Kimkim Trip Reviews for Colombia

Where to even begin! First, I believe Margoth deserves a lot of credit for her resilience in assuring me a safe and very special experience for my first ever international trip outside of the US! Having never even left the country before, I always had major doubts in myself, but something in my gut told me to go with this..
I didn’t want to do anything really typical. I didn’t want the all-inclusive resorts with lots of other US tourists. I wanted to be plummeted into another culture and embraced by love and beauty and freedom. And what better way to spend than on my birthday, 11/11, which also happened to be Independence Day for the beautiful Cartagena. We danced and celebrated in the streets, I felt at home and very embraced.
I took a chance on a country everyone often questions.. as a solo FEMALE traveler, for the first time in my life. And i loved EVERY SINGLE MINUTE OF IT.
From Margoth, Felipe and the rest of the Aracanto team, to Manuel, my tour guide.. Martin, my driver. The infectious Carolina at Oh La La Bistrot! The hotel staff and my lovely Island Boys at Rosario, to the locals ON Rosario Island i met during my Mangrove tour, to the local Cartagena vendors who I’ve been texting on Whatsapp every day because I’ve genuinely made deep connections with several of them. And on my own, even! The Hotel Sophia team who basically treated me like a princess all week. Christina and Juan, and the bartenders at the Arsenal Rum Box who introduced me to all the Colombian rum. To Dyllan, my super handsome salsa guru.. to all the staff and servers at all the restaurants (and my goodness, i never changed a single recommendation for dinner because y’all made some very impressive reservations!!)
I could not have done this without the help and extra push from Margoth and Aracanto Travel! They have really set the tone for me and i have already intrigued so many of my friends here in the states.
Many conversations i had ended up being about me traveling there alone and for my first international adventure, leaving many locals shocked, yet impressed with my choice… and continuously thanking me for trusting their home enough to come see it for myself.
I spent all my money on locally-made items, I had no reservations against supporting the bracelet/gift vendors because they took such good care of me all week! Like i said, I’ve left with many local friends!

The first night, I spent with a group from Medellin who were heading home after a fun weekend together in Cartagena. However, after an hour at Cafe Del Mar sunset with them, we decided it was imperative that i come back and make Medellin a necessary stop!
On my last morning, a street bracelet vendor who actually ended up taking me on a casual walking tour of the entire walled city the day before, stopped by my hotel just to give me a gift he made… simply because i let him take me on a tour and trusted him every step of the way.
I fell in love with myself AND Cartagena. I plan to be back before you know it…
I would recommend KimKim for anyone who needs help with traveling; especially solo travelers! And definitely plan to be an advocate, specifically for Colombia, as I hope the positive image of this beautiful country can replace anyone’s initial doubts about experiencing it. Aracanto team is FIVE STAR!!!

Until we meet again…¡ muy bacano!

Carly M

In one word "EXCELANT".
I would like to say as a traveling person, the trip that we had to Colombia was more than what we expected. Other than the beautiful sites that we visited, it was organized so well that all 4 of us were very happy from all the organization that Margoth and Felipe arranged.
They took care of all the reservations for the hotels, restaurants and even they made all the flight check ins for us. We did not waste even one minute for any arrangements.
The local guides Oscar in Bogota and Daniel in Medellin were great. Other than their knowledge of the places, they were very attentive of where we were and showing us all the realities of Colombia.
It was a great decision to have the trip with them and we were very satisfied and I believe we did the maximum that we can in the 8 days that we were in Colombia.
Thank to all the team, thank you Margoth and ViVa Colombia.
I hope we will be back soon.
Simon

In Bogota, I was very pleased with my guide Mafe, as well as the driver(s), and my guide Lina for a game of Tejo.
In Medellin, I was also extremely happy with my driver Claudia and my guide Daniel, as well as my guide Flako in Communa 13.
What made the tours of both cities go so well, is that having one guide the whole visit means they know what you have done so far and have not done yet, so if/when schedules or interests change, they can be flexible without being redundant or missing something.
Every pick up and drop off was on time and I was able to absorb a tremendous amount of information about the country, people, and culture.
The entire trip, Margoth and Felipe were checking in and making further recommendations and adjustments that I asked for. I never felt alone, and knew I had them looking out for me. They went above and beyond expectations.

