Kimkim Trip Reviews for Peru

Our trip to Peru was unique and authentic! Our guide Aldo really contributed to make our trip enrichful by sharing with us his knowledge and taking care of us. The itinerary was great, we enjoyed everything. Our most memorable moment was our stay in Amaru where we could experience the authentic village life by being hosted by an amazing Peruvian family. We strongly recommend this destination.

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.

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.

The overall experience is ok,but I wonder if something urgent happens and I need some help,who should I turn to? There were several times I failed to contact the travel agent and when I turned to Kimkim I find the contact person and number is the same number I have and have failed to get in touch.Besides the quality of some local guides needs improving. Everyone seems to tell his own stories. We don’t know who to believe.
Thank you!

Our trip to Peru was amazing! Kristy was super helpful and very organized. This was the first trip I could finally not worry about how to get to the next destination and what kind of train or plane we have to catch. From getting us to and from airports, to different scenic destinations, to our numerous hotels, Kristy and her team were always spot on. Our local guide was also very thoughtful and looked after us very well. They made sure we were never too tired and gave us numerous recommendations on restaurants and merchandise. We were able to go to at least 4 different Inca sites and we were able to do a whole circuit around Machu Picchu in less than 4 hours! All the hotels that Kristy booked for us were in great locations and were all very clean and comfortable. Thank you Kristy and to everyone who helped us with this trip. We will definitely be booking through Kimkim again!

It was great experience. Carla was great, all the guides were very knowledgeable and all the transportation on time for pickup.

Such an incredible trip. Peru is a beautiful country in its landscapes and it’s culture. The whole vacation was amazing. Sacred Valley, Aguas Callientes, Cusco, and Lima, every part was unique and thoroughly enjoyable. Machu Picchu was obviously the highlight of the trip. Hiking to the Sun Gate was a little rough but absolutely breathtaking, totally worth it. Sacred Valley was probably our favorite part. The salt mines, moray terraces, Ollantantaytambo fortress, and of course the Pachamanca dinner was delicious. Kimkim made it possible to fully enjoy that with as little stress as possible. Our guides were amazing, Julio in Sacred Valley, Freddy in Cusco, and Cynthia in Lima. So friendly and knowledgeable. They made sure we were comfortable, happy, and well fed during our entire stay. The hotels were also great, very welcoming to go back to after a long day of sightseeing. Would definitely return to Peru and definitely recommend kimkim.

Kimkim did a great job organizing an amazing Peru experience for my family of five and our extended family. We had children ranging from age 4 to 14 and they all had a great time seeing the classic Costa, Sierra, y Selva of Peru. All of our guides were knowledgeable and helpful. Alejandra in the Andean portion and Oscar in the Amazonian portion were especially fantastic! We had numerous family members joining and leaving at different times and the organizational team at Kimkim didn't miss a beat! Everyone made their connections and got to experience the portion they chose without having to stress over the details. Thank you all!

This is the first time I have worked with KimKim And have absolutely no regrets! They paired me with a company called Peruvian Soul who exceeded our expectations! Jesus and Carmen were exceptional with the planning and always available. We got to meet Carmen in Lima, she is so sweet and caring. She would check on us throughout our trip. The local guides were beyond amazing especially Julio in Cusco. He was always available and very knowledgeable. He wanted to make sure we were okay at all times and just such a wonderful person. I highly recommend Peruvian Soul to help plan the most amazing vacation to Peru. Santiago, our guide for the Inca trail was so patient with us during our trek and made it so worthwhile! Macchi Picchu is unbelievable! Truly a wonderful experience!

Anne was great. Very accommodating and responsive. Whenever there were any questions she answered promptly. We would use Anne again to help plan our trip :)

Anne was wonderful and so caring. Made the trip seamless. She wants people to learn and explore her country not on a bus with 100's of tourists.

I would definitely recommend Peruvian Soul to future travelers! She worked with our budget seamlessly and didn't feel like a budget trip AT ALL. Kudos to her hard work! Thank you so much!!

