Kimkim Trip Reviews for Ecuador

Daniel and Lucia at KimKim helped to plan our trip to Ecuador - listening to our needs and wants then catering the trip to our wishlist. The initial trip was planned for March 2020 and was delayed due to Covid. Finally, when we were ready- Kimkim helped to make this trip a reality. We visited Quito, Cotopaxi, and the Galápagos Islands. Their efforts allowed us to relax and enjoy all of the beauty of Ecuador- including fantastic active excursions (hiking Sierra Negra, Volcán Cotopaxi; snorkeling with penguins, sea lions, and sharks; and learning the rich history of Ecuador) without being concerned with logistics. Each of our excursions was special and unique- our favorite being visiting Tintoreas with Carmen, full day Quito tour with a cooking class with Israel, snorkeling at Bartholem, and snorkeling at Los Tuneles with Javier. Thank you Daniel and Lucia for being our main points of contact, answering our questions, and planning an unforgettable adventure!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Deja Vu Galapagos

Pto. Ayora

Authenticity & Character

Location

Easy walk into town

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Some challenges with bugs

Kitu Hotel

Quito

We had a room with a balcony overlooking Quito. The room was clean and comfortable. The staff were helpful and supportive.

Authenticity & Character

Enjoyed the breakfast

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel La Jungla

Puerto Villamil

Nice hotel at the edge of town. A little outdated and no room lockbox. Could use some upgrades but staff were pleasant and helpful

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

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

Quito

Full day of history in Quito. The cooking class was special. We could have walked more throughout downtown Quito. Felt a bit rushed in the afternoon trying to get everything in

Quality of Experience

Food

Chef was fantastic. We learned so much about Ecuadorian food and ate well doing so!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Israel was knowledgeable and provided tons of information on the history of Ecuador

Transport

Nice and easy to get around. Nice to have the car. Could have also walked more.

Biking day Cotopaxi National Park

Ecuador

Cotopaxi is beautiful. We enjoyed seeing wild horses and a fox. We hiked and bikes on Volcán Cotopaxi. Expectations were not clear so didn’t realize the hike was going to happen, so didn’t pack all of the right gear. Our guide didn’t share too much on Cotopaxi itself - so might consider a different tour group

Quality of Experience

Food

Lunch was fine, just the whole group could have eaten more :)

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Puerto Ayora

Great last day activity! The boat staff were amazing. Had the best snorkeling experience of our life! Saw penguins, shark, starfish, sea lions and more! Learned a lot about the geological history of the Galapagos!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Santa Cruz Island: Highlands & Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

Arriving on the Galapagos, this is a great way to get introduced to the islands!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wildlife Tour on Isabela Island

Galapagos Islands

Carmen was a great guide - showing us wildlife and taking us snorkeling! We even had seals come join us on our snorkeling adventure!

Quality of Experience

Food

N/a

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excursion to Los Túneles

Galapagos Islands

Opportunity to see blue footed boobies, Tortugas, and sea horses! Javier was a great guide even took pictures on his go pro he shared with us after!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sierra Negra volcano - Speedboat to Santa Cruz

Galapagos Islands

Seeing the Sierra Negra was worth the experience. It was a 12 mile hike which took all morning. Group was very large and the guide struggled to help everyone

Quality of Experience

Food

Fine, a box lunch

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide struggled with the large group and bringing 20+ people on a 12 mile hike. As avid hikers we were fine, but worried about others during the experience

Transport

All of our guides were amazing but especially Danny and Louis for our Quito/Banos piece!! Absolutely amazing! Will definitely recommend all of our activities!!

The mainland portion of our Ecuador adventure and our guide, Christian, were wonderful and exceeded our expectations. This includes the visit to Asuni National Park and Napo Cultural Center with our guide for that area, Jose.
Unfortunately, we cannot say the same for kimkim's travel vendor in the Galapagos. Who that vendor actually is, we were unable to determine. We had carefully and intentionally scheduled a down day for our first full day on Isla Santa Cruz so that we would have a chance to rest and recover from our busy and arduous many days on the mainland, plus another rest day for after the island trip. This did not happen. We were informed on arrival to arise the next morning for a 6am departure to Isla Bartolome. The guide who met us at the airport was unsympathetic. The trip itself was great, but we were not prepared (no previous contact about a change to our itinerary, let alone agreement on our part) for a full day trip on our first day there, and suffered accordingly. Not only was the schedule changed without our knowledge or agreement, but they couldn't even get the departure time correct. We were told to be outside our hotel at 6am and we were. Our pickup was late and had to speed to catch up to the bus halfway back to Baltra. Unbeknownst to us, the bus had actually left at 5:30am from a pickup point we didn't even know about. After a full day of sun and fun, instead of taking us to our hotel, the bus took us to the pickup/drop of point we had not even been to and we had no idea how to find our hotel. Fortunately, our guide for the Bartolome tour, Elizabeth, did not abandon us. Although she didn't know our hotel, the bus driver did and amid much confusion agreed to drop us there. Thank you Elizabeth!

We paid big bucks for our private tour and an itinerary that met our needs. But instead of our carefully planned rest days before and after the Bartolome trip, we had first the taxing trip then two unnecessary rest days after. Simply unacceptable and prevents a five star review and recommendation for kimkim. We are flexible, but not that flexible. Otherwise we had a great trip, but are not likely to use kimkim again as a result.