We had a great time in Cartagena, all the activities planned by Margoth were thoroughly enjoyed. She hit on the nail with all her suggestions. Caro our chef was informative and fun, can’t wait to use the recipes we practiced. Manu was the perfect guide for our Mangrove experience, and Martin was so knowledgeable and courteous. Our Rum tasting with Jesus was super fun, not to mention our coffee tasting class “bautizo”, I guess I didn’t know much about coffee ☕️, great experience.
The restaurant reservations were the top, we loved the cuisine, especially at Cuzco’s.
kimKim was definitely the way to go.

Natalia was awesome! I reached out to kimkim and provide details of the experience my group wanted to have in Colombia and Natalia delivered. We received a detailed itinerary of our daily activities with a background of the culture for each location and all our flights were booked. When I had any questions, Natalia was quick to respond to my text. This trip was for my birthday and on the day of my birthday Natalia and the kimkim team sent me a bottle of whisky and cake, that was very sweet and thoughtful. I will be using them for the rest of my travels based on my first experience.

I visited Colombia from 8/28-9/4 and used the trip planning service kimkim and Margoth was my agent.
I planned to go with my son but he was unable to go due to work so I went solo. I did no research before I left and just knew I wanted a very active trip and made sure Margoth knew that.
Margoth suggested I visit Bogota and Medellin and did a great job of offering me different options for daily activities. I knew I wanted to hike, bike and go white water rafting and Margoth found me great options for all three. I told her I wanted to drink a lot of good Colombian coffee and with the help of my guide Pablo she me found me a great coffee farm to visit.
The guides Oscar in Bogota and Pablo in Medellin are great guides and terrific people. They made sure I got to all my planned adventures and made my trip special. I did all my activities with them except whitewater rafting and they were ton of fun to hang out with.
Oscar took me on a bike tour of Bogota and explained the historical significance of many of the buildings and the general history of Bogota. We hiked in the National park with a park ranger and it was awesome. The city tour included the graffiti district, the marketplace, the Fernando Botero museum and the monserrati church on a hill overlooking Bogota . All great activities.
Oscar is a professional coffee taster and took me to a cafe to sample different coffees and tutored me in the proper way to analyze different coffee blends. This was so cool and I learned a lot. He also took me to traditional Colombian restaurants that were delicious.
Margoth arranged my flights from Bogota to Medellin and got me free upgrades to business class.
In Medellin my guide Pablo took me on a city tour which included riding in a gondola to get a great view of the city. We visited Communa13 which is a shanty town built on a hill and Pablo explained the significance of the areas troubled history that was fascinating. We toured much of downtown Medellin and Pablo explained the significance of different buildings and some of the politics and history of the city..
The following day I went whitewater rafting with grade 3-4 rapids and it was a blast! The guides were very professional and I felt safe.
Pablo took me to cafe de la cima and I had an amazing coffee experience. The owners are a wonderful family and I got the chance to pick the organic coffee beans and watch the coffee beans be shelled and roasted and then was offered a coffee tasting.
Everything they served me for lunch is grown on their farm and is delicious.
My last day with Pablo and Luis our hiking guide we hiked up cerro bravo 8600ft. I asked Margoth for super active adventures and she delivered. This was a very challenging hike through jungle and forests that was so amazing and beautiful. Luis is a great hiker and guide and pointed out different birds,trees and insects along the way. I swung from vines to cross muddy parts of the trail which was cool. The vistas from the top were amazing. Pablo as always made sure I had a delicious lunch and plenty of water.
Margoth arranged for me to stay in great hotels in Bogota and Medellin and got me daily dinner reservations in the best restaurants. Never ate so well in my life!
I had an amazing Colombian vacation due to the help of Margoth guides Oscar and Pablo and the drivers of the cars that took me to these activities and safety brought me back each day. I recommend using their services if you visit Colombia because they made my vacation amazing!

