Kimkim Trip Reviews

Using KimKim was a fantastic overall experience and I’d definitely recommend using them to book another trip. We were able to pack a lot in during our visit to Iceland and our guides with Hidden Iceland with super friendly and knowledgeable. It was so helpful and easy having our schedule set in advance, with a detailed packet of all of our activities. Our travel concierge was responsive and helpful both before and during our trip as well. We had a great time and I look forward to visiting Iceland again!

Trip was as planned. All scheduled transfers showed up within (10 to 20 minutes) of the scheduled times. Organization of the trip was easy with Alberto.

As far as the trip itself, Costa Rica is a great place to visit, however; going from place to place is taxing. Our normal car ride was 3+ hours. This was expected for the places we choose, however; looking back on it we spent too much time getting from place to place and not enough time seeing relaxing on our vacation. For a week long trip, we estimated that we were in a vehicle for 30+ hours in total. This is not the fault of the company we choose, they did a great job, just a thing of note for others following in our footsteps.

Beer was cold, weather was ideal, people were friendly, food amazing and Costa Rica was beautiful.

Marina was a wonderful trip planner! She was knowledgeable about the cities in Spain we wanted to visit, offered detailed guidance, took care of all the details and was exceptionally responsive. She selected hotels that were perfect for us and provided all the resources and information we needed to have a wonderful trip. She checked in with us all week, even on Christmas day! Thank you, Marina!

What an amazing vacation through kimkim! Right from airport pick up to drop off and everything I’m between we had the best experience at Costa Rica. The outfitters they arranged for the activities such as zip lining, canyoning & rafting were perfect. A special mention to Olman who was our advisor. He’s been nothing but awesome! We had some changes to itineraries, flight cancellations etc and he helped our group throughout!

Would Highly recommend kimkim for anyone looking for future trips!

Thanks
Tina

Chile is a wonderful country and we will likely go back there soon. While we enjoyed the trip very much, there were quite a few short comings. I would have planned the trip a lot better myself. Chile is extremely strict on Covid protocols. We appreciate the strictness and made us extremely safe traveling to the country.

We spent couple of days in Santiago, but much of the time was spent sitting in the hotel room. We arrived on Saturday morning. We could not leave the room due to quarantine until about 4pm. Our Santiago tour guide arranged a trip to the city only in the afternoon on Sunday. The Santiago tour guide (local) was nice and the van carrying was very nice. We never got to the see the famed Mercado Central and Mercado La Vega. Out of more than 48 hours spent in the city, our tour guide spent about 4 hours taking us around.

Our trip to Punta Arenas was on Monday, with the flight leaving at 11am. There were flights leaving earlier in the day, but we were only booked on the flight that left later in the day and with a hop. This killed more than half the day.

More wasted time in Puerto Natales. The trip to Balmaceda and Serrano Glacier was supposed to be for a full day (9 hours). But the trip was done within four hours. We never stepped foot on the land anywhere. Overall, lots of time was wasted. For a trip that cost us a lot, we would have used the time better.

Finally, our hike to the base of Torres Del Paine was supposed to be on Thursday initially. This was changed to Friday after we arrived in Chile. We did not want to do the hike to the base as we were not sure we would not have enough time to recover as well as time to take the covid test before hopping back on the flight back to the US. We wish the planning was better.

To our surprise, we never met Lorena, our travel agent. We thought we are meeting with a travel specialist based in Chile, not Houston.

This was Eileen’s dream trip. In March of 2020 we came one question away from booking our trip with another company when COVID-19 stopped the world.

At the beginning of June 2021 we started talking to KimKim and they connected us with Daniel Larrea, their Ecuadoran expert. They could not have found anyone better. Three different itineraries came to us in a couple of days. They were all good, but one was really on target for us. We asked, and Daniel answered a lot of questions over the next few months. A number of tweaks to the schedule were not a problem. We booked and waited for October.

At every step, Daniel was superb and a pleasure to speak with from the “middle of the world” as he likes to say. Responses to our questions came within hours.
They always contained an amazing level of detail, whether on hotels, guides, pickups, or transfers. Everything was well planned.

He even came to meet us at the hotel the day we landed!