Hotel Reviews

Napo Cultural Center

Quito

Wonderful people and experience! Bring an appetite - they give you enough food for an army!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Jungle canopy tower, parrots and parakeets at clay lick, blackwater canoe trip.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa de Vista Alta

Mindo

A beautiful area and bed and breakfast. Very nice and accommodating hostess.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Las Plazas

Quito

Beautiful old (but renovated) hotel with very helpful staff.

Authenticity & Character

All the highly polished wood and the unique dining area.

Location

In Old Town. Area seemed safe enough to us.

Staff

No elevator but desk clerk took care of our heavy bags.

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Floresta

Baños

Modern and convenient.

Hotel Spa Casa Real

Riobamba

Adequate and spacious, but funky electrical outlet locations. Adequate but unremarkable restaurant with less than stellar menu. Surrounding area appeared possibly unsafe/unwalkable for a alternative restaurant.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Boutique Carvallo

Cuenca

Wonderful old but fully renovated hotel with very helpful and courteous staff. Conveniently located in Old Town Cuenca.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Posada del Mar

Santa Cruz

This is not a luxury hotel but was comfortable and more than adequate for our needs. Very kind and helpful owner and his staff. Conveniently located to the pier area and central restaurants/activities in Puerto Ayora. The deli downstairs is one of the best places to eat that we found in Puerto Ayora.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Air conditioning was great and essential for the hot and humid climate. A spacious balcony overlooking the port.

EB Hotel by Eurobuilding Quito

Quito

This was by far the most luxurious hotel we stayed in during our Ecuador trip. Unnecessarily luxurious and over the top. The automated room lighting system was a constant pain with lights coming on and off unnecessarily. Hard to imagine how much the designers/architects must have been paid to design this inconvenient system.

Authenticity & Character

This building belongs in Europe. not Ecuador

Location

convenient to the airport

Staff

Very helpful and stored our luggage for us on the day after we checked out.

Cleanliness & Comfort

With three shower head to choose from, we think we got pretty clean!

Activity Reviews

Indigenous Encounter and Hike to Mama Cuna Path

Yasuni National Park

Don't know what Mama Cuna Path is, but we had a great time in the Amazon, and all the staff and people we encountered were friendly, helpful and professional. We were well cared for.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploring Cuenca and surroundings, Gualaceo, Chordeleg

Cuenca

See previous. The old weaving factory was a high light as was the amazing "Panama" hat factory where we acquired our beautiful hats.

Colonial Quito City Tour & the Middle of the World

Quito

Our Quito tour was good but a few too many churches, though they are all beautiful in their own ways. Mitad del Mundo is the worst tourist trap we visited in Ecuador.

Quality of Experience

Food

Ecuadoreans have some strange ideas on "dressing up" a hamburger.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Afternoon Adventure to Teleferico Cablecar

Quito

We skipped this so can't really rate it but are forced to give one.

Sacred Wayusa Ritual, Goodbye and return to the City (Yaku Kausay Experience)

Yasuni National Park

We were given the opportunity to skip this early early morning activity, and the staff seemed as relieved as we were. We enjoyed the cultural activities we experienced in the village on the previous afternoon.

Relaxing Free Afternoon in Mindo

Mindo

We didn't have the free afternoon because our faithful guide, Christian, took us to a hummingbird sanctuary where we fed these beautiful creatures from a bottle cap placed in the palm of our hands. Having wild hummingbirds perched in our hands was a big highlight of our trip. Christian also took us to an amazing butterfly research and propagation station where we observed all life phases of many beautiful and fascinating butterflies.

Expedition to Mindo Cloud Forest

Quito

See previous

From Cotopaxi Hacienda to Hiking in Cotopaxi National Park, then onto Baños

Ecuador

Saw some interesting birdlife, but owing to the rainy season, we couldn't see Cotopaxi. Nobody's fault, just the season.

Reconnecting with Nature at Baños de Agua Santa

Baños

The waterfalls, especially the Devil's Cauldron, were truly awesome. We were looking forward to a soak in a hot pool, but this turned out to be unavailable and uninviting.

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

Ecuador

A snow and ice storm on top of the world! Again, because we were here in the rainy season, we didn't see much of the mountain, but we saw many wild vicunas including a heard running through the snowy countryside. Our local park guide, Alfredo, was a great and humble guy and local farmer who we much enjoyed meeting. The surrounding agricultural areas outside the park were a green checkerboard of fields extending to unbelievable heights up the mountain slopes. Much interesting local color and indigenous people in these areas.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploring the Ancient Ingapirca Ruins: A Journey through History and Culture

Cuenca

Very interesting and well maintained historical area.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discovering Cuenca's Charms: A Journey Through History and Culture

Cuenca

A beautiful, modern yet historic and cultural city and surrounding area. We can see why it's so attractive to expats. The artistry and craftmanship exhibited in nearby villages is outstanding.

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

Ecuador

Beautiful mountain and lake vistas. Many landslides on the highway due to the recent rains, but we made through thanks to Christians excellent driving. The clouds parted at just the right time for us to have beautiful vistas above Guayaquil.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Santa Cruz Island: Highlands & Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

The tortoises at the farm were truly amazing and a big reason for our visit to Galapagos. We would have preferred to have gone straight to our hotel for check in and refresh ourselves and gone to the farm later.

