Kimkim Trip Reviews for Peru

We had an absolutely fabulous trip to Peru! Kudos to Anne because all of our transfers went seamlessly and all of our accommodations exceeded expectations. We enjoyed Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley, Lake Titicaca, and Cusco as anticipated, but were surprised by how much we loved Colca Canyon. The bus ride from Puno to Cusco also went faster and was much more entertaining than we had imagined. All of our guides taught us so much: Alecson (sp?), Willie, Daniel, and Primo. Primo also was so kind and encouraging to us when we struggled on the 1-day Inca Trail Hike. We had a wonderful adventure -- a lifelong dream come true!

We had an incredible custom trip to Peru, organized by Anne Godoy from Peruvian Soul. Our guide for the first 6 days (Cusco, Sacred Valley) was Julio Quispe and our guide for the Ausangate portion of our journey (though Andean Lodges) was Alfredo Zuniga. Both guides were incredible. Super knowledgable, friendly, helpful and made the trip an exceptional experience. Anne was very prompt and checked on us through the entire trip. This was my first time with KimKim and my first time organizing anything via a travel agency - and I was very pleased with the experience. Thanks Anne, Julio and Alfredo - for a wonderful trip.

KimKim is a brilliant idea expertly executed. How to find the perfect in-country help for just the kind of travel you prefer? Ask KimKim. They put us in touch with Nicho and Diego at Peruvian Soul for our self-drive, self-guided trip in Peru. And while driving yourself in Peru is not recommended, we set out anyway to discover that it's true that the worst drivers in the world are Peruvian. But Nicho checked on us almost every day, and we did fine. At Machu Picchu, Peruvian Soul had arranged our tickets and Wilson, our guide. The experience could not have been better. Wilson was friendly, knowledgeable and flexible. Peg suffered from altitude sickness and had to miss some of the recomended highlights but got to know the towns a little better. Peruvian Soul gets 10 out of 10.

Anne put together an amazing trip for us to Peru. Everything was well organized. Drivers and guides were reliable, always on time and very caring. Everything was well thought of for us. We loved all the local hotels that were selected for us especially the one in Cuzco. The whole process to setup the itinerary was very easy for us and the whole trip was perfectly tailored to allow us to see all the things we wanted to see.

All the sites along the northern coast were very unique. The ancient city of Chan Chan by the coast was beautiful, and all the gold at Lord Sipan's museum. Kuelap was impressive but very hard to get to, the major airport at Jaen has one or two runways I think. We loved Arequipa and our trip to Colca canyon to see the flying condors. Our guide Luis made this part of our trip memorable. Our girls loved that we stopped by local shepherd's pen to see all the llamas and alpacas before they start grazing for the day. Driving in Peru was thrilling and spectacular. The different sceneries were amazing from the coastal desert to the altiplano and the high peaks of the Andes. The crowds at Machu Picchu was as amazing as the sight itself. The mini Inca trail to the sun gate then the real site next day was perfect for us. The amazon jungle was a perfect ending for our trip. We were amazed by the beautiful lodges we stayed at deep into the jungle. The wild life we saw was wonderful and the food was excellent. The biking with tasting food at Lima was so interesting as well.

This is now the third trip we have done using KimKim. We have never been disappointed and will continue to use them in the future.

Dear all,
It’s not today that I going to review my experience. But just to let you know that it was by far the most incredible trip that we made. It was not just about the place itself since there are incredible places all around the world, but it was the way you all took care of us. You know when you go to a place and there is a family relative that knows you and he provides not only what you need but also surprises you all the time? That’s how we felt all the time!
Question:
Are all the agency’s that you work with like Peruvian Soul?
If so you have made a difference in the traveling world!!!!

Everything went like clockwork with our trip, no snags at all with all of the connections and transfers, etc. Our guides were all excellent and the recommended hotels were all excellent. We hope to return to Peru someday and will definitely be contacting Kimkim for our next trip.

This trip was planned to perfection by Carla at the KimKim Team. She found a great company, Quechua Treks. Our guide, Johann, was above and beyond amazing! We did the Choquerquiro hike and ran into other hikers who did not have a great experience. Ours was perfect. We had 4 people doing this hike. One person, (me!) had trouble on the last day because of the heat. Johann was very attentive without being obnoxious, to make sure I was safe.

The KimKim team was also flexible when our group decided to make a last minute change to our plans.

Our group is not prone to using travel agencies as we usually just wing it. However, we were glad we coordinated with the KimKim team for Peru. It made our trip perfect. Thank you, Carla!

