Kimkim Trip Reviews for Colombia

Margarita put together a 12-day trip that concentrated on the interior and by my choice, no coastal areas. Two full days was enough for the highlights of Bogota and surroundings. Two and one-half days covered the main features of La Macarena, an amazing place well worth the struggle with heat and humidity. Don't sell yourself short on Medellin. I used all of my five days and was taken to something new each day. Make Comuna 3 your priority, and not Comuna 13. Too crowded and no longer genuine. Margarita and her agency provided what was probably the most detailed and personalized service I have received from any tour agency. Two thumbs up!!

This trip, thanks to the planning and recommendations from our KimKim coordinator David, exceeded all expectations. I traveled with close friends to several cities in Colombia. Though we have all traveled together before, we weren't as familiar with the highlights in the country and were grateful for a (few) draft itinerary from David, who helped us plan the trip of our dreams. Every activity and guide were incredible, with unexpected additions. For example, we signed up for a rum tour in Cartagena, and received a personalized experience with a wonderful guide Cami, who was an expert in rum, and the extra perk that it included chocolate pairings, with chocolate made in house. Other wonderful guides included Sarah, who showed us around the central market in Bogota and shared the bountiful fruits of Colombia with us; Jorge, who spent much of Cartagena with us, going above and beyond to help us understand the vibrant city on foot and by bike; and Gloria, who demonstrated our cooking class and gave us the best meal of the whole trip. We left with a rich knowledge of the country and a thirst to learn more about the history and the language. We will absolutely be recommending KimKim to friends and family!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Don Pedro De Heredia

Cartagena de Indias

This beautiful hotel was perfect for our multi-night stay in Cartagena. We visited the pool everyday, to escape the heat, and the rooftop everynight, to unwind before bed and recount our packed days of exploring. The complimentary breakfast always provided hot coffee and the fuel we needed for our travel.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful floorplan overlooking the pool

Location

Nearby the night life of Cartagena with a great view of the streets and cathedrals from the roof

Staff

Lovely staff who helped give us dinner recommendations

Cleanliness & Comfort

The AC broke in both rooms we had but the staff was quick to fix it. A broken window also caused us some discomfort, as a mosquito gave us a visit in our room one night.

Hotel Islabela

Such a great experience and way to see the Rosario Islands. Staff was very kind and attentive. On site animals entertained us, including island dogs, cats, and chickens. All of the outings were worth the added expenses.

Authenticity & Character

Wish I could give more than 5 stars for character!

Location

Staff

Thank you to David and Chris for all of your help and for welcoming us!

Cleanliness & Comfort

It was hard getting used to the lack of AC in the bungalows but the fans helped alot. The outdoor showers were so beautiful and the staff worked hard to keep the common areas (beachside and dining area) clean.

Activity Reviews

Cartagena Bike Tour

Cartagena

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fruits of Colombia Food Tour + Gourmet Coffee Tasting

Bogotá

Our guide Sarah made this one of the most special tours we went on! The fruits were all so fresh and we carried her wise words home with us. We also loved the coffee tasting, we learned so much from the lovely staff at the cafe.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cartagena Street Food Tour

Cartagena

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chocolate & Rum Tasting

Cartagena

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Market Visit & Cooking Class

Cartagena

This was such an incredible experience! It was great to pick out our ingredients and learn how to make some classic Colombia staples (patacones, ceviche, coconut rice, juice). Gloria was an amazing chef and teacher

Quality of Experience

Food

Best of the trip!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We worked with Michael through Kim Kim to plan a 15 day trip to Colombia with our family and we had a wonderful time! As we were travelling with three young kids (all 6 and under) we found Michael to be very receptive and attentive to modifying our itinerary as needed to make our travels as smooth as possible. He planned an excellent trip allowing us to hit many highlights including Solento and the Corcora Valley, Medellin and Guatape, Tayrona, Minca, Cartagena, and Isla Murcura! We appreciated his honest advice for locations to arrange booked tours (as this is not something we usually do). The guides we had were fabulous and very helpful to have as we found English was often quite limited. Jose, Andreas, Rosa and Fabiola were wonderful to meet and very warm and welcoming. We had very smooth transportation and Michael went above and beyond to arrange to carseats for the kids which are very hard to find in Colombia. Our accommodations were comfortable and often very spacious for a family of 5! Another highlight for the very end of our trip was a communal meal in Bogota with 321 Colombia where we had a delicious dining experience to try an array of local dishes. Throughout our trip Michael was always available and helpful and able to answer questions which came up! This was our second experience travelling with Kim Kim and we were very impressed again!

