Isabelle Bauer

The entire trip was fantastic. Most all scheduled events took place on time and as advertised. Any questions were answered promptly and satisfactorily. It was nice to have Kimkim check in with us daily.

Of particular note, were the informative, helpful, knowledgeable and enthusiastic guides.

1. Montse greeted us in Mexico City on our first full day and shared her love of the city, its culture and food.
2. Pablo was a wonderfully informative guide through museums and Teotihuacan. Both days with him were great. We had spectacular meals in Mexico City and enjoyed walking through a few of its charming neighborhoods.
3. In Oaxaca, we were expertly led by and taught by Alex through the old city, to the awesome ruins in Mount Alban, and wonders of Teotitlan del Valle (including the hike!). We were fortunate to have had multiple days with Alex.
4. We rounded out Oaxaca with an expert led mezcal tour and tasting with Daisy. That was great fun.
5. To end with relaxing days in Salchi was perfect! The boat trip guided by Captain Isidro Cruz (including seeing whales) was a great way to see the coastline and snorkel.
6. Our drivers (if not included above) were also great.
7. We hope we didn’t leave anyone off—all were great!

The hotel Casa Mauna at Salchi was very good (and peaceful). We had room 3, which seemed likely to be the very best at the small hotel. The vegan food was also very good—the drinks excellent. The pool delightful. We highly recommend it.

We will now share comments about the hotel choices in Mexico City and Oaxaca. Both hotels were beautiful and well-staffed. We were always made to feel welcome. The restaurant at the Zocalo Central was very good.

However, both hotels were situated in the center of vibrant, busy, and very loud areas:
• It was about impossible to sleep soundly in our room, 515, in Zocalo Central. The noise from the square continued most of the night (drumming and crowd noises), and then the sound of heavy chairs dragging noisily on the dining room floor just above our heads started about 6:15AM. One additional, seemingly minor but noteworthy item, was that we found out on Saturday afternoon that there would be no laundry service on Sunday—which we knew about-- but also on Monday (due to the national holiday on Monday. It would have been useful if we had received this advisory on Thursday or even Friday night, as then we would have had our laundry done on Friday or Saturday. As a result, our carefully planned light packing was confounded—we spent time doing our own wash in the room. When traveling, little things like this matter.
• For the first two nights in Parador de Alcala, we slept well. Then things changed. It was Thursday, and Friday, and Saturday and Sunday when the noise became a real issue again. The local bars blared music until 3AM (or later), and then the party goers continue the festivities in the streets until dawn, at which time the street traffic noise becomes quite high. I know the hotels do not have control over the bar noise or the traffic—but for Kimkim, we think charming hotels chosen away from the noisy parts of the city centers would be better.

Finally, as it goes for Kimkim:
• Mariana did a fantastic job of providing on-the-ground assistance for the inevitable adjustments which were needed. She was prompt with response and follow-ups. She provided a very reassuring and effective backup to situations that came up.
• Our first point of contact was Isabelle, who also did a great job of helping us design our perfect holiday. She was very responsive and helpful in discussing with us our preferences, and making adjustments to, our itinerary.
• The Kimkim service and platform worked well and we would recommend Kimkim to others. We plan to do so ourselves. We were able to focus more on enjoying the trip then on logistics. There were two minor changes to the itinerary that came to light during the trip—it’s possible a Live Itinerary would help alleviate these inevitable discrepancies – but no problems arose from this either.

We were pleased with adjustments and we happy with Kimkim and their entire team.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Parador de Alcalá

Oaxaca

Hotel Parador de Alcalá in Oaxaca was located right on the street, making it a bit noisy. The hotel itself was nice, and the staff were great. It could be a good option for a short stay in the city center, but maybe not ideal for multiple nights if you value a quiet night's sleep.

Staff

Zócalo Central

Mexico City

I stayed at Zócalo Central in Mexico City for five nights. The location was right on the square, but unfortunately, the room was very noisy due to being under the restaurant. The noise made it difficult to sleep, especially with chairs moving early in the morning. The staff offered to move us to a quieter room, but we decided to stay put. Overall, the hotel was nice, but it might be better to check for quieter rooms if noise bothers you.