We got home on November 4th and it could not have gone better. Everything Daniel arranged worked out like clockwork. The guide, David, in Quito was a true professional. He has an amazing level of knowledge on everything from history to the flora and fauna we saw along the way. After we expressed interest he rearranged the whole 5 day schedule so that we could participate in the Sunday Quito bike ride. The bonus to that was being able to hike at Cotopaxi on Monday with almost no one else there.

Once we transferred to the Galapagos, the ship the Integrity, was luxurious and beyond our expectations. The staff was outstanding. Having a stateroom with a kingsize bed, a private balcony, and only 16 other guests certainly helped add to the level of luxury and attention provided. 8 days flew by in a blur of hikes, snorkeling, kayaking led by the expert naturalists on board. All of the meals were delicious and varied and they accommodated a dietary restriction perfectly .

Another terrific choice by Daniel was our guide in Guayaquil. Francisco provided us with a wonderful city tour in the morning and early afternoon. He then came back to get us at the hotel at 11 PM to drive us to the airport and walk us through every aspect of airport check-in up until we said our goodbyes at the entrance to security.

We are happy to give top marks in every category for Daniel and all the folks he lined up to take care of us. The KimKim model of using local experts certainly worked for us and we wholeheartedly recommend the company and its chosen experts!

Where do I even begin. Hammid was an amazing addition to our trip. I think without the addition of this wonderful soul, who provided our transportation throughout Morocco, the trip would not have been the same. The country is beautiful, but it is really these personal connections that make KimKim standout compared to other travel services. Hammid went out of his way to ensure our happiness and safety throughout the trip, and we shared in food, laughter, adventure, and stories. I was very pleased with my experience, and I will of course come back!

Overall, our Mexico trip was amazing and I was very happy with our accommodations and planned activities. All of our guides were great, but a special shout-out to our guide Manuel who took us through the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve. He went way above and beyond and his passion for his work really showed. Other highlights of the trip were Chichen Itza, a cooking class in Tulum, and everything about Holbox Island. Our local assistant, Leslie Perez was very responsive and helpful. We did have a couple of misfires on our transportation, almost missing our ferry to Holbox Island, and our airport return driver showing up 6 hours early, then leaving. We had to hire a local taxi to make our flight and it was a little sketchy but we made it. Otherwise the planning, tours, and service were stellar. Looking forward to our trip to Italy in a few months!

We had a really lovely trip to Ecuador planned by Daniel and his team!
Our trip included days in Quito, the Galapagos islands and Cuenca
In Quito our guide Danny worked really hard to make sure we got to see the Mitad del Mundo/Intinan museum site, downtown Quito, the Cotopaxi National Park and the Quilotoa lagoon in a packed schedule.
Our RTPCR tests for travel to Galapagos was arranged by Danny right at the hotel.
In Puerto Ayora/Galapagos, we were booked into a lovely hotel - Ikala - right by the wharf and it was great to see the nightlife as well as have lunch on a ranch with giant tortoises nearby.
Cuenca is where Daniel really hit it out of the park with his hotel and room selection at the Cruz Del Vado. Amazing hotel, superb views. Also a special shout out to our guide Genaro who was really knowledgeable both of the flora and fauna in Cajas National park as well as the history of the region when we toured Ingapirca ruins.
the RTPCR test for our return was also arranged by Daniel and it was great to just enjoy the country without having to worry about a lot of the logistics. Daniel or Lucia were always available via Whatsapp for any questions or for minor delays due to traffic for airport pickups etc.
I wouldn't hesitate to wholeheartedly recommend Daniel and Responsible Travels SA for a trip to Ecuador!

Loved the service and customized package!

Hotel Review

Shana by the Beach Resort

Manuel Antonio

Incredible location with spectacular view. A bit dated but still worth going

Tips for future travelers

The property is on a high cliff above the ocean. Great view. But remote beach access requires a vigorous walk

Authenticity & Character

Charm

Location

Cliff based view of ocean

Staff

Friendliness

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cleanliness; simplicity

Activity Review

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Nature Hike

Costa Rica

Seeing wildlife through the guide’s eyes was amazing!

