Kimkim Trip Reviews for Galapagos Islands

We had a very nice time and enjoyed the Galapagos very much. We were met at both airports Baltra And Villamil by welcoming guides that greeted us and facilitated our transition into the next legs of our trip. The Eco guides that led our excursions were very knowledgeable and spoke English very well. accommodations , the Albermarle in Villamil and the Solymar on PTO Ayora were very nice for the most part. Upon arrival at Albermarle we found our room upstairs which were overly steep and difficult for my wife to negotiate. The first night at the Albermarle there was a fiesta for Dia De Los Muertos that was very loud until 3-4 in the morning and made it hard to sleep. The day tour to Los Tunneles was ok except the short hike to the Booby nest was inaccessible for my wife as the trail over lava and the transition from boat to lava shore was too difficult for my wife to negotiate. She had to stay in the boat while the group went ashore. The same inaccessibility of the boat small boat landing on N Seymore to explore the nesting Frigate birds and the trail over lava rocks was inaccessible to my wife. Nicholas had informed me that these excursions would be accessible for her but they proved to not be accessible for her.
There was another excursion problem in PTO Ayora. The morning of the excursion to Tortuga Bay, when the guide arrived to pick us up he had about a dozen other tourists with him and he refused to wait 5 minutes for my wife who wasn’t quite ready at 730 am the, pick up time. So they left without us. He made no attempt to facilitate us a way to catch up to them. We ultimately walked ourselves to the 300 stairs staircase up to the Tortuga Bay entry station. We climbed the stairs with difficulty and walked the 3 Km to Tortuga Bay. We enjoyed the Walk to the beautiful Bay and park. We arranged our own water taxi passage back to Ayora.
It would seem reasonable for your company to refund the costs we paid in advance for that excursion that we did not recieve.
Apparently, Nicholas, who arranged our trip itinery, lodgings and excursions according to the criteria I had carefully explained to him regarding my wife’s physical disabilities, has not actually been to these Islands nor experienced the
excursions we were booked onto. If he had he might not have booked us onto the excursions with the very small boat transitions to the difficult shore landings and inaccessible lava rock trails.
The escorted taxi ride and escort on the Itabaca Ferry and bus to the airport was nice. As my wife was leaving the Baltra airport for home I was met by the Galapagos Aggressor dive boat staff for the rest of Galapagos adventure.
Now after spending two weeks in the Galápagos Islands and enjoying them fully I’ve returned safely home. It seems your firm overcharged us considerably for the trip you arranged for us. This may influence whether I can refer your services to anyone in the future.
Sincerely,
Jim Lipow
Riverside California

Hotel Reviews

Albemarle

Puerto Villamil

On the beach, near beachfront restaurants. Breakfast basic.

Authenticity & Character

Excellent room very comfortable

Location

On the beach and close to everything in town

Staff

The office was staffed except late at night to 630 in the morning.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Solymar

Galápagos

Waterfront. good breakfast poolside, harborside. One of the best in town except for maybe 2 ultra posh other hotels. Central location. We had to change to a second room upon arrival because the door knob on our original room was so loose it was about to fall off. The staff was very responsive to this issue and move us immediately.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Wildlife Encounter at Los Tuneles (Cabo Rosa)

Galapagos Islands

With a little effort the Galapagos park authorities could make the shore landing accessible for individuals with disabilities

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Snorkeling at Tortuga Bay

Puerto Ayora

The guide would wait 5 minutes and left us behind. What a jerk

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Puerto Ayora

The walking trail proved to be inaccessible to walkers with disabilities. Too bad because a hand crew could make it accessible in short order .

Quality of Experience

Food

The walking trail

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Free Morning Until Departure

Galapagos Islands

Ther was time for nothing before our departure to the airport

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Santa Cruz Island: Highlands (Plant a Tree) & Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

There was no tree planting and no evidence of any tree planting before our visit. But the Darwin Center is a MUST VISIT part of a visit to Santa Cruz and PTO Ayora.

