Kimkim Trip Reviews for Ecuador

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

Transport

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

Transport

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.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Transport

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

Transport

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.

Quality of Experience

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

Location

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

Transport

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.

Quality of Experience

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!

This company is the real deal. I was skeptical to use a travel agent to book a trip but I am so glad I did. I found Kim Kim on a Facebook page and decided to give them a try. Matthias communicated with me in a timely fashion and listened to what I wanted and made it happen. We were greeted as we walked out of the airport and from there everything was very close to perfect. We had great hotels; great excursions; great tour guides and food. We felt safe every where we went and could not have asked for a better service.
From Quito to Galapagos to Banos and finally Archidona, it was a Fantastic Vacation! Thank you so much.

10 out of 10, would highly recommend

Hotel Reviews

Kuyana Amazon Lodge

Archidona

The most beautiful hotel I have ever stayed! Amazing It’s kinda scary to get to but so worth the drive.

Authenticity & Character

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The food and staff were amazing. Gorgeous place

Ikala Galapagos Hotel

Puerto Ayora

Great location, friendly staff and clean rooms

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Casa Alquimia

Quito

Very quaint Was not expecting it to be warm but we got a fan and that was cured.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Holiday Inn Quito Airport, an IHG Hotel

Tababela

Nice Hotel Close to the airport Provides a shuttle

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Cooking Class

Quito

My son and I did this and loved it. I came home and tried to recreate the potato soup. It turned out famously.

Quality of Experience

Learning new fruits and recipes

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Josue and Alex

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

Ecuador

I love turtles and tortoise so this was a real treat.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Middle of the World

Ecuador

I really enjoyed this visit to both equator destinations.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excursion to an uninhabited island

Galapagos Islands

Great snorkeling on Bartolome! Penguins, sea lions, shark, octopus, sting Ray. The boat was great, the staff was amazing, Highly recommend!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Scuba Diving - Day Trip from Santa Cruz

Galapagos Islands

The dive company is fantastic. I felt safe and would absolutely recommend them and dice with them again. The only reason it was rated as a 4 is because the water was super cold and visibility was not great. My son really enjoyed the dive on the second day. Schools of sharks and rays.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Canyoning in Baños

Baños

Fun excursion. You do have to hike out but it’s moderate. Great time

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Explore the Pailón del Diablo Waterfall, Transfer to Archidona

Ecuador

This waterfall is beautiful! Danny was our guide in Banos and he was fantastic. He took such great care of us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rafting Río Jatunyacu

Ecuador

Super fun excursion!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Exploring El Gran Cañon & natural caves

Ecuador

I am out of shape but I still really enjoyed this hike and the waterfall. We did get tired and skipped the cave portion so I can’t comment on them. I would recommend this canyon hike and swim in the pool under the waterfall. Shawn was out guide at the hotel and on this excursion. He was awesome

Quality of Experience

You need to be somewhat in shape to hike this

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our Guayaquil guide, Corina and our driver, were amazing in their historical knowledge of the city and country, flexibility in the moment based on our interests, and steadfast in ensuring our safety. We had an amazing time looking at all of the effigies across the city in preparation for Ano Viejo. Our walk up the 444 steps to Diego Noboa y Arteta was finished w a lovely and delicious lunch. The rest of the week in the Galapagos was equally fun and interesting. Viviana, our guide, met us in Balstra and escorted us to Santa Cruze, all the while explaining the history of the islands, the economy, the differences between the mainland and islands, and of course introduced us to many amazing animals and sites from land iguanas to gigantic tortoises in their natural habitat. Seeing the evolution of various tortoises who come from other islands where they have different vegetation was spectacular. Thank you to the whole team for a truly eye-opening trip!!!!

Hotel Reviews

Oro Verde Guayaquil

Guayaquil

This is a lovely, modern, clean hotel with all of the amenities, including almond milk for those dairy-free concerned. There are different restaurants and a cafe to choose from. We actually switched hotels to stay here because it was so nice.

Authenticity & Character

Location

In the heart of Guayaquil

Staff

All went above and beyond to welcome us

Cleanliness & Comfort

Exe Galería Man-Ging

Guayaquil

Very basic, but clean if you need somewhere to stay and you arrive late at night and don’t want to pay for amenities that you won’t use. The artwork in the halls is a bit overwhelming though and it’s a bit dark.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sir Francis Drake

Puerto Ayora

This was an unfortunate experience. The hotel appeared dirty and not well maintained so as soon as we checked in, we asked our guides to transfer us somewhere else.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Gran Hotel Tintorera

Puerto Villamil

This was a clean and family friendly hotel, but very basic. Appears to cater to the Ecuadorian mainland guests because nobody spoke English. But it was absolutely clean! And they were friendly so if you are ok w bare bones, it is just fine and very authentic.

