Kimkim Trip Reviews for Ecuador

The local guides were incredible, especially Christian in Quito and Edwin in Galapagos. All the guides were knowledgeable and personable. Marina was also great on our hike to Cotopaxi base camp. That and Galapagos were the highlights for us. One disappointment was that I was told the hotels had fitness centers, but they did not. Very interesting and fun trip - I got to see and experience everything that I wanted to at a reasonable price.

We had a wonderful time in Ecuador and the plan Alvaro put together for either side of our visit to the Galápagos Islands was just perfect!

All of our accommodation was excellent and we had great variety every day. We felt we had a very nice balance of culture and nature and although we had a busy itinerary, we never felt at all rushed.

The “icing on the cake” for us was our guide Marco Herrera. He was so kind and considerate of our needs. He was knowledgeable but never made us feel overwhelmed with facts and figures. He didn’t rush us at all, and made sure we had as much time as we needed for taking photos and “mooching about” at our leisure.

Jeferson from the Tour Company called to meet us at our hotel in Quito and he was regularly in touch throughout our stay in Ecuador, making sure we were enjoying ourselves.

We would highly recommend Ecuador to everyone and feel it’s a shame that so many tourists only visit to see the Galápagos Islands. This is most definitely the highlight of the country, but there is SO much more to experience and we are really pleased we decided to spend over 3 weeks here in total.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Las Plazas

Quito

What a gem this family run hotel is! Lucia is an absolute lady and all the staff did their utmost to make our stay perfect. The rooms were great and we slept very well thanks to the lovely mattresses, soft cotton sheets and comfortable pillows. Breakfast was a treat with fresh varied juices and fruits and eggs cooked to order. The location couldn’t be better. Just a few minutes walk from one of the delightful town squares. We will most definitely recommend this hotel to our friends.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Boutique Carvallo

Cuenca

Gorgeous old hotel with great character. Our room was stunning! It’s perfectly located close to the old centre of Cuenca and breakfast was very good. I would suggest asking for a room that doesn’t overlook the main street as we found it noisy at night.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Iguanazú Bed & Breakfast

Guayaquil

Wonderful old style hotel outside the centre of Guayaquil. We had a huge suite and we felt like a Honeymoon Couple! Food was lovely and the staff were very kind. It was so peaceful up on the hill and we slept really well. We would definitely recommend this hotel over those in the busy Malecon area.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Termas de Papallacta

Papallacta

The hot spring pools were wonderful. Rooms were so comfortable and nicely decorated. Food was excellent and staff were all very friendly. Would definitely live to return here!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Coffee lodge Cristal Glamping & Spa

Mindo

Very pleasant stay here for our 1 night in Mindo. It’s such a great place to “get away from it all”! Having dinner and breakfast on the balcony overlooking the treetops was wonderful. Staff were very kind and friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hacienda El Porvenir

Machachi

Very comfortable room and we found the food to be outstanding! Staff were so kind and welcoming and the location was magical!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Spa Casa Real

Riobamba

Lovely hotel. Very quiet and our room was huge! Staff were friendly and helpful and the meals were excellent.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hacienda Pinsaqui

Otavalo

This was such a luxurious hotel and the grounds were incredible! Our room was beautiful and we loved our food at dinner and breakfast. Definitely a 10 out of 10!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Otavalo Market - Cuicocha Lagoon

Ecuador

Nice hike around the lake and it was pleasant to amble around the market for a while.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploring San Pablo Lagoon & Encounter the Andean Condor at Parque Condor

Otavalo

Cóndor Park was very good. We were amazed at the variety of birds!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Alpaca Encounter at Quilotoa Lagoon

Ecuador

Unfortunately the weather wasn’t in our favour the day we visited. We didn’t see any Alpacas, but the fog was so heavy we could hardly see our hand in front of our faces! The drive (until we hit the fog) was pleasant however and we had a lovely lunch in one of the small restaurants near to the lagoon.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Adventure Continues - Hiking Day at Cotopaxi National Park- Overnight at a Hacienda.