Hotel Review

Sites

Medellin

We only stayed two nights but this was our favourite hotel in Columbia! It has a beautiful lobby that makes you feel like you are in a library, refreshing drinks for the hot weather, spacious and comfortable rooms, complementary laundry and a rooftop pool! Would highly recommend!

Authenticity & Character

Freshly renovated but still has character and charm

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Filandia, Salento and Valle del Cocora

Colombia

Beatiful and family friendly hike through Valle del Corcora. One of the highlights on the trip for sure!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

It was very well organized. We had people from different ages and we were all able to have a great time!
I will recommend.

Hello, Filipe … We are now back to our home in the US and sorting through dirty laundry and backed up mail. After our own stops and starts on the trip planning, we are very pleased with the overall trip experience that you and your guides assembled.

· Guides. Each of your three assigned guides were excellent, with English language communication skills and insights into Columbia’s past drug lord issues. Guide Diago realized that Robert was not as nimble-footed as he once was, and suggested wheel chairs when necessary. Using such a vehicle, Diago pushed Robert up the very steep walkway in Medellin for a very interesting neighborhood visit. Quite a task!

· Hotels. We were pleased with our hotels in Bogota and Cartegena However, Patio del Mundi there needs some help. We were first booked into a back room that could only be accessed by a crazy quilt of patio and unlit steps. The following day, due to our complaints, we were changed to another smaller room, but with door keys that did not work. In addition, breakfast each morning offered only the same scrambled eggs plate, a couple of the pastries that did not seem that fresh, and coffee where it took forever to get a second cup and that tasted like instant. Patio del Mundi is a small pleasant hotel that really needs some work.

· Restaurant Meals. We planned the trip by asking you to book us in top restaurants in each city. You really achieved our expectations throughout! The lady at the front desk in Cartagena, when we asked each day for a cab to our designated restaurant, said that we were really going to the best restaurants in Cartagena. Our only comment regarding asl of these restaurant reservations was Medellin’s El Ciello, which was perhaps too much over the top for us. They featured a 17 -course tasting menu. That was just too much for our tastes. We skipped that and ordered a lesser selection from their menu.

Overall, we are very pleased with our trip to Columbia and your schedule adjustments, despite our own personal back and forth changes. We would be pleased to provide a favorable reference to others as you may wish.

If I have a grumble about your trip organization, it is your failure to communicate via standard MICROSOFT email. For example, you spent far too much time claiming I should us an application called "Whats App". I wasted too much time and never got the application to work.

Margarita and her team were amazing. She planned a our trip to Colombia including Cano Cristales! Despite Cano being off the typical itinerary, it was a perfect plan! The plan was just right for us as we were travelling with a 6 year old. There was enough downtime for resting, while also options to add on more. The trip was tailor made for us with small private tours and all the tour guides were all prepared to guide us to kid friendly and vegetarian friendly options. The took out all the stress of trying to figure things out on our own. Thank you so much for a super time !

We had a great time with unique experiences in Medellin, and Cartegena. Our guide Diego in Medellin was excellent. He encouraged us to speak spanish and made sure we were comfortable at all times. Great time!

We just returned from a fantastic 13 night trip to Colombia. Our travel specialist, Margarita, did a masterful job of arranging a complex itinerary with fantastic guides, flawless transportation, and numerous both educational and fun activities at each of our stops. The kimkim platform was easy to work with and allowed for an efficient means of communication between us and Margarita as the process involved numerous questions, updates, and options for the trip itinerary. It would have been impossible for me to create a trip like this without a local travel specialist like Margarita. Thank you Margarita, The Colombian Trip team, and kimkim!