Authenticity & Character

Breakfast was cooked and served right in front of you on the outdoor stove.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guayaquil City Tour - Free afternoon

Guayaquil

The tour of the effigies was amazing. Corina’s knowledge about the history of the city and country and the economics of both, was really helpful. We loved the whole tour!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Puerto Ayora

Viviana was amazing! The tortoises, the Charles Darwin center, it all was terrific.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wildlife Tour on Isabela Island

Ecuador

The speedboat was fine though it would have been a little nicer on a larger boat where we could have walked around or had lunch. The guide and tour of Las Tintoreras was fine though I think it would have been better as a private tour instead of a large group. Also, the guide was very nice but didn’t appear to understand English very well as she couldn’t answer questions as much as tell us information.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excursion to Los Túneles

Ecuador

This might have been better if we had not been snorkeling the day before and it wasn’t the 7th boat ride we had taken.

Quality of Experience

Food

They made me a GF lunch which was amazing!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Puerto Ayora Departure Transfer: Farewell to the Galapagos

Puerto Ayora

Our guide Julio was terrific!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Where to start and what to say is not easy because words can’t necessarily do justice to how amazing of a trip was planned for us and the excellent treatment we received from both our trip planner Linda and our stellar tour guide Milton!
From the very start what made KimKim standout was how effective and efficient Linda was in communicating back and forth to understand what Stephanie and I were looking for in an experience. Linda surpassed all our expectations with the itinerary and the details that went into each day to make sure we got to enjoy a range of activities. Linda constantly checked on with us during the trip too in order to make sure everything was beyond satisfactory showing an awareness to go above and beyond…even with a surprise visit in person to give it the personal touch!!
For anyone that gets lucky enough to book a trip through Linda you will feel privileged!!
Milton as a tour guide only elevated our trip from there and his personality, photography skills, knowledge of the respective areas we visited, enthusiasm and ability to understand speaking English made it a SUPERB holiday!!! There’s sincerely not enough positive we can share about Milton in a review!!!
Two things comes to mind for anyone taking time to read this…one is Ecuador is incredible and is the most diverse and characteristic country this well travelled couple has been to and secondly you WILL want to ONLY book through Linda with KimKim. No matter if the investment is higher than other operators…the decision will be the best decision you could make for yourself!!!!

We had such a great experience with KimKim! The local guide and driver they connected us with were amazing. We felt like family at the end of the trip! In the time leading up to the trip, I worked closely with Tatiana to get our itInerary perfect and she was very receptive to listening to what we wanted to do and making all of the changes. We had to leave Ecuador unexpectedly due to political unrest and our amazing guide and driver got us out safely and we were so grateful to have them!

Ecuador is an incredible country and I feel so lucky to have visited !! Everything was so wonderfully organized and Alvaro’s dedicated planning made the trip so enjoyable. Each morning we were picked up and shown another incredible part of the country. Highly recommend working with them. Ecuador is such a richly diverse country I would recommend being clear what kind of activities you enjoy (hiking vs relaxation vs cultural activities) etc so the guides may specifically tailor your experience to your interests.

Hotel Reviews

Ikala Quito Hotel

Quito

Sisakuna Lodge

Mindo

Location

Cuello de Luna Mountain Lodge

El Chasqui - Pastocalle

Charming, clean, and cozy place to stay !! Highly recommend !!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Termas de Papallacta

Papallacta

Activity Reviews

Hotsprings in Termas de Papallacta

Ecuador

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

Quito

Cloudforest of Mindo & Return to Quito

Mindo

Otavalo Market - Cooking Class - Quito

Ecuador

Horseback Riding in Cotopaxi National Park

Cotopaxi

Quilotoa Lagoon - Papallacta

Ecuador

Our trip to Ecuador for our honey moon was incredible. We were incredibly impressed with every detail from the transport, the food, the scenery and our guides. The overall experience was just one we will never forget. Upon landing in Quito we were greeted by our amazing tour guide Pablo who spent the next 6 days giving us basically our own private tour across the mainland of Ecuador and the amazing Amazon rainforest. He was so knowledgeable and accommodating and we learned so much!!

We went to Galápagos Islands for the end of our trip and again we were taken back by our experience. We absolutely loved our time here. Our lovely tour guide Ricardo greeted us in the Baltra airport and guided us to the beautiful island of Santa Cruz and from there we spent a couple days touring that island and then taking a boat to islabella island for a few days.

Our experience in Ecuador will be a trip that will be hard to top, and we truly think it should be on top of everyone’s bucket list!!!

We can’t thank Kim Kim travel enough for everything and being so accommodating (i failed to previously mention that our flight got cancelled and we almost missed a full day but Juan reorganized everything and we were able to still hit every activity on our itinerary).