Kimkim Trip Reviews for Colombia

Margarita was excellent during the trip and made sure to check in every day to see how the tours were going. The team in Cartagena was excellent and made our stay very enjoyable. Luis really took care of us during the tour in the national aviary and the trip to the Rosario islands, and helped us admire the nature there with his knowledge of the local wildlife. They were also able to adapt when we had to change locations due to AC issues, which was a great help. Carolina was amazing during our time in San Andres and met with us on our arrival to go over the itinerary. She also made sure to meet with us every day before the boat trips to confirm the tours, guide us through the process, and recommend local restaurants with traditional food. Because of Margarita, we had a great time in the Caribbean region of Colombia and I will definitely want to return as soon as possible!

David was responsive and helped us craft a tour that was personalized for our interests. The trip offered excellent variation.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Casa Deco

Bogotá

The hotel is in a nice location. The rooms are attractive. The hotel is small so you feel more welcome and cared for as compared to large hotels. The problem was that the room faced a busy street. So, I was kept awake by roaring motorcycles, cars honking, people talking on the street... This particularly affects me because I am a light sleeper.

Waira Suites

Leticia

The Leticia hotel was nice. The food was good. We were only in the hotel one night and we left early in the morning so it is hard to say much about it. The Puerto Narino hotel was excellent. The breakfast was good. The location was good. The staff were friendly.

Hotel Akuamarina

Santa Marta

The room was fine. The breakfast was good. The location was a little ways away from the tourist area but it we could comfortably walk to the area. The location seemed like it was not entirely safe but that may just have been our imagination. The hotel does not look like much from the street. Nonetheless, there were no issues whatsoever.

Quetzal Dorado Ecolodge

Zaino

An absolutely beautiful hotel. The main area had a fabulous view. The rooms were gorgeous - totally unique from anything we have ever been to. The food was excellent.

Waira Selva Hotel

Puerto Narino

See the comments with the Waira Suites in Leticia.

Hotel Don Pedro De Heredia

Cartagena de Indias

The hotel has character. Our room was quiet but our friends were in a room that faced the street. The noise kept them awake. The staff were friendly and helpful. We did not eat breakfast at the hotel because our boat tour started too early. The breakfast they packed for us was good.

Activity Reviews

Fruits of Colombia Food Tour

Bogotá

Fabulous guide. She was informative, friendly, and helpful. We were surprised that there was so much to learn about the fruits (e.g., their benefits).

Bogota's Essentials (City Tour & Monserrate)

Bogotá

The guide was superb. She was informative, friendly, and helpful.

Leticia & Puerto Nariño (4 Days/3 Nights)

Leticia and Puerto Nariño

Being in the Amazon was an experience of a lifetime. Our guide was incredible.

Cartagena Bike Tour

Cartagena

Our friends went on this and said that it was excellent.

Walking tour in Cartagena's Historic Center

Cartagena

Our guide was very knowledgeable.

Rosario Islands Day Trip

Cartagena

Our friends went on this and had an excellent experience and said that the island was beautiful. My wife had food poisoning (likely from food eaten on the walking tour). So, we did not go on the tour.

Cartagena Street Food Tour

Cartagena

The food was tasty. The guide was knowledgeable. We were a little nervous about whether all of the street food was safe to eat or not. Nonetheless, there were no issues.

Overall we were very pleased with our trip to Colombia. The trip was well organized and balanced. In fact before the start I was a little worried, but it worked perfectly for us that out of 12 nights we spent three nights in each of four very different locations: Bogota, Pereira, Medellin and Cartagena. We definitely recommend this approach for first visit to Colombia.

Filipe and his team took care about every detail and all four local guides (David, Omar, Patricia and Sandra) were very knowledgeable and passionate about their country.

Fact is that we were quite lucky with the weather, but regardless of this we dare to say that going to Colombia in rainy season was the right decision and a great experience.

Wonderful vacation in Colombia!

Margoth made every effort to understand what we were looking for and did an amazing job planning out the itinerary in detail. I had a mix of phone/email interactions to finalize our plans.

We had a mix of city, culture and nature in Cartagena, Medellin and Bogota. Every local guide was knowledgeable and keen to ensure that we got the full experience. The drivers too were experienced and professional.

It was fun to go to the cooking class and rum tasting in Cartagena! They were quite different experiences.

Margoth and her colleagues made excellent restaurant recommendations and were super responsive to make changes.

This is my 4th trip with KimKim and it reaffirmed why I use them. They take away the stress of planning, safety, and dealing with situations on the ground. It allows us to really enjoy the local place, people and experiences.

I highly recommend Aracanto to plan your experience.

Hotel Reviews

Nacar Hotel Cartagena, Curio Collection by Hilton

Cartagena

The hotel was really nice, and the food was good. We had a great experience here.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Residence Inn Bogotá

Bogotá

The hotel was good, and the food was very good. I had a great experience here. The kitchen was a nice addition.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sites

Medellin

The hotel was fine and in a good location. The breakfast was meh. We ended up eating at the nice cafes next door. The washer/dryer upstairs was a bonus in the middle of the trip.