Our trip to Colombia, which included Medellin, Popayan, San Austin, and Bogota, was great! We had never used a tour company before and were very happy with our experience! David, the contact with Chaska tours, the local company, helped up plan a trip that we wanted that included urban experiences, countryside experiences, and exposure to the culture and people of Colombia. We also had an opportunity to practice our Spanish, as we requested, with guides who were also competent in English for those times when we needed to make the switch. David and other staff were accessible to us via WhatsApp throughout the trip and were responsive, helpful, understanding, and quick to address any concerns that we had. We had, on the whole, excellent tour guides, and the availability and skill of the drivers made the whole experience feel secure and predictable. We are already thinking about what our next KimKim trip will be and we 100% recommend KimKim.

I love Kimkim. It might not be the cheapest option for travel, but it's certainly the easiest and the best. I've worked with other online travel agencies and none have been as helpful and informative as Kimkim and none have been as responsive during the travel process. This time, our travel coordinator, Margoth, set up a What'sApp communication system that allowed us to report any dissatisfaction we had & communicate about changes to our itinerary. I couldn't believe how helpful Margoth & her team were. They changed dinner reservations for us (times & places) at the last minute. They let us know when one of our activities wasn't going to work & immediately recommended alternatives. When we were unhappy with a guide, we had a new one the next day. Most surprising of all, when one of our drivers showed up for a long drive with a vehicle with A/C that didn't work, they refunded us the cost of the entire outing (but assured us that the guides would be paid)! I was amazed with the service we received. I also love that almost all of our tours were private ones, so my kids & I could move at our pace & didn't have to adjust our pace to that of others.

The other thing I love about Kimkim is how patient all the travel coordinators are. I had difficulty making a lot of decisions & Margoth just kept making changes for me. We wanted a trip that was a little more active -- with more hiking -- than a lot of travelers to Colombia appear to request, & Margoth found ways to meet those requests. She was unbelievably patient with me -- even when I went incommunicado for a bit (because of work).

Finally, the people Kimkim hires are fantastic. We had 4 guides in 3 different cities, & 3 of them were absolutely phenomenal (&, as I said, when I complained that our 2nd guide wasn't very informative or engaged, that guide was quickly replaced). The 3 guides -- Byron in Bogotá, Omar in Pereira, & Diego in Medellín -- enhanced our overall experience in Colombia and helped us to fall in love with the country. All 3 wanted to share their love of their country with us and did so effectively. Byron knew so much about Colombia's history that I assumed he was a history or political science major in college. I wasn't entirely surprised to find out he had studied biology, though, because he also knew a remarkable amount about the flora & fauna of the region. I don't think there was a plant, fruit, or flower he couldn't name. Diego also knew a lot about history & the flora & fauna, but what we most enjoyed about him was his wonderful sense of humor. You have to be impressed by someone who can do puns in a language other than their native one. And who better to take you on a tour of a coffee farm that someone who, before he began working in tourism, had worked for the Colombian national coffee growers association (Omar)? The visit to the coffee farm was definitely one of the highlights of our trip.

In addition to the coffee farm, we especially enjoyed the amazing palm forest (despite the crowds), the view of Guatapé Lake from the top of El Peñol (again, despite the crowd), some of the small towns (Salento, Guatapé, Filandia) & the crazy hike up through the river to the El Retiro waterfall. None of us (except the local guide in the town) realized that we would be hiking up the river, but Diego -- who had never been on the hike before -- was a great sport about not having spare shoes to replace the ones that got wet.

If you're worried about old stories about the dangers of Colombia, don't be! I felt as safe there as I have anywhere around the world, and I even walked alone in the mornings, as I do at home in Michigan. The only scary part was crossing some of the streets, thanks to the crazy motorcycle drivers, but none of the 3 cities was comparable to Hanoi when it came to motorcycle-induced, street-crossing terror.