Ecuador

We had glimpses of Cotapaxi summit (and when we did see it, it was beautiful! The National Park was beautiful though and there’s lots to enjoy even if you don’t see the volcano that clearly.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploring Chimborazo Wildlife Reserve

Riobamba

Again we had very poor visability the day we were to see Chimborazo peak. We asked the guide to turn back 10 minutes after we hit the dense fog (about 20 minutes before the summit) and instead we enjoyed the lower area close to Riobamba.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploring Cuenca and surroundings, Gualaceo, Chordeleg

Cuenca

We loved Cuenca! Very traditional and very walkable around the old centre. This was one of our favourite places in Ecuador.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

From the Highlands to the Coast: Cajas National Park to Guayaquil

Ecuador

Enjoyable scenery but I was a bit underwhelmed to be honest! The photo stop at the top was good but I think perhaps I expected more from the National Park area.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Pearl of the Pacific: Highlight Sites of the City of Guayaquil

Guayaquil

We enjoyed our time exploring Guayaquil. The Santa Ana area was lovely and we enjoyed the walk along the Malacon.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploring Guayaquil's Local Wildlife at Parque Histórico

Guayaquil

Really enjoyed seeing the Iguanas in the park! Especially nice to see the babies who were only a couple of months old!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome Back to Quito

Ecuador

Wonderful time exploring the historic centre of Quito. We loved all the Churches and the big squares with the fabulous architecture.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Colonial City Tour, Cooking Class & the Middle of the World Monument

Quito

Very enjoyable day. We loved the cultural aspect of it and the food at lunch was super!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mindo Cloud Forest

Ecuador

Highlight of our trip on Mainland Ecuador. The birds were just amazing. We saw several species of Toucans and the experience with the humming birds was phenomenal!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The guide in Ecuador was great, we had busy days and visited a lot of different sites!

Everything was well organized and we had no issues at all we were able to enjoy our trip to the maximum

From the moment we were contacted by Tamer the customer service was exceptional. The communication was swift and helpful and the tour was arranged using some of our ideas and the undoubted expertise of Tamer and his team. The trip could not have been better. Our guide Sebastian went above and beyond any reasonable expectations to make it a special tour and was such great company for every moment of the 11 days. We saw and experienced everything from the Amazon to zip lining, cable cars, sand boarding and seeing a mix of spectacular city centre buildings to rural mountain life. The mix of food and our cooking lessons were perfect. We will definitely recommend Tamer and Sebastian to our friends and family

.Alejandra and Tamar planned an excellent adventure for us. We loved all the lodgings, giving us a taste of the local culture and not just another American style hotel . The hacienda , farm station and Amazon lodge . were wonderful. Sebastian was our guide and driver and we couldn't ask for anyone better. He was extremely knowledgeable in all areas and never got tired from my husband's endless questions. He went above and beyond the call of duty altering our plan as needed when my husband had a foot problem and couldn't walk due to a foot injury. He and Alejandra stayed with us at the hospital until we insisted they go home after a very long day. It turned.out to be a not so serious condition and we were able to continue on our original plan. It was most comforting to know we had help when needed. Miguel at the Amazon lodge was terrific as well accomodationg our needs and still providing a wonderful Amaxon experience when plans had to change. Both these guides made us feel that nothing was too much to ask. Thankyou Kimkim for referring us to the excellent planners and exceptional guides. Thus is our 3rd Kimkim trip. Using Kimkim takes all the stress out of travel.

Activity Reviews

Rainforest Adventure (Huasquila Lodge)

Archidona

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Otavalo Market - Cuicocha Lagoon

Ecuador

We were at the market on a Wednesday which had handicrafts. I understand Saturdays have produce etc which would bring in the local people which is always interesting for us.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Otavalo - Cotopaxi National Park

Ecuador

Weather was foggy but there is ni control of that. It cleared when we walked the lagoon and we could see the volcano.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer to Baños via Quilotoa Lagoon

Ecuador

Beautiful spot

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Baños - Archidona (Huasquila Lodge)

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ecuador

The trip was excellent as we got to see both the old town and the new town of Quito. The country side of both the mountains and jungle gave us interesting perspectives of the culture. We enjoyed eating at the local places that our guide recommended.

And a special shout out to Ramona, our simian assistant who enjoyed taking free rides on our families shoulders.

We had a great trip. Alvaro and his team were great communicators, organized, offered helpful advice, and responded quickly to any inquires. Our tour was well-paced and interesting. We learned a lot about Ecuador, had some adventures, and saw many beautiful areas. Our lodgings were all very comfortable, the meals were good, and the tours were very enjoyable.