Authenticity & Character

Breakfast was mediocre; Limited choices, weak coffee in a country that is known for it's coffee.

Location

Safe and easy to walk around. Close to the nice restaurants.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Availability of Washer/Dryer

Activity Reviews

Half Day City Tour of Cartagena

Cartagena

The city tour was fantastic, and the local guides were absolutely amazing. I really enjoyed this experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

City Tour of Medellín (with Local Market and Comuna 13)

Medellín

The city tour was great, and the local guides were fantastic. I had a really good experience!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Highlights of Bogotá City Tour (with Gold Museum, Local Market and Monserrate Hill)

Bogotá

We had a great time on all of the city tours. The guides were very knowledgeable and friendly.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dinner Reservation at La Provincia

Medellín

The restaurant was lovely, but it would have been nicer to have more time there as our flight was delayed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dinner Reservation at Candé

Cartagena

Food was interesting.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Clean cars; Drivers on time and highly professional.

Rum Tasting with Chocolate Pairing

Cartagena

Fun activity! They offer 8 types of rum and some appetizers to go with it.

Quality of Experience

The person doing the tasting made it interesting and fun.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dinner Reservation at Alma

Cartagena

Great food!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Dinner Reservation at Mistura

Cartagena

Loved the food and vibe!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Mangrove Tour with Local Fisherman

Cartagena

Great experience to ride in the boat amidst the mangroves.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Cooking Class and Lunch

Cartagena

What a treat! We learnt a lot about Colombian food and preparation. We made the cocktails, starters, main course and dessert.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Dinner Reservation at OCI.Mde

Medellín

The food was fantastic! The drinks were really interesting!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guatape and El Peñol

Colombia

Great experience. Our guide Patricia was very resourceful in making changes on the fly to deal with the weather.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dinner Reservation at El Correo (Y Amada) Provenza

Medellín

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Usaquén and Guatavita Lake Tour

Bogotá

Great experience!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Driver had to drive patiently through slow moving traffic

Suggested Dinner at Artisanal Crepes & Waffles (Crepes & Waffles Artesano Rosales)

Bogotá

Nice, light food. Desserts were great.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Day Pass at Tierra Bomba Island at Makani Beach Club

Colombia

The beach club experience was really good. The warm, clear and best of all no rocks on the floor bed!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had such a wonderful trip to Colombia thanks to David and his team. We stayed 2 nights each in Bogota, Salento, Tayrona, and Medellin. We loved the diversity in experiences from cities and cultural tours to beaches, forests, and mountains. Overall, the service was great at all hotels. We always felt safe and really appreciated that there was always a driver waiting for us during airport transfers. The only thing we would change, if possible, would be to decrease the number of flights - have direct flights instead of connections. We've written about a few highlights of the trip below:

Bogota: 1) Fabiola greeted us warmly at the airport and showed us around the highlights in the city. In addition to the various tours she guided us on, she helped me get set up with a Colombian sim card. We enjoyed learning about the city from her and also practicing our Spanish with her. 2) Highly recommend the fruit tour. The guide, Maria, is exceptionally knowledgeable about everything in the market. We loved her passion for biodiversity and our immersive experience learning about the different species of fruits. 3) We enjoyed the hike in Chingaza for beautiful plants, flowers, and landscapes, It was very muddy and rainy, which was actually a fun challenge for us!

Salento: We loved our hotel. The views were beautiful and the food was delicious. Our tour guide, Carlos, gave us a wonderful tour of the Cocora Valley, pointing out many birds and giving explanations of the plants. He showed us his family's work-in-progress DIY infusion cafe and created a delicious tea for us with herbs grown in the garden.

Tayrona: Hotel had amazing food and we enjoyed hanging out by the pool after hiking in Tayrona Park. We were happy to pick mangos from the hotel garden and eat them for dessert.

Medellin: Sebastian led us on a wonderful "transformation" tour of Medellin. We learned so much from him on the history and culture of Medellin. Highly recommend him as a guide for anyone visiting Medellin.

