent. I hear this clearly.

We’re now back at the hotel. I’ve messaged Rutopia, called them and nothing – obviously, it’s almost 4am. I next call the transfer company and I speak to who I believe is the driver’s boss. That person tells me there’s no private transfer for that day and if I want the same driver to return. Of course I say yes to have him return. That’s what we had said to the driver originally. We had no choice!

When the van arrives back at our hotel, it’s full of passengers and there’s no room for our luggage. We spend the next six hours jammed with most of our luggage on our laps, in seats not next to each other, on the tortuous roads of Chiapas. Because we had believed we had a private transfer, we had left our bathing suits (for the waterfall stops) in our luggage as we believed we would have easy access to them. The reality was our luggage was piled with others’ and things had to be moved just for all the passengers to be able to get out of the van. We were utterly unprepared for the hell trip this was and were extremely disappointed we couldn’t go swimming. Of course the sights were beautiful, but they were marred by the utter discomfort of the trip. Had we paid for this type of transfer and had a backpacker trip in mind, then fine. But that’s not what we paid five figures for.

Our itinerary also detailed a sunset visit to the ruins of Palenque as the final activity for that day. Did that happen? Nope. We were dropped off at our hotel around 12.30 or so. Check-in wasn’t until 3pm, but were able to get into our rooms a little earlier.

When the Rutopia in-country representative came back on line I requested a refund. The in-country representative said the transfer was meant to be shared and didn’t know why her colleagues had written private. We were shocked by this. I pointed to the detailed itinerary showing clearly the transfer was private. The itinerary is the contract we agreed to with Rutopia and they couldn’t change significant things and just say oops. I asked about the sunset tour of the ruins and nothing. That didn’t exist either. So we had had a hell trip from 3am for nothing.

I asked for a refund of that day. Reluctantly, Rutopia agreed and said it would be in my account a few days later. It’s now weeks later and it’s not there.

After this incident, there were others. For example, one driver was told to pick us up at 8am, but our itinerary says 9am and that’s confirmed the day before by the in-country representative. During the day, we discover he had been waiting for us from 7.30am. And no wonder he was sullen when we stroll up at 9am with no apology. Both of us had been under different instructions.

Another example, I had mentioned several times in the discussions with Rutopia we are vegan. And where do we go for one of our activities – a crocodile farm. The activity listed was for a boat trip, but it didn’t list we would be going to a crocodile farm, which we would have refused. The boat trip itself was nice, but the nature of it was totally different on the detailed itinerary. And that happened a lot. Things would be described in one way on the itinerary, but would be quite different in reality. It was as if Rutopia hadn’t updated themselves on what was actually happening on the ground.

Our breakfasts were included, but only one hotel during the entire three weeks seemed to have gotten the message we are vegan. And kudos to them. The irony was there were even vegan hotels in many of the places we stayed, but Rutopia didn’t suggest them to us. And as this was not a trip I planned, I didn’t do all the research. After all, I believed I was paying for someone to do that.

This disconnect between paper and relity was reflected in some of the hotels. In particular, the hotel in Punta Morelos. Ostensibly a three-star hotel given the three stars on its façade. In reality, a mouldy, 1980s nylon curtained, tired two stars at best. Again, if that’s the trip we had paid for, then ok. But at the five figures we spent, then no. Not acceptable.

Rutopia is disorganised. They have to make their margins wherever they can and so do their subcontractors. At the end of this stick is the driver and the traveller. And the poor in-country representative who has to hear the traveller’s complaints. So, never again Rutopia.

