Authentic Ecuador

Galapagos 2024 - Excellent Trip!
My husband and I just completed a 9 day trip to Quito and the Galapagos Islands. We want to recognize the highlights of our trip with a few special commendations.
Angie Maldonado - Did an excellent job booking all the drivers, local transportation, excursions, hotels, and even dining for Christmas eve, and Christmas Day! We wanted to feel entrenched in the local culture, and we did!
Quito - Outstanding guide: Cristobal! We thoroughly enjoyed his tireless attention from the time of our arrival at the airport to our departure. He was a wealth of knowledge, attentive, shared so much with us, including recommendations for local foods. Exceptional experience! We stayed in Casona de la Ronda and loved the accommodations and the staff as well!
Santa Cruz - We stayed at the Acacia Boutique Hotel. Perfect location, lovely people, spacious accommodations. Excellent choice for us! We loved our excursion to the highlands to see the Tortoises and our excursion to Bartolome island where we snorkeled, and saw sharks, penguins, and the famous blue footed boobies along the way as well. The scenery was exceptional! We also spent time visiting N. Seymour Island. Busy schedule, but wouldn't change any of it.
Isabela Island - A welcome quiet experience on this island. Less commercialized, at this time... hope it stays that way. Very much enjoyed all of our day excursions, but our favorite was Los Tunneles, and our hike on the Sierra Negra Volcano. We were here for 3 nights, and wish we had had another day or 2 to explore and relax more.
Some helpful tips or things new South American Travelers should know:
1. No toilet paper disposal (you can't flush it!) in the toilets anywhere. If you want to bring sanitary bags to dispose, that might feel better to you.
2. Bring small denominations (not just $20's) for tipping money. This will be a big part of your expenses while on the islands.
3. Be prepared for some minor inconveniences, and handle them with grace. We were totally embarassed by some of the tourists we witnessed misbehaving toward the dedicated, gracious natives we encountered.
4. Angie and guides did a great job helping us navigate the travel requirements including paying for Transit Control Card, and admission fee to Galapagos National Park upon arrival/departure.
5. You will be moving around a lot on this trip. Try NOT to overpack. (We did bring a wetsuit and our own snorkel and mask and we were glad we did).
6. Final recommendation: The trip back to Colorado was quite long to do without an overnight stay on the mainland on the way back. If you have enough time, I would recommend booking an overnight stay after leaving Baltra airport, on the mainland, rather than hanging out at the airport for several hours in Quito and having to travel for such an extended period of time.
We loved our trip to Ecuador! We appreciate all the drivers, guides, boat captains, restaurant and hotel workers who were so kind, and always helpful. The food was delicious everywhere!
We love the model for KimKim - with local agents planning the trip! They are also a great contact if you have any hiccups/issues/concerns during your trip, and Angie was very responsive, and did "check on us" to make sure all was going well.
Thank you for the surprise of covering our Christmas Dinner!
Happy New Year to all!

Hotel Reviews

La Casita de la Playa

Puerto Villamil

Lovely, clean beachside accommodations within steps of amazing oceanview sunsets! Room size was adequate, bed was comfortable. WIFI was reliable and quite good! Staff was excellent! Food for breakfast was excellent! Only inconvenience - ran out of water around 6 p.m. (which did not affect us too much, but did for some other guests. I think this is an island problem, not an isolated problem to this accommodation). Would be nice to have a few hooks outside the rooms to hang up swimsuits, etc, to let them dry.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Beachside! Easy to walk to center of town and restaurants.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Acacia Galápagos Boutique Hotel

Puerto Ayora

Excellent location! Easy walk to restaurants, shops, pier, Charles Darwin center. Hotel clean, with pool and hot tub, comfortable mattress, TV; designed with safety and security in mind as a bonus. Quiet in our room and away for the busy town streets. Wifi available but somewhat unreliable. Spacious room and accommodations. Staff very attentive and always on top of our needs/schedules. Very good breakfast, and packed us box breakfasts when needed.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Casona de La Ronda