Activity Reviews

Fruits of Colombia Food Tour

Bogotá

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Big Bogotá City Tour

Bogotá

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Hike in Chingaza National Park

Bogotá

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour to Salento & the Cocora Valley

Salento

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coffee Farm Tour in Finca El Ocaso

Salento

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour Peñol & Guatapé

Medellín

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Medellín Transformation Tour

Medellín

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Michael was very helpful in putting our trip together and taking into account our interests. Everything worked out well. We had great guides in Bogota (Alexander who was incredibly knowledgeable) and in Medellin (Froi was a very interesting person to talk with as he was very knowledgable about Colombia's history and nature). We also had a great birdwatching walk outside Medellin with Rafa, whose enthusiasm for and knowledge of birds was wonderful! We enjoyed our trip out to Jardin as well.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Boutique Casa Passiflora

Jardín

This hotel had charm and was clean and lovely. The hotel did all they could to look after us, including leaving treats in the room and bringing us a beer in the hot tub!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Legado

Bogota

Really lovely place to stay in Bogota. The staff were helpful. The breakfast was very good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

El Cielo Hotel

Medellin

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

El Despertar

Jerico

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Patio del Mundo

Medellín

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room smelt of damp

Activity Reviews

Bogota Highlights Tour

Bogotá

Alexander was a very knowledgable, interesting guide

Quality of Experience

Alexander had us try all the fruit and other food in the market

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Really nice, really interesting

Transport

Nice people

Jardín: Coffee Village Tradition

Jardín

Nice tour, but not sure we needed a tour guide for Jardin. Paola was nice and knowledgable and we appreciated that she pointed out bird sanctuary. Wish she would have also told us about walk up into hills of Jardin.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Could provide water? Basic cab. Seemed a little speedy, but I guess that is good in the mountains. Seemed safe enough.

Cultural Heritage: Jericó - Chapels, Arts & Crafts

Colombia

Don't think a tour guide is necessary as there isn't much to see in Jerico besides the town itself.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very nice guide, but maybe should consider things to do outside the town and limit the time in the museum.

Transport

Ecological Walk - "La Miel" Waterfall

Medellín

I believe our initial walk had to be canceled do to flooding. The replacement walk was very difficult and the park guide did not know much about nature.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

From was great, but park guide did not know much

Transport

Martin was very nice

Daytrip: Silletera Culture in Santa Elena & La Piedra de Guatapé

Medellín

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Birdwatching in the Natural Reserve "La Romera"

Medellín

Quality of Experience

Food

Maybe should choose a more interesting place to have lunch.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Rafa is a great bird guide. Very knowledgable

Transport

Nightlife Experience: Medellín Tango Culture

Medellín

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Medellín Transformation Tour

Medellín

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Streetfood & Market Experience

Medellín

Quality of Experience

Don't think this tour works really. Went to 2 stands to eat and that was about it. Not really worth it.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Michael from Chaska tours proposed an excellent itinerary and was attentive to our wishes and needs during the planning phase, and was very patient with our endless questions. When our arrival flight was delayed by a day, Michael rescheduled our affected tours more than once providing us peace of mind during airport chaos. When one service didn't work out as planned, Michael promptly arranged a refund. We truly enjoyed the personal and in-depth experience of all the tours and transportation.
Our tour guides Jauren, Joker, Sandra, and Jamie were fabulous and spoke good English. It was amazing to tour a coffee farm with a 5th generation local who grew up and worked there. Touring through the forest and archaeological site by someone who is clearly committed to the preservation of native fauna, flora and peoples was captivating even for the teenagers in our group. I can't say enough about this service and our visit to the country of Colombia. Cartagena is historic and charming, the area around Tayrona Park is beautiful. Hotels were clean and comfortable, the food was delicious and not expensive. The people we met were gracious and welcoming. Everything about our trip went great and we're looking forward to using this service to plan our next family vacation!

Hotel Reviews

Casa La Fe

Cartagena de Indias

We had adjoining family rooms on the street side with balconies. These are fabulous rooms. The breakfast was made to order from a menu with many selections. The rooftop pool and bar are fun, the views delightful. Many nearby restaurants to choose from. The staff was helpful and wonderful. Would totally stay at this hotel again!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Senda Watapuy

Santa Marta

Wonderful resort style hotel in a natural setting. You can walk to Tayrona Park from here. The staff is helpful, the restaurant is great. The cabins are peaceful and large. Book it!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel El Prado

Barranquilla

It's an older hotel, very large, historic. Staff was very helpful. The breakfast was spectacular.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Cartagena Street Food Tour

Cartagena

Our guide Joker was funny and great! Food was excellent, it was fun to walk to various parts of the old city to try different things.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

N/A really - we were walking :)

What an amazing week!

Margoth helped us put together a fantastic, varied 8-day sampling of Colombia, starting in Bogotá and the surrounding Andean Highlands, making a quick detour to the Coffee Region, and ending with some (relatively) relaxed days on the Caribbean Coast.

We really enjoyed all the different experiences, from the unique, remote, soaking wet landscape of the páramos, to the hot, bustling streets of Cartagena, and ending with a blissful day on Isla Barú.

We had Byron as our guide for our first four days, touring Bogotá and the surrounding area. He was absolutely brilliant — knowledgeable, friendly, and professional from the first minute to the last.

Our favorite excursion was the Chorrera waterfall hike, a fun adventure with Byron which took us through some of the most beautiful countryside we have ever seen.