We are not young couple, that decided to visit Galapagos islands and Ecuador for our annual vacation.
I want to thank our local specialist, Isabel, for the perfect organization of this vacation. The positive experience started from a mutual planning of the trip, half a year before the vacation: Isabel was sensitive to every word and wish and we changed and adjusted the plan a number of times, until we were absolutely pleased.
In our case, I preferred to book the hotels and flights by myself, however, most of the hotels were selected according to Isabel's recommendation and they answered our expectation and even, in two locations (in Isabella Island and in Quito), exceeded them.
The trip was organized in a way that we were followed by a guide or a driver most of the time. So, we could feel relaxed and enjoy the scheduled activities. Everything worked according to the plan, on time and without unpleasant surprises. It happened that by mistake, we took a wrong car to the airport and had to pay for it. Although it was our mistake, the agency returned us the price of this trip that was pre-paid.
The ongoing communication with Isabel continued by WhatsApp during the entire trip, which was very comfortable. However, the internet in Galapagos is poor in some places and not always the connection was possible.
The English of local guides in Galapagos was not always clear, sometimes it required effort to understand, but they were patient, and we normally repeated the question and understood the answer.
In Galapagos we selected the option to stay in hotels rather than at yacht, and it was a good choice for us, because we were free to go around the island anytime and performed snorkeling, kayaking and hiking to the extend we wanted. The only detail that was not properly addressed was the size of the wet suit for my husband: he is unusually big person, so, in one place we could not get a suit for him. I would recommend addressing this information in advance.
In continental Ecuador we were accompanied by a local guide, Rodrigo, who took us to Banos, Cotopaxi and Quito. Rodrigo was a very informal, calm and knowledgeable guide, and we learned a lot about the country, its history and nature, both are fields of our interest. The country is amazing and rich in resources and nature!
Although, we encountered, unexpectedly, the electricity shutdowns in the continental Ecuador (I hope, temporary), the vacation could not be better!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Las Plazas

Quito

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Holiday Inn Guayaquil Airport

Guayaquil

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Cally Galapagos

Puerto Villamil

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Isla de Baños

Baños

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

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

Galapagos Islands

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

We visited there at the end of the long day and were tired. The guide was hard to understand and sometimes we gave up.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excursion to an uninhabited island

Galapagos Islands

The trip was amazing and interesting, all the explanations were clear. We went to Bartolome Island; the landscape is breathtaking. Recommended!

Quality of Experience

Food

Unbelievable, but the food prepared on the ship was tasteful and of good quality!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide (Martin) was very good, we had amazing discussion.

Transport

Kayaking & Snorkeling at Las Tintoreras

Galapagos Islands

Kayaking-the waves because higher during kayaking and at the end we were a bit nervous, but the guide was very professional , so we did it! My husband did not snorkel that time, because there was no XXXL wetsuit to rent in this company.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

For snorkeling the guide trained us in detail, because we had no experience, and then hold my hand most of the time to cause me to feel secure. It was very helpful, because next day I was able to snorkel much better.

Transport

Snorkel at Los Túneles

Galapagos Islands

Waw! the sharks were my highlights! :) And they had XXXL wetsuit, so we both could snorkel. At the end the photos of the underwater animals and fish were available, made by the guide-the places we sow by our eyes.

Quality of Experience

Food

the food was simple.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide was perfect, he took care of everything and everyone.

Transport

Biking to Pailón del Diablo

Baños

Waw again! So beautiful views of Ands! The guide for the biking (Roberto) was energetic and enthusiastic. Our main guide, Rodrigo, followed us with the car, which contributed to the secure biking, since part of the road passes on the side of the local highway. We also visited with Rodrigo the Casa del Arbol, the swings, which was amazing experience. For the launch Rodrigo took us to the restaurant of the artist, the food was good and also the place is very interesting, with paintings and a studio and the green was everywhere!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Cotopaxi National Park

Galapagos Islands

We hiked around the lake with birds and received explanations about the volcano and the park. There is a small visiting center before approaching the hiking routes. The volcano resembled Fugi in Japan :) The route is situated at about 4000m, we tolerated the altitude rather well, however, we had to move slowly to breath normally.