Quality of Experience

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

Puerto Ayora

The actual trip to Isla Bartolome was fantastic and we were able to see Galapagos penguins! Screwing up our agreed upon itinerary was not appreciated.

Indigenous Market Adventure and Cuicocha Lake Exploration

Otavalo

An interesting/scenic drive to Otovalo and a great unexpected side trip to a local park and waterfall. The market itself was repetitious and of varying quality, but useful if you want to buy items to take home. I wouldn't drive all the way there just for the market, but there is much else to see.

Tl;dr: I’d absolutely use kimkim and work with Alvaro again! It was overall a great experience. I’ll admit, I was a bit uncertain about it at first — I like being fully in control of all planning, and I’ve never used a travel agency before. Turns out it’s incredible to have local help with trip planning. All our guides were great (Hugo especially — he was our guide during the hiking, and was simply incredible) and there wasn’t a day I didn’t enjoy. Alvaro was wonderful throughout the process, helping us plan the entire trip beforehand and during the trip was incredibly responsive (despite it being over holidays in Ecuador!) to help us solve any problems.

A few highlights of Alvaro’s helpfulness:
- Alvaro strongly encouraged us to keep the two rest days between our hiking in mainland Ecuador. We’re fit and used to hiking, so we were going to cut them out — and we were SO glad he insisted that we keep them. Hiking at altitude is totally different from at sea level; we appreciated the rest days.
- When our flight from Quito to the Galapagos was delayed, Alvaro had been tracking our flight and rescheduled our afternoon tour before we even messaged him about it. It was so nice not to have to worry about that or be contacting multiple people!
- We got altitude sickness during our acclimatizing hikes, so had to cancel our plan to hike Chimborazo. In the moment, Alvaro helped us make a new plan and adjust our accommodations for those nights. It was a little stressful to change plans last minute, but he made it extremely easy.
- One of our tour guides was late in picking us up and — despite it being 7:30AM — Alvaro helped us figure out what was going on and had the local guide come explain the situation. (The other people in our group tour had overslept.)
- We left our larger bags in the kimkim offices during our time in the Galapagos, and one of their drivers dropped it off with us at the airport to help us avoid an extra 90 minute drive to and from the airport. It really was the little things like this that made working with kimkim/Alvaro feel totally worthwhile. We would’ve had to rent a locker at the airport or something, and not having to deal with that hassle was a huge help.

Suggestions / things I would do differently:
- Know who your guide is each day. We never knew ahead of time who our guide was going to be, or if they’d be the same later. It would’ve been nice to know ahead of time that we’d have the same guide for all our hiking, for example. The pickup timing / structure was incredibly well coordinated, so we didn’t have trouble with finding/meeting our guide, but knowing who would repeat would’ve made tipping easier. And speaking of tipping…
- Figure out tipping expectations. Tipping is always confusing, all the time, but we still wish we’d’ve known more about norms. Alvaro gave us a general guideline to go off, which helped, but I wish we’d’ve asked him about specific days ahead of time.
- Get the direct contact info of your guides. While Alvaro was incredibly helpful, it would’ve been easier at times if we’d been able to communicate directly with our guides. One day our guide didn’t show up or communicate a delay to us (they arrived 90 minutes late, after we messaged Alvaro and he messaged them); another day we were at the departure spot in town, but had to walk back to our hotel for a pickup to drive us back there — it would’ve been nice to be able to just message the guide directly and tell them we’d meet them at the dock.
- Be well prepared for the weather, especially when hiking. We didn’t quite have the right expectations for the weather when hiking. I expect this is partially due to weather on mountains always being variable, but I wish we’d’ve been in contact directly with our guide beforehand to know how to prepare. (More notes in the daily activities, but tl;dr, we were colder than expected.)

Overall, kimkim made the entire travel experience much easier! Alvaro was incredible to work with and we appreciate all his help and expertise; truly the trip of a lifetime!

Hotel Reviews

Ikala Quito Hotel

Quito

Catered toward tourists: it's located in a touristy / wealthy part of Quito, the staff speak English, overall it was a very comfortable stay. Within walking distance of Quito's historical center, good restaurants, and a supermarket. - Breakfast (included) was incredible, seriously the best hotel breakfast I've ever had. - They have a laundry service, but it's priced per item and very expensive -- we ended up washing clothes in the sink. - Rooms and grounds are clean and well-kept. - The lighting is incredibly harsh and white. This seems to be the norm in Ecuador, but wow was it brutal turning on the lights in the morning. - Dinner (not included) is just okay; I'd go elsewhere for dinner. - Staff is very helpful! We left bags at the desk for a day while hiking (one night of camping, before returning to the hotel) and it was no problem.

Location

Within walking distance of Quito's historical center, good restaurants, and a supermarket.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cuello de Luna Mountain Lodge

El Chasqui - Pastocalle

Isolated hacienda on a hobby farm -- it is not within walking distance of anything, so expect to stay and eat here. Their food is good though, so for a rest day it's a lovely place to be. - They own a few friendly dogs that we played with outside. - Charming rooms; beds had heated blankets because it was a bit chilly -- no problems with temp for us. Rustic-feeling, but clean and comfortable. - Breakfast was simple and tasty (toast, eggs, cold oatmeal-type dish, GREAT coffee) - Dinner options were limited -- not really a menu, more of a "this is what's for dinner tonight, or you can have a sandwich" -- and tasty. They did accommodate vegetarians!