Our trip was planned perfectly. We were very pleased with everything. The process was easy, the local tour guides were all very wonderful!!! We had Alexandra with us the majority of our 6 days in Peru and Franco was our guide up Machu Picchu. Alexandra is the best and when we come back we would request her to be our personal guide if she's available. Although I really really liked Franco it felt like he was a little overwhelmed as he had multiple tours during the time we were there. Still a great time and both took awesome pictures for us and of us. We really appreciate them capturing these moments. The hotels that we stayed in were excellent and in the perfect locations. We stayed at Aranwa for our first and third night in Cusco, Casa del Sol Machu Picchu Boutique in Ollantaytambo for Machu Picchu and Antiqua Casona San Blas in Cusco. It was one or two of the hotels I suggested and had changed after receiving Clara's suggestions and after I agreed to the itinerary because I researched where we wanted to stay and the type of hotels we wanted to stay in. Do not agree to any itinerary prior to researching your hotels. We were charged for each change, a service fee which I feel is a little much, so I warn you prior to agreeing to any itinerary do your own research first on hotels and rooms to ensure you are comfortable where they are suggesting you stay. I didn't and we were charged additional fees. Just a warning because their suggestions might not be what you really want and you won't know until you research.

Our tour was laid out so perfect we didn't experience much jet lag at all. Peru is our most favorite place to visit and we are very excited to return. This was our first time in this beautiful country and it's already top of our list. Going through KimKim was a little scary I must say as it was our first time using an on-line travel platform but it was the perfect platform to use for me as I was able to send my questions and receive responses that I could easily find again. I would definitely use KimKim again.

The only problem I had which was not KimKim at all is that our local travel agent Clara left the agency (That's why I gave her 3 stars) and we weren't told. I would send messages upon messages and I was getting a little scared that I had lost money because I got nothing in return. I contacted KimKim, they got in touch with the local agency and we were assigned to Liz who was great at responding but the local agency should have done a better job communicating that Clara had left. Other than that, I think if we had Liz from the very beginning or if we had known that Clara was leaving and a proper and speedy transfer was done it would have been a 5 star review for the local specialist.

I am really satisfied at Andean Travel who was the local agency. They are professional and offered the best layout for our first tour of Peru. They met us on time at the time we agreed on each day. The drivers were all courteous and the tours awesome.

We've just come back from an amazing trip to Peru. We loved every part of it but a special mention to Jhordy and Paulieno our guide and chef for the Salkantay trek who helped us complete a tough challenge across stunning mountains and also to Manuel who led us on many hunts through the jungle.

Everything was organised by Peruvian Soul and all the connections and pickups were stress free.

Oscar was an outstanding guide for four days. Our itinerary originally included an early morning horseback ride to Rainbow Mountain. We just weren’t up for it mentally or physically and tried to get in touch with our KimKim representative by email but we’re unsuccessful. We did not realize that because it was a Sunday we needed to call. That should have been made clear to us.

Otherwise, all was great!

The local agent Quechua Treks did a great job, we love all the details they arrange, like the snakes on the bus food restaurant our guide Zacarias pick was all amazing. Zac makes the trip even more enjoyable he is great tour guides full knowledge of the sites and plannings the trip in perfect timing. And our drive also did a great job.
Zip lining was very adventurous but not for everyone our group enjoyed.
Scared dreams lodge is beautiful hotel to stay, we loved it a lot.

This for me was a trip of a life time which was a total of 18 days with my daughter celebrating her graduation from High School. Kim Kim handled our 7 days in Peru and 11 days in Colombia. The time in Peru was magical. The highlight of the entire trip was Alexandra who was our guide in Peru for 2 days. I've been traveling for 20 years on international trips and Alexandra was by far the best guide i've ever encountered. Her ability to interact with myself and my daughter was wonderful as she relayed to us the customs of local people and the influence of Inca culture. Her ability to recant history and it's influence on previous cultures and current live styles of those who choose a modern path along with those who desire to live an indigenous lifestyle of the past. She was funny, engaging, caring, recommending places to eat and sites to see later when the guided tours were over enhanced out time substantially. Alexandra was more than a guide, she became a life long friend. We loved everything about our trip to Peru. Kim Kim hit a home run in our book. I will be back!

Jesus organised my family the trip of a lifetime. I went with my wife and 5 children over 3 weeks. We arrived in Lima then went to Paracas, on to Cusco and The sacred Valley, then back to Lima and on to Mancora for some beach time.
All the local guides were excellent that Jesus organised. All transport was of good quality and prompt.
All went perfectly thank you Jesus !

