Kimkim Trip Reviews for Colombia

I couldn’t recommend booking with KimKim more. I felt like Michael was always available to us and very helpful. Colombia can be a bit overwhelming and knowing we had picks ups and plans was reassuring.
I couldn’t recommend our tour guides enough
Sara at the Market in Bogota, Jose and Juan helping us learn Tejos, Govinda made Medillin magical! Cartagena and the Rosario islands were made better with Gabe’s help too.
The time spent at Islabela was incredible what a treat to stay overnight and see the plankton!
And all the helpers and drivers working behind the scenes were amazing! How lucky were we to have such an enriching and positive experience!

Thank you for making sure our trip was fun and safe

It was a last-minute decision to go to Colombia and we are so glad we did. Michael was exceptional, he was able to put together a trip that included all the things we wanted to see and do in 24 hours. I did not feel stressed out or anxious about the planning once and Michael was always available to answer questions, with quick replies and very helpful suggestions.
We ended up making a change to our Cartagena itinerary when we were already in the city, and Michael was not only supportive and put together a detailed list of different activities, but he also covered half the cost of our trip to El Totumo Mud Volcano (we decided against a second beach day). Our visit to Medellin surpassed our expectations. Our guide Manuela was wonderful, very knowledgeable and very passionate about her country and her city that she made us fall in love with it too. We visited Hato la Aurora near Yopal and that was another exceptional and one-of-a-kind adventure. Although we did not see any jaguars (the guides tried very hard until the last minute to find them), we saw a lot of wildlife. The staff at Juan Solito were the friendliest and kindest and our guides (Samantha, Anisetto, Jason, Carlos…) were all fantastic. Our guide Jorge in Cartagena was very professional, very polite, and very considerate and I highly recommend Nacar Hotel Cartagena.
I can’t say enough good things about Michael. It was really a joy to work with him. He was so reliable, had an answer to everything and made us feel really valued as clients.

Hotel Reviews

Landmark Hotel Medellín

Medellín

Very nice hotel, friendly and helpful staff and they have a washer and dryer for the guests, which was super practical and nice not to pack dirty laundry. More hotels should have that.

Authenticity & Character

Location

it was in a really nice and safe neighborhoods, close to good restaurants that we could walk to at night alone.

Staff

all of them

Cleanliness & Comfort

the rooms were very clean, but the towels, sheets and mattress could be better.

Juan Solito Ecolodge

Hato la Aurora

It was a charming lodge in the middle of nature, but I wish the rooms were a little cleaner. I don't mind bugs in the room that are alive given the location and the nature of the lodge, but there really should not have been dead ones in the room. It just means that it was even as much as swept before we got there, which is the bare minimum.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nacar Hotel Cartagena, Curio Collection by Hilton

Cartagena

Beautiful and charming hotel in a great location. Highly recommend it. Spacious rooms, nice amenities, comfortable beds, soft linens and good towels. Great little pool, perfect for chilling with a cold beverage.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Fruit Market Tour

Medellín

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Medellín Transformation Tour

Medellín

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Peñol Boulder & Guatapé Boat Trip

Medellín

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Llanos Wildlife Tour (4D/3N)

Colombia

i think it would have made for a much more enjoyable stay had our rooms been a little less dusty and full of dead bugs. hot water would be nice so would AC.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cartagena City Tour

Cartagena

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cartagena Street Food Tour

Cartagena

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rosario Islands Day Trip

Cartagena

This was the least fun activity. The beach was very small and a couple water activities only. We went snorkeling (very unhealthy reef, which is super sad. they feed the fish, also did not feel right) and somehow lost our guide and boat, so it was a little stressful trying to find him and the boat.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour to Totumo Volcano

Cartagena

we did not expect to have this much fun at this volcano. one of a kind and very memorable experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was our first visit to Columbia. Margoth and her team made the experience easy. They are available 24 hrs a day via WhatsApp. Every detail is handled from airport pickup to tours to dinner reservations. Very Grateful for everything.

Dr Joni and Dr Maynard Luterman

Hotel Reviews

Calanoa Lodge

Leticia

It’s an ecolodge in the rainforest. We had the treehouse. Everyone is very helpful. Its beautiful. It places you in the jungle with the nighttime sounds being magical. Our room had a quiet, Bed withfly nets a small fan and a bathroom. There is No where to hang cloths. Food was excellent and consisted of fish mostly and some chicken. the food is all local. Beer wine and soft drinks can be purchased. It’s hot and very humid. It is the Amazon so be prepared. I would bring no cotton clothing as everything gets damp. There is a lot of walking, Balance and core strength are tested daily so be prepared. There are tours to local areas twice a day. Boat trips are. It was a once in a Lifetime experience.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