Hotel Reviews

Le Muuch

Valladolid, Yucatán

Small room with nowhere to put luggage other than in a corner on the floor. But nice property. Impossibly slow breakfast service. Thirty minutes just for a cup of coffee, which was all we ordered. Good location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Lucia Hotel Boutique

Mérida, Yucatán

Location was good. But the rooms were tired and noisy. Clean though.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Don Gustavo

Campeche

This was the best hotel of our trip. They were the only ones who actually had gotten the message of our dietary requirements and prepared accordingly. The location is perfect. The rooms and the entire property are gorgeous.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel La Aldea del Halach Huinic

Palenque

The rooms are bleak and need an update. But they're clean and the bed is comfortable. The location is great though with lots of wildlife and trees. The restaurant was pretty good too. They had vegan food.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Punto Mx

Mexico City

Do not get a room with a connecting door. The connecting doors are paper thin and you'll be able to hear next door as if they were right in the room with you. However, the location is great. And the upgraded room we eventually got was terrific. No vegan food.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Guayaba Inn

San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas

Lovely place, spacious room, beautiful gardens. No vegan food available.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel El Moro

Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo

This is a two star hotel at best. Mouldy, badly in need of an update, motel style nylon curtains and a common area which could be the site of a crime show. Avoid

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

everything

Activity Reviews

Shared biking experience through Teotihuacan "The City of the Gods"

Mexico City

Brilliant day. Terrific guide.

Quality of Experience

Food

restaurant had clearly marked vegan options!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lucha Libre Experience & Mezcal Tasting

Mexico City

Fantastic night and great guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Transfer from San Cristobal to Palenque - visit Agua Azul and Misol Ha en Route

Mexico

This was hell and it wasn't a private transfer at all. I've set this all out in my detailed feedback letter. But here's an excerpt: Third, our departure from San Cristobal was scheduled for 3am via a private transfer. This was clearly stated in our detailed trip itinerary Rutopia drafted for us and which we agreed before paying them a five-figure sum for our trip. We would then stop en-route to visit two waterfall areas. At 3am on the designated day, a large, multi-person van pulls up. The driver is cross seeing our luggage and says he would’ve sent a different vehicle if he knew we had luggage. We thought this was odd. It wasn’t a lot of luggage for two people travelling for three weeks: a weekend-sized rollaboard, a large duffel bag (these were the two largest pieces), two small rucksacks/daypacks, a small camera bag and a small handbag. This attitude and the type of vehicle prompted me to ask if we would be the only persons. The driver said no. He needed to pick up more people between 3am and 5am. We were merely the first stop. We were stunned. I explained, in my basic Spanish, we had paid for a private transfer. The driver calls his boss (not Rutopia – each driver we’ve had so far and would have for the trip is from a different company – supply chain hell as I previously mentioned) and the boss tells him he doesn’t know what’s going on. The driver asks us for a confirmation voucher. We never received any vouchers from Rutopia and no one until then had asked us for any. It’s the digital age after all, and we had our detailed itinerary, which I showed the driver. The driver is now visibly annoyed with us and asks us what we want to do. It’s after 3am, we’ve checked out of our hotel and we are trapped. So of course we say we will stay on the bus and make the several hour journey like this. But this wasn’t satisfactory to the driver! He drives us back to the hotel and dumps us there. In Spanish he says to the passenger in the seat next to him that he’s washing his hands of us. My spoken Spanish isn’t good, but my understanding of it is excellent. I hear this clearly. We’re now back at the hotel. I’ve messaged Rutopia, called them and nothing – obviously, it’s almost 4am. I next call the transfer company and I speak to who I believe is the driver’s boss. That person tells me there’s no private transfer for that day and if I want the same driver to return. Of course I say yes to have him return. That’s what we had said to the driver originally. We had no choice! When the van arrives back at our hotel, it’s full of passengers and there’s no room for our luggage. We spend the next six hours jammed with most of our luggage on our laps, in seats not next to each other, on the tortuous roads of Chiapas. Because we had believed we had a private transfer, we had left our bathing suits (for the waterfall stops) in our luggage as we believed we would have easy access to them. The reality was our luggage was piled with others’ and things had to be moved just for all the passengers to be able to get out of the van. We were utterly unprepared for the hell trip this was and were extremely disappointed we couldn’t go swimming. Of course the sights were beautiful, but they were marred by the utter discomfort of the trip. Had we paid for this type of transfer and had a backpacker trip in mind, then fine. But that’s not what we paid five figures for. Our itinerary also detailed a sunset visit to the ruins of Palenque as the final activity for that day. Did that happen? Nope. We were dropped off at our hotel around 12.30 or so. Check-in wasn’t until 3pm, but were able to get into our rooms a little earlier. When the Rutopia in-country representative came back on line I requested a refund. The in-country representative said the transfer was meant to be shared and didn’t know why her colleagues had written private. We were shocked by this. I pointed to the detailed itinerary showing clearly the transfer was private. The itinerary is the contract we agreed to with Rutopia and they couldn’t change significant things and just say oops. I asked about the sunset tour of the ruins and nothing. That didn’t exist either. So we had had a hell trip from 3am for nothing. I asked for a refund of that day. Reluctantly, Rutopia agreed and said it would be in my account a few days later. It’s now weeks later and it’s not there.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We loved our trip to Chile! Every place was amazing- experiences was the best in every place! Hotel in San Pedro Atacama desert - la casa de Don Thomas was the best!!! All guides and drivers were great and helpful! Communication was great! Thank you for a best time of our life!!!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Glaciares