Quality of Experience

Food

After the hiking in the park, on our way to Quito, the guide, Rodrigo, brought us to the restaurant located in the former Markise palace, the portions were very-very good!!! Unfortunately, I do not remember the name :(

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My husband requested to drive, so he did it in the park, which was also interesting experience. To drive you need an international license.

Quito City Tour

Galapagos Islands

Quito guided tour and artisan market. The city tour included churches, general explanations, city viewpoint on the hill, vising of artisan chocolate shop (recommended!) and - at the end, the market where we purchased souvenirs and presents for the family. Rodrigo, the guide, accompanied us in every activity, so the shopping was easy and pleasant. Before the market, we visited, per our request a leather shop in the historical part of Quito and bought bags of beautiful local design. In order to maximize the potential of this tour (we had only half a day in Quito before the flight), Rodrigo brought a driver, so we were free to go with him by foot and by car, as needed, without interrupting the tour for parking and waiting for pickup.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Alvaro put together a wonderful trip for us! He and Josselyn took amazing care of us and made sure we were escorted every step of our trip which we greatly appreciated. Every single guide was very knowledgeable and passionate about the Galápagos Islands and all of the wildlife. We loved all of our guides but especially, Darwin, on Isabela Island! All of our accommodations were lovely and the staff at Hotel Acacia was particularly friendly and helpful. It was a trip of a lifetime! I will highly recommend KimKim! Thank you for helping us create such beautiful memories!

Our tour guides were wonderful! All were professional, knowledgeable, and very informative. We all learned so much about the islands and the creatures that inhabitate them.
It was truly a fabulous trip for my dear friend's birthday!

I wanted to thank you and you team for planning an amazing trip to the Galápagos Islands. We were extremely happy with all of our accommodations, especially our hotel in Santa Cruz. The staff at the Acacia Hotel was wonderful, they went above and beyond to make us feel welcome. We enjoyed all of our excursions, especially our snorkeling excursion on Isabella Island. Our guide Darwin was fantastic. I will definitely use kimkim again.

Kim Kim organized our visit to Quito, the Galápagos Islands, and several places in Peru, including Machu Picchu. The tour was exceptionally well-organized. Majo (María José) and Tamer were always available to assist.
The tour guides were friendly, informative, and engaging, providing fascinating details at each stop. Pick-up times were well-coordinated, and all transfers went smoothly, including assistance at the airport to ensure we were ready for our flight. Despite occasional difficulties with accents or fast speaking, they were always willing to clarify when needed. Their knowledge and enthusiasm made the experience truly memorable.

We had a fantastic trip to Ecuador - Quito and the Galapagos- and will treasure the memories forever.

Angie at KimKim worked closely with my husband and myself both in terms of organising our trip but also keeping in touch during our trip to make sure everything was perfect.

Our hotels were perfect for our family and the trips - boat trips and land based adventures - were fabulous. We were looked after and provided with lots of information which really added to our wonderful trip.

Hotel Reviews

La Casona de La Ronda

Quito

This was a lovely hotel. Great location, wonderful building and fab staff.

Authenticity & Character

Had a wonderful feel to the hotel and we loved it

Location

Very central to old town and a cheap taxi/Uber to other locations. Very easy to walk to keep sires

Staff

Always helpful - nothing was a problem

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and comfortable beds, clean shower and towels- all lovely!

Galapagos Sunset Hotel

Puerto Baquerizo Moreno

Great location and facilities were all perfect for our family. Front desk staff were very helpful too - restaurant recommendations and activity suggestions 😊

Authenticity & Character

Modern and not much character - but clean, perfect location, comfortable and safe

Location

Perfect - close to pier and all restaurants

Staff

Always helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Acacia Galápagos Boutique Hotel

Puerto Ayora

We loved everything about the hotel - it was fab!

Authenticity & Character

Modern but had character and was very tasteful. Definitely 5 star!