It’s hot and humid and not much relief so be prepare d

The Artisan D.C. Hotel, Autograph Collection

Bogotá

Modern hotel in financial district. Rooms were on the small side, Front desk staff do not speak English. It was the small items like our room had one bathrobe for my wife and I….great Location and overall very nice

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Pestagua Relais Châteaux

Cartagena de Indias

Perfect location service was impeccable and the place is beautiful

Authenticity & Character

Location

In the old city

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Walking Tour of Cartagena Old City

Colombia

Our tour guide Anna Maria was lovely spoke perfect English and was a joy to hang with. Tour was fun and well done

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Drums and Music Workshop

Cartagena

Pure joy and fun. I think the people doing the workshop would have done it for free just to have been able to teach and play. They use there music to support the children and to get them off the streets and get them to work together and it showed. The kids were great. The teachers were great. We had so much fun playing all the drum types. No experience necessary I have none lol….

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an excellent experience with Chaska tour. Michael was flexible and prompt in attending to our requests. The various guides were excellent (Maria Rosa, Chef Lili, Oedro and Emmanuel, and guides Sarah and Meilein from 321 Colombia culinary experience packed humor with insights into indigenous knowledge and ecoethical approach to food), Alex, Doriel, Gaby and Juan made the places come alive with historical and other nuggets of information, and our drivers (Hernan, Mauricio, Edgardo) were very safe drivers and engaging with conversation. The trip to Palengue was especially memorable with Gleidys providing very good cultural information. The food at Palengue was fantastic as was the food in almost all restaurants that we ate in. Overall a lovely set of memories. Thanks very much

Activity Reviews

Social Dinner-Experience: Colombian Food

Bogotá

Very thoughtfully done by Maria Jose and her team and Chef Lili, Pedro and Emmanuel. We learnt a lot about indigenous knowledges and agroecological concerns around food. Great job 321 Colombia!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to San Basilio de Palenque

Cartagena

A must see for anyone interested in Colombian society and history. The memorial to Biohó who led the escape of slaves, and the tour of the village ahowed ua the resilience of AfroColombians. Our trip was topped with one of the tastiest meals at the village.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Medellín Transformation Tour

Medellín

The trip to Communa 13 was moving.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I had a wonderful tour of Colombia. The tour guides, Dori, Juan, Edgar were very knowledgeable of their country , and wee wonderful hosts. The hotels we stayed at were safe and excellent with friendly and respectful staff. I can’t wait to go back and visit other parts of Colombia I have not visited.

Aaron Tesfaye

This was an absolutely amazing trip and an incredible experience! Planning our trip to Colombia seemed very overwhelming at first but kimkim and our planner Michael made the planning a breeze! Michael was super responsive and always so kind and professional and we felt like he really heard the things we wanted to experience on this trip. Everything was planned so well and we had an almost seamless experience. We will absolutely be using kimkim for future trips and highly recommend this company to anyone looking to save themselves time and stress on vacation.

Hotel Reviews

Finca Hotel del Cafe

Santa Rosa de Cabal

This was our favorite hotel of the 6 total we stayed in on our trip. This hotel was beautiful! The landscape was gorgeous, the hotel itself was super clean and so, so pretty and the entire grounds of the hotel were just stunning. Our room was spacious and very clean with comfortable beds and a lovely balcony to sit and relax. The bathroom was spacious and the room met all of our needs (family of 4) just fine. Unfortunately, we didn't stay at this hotel long enough to actually enjoy the amenities but they had several hot tubs, a sauna and some other luxury amenities. There's also a restaurant and a cafe just a short walk up the hill (we didn't enjoy the restaurant at all but the cafe was lovely) and the breakfast we were served on property was delicious and very fresh. Everyone we encountered was very friendly and Julien was so, so nice to us. It felt like he was our personal concierge and he went above and beyond with everything we asked for and even the stuff we didn't ask for.

Authenticity & Character

Warm, welcoming and full of charm.

Location

STUNNING VIEWS

Staff

Amazing staff, especially Julien.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was super clean and in great condition.

Ecohotel Piedemonte

This hotel is located amongst some absolutely beautiful scenery. The hotel itself is very pretty but seemed a little bit old. The room was a good size for a family of 4 and the bathroom was sufficient in size as well. The property is full of greenery and is really very pretty. I'm not sure what amenities this place offers because the main reason for my low rating is how unwelcomed we felt. The staff wasn't outright rude but seemed annoyed when we asked questions. We had to ask about everything though, no information was offered to us at all. "Is breakfast offered? Where? What time? Is there anything to eat here on the property besides breakfast? Can we get extra waters? What restaurant do you recommend?" So many questions and we still never got answers to all of them. For reference, we are from the US and 3 of us are white, one is Mexican but all of us speak fluent Spanish. It was a very poor experience here and we felt so unwelcome that I was excited to leave, unfortunately.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Wonderful location surrounded by beautiful plants and just so pretty.