The cooking class at Sazagua was also wonderful, even though by that time we were exhausted -- the chef was quite the character, and kept us laughing as we made some delicious food which I will be attempting to recreate at home!

The rum tasting in Cartagena was a really fun way to start off the more relaxing third of our trip, and the tropical fruit tasting also surpassed our expectations. I have a lot of allergies, and was worried that I wouldn’t be able to participate very much, but with Margoth’s help, the staff at Oh La La went way out of their way to accommodate me and make things fun for both of us.

Our guides in the Coffee Region and in Cartagena were also competent and professional, if less fantastic than Byron. In particular, our Coffee Region guide was quite negative about the Cocora Valley, and while we were interested and saddened to learn that most of the famous wax palms are slowly dying (and cannot be replaced due to the removal of the surrounding forest to make way for agriculture), his overall disparagement of tourism in the area was depressing, surprising to hear from a tour guide, and even seemed hypocritical considering that he was contributing to erosion in the park by walking on the grassy slopes instead of the step paths. He did perk up some while showing us Filandia and teaching us about the local coffee, which are clearly his preferred activities.

Our drivers throughout the trip were all skillful and professional, and most were also very friendly, sometimes feeling like extra guides. I especially enjoyed chatting with Alexander in the Coffee Region, Johannis (sp? Our driver to Chingaza), and the driver who took us to our hotel in Cartagena (whoops, forgot his name), and we were impressed with the way Edwin skillfully handled some mechanical problems on the way back from Chorrera.

We were initially a bit nervous to travel to Colombia after growing up hearing bad things in the news, which was part of the reason we decided to use a tour company, even though I am usually an independent traveler. In the end we felt safe throughout the trip and it went very well, but when a few things did go wrong (a bit of altitude sickness, the aforementioned car trouble), Margoth and her team were so responsive and got things right back on track. We felt very taken care of and were able to spend our time enjoying instead of stressing or worrying about details. I am now considering going through Kimkim again for future trips.

We were very impressed with Colombia as a country and with Aracanto as a tour company, and would highly recommend both to anyone looking for a South American adventure.

Hotel Reviews

Residence Inn Bogotá

Bogotá

Great place to ‘land’ in Colombia. The rooms were spacious and the breakfast was awesome.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The breakfast staff was great.

Cleanliness & Comfort

I loved the spacious, well laid out room.

Hotel Boutique Sazagua

Pereira

Really lovely hotel. We loved our cooking class and watching the birds at breakfast. This wouldn’t be the best place to stay for someone afraid of dogs, as several (big, friendly) live on site… then again, Colombia wouldn’t be the best country for someone afraid of dogs.

Authenticity & Character

Felt family run and friendly

Location

Near the airport

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Great showers

Sofitel Baru Calablanca

Cartagena

Lovely beach resort. The swimming area is a bit small and they close both the beach and the pools right at sunset, a bit early for my taste. It can be a bit of a hike from your room to the lobby and restaurants, but for check in and check out they bring you and your luggage on a golf cart.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Boutique las Carretas

Cartagena de Indias, Bolívar

This was a great find, with a fantastic location, a small pool, a great breakfast, etc — and the staff were so helpful and kind (when my friend wasn’t feeling well one morning, they made her a special soup for breakfast!) Excellent experience and value, but I do recommend bringing earplugs as it got a bit noisy at night.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Dinner Reservation at Harry Sasson

Bogotá

Quality of Experience

Excellent tomato soup

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Colombia!

Colombia

Very smooth pick up at the airport and drop off at the hotel

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Zipaquirá Salt Cathedral and Guatavita Lake Tour

Bogotá

We loved this tour for our first day in Colombia. There was a fair amount of driving, but we enjoyed seeing the countryside along the way. During the short hike to the lake we learned a lot about the Muisca people, the history of exploitation by Europeans, and the local plants. Our guide Byron was knowledgeable about everything! We had a quick lunch at a local bakery, and then it was off to Zipaquirá Salt Cathedral, which was really unique and cool. I was astonished to learn that it is still a working salt mine in addition to an active church!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Usaquén Stop with transportation and Chocolate Workshop

Bogotá

This was a lovely way to spend our morning in Bogotá. Usaquén is a cute area and we quite enjoyed shopping at the flea market, though I could have spent even more time there. At the chocolate tasting, we learned a lot about how chocolate is made and how the terrain and the process contribute to its flavor profile. I also got to try the famous local snack of chocolate and cheese!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day City Tour of Bogotá

Bogotá

We saw the highlights of the Gold Museum and explored the pretty neighborhood of Candelaria and busy Bolivar Square. Our guide, Byron, was very knowledgeable. Unfortunately, because of spending the morning in Usaquén, we were a bit rushed and did not have time to go up to Monserrate, but the weather was not great for a view anyway.