Authenticity & Character

Staff

Family run B&B; everyone was very kind, friendly, and welcoming!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Afternoon Bay Tour in Santa Cruz

Puerto Ayora

We took a boat around the Santa Cruz bay, stopping to observe blue-footed boobies, learn about some of the unique animals of the Galapagos, and snorkel. The water is beautifully clear, the salt water buoyant, and there is SO MUCH wildlife, snorkeling is incredible. We were within meters of iridescent rainbow colored fish, sea turtles, starfish, sea lions, stingrays… so much to see.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We were with a group that included families with younger kids, and the guide did a great job keeping them engaged while still talking with the adults. I was very impressed!

Colonial Quito City Tour & Mitad del Mundo (Middle of the World) Monument

Quito

On our first day, we went on a walking tour of the historical center of Quito and visited the equator. The historical center had beautiful old architecture, gold gilded churches, and a market where we ate local tropical fruit. We then visited the equator at the Intinan Museum and the fake equator at Mitad del Mundo. (As a bonus, we learned the process for making shriveled heads.) Incredible start to the trip!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Reaching Guagua Pichincha Summit

Quito

We hiked Guagua Pichincha, an active volcano! It was very cloudy at the top, so we couldn’t see the crater, but we could definitely smell the sulfur. And could definitely feel the altitude — it does make hiking (walking, moving, breathing) harder. At least for us: one of the many stray dogs in Ecuador was with us for the entire hike, more often leading than following. Instead of hiking back the way we came, we “land skied” by sliding on our feet down a sheer slope of sandy rocks. Our shoes were filled with rocks, but it was super fun!

Quality of Experience

I felt like this was "just" an acclimatizing hike. The weather wasn't great when we were there, so we couldn't see much. As a first hike at altitude, it was good.

Food

Vegetarians, be aware that options will be limited. We wished we would've said chicken was fine (we're not strict vegetarians) to open up our food options and have protein for all our meals. Many of our lunches while hiking had little / no protein.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hugo was an amazing guide who really understood our experience level and how to best acclimatize.

Transport

Hiking the Extinct Volcano Pasochoa

Quito

An absolutely beautiful hike up the dormant volcano Pasochoa. We had perfect weather for hiking — and for getting sunburned. Getting there by car may have been more treacherous than the hike itself — we drove down a narrow cobbled road with holes / ruts / ??? that could swallow a few humans. If we were driving, we never would’ve imagined a car could make it through. The summit itself was incredible, passing through a short, verdant rainforest-like section, then leaping over a small chasm. 10/10 would recommend.

Quality of Experience

One of my favorite days of the trip, absolutely incredible.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I'm afraid of heights, but Hugo made me feel safe to jump across a "chasm" and not panic on the summit.

Transport

Discovering Climbing Iliniza North

Quito

This was our first hike above 5000m. The way up was challenging but great: we had nice weather, were feeling pretty good after our past two acclimatizing hikes, and there was lots to look at. We reached the refuge at 4700 m feeling tired but good, ate some food, then put on our helmets and harnesses to hike the last 425 m. It got tough quickly, scrambling up rocks using hands and feet, and the altitude was starting to really hit us. Right when we neared the summit, a storm began approaching, so we took a couple quick pictures, then headed down. We didn’t quite beat the storm, as the entire way down was in dense fog and it hailed on us for a few minutes, but avoided the deluge that started once we were in the car on the way back. It is a tough hike because of the altitude, but non-technical and a great first hike over 5000m!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kayaking on Tortuga Bay

Puerto Ayora

We started the day with a walk into the national park to Tortuga Bay, where we kayaked among sea turtles (!), little hammerhead sharks (!), marine iguanas (!), and so many birds. It was SO COOL. The water is shades of azure and teal — it truly felt like we were in a movie.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We technically had a guide who walked there with us and a larger group, but he didn't actually say or do anything, except show us where the kayak rental was. Not sure if he was supposed to be teaching us about the flora and fauna of the Nat'l Park we were walking through, but he did not. We felt we could've done this activity on our own.

Discover the Wonders of Tintoreras Islet: A Journey into Breathtaking Biodiversity

Puerto Villamil

We took a boat from Isabela to Tintoreras Islet with a small group. Walking along the islet we saw lots of marine iguanas (they’re in their nesting season, so it’s only the females) as well as white-tipped sharks, crabs, and pelicans and lots of other birds. After the island walk we went snorkeling again and saw a pair of blue-footed boobies doing a mating dance.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hiking the Sierra Negra Volcano

Galapagos Islands

The volcano hike was long (~9 miles) but still far easier than hiking in altitude! We walked up to the caldera (nearly 10 km across) then down the south side and saw the remnants of lava flows from the 2005 and 2018 eruptions. The landscape felt a bit otherworldly, due to the lack of vegetation and lava rocks / fissures. We also saw on our hike three Galapagos hawks — a rare sighting according to our naturalist guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Was nice to have a guide explain the landscape to us, because it was so unique. Our guide, Pablo, was friendly and happy to chat with us about his experiences and the history of tourism on the Galapagos. It was interesting hearing a local perspective about the changes there over the past few decades.

