Kimkim Trip Reviews

Thanks to Iveth for organizing a wonderful 13-day trip and to Cristian for making it special. Cristian was very personable and was knowledgeable about local history and customs. He also made great adjustments to our itinerary when appropriate. Iveth stepped up and visited when one of us did not feel well for a couple of days.
Highlights included horseback riding at Cotapaxi; Rose Success rose plantation; Hacienda Las Cuevas (a lovely place to stay carved out of the rock); Casa Gangotena Hotel on an historic square in Quito (great rooms, lovely food, and craft cocktails); the weaving demonstration and people at Peguche Wasi; and our days at Napo Wildlife Center in the Amazon basin. The people were great everywhere we stayed. Cristian’s suggestions for local lunch stops were wonderful and we enjoyed our time with him. We also thought the Cultura Manor Hotel was a nice introduction to the ambience of Quito. We particularly enjoyed our leisurely lunch at La Plaza Restaurant in the Hotel Mama Cuchara (which is by ArtHotels who also have locations in Otavalo and Cuenca). It has a great rooftop bar with views of the historic center and of the Virgin Mary statue on the Mirador de Panecillo. The bar was tended by Juan Pedro who crafted his own cocktails and had virgin versions for the kids.
Being in Ecuador at New Year’s was a treat. In many places, we saw groups of men and even kids clumsily dressed as women who sang and danced amusingly in front of our car. For a couple of coins, we could pass through. Some of them kept us laughing. Cristian explained the tradition and even confessed to having done the same as a young man. The atmosphere for our NYE dinner in the monastery at Hacienda Cusin was wonderful as were the folk dancers would performed in the garden. Although, the rooms there were very tired, the service was great and we loved getting the hot water bottles as part of the turn-down service. And yes, we did find the secret stair in the monastery.
The Amazon was a fabulous part of the trip. The lodge was very well done, the excursions were well planned, and the service was very nice. We saw three species of monkeys, macaws, parrots, a toucan, a young and a full-grown anaconda, caimans, giant river otters, tarantulas, and many other beautiful birds. Our canoe crews were excellent. The visit to the village was a bit touristy but we danced their dance and bought a few hand-made things from their shop.
Our transfers with Alejandro upon our arrival and the day of our departure were excellent. He was flexible and helpful in making our last day in Quito a great day. We had 10 hours between our arrival from the Amazon and the time we needed to return to the airport. So, we went on our own unplanned excursions. We spent two hours at the home and museum of Ecuador’s famous artist, Oswaldo Guayasamín. This is an absolute must and we highly recommend going there. We then went to the historic Quito area where we came across numerous street performers and an entertaining parade. Alejandro held onto our luggage while we toured. So, it really helped make it a great day.
We do have a few suggestions noting that some of the drives were tiresome and it was cramped being in a small SUV. Skip the Thermae at Papallacta. The cabin was fun, the treatments were fine, and the hike was nice, but the hot springs were filled with locals who stand in line to get in. The place lost its charm with so many people there so it was not worth the drive. White water rafting would have been more fun.
The little village at the middle of the earth was very touristy. The egg demonstration, walking the line, and the water draining demonstration, were all pretty hokey. The monument next door was fine and the relief map in the French pavilion was helpful. The nearby Le Crater Restaurant was fogged in so we did not have a view but even so, the service and the food were disappointing. We do recommend a stop at the Quitsato equator. Their explanations and materials were very well done and it was good that Cristian had us stop there.
In Napo we would have preferred to have one of their naturalists (which is usually included) instead of hiring and paying for our own directly which was apparently due to holiday scheduling difficulties. Pedro was not very engaging, even at meals. He could have made it more fun for us and our teens. Our indigenous community guide Jorge was good at spotting animals and we even heard Pedro asking Jorge for information about the animals. We still enjoying Napo and would recommend it.
We had a great trip to the Galapagos prior to having kids and would have worked that it if we had more time.

Driver Rahim was wonderful
Guide in chefchouen was excellent
Very organized. Easy to book & good value
Will use this organization again

The team at KimKim ensured that travelling around South America went as seamlessly as possible. My partner and I went from el Chalten, el Calafate and then into Chile for the W trek. It was all the thought that was put into the little details that really made a difference, for example being picked up after every bus with a transfer to our hotel rather than waiting outside for a taxi.
Each part of the trip was planned perfectly working with the local travel agencies on the ground to provide the best services.

I would highly recommend!

Randall, and the crew at KimKim did a great job in arranging a perfect trip to Costa Rica for our family. Randall was great in being flexible, and was accommodate all our requests in terms of the places and itinerary. He was very prompt in responding to the Emails, and providing the requested information.