Hotel Reviews

Residence Inn Bogotá

Bogotá

he Residence Inn Bogota was a fabulous place. It was beautiful and provided top-notch service. Strongly recommend this place for a comfortable stay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Movich Hotel de Pereira

Pereira

The Movich Hotel was nice, but the air conditioning wasn't great, which was a bit disappointing. Nonetheless, the service was good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sites

Medellin

The hotel in Medellin was absolutely adorable and the free laundry service was a lifesaver. The service was phenomenal, making up for any minor shortcomings.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Monserrate Hill Afternoon from Airport

Bogotá

The trip up to Monserrate was a pleasant experience, though it was short. The city view was beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

City Tour of Bogota with Gold Museum, Botero Museum and Fruit Market (No Monserrate Hill)

Bogotá

Bogota wasn't my favorite, but the Gold Museum was enjoyable and my daughter enjoyed the fruit market.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Los Frailes Hike and Waterfall

Colombia

The waterfall hike was fantastic. The guides were friendly and knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cocora Valley, Salento, and Filandia Coffee Town

Colombia

The outdoor activities near Pereira, including the visit to the coffee farm, were a definite highlight.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coffee Farm Visit

Colombia

This tour was a highlight of the trip. Omar was an exceptionally knowledgeable guide. Loved every moment of it

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-Day City Tour in Medellín

Medellín

The city tour in Medellín was not my favorite. The long gondola ride didn't offer much interest.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

El Retiro Hike

Medellín

The final day hike was so much fun. Even though it was unexpected to walk about a kilometer in the river, it was a great adventure. The guide was incredibly kind and helpful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our family trip to the Tayrona and The Sierra area near Santa Marta was memorable. Erik Ramirez our guide was terrific. His knowledge of flora, fauna, animals and archeology was superb and he maintained the children’s attention with his information. All three adventures were fantastic but Tayronaka and the inner tube floating experience down the Don Diego River left a special place in our heart. We are still waiting for the photos that Erik promised us.

In Cartagena Jose Miguel was fantastic. The temperature was quite high and he made sure to keep us cool and entertained. He was also very knowledgeable . Most memorable for both children and adults was the music and drum workshop at La Boquilla

Overall we were very happy with our guides and experience.s…Transportation to all locations was very comfortable with luxury air conditioned vans….Thank you Kim Kim, Felipe, Erik and Jose Miguel and all of the drivers and guides for a truly memorable experience.

Where to start -- my husband and I were very skeptical about using a tour agency. We've traveled all over the world and never needed an travel agent. But now we have kids (ages 2 and 4) and we wanted to maximize our time in Colombia (a place we'd never been). So we cautiously decided to work with Michael.... The experience was so amazing that now I want Michael to plan EVERY trip ever ever take -- he's that good.

Michael prepared our entire trip with tons of amazing options. It was a bit out of our budget so we asked him to pair down...then we got cold feet and thought "oh we can do this ourselves". So we limited our trip plans even more. Well, we arrived in Bogota and Michael had helped us with the first leg. We were so blown away by the people he had selected for us and how smoothly everything went that throughout our trip we had him add back in more and more from his original itinerary. And honestly, I wish we had taken his advice on a few more tours. We skipped out on doing the food, fruit and market walking tours and my friends who did do them, loved them.

Michael was so patient with us, so kind, and so understanding as we made decisions and then changed our minds. He was on call while we were in Colombia and his response time was incredible. I always felt like we had back up support for whatever we wanted. The PDFs KimKim provides are worth the investment. You know exactly what you are getting into. We had ton of questions and Michael answered everything.

You will not regret working with Michael! I just gave my Mom his info, lol.