Transport

This was the day we were ready at 6:50AM for a pickup and didn't get picked up or any communication until after 8. Apparently the other people in our group had overslept. We were tired and had rushed through breakfast to be ready on time, so sitting and waiting for over an hour, and not hearing anything until after we messaged Alvaro at kimkim, was really frustrating.

Visit Highlands Tortoise Reserve & Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

Our guide for the day took us to the Charles Darwin Research Station, where we learned more about the ecology of the Galapagos and the efforts to combat ecological destruction. It’s pretty cool how committed the islands are to preservation and environmental sustainability. At the research station we also got to visit the tortoise breeding center where we saw baby tortoises (younger than 5 years, when they’re returned to the wild), as well as a few old ones who were recovered from their early life as pets and can’t be released into the wild. After the research station, we went to the Highlands of Santa Cruz Island to visit a lava tunnel and tortoises in their natural habitat. It was, in a word, amazing. Because of the relatively short time humans have been present on the island, and the lack of predators, the wildlife here is shockingly unafraid of humans. They’re certainly aware of us, and the tortoises moved away if we approached from the front (threatening), but in general are fine with us being close and wandering around with them.

Quality of Experience

Food

The lunch at the Highlands Tortoise Reserve was honestly one of the best meals we had in the Galapagos, it was great.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Viviana was a great guide; she knew SO much about the history, ecology of the islands, tortoises, really everything we wanted to know! Very knowledgeable, informative, friendly, and gave us restaurant recs as well :)

Transport

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

Puerto Ayora

An ideal final day in the Galapagos. The whole day we spent on a sailboat with a dozen other tourists and crew and took a 3 hour ride to an uninhabited island. There we did a short "hike" (it was climbing 365 stairs) to an incredible viewpoint — our guide kept telling us it’s been named one of the most beautiful places in the world. By whom, we have no idea, but it was beautiful. After the hike, we went snorkeling again. We saw sharks and a Galapagos penguin, the only species of tropical penguin. The penguins are tiny — no more than a foot tall at full grown. The boat ride back was close to perfect — warm air, sea breeze, a few sightings of jumping rays — a great end to a Galapagos vacation.

Quality of Experience

Food

We were served full sit-down meals for breakfast and lunch in the boat, with good food! I get motion sickness, so I honestly would've preferred a more casual box lunch on deck -- just something to be aware of if you also get motion sick.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide and all the boat crew were so kind and welcoming. Our guide chatted with us and the rest of the tourists, gave recs for food, and overall made sure we were all enjoying ourselves.

Lucia was very responsive and helped us plan a great trip. The drivers and guides she organized for us were excellent. Thanks!

I am impressed at the flexibility and ease of planning we had with Alvaro. He was more than willing to change our itinerary to meet our priorities, preferences, and last-minute changes. He also helped to structure the trip with personal time, one-on-one tours, and group activities, as well as with enough active, rest, and free time.

I also appreciated Alvaro’s honesty throughout the planning process, including retroactively seeing how truthful he was in suggesting swapping certain aspects of our original, preconceived trip ideas.

Alvaro was also proactive and quick to respond, usually checking in with us throughout the planning process and the trip itself to keep us in-the-know.

Alvaro also seemed to have connected us with a brilliant mountain guide, Hugo, who is a wealth of knowledge and always made us feel comfortable on the mountainsides. This was invaluable.

Overall a great experience, a great part of the world, and great guides and people.

Hotel Review

Cuello de Luna Mountain Lodge

El Chasqui - Pastocalle

Very friendly atmosphere!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Perfect for a rest day, though constrained if we’d wanted to walk somewhere to visit.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Colonial Quito City Tour & Mitad del Mundo (Middle of the World) Monument

Quito

Enjoyed the day’s more historical lessons/sites regarding Ecuador’s history than other aspects (e.g. visiting the Intiñan Site Museum seemed more worthwhile than the Mitad Del Mundo site).

Isabel planned the perfect trip for the 4 of us (2 couples 50 -62)! We spent 3 nights in Quito at a remarkable hotel in Old Town, which included a city tour, visit to the Equator, a cooking class, and a free day (on our own). Lucia was our guide and went above and beyond to make us happy! We even stopped at her home to pick up bug repellent bracelets for our trip to the Amazon. Her English was very good and her pride for her Country was impressive. The cooking class with Josue and Jonathan exceeded our expectations! Our driver for the day, Manuel, became our driver/guide for the hiking days in the Andes, and transport to/from Quito Airport, which was a huge benefit as we developed a rapport and special relationship with him. Manuel was patient, professional, and accommodating. He is an experienced and accomplished hiker, guiding us on high elevation hikes in the Andes covering dormant and active volcanos, an 8.2 miles section of the Quilotoa, Pasochoa, and the trek to Jose Rivas Refugio at 16K"! The mountain lodges/hotels Isabel booked for us were each very different and uniquely special.
Our stay at the La Selva Lodge in the Amazon was more laid back and a nice change from the city in Quito and the high-country, moderate/strenuous hiking in the Andes. We saw numerous jungle animals and birds, fished for (and caught) piranha, climbed a very tall structure (205 stair steps) towering above the jungle to observe birds, and visited a native/indigenous tribe to learn about their culture and lifestyle.
Finally, we spent our last afternoon/evening (and the next morning) at the Terme de Papallacta Thermal Springs which also had spa treatments available and a gorgeous hike.
Overall, we were thrilled with Isabel's attention to detail and adventurous itinerary and Manuel's thorough, caring attention. I would absolutely recommend both and would book a future trip with Kimkim again.