Overall, it was a great experience.
I was particularly grateful for our guide Oscar, and regret that he was not our guide at Machu Puchu.
I now know that I would need 2 full days in Cusco BEFORE rainbow mountain and would plan more down time for recovery between tours. The schedule was too aggressive for me and my needs.

Mily went above and beyond. The trip was fantastic. No problems and we had the best guides. Guido was the best we have ever had.

This trip was a unique experience based trip that we enjoyed as a family and will treasure the memories for years to come!! It balanced lots of different opportunities to enjoy the fabulous nature in Peru, with the history and amazing sites. Add great company and guides and Peruvian food and it left us looking forward to a second trip to visit other areas in the country!

El equipo de KimKim y los especialistas superaron mis expectativas del viaje. El servicio de guías y personal de transportación son impecables. Todo corrió de manera organizada y a tiempo. Definitivamente satisfechos con los hoteles recomendados durante el viaje. Los guías eran muy amables y con mucho conocimiento. Muy agradecida por el excelente servicio de los guías David, Ruth y Mario en Peru y afortunados de contar con Aida y Gerson para el tour del salar de Uyuni en Bolivia. Definitivamente volveré a utilizarlos en mi siguiente aventura.
Gracias Kim Kim!!

When the weather is great and everything goes smoothly it’s easy to say the trip was great. The true test of a company is when there are problems and in this case Aspiring has really shown top marks. My 9 year old daughter became severely ill and Aldo, Mayli and Katie immediately reacted with not just practical assistance but the emotional support we required to care for our baby. They provided a doctor at our hotel at a critical point and provided excellent assistance to find treatment and navigate the Peruvian health care system and travel insurance process. The fact that despite all the issues we have faced in the last 48 hours we cannot speak highly enough of the guides and company should speak volumes. We have been treated like family and as a frequent world traveler this company gets it and knows how and when to support both the newby world traveler and the salty veteran. If you are on the fence with a provider look no farther, these are the folks to trust. I should mention before the illness we had a wonderful trip and are so disappointed we could not take the next stage to the Amazon. Aspiring has earned a life long advocate.

Our personal guide, Chen, was absolutely wonderful! He was kind, considerate of our acclimation needs, and he had a terrific ability to motivate all of us to achieve our full potential on the rigorous hikes. We thoroughly appreciated Cheo’s sense of humor, as well as the detail of his cultural presentation of the sights throughout the entire trip.

Katy and KimKim were wonderful with the timely updates of our travel plans, payment schedule, and perfect packing list.

Thank you!

Our local specialist, KATY from Aspiring Adventures, arranged our local experience carefully, based on our preferences as a party of 6 adults with various levels of fitness ability and 2 active children. She got us a trip to experience Peru from the Pacific coast to the Andean mountains to the Amazon jungle. She arranged for us to taste Peruvian local cuisine at luxurious restaurants, a farmer's house, an Amaru village house, a boat picnic setting, and a set-menu dining in a jungle lodge. She got us to experience local lifestyle by having us to stay at hostels, Amaru village house, and a jungle lodge. The Muresan family also appreciated our 'green' experience in Peru.

The Muresan family appreciated Katy's list of What to Expect When Traveling to Peru and List to Bring. Perhaps Katy can add:
1. Amaru, the village experience living, is super cold, so please bring seriously warm clothes to be comfortable.
2. Riding ATV is super dusty, so please bring a face mask to cover up, and a backpack cover/plastic to cover yourself and your backpack.
Other than those, Katy was spot on. Please bring gifts for your host families. Something small from your country. From Indonesia, we brought keychains. From the US, we brought t-shirts and keychains. They cost $2-5 a piece and will last a lifetime for your hosts and friendship.

Aldo Sanchez was our ultimate BEST guide! He was patient, quietly listening to our needs, courteously adjusting our trip based on our requests, happily taking our pictures as a group in 'Instagram-worthy' places :), and most importantly, very passionate and knowledgeable about his mountains! He did not push us to buy anything from any merchants. He did not force us to do anything we were not comfortable with. He also made all those hiking and walking a pleasure because he carried a book with him and he kept on stopping to tell stories about the places we passed as we were walking. He was like an audiobook. No suggestion to improve for Aldo. Keep up your great work and service, Aldo! Thank you for your service to our family.