Staff

Casa Mauna - Boutique Hotel

Crucecita

Casa Mauna was a lovely boutique hotel located near the beach. It had only six rooms and was a short walk to a private beach area. The location was peaceful and quiet, perfect for reflection on the trip. We enjoyed the tranquility and privacy of the hotel, making it a highlight of our stay in the Huatulco Bays. The vegan food was also very good—the drinks excellent. The pool delightful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Activity Reviews

Archaeological Tour in Monte Albán

Oaxaca

In Oaxaca, we were expertly led by and taught by Alex through the old city, to the awesome ruins in Mount Alban, and wonders of Teotitlan del Valle (including the hike!). We were fortunate to have had multiple days with Alex. Exploring the ancient ruins and learning about the Zapotec civilization was truly captivating. The guide was knowledgeable and passionate about the history of the site.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Alex was great

Transport

Explore the archaeological site of Teotihuacan

Mexico City

The private group tour of the archaeological site of Teotihuacan was amazing. Walking through the ancient ruins and learning about the history of the site was a memorable experience. The guide was excellent and shared a wealth of information with us. It was a day filled with awe and wonder

Ten days in Mexico City. The Zocalo Central hotel was lovely and conveniently located for exploring the Historic Center. Our two guided tours, History and street food tasting (Daniella), and Flavors of San Juan Market (Clara from Eat Mexico) were excellent. Pablo was also excellent in our guided tour of the Anthropological Museum. Fortunately we went early and avoided massive crowds. Chapultepec Castle on a Sunday afternoon is a mistake. We abandoned the plan because of crowds. Annemarie(?) guided us well at Teotihuacan. Personally, the Basilica was not a priority.
We had a good amount of independent time for the Rivera murals at the Secretaria de Education Public, Temple Mayor Museum, Museo de Artes Populares, National Museum.
Tepotzlan -- a beautiful retreat. While the staff at Hotel Rustic and Spa were fine, we were the only guests, the hotel did not have spa activities and seemed unprepared for us. The rooms were fairly basic, no hairdryer or hangers, and not especially clean. However the views with morning coffee were wonderful. We enjoyed exploring the town, and especially dinner at Veladora.
Coyoacan was a pleasant change from the Historic Center, and Casa Jacinta Guest House was charming, comfortable and well located. We especially loved eating at Los Danzantes and Corazon de Maguey. Watching the flow of vendors, families, couples in the Jardin Centenario was an easy way to pass the time between explorations.
The Ecological tour to the Chinampas of Xochimilco, guided by Pablo, was excellent, a relaxing and informative boat tour and farm visit on the historic canals.
Our drivers and airport transfers were efficient. Our guides all spoke English and were very knowledgeable.

Our trip specialists Lizbeth, Ximena, and Isabelle were all amazing - quick to respond and always had the information I needed. I especially liked that they sent the name, contact info, and type of car for each pick up. Would definitely recommend them!

We had an amazing trip exploring Mayan ruins, cenotes, and towns of the Yucatan. Isabelle helped us plan a trip where almost every day included a new adventure that allowed us to experience the culture, history, food, and natural features of the area. We look forward to planning another trip with Kimkim in the future.