Isabel, our local specialist, rocked it! She checked in on us and was always there with any guidance if needed. She provided us with Manuel, who guided us during this trip. He amazed us with his knowledge of the places he took us, both on the road and while hiking areas that were very remote. He was always on time picking us up, always kind and courteous and worked very hard to make our time in Ecuador special. It was like we had a good friend in Ecuador showing us around! We asked for 3 days in Quito, 5 days of hiking the mountains and volcanos and 4 days in the Amazon and could not have written a better script. Anyone wanting to visit this beautiful country should use Kimkim...we will use them for our next trip back. My wife is already talking about a girls trip in the future! Thank you for some amazing memories!!!!

Our guides were amazing. Christobal had so much to share with us on this trip. He gave us a real feeling for the national parks. He is kind, funny and great company. Not to mention, being a great photographer!
Sebastian was bursting with information, and insights. He took us to various artisans.

Victor knew his territory and was fun to be with.

The layout of the trip was great, with all the beautiful national parks, the visit to Cuenca.
The only suggestion I would make would be less time in Loja— it’s a bustling city, more like a college town.
All of our guides were wonderful, full of knowledge about Ecuador, local customs, and easy to get along with.

Our trip to Ecuador was indeed amazing (meeting and exceeding our expectations). The excursions were excellent! The trip was fabulous!! From start to finish, the KimKim team (Mathais, Danny and excursion guides) were responsive, on time, professional and courteous. Prior to our trip, Mathais listened carefully to our requests and helped us prepare the perfect itinerary. From the minute we walked off the plane in Quito, we were met by our personal guide Danny who was outstanding! He escorted us every leg of the trip and made sure our travels went smoothly and were top notch throughout our mainland journey that included 2 days in Quito, a day in Banos, a day in Archidona, and hours in Papillacta thermal baths before we flew to Galapagos. In Ecuador mainland, we visited all the places on our itinerary, never felt rushed, and were able to indulge or move along at our own pace - Danny had a great knack for knowing when to be there for us or leave us to venture on our own. We opted for standard hotels that were lovely, clean, hosted by nice folks, and served good breakfasts before we ventured out on our excursions. Mathias made a point to meet and welcome us while we were in Quito, which we thought was classy. Danny spent hours driving us between cities and time flew - Danny was a great conversationalist and shared a wealth of knowledge and love for his country and people and nature and history, which made our drives and excursions all the more enjoyable. Great mix of private and small group tours. Highly recommend all the excursions on our itinerary: Quito City, Middle of the World, Swing, Banos waterfalls (esp Devils Cauldron) and tram, Amazon basin Napo river, rainforest lodge and hike, and Papillacta hot springs. Be aware there are some touristy areas (Banos, Middle of world) and lousy internet, but chalk it up to part of the experience. The people, the country, the food, the nature all beautiful. If you are planning to go to Galapagos following mainland trip recommend the Holiday Inn by airport to reset.

The trip was fabulous!! The guides and drivers were on time, professional and courteous. No issues, it was seamless!

This was my first-time using Kim Kim for my travels and I was impressed with the entire process. Mathais was quick to provide information and was very knowledgeable. Milton was an amazing guide and we really enjoyed spending time with him on the first part of our journey. The staff on the Galaxy was also nice. Enjoyed the entire process and plan on arranging another trip to Ecuador in 2024 to see more sites.

This was the first time I’ve ever used a Travel Agency and the first time I’ve ever been on a small-group guided tour. It was a fantastic experience. The itinerary that Mathias put together was well coordinated and thought out. The activities varied from the active to the intellectual. Milton was a fantastic guide who was knowledgeable about Ecuador in general and the Andes in particular. He was helpful, patient, and flexible changing plans to accommodate our needs. He went out of his way to make sure everyone had an enjoyable experience. I particularly enjoyed our hike to Catopaxi. I also greatly appreciated his role as translator when he accompanied our group on a hike in the Amazon jungle and an exploration of a cave. His presence made me feel safe and comfortable. Galapagos snorkeling was my favorite part of the entire trip. I had the chance to Galapagos penguins, rays, octopus, sharks.. even two hammerheads, turtles, a large blue spiny lobster, and too many fish to name. Our Galapagos guide, David, and the crew aboard the Galaxy were fantastic. They all were friendly, competent, knowledgeable, patient, and accommodating. I would love to do this again!

Fantastic experience. Jackeline was extremely helpful in setting our itinerary. Her hotel choices were perfect for us. It made for a truly amazing trip. Travel from cotopaxi/the hot springs to the incredible wildlife in the galapagos was well coordinated with all our guides (who we all top notch). This trip will be hard to top.

Hotel Reviews

Boutique Hotel Cultura Manor

Quito

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Termas de Papallacta

Papallacta

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ikala Galapagos Hotel

Puerto Ayora

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Casa de Marita

Puerto Villamil

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Palma Polo Club

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

The Adventure Continues - Hiking Day at Cotopaxi National Park, departing from Quito

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Los Tuneles - Afternoon speedboat to Puerto Ayora (Santa Cruz)

Ecuador

Best snorkeling ive ever done

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hiking the Sierra Negra Volcano

Ecuador

Blown away by the magnitude of this volcano

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had the most amazing time in Ecuador. We spent 2 weeks there and were able to see so much more than if we had attempted to plan this ourselves. The tours, guides, hotels and transports were all perfectly coordinated and made the trip stress free for us! Linda really put the most spectacular trip together!!! 10/10 recommend for anyone!!