Location

Perfect as not on sea front but not too far away from anything - we loved it!

Staff

All amazing - helpful on every level!

Cleanliness & Comfort

We all loved it - comfy beds, lovely sheets, clean and lovely

Activity Reviews

Interpretation Center & Tijeretas Hill

Galapagos Islands

We did this trip on our own as the guide instead took us to the beach to see the Sea Lions and to the only lake in San Cristobal- El Junco

Quality of Experience

Lots of information and detail provided by the guide

Food

We had lunch at a local restaurant before setting off on the trip - hard to avoid meat but not bad!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was very helpful, chatty and good company

Transport

It was on time, fit us all in and waited at each location

360° Tour

Isla San Cristóbal

The snorkeling was great at all locations and our guide was brilliant- taking photos and videos of everything which he shred. Boat crew were great too despite the return journey being very bumpy! Wet suit definitively needed, which we had been advised about.

Quality of Experience

Food

Food on board was very good and snacks were also provided

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide and boat staff were fab - very helpful throughout our trip.

Transport

Highlands of Santa Cruz Island

Galapagos Islands

We loved it all - a great start to our Santa Cruz expedition. Giant turtles were amazing

Quality of Experience

Food

Lunch at the venue was great

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

This didn’t take too long but was an interesting and informative visit

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We walked with our guide from the hotel - nice to stretch our legs.

Excursion to an uninhabited island

Galapagos Islands

We loved it all - whilst we didn’t see too much when snorkeling the walk around the island looking at the nesting birds - blue footed Boobies and Frigate birds were amazing. Also the marine iguana 😊

Quality of Experience

Journey, boat, crew, guide and wildlife all amazing. As was the company of other guests.

Food

Fabulous!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to another uninhabited island

Galapagos Islands

A long trip but the same boat and crew as our previous day trip to North Seymour. The snorkeling whilst colder was amazing. We saw penguin’s, black tipped reef shark, anchovies, rays and loads of colorful fish. 🐠

Quality of Experience

Crew, guide and boat all fantastic

Food

Great food again - snacks, cakes and champagne

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excellent teams who took care of us during these 2 weeks!

Our recent trip to Ecuador was an unforgettable adventure, and we are thrilled to share our experience.
We spent three incredible nights at the Napo Wildlife Center in Yasuni National Park. The lodge, nestled deep in the rainforest, was nothing short of spectacular. The surrounding nature was breathtaking, and we enjoyed numerous canoe rides, which provided an up-close look at the diverse wildlife. Each excursion was an exciting journey, offering sights of exotic birds, playful monkeys, and other fascinating creatures. The pristine beauty of the rainforest left us in awe.
Following our rainforest adventure, we embarked on a seven-night cruise aboard the Montserrat in the Galapagos Islands. This part of our trip was extraordinary. Seeing so many animals up close was a dream come true. We snorkeled with marine iguanas, sharks, and even penguins! Our guide, Javier, was incredibly knowledgeable and passionate, making every excursion informative and enjoyable. The Galapagos Islands truly felt like a paradise, teeming with unique wildlife and stunning landscapes.
We also had the pleasure of exploring Quito. Our walking tour was informative and engaging, allowing us to soak in the city's rich history and culture. A highlight was the cooking class with our guide, Sebastian. It was a delightful experience learning to prepare traditional Ecuadorian dishes and enjoying a delicious meal we had made ourselves.
A special thanks to Tamer Obeid, who expertly organized this fabulous trip for our family. His prompt communication and attention to detail ensured everything went smoothly from start to finish. Tamer’s dedication made our vacation truly memorable, and we highly recommend his services to anyone planning a trip to Ecuador.

We had a memorable trip on the Montserrat boat for 8 days. Very clean and on time withe the schedule every day. A lot to do. Enjoyed a lot the snorkeling experience. The crew was adorable and professional. Our guide was EXCEPTIONAL! Javier PICASA, has a lot of knowledge about the islands, flora and fauna. Made our experience great! He is an exceptional snorkeler and we saw a lot of animals, turtles, sharks, iguanas, sea lions and pinguins. We can only recommend him warmly!