Hotel Review

Casa Tayrona Los Naranjos

Beautiful and some of the best salads I've ever had.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Peñol Boulder & Guatapé Boat Trip

Medellín

Loved, loved, loved our drive and tour guide! Cauldia and William were great for our entire trip and we were with them all day. They shared amazing stories and we just really enjoyed their company the whole time.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

David and the team made our "Adventure Honeymoon" so special! David was so helpful and responsive, from breakfast suggestions to helping us manage a last minute change in our schedules. We felt like we had a friend helping us along the way, ready to step in if we needed help. We had a magical time with our guide in Bogota, who even arranged for vegetarian-friendly options on our bike/walking tour. We had never worked with kimkim before but will certainly come back for more. Thanks for everything David!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Kartaxa Cartagena

Cartagena

Super beautiful hotel in the heart of Cartagena. We loved the courtyard, breakfast, and rooftop view!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Senda Koguiwa

Santa Marta

Beautiful location, friendly staff, very relaxing place to hang for a few days :)

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Isla Mucura

Isla Mucura

Beautiful location and friendly staff! We loved that the rooms had AC and had a great time snorkeling and on the jellyfish tour. Took off one star for two reasons: 1) it was difficult to schedule snorkeling and other tours (but we really enjoyed them once we were scheduled!) and 2) we got food poisoning (probably from the buffet). Overall though I'd still recommend this spot -- especially if you're traveling with kids!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Biking in Bogotá

Bogotá

We love bikes and bike tours so this was a perfect way to kick off our time in Colombia. Our local guide (she was amazing!) and her colleague (who had biked all over Colombia!) took us all around town, sharing Bogota with us. Really an unforgettable experience learning about the local art, history, and food. Thank you for making this day so special!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

At very short notice Margarita helped me plan an unforgettable intensive one week trip with key highlights including a street-art tour in Bogotá, hiking in the Cocora Valley, immersion in the coffee production process, and a guided visit to Comuna 13 in Medellín. The travel arrangements, local guides and drivers were all excellent. I would definitely recommend Margarita and her team.

Loved the support from our guides who helped us navigate Colombia and see the best of this amazing country! Michael was super helpful putting together our ambitious itinerary and everything ran smoothly!

Hotel Reviews

Senda Watapuy

Santa Marta

This hotel was AMAZING! Gorgeous setting! Relaxing and quiet, delicious food, perfect massage experience, great value, fabulous staff!

Authenticity & Character

Aligned with nature and indigenous history

Location

The setting was absolutely gorgeous and literally set in nature.

Staff

So helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very tidy and comfortable. Loved the private balcony and pool.

Bh El Poblado

Medellín

Great location, helpful staff, delicious breakfast

Authenticity & Character

Location

Easy access to shops and restaurants within walking distance

Staff

Very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Casa de La Vega

La Candelaria, Bogotá

Hotel staff was amazing, helpful, kind. The location was great. The room itself was a bit shabby with a floor that seemed at any moment we may fall through. The location of our room was adjacent to the reception desk which meant bells dinging and doors clanging while travelers returned all hours of the night. But the staff, so nice and lovely!

Authenticity & Character

Very authentic to the area and quaint. Felt European.

Location

Great location for those wanting to explore the old city. Can get a little seedy at night.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very creaky. Seemed like we would fall through the floor.

Activity Reviews

Rosario Islands Day Trip

Cartagena

So fun! Loved the relaxing environment and opportunity for yoga, massages, snorkling.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Great boat driver! So personable and helpful! Made sure everyone was happy.

Transport

Day Trip to Tayrona Beaches

Tayrona National Park

Really great trip. We were the only people at the beach which was great but could have been nice to have access to more activities and refreshments. The snorkeling guide was really knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Nature, Waterfalls & Coffee Farm in Minca

Colombia

Great trip and our guide was lovely. The amount of time devoted to the waterfall was quite long (2 hours) for just a quick viewing and walk. Perhaps that amount of time would be good if you took advantage of the swimming. We learned a lot about the coffee plantation and saw out guide's family home, which was delightful and inspiring. I would suggest that guests know that the tour was not during harvest time so mostly hearing the background and seeing the machinery.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Loved our guide! She was amazing and so sweet!

Transport

Peñol Boulder & Guatapé Boat Trip

Medellín

Such a fun trip to the Boulder! Gorgeous views from the top. Loved the visit to Guatape! The boat trip was nice and the visit to the replica just so so. Just touristy chatchkeys. Would have preferred more time on the boat or Guapate.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Loved our guide! So friendly, knowledgeable, fun!