Hotel Reviews

Casa Joaquín

Quito

Everything was great about our stay here! We had 3 seperate stays here between our time in the Amazon and Galapagos and each time was great! They were very accomodating with some very early departures and late arrivals, and the coffee and breakfast was delicious!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to a variety of restaurants and a short taxi or transport to the cable car and/or old town.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sacha Lodge Yasuní

Quito

Everything about this place is wonderful! The location, guides, daily excursions and food were spectacular!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Really amazing how deep in the jungle we were!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Isla Hotel

Puerto Ayora

Great place and staff! Perfect location to restaurants and shops, with a beautiful roof top view of both the city and ocean.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel La Laguna Galapagos

Puerto Villamil

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Quito City Tour

Ecuador

There is so much to learn and experience in Quito and we never would've been able to do that without this city tour! Cristian was so knowledgeable and fun to hang out with! My husband and I are more the outdoorsy nature type and not hugely interested in history but we both really enjoyed this tour! From the middle of the world, and then to old town with an incredible chocolate tasting, there's so much to take in with the city and we're both really glad we had this tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the "Middle of the World"

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Flight to Coca, Transfer to rainforest lodge & Night walk

Ecuador

Sacha lodge is such an incredible place! The transfer was stress free and very organised, the guides are so knowledgeable and the food is delicious!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Kapok Tower & Canopy Walk

Yasuni National Park

The towers and canopy walk were incredible. I'm afraid of heights and definitely had to push myself out of my comfort zone but it was sooo worth it! The view is spectacular and your able to see more birds than from the ground.

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Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Parrot Clay Lick & Forest Walks

Yasuni National Park

Everything about our stay at Sacha was amazing! The parrots are very cool to watch and walking through the forest is an incredible experience. Every day was we're able to see something different!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Last rainforest activities, Transfer to Coca & Flight to Quito

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Ecuador

All of our transfers were seamless and stress less! Astrid was waiting for us at the airport and got us through to our transport smoothly! Then we had an incredible time visiting the huge tortoises in the highlands and visiting the Darwin research station. Astrid was an absolute joy to be with and was incredibly knowledgeable on everything Galapagos!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

Astrid was incredibly knowledgeable and we learnt so much from her. Not only that but also really fun to hang out with and incredibly sweet!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excursion to an uninhabited island

Ecuador

So many animals to enjoy and experience! The walk was great for watching birds and iguanas and then the snorkel is so refreshing afterwards!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Snorkel at Los Túneles

Ecuador

Such a wonderful place to visit! Our guide was great and was able to find sea horses during our snorkel! Los Tuneles is incredibly beautiful both during our walk and then our snorkel.

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Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kayaking & Snorkeling at Las Tintoreras

Ecuador

We had so much fun Kayaking, especially with sea lions! The water is so clear, and the snorkel afterwards was on the clearest water we had experienced yet! Such a wonderful time!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

When I set out to plan a 2-week family trip to Ecuador, I was a overwhelmed with the many awesome destinations, activities and adventures to chose from as well as the logistics to get from one place to the next within the limited time that we had.
I reached out to Kimkim team for help and I was fortunate enough to have Lucia & Angel as my trip advisors - they were both amazing and thanks to their wealth of knowledge and experience, we were able to plan the perfect trip that included our top destinations and every adventure we wanted to experience while visiting this wonderful country.

We were in Ecuador from Dec 24 - Jan 4 and we had an excellent time exploring the history, culture, wildlife and all the unique aspects of its Amazonia and Galapagos that were unparalleled to anything we’ve seen or experienced before in our travels.

I must say that dealing with Lucia was exceptionally pleasant and easy so I have to send special thanks and appreciation to you Lucia! You made this wonderful trip possible and you were so patient, creative and wonderful in find options that suit our plan, time and budget to make this trip possible and super special!! Thank you for your amazing support throughout the planning process and even during and after our trip to make sure we were always well taken care of wherever we were. You are simply AMAZING!!!

Hotel Reviews

Ikala Quito Hotel

Quito

Great hotel in a very good location, amazing service and staff are very friendly. Our room was very spacious and comfortable

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Napo Cultural Center

Quito

A very unique setting for a beautiful and extremely charming lodge - cabins are spacious and super comfortable and the best part is feeling like you are living in the wilderness of the jungle while in the comfort of your private space. The food was delicious and abundant, we were spoiled with fresh cold towels and refreshing natural juices after each adventure. Special shoutout to the chefs and the restaurant staff for doing an awesome job during each meal. But the biggest and best mention and thanks goes to the manager of the lodge and to our guide « Tyson « for making this whole experience so memorable and unique! Highly recommend it!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Blue Marlin

Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, Galapagos

An OK hôtel, not great - accommodation; facilities and breakfast were just average, service was basic and transactional, nothing special to mention

Authenticity & Character

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Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Posada del Mar

Santa Cruz

Exceptional and super attentive service from Carlos made our stay at this hotel extremely wonderful and truly memorable. The location is super convenient, walking distance from the ferry port and the facilities are very comfortable. The Views overlooking the harbour especially from the common area were amazing We enjoyed our stay tremendously and we felt right at home thanks to Carlos! Highly recommend staying here when in Santa Cruz!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Quito - Coca - Napo Cultural Center

Ecuador

Amazing, unique experience add super special y our guide « Tyson »

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Parrot Clay-lick Viewing, Visiting a Community Project & The Observation Tower

Yasuni National Park

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Indigenous Encounter and Hike to Mama Cuna Path

Yasuni National Park

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Kicker Rock: A Snorkeling Adventure

Isla San Cristóbal

Wonderful experience but water was too cold to enjoy snorkeling - most of us couldn’t stay in the water for more than 20 minutes. We should have been given long wet suits not short ones. Also the guide was so cold that he was rushing us while going through the kicker rock passage.