I was amazed that they were able to pick the hotels that were just perfect for us for the location, for the most part. The hotels in Manuel Antonio (Karahe), MonteVerde (Ficus), and La Fortuna (Montana del fuego) were excellent. The location of the hotel (Sleep Inn) in San Jose makes it a little less desirable for families (I think). Overall, the hotels were great, and their location made it possible to explore the place, find nice local establishments for food (and shopping) pretty easy.

The private transfers from the airport, and between the hotels were really nice. The drivers (Alex from Coast-to-Coast travels, Nelson and Diego from RideCR) were on-time, pointed out local wild-life along the way, and stopped at great fruit stalls, or coffee places when requested. one of the travel companies, RideCR, had Wi-Fi in their vehicles, so that was specially appreciated! Overall, there was a clock-work like quality for the travel arrangements, which was really nice. The car-boat-car transfer from MonteVerde to La Fortuna was a great experience, save the terrible condition of the roads in MonteVerde.

The guides in our tours were very passionate about their country, and what it stands for in the world (in terms of ecology, climate change etc.), and were very informative. Specially want to mention Aaron in Manuel Antonio night walk, Froy on boat trip to Cano Negro, and Horatio in hanging bridges tour in MonteVerde, as they were fantastic. I have to mention, the best meal we had in our entire trip was a home cooked meal on the Cano Negro trip!

The tours we have taken on the trip were ranging from very good to excellent, with a couple of exceptions. The hanging bridges, and canopy tour in MonteVerde was fantastic. Boat trip to Cano Negro was up there, as well as the trip from San Jose to Poas Volcano etc. Night walk in Manuel Antonio was great too. The Kayak trip to Isla Damas was a bit of a let down, and more adventurous (or risky) than imagined. And the night walk in MonteVerde was Okay as there were a lot of people, and not much luck with spotting wild-life on that night.

The early start times (pre-8:00AM) for some of the tours were a little difficult for the night owls of the family, and could have been managed better, in general. Usually, the tour guides pick-up people from various hotels before the tour started, and depending on the hotel, the pick-up time could be really early. It might be better to organize that differently to have a little bit extra time in the mornings for all, for example, by transporting the guests from their hotels to a central location where the tour started or something like that.

Overall, it was an excellent trip. Kudos to the KimKim team for their help and organization.

S.

Our 2 weeks of honeymoon in Myanmar was magical. Anne was very helpful and she did her best to accommodate our needs. All local guides who accompanied us during our journey were not only knowledgable but also they told us their experience growing up as novice monks, how Myanmar has changed these past few years, development in the country they have seen so far, etc. And that was a great learning experience for us. Also, visiting villages and having lunch in a local house was a delight! We saw how the villagers helped one family building a house (it takes only one day to build a house!) at Inle Lake, getting to know their daily life, the challenges, their local belief... And this kind of insight would have been impossible without our guides. Although it was an intense trip, the balance in the schedule Anne made was perfect. Thank you so much for the unforgettable trip!

Had a great time in Ecuador. Kimkim team - especially Iveth - was very helpful and went out of their way to make sure that we had a good trip. Thank you!

Thank you very much, Erin and Julia, for making this amazing trip a reality. Hard to believe but all the complex arrangements you made worked out flawlessly. Our private guides, Marco (Chile) and Juan (Argentina) were terrific during our trips. We lucked out with the weather, too so no complaints except for the long delays at the borders (but that's not you fault).

Everything was already fully detailed on the planning but getting on the sites itself, it got way more spectacular!

You also get the help you need and everywhere I stayed, the people were very helpful and nice and welcoming!
Even if you have the slightest misfortune (a delayed flight) they came to check on me and to adapt the planning accordingly.

All by all, it is something I will do again and i would recommend.
It helps you travel but does not forget to give you enough free time where necessary!

Luciana was amazing, being always available to help us both before and during the trip! Our hiking guide Guilierme was excellent. Highlight of the trip the Pedra bonita paragliding!!

We did a 10 day trip around Morocco over Christmas and it was an unforgettable experience. Abdellah helped us plan the trip and helped us understand which parts were not worth missing (he was right). We loved our driver Karim who drove us around, pointed out things and helped arrange guides for us when needed. We loved visiting the Hassan II mosque, exploring Fes with a lovely guide named Mohammed who showed us traditional carpet and tile making. and wandering the ancient ruins of Volubilis on our own. But most of all we loved staying in the desert (did 2 nights there). It was so quiet, the stars were so clear and our hosts were really kind people. We went for the more luxury tent experience and our tents had hot showers and flushing toilets inside (what a treat). We also loved getting to meet Berber people along the way and stopping at some unbelievable roadside views. Getting to see the countryside change as we drove through the landscape was so wonderful. All round it was an amazing trip.