Staff

Staff just wasn't at all welcoming, friendly or accommodating at all.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Santa Rosa Hot Springs

Colombia

Wonderful experience here and such breathtaking scenery.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cocora Valley & Salento

Colombia

Of all of the activities we did on our trip, this was actually my favorite. The valley and the views are simply magnificent and so different than anything I've ever seen. It was truly an unforgettable experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coffee Farm Tour in Finca Buenos Aires

Salento

Totally fun and educational experience! This was so much fun for our family and it was really, really cool to learn all about the actual orgins/care of the coffee I love so much.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Peñol Boulder & Guatapé Boat Trip

Medellín

This experience was SO MUCH FUN! First, our guides stopped us at a farm along the way where we got to feed and play with alpacas and llamas. Alpacas are one of my fav animals and this was one of the best experiences of my life because I literally got to hug the alpacas. It was great! Then we trekked up the boulder and while I was pretty intimidated by all of the stairs, it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. Just be sure to take breaks when you need to. Everyone else is also out of breath and out of shape - just take a break when needed.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Michael nos cuidó a cada paso. Tuvimos una experiencia increíble con Kim Kim. Estamos muy contentos.

Hotel Reviews

Sweet Harmony by Xarm Hotels

Minca, Magdalena

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Quetzal Dorado Ecolodge

Zaino

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Casa Tere

Cartagena

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Visit to San Basilio de Palenque

Cartagena

This community has a wonderful story and a rich history but it was worth a 30 minute visit. They parade you around the city and ask for tips at each stop. Not that enjoyable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide that Kim Kim arranged was wonderful. I cannot say enough great things. In Palenque we got passed off to another guide who had an interesting story but not worth more than 30 minutes.

We put together a fairly complicated trip with a lot of varied destinations. Alvaro was totally helpful and very can do in setting the trip up as we wanted it. During the travel, everything went as smoothly as butter. We were met by friendly and competent people at every stop and were escorted to our travels to the next destinations at exactly the times that were promised. We couldn't have been more pleased with the planning that Alvaro did for us. Ivan met us at the Airport in Bogota, and was with us the entire stay, actully had dinner with us. He was exceptionly knowledgable about the birds, and he could hear the calls and identify amazingly. We saw 90 bird species in 2 days. He could also spot birds and point them out to us well before we could see many of them ourselves. We were a little nervous about going to Inirida and alon the Oronico River, esp with the situation in Venezuela , but we were accompanied by able guides all the time and actually felt safer than when we were in 4th grade. The Tucunare Lodge was rustic but far removed from modern civilization. Alexandro, who was our fishing guide was quite knowlegable and competent and PATIENT. We fished for 2 days solidly and came away with some amazing pictures of us holding giant Peacock Bass. Than off to Cartegena for rest and relaxtion. Beautiful old town. Good nightlife, esp rooftop bars, and excellent food. All and all, would highly recommend Alvaro and Kim Kim for planning a trip to Columbia. Plan on asking for the same in a few years to Equador.

Although we were somewhat skeptical about booking through a tour group, we relied upon Kimkim and Chaska Tours to create and execute an ambitious itinerary that took us through four discrete regions in Colombia over a ten day stay. Michael and his team put together a veritable highlight reel of food, history, art, outdoor activities, and scenic drives. The Magic of Colombia tour accounted for all of our hotels, flights, and drivers and also built in some time for us to explore on our own. Our tour guides in each location were locals with a penchant for teaching, immersing us in the culture and helping us make the most of our experience despite our somewhat loose grasp of the Spanish language. Sadly, we were forced to cut the trip short after one of us contracted an illness. In this, too, Michael and his team were exceedingly helpful, coordinating a change of itinerary on a dime and keeping in constant contact to see us out of Colombia and home safely.

Our tour of Colombia was six weeks long and included both activities and accommodations arranged by Kimkim/Chaska and our local specialist, Michael, as well as activities and accommodations we arranged directly.

Overall, we were very happy with our interactions with Michael in planning our itinerary. He made good suggestions and was very responsive to our questions and requests. In retrospect, we would have appreciated being given options ahead of time for such things as upgrades for flights and accommodations, when those were available. In a number of instances, we found out about this options "in the moment" rather than in time to make considered choices. One other suggestion is for Michael to have communicated our interests with each of our guides; a number of them indicated they did not know ahead of time that we were interested in birding, for example, which did affect the activities on some days.

Michael was also outstanding in how quickly he responded to our questions and requests during the trip, sometimes multiple times in a day. One improvement would have been for us to have the names and contact information for each guide and driver at least a day in advance; we understand that sometimes this might not be possible, due to changes in staff scheduling.