Margoth and team planned and delivered a fantastic family trip to Colombia. They know all the great spots, all the places to skip, and had everything planned perfectly. Knowledgeable, responsive, and dependable and delivered a great trip.

A great trip. Very professional and friendly guides, drivers etc. Hotels of high standard.
Can thoroughly recommend Chasko.
Was a bit wary of the online aspect of your set up but am very happy to have a had a very good experience all the way through.
Will be in touch for future travels in South and Central America.

My trip to a new foreign land was an amazing experience. The food, the culture, the architecture, the people and the weather were something I will always cherish and remember. Our trip was not conventional by any means. It had many changes to travelers and destinations. But through all of these, I was able to coordinate everything through Andrea and our local guides. We were here for my friend's birthday and she told me it was the birthday of a lifetime. We experienced so many beautiful places and people on our trip. Yes, it would have been cheaper if I did this on my own, but for the few dollars more, I had the piece of mind knowing this would be a great trip. And it was! Thank you Andra!

My friend and I had such a wonderful and memorable time in Cartagena and Santa Marta. Margoth did an amazing job organizing and suggesting activities, transportation, hotels, and restaurants. Everything went so smoothly. She was even available during our stay and would check up on us. She is very knowledgeable on creating out perfect vacation. I wanted to visit Cerro Kennedy which not many tourist hike and she was able to make arrangements last minute as I was not sure what traveling would be like at a peak of COVID.

Juan Carlos was our tour guide and driver while we Santa Marta. I highly recommend him as well if you plan on visiting Santa Marta. He is very professional, kind and knowledgeable. The personal touches and details made a big difference.

Thank you both for an amazing vacation!

Oliver was great managing the whole COVID19 situation, ensured I had the most uptodate information so I could make an informed decision to leave as soon as i possibly could. And for that, I am incredibly grateful to his situational awareness. Even though I couldn't enjoy everything Colombia had to offer, I was well looked after with really great accommodation and itinerary options. Thank you Oliver!

We cannot be more impressed with the exceptional service provided by Margoth @ Aracanto on our Colombia trip. We found her on kimkim.com to help us put together a 10-day itinerary. She promptly responded to our emails, eloquently answered every little query and request and gave excellent recommendations and options for every aspect of the trip. Our itinerary was unfortunately truncated by the COVID pandemic travel restrictions but we have nothing but praise for Margoth’s concern and support for us as we embarked on our tenuous four-flight journey home to Australia. We felt very well looked after from the first moment until arriving back on home soil. We highly recommend Margoth @ Aracanto if you are planning a trip to this beautiful, proud and wonderful country. We will be back! Thanks for everything Margoth!

We were soooo impressed with the trip. Everything went smoothly. All guides and drivers were early and eagerly awaiting us. ALL Colombians were so friendly to us.
We felt safe and well taken care of the whole trip. We had a pretty aggressive agenda but enjoyed discovering beautiful Columbia visiting many different regions. The trip to Chingaza was a great last minute addition and our guide Juanita was fabulous. We LOVED Medellin region and especially the commune 13 visit- our guide Marcel was full of information, enthusiasm, and energy.
Our coffee tour was awesome - suggest including lunch (as some groups had - we had coffee and a snack). Cocora was great but our guide Juan was very average - didn't really want to take us on the full loop were had arranged for???? turns out the wilder part of the loop that he didn't want to take us on initially was the best part of the hike.
The 4 day lost city trek was hot, humid, steep and challenging but sooooo worth it - we had great guides and were surprised at the comfort (and bed-bug proofing) and food at the facilities along the trek. The fresh fruit along the trek was soooooo awesome.
Tayrona was beautiful - we skipped the lines into the park as our guide knew people which was awesome - apparently the park had just re-opened after being shut down for a month and people were waiting hours and were even being turned away.
We spent 6 hours in San Andreas waiting for our flight home and it would not have suited us - we did a tour by cab and then walked the malecon / beach . Enjoyed Providencia much more - 4 nights was perfect there. We dove only one day as the reefs are not in great shape. We rented a side by side vehicle to tour the island one day which was great -beautiful beaches. I would highly recommend to others as an activity going to the Lighthouse theatre that shows the black crab migration and culture of the island to everyone- also has an awesome view of the sunset with drinks and decent food. The hike to the peak and meditation rock was so awesome. Deep blue accommodations were awesome but the restaurant was just slightly above average. The food and service was much better at Caribbean Place Donde Martin.