cesson sevigne

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Park Inn by Radisson Puerto Varas

Puerto Varas

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Fundador

Santiago, Región Metropolitana

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel La Casa de Don Tomás

San Pedro de Atacama

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Cejar & Tebinquiche Lagoons - Atacama Salt Flat

San Pedro de Atacama

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tatio Geysers

San Pedro de Atacama

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rainbow Valley

San Pedro de Atacama

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Torres del Paine National Park

Puerto Natales

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full day Hiking Base Las Torres - 20km approx

Puerto Natales

The best part of vocation!!!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Navigation to Balmaceda & Serrano Glaciers

Puerto Natales

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half day Moon Valley and Mirador Ckari

San Pedro de Atacama

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Evening Astronomy Tour

San Pedro de Atacama

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rafting Petrohué River

Puerto Varas

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excursion to Chiloe Island: Ancud, Castro & Dalcahue

Puerto Varas

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The trip was amazing! Everything was planned so well and there was a great variety of experiences with nothing overlapping. It is hard to experience a huge country like Chile in limited time but we had an wonderful variety of activities in every location we visited and we enjoyed every day there

We had the trip of a lifetime! It's really hard to narrow down our favorite parts of the trip, but one huge positive of using Erin and her team at Dittmar was that they were able to find experiences that were off-the-beaten-path, give us great advice on the better-known hikes and sites, and tailored the entire trip to our exact requests. My husband and I are both extremely busy people, so to be able to tell Erin the major things that we wanted to see, the type of vacationing that we wanted to do, and let her largely plan the trip from there, was awesome! I also loved that she and her colleagues had experienced all of the excursions, hikes, and many of the hotels themselves, so could give real-time feedback and advice as we were selecting our itinerary.

One of the best days of the entire trip was going to Estancia La Peninsula in Puerto Natales. This was a last-minute addition to the itinerary after our flight from the States to Chile was unexpectedly moved up a day. While nothing will beat the insanely beautiful views of the national parks in both countries, this day was uniquely special, intimate, and fun. We visited the ranch with 4 other tourists and really got to know the owner and staff as a result. We learned a ton about the culture of Chile and the Patagonia region, got to know their life stories, had a DELICIOUS meal, saw beautiful views on horseback, and just generally had such a special day. These are the types of experiences that Dittmar and Erin arrange: ones that truly unique to the region and to working with Dittmar. That said, Erin and team were also great with the more traditional "must-sees/dos." For example, Erin had a ton of great tips for us while on the 3-night, 4-day W Trek in Torres del Paine, and we felt more prepared and were able to really enjoy our time as a result.

We're so sad that our trip is over, but we're recommending it to anyone and everyone we know now that we are back in the US!

Hotel Reviews

Chalten Suites Hotel

El Chalten

Nicest staff! Great breakfast, beautiful views, perfect location!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right on the main street--easy access to the hiking/adventures and all of the cute restaurants and bars in town.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Kosten Aike

El Calafate

Great breakfasts, super nice staff, perfect location!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Just off the main drag, which makes all of the areas you'd want to see in Calafate accessible, but without too much noise.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Lago Grey

Torres del Paine

The most amazing night after 3 nights of camping on the W! Such a serene lobby, loved the architecture, great food, and insanely gorgeous views.