Our tour guide, Edison, was knowledgeable about Ecuador and generously shared his insights and expertise. He only added to the experience.

Hotel Reviews

Hosteria La Andaluza

Riobamba

Great hotel. Warm and welcoming staff. Beautiful location. Comfortable rooms. Amazing art. Delicious dinner. And the courtyard with the bunnies and peacocks made us laugh.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hacienda Santa Ana

Cotopaxi

Great hotel. Warm and welcoming host. Beautiful location. Comfortable rooms.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Colonial City Tour, Cooking Class & the Middle of the World Monument

Quito

The class was great. I didn't know what to expect, but it was very fun. Our host was welcoming and knowledgeable. The meal was delicious. And it was a great way to slow down a little and learn about Ecuadorean food.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Journey to the Peak From the Center of the Earth: Chimborazo!

Ecuador

We were suffering with the altitude, so we weren't sure if we'd make it to the second refuge, but we did! It was snowing and foggy, so there was no view, but we were still thrilled to have made it.

We are a retired couple that likes to have relaxing vacations while still seeing many of the sights. Most “pre-packaged” tours jam the trips full of activities every day. Lucia did a great job of tailoring the trip to our desires.

We were in Ecuador for two weeks and had all private tours except for two small group excursions in the Galapagos. All of our guides were great, especially Genaro in Cuenca. We loved Cuenca - it has an easy to explore old town area.

We felt like this trip was great value for the money, and have been recommending both Ecuador and KimKim to our friends and family. Thanks Lucia!

I will remember my time in Ecuador for the rest of my life. My guide Christian was fantastic - he knew a fact about every single plant, mountain, town that we drove past and was so helpful and always cheery. All of the accommodation I stayed in exceeded my expectations and I loved every place that I visited, particularly the Galápagos Islands. Wow, where do I begin with the Galapagos… absolutely amazing place and I wish I’d have spent longer there. I loved turning up to the airport and having a driver waiting with a sign and a smile, as well as the bus fare already covered. Having pre-arranged transport and excursions meant I could cram so much more into the short time I had but I also loved having flexibility and free time in the afternoons and evenings. Nicolas helped me organize a scuba dive for my last day in the Galapagos and stayed in touch throughout the whole trip to check on me which was great. I also loved Baños and was blown away by the scenery both there and in Cotopaxi. Well worth every penny, definitely made everyone jealous back home!

I e-mailed and spoke with Linda to have a fabulous trip of 12 days. After 2 days on our own Milton Chiqui Lopez took us to sites around Quito-highlighted by the weird effects at the equator-we visited the charming mountain of Baños in the high Andes. The 4 hour drive each way was scenic.
The trip ended with a trip into the deep Amazon rainforest to the extraordinary La Selva lodge Biden by a lake. Ore guide Dan Hicks was a 16 year veteran from England. Four days of walks and canoe rides to explore both flora and fauna. F
Innovative Euro-American cuisine that was 5 star. Luxurious accommodations high in the jungle.All rides to airports were smooth, courtesy of Alejandro & son
It was perfect.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Las Plazas

Quito

No heat in 49F weather. Breakfast just ok. Some spoke no English.

Authenticity & Character

Small and quaint

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Isla de Baños

Baños

A small very charming hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

In pleasant neighborhood

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Selva Lodge

Yasuní National Park

An extraordinary luxurious lodge with 5 star 3 meals daily. Great hiking and boat rides A beautiful setting on a going size lake

Authenticity & Character

A true resort deep in the wilderness.

Location

In the rainforest.

Staff

All 28 employees spoke excellent English and went out of their way to be helpful. Wait staff had the polish of a 5 star restaurant All 28 staff spoke excellent English. They went out of their way to be helpful. The wait staff worked as a team and had the professionalism of a 5 star place.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Immaculate

Activity Reviews

Visit the "Middle of the World"

Ecuador

Interesting although 200 meters off equator

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Great guides and perfect transfer services

Transport

Quito - Cotopaxi National Park - Baños

Ecuador

Grest visit to the stunning Andes.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Activities in Baños & Return to Quito

Ecuador

Just tour of the Andes

Quality of Experience

Food

Very giid

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Observation Tower, Garza Cocha Lake & Night Walk