Quito

We arrived in the early morning (2:00 a.m.?). There was a city wide power outage when we arrived, and the back up generator was working beautifully, and the staff was expecting us. Although the street we were on was busy at night, we did not hear a peep in our rooms! (YAY) The staff was diligent with walking us to/from our driver's car and making sure we were well attended to. Breakfast was good; Wifi was good. Mattresses were comfortable; room was spacious. Loved the atmosphere here! Felt very authentic!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Transfer Baltra Airport - Puerto Ayora with visit to the highlands of Santa Cruz

Galapagos Islands

Our transfer did not go smoothly. There was no one there waiting for us with a sign and our name on it, as expected. We had the name of the person who was supposed to greet us but they did not show up. The manager of the tour company eventually showed up after I contacted the agent from KimKim and smoothed everything out. The visit to the highlands was a 5 star experience, along with the expertise and friendliness of our guide.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kayaking & Snorkeling at Las Tintoreras

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Excursion to Tortuga Bay

Galapagos Islands

Wish we had been able to spend more quiet time here. It was beautiful. We were unable to snorkel here due to a laceration I had on my knee, and kayaking had not been planned here. Wish we could have done either. It is beautiful, and quiet. Our guide was Diego. He was friendly and accommodating.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Quito City Tour

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excursion to an uninhabited island

Galapagos Islands

Visit to another uninhabited island

Galapagos Islands

Snorkel at Los Túneles

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hiking Sierra Negra Volcano

Galapagos Islands

It seemed we got off to a late start due to the size of the group. Although we loved the hike, I felt the guides were rushing us. This is not to be missed, but be prepared for a faster hiking pace. As we were near the back of the large group, we did not get any attention on this hike, nor did we get to hear much from the guides. We did, however, prefer to be away from the "crowd".

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Trip:
My wife and I did a 7 day expedition to the Galapagos Islands arranged by KimKim. Angie from KimKim was our Experience Assistant. She helped guide us through the decision making process and provided all the details of our trip. She was also available along the way as we needed some assistance with travel hassles related to late flights and such. Her assistance was invaluable.

Quito:
Angie arranged for two local guides to help us on our journey in Quito, Alejandro picked us up from the airport in Quito when we arrived (though our flight was quite late, and took us to our first hotel, so we did not have to worry about taxis or hotel shuttle transportation. He help us reunite with our lost back, and provided us with transportation back to the airport the next day to resume our trip to the Galapagos islands.

Upon our return from the Galapagos we were greeted by Fabricio. He met us at the airport, though our flight was several hours late. He provided transportation to our hotel in Old Town Quito. The next day, he showed us the highlights of Old Town Quito along with all manner of local and historic information as we toured Churches, monuments, Old Town, a Chocolate Factory, and stayed with us through our cooking experience. On our last day he picked us up very early and took us to the airport. Fabricio was very informative, kind, and genuinely enthusiastic to show us around.

Galapagos:
Upon our arrival in the Galapagos, we were met by Alex, our Naturalist and guide for our expedition. Alex demonstrated his knowledge enthusiastically though the lens of both local and learned understanding. Through his expert knowledge, he was able to show us all manner of plants and animals endemic to the islands including both the ones we expected and hoped to see, as well as some rare sightings. We visited four islands: Santiago Island, Isabella Island, Fernandia Island, and Santa Cruz Island. During our expedition we stayed on the Bonita Cruise Ship, a small ship that sleeps about 16 people. Daily we had the opportunity to hike the islands, travel in small boats along the coast viewing the various wildlife, and snorkel in the many bays on the islands. Most days we did all three. The crew performed their duties efficiently and expertly, doling out specific equipment for the days activities, providing zodiac transpiration to and from islands, keeping the cabins clean, serving chef prepared delicious meals and even a small party on Christmas for both the crew and the guests. The crew was polite, and extremely helpful during our stay.

To sum it up, my wife and I had a wonderful experience in both Quito and on the islands. I can highly recommend KimKim if you are considering a Galapagos Adventure Experience.