Overall, the guides we were assigned were quite good. Likewise, all the drivers were prompt and safe and the cars were comfortable and clean. Specifics:

Bogota - Guide Jose Luis Borbon was excellent, very informative.
Villa de Leyva - Despite some logistical complications, Guide Carmen Trujillo was excellent, very flexible.
Barachara - Our guide for the walk from Barachara to Guane, Jose Luis, tho fairly new, was good, very informative about local culture as he grew up there. Hotel Mission, one of the oldest in the town, was very well situated, and comfortable.
Minca - Our guide Joi Guia, was very enthusiastic and personable. Our hotel, Sweet Harmony, was great, as was the food prepared in its kitchen. Minca is pretty overrun with tourists and the shops that cater to them, so we wouldn't necessarily recommend it.
El Dorado Nature Reserve - This is an amazing place, with views from the high Sierra Nevada to Santa Marta and the Caribbean. This is one instance when we would have liked to know our options for accommodations ahead of time; the two options are very different in many aspects, including proximity to the restaurant, coffee, and wifi. We were very disappointed with our assigned room, a 20 min. dusty walk up hill 3x/day. And downright dangerous in the dark. Our birding guide, Jaruen, was excellent, one of the first trained birding guides in Colombia.
Tayrona - We really like having Jaruen and Joi as guides again here, so we didn't have to get used to new personalities, etc. They each led us on a day's adventure and birding. Our hotel, Senda Koguiwa, was excellent, a welcome change from the relative rusticness of El Dorado, and very near the entrance to Tayrona National Park.
Cartagena - Cartagena is a visually beautiful city, but very very busy with the tourist trade. Our guide, Neybor, was very good and led us on a city bike tour, tour of the food market, and a cooking class.
Cali - We had a great day with Catalina, walking around the city and, especially, learning about salsa. Our hotel, Aiko Hotel Integrado, was ok as it was being remodeled at the time. When complete it will be lovely. It was also quite a ways out of Cali altho walkable to many restaurants and shops.
Aruacana Lodge - This is a beautiful, family-owned birding lodge in the hills about an hour outside of Cali. Luxurious spacious accommodations, excellent food and great birding. Highly recommend, especially for birding. Our birding guide, Vivian, altho just beginning, was very personable and enjoyable.
Salento - The Kawa Mountain Retreat is a beautiful spot, very comfortable, and with very good food. The staff were very helpful, especially when one of us got food poisoning (not at the hotel!), and we had to stay a number of hours after check-out time. Highly recommend. Our guide, Carlos, led us on a very enjoyable hike in the Corcora Valley and, when he learned we were birders, led a great birding walk the next day.
Manizales - The Hacienda Venecia is a beautiful coffee finca with lush grounds and good food. Highly recommend.
Medellin - Our guide for a trip to a flower farm and then Guatepe, Alejandro, was good and flexible. The flower farm was quite interesting; Guatepe is very touristed and less interesting for us.

gréât guide in Bogota and Pereira , knowledgeable and also interesting. Margoth and her team are amazing, everything planned went exactly as expected and our experiences such as rhum tasting and a boat trip were great . I truelybreicmmwnd colombia and the agency Aracanto

Michael and the Kim Kim group were amazing to work with. They shaped a wonderful itinerary for our group. We loved Bogotá and the great neighborhood they had us stay with a great tour guide who let us try all the local fruit. Medellín exceeded our expectations. We loved this city and our only regret was that we didn't adjust our itinerary and spend more time here. We had Andres for 3 days and he made us fall in love with the city. All the activities (white water rafting, touring Comuna 13 & the local coffee farm) were amazing. We also loved Tayrona and again we didn't have enough days in our trip to extend this portion, but it was beautiful. The hotel the group booked for us was wonderful. We ended the trip in Cartagena. Anther amazing city. I personally am not a fan of the heat, so fewer days here would have worked better in my itinerary, but that is just because of my personal preference. Again, we are so happy to have used Michael and the Kim Kim group and we would not have had such a great trip without them.

Activity Review

Cartagena Bike Tour

Cartagena

Not a good place to bike and received not a lot of city information. The Guides did their best to keep us safe, but I wouldn't have recommended this tour.

Quality of Experience

Have a walking tour instead with more details of the city.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

More city information and interesting information

Transport

Not a good way to see the city

Our 2 week trip to Colombia was excellent and provided a nice variety of experiences. Our highlight was our guide Andres in and around Medellin. He was incredibly informative, kind and generally a pleasant person to be around. He made this part of our trip really amazing, from the city tour to our experience at a coffee farm.