Yasuni National Park

All fascinating exploration of Amazon and its flora & fauna

Quality of Experience

As abkve

Food

Arrival to Coca, transfer to rainforest lodge, rainforest hike

Ecuador

Scenic 2hour ride on rivet

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to Ecuador was great. The mainland/Ecuador portion was exactly what we expected it to be. Mindo was a pleasant surprise and loved that portion. The hotel in Quito was wonderful. As for the Galapagos, everything was great except we would have liked for our guide to recommend Los Tuneles in Isabela on the Galapagos. We heard that those were great, but we were not told about those. Otherwise, I would highly recommend everything else we did in the Galapagos.

Activity Reviews

Expedition to Mindo Cloud Forest

Quito

This was probably the best day of our trip. Our guide Ximena drove us to Mindo and she was great in bringing us to these places. We did 6 or 7 activities all in one day and had a great time. This included zip lining, tubing, seeing hummingbirds and making chocolate from cacao.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hiking La Mica Lagoon at Antisana National Park

Quito

Seeing the world's 2nd largest volcano was awesome. Would definitely do this.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I asked Tamer to put a week long trip together for my 17 year old son and me , about 8 days in advance, just before Christmas. In a few days, he put together a fantastic trip. He was in regular contact with me from the start. The first day in Quito was on our own since we arrived so late. Then Otavalo, Cotopaxi, Quilotoa Lagoon, Banos, the Amazon Basin and a stop at hot springs on the way back. Activities included hiking in the Andes. an adventure park, hiking in the Amazon Basin, lots of great sightseeing. Our driver and guide, Sebastian Carrera, spoke excellent English and was very knowledgeable about Ecuador’s geography, history, flora and fauna. He was very personable, respectful, interesting and kind. Loved it all and so did my son.

Overall it was a very good experience.. Ecuador is a beautiful country . Certain things that I would mention which needed more clarification / improvement were/
1- we did not like our guide to. Be switched on the 3rd day in Quito.
2- I know the time may have been a factor but Cotopaxi should have been mentioned and may be we should have done Cotopaxi over a whole day in Quito . We could have done the Ewuatir by ourselves.
3-Amazon was fantastic especially our guide Jefferson . We should have been told about the electricity situation . My husband and I have to use a Capp machine and we couldn’t on the first night . It was just by chance that we were talking to our guide the next day that he said that they will provide electricity for our hut for the full night for an extra fee of $30 - so we did that.
4- Galápagos was beautiful and heavenly. Unfortunately our gude was not very organised. He should have given us a written itinerary. He gave us directions to gear stores without the address and it was very confusing. We almost missed our second day’s boat . We tried to contact him but he wasn’t reachable . On our last day he wanted to pick us up from the hotel at 10 a.m. when our flight was at1 p.m. The airport is literally 3 minutes away and we didn’t have to sit there in the heat for 2 hours . Even the counter was not open . According to the guide (Fernando) those were the instructions given to him by Kimkim.
Lastly, if I hadn’t asked we would have never seen the tortoise. I remember asking Alvaro and he told me we could see them on any island. How could you have planned a trip for us without including the tortoises? I paid $80 for a 4 hour trip for the tortoises .

Hotel Reviews

Ikala Quito Hotel

Quito

The first two nights the room with one bed was extremely small . We did get a better room after our return from the Amazon .

Authenticity & Character

Quaint and clean

Location

Not accessible from the main part of the city . Would have preferred to have stayed in the main city

Staff

Very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room was too small and had very few outlets

Nicky Amazon Lodge

Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve

Amazing

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very very friendly and awesome food

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Algarrobos

Puerto Baquerizo Moreno

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Wyndham Quito Airport

Quito

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Colonial Quito City Tour & the Middle of the World

Quito

Too long

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Otavalo Market - Peguche Waterfall - Quito

Quito

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to the Jungle! Entering Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve

Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve

Wow

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Adventure in the Amazon

Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to San Cristóbal Island! Visit the Interpretation Center, Tijeretas Hill, or La Lobería

Galapagos Islands

This was ok

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wildlife Encountering at Lobos Island

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Indigenous Experience & Discover the Jungle at Night

Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Farewell Cuyabeno! Return to the City

Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Snorkeling at Kicker Rock

Isla San Cristóbal

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome Back to Quito

Ecuador

We had an excellent trip thanks to tour guide Robert and trip organizer Mathias. We visited most of the places within 7 days, thanks to great planning. We requested additional activities and they were also accommodated with in the time frame. Highlights were horseback riding in Cotopaxi , chocolate tour in Mindo, rafting and cooking class in Banos.
Would definitely use Kim Kim again for our future trips. Highly recommend Mathias and Robert, they are a great team.