Hotel Reviews

M/Y Bonita

Quito

My wife and I did a 7 day expedition to the Galapagos Islands arranged by KimKim. During our Galapagos expedition we stayed on the Bonita Cruise Ship, a small ship that sleeps about 16 people. Daily we had the opportunity to hike the islands, travel in small boats along the coast viewing the various wildlife, and snorkel in the many bays on the islands. Most days we did all three. The crew performed their duties efficiently and expertly, doling out specific equipment for the day's activities, providing zodiac transpiration to and from islands, keeping the cabins clean, serving chef prepared delicious meals and even a small party on Christmas for both the crew and the guests. The crew was polite, and extremely helpful during our stay.

Location

Sailing around the islands allows you to see more, more efficiently than flying from island to island to experience the local nature

Staff

The crew performed their duties efficiently and expertly, doling out specific equipment for the day's activities, providing zodiac transpiration to and from islands, keeping the cabins clean, serving chef prepared delicious meals and even a small party on Christmas for both the crew and the guests. The crew was polite, and extremely helpful during our stay.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was larger than expected on the Bonita and was cleaned daily by the crew. The meals were prepared daily by an onboard chef. The chef prepared each meal with a local style and each meal was delicious.

La Casona de La Ronda

Quito

Our stay at La Casona de La Ronda was delightful and surpassed our expectations. It was definitely a nicer experience than we had anticipated.

Activity Reviews

Quito Cooking Class

Ecuador

The Quito Cooking Class was a fantastic experience and exceeded our expectations. Although we initially thought it might be in someone's home, having it at a restaurant was a pleasant surprise. The chef's professionalism and the way he explained the chemistry behind cooking, not just recipes, were excellent. The food turned out great too!

Charles Darwin Station & Tortoise Breeding center

Galapagos Islands

Our visit to the Charles Darwin Station & Tortoise Breeding Center met our expectations. We were there primarily to see the tortoises, and there were lots of them. Our naturalist, Alex, provided thorough explanations, and it was nice that the place wasn't crowded, making the experience more enjoyable.

A fantastic tour put together by Mathias! Every detail was thought out carefully and planned for our group of 4 adults and 5 children aged between 4-9. All we did was show up and the airport, and everything else was handled for the rest of the trip until we got back to the airport. Mathias was very responsive through the planning phase and always answered my multiple questions with consideration of my family and the needs of the kids and what we would all enjoy. All allergies and dietary restrictions were conveyed to everyone involved and all restaurants we ate at, so we never had to worry. When anything unexpected came up, our guide Mishell was quick to make changes on the fly and make sure everything was handled. She would always help watch out for our family and kids and watched their reactions at certain points ... She would then make suggestions on making any changes to future plans based on what she thought they would like. We had a great time in Quito and Otavalo seeing all the sights, the old town, the market, crater lake, the teleferiqo cable car, and so much more. Our time in the rainforest at was very different than other trips we have taken, but we thoroughly enjoyed our time visiting the Amazon and learning about the culture and people that call it home, including a boat ride down the river looking out for animals, and hiking through the forest. To end it all, we stopped (as planned by Mathias) for a few hours at the Papallacta hot springs to recover and relax after all the days of activities and excursions. Overall, the planning and execution by Mathias and the Authentic Ecuador team, as well as constant communication thought the trip between Mathias and Mishell, and with us... Was unmatched and unbeatable. Would highly recommend to anyone considering this tour or this company! Ask for Mathias, and you will not regret it and will have the time of your life in beautiful Ecuador! We are already thinking about a return trip in a couple years to the Galapagos!

Hotel Reviews

Swissotel Quito

Quito

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hakuna Matata Lodge

Archidona

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Quito City Tour

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Otavalo Market & Cuicocha Crater Lake

Quito

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jungle Hike

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the "Middle of the World"

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chocolate Session

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Quito Cooking Class

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amazon Safari

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Archidona - Papallacta Hot Springs - Quito

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I am a kimkim employee traveling with family, and Paola went out of her way to make sure we were taken care of, and every one of our needs were met! She set us up with a knowledgeable driver/guide who showed us all the best places and introduced us to authentic food choices and experiences. We couldn't have asked for anything more.