Authenticity & Character

loved that the architecture was so minimalist and let the views speak for themselves. The lobby/bar area is like a living room--cozy and warm, perfect after a long day of hiking

Location

Such a gorgeous view of Lake Grey and the Cuernos / Paine Grande. What

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Camping Paine Grande

Puerto Natales, Chile

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bathrooms were not great but everything else was perfectly fine!

Cabaña Los Cuernos

Puerto Natales

The prettiest place I've EVER been. The cabins were well worth the extra cost as a break from the tents, and nice to have a more private bathroom with just the other cabin-goers. I will never forget this awesome place!

Authenticity & Character

The little cabins were so quaint and cute, while blending in with the surroundings

Location

Truly the prettiest place, maybe on earth

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Singular Patagonia

Puerto Natales

One of the best hotels we've been to yet--gorgeous views, top-of-the-line service, delicious food, and such a unique, historical setting.

Authenticity & Character

One of the coolest places we've stayed--it's like a hotel within a museum. Like that they've added minimalistic architecture to the existing structure to really preserve the history of the place.

Location

Gorgeous views of the fjords, quick ride (or long walk) into town, so there was a lot of privacy and serenity.

Staff

Such nice and helpful people that we felt like we got to know!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Great spa area, super cozy bar / restaurant to hang out in after a busy day or to grab a bite

Activity Reviews

Admire the Famous Perito Moreno Glacier [Mayo Trek - Alternative Excursion]

El Calafate

Loved seeing the waterfall, forests, and other mountains and glaciers of the park in addition to Perito Moreno. It was also great to see so much of Lago Argentina--the lake itself is so incredible. It looks like the southwestern USA on one end (desert-like), and the other you have these huge snow-capped mountains and glaciers. And in between, rolling green mountains that could be in Hawaii! The water is such a neat color once you are on it, too. We had PERFECT weather, which definitely helped, but I think this experience would have been awesome either way.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kayak Lago & Rio Grey, Return to Puerto Natales

Patagonia

The guides were awesome--we loved learning about their lives! The kayaking was pretty easy between the current and the wind at your back (which I think it typical coming off the lake). Unbeatable views!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Grey Glacier Boat Tour

Patagonia

We have never been so happy to see this boat at the end of our ~50 mile W Trek!! It was so fun--we ended up being with a lot of other W Trek-ers. What a fun way to share stories, all while seeing these gorgeous glaciers with a free pisco sour!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

These guys are pros!! I was amazed by their work

Transport

Day Trip to a Patagonian Estancia

Patagonia

We added this to our trip at the last-minute because we ended up having an extra day in Natales--and we are so so happy we did! Ian and his team were the best hosts. The boat ride, the horseback ride, the lunch, sheep sheering and watching the sheep dogs do their thing--I can't imagine a more perfect day. The views at the top of the horse trail were absolutely gorgeous.

Quality of Experience

Everything

Food

Best meal of our trip

Guides, Drivers and Staff

These were some of my favorite people from the entire trip!! The best!

Transport

You get there by boat--so cool!

Trip Briefing at Dittmar Adventures

Puerto Natales

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a great trip to Argentina, which was only organised 6 weeks before.
Overall the experience was good, however there were a few small issues.

Matias was really friendly and helpful, however when planning the trip initially i felt the response time was quite slow and the initial trip planned did not coincide with the budget well which wasted a couple of weeks. This meant we had less time to plan it properly.

The majority of the activities booked were really good and enjoyable. Some were not so good.
Overall the help during the visit was good however there were times we did not get responses back quick enough to react to. And even once we had to chase to get our boarding passes sent to us as we were at the airport. Some things like this could have been planned and communicated a lot better.

I didnt really feel like there was enough planned or offered to us that we couldnt have quite easily researched ourselves and definitely could have done it much cheaper. There were a few places in Argentina and Uruguay that other people kept telling us about whilst we were over there but where not mentioned to us before to have a look at
For the prices we paid i would be hesitant to use the service again, unless like us in this situation you are short on planning time. In which case it was very helpful

That being said Matias made our lives easy whilst we were out there and arranged all the transfer to and from the hotel and the planned activities. And a big shout out to Lucas who was always available when we couldnt get hold of Matias.