Totonal Viajes (KimKim's Mexican partner for this tour) did an outstanding job with the arrangement and execution of a 9 day tour of Mayan sites in the Yucatan peninsula. We provided Totonal with the general parameters of the trip we wanted and they suggested an itinerary. After our approval, they set up the hotels, transportation within Mexico, and site tours. The hotels were good quality, and all of the drivers and tour guides showed up on time. We were very impressed with the quality of the tour guides and learned a lot on the trip. Jorge handled setting up the itinerary, and Melina handled the execution of the trip and was readily available via WhatsApp throughout the trip for any questions or issues. Melina was particularly helpful in changing our transportation arrangements to the airport at the last minute per our request. I would recommend KimKim/Totonal Viajes and would use them again for future trips.

We loved Moracco! The natural beauty, ruins and palaces were magnificent. Riding camels and ATVs in the desert, visiting nomads, exploring the kasbahs, the blue city, cooking tagone and couscous...It’s impossible to choose what was the most run or most memorable. Our guide Amnay was fantastic! He was very knowledgable, articulate, entertaining, flexible and accommodating. The local guides at specific sites were also excellent without exception. We covered alot of ground in 11 days and were never bored. Thank you Kim Kim and Moracco Immersion! A++!

OUTSTANDING TRIP

Our trip was fantastic, and was extremely well planned and well executed. Every excursion was exactly what was promised to us. Alex was truly outstanding. Will definitely use KimKim again, and would use Tachiz travel when we return to Costa Rica.

Our trip to Ecuador was wonderful. I feel we experienced as much as we could in our 7 day adventure. Iveth was lovely and I found it very special that she met us at the airport and joined us on the trip to Huasquila Lodge in the Amazon rainforest. I enjoyed her insight, information into our travels and advice when we were on own.. It was such a pleasure to have Marcelo drive us. I learned alot from him, enjoyed his knowledge, he was patient with our lack of spanish, its was fun to hear of his family, and very thankful for our late night drives and that he gave up so much of Christmas holiday to be with us. Christian who was our driver from the rainforest to Banos taking in so many sites and waterfalls, he was so kind as he helped me to navigate the trails to waterfalls ( I have to admit I was not prepared for terrain) and taking video and pictures of our adventures. I so enjoyed his company and learning of his big family, traditions, and his recommendations for Banos, we did take his advice on eating Guinea pig (Cuy).
It was memorable and so fun to spend time with my son Denver, he tries to keep me young and challenge of my comfort zone. You all helped with that.
Iveth, Marcelo, and Christian will remain in my heart with a SMILE.
Thanks so much,
Ann Collins

Tamara was great in putting together a wonderful trip for us - every little detail was arranged, communication was great and all staff and guides were incredibly friendly and helpful. Highly recommend Tamara’s services for anyone planning a visit to Jordan.

The whole experience was wonderful. First of all, Brahim was very responsive when I was trying to book the vacation. He would get back to me quickly with any questions I had. And he kept me in the loop throughout the booking process. Next, I'd like to thank Mohammed, our driver who took great care of us over the entire duration of our trip (10 days). We felt like he was family. In fact, our daughter feel sick during the trip and he took us to the doctor right away and made changes to our itinerary to accommodate us. He was very friendly, polite and respectful. I would whole heartedly recommend them to anyone traveling to Morocco. And oh, Morocco is a beautiful country.