I typically create our itineraries and was not sure how it would be using an agency. Booking our trip to Ecuador with Kimkim was a breeze because the communication was clear and timely. Pilar took into account our needs and desire when creating the itinerary. All plans were thoughtful and executed well. Thanks to Pilar, we saw and experienced so much in the time we had in Ecuador.

Hotel Review

Kuyana Amazon Lodge

Archidona

Ivan and Lou have created a wonderful space in which to experience the rainforest. Their staff is hospitable, responsive and caring. Leo, our guide for all our adventures was phenomenal. As a vegetarian, I was blown away by the preparation and p\resentation of the meals.

Authenticity & Character

The space was designed to integrate with its natural surroundings and not to dominate it. You can appreciate the respect for the rainforest.

Location

It was accessible (as opposed to the other lodge we considered which required a flight into the jungle)

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Kuyana Lodge Day 1- Arrival Day with a special Christmas Dinner

Archidona

it was so creative - the guests were asked to put on a little holiday show for the other guests. wealso decorated xmas cookies before feasting on an incredible meal.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day 2 Kuyana Lodge

Archidona

trek ino the jungle to a 2 tier waterfall and lagoon where we could swim

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We were two families with teenagers traveling together from different parts of the USA, so lots of logistics. Pilar Albuja helped plan our itinerary. She was very responsive in drafting it, answering questions and finalizing our plan. We had a really nice mix of locations and activities. At the Amazon, we stayed at Kuyana Lodge which was a wonderful experience. With only 7 jungle huts, it is a really intimate experience. Our guide, Leo, was helpful, full of information and easy to get along with -- which was a good thing because we were with him a lot! The food at the lodge is so amazing. We had several vegetarian and other dietary and allergy restrictions and the lodge was able to accommodate everything and were especially careful with the allergy. Chef prepared the best food, we wanted to bring him home and make him our personal chef! He used many local ingredients from the Amazon and we enjoyed some incredibly tasty meals. The food was also presented really well - felt like Michelin star dining! All the activities were interesting, hikes, night hikes, river tubing or simply listening to the sounds of the jungle in one of the many seating areas around the lodge.
In Quito, we had a guide named Nancy for visits to Quito, Middle of the World, Otavalo, and Cotopaxi. Nancy was full of information about history and culture - we learned so much from her. Nancy was energetic, always accommodating to our requests and provided advice when we felt the effects of altitude sickness. She was very friendly and approachable. Our activities were all wonderful including the Quito old town tour, visit to the equator was super cool, the lake at Otavalo and a hike up a volcano near Cotopaxi to get better views. Nancy's insight definitely made for a better experience. We highly recommend kimkim and will definitely use them again in the future!

Hotel Review

Kuyana Amazon Lodge

Archidona

Lodge is in a beautiful area. The guides are knowledgeable and very caring. The Chef is amazing - most delicious meals! And we loved the pet monkey, Ramona. More details in my main review. The only feedback would be to include a boxed lunch on the visit to the Napo River / indigenous people village / tubing day so that we can eat during the lunch hour.

Authenticity & Character

Wood construction, open air buildings ... just felt reallly one with nature.

Location

surrounded by jungle. I loved my jungle hut sitting on the banks of a creek. Spacious room, beautiful bathroom and a wonderful deck!

Staff

Everyone is so knowledgeable, hospitable ... we were pampered!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything . . leave the shoes at the steps is a wonderful requirement!

Activity Reviews

Day 2 Kuyana Lodge

Archidona

Waterfalls were beautiful .. everyone should take a dip! Leo was helpful to us in navigating some tricky areas. We loved that Ramona the monkey came with us!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Quito's Best-Kept Secrets: A Full-Day Tour of the Historic and the Middle of the World

Quito

Loved that our guide took us to the top of the tower at Basilica del Voto Nacional as we had amazing views. The chocolate tasting at Yumbas was so delicious, and so much variety allowed us to get a better understanding of how flavors of cacao vary. Middle of the World science experiments are super cool ... I learned a lot and it was mind blowing to see!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover the Magic of Otavalo: Immerse Yourself in Indigenous Culture and Vibrant Markets and visit Cuicocha Lake.