Quality of Experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transport

Dinner Reservation at El Cielo - Please confirm on your side

Colombia

It was a lovely and special meal, but not the best I have experienced… mostly because the pacing was a little off especially at the beginning (three times, we had just put the food in our mouths, with no chance to savor or discuss it, and they were already whisking it away and describing the next thing… and yet the whole experience still took over two hours). The reservation process was also rather bizarre, and they didn’t seem to understand the recommended procedure of calling a cab for us (eventually, and awkwardly, they called us an Uber). Still, I very much enjoyed washing my hands with chocolate and watching the flaming brandy at the next table over, and several of the courses were both creative and uniquely delicious.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chingaza Natural National Park Tour

Bogotá

It was very cool to learn about and see this unique landscape. The drive there and back through the countryside was also beautiful. I appreciated how the team stopped whenever I wanted to take a closer look or a picture of a roadside shrine, abandoned factory, or tiny calf. If you are on the fence about which excursion(s) to take from Bogotá, I would prioritize Chorrera and Guatavita over this one (especially because you can see a little bit of the páramo landscape on those tours as well), but if you have time, it is great to see these Andean wetlands and the unique forms of vegetation that thrive here.

Quality of Experience

Food

It was a picnic lunch with simple sandwiches, but I enjoyed going to a supermarket to buy the ingredients, and the chicharrones and guava candies gave it a local touch.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chorrera Park with Waterfall

Bogotá

This was our single favorite excursion during our trip to Colombia. The countryside was beautiful from the car and the hike, and the waterfalls themselves were spectacular. You get to go behind Chiflón, and close enough to Chorrera to feel the mighty, wet wind blowing from the cascade.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cocora Valley, Salento, and Filandia Coffee Town

Colombia

The sites were beautiful, but this wasn't the best experience of the trip, partially because we were exhausted, partially because the trip was a little rushed due to delays after our plane came in late the night before, and partly because our guide wasn't very excited about Cocora Valley -- it's clear he goes there too often and thinks tourism is having a detrimental effect on the local nature, which we can understand, but it was a bit of a bummer especially when we were quite tired. The towns were very cute and we loved the overlook from Filandia.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Cooking Class and Dinner

Colombia

This was really fun. We were worried about cooking since we were tired after five busy days of touristing, but the chef kept us laughing the whole time. The dish we made was a delicious chicken dish somewhere between a risotto and a curry. I will definitely be making it again at home with the recipe, spices, and pot we were gifted!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Rum Tasting with Chocolate Pairing

Cartagena

A fantastic start to our time in Cartagena. We got to try 8 very different rums, and the bartender was very friendly.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Dinner Reservation at Candé

Cartagena

This is a very lively restaurant with live performances. The food was very good as well. It was on the louder side for my taste and was a bit of a confusing wait to get drinks and seats.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Walking tour Cartagena with Fruit Tasting

Cartagena

Nice informative walking tour of the old town, I learned a lot about the history of the area and the meaning of the knockers on the doors. It was super hot up on the old city walls, so we stopped for refreshments before continuing to the fruit tasting. I was worried I wouldn't be able to participate much in the fruit tasting due to my allergies, but they went above and beyond to accommodate me. I enjoyed it much more than I expected to due to the friendly staff and the experience of seeing and tasting so many different things. The last part of the tour took us through some of the street art of Getsemani, which was also cool to see.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

My guide Oscar and driver Sandro in Bogotá were outstanding; they were always on time, as well as being patient, enthusiastic, kind, funny, interesting and willing to indulge my off-the-beaten track requests. They made me want to see more of Colombia and are full of suggestions for my next trip.

Great experience working with and booking through KimKim! Excellent platform for connections to and interactions with local tour providers. Just returned from a week in Colombia organized by Aracanto Colombia through KimKim. Review of the experience below:
I am not prone to superlatives or hyperbole. However, I would be horribly remiss if I were to not use them to describe the service my we have received thus far from Felipe Rico, Margoth Rico, and team at Aracanto. Woefully insufficient number of stars available to grade their service!
We are in the second half of our tour of Colombia and it has been nothing short of exceptional! We travel a lot the world over, and Aracanto are hands-down among the best travel curators we have worked with! Right from the get-go, our connection with Felipe Rico was very comfortable - he was calm, understanding, very responsive and friendly, and curated a superb private tour itinerary for us, spanning sights in and around Medellin and Cartagena. As advertised, Felipe, Margoth, and team are passionate, care deeply about showing off their country and are equally, if not more, solicitous of their customers’ needs and desires. They hooked us up with superb lodging (the Patio del Mundo boutique hotel in Medellin was a magical tropical bungalow/paradise - great service, exceptional lodgings, the lovely welcome gift awaiting us at the hotel was a thoughtful surprise; Nacar Hotel Curio Collection by Hilton, is equally unique, in the walled old city in Cartagena - superb location) and equally superb guides in each city - Andres Jimenez in Medellin, a knowledgeable and passionate young man (a well-traveled, multilingual (Spanish/English/Portuguese) Chemical Engineer by education and experience, turned expert travel guide) who became a friend; and Isaac Francis in Cartagena, equally competent and friendly!
Felipe, Margoth, and team have been exceptionally organized, superbly responsive to our myriad queries, and keenly attuned to our tastes and preferences. In an instance where a certain planned event did not occur due to a miscommunication by the event owner, they promptly refunded that portion of the cost - no questions asked!
The restaurants they chose for us, the visits to picturesque/colorful Guatape and El Peñol near Medellin, to rum and chocolate tasting at the Arsenal of Rum, and cooking with Caro (owner-chef at Oh La La Bistro - see separate review), both in the Getesmani, neighborhood of Cartagena, to a resort/beach excursion at Isla Bomba tomorrow …each better than the other! Thank you, Felipe, Margoth and the rest of the Aracanto team for making our first visit to Colombia a memorable one!
Did I say I was not given to superlatives/hyperbole?? Oh, what the heck!!

Hotel Reviews

Patio del Mundo

Medellín

Lovely boutique hotel in the leafy/hilly/safe El Poblado neighborhood of Medellin. Spans two bungalows that are beautifully repurposed to serve as a boutique hotel. Incredible tropical foliage and local handicraft decor woven into the common areas - very welcoming, inviting, refreshing. The owner, Agnes(?) has fantastic taste - ably supported by dedicated staff who are eager to please. Service and breakfast were superb…rooms are elegantly appointed, shower areas have colorful local tiling with a great touch - plants/foliage inside the shower enclosure. Only regret - spent too little time at this location. Plan to return, however. Kudos to Andres/Isabel/Erica/Laura/Housekeeping, for taking good care of us!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Located in El Poblado - a leafy/hilly/safe area, of Medellin. Proximate to wonderful restaurants.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nacar Hotel Cartagena, Curio Collection by Hilton

Cartagena

Lovely Hilton hotel in their Curio Collection, located near the sea wall and within the old walled city of Cartegena. Large, well-appointed rooms with typical Hilton amenities - clean rooms, comfortable beds, good toiletries, great shower pressure and drainage! On-site Uma Restaurant provides excellent local and western breakfast and local delicacies for lunch and dinner. Great staff -eager to please. Only downsides: a) Hardly any of the staff speaks English, despite the town and hotel hosting significant numbers of tourists from English-speaking countries. Made communication very difficult - combo of our elementary Spanish and the staff’s equally elementary English. b) We were located on the 3rd floor - directly below the 4th floor bar/club, Gets extremely noisy with staff dragging furniture etc during off times and loud thumping reggaeton and other club music well into the night on weekends! Made sleeping rather difficult!

Authenticity & Character

Located in an in-character building, within the walled city.

Location

Inside walled city, proximate to shopping, sites, restaurants.

Staff

Excellent staff - eager to please; however, lack of English-speaking ability was a severe constraint for us. If you are planning to stay here, beef up on your Spanish!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Superb cleanliness and in-room amenities. Typical Hilton standards

Activity Reviews

Welcome to Colombia!

Colombia

All of transfers were flawless including the one from to and from the airport!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dinner Reservation at El Correo (Y Amada) Provenza

Medellín

We enjoyed the dinner reservations made by the travel specialist, particularly our meal at El Correo in Medellin. It was a very nice and fancy restaurant, and the food was good. However, after trying a few Colombian dishes, we decided to explore different cuisines and found our own dining spots. We appreciated the flexibility provided by the travel specialist and the curated restaurant recommendations.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

City Tour of Medellín (with Local Market and Comuna 13)

Medellín

Our guide was knowledgeable and friendly. You can tell the people here are very passionate about their country and have a lot of pride.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guatape and El Peñol Tour & Airport Transfer: {{start_location}} to {{end_location}}

Colombia

Once again we had a flawless experience with transfers and transportation, the vehicles were nice, and the staff provided excellent service.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walking Tour of Cartagena Old City

Colombia

The guide Andres was phenomenal, the first half of the tour was wonderful, but the second half of the walking tour was more shopping. We wish they separated the shopping from the tour or let us know to come back to the shopping later, as we felt a bit rushed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rum Tasting with Chocolate Pairing

Cartagena

We had a phenomenal experience at the rum tasting, which included a chocolate pairing, and the local staff was very knowledgeable and attentive.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Cooking Class and Lunch (with Bazurto Market)

Cartagena

We enjoyed the cooking class with Carlina, at her restaurant, which provided a unique and enjoyable experience. We got to walk around the market beforehand with her and then she even walked us to our next tour afterwards.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Traditional Colombian Coffee Tasting

Cartagena

The coffee-tasting experience was disappointing as the host was not prepared for our arrival, causing us to cancel the activity. We appreciated our specialist, Felipe, who took care of the cancellation.

Day Pass at Tierra Bomba Island at Makani Beach Club - Pool Lounge Chairs Reserved

Colombia

We found the beach club pool lounge experience to be decent but not something we would necessarily repeat, we were glad we did it but we prefer more active and cultural activities. We also felt like the poolside lounge chairs were a bit expensive. We would recommend waiting until you arrive to book the chairs.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excellent overall, guides were knowledgeable, professional, helpful. Suggestions for sights, tours and restaurants were excellent. We felt very safe with our guide.

Activity Reviews

Birdwatching in the Natural Reserve "La Romera"

Medellín

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Medellín Transformation Tour

Medellín

Quality of Experience

I

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

City Tour Medellín

Medellín

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guatapé Day-Trip

Colombia

My favorite part of the trip

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a wonderful itinerary planned, and it was wonderful not to have to worry about anything in a a foreign place-- drivers and guides showed up as scheduled and took care of everything. Plus, it was great to have a personal touch as we learned about the culture and history. We especially liked our driver Harold in/near Cartagena and our guide Diva in Tyrona National Park and Minca. Diva had so much information to share-- about the plants and animals we saw on hikes, about the history of the region, and stories about the people who lived there and we saw on the way.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Casa Tere

Cartagena

Authenticity & Character

Location

on a picturesque street in Getsamani, easy to walk to Old City

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Cocoliso Island Resort

Rosario Islands

The grounds were beautiful. It felt like it was designed to impress the day visitors, as the hotel rooms were very basic. It may be that the older rooms and the lack of water pressure and heated water is normal in this island setting.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful grounds

Location

Beautiful views, nice grounds

Staff

The main staff were not very helpful, or took a long time to help. The support staff were very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

The common grounds were beautiful, but the private rooms were very basic. The bathrooms looked very old, and there was minimal water pressure (trickle is the best we got) and there was no hot water

Ecohabs Los Naranjos

Unbelieveable, private views in the middle of a stunning national park. The accommodations were pretty nice despite the rustic setting.

Authenticity & Character

individual ecohabs were designed to look like the homes of the people native to the area

Location

Amazing views, location inside the National Park (since it takes a lot of time to enter the park and get to the views)

Staff

Gustavo went out of the way to help us out when I needed to go back to the park gate to pay some admission fees

Cleanliness & Comfort

GHL Hotel Armería Real

Cartagena

Felt luxurious and modern On the edge of Getsamani

Authenticity & Character

Location

on the edge of Getsamani, needed to walk a bit to get to the main areas of interest However, had a great view of the Fort

Staff

We had some fresh fruit we wanted to eat, and the staff sliced it for us.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Boquilla Mangrove Tour

Cartagena

Nice to learn about an area separate from the big city. The best part was that not only did we get to see the fishermen cast their nets, we got to do it as well

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cartagena Bike Tour

Cartagena

quick way to see much of the Old City and Getsamani, but since those areas are small you can explore it by foot as well. Plus, some of the small and/or crowded roads are hard to navigate on bicycles

Hike Tayrona National Park

Tayrona National Park

So beautiful!!

Coffee Farm & Village Tour

Minca

Coffee tour was very informative. Minca falls were beautiful and refreshing

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Diva was an amazing, friendly, informative guide. She even bought us some mangoes after learning we liked them

11 day trip to Medellin, Pereira and Cartagena. The experience was wonderful. Wendy was extremely helpful and accommodating during the planning and in our communications while we were traveling. All of our guides were amazing! Lina in Medellin was so engaging and excited about us learning all about her city; she was so great with our 2 children, making the experience fun for them too! Natalia, in Pereira, was prompt and easy going for our relaxing time in the coffee region. Our private horseback riding tour at La Maria was an experience we will never forget! What a view! And Carolina in Cartagena was diligent in making sure we saw and tried everything the city had to offer. This was our first experience with Kimkim so we did not know what to expect; the experience was seamless! All of the transfers were waiting for us and there was never a single issue; everyone was so accommodating and cheerful. Thank you for our awesome family vacation!

Wendy, our local operator, planned the entire trip flawlessly and made sure to stay in touch with us before, during, and after our visit to ensure our well-being. The guides, who were all exceptional, showed great flexibility and knowledge. Luis gave us a wonderful tour of Bogota, while Juan led us through Leticia and the Amazonas, preparing us well for hikes in the rainforest and going above and beyond to ensure our enjoyment. Our visit to Colombia was unforgettable, and we are grateful to Wendy, Luis, Juan, and the local guides in the forest for creating such wonderful memories.

We had a great time and would never have been able to plan this trip ourselves. Margoth was helpful and friendly helping us iterate through trip plans. The spacing of everything was great - we were never rushed for time or wishing we were busier. Every tour guide we had was excellent (we had 3). Overall great experience.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Boutique Sazagua

Pereira

Loved staying here. A lot of the reviews called it “magical” and that’s a good description. The hotel feeds the birds in the morning, and we loved watching them during breakfast. We had a cooking class with Juan Pablo and he was great.