My daughter and I really enjoyed our trip. The connections were seamless and always on time. The best part of the trip were our guides. They were all well informed, interesting, and just plain fun to hang out with. I would highly recommend Kim-kim.
Matthew

We loved our trip to North Peru that we organised through Phima Voyages. Martina was wonderful as we made our plans and bookings. She kept us really well informed and provided lots of good advice and local information.
The airport transfers and hotel bookings were very well organised.
Our tours were wonderful. It was great to get away from the main areas for international tourism and explore a bit more of Peru. A highlight for us was the ruins at Keulap, but we enjoyed our experiences too. Our guide was friendly, well informed and helpful. Our driver was very professional and we always felt safe, including on some of the winding dirt roads.
While we were there we experienced a magnitude 8 earthquake. The Phima team were great at making us feel safe (which we were!) and keeping us informed about potential changes due to rockfalls on the roads.
I really recommend Phima to anyone looking for a personalised travel experience in the Chachapoyas area.

Edson and Liz were my local specialists. They both offered great advice and help during my trip to Peru.

Aspiring Adventures (Katy, Steve) did a great job ahead of the trip making sure they knew us and providing 2 itineraries with equipment lists. We were all well prepared. Guide Alex met us the first day introduced himself. You could tell how proud his was of his country (same with Angela), Cusco and the Inca legacy. Right from the start Alex (and Angela) couldn't do enough for us. Whether it was ensuring dietary restrictions were met or getting waiters attend for beer. Note: Angela wasn't on the Inca Trail with us, so most of my comments are on Alex. From my wife, Angela was excellent.

Inca Trail
- Aspiring Adventure equipment was excellent. One member of team rented sleeping bag and thermal rest. That equipment was first rate. Especially liked the built in pump on the mattress.
- Porters were very professional and looked good in matching "uniforms". First night out Alex had all the porters, chef & server, and clients introduce themselves.
- Meals especially the soups (and cake on last day) were great. Lots of variety of food. Went away from table full every time. Servers, chef, water porter & Alex did an excellent job. Alex always making sure everyone was happy.
- Everyone liked the after lunch siesta.
- Alex keep us informed on what we were seeing, why we were leaving a location at a specific time, and what to expect. He answered every question we asked. Let us set the pace of the hike. Almost always bring up the rear but appearing in time to explain something, make sure we were Ok or didn't miss something.
- Inca trail is wonderfully maintained. No litter.
- Sun Gate on Day-4 on Inca Trail was everything I wanted it to be.

Non-Inca Trail
- Angela was excellent accommodating Devina & Susan every wish. Giving them more or less time as they wanted. . Great explanations & tried really hard with dietary. Very proud of her country.
- small issue - itinerary activity was changed. "Farm to Table" was cancelled. The replacement activity turned out to be great. Devina and Susan just would have liked to know about it ahead of time.
- "rustic hotel" in the Amazon was wonderful.
- food was excellent, and Angela was very attentive.
- Driver was excellent & always help Susan with mobility issues in and out of the vehicle. Helping with luggage.

Back from our 9 day trip to Peru. It was an amazing trip with fantastic sights, food, and experiences.

Clara/Liz from Andean Experience did a great job planning the trip and setting up the hotels, tours and transfers. Some of the highlights of the trip
- Transfers: we had many of them and every single one of those went amazingly smoothly. All the drivers were helpful, courteous, punctual and drove clean vehicles
- Great tour guides: Alexandra, our tour guide in Sacred Valley was very knowledgeable and made the day very interesting. Jackson, our guide in Posada Amazonas was also very friendly, helpful and informative. Jamie, our guide for the Inca trail hike and Machu Picchu was very encouraging when the going got tough.
- Paul, our co-ordinator in Cusco met with us and explained our itinerary. His restaurant recommendations were spot on and he made restaurant reservations when needed. Nice!
- Clara and Liz were available for questions during our planning and very helpful in suggesting itineraries and activities. Glad they Clara got us on the Short Inca Trail hike!!