My family of four (two grown daughters, my wife and I) just returned from a 10-day trip to Costa Rica. KimKim was very easy to deal with. Adriana was our main contact, but when she was off Olman responded and helped us with our arrangements. Both were knowledgeable and helpful and worked as a team. We spent 3 nights in Playa Flamingo (near Tamarindo), 3 nights in the Arenal area (near La Fortuna) and 3 nights in Manuel Antonio (near the national park). We had lots of adventures, but also found the trip very relaxing. We did not rent a car. KimKim arranged for our transports. I'm sure this is much more expensive than renting a car, but as first time visitors to Costa Rica, we were concerned about road conditions and getting around. We observed some other travelers having trouble navigating, but they all seemed to get where they were going eventually. The drivers were always prompt, friendly and pulled over to show us things, especially when they knew areas where sloths or crocodiles were typically spotted from the road. (Special shout out to Jonathan who was our driver on three days.) Having drivers definitely made it a stress-free vacation. It would have been helpful to have a car in Playa Flamingo as there were other beach towns just far enough away that you need to drive and it was not certain that we could get taxis back. We took a Catamaran sunset cruise with Panache sailing. The guys working the cruise were great and friendly. You stop and snorkel but it was not good snorkeling. We heard there was much better snorkeling spots back in Playa Flamingo, but you're really there for the cruise which is very relaxing (even though it felt like there were too many people on board). We stayed at the Lost Iguana in Arenal. Very very nice. It's remote and in the rain forest. Highly recommend. It's a 30 minute drive to La Fortuna. We just took all of our meals at Lost Iguana. We did the SkyAdventures zipline. Very thrilling experience. Even though we were scared to death by the heights and the speed, we highly recommend. Another highlight was the farm tour and cooking class as Vida Campesina. My family likes to cook. It was a fun, informative and delicious evening. We did a "hike" to the La Fortuna Waterfall. It's not a hike. You walk down steps to the waterfall. It's beautiful and we swam in the very cold water, but you don't need a guide for this. If you have a car, just drive there, pay the entry and walk down to see the waterfall. We went to the hanging bridges, which is set up like an amusement park. That was initially a turn-off, but once in we really enjoyed the walk through the rain forest, the views and bridges. If you go to the Manuel Antonio national park, you could skip the hanging bridges and do something more adventuresome. We stayed at the Mariposa Hotel in Manuel Antonio. It is perfectly located at the top of the mountain with great views (amazing sunsets every night), and walking distance to the best restaurants we ate at in Costa Rica (Emilio's Cafe, Agua Azul and Milagro). We only ate breakfast at the Mariposa. Breakfasts were nice at both hotels. We went into the National Park with a guide. You must have a guide or you won't see anything. They have special scopes and spot things animals that are camouflaged or too high up in the trees to see with the naked eye. Don't be turned off by the crowds. It's good to have a few guides around because they tell each other what they have spotted, so you are bound to see more things if there are other guided groups in the area. We spent a few hours at the Playa Espedilla Sur (beach) in the park. Great beach, but beware of the animals. The monkeys come down and try to steal from the tourists, we also saw a raccoon try to do the same. We also did the boat ride through the Damas estuary to see the mangroves. Very relaxing. We used Aventuras Tropicales. It's a family business. At the end you eat a home cooked lunch of typical Costa Rican cuisine at their home. The boat ride feels like the Disneyland Jungle Cruise. We saw many birds and some monkeys, but mostly it's just a relaxing cruise. We don't regret doing it, but it's not very adventuresome. Younger kids might get very bored very quickly. Note, the weather forecast often showed rain, but it mostly rained at night or while we were driving but never rained during any of our activities. Not sure if that was typical or we were just lucky, but the point is not to fret over weather. I'm sure we paid a premium to use KimKim's services, but we think it was worth it as they made it a seamless process and the result was a great time had by all. We would use KimKim again. Many thanks to Adriana and Olman.

Was surprised that the whole tour right from kimkim is 100% outsourced to someone else with no accountability to customer experience. Found out the operator is a freelance for a tour operator to kimkim. All the time, whole tour operator was focused to fulfill his obligation with zero flexibility. Their non availability during weekends made it worse. Since this is my first tour experience thru kimkim and having always leveraged TripAdvisor and Viator, most of my trip could have been achieved at my pace and 60% lower cost by directly working with Viator. Most of my trips could have been day trips as I found out as we are only few hours from the main city and could have covered more locations.

It was less than a month away when we finally decided on Andalusia, Spain as the destination for our family trip during Christmas and New Year 2019. Being last minute and high traffic period, I turned to kimkim for help in connecting with our local Spain travel specialist Angela for her expert advice. She was fantastic in helping to reshape our itinerary based on understanding of our hopes and needs as well as logistic challenges of traveling among various cities sometimes during public holidays. Paloma and Samuel were also very helpful during our stay in Seville during new year eve and New Years day. Our best guide by far was Victor in Malaga during our first stop. Malaga also turned out to be our favourite stop as a family which included visits to Frigiliana and Nerja. Such picturesque seaside towns! Returning to Granada/Alhambra was amazing, as well as walking through the major sights and city of Seville. Cordoba was inspiring as a first time visitor but regretfully we didn't have enough time there. Jerez's visit was a breath of fresh air from the monuments with equestrian school and Sherry tasting. Ronda was definitely worth the trip over and Marbella was such a relaxing town to end our amazingly colourful trip. Great introduction to the fascinating richness of culture and history, art and architecture of southern Andalusian Spain for our family. All thanks to Angela and Carameltrail!

Anne is amazing: always goes the extra mile to accommodate any request
Excellent guides and hotels
Very well organized tour