The Muresan family found Wilhen, the cyclist guide, fun, and careful with ensuring our safety on the trails and road. He went as far as we wanted to, as fast as our kids pedaled, and was willing to take several breaks to give Elisa a break because she was running out of gas from not eating proper breakfast. Her fault totally. Luckily, Aldo got a piece of Amaru potato for Elisa to munch and get a little more energy. Thank you, Wilhen.

The Muresan family enjoyed paddleboarding with David at Lake Piuray. He was competent, patient, and more than happy to have fun with my extremely happy kids. Our kids are fish in disguise. I thought they were goofing around a little too much, but David encouraged them to have serious fun. The kids ended up feeling ecstatic, I ended up relaxing, and the car ended up being quiet because both of them fell asleep after our water activity. Thank you, David. Stay safe, keep traveling, and carry on.

The Muresan family had a great time in Amaru. We loved the welcome 'ceremony' when we arrived. We enjoyed working the field for Fredy's family, using the tools that the Inca farmers had been using for centuries. We loved the cooking in the ground procedure that we witnessed and graciously devoured. We admired the camaraderie amongst Fredy's neighbors, who came to help and showed us how devoted the women were to care for their children. We adored the view from hiking 4000 m hill near Fredy's house. BUT the chill was down to every single tiniest bone in our bodies. It was extremely cold during the night that when we had to pee, we almost decided to pee on ourselves to warm our bodies up. But no, we walked down to the toilets, like proper ladies and gentlemen, to release ourselves. What a reward we got. We looked up the sky and saw what the Inca people saw many centuries ago, with our naked eyes, the clear sky with beautiful formation of the stars and the milky way. It was one of our moments of: man, we were glad we had to pee in the middle of the night. Thank you for your hospitality, Fredy. I will send you the printed picture, as I promised.

We loved the Amazon jungle that we got to experience from Puerto Maldonado. Oscar's lodge was pleasantly clean, rustic, and relaxing. The architecture and landscape looked to be carefully designed for ultimate enjoyment of the city people like us. (Juan) Carlos the chef was strict with dining timetable, but we loved his creations, every single time! Oscar's staff members were courteous and very honest. Perhaps, at the bar, for people who don't drink, Oscar can add selling chips, candies, or small muncheries. We enjoyed the common rooms very much, playing games and getting to know other guests, while swinging at the strong hammocks and imagining a leopard or a snake or a monkey or even a sloth peeking to watch us, humans.

Yuri is a passionate and competent guide. We appreciated that even with his stomach problem, he still stayed upbeat and strong to help us enjoy our time in the jungle. He spotted many animals for us when we couldn't even see the creatures! He found the best place (spots) for us to enjoy the clay-licking birds of Peru, had a picnic breakfast, and walked to another spot to enjoy those beauties! He skillfully took us for long day and night walk through the Amazon jungle and to Condenado Lake. He caught 3 piranha fish with ease and graciously shared 1 with us at the lodge. We 4 are still jealous at Yuri for catching those piranha, because none of us could do that! We appreciated Yuri taking us to try to find an Anaconda (or two or a few) at Tres Chimbadas Lake. Yuri knew Reserva Nacional Tambopata very well and was always being green and environmentally conscious, at all times. Thank you, Yuri. Keep up your great service!

The Muresan family would also like to acknowledge the super boat driver Carlo! Carlo drove very smoothly on Tambopata River, without light, at 4 in the morning!, maneuvering through deep and shallow spots, and avoiding fallen trees! WOW! Carlo also managed to stop his boat, to show us a small monkey hanging on the top of a tree, and several families of Capibara, cleverly camouflaged amongst the mudbanks of the river. To top it all of, Carlo ALWAYS kept his boat clean and tidy, every time we got on board of it. You are the man, Carlo! Thank you for showing us a great time at your Tambopata River.

The Muresan family enjoyed the kayaking down the Tambopata River on the last day at the jungle. Next time, please consider arranging this activity to NOT be on the last day, so that we could dry our wet clothes and not bringing those wet clothes back to the US, in our suitcases, for 2 days.

The Muresan family had a glitch with Mayli. She was not able to answer any of my questions during our trip in Peru. She was not helpful and was incompetent at Cusco airport, prior to our departure to Puerto Maldonado. She needed more training to help clients with their airport experience. I wish we had Aldo sending us off from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado. He would have known what to do!

In conclusion, our trip to Peru was a blast! Thankfully, Mayli is just a little insignificant glitch. Our family had a once in a lifetime experience and will be sharing our reviews (minus Mayli) in Social Media, to promote Peru, Kimkim Travel, and Aspiring Adventures. Thank you.