Ecuador

The Cotacachi Lake is not to be missed. It is stunning. Our guide had lots of information about local plants. If you have traveled to other countries with crafts markets, Otavalo Market is different in that the items are different, but the market itself is not unique.

Quality of Experience

Food

Beautiful 500 year old hacienda ... and food was good too!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Conquer the Majestic Cotopaxi: A Thrilling Full-Day Adventure in the Land of Volcanoes

Cotopaxi

I loved that our guide suggested a hike to a different volcano that has a viewing point to get better views of Cotopaxi. We hiked around a lake and then up to the viewing point. The lake is more like a marsh than a lake due to human consumption of water and climate change. Not sure the 2 hours were worth it for that portion. The hike up the volcano was difficult for altitude, but breathtaking and we did get some glimpses of Cotopaxi! The horseback riding at El Porvenir was surreal. It is such a gorgeous landscape. Even though it rained a bit, they provided us with ponchos and rain ponchos and we stayed toasty warm.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our family of 5 (kids ages 23,20,16) enjoyed the most incredible trip to the Highlands and Galapagos. Tamer patiently listened and tweaked our itinerary, which was a wonderful mix of culture, history, adventure, nature, and recharging. It was perfect!
We spent 4 nights in Quito at the lovely Ikala Hotel. We absolutely loved our guide Danny! He took us to the city center on a bustling Christmas Eve day, joined us for an incredible cooking class where we prepared and ate a delicious Ecuadorian meal, and led us through an exhilarating trek to the magnificent Quilotoa Lake where we kayaked and journeyed back up to the top. We loved experimenting with gravity at the equator and will never forget the many impromptu stops- thanks to Danny!- where we interacted with locals to see a slice of life we’d never before experienced- from farmers to artists to weavers. Our visit to the highlands was perfectly planned and Danny was the ideal guide to lead us.
Next we flew to Santa Cruz for 4 nights at the incredible Hotel
Solymar where iguanas, sea lions, grey pelicans, blue footed boobies, frigate birds, and crabs were mainstays at the beautiful oceanfront restaurant and pool area. Vivian was our fabulous enthusiastic guide to the Darwin Center, giant tortoise preserve, and kayaking in Tortugo Bay. Day trips to Seymour Island on a beautiful sail boat and snorkeling at Le Fe and Pinzon Islands were memorable highlights from this special vacation.
Every step of the way, Alejandra checked in and prepped us for the next morning’s pick up times and itinerary. We never had to worry about timing or where to be. The whole trip we felt like we were in excellent hands.
Thank you Tamer for delivering on your promise of a vacation to remember!!

Hotel Reviews

Ikala Quito Hotel

Quito

We loved the Ikala. The complimentary breakfast buffet was the delicious, as was our dinner at the hotel’s restaurant on Christmas (one of very few restaurants in the area that was open!). Our rooms were beautiful and spacious. The front desk staff was very responsive when we had problems with our safe and the toilet. We highly recommend!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Solymar

Galápagos

The oceanfront location was incredible! Wildlife was abundant and part of the culture of the hotel. The rooms were small but comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Oceanfront views and incredible wildlife

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Alpaca Encounter & Kayaking at Quilotoa Lagoon

Ecuador

It was an exhilarating climb to the base where we kayaked and then trekked slowly back to the top.

Quality of Experience

Food

We ate lunch after we reached the top at a local restaurant.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Colonial City Tour, Cooking Class & the Middle of the World Monument

Quito

Visiting the city center on Christmas Eve Day was a real treat. The cooking class was incredible- we loved the chef and plan to try out the dishes we prepped when we return home!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Local Culture at Otavalo Market & Hike at Cuicocha Lake

Quito

We especially loved the visit to the local weaver.

Quality of Experience

Food

We enjoyed a delicious lunch in Cotacachi which is a town known for its leather.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Santa Cruz Island: Highlands (Plant a Tree) & Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

We loved planting a tree! Our terrific guide Vivian planned for us to wear rubber boots since the ground was wet from recent rainfall. She also tweaked our itinerary and moved our visit to the Darwin Center to the following day once she realized we may feel rushed.

