The entire trip was fantastic.
Mexico
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Feb 1 - Feb 15, 2024
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 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.
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.
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.
Activity Reviews
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.
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