Cartagena was interesting but too hot and busy for our liking - that's just us. We know people who loved staying there because it was sunny, hot, busy, with lots of places to shop and eat - we much preferred Bogota and especially Medellin as far as cities go. The market and cooking class were super interesting.

Overall we were very pleased with our visit - the itinerary suited us and really allowed us to experience as much of Colombia as possible in 3 weeks. We were so impressed with how smoothly everything went and how friendly and helpful Colombians are. This was also a reasonably priced holiday as far as eating and drinking once you are in Colombia.
We will definitely be recommending Colombia to our friends.

We had an amazing family trip to Colombia thanks to Margoth and her team. We were a party of 7, including children and grandparents, and we wanted to get a taste of everything that Colombia has to offer in an 8 day trip. Already at the planning stage Margoth completely understood what we were looking for in terms of activities, culture, nature, hotels and comfort. She put together a great trip for us and we just had to click “yes” and everything was booked and organised for us. Our trip took us to the coffee region, Cartagena and the Rosario islands.

Here are some of the highlights of our trip:

Coffee region:
- Cócora valley; a fantastic nature experience and hike with a private local guide and a visit to the beautiful village of Salento.
- Interesting visit to a coffee farm with a private guide including a coffee tasting.

Cartagena:
- Amazing city and great food. All the restaurant bookings that Margoth and her team had prepared for us, were great!
- Bovedas de Santa Clara: Super charming hotel with apartment like rooms fitting up to 6 people with a great location in the old town.
- Entertaining chocolate making workshop (particularly fun for the kids).
- Highly recomendable private cooking class for the whole family in an authentic French-Caribbean food restaurant in Getsemani.

Rosario islands:
- The trip out to islands was fun for everyone
- The natural aquarium is a “must see” for adults and children
- A nice bike ride and kayak trip with the children on isla grande

The colours, the food, the people and the service in Colombia are all fabulous.

We were so well taken care of by Margoth and her team and felt very safe throughout our whole trip. She contacted us every day to make sure we were happy. At every turn we had someone waiting for us to take us to our next activity and adventure. All bookings were made for us, and when we decided to change one night on the islands for one night in Cartagena, Margoth and her team did everything in their power making it happening for us on a few hours notice.

We will definitely use KimKim again and we warmly recommend Margoth and her team for anyone looking for a special and tailor made trip to Colombia.

The trip was very well planned and all the guides met or exceeded our expectations. We especially enjoyed the mountain biking and the walk in Cocora Valley. All the drivers were on time, pleasant and professional.

Five days before flying to Colombia I found Kimkim online and was encouraged by the favourable reviews. I like that there was a form to decide if it was the best option for me within my budget. I was contacted by Natalia who made an itinerary with all the things I wanted to do; I’m grateful for them making my stay in Colombia AWESOME. I’m truly grateful for the itinerary, accomodation in fantastic locations and the BEST local guides.

My guide in Bogotá - Juan Carrillo gave me 3 wonderful days in Bogota; it really made all the difference. And the local touches crowned everything.

Lydia was great in Medellín with personalised touched in the tour; highlight of my trip was the transformative Communa 13 trip.

Last but not least, Carlos in Medellín - a most engaging and wonderful guide; I truly enjoyed our day together.