Highlights
- Breakfasts at Casa Quetzal, our hotel in Valladolid. Each morning the friendly servers delivered fresh fruits, bread, granola, coffee, and chocolate milk for the kids.
- Casa Quetzal is ideally located just around the corner from Convento de San Bernardino de Siena and the colorful shops and restaurants along Calzada de los Frailes.
- We watched the flamingos and had up-close encounters with crocodiles and horseshoe crabs at Rio Lagartos.
- My kids raced up the palace steps at Ek Balam and ziplined across X’Canche cenote.
- Thanks to Isabelle’s advice, we beat the heat and crowds at Chichén Itzá by arriving at 8 am. We found a shaded parking spot by the entrance, quickly located our guide, zipped past the ticket lines, and walked directly to el castillo. After a few hours exploring the ruins, we were ready for a delicious lunch and a swim in the beautiful Yokdzonot Cenote.
- Lunch at La Casa de los Gorditos in Coba. Best Cochinita Pibil of the trip.
- Villa Pescadores in Tulum is a peaceful, relaxing place to stay. We enjoyed lounging on the front porch of our cabana, hammock naps, and looking up at the stars.
- We floated down the world’s best lazy river during our visit to Muyil Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve.
- The people of Tulum are friendly and their food is amazing. We enjoyed El Morros, Burritos Amor, El Sudaca, and fresh churros!.
- On our final day, our tour guide Iber took us to the Tulum ruins and then to Tankah for a 4-cenote adventure that included ziplines, snorkeling, a canoe ride, and swimming in a bat cave, followed by a delicious Mayan lunch. For the kids, this was the best part of the trip. Iber was also our favorite guide. He was engaging, fun, and possessed all kinds of knowledge about the history, geography, plants, and wildlife of the area.

Things that could have been better:
- The house next to Casa Quetzal has a rooster who wakes up at 4 am.
- Villa Pescadores is difficult to access. Despite what Google Maps says, the beach road is one way (north to south) and the only route to the hotel is through the national park entrance (80 pesos per person). We learned this the hard way upon arrival in Tulum. Due to traffic at the national park entrance, we also encountered 20-40 minute delays when returning after our excursions.
While Villa Pescadores itself is wonderful and quiet, the beach club at the hotel next door often plays loud dance music late into the night.
We could have skipped the included breakfast at Villa Pescadores. Twice, we left the hotel before service started. The availability of items on the menu was also a bit inconsistent from day to day.

Isabelle planned a great trip for us, taking into consideration our family's requests. Lizbeth was available via whatsapp during the entire trip. She had great suggestions for places as well. We had a situation where we left one of our bags in one of the cars and Lizbeth managed to connect with the cab company immediately and within 5 minutes we got it back. We even received a refund for one of the payments we made which was included in the package however we had ended up paying for as an entry fee. Lizbeth arranged that one of the other operators would deliver that refund to us. Overall we had a fantastic time in Mexico. Thanks Lizbeth, Isabelle, rutopia team and kimkim team.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Villas Margaritas

Holbox

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

El Mesón del Marqués

Valladolid

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Fives Oceanfront Puerto Morelos

Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Dining recommendations in Holbox

Holbox

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dining recommendations in Valladolid

Valladolid

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Chichén Itzá: A Wonder of the Mayan World

Chichén Itzá

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dining recommendations in Puerto Morelos

Puerto Morelos

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Snorkeling in the beautiful marine park of Puerto Morelos

Puerto Morelos

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amazing guidance from Isabelle and Lizbeth at Rutopia. Hotels, guides, excursions all excellent.

We had a great time on our Easter Holiday trip to Mexico. Lizbeth, with Rutopia, was very nice and kept us informed and was available to answer any questions we had along the way. Our driver in Valladolid was Carlo, he was great, even suggesting an additional Cenote that was not on the original itinerary, he was not just a driver, he was a guide. In Sian Ka'an we had a guide named Omar (not to be confused with our driver to and from the airport, who was also named Omar). Omar, the Sian Ka'an guide, was really great, very knowledgeable and accommodating. We liked the Le Muuch Hotel in Valladolid, good location, comfortable room, nice common areas and friendly staff. Chichen Itza was amazing, but we wish we had an earlier arrival time to beat the crowds, because it was very very crowded. The Yokdzonot Cenote was wonderful, cool clear water and a peaceful break after the heat and crowds at Chichen Itza. I got sick on Saturday morning and we had to delay our departure from Valladolid, so what was probably a cooking class turned into just lunch that was served to us, but it was a very nice lunch in the home of a local family. We didn't care for Tulum very much. The archeological site was okay, but it was overly crowded, entry was confusing, everything was very overpriced, and the tour was too short. The beach strip where we stayed was crazy crowded, with a single narrow road packed with cars, buses, scooters, bikes and pedestrians, it was not the small laid back beach town I was expecting. Utilities must be hard to come by, because the businesses ran on generator power, which was loud and smelly, water was trucked in, so it was at a premium everywhere. When I asked where I could get drinking water to refill my water bottles at the hotel they just shrugged and said I could buy water at the restaurant or a nearby shop, since the small water cooler at the front desk always seemed to be empty. The staff at the Hip Hotel were nice and our room was also very nice. I think the beach is usually very nice, although when we were there is was full of fishy smelling seaweed so we did not go swimming in the ocean water. The thing we liked best about Tulum was our day in Sian Ka'an, which was really beautiful. The archeological site there was quiet and secluded in the jungle. The boat ride and float trip were wonderful. The lagoon water there was amazingly clear, cool and beautiful. I would highly recommend that activity to anyone. The only thing we didn't like was that transportation was shared, which is fine, except it was shared by people who were participating in different activities there than we were, so once our tour was over we had to wait almost two hours for the other group to finish before we could be transported back to the hotel. Overall, great trip! We would recommend Chichen Itza, the cenotes and Sian Ka'an to anyone! I would not recommend Tulum to anyone.