Quality of Experience

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Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Discover Pinzon Island & La Fé

Puerto Ayora

Our whole trip built up to this most incredible snorkeling experience!! We saw tons of gorgeous fish and swam right up to giant sea turtles, sea lions, sharks, and more!

Quality of Experience

Food

Tuna lunch on board hit the spot!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jaime was a fun leader!

Transport

Kayaking Tortuga Bay - Afternoon at leisure

Ecuador

What a beautiful place!! The perfect entry to seeing wildlife up close.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Experience the Pristine Beauty of Galápagos Islands: Discovering an Uninhabited Island

Puerto Ayora

The boat was absolutely beautful, and the visit to Seymour Island was so cool. We saw different frigate birds and blue footed boobies and iguanas and learned about- and saw firsthand- their mating patterns.

Quality of Experience

Food

Delicious tuna lunch and snacks on board.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Elizabeth our guide was outstanding. It was my first time deep water snorkeling and she helped me get acclimated to the breathing tube and helped me enjoy the experience.

Transport

Beautiful sailboat

Amanda and I had a wonderful time in Ecuador, and the ease of having KimKim support the planning was super helpful.

Our guide Milton in Quito was incredible and so wonderfully kind and supportive. The experiences that were planned for us were amazing.

Amanda had a heavy workload on the trip and both Milton and Mathias were incredibly flexible when we needed them to be.

The two things that could have gone better were our trip to the Amazon. The lodgings had no Wifi when we had expressed that Amanada had very important work to do. In retrospect, it would have been better to do a day trip to the cloud forest and then return to Quito.

The second thing was our trip back- which in total involved over 24 hours of travel. It would have worked much better for us to spend one addtional night in Quito to break up the trip.

Further detaisl and information ahead of time would have helped us to plan through these issues.

Overall, it was a wonderful experience and KimKim (especially Milton) really helpd to improve and support the trip!

Hotel Reviews

Vieja Cuba

Quito

Vieja Cuba were so supportive and helpful during our stay and we loved the area it was in! The room was small but wound up working out very well.

Authenticity & Character

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Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hakuna Matata Lodge

Archidona

While we asked for 3 star hotels and the food and support was great, it did not have adaquate Wi-Fi and the room was scarily stark and basic.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Plaza Luna Suites

Puerto Ayora

It was wonderful and huge and in an amazing location! Just fantastic!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Birdwatching & Hot Springs

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer to Quito Airport, Arrival to Galapagos & Highlands of Santa Cruz

Ecuador

Travel took a long time and was stressful. We were told there would be an ATM easily accessible on the airpot to get money to pay the $100 entrance fee but it was not easy to access. The airport did not have Wifi, The plane also made a stop which we were not expecting.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Excursion to an uninhabited island

Ecuador

Bartholomay island was truly an unforgettable experience, The guide Phillipe was amazing.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Jungle Hike

Ecuador

We wound up doing it at night because of our travel which was scary. The guide William was lovely but we should not have done a night hike.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day trip to Cotopaxi National Park

Quito

It was wonderful! The visitor center and lunch was delicious. It was among other most favorite days of the trip.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Transfer to Archidona & free time at the rainforest lodge

Ecuador

The bridge was closed and we had a long wait time. When we arrived, we had to travel on a motor bike with strangers. The lodge only had wifi in the restaurant. It did not meet our needs.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Chocolate Session

Ecuador

Was wonderful!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Visit to another uninhabited island

Ecuador

North Seymour Island was ok, but it as extremely hot and the guide moved very slowly through repetitive information. The scuba diving was a bit challenging.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Horseback Riding at Cotopaxi National Park

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Quito City Tour

Ecuador

Fantastic. Milton was amazing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Absolutely unreal experience. Daniel was the best planner I used by far for Kimkim. He was so nice, attentive and thorough. I told him what kind of experience I was looking for and he nailed it. He did such a great job of checking in throughout the trip and was always available every step of the way. Highly recommend using him to help plan your trip!!!

Had an amazing time in Ecuador and visiting the Galapagos. Alvaro planned an amazing itinerary for us, and we had a great balance of activities and rest.