Activity Review

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

Quito

We had an amazing city tour with Sebastian. The cooking class was a good way to enjoy equatorian cuisine

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to the Quito and The Galapagos Islands was fabulous! The services provided by KimKim, especially Anthony who coordinated everything for us, was flawless. Every guide and driver we had were knowledgeable, timely, friendly, and welcomed us to Ecuador with open arms. We loved our trip to the cloud forest with David and our 7 day cruise around the Galapagos islands aboard the Archibel I where we saw tons of birds, sea lions, penguins, rays, and other sea animals. When we needed help making a few important changes on the fly, Anthony made it all happen. We felt very supported by him and the KimKim/Responsible Travel Team before and during our travels.

Hotel Reviews

Ikala Quito Hotel

Quito

Great hotel, beautifully appointed room with comfortable bed. Lots of options for the breakfast buffet and for dinner as well. Appreciated the two for one mojitos as well! Hotel has armed security 24/7 and feels safe.

Authenticity & Character

The decor in the room and in all the common speaces.

Location

Easy to walk to a few restaurants. Nice to be in a neighborhood.

Staff

While their English wasn't great, it was good enough to provide super service and help us when the safe in our room wouldn't open!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Perfectly clean. Good temperatures. Loved the linens on the bed.

Archipel I

Guayaquil - Ecuador

We really enjoyed our time on the Archipel I. The food was delicious and plentiful. The chef put a lot of thought into offering a diverse menu for every meal. The fruit drinks provided whenever we returned from an excursion on shore or aboard the dingy were a great treat. The rooms are comfortable, with ample amount of space for storing luggage and clothing. On the first part of the trip we were in a room at the front of the boat which was particularly bumpy, especially because of the route we were on. For the second half of the trip, we moved to a room at the back of the boat which we found a lot less bumpy. The sea may have been less wavy either way but we liked being in the back better and really appreciated the opportunity to move. Overall, the staff on this boat are super.

Authenticity & Character

Great ship to see the Galapagos Islands on.

Location

We went on the 7 day cruise - around the western islands and then up to Genevese.

Staff

Great staff -- so customer focused and efficient. They knew how to get things done and keep the group moving forward and able to address issues as they came up.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The vessel and cabins were very clean. The bathrooms, while very clean and usable, are beginning to show their age a bit.

La Palma Polo Club

La Palma Polo Club is a unique experience and location! Our room was HUGE. Loved all the windows and rustic decor. Only thing missing was a desk. Food was good at the restaurant too. Enjoyed walking the grounds. There are not many rooms so you feel like you are at a special place . We only stayed one night before catching our flight so we didn't use the pools or the spa.

Authenticity & Character

Hotel was beautiful.

Location

While the hotel is closer to the airport than Quito, it is still a half an hour a way. It is also not convenient to Quito if you want to use it as a base for touring. That said, the location is beautiful and it is a great place to stay, particularly if you want to hang out for a few days.

Staff

Very helpful and friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was clean and comfortable! The bed was great. The decor was beautiful.

Activity Reviews

Moreno Point - Urbina Bay (Isabela Island)

Cruise Ship

Espinoza Point (Fernandina Island) - Vicente Roca Point (Isabela Island)

Cruise Ship

Black Turtle Cove - Flamingos and Relax in Bachas Beach

Cruise Ship

Colonial Quito City Tour & the Middle of the World

Quito

Really enjoyed the Middle of the World experience. Very fun and worthwhile. We also enjoyed the tour of old Quito and the view of the city from the Virgin of Quito statue overlooking the city was outstanding!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

David was a great guide, adjusting the tour based on our interests, and sharing with us lots of interesting information about Quito's history and current situation.

Transfer to the airport for your flight back home (Departure)

Galapagos Islands

Smooth transfer with lots of time to check in at the airport.

Arrival to Quito

Galapagos Islands

Friendly driver met us at the airport and we had a smooth transfer to our hotel for the evening.