Authenticity & Character

Felt like staying in someone’s house

Location

Staff

Very friendly and helpful staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Artisan D.C. Hotel, Autograph Collection

Bogotá

Convenient location, nice room, huge breakfast, friendly staff

Authenticity & Character

Location

Convenient location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Felt very clean

Hotel Capellan de Getsemani

Cartagena de Indias

Beautiful hotel but difficulty with hot water.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The staff here was amazing

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Half Day City Tour of Cartagena

Cartagena

The best tour guide! Amaro (I hope I’m spelling that right) is world class. Friendly, knowledgeable, and clearly well liked around town

Quality of Experience

Definitely our tour guide

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All great drivers

Cocora Valley,  Salento, & Coffee Farm Visit

Colombia

Fantastic hike, fun coffee farm visit

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Natalia was awesome, all the drivers were friendly

Transport

Great drivers

Half Day City Tour of Bogotá

Bogotá

Great tour with Oscar. Really knowledgeable and friendly guy. We appreciated his company and flexibility

Quality of Experience

Tour guide was great

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Micahel was very knowledgable, patient and attentive. Did a nice job.

Hotel Reviews

Sofitel Bogota Victoria Regia

Bogotá

Hotel Park 10

Medellin

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Kartaxa Cartagena

Cartagena

This was more like a 3 star hotel. Good location, but few amenities and felt low budget. You could not drink the water in your room - you had to get drinking water from a dispenser in the hallway. No elevator for bags. Not luxe by any means.

Activity Reviews

Medellín Transformation Tour

Medellín

Did not really enjoy the content much.

Peñol Boulder & Guatapé Boat Trip

Medellín

Guide and driver were excellent. The road is down to one lane and so we sat in the hot car stopped in traffic for an hour or more both ways.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Coffee-Culture Tour

Medellín

Guide and location were excellent. This was much enjoyed and surprisingly close to hotel.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boquilla Mangrove Tour

Cartagena

Did not enjoy this. Do not enjoy social justice warrior themed tours. Guide was very knowledgable and friendly - just did not enjoy the content.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coconut Workshop

Cartagena

Some liked this and some did not. Its jewelry making and that should be more clear in the description. And I would skip the social justice sermon.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rosario Islands Day Trip

Cartagena

Not luxe. Bug bites. Not great.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overall we enjoyed the trip thoroughly. ALL the staff including Wendy, Andrea, Andreas, Martin, and, everyone were knowledgeable, kind, caring and very attentive to our special needs. Aside from the physical strains of walking hills where unavoidable, we have no complaints. The hotel in Bogota (Sofitel) was a gem and we loved it. However, the same cannot be said for Park 10 (Medellin). This was one of the WORST places I have ever stayed. It was exactly the opposite of what we had requested. These people were very kind and tried to help, but have no idea how to operate a hotel. We had NO hot water most of the time, no one could adjust the A/C so that we were not cold all the time, no one could get the TV (Direct TV) to produce anything but Spanish speaking channels, numerous technical issues which never were resolved, etc. The original hotel would have been great except the brochure does not mention that most rooms could only be accessed by long, steep, dangerous stairways with no railings. When none of the rooms we were supposed to get were available they were of no help in accommodating us. Really ruined a good part of our stay in Medellin.
So after this long litany of complaints, let me conclude by thanking your entire organization for providing us with a wonderful memory of our anniversary in your beautiful country, with its kind people and welcoming spirit.

Amazing service, well thought out itineraries, great bus drivers and amazing local guide in Medellin! Thank you so much!!!

Margarita was a wonderful communicator and thoughtful travel coordinator, visiting us during two stops in the Bogota airport. All of the guides were kind, informed and prompt, making our trip seamless and easy (even with 5 children ages 1-8 included in our group). Lee in Medellin was especially wonderful, teaching us a lot of the Colombian culture and landscape. We can’t wait to use KimKim again for our travel planning!

Great experience with Kimkim and local team.

I booked a 10 day trip to Columbia in a hurry just two weeks before departure. This was my first time using KimKim and I will use them again! They connected me to a local agency in Columbia, which is exactly what I wanted. Michael and the team at Chaska put together a great tour, everything was pretty much as expected in terms of hotels, local guides, etc. They booked everything from hotels, to local guides, airport transfers, and more. My local guide in the Amazon (Juan) was perhaps the best guide I have ever had in years of travel to 40 countries. He was extremely knowledgeable and helped tailor our time to fit my specific ideas.

One thing I did not realize when first using Kimkim and Chaska is how easy it would be to stay in communication with them via WhatsApp, which was super helpful. You might pay a little more using an agency, but it was so worth it - I will do it again. It was wonderful to show up and know everything was taken care of.

I highly recommend Chaska tours in Columbia and KimKim for connecting me with them!