Hotel Reviews

Senda Watapuy

Santa Marta

Very nice hotel in a beautiful location. The staff was attentive and helpful throughout our stay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Campana Hotel Boutique

Medellín

We enjoyed the location, comfort and staff at this hotel. The rooms were very comfortable and the staff were some of the friendliest and helpful people on our trip. The short walk to restaurants in Poblado was a nice perk.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Casa Deco

Bogotá

The hotel was in an excellent location near area attractions. However, the rooms were a bit dated and the noise from the street was loud. Having ear plugs at this hotel is a must.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Kartaxa Cartagena

Cartagena

The hotel room was small and not comfortable. Our room received strong kitchen smells every morning from the restaurant below. Noise from guests in the central atrium was constant and disruptive.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Cartagena Dance Class

Cartagena

Very good instructor.

Cartagena Street Food Tour

Cartagena

Interesting experience that we would not have done otherwise. Some of the tastiest food of our time in Cartagena.

Coffee-Culture Tour

Medellín

Wonderful guide and interesting experience to explore this natural farm.

Rosario Islands Day Trip

Cartagena

This day trip was a disappointment. The accommodations were very basic - we didn't even have access to towels to rent. There was no water to wash hands at the bathroom. The water and beach were also very dirty with plastics and prophylactics.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cartagena Bike Tour

Cartagena

The trip felt dangerous due to cycling through traffic. It was hard to enjoy and learn about the city due to this.

Rafting on Río Calderas

Medellín

Highlight of the trip. Excellent guides and fun experience.

Peñol Boulder & Guatapé Boat Trip

Medellín

Despite not feeling well, I enjoyed the trip to these areas. Guatape was beautiful and I wish we had more time to explore this town.

Medellín Day Tour

Medellín

Excellent trip with our guide Andres. We explored areas of the city that we would not have visited otherwise. The lunch was also excellent.

Bogota Highlights Tour

Bogotá

We had an excellent guide, were able to visit Monserrate without waiting in a long line, and tasted a variety of native fruits. It was a great way to begin our trip.

We had a wonderful family trip to Colombia thanks to the assistance of Michael!
We traveled as a family of 5, 2 adults and 3 children (ages 12, 10 and 3). Michael arranged all of our tours and transfers for us. Every guide we had was absolutely lovely and we enjoyed learning about their country and culture through the eyes of locals.
Our car transfers were all seamless. They arrived on time and in clean and spacious vehicles, even equipped with a car seat for our 3yo. The drivers were accommodating and stopped when we needed for groceries, ATM or bathroom breaks. We especially appreciated Christian who was our driver on 3 separate occasions and went out of his way to meet all of our needs.

My wife and I just returned from a 9-10 day tour of Columbia. The tour was quite ambitious as we visited Bogota (one full day), Amazonia (2 full days), the Coffee region (3 full days), and even a quick one night stopover in Cartagena (one day). This involved a lot of flights as all flights connect through Bogota. So it was quite tiring and rather head spinning. The good thing though was that we got to see an amazing diversity of peoples and places in one tour.
What we saw of Bogota, on an e-bike tour!, we found to be both beautiful and interesting, and Monserrate and the views of Bogota from it, were amazing (but buy a pass that gets you to the head of the line if you can).
Amazonia was, for us the greatest highlight of the tour. We found it, as lovers of wild life, birds, and peoples/cultures with dignity, a simply charming, magical place. We were based out of Punto Nariño, and travelled everywhere by small boat, except on our return trip to Leticia on a river "bus". Every boat trip was a guided natural history adventure, stopping to see the dolphins at Leticia, and on both banks of the river to photograph birds, monkeys, or to have some other curiosity pointed out. We navigated lakes with water lily pads and flooded forests. We visited two different indigenous communities and a monkey rehabilitation sanctuary, and photographed humming birds, Macaws and Toucans, birds hiding in the trees or in flocks, and butterflies. I did a night walk in the rain forest and photographed frogs and sleeping morpho butterflies. We visited a indigenous cultures museum and shopped for unique crafts in Leticia.
We also loved the Coffee Region. This is a mountainous or hilly, moderate temperature, rain forest region with coffee, fruit orchards, avocados, etc., as well as national forest. It is beautiful and the climate is very pleasant when we visited (February). We visited a beautiful hillside farm, where we were shown a fabulous orchid collection and treated to a delicious lunch, and the farmhouse, where we watched many colorful birds and humming bird feed. We visited two very beautiful rural towns, Filandia and Salento, where we visited a basketry workshop/studio and were taught by a craftsman to weave small baskets. We stayed in a charming hotel at a farm in a national park in the Corcora valley and did an early morning birding exploration in the hills. And we visited a botanical garden, where we learned about the local ecology, with a large enclosed butterfly habitat where we could view native butterflies up close. Our last night was spent in Cartagena, in a fabulous hotel just adjacent to the old city. This is also very beautiful, historical, with a lot of shopping and fine dining, quite different from our previous experiences. (We didn't have time to investigate the beaches, but not our thing anyway.)
In almost all of our adventures we were accompanied by a driver and a guide. We have very little Spanish, but the guides spoke English, and all were super knowledgeable about birds and could identify them by their calls and spot them in the trees, as well as being knowledgeable about the local cultures and history. Though it is hard to single any out, Sergio Leones in Amazonia and Juan Camilo in the Coffee Region were truly outstanding, and we learned so much from them. But even the drivers seemed to have a great knowledge of their natural history and be able to spot the birds. Our small boat trip from Leticia to Punto Nariño to Leticia on our day of arrival was a fascinating adventure as our Spanish-only speaking boat driver made many stops to point out birds and other things along the way and we had a great time trying to communicate in hand waving, my tiny amount of Spanish, and an iPhone app.
Our accommodations were outstanding, although in Amazonia they were, as you would expect, a little less refined. All were beautiful and full of character. Particularly of note were Sazagua (in Pereira) and Sazagua Boutique (in Corcora), being beautiful and having great food, and our hotel in Cartagena.
Indeed, everywhere we went, the food was outstanding, and, as you would expect given our itinerary, of a great variety.
Did we feel safe in Colombia? Yes, certainly anywhere we went we had no concerns at all (although we were with guides most of the time). Indeed I found the Columbians we met to most generous, and, especially, to be extremely pleased to be able to share their beautiful country with us, along with its natural wonders.
Would we go back again? - YES. But, probably with a more relaxed schedule, doubling down on the things we liked the most, and with some new twist.
Last, but not least, many thanks to Margarita, our Kim-Kim local specialist, who suggested the itinerary, modified to our satisfaction, worked out all the details, hired the guides, made all the bookings, watched out for us throughput the trip, and was a model of efficiency and courtesy.