Birding Day in the Cloud Forest

Quito

Our guide knew of a few "private" birding locations where locales set up bananas and other fruit to attract birds to their property, including hummingbirds. These locations did not disappoint! We saw dozens of colorful and unique birds and were able to feed a vast array of beautiful hummingbirds. We also went to the butterfly refuge which was okay. The highlight there was seeing two kinds of toucans and a sunbittern on or near the property.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

David knows his birds and was passionate about seeing and finding them!

Baltra Airport - Fausto Llerena Breeding Centre (Santa Cruz)

Cruise Ship

We are glad we saw the breeding center but it is nothing like seeing the giant tortoises in the wild! The breeding center focuses a lot on educating visitors about the tortoises and the Galapagos ecosystem. The baby tortoises from various islands was interesting to see.

Twin Craters - El Chato Reserve (Santa Cruz Island) - Transfer Out to Baltra Airport

Cruise Ship

We stopped by the twin craters on our way to the airport. It was cool to see the crater (we actually only had time to see one) but I wouldn't go out of my way to see it. The time we spent seeing the wild giant tortoises on property nearby was more worthwhile. There were so many of them - both male and female.

Exploring Genovesa Island: Prince Philip Steps and Darwin Bay

Cruise Ship

This island was the highlight of our trip! So many birds (red-footed boobys, blue-footed boobys, frigate birds and their chicks), everywhere you looked! Plus several short-eared owls and many other interesting things to see. It is a magical place.

Bartolome Island - Sullivan Bay (Santiago Island)

Galapagos Islands

This island was another highlight of our trip but not because of the wildlife. The landscape and view from the top is magnificent! Snorkeling after the hike around the cove was lots of fun too.

Puerto Egas (Santiago Island) - Rabida Island

Galapagos Islands

Not sure how to rate this but we lost a whole day practically because one Of our guides in Ecudor Was very insufficient. She didn't have the right change for the pain.When she picked us up and then when she took us to Cuenca she kept getting lost. Before we left, we had to stop so she could have breakfast cause she didn't have anything to eat.At her mother's house before she left that morning. Also she did not know anything about the national park that we stopped at. She could not answer our questions. When we finally got to our destination, she had promised us.We could go to a spot there to get rid of this sress from the day and that did not work out either. I would not consider her a safe driver either. That was one of the reasons for the stress and then being jerked around all over the place From her driving. We were supposed to have a different guide to begin with. And actually he turned out fine. Except he dished us at the airport when he drove his back to Guayaquil Ecuador. Our plane didn't leave till 1130 that night and he dropped us off at the airport.About 330 in the afternoor it might have been earlier. Kim did get back with this about an hour or so later and line up another guide Who was a very good person but we ended up giving two people tips that day or the day instead of just one so that was an extra Twenty dollars from each of us for the guides. We found out later that the guide that was good and dropped us off at the airport.Check another client.So I had to get back to quinca instead of staying with us like he was supposed to. The whole thing made it's very uneasy. The rest of the trip especially the calypso boat was wonderful.

Alvaro, our kimkim specialist planned a trip of a lifetime for us in the Galapagos. Each and every experience he planned was special and executed well. I can’t say enough about each of our four different guides in the Galapagos. All weee knowledgeable, approachable and full of great charm. Thanks Alvaro and kimkim for the trip of a lifetime.

Hotel Reviews

Casa Andina Premium Miraflores

Lima

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Wyndham Guayaquil, Puerto Santa Ana

Guayaquil

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ikala Galapagos Hotel

Puerto Ayora

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Iguana Crossing Boutique Hotel

Galápagos

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Highlights of Lima- City Tour

Lima

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Adventure: Cycling at Cerro Mesa Reserva & Snorkeling at Garrapatero Beach

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Quality of Experience

Food

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transport

Welcome to Santa Cruz Island: Highlands (Plant a Tree) & Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

Our guide Stefano was outstanding

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wildlife Encounter at Los Tuneles (Cabo Rosa)