Hotel Reviews

La Casona de La Ronda

Quito

Great location, safe, clean, nice accomodations

Authenticity & Character

Location

very centrally located

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Celebrity Flora

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Quito City Tour - Middle of the World

Quito

This activity was so interesting and informative. It was worth the drive south.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Airport transfer to Quito City

Ecuador

Nice clean car with safe driving!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ride the Cable Car to Pichincha Volcano

Quito

We enjoyed the hike, the swing, and the views from the cable car.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Andrea’s at the cloud forest was fantastic as was Gabriel at le selva I enjoyed the rides and service from Sebastian and getting information about Ecuador

Hotel Reviews

Piripe Lodge

Pacto

Very peaceful place

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Selva Eco-Lodge & Retreat

Yasuní National Park

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Galapagos Suites

Puerto Ayora

Very clean and great service

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel La Laguna Galapagos

Puerto Villamil

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Pululahua Crater

Quito

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Andean Cock-of-the-rock

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Optional Activities in the Cloud Forest

Ecuador

Great bike ride and am viewing of birds

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Maquipucuna Reserve

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bicycle Tour through the Cloud Forest

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arrival to Coca, transfer to rainforest lodge, rainforest hike

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Observation Tower, Garza Cocha Lake & Night Walk

Yasuni National Park

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Parrot Clay Lick, Indigenous Community & Jungle Hike

Yasuni National Park

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Last rainforest activities, Transfer to Coca & Arrival to Quito

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Scuba Diving - Day Trip from Santa Cruz

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to another uninhabited island

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hiking Sierra Negra Volcano

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the Flamingo Lagoon

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kayaking & Snorkeling at Las Tintoreras

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Snorkel at Los Túneles

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excursion to an uninhabited island

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was a great trip Linda did a great job planning everything! The drivers were wonderful loved the Carrera family they were always on time picking us up and dropping us off. They went above and beyond teaching us about Ecuador and what we needed to know. Guides were also amazing Andreas in cloud forest, Gabriel in ran forest were both my favorites! I can not express my gratitude enough we will definitely use KimKim again!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Galapagos Suites

Puerto Ayora

Great hotel Douglas made us feel right at home! He made great scrambled eggs too,🤣

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walking distance from downtown!

Staff

Douglas

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Selva Eco-Lodge & Retreat

Yasuní National Park

Rooms were nice! Food was very good!

Authenticity & Character

Location

In the Amazon rainforest

Staff

Always had a clean room

Cleanliness & Comfort

Piripe Lodge

Pacto

Nice rooms in the cloud forest staff was very accommodating food was great also!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel La Laguna Galapagos

Puerto Villamil

Hotel was nice breakfast was good! It was not as nice as the other hotels and was noisy at night.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ikala Quito Hotel

Quito

Loved this hotel located in downtown Quito. Liked that every room we stayed in was decorated differently

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Pululahua Crater

Quito

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Night Walk in the Cloud Forest

Ecuador

Gabrielle was great we saw a lot of different things at night

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We were able to see an hear different things at night in the rain forest

Optional Activities in the Cloud Forest

Ecuador

Hike to the waterfall for a swim at piripie lodge was great along with the tour of the grounds learned about different fruits etc Also hike to waterfall in Mashpi was wonderful also if you like to hike along the way Andreas should us different birds frogs and plants loved it!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Bicycle Tour through the Cloud Forest

Ecuador

I did have a good time riding bikes in cloud forest but felt it wasn’t the best place to ride! It was all up hill for a little while but Andreas was right there with the truck to help the down hill was a little scary but had fun!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Andreas was great!