This is a long overdue review of our fabulous November 2019 trip to Colombia.
Despite a prolonged wait to clear customs, we were greeted by Lina who graciously made sure we were safely transported to our destination. For the next two days she provided an energetic and welcoming introduction to Bogota. In Villa de Leyva Mauricio was a delightful guide, providing a personal and entertaining opportunity to explore area. We really enjoyed his musical background and knowledge.
Natalia brought the Cocora Valley to life despite rain and mud! She is passionate about the flora and fauna and a great ambassador for nature lovers. We enjoyed Salento and Filandia with her and a very special stop at Finca Divisa de Don Juan (coffee farm)
Daniel was our special personality in Medellin. His walking tour and history lesson were amazing. We were appreciative of his attention during our visit to Penol Rock and Guatape making for two rewarding experiences.
Juan was our steady, patient and knowledgable guide in Tayrona Park. We very much enjoyed learning about the area as well as his family background. It was a strenuous excursion and he timed the pace and experiences beautifully to match our requests.
David helped us enjoy Los Pinos. His familiarity with the area diminished our concerns with the muddy, rutted roads to arrive safely at our destination. Again, this guide's love of the area made for a special day.
A highlight of the trip was a visit to Bazurto Market with Carolina. The market was incredibly interesting, and Carolina's presentation, interaction, and selections were memorable. Her class was extraordinary.
Ending our trip in Cartagena, we were entertained by Ingrid - an insightful and fun-loving personality that enriched our time there.
Chio and team were responsive and supportive throughout. We were especially appreciative of their flexibility when our departure coincided with national protests. They made sure our transport got us to the airport with time to spare.
Colombia is filled with beauty, architectural charm, intriguing history and welcoming nationalities.
Thank you for a trip that will not be forgotten!

First - we will definitely use Kimkim again for future travels! Thank you for a well-planned vacation.
Secondly - Chio was responsive and helpful - nice work! Our only complaint is that everyone knew that Tayrona National Park was closed in February - apparently it's an annual thing. If we had known this from the beginning, we might have altered our itinerary. We did not get informed until January. We really loved the place we stayed outside of Tayrona Park, but the River Don Diego excursion was underwhelming. (Although the guide Stephen was very helpful when my husband became sick with digestive issues.)
Big highlights for us were the birdwatching in Minca with Antonio Martin, the trip to the market in Cartagena with Carolina and the day trip to the Rosario Islands. This was supposed to be at the end of our stay, but was moved to the beginning because of when we arrived. We really think this worked better - we had a day of beach and relaxation right away which we desperately needed coming from our cold, snowy, busy lives:)
The hotels were good and we had a nice balance of scheduled vs. free time. In our information packet it said that there would be an English-speaking person on our long car trips to and from Cartagena. We did not - just Spanish-only drivers. That would have been a great opportunity (9 hours!) to ask questions about what we were seeing and find out more about Colombia. My husband especially was disappointed that there was no conversation on these transports.
Again - we are happy to have discovered Kimkim and are already looking forward to our next trip with you. I hope our feedback has been helpful.

I had 3 excellent guides: Maria Alejandro Nariño in Bogota, Juan David Martinez in Leticia, and Mauro Hernandez Aguinago in Medellin! The Lost City of Colombia Trek guides, Juan and Checo (sp) also did an excellent job!! I hope that the friendships I established with them will continue into the future:-)

The trip was Over expectations Everything was superb!
First of all with Chio he managed everything very well and was so patient with all questions i have asked.
In Bogota the driver Francisco and the guide Maria were very nice and they introduced me very well to the Bogota and also the whole country.
After that I went to Raquira and Villa de layva with a very good driver (but I’m sorry I forgot his name) .
Santa Marta driver Carlos was a very good driver and he did a very good job, big thanks to him .
In Cartagena i met a guide Santiago, he was superb and introduced me very well to the city.
In Medellin, I met a very good Driver Miguel , he was an excellent driver. And for the guide to Guatepe was Sebastian , he was an excellent guide he introduced me very well to the city.
At last, I loved Colombia and the people there were so friendly and nice , overall 10/10 thank you KimKim team.