Quality of Experience

Expertise of guide

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Knew their subject cold

Transport

Comfortable

I approached kimkim because I thought they were displaying good values.
Eduardo who helped me plan the itinerary was really approachable and responsive.
Highlights were the visit of Antigua and its surrounding, Yacha, Tikal, the hike on the volcano Acatenango, not forgetting Rio Dulce and lake Atitlán. Stunning places to experience!
Muchas gracias a todos quienes ayudaron a hacer el viaje recuerdos tan maravillosos! Pedro (guide) , Herber (driver), Fernando (driver), Jaime (guide), Daniel (boat).

We trusted Alberto, Diego (with GWA, who will be one of your main contacts once you're in CR), and KimKim as a whole with our honeymoon, and they knocked it out of the park. Booking everything was seamless, as we were able to adjust lodging and activities to fit our desired budget and pacing of the trip. Alberto was exceptionally responsive and accurate with his information. Every tour guide, every transfer/ride, and every hotel/resort were exactly what we'd hoped for. We ended up with the honeymoon of a lifetime, rich with wildlife, adventurous experiences (including horseback riding through the cloud forest and countryside, whitewater rafting, ziplining, and swimming in a waterfall), and most importantly, ease. I strongly recommend using KimKim to book your Costa Rica experience without hesitation.

He was fantastic! Planned an amazing trip for us that kept us busy but also had some downtime to enjoy and relax. The selected tours were top notch and we highly recommend them to anyone looking to see the best of Costa Rica!

Nada was responsive and offered alternatives. Was willing to accommodate changes.

We had a blast Daniel planned our first trip to Ecuador and did such a great job we planned another with him. And our guide christen I can say enough good things about him . He was so informative and made our trip even more enjoyable. thank you for all you did for us . We are very grateful 🙏 😀 we had such a wonderful time

We had the best time Daniel prepared the most wonderful trip for us.. our guides Dario and Diego were awesome .we enjoyed Ecuador so much . We loved are whole trip 😍

This trip was rescheduled twice due to the pandemic. Thankfully kimkim and Yenyi took care of everything for us, even making changes to our excursions while we were in Costa Rica. This was a complicated trip and throwing in the pandemic further complicated it. This would have been overwhelming had we had to make all of the changes ourselves. We highly recommend kimkim for their excellent customer service during a very challenging time. Thank you!

Hotel Reviews

Nayara Springs - Adults Only

Fortuna

Perfect!!! This was a trip postponed twice due to the pandemic and was originally scheduled to celebrate a milestone anniversary. When the staff asked us if we were celebrating anything, we told them that story. When we arrived at our room, there was a rose petal display on the floor, champagne, chocolates and fruit to help us celebrate! It was so very wonderful and thoughtful! Laundry is included, which, toward the end of a two week vacation, is very necessary. Food at every restaurant was over the top delicious and the staff is spectacular. The grounds are gorgeous too - take a walk up to the tented camp area and take advantage of the hot springs and the freezing cold plunge pool. Our room was perfect - huge, outdoor shower (as well as an indoor one), large bathroom and a fabulous hot spring warmed plunge pool! We used that quite a bit. We stayed here at the end of the raining season so it, of course, rained. That shouldn't deter you - there are umbrellas everywhere and if you don't feel like walking in the rain, you can call the front desk for a golf cart ride to wherever you need to go. The staff is very helpful with anything you need whether is be making reservations for dinner or setting up an excursion. They are happy to help so don't be afraid to ask. We actually based our entire trip around this resort - I had read about it and how wonderful it was so we had to stay here....the article was spot on!!! We would go back in a heart beat!

Tips for future travelers

Celebrate whatever here - they really make your special day even more special.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close for an inexpensive taxi ride to town

Staff

Personal attention

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cala Luna Boutique Hotel & Villas

Guanacaste

We were very lucky in our room assignment - off the walkway, toward the back to allow for more privacy (and a place to dry our laundry with it not being in the public view). The food is excellent and I highly recommend the farm to table dinner that's offered. The farm is owned by the hotel owner and they grow all the vegetables and herbs for the hotel, organically. That dinner is a unique experience and everyone should try it. A short walk to the beach and you have access to tidal pools deep enough to swim in. You can walk for miles along the shore - just remember your sunscreen! There are a couple of cabanas by the pool that we employed during the hot afternoons and we enjoyed drinks and lunch by the pool as well. That's a great way to spend a warm day. The hotel is within walking distance (if you don't mind walking a mile or two) to downtown and amenities. I had a medical emergency our first night there and the night clerk was very helpful in finding a 24 hour urgent care clinic that was open for me to go to. All was well in the end and really, we can't say enough good things about Cala Luna. I think the villas with the plunge pools would be an excellent place to stay here, had we planned a bit better - more privacy, private pool. All in all, Cala Luna is an oasis in very busy Tamarindo.