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Puerto Ayora

Best of a great trip

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

From conception to execution, Tam created the trip of a lifetime for us. His professionalism and care was incomparable. Our trip was perfectly curated to accommodate all of our interests and he was able to make our 6 day trip to Galapagos one that we’ll never forget! Thanks to our guides, Viviane, Rita, Julio and Neptali and our boat captains, we snorkeled in the amazing Las Tintoreras in Isabella, visited Bartholome, saw a killer whale, swam with sea lions, turtles, visited Los Tuneles, ate amazing food, hopped around on speedboats. Tam always made us smile with his daily check ins, reminding us that he was there if we needed anything. Thank you, Tam! Galapagos felt like a another universe and you were a star!

My son and I just returned from a trip to the Galapagos islands planned and arranged by kimkim.com. It was an amazing and wonderful experience made easy and worry-free by Isabel Pérez's diligent planning and responsiveness to our requests and force major causes requiring changes in the itinerary.
Our guides were prompt, knowledgable and friendly: Andrei and Christian in Guayaquil, Solange in San Cristóbal, Danielle in Santa Cruz as well as the crews of the boats to Kicker Rock and North Seymour island. The hotels Ibis in Guayaquil, Miconia on San Cristóbal and Galapagos Suites on Santa Cruz were clean and accommodating with a friendly and courteous staff.
We will definitely recommend the kimkim company to family and friends who are thinking of the Galapagos islands as a trip destination.
Sincerely,
Ora Yadin & Gil Benezer
Manhattan Beach, CA
USA

Linda was beyond fabulous- knowledgeable, friendly, accommodating. Keep this woman happy, she is a wonderful asset to KimKim!

5 Stars: Ikala Hotel, Hotel Galapagos Suites, Highlands of Santa Cruz and our guide Daniela, Excursion to Seymour Norte and our guide, our guide Fabricio in Quito and his surprise add-ons to our Quito tour.

Special 10 stars to driver Alejandro and Casa Playa Mann for the biggest hearts and sincerest souls, as well as doing their job excellently. They are wonderful ambassadors for their country.

4 Stars: Kicker Rock. Best suited for true snorkel enthusiasts, which is not us- we are vacation snorkelers. Choppy and cloudy water, some strong currents that really took work to navigate, and while it was cool to see a few hammerheads, not much else to see. Honestly, perhaps the best part of the trip was the spectacular closeup views of the Galapagos birds. Great guide.

Our only neutral-to-negative outing was the Interpretation Center and Tijeretas Hill. These two sites definitely do not need a guide and would have been far more enjoyable exploring on our own. Karen, our guide, was not a good storyteller, and told us little that I hadn't already read in the guidebooks; perhaps if she had turned the walk up Tijeretas Hill into a nature walk, but she made few comments as we walked up this paved and well-signed path. But the truly negative experience was the snorkeling. There was a yellow flag out, and the entrance to the water is on sharp rocks, difficult for nonlocals to negotiate- during our time there, two tourists had to be saved from the big waves/currents and helped back onto the rocks. Karen gave no instruction, but after verifying that we could all swim, jumped in the water and began snorkeling. Only one of the four of us decided to try snorkeling, as the other three felt it too dangerous. My husband lost a flipper, and waited back on the rocks as Karen managed to retrieve the flipper (good for her), but then continued to snorkel as we all waited for her. While pleasant during her guiding, Karen seemed bored with this excursion and I think would be better suited to aquatic excursions only, as this seems to be her true love.

Hotel Review

Casa Playa Mann

Puerto Baquerizo Moreno

Lovely place run by a lovely and sincere family.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Interpretation Center & Tijeretas Hill

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

Tortoises everywhere, need I say more? Ask for guide Daniela!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Quito City Tour

Ecuador

Much better experience with a guide than exploring on one's own. Ask for Fabricio!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our transport dropped us off at one end of Old Town and picked us up at the other end, so no backtracking!