Arrival to Coca, transfer to rainforest lodge, rainforest hike

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Observation Tower, Garza Cocha Lake & Night Walk

Yasuni National Park

Saw a lot of birds it was great!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Andean Cock-of-the-rock

Ecuador

These birds are very beautiful and we were delighted we got to see a few and video them

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Maquipucuna Reserve

Ecuador

Loved learning about this reserve would visit again. The hike and guide were ok lunch was very good lots of hummingbird loved there organic garden

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Parrot Clay Lick, Indigenous Community & Jungle Hike

Yasuni National Park

Never saw anything like the clay lick before! Also, loved the indigenous community it was very interesting

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Last rainforest activities, Transfer to Coca & Arrival to Quito

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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

Ecuador

Loved the land turtles and lava tunnels!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

The research center was ok we did learn about all the turtles and George! I thought there would be more about Charles Darwin also would have liked to be able to change it was chilly in Quito so I wore jeans and a light sweater by the time we got to the research center it was pretty warm!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was ok

Transport

Excursion to an uninhabited island

Galapagos Islands

Bartolome hike was beautiful at the top definitely worth doing! Snorkeling was amazing there also visibility was great!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to another uninhabited island

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the Flamingo Lagoon

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kayaking & Snorkeling at Las Tintoreras

Galapagos Islands

Loved the kayaking again saw some amazing things penguins watch blue footed boobies dive, sea lions pelicans guide was really good I don’t remember her name but she was good 👍

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Snorkel at Los Túneles

Galapagos Islands

Best snorkeling ever! Sea turtles,sea horses, sharks, mana rays it was wonderful

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hiking Sierra Negra Volcano

Galapagos Islands

It was a good long hike the guide was very enthusiastic the crater and lava flows were great to see very interesting! This was another place were it was rushed right after this we were picked up to go back to Santa Cruz we were so dirty and dusty we just wanted to take a shower but I am glad we did the hike even if it meant we had to be really grimy for a couple hours.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

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

This is the third time we worked with Mathias, and it was as always, a great trip. Mathias worked with us to personalize our 2-week trip to Peru with 4 day/3 night Inca trail hiking. With several modifications, we finalized our trip to include visits to Lima, Arequipa, Cusco, and hiking the Inca trail. The entire trip was very well organized with every step taken care of: pick up, drop off, day to day itinerary and local contact person. We didn’t have to worry about anything, just showed up with at the airport. It’s super easy and we feel well taken care of.

Our local contact guide in Peru was Renato Diaz from AllPeru. He is super friendly and responsive to all our questions during the trip. It was most helpful that Renato sent us the boarding passes when we flew between cities. During the trip, there was a misunderstanding of the drop off in Cusco city, Renato arranged a complimentary dinner and show for us as an apology, which was very professional.

Overall, we are very happy with Mathias, Renato, and Kimkim for planning yet another amazing trip for us.

Hotel Reviews

Del Pilar Miraflores Hotel

Lima

Location of the hotel is great. Friendly staff. However, hot water was a problem when taking showers. Water was lukewarm.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casona Plaza Hotel AQP

Arequipa

Hotel was fine. But the water for shower was unstable: it swings between hot and freezing with no warnings. Not a very pleasant experience.

Authenticity & Character

No

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Killawasi Lodge

Yanque

This lodge was super awesome. We loved the little town it is located and the room was spacious and comfortable. Really enjoyed the stay. We went to the hot springs near the hotel and it was nice.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Terra Andina Mansion Colonial

Cusco

Hotel was fine. But hot water was an issue for taking shower. The water was lukewarm.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Camping

Our hiking trip was amazing!!!!! We were with https://x-tremetourbulencia.com/our-porters-2/ and our tour guide was Joel. The hiking was 4days/3 nights. We had a small group of 9 people. The porters and guide were amazing people, without them, it would have been impossible to hike the Inca Trail.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hatun Inti Boutique Machupicchu

Machu Picchu

This hotel was awesome! It had a jacuzzi in the room which was amazing for our tired body after hiking the Inca trail for 4 days!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Pisac, Ollantaytambo & Chinchero tour

Cusco

This tour was the least favorite of ours. I felt it was not necessary after hiking the Inca trail. Too much driving (all day, 7am to 6pm) with occasional breaks to see the sites. Could do without.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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.