Tips for future travelers

Make sure you fully shut the door when going to bed or one of the resort cats might pay you a visit in the middle of the night. It was a surprise but makes for a very funny story.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Makanda by The Sea Hotel Adults Only

Manuel Antonio

We had a lovely room overlooking the jungle and the bay. The grounds of the hotel were very unique and we felt like we were definitely on vacation each time we stepped outside. You see monkeys and birds all around the property - monkeys even showed up for breakfast - just be alert because they'll try to steal your food! The staff was very helpful and accomodating. There is even a private beach area at the bottom of the hill that staff will gladly take you to and from via golf carts. We happened to be there at the end of the rainy season so the walkways are slippery if you're not wearing shoes with soles that grip. The food is excellent as well. Makanda was just was a wonderful getaway from reality.

Tips for future travelers

Bring shoes with soles in case of rain....also pack a rain coat.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Catamaran Adventure with Barbecue

Manuel Antonio

I'm glad the boat wasn't filled to capacity - we wouldn't have been able to interact so easily with our other snorklers as much. Drinks were delicious as well as dinner - and the sunset was amazing. The crew guided us around the bay before we started snorkling and we encountered a pod of spotted dolphins who swam along with the boat. There weren't a ton of different fish to see but it was calm and the water was warm. The boat has a slide that nearly every passenger went down! It was a very pleasant and relaxing time spent on and in the water.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Nature Hike

Manuel Antonio

Our guide was extra friendly and informative, he had a vast knowledge of the flora and fauna plus he was very adept at taking photos with cell phones through the viewfinder of his telescope. We had some free time during the tour to explore the beach on our own before heading back through the jungle. The park is gorgeous and they are very strict about handwashing and mask wearing through the entrance gate. There is so much to see in this national park - it should be a national treasure! We saw birds, monkeys, iguanas, caimans....just a great place to explore!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We would be happy to travel with KimKim again, and recommend them to our friends and family. I have had tours from Cambodia and India to Ghana and Mexico, but none better than this.
Sherif was helpful with advance advice and scheduling, as well as printing the necessary documents such as COVID tests for reentry to the UK and USA.
Our Egyptologists (Lina in Cairo and Abdo in Luxor) went above and beyond in every way. They spoke very good English, were knowledgable, warm and enthusiastic, and overcame all the challenges resulting from my wife being confined to a wheelchair. If we have the opportunity to return to Egypt, we would be very happy to see them again.
Highlights: The Museum of Egyptian Civilizations builds a narrative of the pharoahs through their mummies while putting pyramids and pharoahs into the context of Egypt's rich and varied cultural history.
Nothing I had read or seen in museums prepared me for the overwhelming artisstic experience inside the tombs in the Valley of the Kings.

We had an amazing time during our days in Costa Rica. Our local specialist, Diego, did an awesome job planning our trip, all our days and activities. Prior to going, he was always available and patient answering our questions and adapting the trip to our preferences and needs. We lost our connection flight and consequently our first day in Costa Rica, I alerted Diego and he was super fast in answering and adapting everything, and we ended up only missing a small activity at the first place we visited, Tortuguero. Regarding the trip itself, we fell in love with Costa Rica and had the time of our lives. All the activities we did were awesome and aligned with what we like. We had a mix of adrenaline, adventure and relax, which was perfect. We got to try things from zip lining, to rafting (which was our favorite thing), a night tour in the jungle, snorkeling and hot springs! Costa Rica feels like a country in the middle of an amazing jungle and Diego at Green World made sure we had an amazing experience. I would definitely recommend his services! All our guides knew what they were doing and we had a lot of fun. The hotels we stayed at were super nice and all activities we did were very well organized. Everything went smoothly and we didn’t need to worry about a thing, it was completely hassle free! Costa Rica blew our expectations and will forever hold a special place in our hearts.

Timely resolved all issues expected during complicated travel times ( COVID ), complex trip plan and changing airlines schedules.