Hotel Reviews

Rainforest Hotel Selva

Puerto Iguazu

1st room we checked into was dirty 2nd room we checked into had stains on the pillows The check in staff didnt even apologise Overall basic hotel. Breakfast had a decent selection. Ok location, close enough walk to the city centre

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sent Hotel Calafate

El Calafate

An ok hotel for a couple of nights Limited facilities in the room, no fridge or kettle

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Awwa Suites & Spa

Buenos Aires

A decent hotel, but definately not a 4 star hotel as advertised. They had no restaurant and offered the same basic breakfast everyday. We stayed here on 3 separate occasions, one of which the room was not clean when we checked in The rooms are nice and big and have a small kitchen facility They have a nice pool and gym area and the staff are helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Brazil Falls

Argentina

Another must see

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visiting the Argentine Waterfalls of Iguazu

Argentina

A must see Only downside was that we were not told about the boat tour to the waterfall and didnt get the response from the tour guide in time to go ahead with it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Estancia Cristina Discovery Trek

El Calafate

Great view and experience The boat trip there was not enjoyable though and the activity at the Estancia was a bit boring Overall was worth going

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Minitrek Perito Moreno Glacier

El Calafate

Really enjoyed this experience and would do it again

Quality of Experience

Food

i felt food should have been included in the price. it wasnt

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tango Show & Dinner at La Ventana

Buenos Aires

This was an absolute mess Transport didnt arrive Organisation at the venue was piss poor The tango show was good Food wasnt Transport back was useless Terrible experience for what should have been a brilliant night

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bike tour in the heart of the city

Montevideo

Didnt enjoy this Tour guide arrived late Kimkim had the wrong location on the map which confused everything Tour guide wasnt very good Quality of the bikes available was limited

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cooking Class: touring four regions of Argentina

Buenos Aires

The chef was very friendly and engaging The food was really good Great experience but we didnt really get to do much cooking. It was more watching the chef, which was nice but would have been good to join in a bit more

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Small Group City Tour

Buenos Aires

Good experience Tour guide was energetic and funny Worth it

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Where do I start! This vacation was the dream just from the itinerary we set up, only took about a week and half to customize this amazing trip to Costa Rica. Our guide Nuria helped us every step of the way making sure we had tons of excursions and amazing resorts to stay while there. We had just the right amount of days in the beautiful city learning the history, an amazing few days on a jungle island where we explored the wildlife and people there. They ended it perfectly with our last weekend in a giant party city where we surfed with locals, drank beers, and listened to music till the late night. I highly recommend booking with them, they make your vacation so much less stress as they accompany you ever step of the process.

Dear Sergio, Charlotte and Nancy,

We cannot thank you enough for the wonderful experience we enjoyed in Costa Rica with your tremendous assistance, including the splendid itinerary, your responsiveness before and during our trip, and your suggestions of what to see and experience. True, you had an excellent canvas to work with: Costa Rica! The country is beautiful with so much to see and enjoy, and the people we met along our journey were also a pleasure, and the food was so tasteful and exactly the kind of food we enjoy as vegetarians. That said, we know that the quality of our experience was enhanced due to your individual and collective expertise and professionalism.

As for the guides and tours you recommended, each were great in their own way. Chris, our guide at hanging bridges (assisted by Pablo) was informative and personable. The white water rafting was truly a blast and well run, and the zip lining was, despite my personal fear of heights, truly amazing. Likewise, we cannot say enough good things about Andres Socio, our guide at Manuel Antonio National State Park; he is truly brilliant, good natured, and has a good sense of humor. Frankly, without the guides you recommended we would have missed the vast majority of what we saw on the hikes we did. Also, the ocean kayaking and snorkeling tour, in which Maddy and I were the only two participants, was also a tremendous life experience and very well run. We even made a point, per your recommendation, of stopping at Crocodile Bridge and were glad that we did. And the resorts we stayed at were each spectacular in their own way. Tabacon it was the thermal hot springs. Peace Lodge: as animal rights activists and nature/outdoor lovers, Peace Lodge was heaven on earth to us and had great vibe. And Arenas del Mar, particularly given its beachfront access and trappings and staff, and the many creatures of nature (capuchins, sloths, iguanas etc) that were just roaming about, was a blend of perfection. And Grano de Oro, an oasis in that neighborhood, proved to be the perfect cap to our trip.