Snorkel at Kicker Rock (Leon Dormido)

Galapagos Islands

Everything about the day was great- transport, guide, the excursion to a remote beach- except the cloudy snorkeling itself is only worth it for the interesting experience of seeing hammerhead sharks.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Highlands of Santa Cruz Island

Galapagos Islands

Tortoises everywhere, need I say more???

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip was perfect, everything was designed so we just has to worry about enjoying our trip.

Hotel Reviews

Ikala Quito Hotel

Quito

Very nice hotel. Both times we stayed there was no electricity and that meant no internet, no hot water and no food. Besides from that, very friendly staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pillows

Hotel Galapagos Suites

Puerto Ayora

Beautiful cozy hotel. Very friendly staff. Breakfast is continental but good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Blackout curtains since there is a lot of light coming in from the street

Albemarle

Puerto Villamil

Great hotel and has a pool which made it so much better

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

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

Ecuador

Our host Astrid was very nice and helpful. She was patient with us and answered all our questions. Lunch in the highlands was delicious.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

Learned lots of stuff, very interesting and Astrid our guide was very nice.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excursion to an uninhabited island

Ecuador

We went to Barrolomé. We had a stop first with a little walk, it was at noon and there is no shade. The guide was making stops along the way to explain things but climbing steps at noon with no shade was terrible. Would be better if they explained on the boat so we could do the walk without stopping. The snorkeling part was amazing, wish we could have had more time.

Quality of Experience

Food

Bigger portions

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Snorkel at Los Túneles

Ecuador

Best tour we had on our trip. The views are amazing, nice guide he even took photos and gave them to us. Captain even let me drive the boat for a while.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kayaking & Snorkeling at Las Tintoreras

Ecuador

Nice activity. The guide was not very helpful though, wouldnt explain much and seemed king of mad. Beatifil views though and the penguins were amazing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Nick made the entire trip, so incredible and completely stress-free. Wherever we went, there was someone to meet us and show us where to go or take us there personally. I absolutely love this company because they allow you to cater your trip to whatever you want it to be, you can choose what type of hotel, what type of trip you want to make it. Also, we have a daughter that has celiac disease, and no matter where we went, they knew that she had to be gluten-free. Nick was always available throughout our trip for us to ask any questions and he quickly responded and I have had the same experience using this company in other countries, and it makes such a difference in making travel stress-free. I highly highly highly recommend.

Hotel Reviews

Ikala Quito Hotel

Quito

we loved this hotel, because each room had such a special theme. Our kids room was almost like being in a museum.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ikala Galapagos Hotel

Puerto Ayora

Very friendly staff, great location and clean.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Albemarle

Puerto Villamil

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Wyndham Quito Airport

Quito

It is literally across the street from the airport. The staff is beyond five star. The restaurant had great food options.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Morning Adventure to Teleferico Cablecar

Quito

it was very cloudy, and our guide decided to offer us a trip to a very beautiful church, and then we did use the Teleferico even though it was still very cloudy. I recommend going no matter what the weather is because it is such an incredible experience, even if you cannot see the other mountains/volcanoes.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hotsprings in Termas de Papallacta

Galapagos Islands

Do not miss! It is so beautiful and serene. A completely different world of relaxation.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wildlife Encounter at Los Tuneles (Cabo Rosa)

Galapagos Islands

this was an unbelievable experience, even though it rained at the beginning. It was our first snorkeling experience in the Galapagos, and it did not disappoint. We saw blue, footed, boobies, penguins, octopus, sea lions, swam beneath us, we saw sea cucumbers the list goes on and on.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Kayaking Adventure in Tortuga Bay

Puerto Ayora

The beach will take your breath away. The walk to get there is worth it but just know that it feels like a very long way in the heat and humidity.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kimkim did an incredible job as usual! Alvaro was terrific to work with and and answered all of my questions in a timely manner and worked with us to put together a memorable vacation.

Once we were there Rita was also excellent to work with. She coordinated everything and she was always met us in-person with a bright smile to get our daily plans started.

Overall it was a trip of a lifetime!

Alvaro helped us plan the perfect trip for us. We loved the whole experience.