Activity Review

Explore Chichén Itzá: A Wonder of the Mayan World

Chichén Itzá

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Great trip - very well done. We especially enjoyed Sian Ka'an and our tour guide Memo! Beautiful city and wonderful breakfast

Tremendous, authentic knowledgeable and kind guides and drivers shared the culture, cuisine, and history of a very special part of Mexico.

Hotel Reviews

Zócalo Central

Mexico City

This is a fabulous hotel however, it’s not where we stayed.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Please do not report these comments as this is not the hotel that we stayed in on this trip.

La Morada Hotel

San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato

Authentic, historic and beautiful hotel right on the edge of the historic district. Perfect location, excellent staff, comfortable beds, and large rooms, very safe.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

El Mesón de los Poetas

Guanajuato

A very comfortable and convenient historic hotel in the heart of downtown.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Morales Historical & Colonial Downtown Core

Mexicaltzingo, Guadalajara, Jal.

A historic and authentic hotel very close to the historic District of town. Very comfortable, clean, and busy.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Tour of historic Mexico City with street food tasting

Mexico City

An excellent way to get acclimated to the history, culture and food of Mexico City. Our tour guide was fabulous!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Historic Route of Guadalajara

Guadalajara

An excellent tour to get acclimated to the history and culture of Guadalajara

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide grasp of the history of the area needs to mature quite a bit, he was very nice, and he did a good job.

Transport

Tequila Route and Agavero Landscape with family distillery visit

Guadalajara

This is a must do you activity if you are in the area! We learned so much about the business of tequila from our visit to the distillery, fabulous lunch in downtown tequila, and a wonderful experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour the famous and picturesque neighborhood of Coyoacán.

Mexico City

A really beautiful part of the city to explore with a knowledgeable guide. We had a wonderful day, walking and learning about the culture and food. Also a great way to learn about how all the local people live, and the history of the area.

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Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Visit the Museum Diego Rivera - Anahuacalli

Mexico City

This was such a unique and interesting museum. After everything we have read about Diego Rivera I did not expect to experience his art in such an amazing spot.

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Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Bernal, Querétaro: colonial Mexico’s home

Mexico

We really loved visiting this mountain town sitting underneath his magical rocks! Going on a weekend when many local people were out and enjoying a beautiful day was extra special. I also really loved seeing the authentic weavers and their looms.

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Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Wine Tasting Tour in San Miguel de Allende

San Miguel de Allende

Visiting this unique young winery, tasting wines, and having a fabulous lunch was just beautiful.

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Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Historical urban walk en Guanajuato

Guanajuato

Susanna was, I think the most well, educated, well spoken, and authentic guy that we had on our trip. We learned so much about her city in a short period of time, and really enjoyed touring with her.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Horse-riding through the mountains of Guanajuato

Guanajuato

There is really nothing like exploring the Santa Rosa mountains side from the back of a horse. Antonio rode along with us so he could interpret our Spanish ranch on her and guide. They have been friends for generations. After the ride, we had a beautifully prepared Mexican lunch at the ranch. A one-of-a-kind experience!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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