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Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kayaking Adventure in Tortuga Bay & Afternoon Bay Tour of Santa Cruz Island

Puerto Ayora

Amazing adventure in a beautiful protected bay where sea turtles and white tip reef sharks roam freely and in high numbers. We kayaked through the Laguna and saw so many turtles and sharks up close from our kayak - it was so unique and special to be able to connect with nature and wildlife in such a way without feeling rushed and enjoy all these wonderful encounters!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our guide Ven was phenomenal and very attentive to all our needs. We also were very impressed with the vegetarian meals that the cook provided. We loved the tower, the wall and the river paddling trip. We were able to view over 130 different birds which exceeded my expectations. Thank you for your time.

Hotel Review

Napo Cultural Center

Quito

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Arrival to Yasuní National Park - First hikes or kayaking (NCC)

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Parrot clay lick - Intercultural interpretation center - Observation tower - Ancestral catamaran ride (NCC)

Yasuni National Park

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Community projects - Paddling excursion - Traditional dinner - Night walk (NCC)

Yasuni National Park

Quality of Experience

Y

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Last activities - Transfer to Coca

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

What a fabulous trip!!! Erika was wonderful to work with and designed the perfect trip for us. Everything went as planned. The customer service and responsiveness of Erika and our guides and drivers was flawless. We had the perfect balance of individual time and planned excursions. Some highlights of our trip were canoe rides in the Amazon, biking the waterfall route in Banos, and hiking to base camp at Cotpaxi. The accommodations and food were fabulous. Thank you, Erika for planning an unforgettable family vacation for us.

The booking experience was very seamless and all details has been thought about and planned. Lucia was very responsive and quickly answered our questions.

On San Cristobal island our guide was knowledgeable but lacked some patience and often did not respond to our request positively. The hotel Pimampiro was a wonderful place and the hosts very extremely helpful and cordial. They were very accommodative and helped us with small requests and pointed us to information when we needed it . Snorkeling experience at Kicker rock was good and boat and the crew were knowledgeable and helpful

The public ferry we took from San Cristobal to Santa Cruz was not the best experience as the boat broke down a few times and it was crowded

Taxi services we used and the restaurants and stores were very good and people were friend and helpful in San Cristobal

The hotel Villa Laguna was good only thing to note is there were no elevators and our room was on the first floor which was ok with us . Hotel was clean and helpful staff. Breakfast was good

Our trip coordinator was good and helpful. The guide and the boat crew who accomplished on our snorkeling to Pinzon island and La Fe were very friendly, knowledgeable , attentive and accommodative . The food was prepared on board and excellent

Our guide and driver to the highlands and beaches were very good

Our only suggestion would be to ensure that The Darwin Research Center is included as part of the itinerary. At least for the 1.5 hours guided tour at the center is worth the visit

Our driver Abdur at Guayaquil airport picked us up and dropped us off at the hotel on the day of arrival and took us back to the airport next day for our flight to the Galapagos. He is very i helpful to navigate the complicated check in process for our flight to the Galapagos.

We definitely recommend using Lucia to book your Galapagos vacation

Hotel Reviews

Wyndham Guayaquil, Puerto Santa Ana

Guayaquil

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Pimampiro

Puerto Baquerizo Moreno

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Villa Laguna

Puerto Ayora

No Elevators and we were ok but May be an issue with senior Patrons

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

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

Ecuador

The views were fantastic

Quality of Experience

Food

Food at Rositas was good

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was knowledgeable but we felt he could have been nor accommodating and interactive . He was as knowledgeable

Transport

We took local taxis everywhere. The guide came with us

Kicker Rock: A Snorkeling Adventure

Isla San Cristóbal

Quality of Experience

Food

Food on the boat was ok. I had asked for vegetarian food but there was not much option

Guides, Drivers and Staff

L

Cerro Mesa Reserve - Garrapatero Beach

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Driver didn’t know much about the place or didn’t know English

Transport

Discover Pinzon Island & La Fé

Puerto Ayora

We had a very nice snorkeling experience . Clear water and lot of marine life

Quality of Experience

Food

Amazing food. Cooked on board and very fresh

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide and boat staff were fantastic . They gave us a very nice snorkeling experience

Transport

Exploring The Charles Darwin Research Station (Self Guided)

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Journey to the Santa Cruz Highlands: Witnessing Giant Tortoises in Their Natural Habitat

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a wonderful experience in Ecuador with Kimkim. Our guide Sebastian was simply wonderful: warm, helpful, and knowledgable. Our driver, Guillermo was excellent and very sweet. Lucia helped us plan a wonderful a trip. We will definitely use them again!