We had an amazing trip to Colombia! Setting up our trip was easy. KimKim asked about our likes/dislikes, how active we wanted to be, what places we didn't want to miss seeing etc all to set up the best vacation possible for us. We went to Bogota, Pereira and Cartagena and thoroughly enjoyed all 3 locations. In Bogota we did a city tour which included the Gold Museum (a must see) as well as the local market and Monserrate Hill. We also left the city and did some hiking so it felt like a good mix of time in the city as well as enjoying the natural beauty around the city. Our guide in Bogota, Oscar, was very helpful and informative. Periera was totally different. We were out in the beauty of the coffee region visiting small towns such as Finlandia and Salento. Going to the Corcora Valley and seeing the beautiful Wax Palms, Horseback riding and a Coffee Farm Visit. The only disappointment was due to fires we were not able to do the Los Frailes Hike but it certainly wasn't the fault of KimKim. The boutique hotel in Pereira , Hotel Sazagua, was just lovely. It was by far our favorite hotel. Our room was spacious with our own private patio/jacuzzi, the food at the hotel was great and the service top notch. Our guide in Pereira, Claudia, was also great. She was so knowledgable about the area she even gave us the coffee tour herself.
Cartagena was our third stop and it didn't disappoint. It was very hot but we managed to get some pool time in at our hotel as well as a full day at Tierra Bomba Island at the Makani Beach Club to cool off. The Makani Beach Club was fabulous. It had a beautiful pool, a restaurant, bar area as well as massage. We enjoyed all three. Due to the wind the boat ride back was very bumpy so if that is bothersome it might not be a good choice. I would also highly recommend the Mangrove Tour. It s a very beautiful area and we were able even able to catch a few blue crab on our tour! Again, our guides were very informative and knowledgable about the city and it's history.
We've had a lot of people ask us if we felt safe while in Colombia. Our answer is "Yes"! As long as you're smart about where you go on your own and are aware of your surroundings it is perfectly safe. Our guides were very helpful in giving us tips and guidance in this area for sure. The one thing that was surprising to us was how few people spoke any English. Our Spanish is extremely limited so without a guide I think it would have been difficult for us to navigate around the country. But thanks to KimKim and our guides this wasn't an issue at all. We would definitely recommend travel to Colombia!

Margarita and her team went above and beyond to ensure that we had a wonderful trip to Colombia. Thank you for taking such good care of us! Everyone we worked with was friendly, helpful and polite. I couldn't ask for more. Muchas gracias

Hotel Reviews

100 LUXURY SUITES

bogota

During my three-night stay at 100 LUXURY SUITES in Bogotá, I found the hotel to be excellent. The neighborhood was lovely, but it was a bit far from the downtown tourist areas, which was a minor inconvenience. The hotel itself was nice, although the distance from the main attractions was a small drawback. Overall, the experience was fabulous, and I would highly recommend this hotel.