Again, thank you, thank you and thank you.

Andy and Maddy Zwerling

Natalia from KimKim was super responsive, intuited our needs for accomodation, personal transfers , and overall logistics. We are so grateful to have had Natalia with us on our journey as it made all aspects smooth and stress-free.
EcoCamp is a must and if you are lucky you’ll have Claudio and Nicole as guides, they are exceptional!

Our guide Ven was phenomenal and very attentive to all our needs. We also were very impressed with the vegetarian meals that the cook provided. We loved the tower, the wall and the river paddling trip. We were able to view over 130 different birds which exceeded my expectations. Thank you for your time.

Hotel Review

Napo Cultural Center

Quito

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Last activities - Transfer to Coca

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Community projects - Paddling excursion - Traditional dinner - Night walk (NCC)

Yasuni National Park

Quality of Experience

Y

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Parrot clay lick - Intercultural interpretation center - Observation tower - Ancestral catamaran ride (NCC)

Yasuni National Park

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arrival to Yasuní National Park - First hikes or kayaking (NCC)

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hakim and Hanyn were fantastic. Professional and knowledgeable. It was a large group of about 27 people, but we all had a great time. The two of them put in extra time when one of the group got ill and they were flexible with meeting our wishes.///mark

Argentina was a breathtaking country! The biodiversity was unmatched. Every new city was like being in a different world. All the activities were terrific, private transport was great, and the guides were lovely! Our favorite guide was Camila in Iguazu Falls. She had the best energy, shared mate with us and was just lovely! Our favorite activities were trekking Perito Moreno Glacier and snorkeling with sea lions in Puerto Madryn. Can’t miss. There were a couple hiccups along the way, but Mattias was quick rectify them! The only suggestion I would have is get to know travelers better to suggest more appropriate yours. We are a very active couple and adventure seekers and there were a few things that weren’t suggested to us that we had to squeeze in on site when we learned about them from other travelers.

8 Days of Moroccan Highlights, Marrakech to Marrakech an 1800Kms road trip.
Marrakech, dades valley, Ait Ben Haddou, Ouarzazate, Tinghir, Gorge Toudgha, Merzogha, Fes, Rabat and Marrakech.

We were accompanied by our driver/guide throughout the trip. Rafiq. He was a very competent and considerate driver and he was very knowledgeable about all the areas and places we visited. He was also an extremely nice guy who went over and beyond to make our trip memorable especially on my wife's birthday. However, in each place we had a local guide who was a specialist for the city. Hassan for Marrakech and Said for Fes were excellent.
The accommodations selected by Sharon based on our specification were excellent and gave us a very good insight into Moroccan high life. The Ryad Paradise delivered the best dinner of the entire trip.
I would strongly recommend this company and this itinerary to anyone wanting their first taste of Moroccan culture but in some style.

Activity Review

Guided Tour of Fes

Fes

Said, the local tour guide was very interesting and extremely knowledgeable and made the tour a long but fun day.

Quality of Experience

The guide was brought up in the city so could speak about his own experiences in the city which made the history very real.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

As guests from the UK, all could speak very good English and all had a good sense of humour

Transport

Clean, on time and a good driver, never felt at risk and always courteous to other road users

Hien was such a detailed, thoughtful, and organized planner! We traveled to three different cities and she single-handedly coordinated seeing all of them, seamlessly.

She's also very patient as well as, I've made a lot of requests throughout the trip, and she delivered on all of them.

Vietnam was amazing, highly recommend, lots of history there and very beautiful place.