Transport

Medellín Transformation Tour

Medellín

Loved seeing the Botero statues, the cable car, and communa 13. I wished we had more time to enjoy the street performers in communa 13.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Same guide! Great to have her again!

Transport

Bogota Highlights Tour

Bogotá

Loved Monserrate and walking the city. The Gold Museum was cool. Our guide found us a really lovely spot for lunch and was very knowledgeable. The market experience was amazing. We tried most of breads and local fruits and juices. Doing more than listening was amazing!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Great guide! Super helpful and knowledgeable. Was flexible and engaging!

Transport

What an awesome car we had. Very comfortable.

Our local specialist Margarita was helpful throughout the entire booking and travel process. Our local guides Aura (Cartagena), Valentina (Cartagena), Sol (Medellin) and Jimmy (Leticia) were all exceptionally kind and knowledgeable. All of the cities and experiences we encountered were memorable.

This was an amazing trip in a truly special country. Forget your prejudices and views from the past of Colombia, this is an amazingly beautiful country, with wonderfully warm people and as safe as any other country or city I visited in Europe, Asia or the Americas ..... its not perfect, but the risks in my experience are similar to anywhere else I travelled - you just need to be aware and sensible ....
The support from the KimKim team was incredible - from my very first contacts with Margoth to created the trip, nothing was a problem I could change my schedule and she always came back with options and solutions, during our trip Margoth and her fellow their team members Felipe & Marcela were super responsive and always available to support with any question.... I mean any questions..... their guides Juan Fernando, Santiago, Juancho, Jose Miguel all professional, humble and knowledgeable guys who love what they do and love their country.
It was my first time working with KimKim and I was very impressed with the support they gave us..... If I go somewhere "new" and "different" again, I will definately consider them...... and I Do recommend them.

Margoth and the team were fantastic. They provided us with an amazing trip. All our tour guides and drivers were excellent. Everything went smoothly and we enjoyed it all. Margoth and the team were available to us throughout to answer any questions we had and help us with bookings. Cannot recommend them enough. Thank you!

We had a really lovely experience in Colombia, and can't wait to return. In hindsight, we may have not moved from place to place quite as often, but given the amount of time we had in the country, I think Michael did an excellent job of maximizing our time while there. There were amazing things in every area, but the magic of El Dorado Nature Reserve and Venecia House cannot be overstated. Fred, at El Dorado Nature Reserve is one of the kindest and most lovely people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. His energy was so calm, warm, and sweet. Everyone at El Dorado works so incredibly hard, and it did not go unnoticed and was so appreciated by my partner and I. The food was delicious, the rooms were lovely, and we really enjoyed sitting out on our balcony in our downtime. It's truly one of the most beautiful places, if not the most beautiful place, I have ever been to. The view from the restaurant is jaw-droppingly beautiful.

Though Tayrona National Park was very hot and humid, our day exploring with our guide had lots of rewards. From the beautiful park itself to the birds, to the adorable monkeys. It was a really incredible place, and our guide, Juaren, was very knowledgeable, friendly, and even went above and beyond to help us find one of our favorite birds! He was also our guide the previous days in Minca, where we went to a beautiful waterfall and on a morning birding hike with him.

Cesar, our guide for our Santa Marta city tour was also excellent. He braved a very very hot day in Santa Marta with us and made it enjoyable despite the scorching sun. (Which was no easy task!) We learned so much from him and really enjoyed our time with him and getting to know more about Colombia's history.

Heading to Manizales and the Venecia Coffee Farm House was a welcome respite from the heat of Santa Marta. We instantly felt relaxed upon arriving to the house. From the beautiful open rooms to the beautiful views from the wrap-around porch. Hammocks can be found in various spots around the porch, perfect for a nap and relaxing. The ladies who work at Venecia are so incredibly kind, and make some of the most delicious food. I am still dreaming about one of the soups we had while there.