Location

Staff

The Refuge at Río Claro Reserva Natural

Medellin

My one-night stay at The Refuge at Río Claro Reserva Natural had a few issues. It is an eco hotel with a low cost, but the staff seemed inexperienced and didn't provide the level of service we expected. The location was not ideal, and the accommodation could have been better. Despite these challenges, the staff was friendly, which was a plus.

Patio del Mundo

Medellín

I stayed at Patio del Mundo in Medellín for three nights and found the hotel to be fabulous. The location was perfect, the staff was very friendly and helpful, and the overall experience was excellent. I highly recommend this boutique hotel for anyone visiting Medellín.

Location

Staff

Rosario Del Mar by Tequendama

My one-night stay at Rosario Del Mar by Tequendama in the Rosario Islands was good overall. The accommodation was basic with no balcony or view, but the staff was extremely nice. The experience was decent, but not excellent due to the simplicity of the room.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Barú & the Rosario Islands

Colombia

The islands and the beach were great and the snorkeling was fun, but there wasn't so much to see underwater.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Valentina was great, good English, and informative. The boat driver and his son were delightful.

Transport

Our 14 day trip to Colombia was fantastic!
Michael helped us plan an awesome itinerary that was filled with adventure. Our local guides were so much fun to meet. Maylin in Bogotá was so kind and knowledgeable. We really did a lot in one day. Bogotá far exceeded my expectations! While in the Amazon, Yair showed us true adventures including monkeys, sloths, dolphins and even an anaconda!! Salento and the Cocora Valley was truly beautiful. Carlos knew a lot about the flora and fauna and was considerate in bringing me walking sticks! Tayrona National Park is really cool ( actually hot and humid!!), with monkeys, blue tailed lizards and toads. You can hear the howler monkeys as you trek through the jungle ...all pointed out by our kind and helpful guide, José. A refreshing swim in the Caribbean and then a beachside lunch is a wonderful way to cool off before the hike back. Jaime was our delightful guide around the Victoria Coffee farm and waterfalls. We also had a really good lunch with her.
Our driver for several occasions was Juan Carlos. He took us from the airport in Santa Marta to Tayrona to Minca and all around that area and then on a 4+ hour drive to Cartagena! He stopped for photos and brought us bottles of cold water! He drove very safe and we felt very secure on the very curvy mountain roads of Minca.
While seeing Cartagena, Evelyn, with her fun and spirited personality, took us around showing us history and where to find the best shopping and restaurants.
Our hotels were really nice. The drivers were on time and EVERYTHING went according to schedule. We could not have planned such a fantastic vacation on our own. We felt like VIPS and realized our private tours seemed to far surpass any of the others we saw or heard about. No regrets. A trip of a lifetime for sure! Thank you once again, Michael Gold!!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Muisca

Bogotá

Really unique. So old and interesting. Breakfast was good. Slightly noisy for sleep due to the way the hotel was set up. Still, we enjoyed it

Authenticity & Character

Super quaint, interesting architecture. Old-time European feeling.

Location

Great for sightseeing

Staff

Main reception was fine

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean, small rooms. Fine.

Waira Suites

Leticia

Clean, modern feel. Pools looked tempting, but we didn't have a chance to use them. Restaurant staff was fun and friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Nothing to be improved upon, just not super interesting

Location

Seemed very central for our needs. Easy access.

Staff

Friendly restaurant staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and fresh

La Ceiba Amazonas

Really rustic, but what would you expect in the Amazon?!

Authenticity & Character

Simple, rustic. Has what you need. Great private decks! Liked the communal meals to meet new people

Location

In MI aqua, an indigenous pueblo

Staff

Friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds, bath were fine.

Salento Plaza

Clean, delightful breakfasts

Authenticity & Character

Cute outdoor area with lots of plants, beautiful sunsets

Location

Near everything in town

Staff

Restaurant staff especially kind

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were nice, not so private as everyone can walk by and see right into your ( bed) room

Senda Koguiwa

Santa Marta

Absolutely beautiful! Awesome balcony! Awesome lobby and grounds, and pool. This was the highlight hotel of our trip. The little monkeys at breakfast were a fun surprise as well as walking along the river. Also swam in the pool, had cocktails and massages. Great!!

Authenticity & Character

Great

Location

Beautiful

Staff

Nice

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mundo Nuevo Eco Lodge

Santa Marta

The grounds her were beautiful. Our actual rooms were OK.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Beautiful

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were small, up a steep hill. Lots of rules. We wanted to dry our towels before travel the next day, but not allowed to.

Hotel Casa Tere

Cartagena

Mixed feelings here. Hotel has great potential with current downfalls such as poor breakfast choices and service. Room was small with 2 double beds. Did not look like the photo.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Good location

Staff

Restaurant staff person was very unhelpful and unattentive . Just poorly managed breakfast. Cheap pillows, blankets. We were fine, just seemed lacking compared to our other stays.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Could be improved if they tried.

Activity Reviews

Bogota's Essentials (City Tour & Monserrate)

Bogotá

Awesome, learned SO much from Maylin. She did a super job.

Quality of Experience

So many places covered in one day!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Well educated and spoke great English .

Transport

No issues

Flora & Fauna in the Amazon (4d/3n)

Leticia and Puerto Nariño

Our guide added specialists to each area, for example to the monkey/ primate trek; to the Sloth trek in Peru.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Got to see an anaconda!!

Transport

Cocora Valley & Salento

Colombia

I was glad I requested the hiking poles for this trek. It was so beautiful!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very careful drivers

Transport

Open Jeep Ride was really fun, especially to the coffee farm!

Coffee Farm Tour in Finca Buenos Aires

Salento

Very interesting, beautiful countryside. My favorite views of Colombia!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The driver from Peoria to Salento was not as friendly as most. From Salento to Peoria, REALLY FRIENDLY!

Transport

Hike Tayrona National Park

Tayrona National Park

Seeing the animals was awesome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jose and Jose were great!

Transport

Nature, Waterfalls & Coffee Farm in Minca

Colombia

Loved spending time with Jaime. She is a real gem!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jaime and Juan Carlos are so nice!

Transport

Juan is an excellent and very consciousness driver.

Cartagena City Tour

Cartagena

Fun time checking out the historical and current stats of the city.

Quality of Experience

Evelyn was fun and spirited! Great tips on shopping!

Quality of Experience

Evelyn was fun and spirited! Great tips on shopping!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Long drive from Minka to Cartagena. Interesting to see the non tourist cities.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Long drive from Minka to Cartagena. Interesting to see the non tourist cities.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Long drive from Minka to Cartagena. Interesting to see the non tourist cities.

Transport

Juan Carlos is a great driver.

Transport

Juan Carlos is a great driver.

Transport

Juan Carlos is a great driver.

Our time to Columbia was amazing. It was a last minute trip but Andrea was so great at putting it all together for us. She was able to switch hotels easily when the one we wanted was not available. Communication with her was fantastic and she is such a lovely person. She was a joy to work with!
Columbia is such a beautiful country with such interesting history and culture. Each destination had its own special appeal. The food was incredible, activities were fun, the people are so friendly and we never felt unsafe. Columbia is a must visit in South America.

Hotel Reviews

El Cielo Hotel

Medellin

Beautiful small hotel with incredible restaurant.

Authenticity & Character

Felt very inviting

Location

Walkable to nightlife area but could have been a little closer.

Staff

Staff was extremely nice

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bio Habitat Hotel

Quindío, Armenia

Unique and beautiful.

Authenticity & Character

Cool layout, fun vibe

Location

Great views with lush surroundings

Staff

Everyone was very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Pestagua Relais Châteaux

Cartagena de Indias

Such a beautiful hotel!

Authenticity & Character

So charming and beautifully decorated

Location

In the middle of town

Staff

Friendliest staff yet!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bed was amazingly comfortable

Hotel Punta Faro

Isla Mucura

Beautiful beach hotel in the middle of the Caribbean, like staying on a deserted island

Authenticity & Character

Felt very relaxing and low key

Location

Surrounded by beautiful Caribbean water

Staff

Staff was very nice but as a non-spanish speaking person it was a little difficult to communicate as none of the waitstaff spoke any English so at times they were a little hesitant to approach to us.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room is a little no frills. Service at beach was limited

Activity Reviews

Colorful Colombia: Hike to Guatapé Rock, Guatapé & Peñol-Guatape Reservoir

Colombia

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cocora’s Towering Giants, Acaime’s Flying Jewels & Salento’s Coffee-Scented Streets

Colombia

Not for the faint of heart. It was a very long hike but really beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coffee Farm Experience

Colombia

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

It took me a little while to get to writing this review, but this family trip remains vivid in all of our minds! I planned this quite last minute (my fault) but Margarita was able to put together a trip that we all loved. It felt very bespoke. Our local guides were lovely and knowledgeable. We also appreciated that some of the activities we did - jungle walks, horse-back riding, a farm and cooking class visit, a basket-weaving class, visiting Palenque, and a drum lesson - all felt like off-the-beaten path experiences. We prefer private experiences and that is what was delivered. The hotels were perfect for us, small and boutique (especially for such a last minute trip). Finally, one member of our party has celiac and needs a strictly gluten-free diet. margarita contacted every restaurant and notified them, making our dining experience truly a joy. I would definitely recommend Margarita to others (and, in fact, I have). Thank you for a lovely trip!