Activity Reviews

Hoi An Sightseeing & Food Tour - Joint in tour

Hoi An

Dark and Bright Cave - Ha Long Bay (La Pandora)

Vietnam

Ha Long Bay - Lan Ha Bay (La Pandora)

Vietnam

My Son Sanctuary Luxury Tour - Joint in tour

Hoi An

Was met in Dehli, on time, well spoken meet agent and friendly driver Lall.
Our Guide for Delhi was Samar, very pleasant and well spoken gentlemen, we saw all the sites we wanted to see and some hidden gems. Samar was very knowledgeable about the the Indian history and all the monuments. We really enjoyed our time with him. Samar also assisted us with what foods to eat and how to eat them👍🏽.

We then had a new guide for Agra. Ajay was also very accommodating and got us some real bargains at the market, our time was short in Agra so it did feel a bit rushed but no fault of the guide.

Overall we where very pleased with the Claridges hotel in Dehli. We had a poor night at the Crystal Savor as kids were running in the corridor until 1am and had the television on full blast the entire night. We did contact hotel management which did not solve the situation.

Thank you Ashley for assisting me organise the 'Grand tour of Vietnam' in January 2023.
You were very helpful in suggesting the most efficient route and listened to my requests and were quick to accommodate any changes I wanted to make.
I was grateful for your prompt responses when I was in Vietnam with the questions I had which was very reassuring.
All the transfers were on time and very efficient and friendly as were the guides.
Thank you very much for putting this trip together.
With kind regards
Jason

I had an excellent 6 day trip to Bangkok. I was able to chose my budget, choose from 1/2 day & day tours, have transportation to & from the hotel & the assurance that Emilie would be able to answer any questions.
I enjoyed my stay at the Grand Sathorn, nice big room with bathtub, lovely staff, lots of choices at breakfast and wonderful rooftop pool.
I liked that I had a free day to orientate myself on arrival. I then enjoyed 3 tours. My tour guides Ping & Nana were kind, knowledgeable & took my wishes into consideration- I like to take lots of photos & they were very accommodating.
I would recommend Kimkim to anyone wanting to do a semi independent tour.

Hotel Review

The Grand Sathorn

Bangkok

I liked this hotel- I had a big room with a fridge & bathtub-bottled water was supplied daily. The breakfast buffet was diverse & the staff were very accommodating. The neighbourhood is relatively safe with local shops, laundry, massage places & a 7-11. The rooftop pool & patio were great. My only complaint was the smoking- one day there were people at the 4 corners of the pool on chaise loungers all smoking. I think there should be no smoking at poolside & maybe a dedicated area i a far corner of the patio.

Authenticity & Character

Big rooms

Location

Safe neighbourhood & near the river & the metro

Staff

Very cheerful & accommodating

Cleanliness & Comfort

Housekeeping was efficient

Activity Reviews

Flavors of Chinatown by Night

Bangkok

Loved this tour- was not sure what to expect. As it was so close to Chinese New Year there was lots of celebrations in the street. Food tasting was good- lived the soup!

Quality of Experience

Variety of sights seen

Quality of Experience

Variety of sights seen

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ping was excellent & knowledgeable

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ping was excellent & knowledgeable

Transport

Tuk tuk to Chinatown

Transport

Til tuk to Chinatown

Canals of Bangkok & Temple Delight

Bangkok

Loved this tour on the river & into the canals. Liked the temple we visited & the artists colony. Lunch was good & the the tour went to the reclining Buddha & the Grand palace-both are amazing!

Quality of Experience

Loved it- learned a lot!

Food

Good lunch

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Nana was excellent- knowledgeable, kind & accommodating

Transport

Long tail boat was great!

Mahachai and Mae Klong Markets Trainspotting & Amphawa Floating Markt

Bangkok

Fabulous trip-8 modes of transportation!! My tour guide Ping was excellent & knowledgeable & a delight to be with- the Amphawa market with the lifting of the awnings to let the train go by was the highlight! Lunch at the floating market was really good!

Quality of Experience

Knowledgeable guide

Food

Pad Thai & papaya salad! Very good!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

As above

Transport

Diverse-8 different transportation vehicles!