While in Manizales we really loved our amazing guides at the Tinamou reserve. Another magical experience. The place was beautiful, and we saw many species of birds while there. The breakfast and lunch were very tasty and our guides were very knowledgeable and kind.

We also visited Finca Romelia which was also really nice. The owners, Jose and Marisa, were so welcoming. Jose's passion for the orchids, his home, and the nature around him was infectious. We loved getting to chat with him about his beautiful plants and home and felt inspired by the passion he has for this amazing place. Marisa prepared a fabulous lunch and breakfast for us, and easily accommodated us being vegetarian. Adrian, our guide, and his brother Juan, were the sweetest. We had a really nice time walking the property looking at birds, but also just chatting with them and getting to know them and the family more. It was a more relaxing day which was welcome and treasured.

The very minor issues we did have (and they were very very minor, such as not being able to locate our driver at one spot for a few minutes) were always quickly resolved by Michael. He was very responsive and helpful to any questions we had, though everything ran very smoothly and we didn't need to reach out very often. All of our drivers were great as well. We were very sad to leave Colombia and can't wait to return for even more adventures.

Hotel Reviews

El Dorado Nature Reserve

Minca

The magic of El Dorado Nature Reserve cannot be overstated. Fred, at El Dorado Nature Reserve is one of the kindest and most lovely people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. His energy was so calm, warm, and sweet. Everyone at El Dorado works so incredibly hard, and it did not go unnoticed and was so appreciated by my partner and I. The food was delicious, the rooms were lovely, and we really enjoyed every minute of our stay at El Dorado. It's truly one of the most beautiful places, if not the most beautiful place, I have ever been to. The view from the restaurant is jaw-droppingly beautiful. We saw so many amazing birds, creatures, and plants during our stay. Our balcony provided a great bird-watching post, as did the restaurant when we wanted to take a break from hiking and relax. I definitely would love to go back!

Authenticity & Character

The people that work here, and the nature that surrounds you is absolutely magical

Location

It's one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited. I like that it's hidden up in the mountains away from everything.

Staff

The entire staff was so lovely. Fred was absolutely amazing and made us feel so welcome and cared for.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was very clean and the beds were comfy. Loved our balcony!

Hacienda Venecia Coffee Farm

Manizales

Heading to Manizales and the Venecia Coffee Farm House was a welcome respite from the heat of Santa Marta. We instantly felt relaxed upon arriving at the house. From the gorgeous open rooms to the beautiful views from the wrap-around porch. Hammocks can be found in various spots around the porch, perfect for a nap and relaxing. The ladies who work at Venecia are so incredibly kind, and make some of the most delicious food. I am still dreaming about one of the soups we had while there. Everything was very clean, and we loved being surrounded by such amazing nature and wonderful people.

Authenticity & Character

The house itself is really beautiful, and I love that they have preserved and maintained the property from it's original design. The colors are cheery, and look so lovely against the greens of the plants surrounding it. The people who work here are so kind and wonderful.

Location

Absolutely beautiful house, gardens, and views.

Staff

Some of the kindest people ever. The ladies are so incredibly kind and talented.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Comfy beds and very clean rooms.

Activity Review

Santa Marta City Tour

Colombia

Cesar, our guide for our Santa Marta city tour was also excellent. He braved a very very hot day in Santa Marta with us and made it enjoyable despite the scorching sun. (Which was no easy task!) We learned so much from him and really enjoyed our time with him and getting to know and see more about Colombia's history.

Quality of Experience

Cesar was very friendly, knowledgeable, and entertaining.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Everyone was so friendly and kind. Both the driver and Cesar were so nice.

Transport

Comfy car, with cool air conditioning, and always ready to pick us up to move on to the next spot.