Things that could have been better
- Chinchero was a canned experience showing just one weaver. Felt it was setup mostly for selling their products. It could be removed from the itinerary.
- Hotel in Ollantaytambo didn't have working showers. Location and garden was great but the room and shower were sub par.
- We could have gotten a warning about the access to Posada Amazonas. We were taken by surprise when we were faced with over 100 stairs to access the resort; it was strenuous for the grandparents (over 80yrs) in our group (rest of group was perfectly alright with them).

Overall, loved the sights and experience in Peru. Inca trail, salt ponds of Maras, Ollantaytambo ruins, WinayWayna ruins are spectacular. The eco experience at Posada Amazonas was unique and well worth the time spent.

We had a fantastic trip to Peru and really appreciate all of the help from our coordinator, Liz Karen. We had unexpected delays with our incoming flights and Liz was able to help change our itinerary! She was a pleasure to work with.

In country, our guide's name with Extreme Adventures was Ronny Pillco Farfan - he was absolutely awesome! He was fun, knowledgeable, accommodating, and was a great guide for our trek.

The Sankaltay Trek was an unbelievable experience! Our guide Ronny was very good and accommodating to our group and did an amazing job! Our chef Grimaldo and Manuel also did an incredible job for us and together, the three of them made the trip wonderful! The trek itself was beautiful, the scenery was pretty incredible. We had a beautiful day for our Machu Picchu tour and were able to see everything! Overall wonderful trip.

The trip to Cusco, Sacred Valley, and Machu Picchu was planned meticulously. Paul, our coordinator was on top of things and whenever I reached out to him, he was extremely responsive and supportive. All in all, the trip was fantastic and we thoroughly enjoyed it. So many beautiful memories. The planning and follow-through were top notch. Restaurant reservations and recommendations were spot on. Hotel Sumaq, Aranwa, and Casa Andina were awesome!! Guide in Cusco - David was fantastic. Guide to Machu Picchu, Marco saved me from me, by carrying my backpack for a quarter of the hike!

Here are some things to consider for refinement:

Novotel in Cusco - nice location but the room size, layout and sofa bed were not very good.
Dazzler - nice hotel but the front desk was not very well informed, consistent or helpful.
Lunch for Hike - we ended up carrying a lot of unnecessary load. If they are providing protein bars, chocolates, and juice, it might be best to ask people to bring their own favorite brands. Should send bananas. Luckily, my guide shared their's with me.
Allergy information - even though we shared our daughter's allergy information, this wasn't passed down or communicated very well downstream.

The trip to Iquitos and in the Amazon for 6 days was excellent. There were a few small glitches but Anne was so responsive & was able to get everything fixed for us quickly & efficiently. The river trip was fun and the guide we had for the six days in the Amazon basin was outstanding. Juan, our guide, of Amazonia Expeditions, was exceptionally knowledgeable about all living things in the rain forest, as well as the people and cultures of the area. Juan was available to us at all times and kept us organized & comfortable throughout the trip. He was also a very kind and ethical person who cares very much about the rain forest environment & shared that passion with us. This made our trip very special.

The Lodge and Research Center were very clean, comfortable and the staff at each location were exceptionally friendly and helpful. The food was also excellent. The staff at these locations on he Tahuaya River work well as a team to make sure their guest have a wonderful experience in the Amazon Basin & they succeed!

One final comment about Anne. Anne really went above & beyond in her assistance to my friend and I before the trip, and throughout the entire trip. Anne is a top rate local specialist in Peru. She did everything necessary to make our trip perfect. Thank you Anne!

We had an amazing time in Peru, largely due to our guides. Alex was fantastic, a fountain of knowledge and very friendly and accommodating. Anjela was very helpful, patient and loved sharing her love of Peru with us. The food, drinks and entire experience was enjoyable. We hiked the Inca Trail with Alex and he let us move at our own pace and had no trouble answering our questions. I would highly recommend this trip to anyone who asked.