This was my first time planning a trip through KimKim. Normally I enjoy doing the travel planning myself, but I thought I'd give KimKim a try. I'm so happy they connected me with Michael and the Chaska Tours team. Planning with Michael was a breeze, and he was very patient with all of my questions and itinerary changes. Not only did they take care of all the mundane logistics (e.g. airport transfers, a driver to transfer us 5 hours to our next hotel, in-country flights, etc.), but they also set us up with some fantastic guides in each city. Luis Miguel in Medellin was especially knowledgeable about the local history, and our guide in Parque Tayrona jogged in the sweltering heat to find a medic for my husband who had a sudden illness (husband is OK, but it was a little scary at the time!). Michael also suggested activities that I don't think I would've found on my own; for example, in Bogota we did a lovely dinner with 2 amazing ladies who are seeking to build cultural connections over food. The service from everyone they booked us with was top-notch - everyone was on time, super friendly and we had an amazing vacation.

Activity Reviews

Visit the Silletera Culture & The Flowers of Santa Elena

Medellín

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coffee-Culture Tour

Medellín

This was a perfectly fine tour, not a bad way to spend a few hours if you have them. It was different than other coffee farms we had been to, so it was interesting to see the difference in farming methods.

Quality of Experience

The farmer seemed like he really knew his stuff about coffee. However, he spoke quite softly so it was hard to hear and understand him at times. We were grateful to have our local guide there with us as well, as he was able to add in additional commentary

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tubing on Don Diego River

Colombia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boquilla Mangrove Tour

Cartagena

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bogotá Walking Tour

Bogotá

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Monserrate Hill Tour

Bogotá

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Social Dinner-Experience: Colombian Food

Bogotá

This was such a great experience and warm welcome to Colombia! We thought we were going to a restaurant, and were quite surprised to be dropped off at an apartment. But we felt instantly at home with a warmest welcome and shots of aguardiente. We learned a lot about Colombian cuisine and the value of food diversity. It was so great to get away from the touristy parts and to meet some Bogota locals. This was one of our most personable, memorable experiences of Colombia and I'd highly recommend it!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Traffic in Bogota is no joke! It took us longer to get there than expected (but not the fault of our driver)

Hike Tayrona National Park

Tayrona National Park

The hike itself is beautiful and we saw many animals along the way - monkeys, iguanas, crabs, lizards, etc. We are all in pretty good shape and hike with some regularity. However, we weren't prepared for the humidity - it was HOT - and that made the trip a bit miserable to be honest. Our guide was great and very patient, and adapted the schedule to our needs. But I would definitely check the weather before doing this hike again.

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

Honestly, I wasn't sure that I was going to like this. Many of the videos I'd seen online showed the Rosario Islands as a complete party destination, and that wasn't really what we were looking for. But it was actually quite peaceful and relaxing. We went an hour by boat from Cartagena to a small cove on an island. We were assigned our own shaded lounging bed on the beach. There were maybe 25-30 other beds and lounges, somewhat close together but it didn't feel too crowded. Lunch was included, but snacks and drinks were available to order; while they were more expensive than what'd you'd see on the mainland, they weren't ridiculously overpriced. The biggest drawback was that there were a lot of jellyfish in the water, which really discouraged everyone from swimming. Plus, it was so hot and humid going in the water and braving the jellyfish was the only way to cool off.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guatavita Lagoon & Zipaquirá Salt Cathedral Day Trip

Bogotá

I revisited the Salt Mines on this trip as I wanted to show it to my family. It was worth going back to, although some of us felt a little carsick from the road and exhaust. This was just a minor inconvenience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Medellín Transformation Tour

Medellín

Our guide was phenomenal, providing a wealth of information about the city's history and politics. The tour highlighted the city's transformation, which was quite fascinating to learn about. Definitely one of the best guides we had on the trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Peñol Boulder & Guatapé Boat Trip

Medellín

This was a great experience. The area was absolutely gorgeous, making me wish we could have spent a night there. Lunch was included at a restaurant in town, which was a nice touch

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chocolate & Rum Tasting

Cartagena

This was run by the same company that handled the chocolate workshop. The rum tasting was a fantastic experience which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chocolate Workshop

Cartagena

This was a hit with both myself and my daughters (ages 23 and 16). The air-conditioned environment was a definite plus in the heat. It was a fun experience and one of our favorite activities on the trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport