Genuine Service and Care
Peru | May 1 - May 19, 2024

Peter
Peter W.
Albany, CA | Reviewed on May 21, 2024

We could not be happier with the service we received. From the start, Nicholas was attentive and communicative, providing valuable feedback as we built our itinerary. We had lots of ideas of what we wanted to do, and he helped us organize them in such a way that maximized both our experiences and our time, while offering suggestions that complimented our goals. Where we had pre-booked travel and experiences, Nicholas seamlessly integrated them into our itinerary. And for the bookings we made with him, where possible, upgrades were offered that significantly enhanced our trip. Our itinerary was clearly presented, with the names and phone numbers of our guides to facilitate our communication. Moreover, the support we received from Nicholas while in Peru was immediate and effective.

Our guides, Nancy, Cesar, and Antonio, were always timely, always engaging, and they were all empowered to help us refine our itinerary further, based upon their own knowledge and experience, and our requests. That level of care and commitment was a true showing of their interest in us, and of their personal pride, both in their roles as guides, and as representatives of their respective cities. Our drivers were personable and safe, as well.

In sum, KimKim was a phenomenal resource to help us put together a memorable Peru experience!

Hotel Reviews
Palacio Manco Capac by Ananay
Cusco

A historic hotel situated twenty minutes (by foot) from the historic center of Cusco. Our room was very nice and comfortable, however, wifi was extremely poor in the room. It was stronger elsewhere in the hotel. We did not have enough time to make use of the restaurant for any meals, yet, the hotel did put together breakfast boxes for our early morning departure, and they were amply sufficient.

Authenticity & Character
The hotel is in a historic building, and care has been given to maintain that authenticity.
Location
Situated at the top of the hill, views from the hotel are amazing! The walk (downhill) to the historic center of Cusco is easy. The walk back (uphill) to the hotel is a bit tougher!
Staff
All the staff we interacted with were friendly and helpful.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Our room was clean and cozy. The only complaint was the wifi - which hardly worked in our room. The signal was better elsewhere in the hotel.
Colca Lodge
Cercado, Yanque

This is a popular hotel in the Colca Canyon. We booked it particularly for the hot springs and the spa, both of which were nice, the hot springs more so than the spa. The restaurant is very good, serving a full breakfast and offering local dishes for dinner. The staff were welcoming and helpful.

Authenticity & Character
The location of the hotel is its chief selling point. While comfortable, the rooms are not particularly memorable.
Location
Situated right next to the river, the hotel is scenic. The hot springs are also situated close to the river, which makes a dramatic backdrop for your time there. You are far away from any other property or facility, though.
Staff
Everyone we interacted with was friendly and helpful.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Clean and cozy!
Activity Reviews
Welcome to Peru and Lima
Welcome to Peru and Lima
Peru

We were able to find our guide easily, and he helped us with our transfer to our hotel. Along the way, he shared some thoughts about Lima, and its surrounding neighborhoods, all of which were useful. He pointed out various places of interest, and restaurant types that we could consider. He also gave us tips on how our process would go when we returned to Lima airport, to transfer from our domestic flight to our international flight, as we would be doing that on our own.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Our guide and driver were both great. They were on time, easy to find, and helpful.
Transport
Lima traffic can be pretty intense, Our driver handled it with ease!
Must sees in Lima
Must sees in Lima
Lima

Our guide, Nancy, was awesome! She was punctual, friendly and engaging. More to the point, she figured out very quickly what we wanted to see and experience, and how we wanted to go about doing it. As such, she made on-the-fly adjustments that had us walking through the neighborhoods instead of driving through them, while also showing us to more off-the-path sites and sights, that were better aligned with our interests.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Nancy did a great job of guiding us, and of hosting us. She was adaptive to our requests and to our general method of exploration, ditching our transport for more of a walking tour, with the points of interest and experiences more in line with our personal preferences, as opposed to a set menu of sights.
Transport
We didn't spend much time in the car, but our ride and our driver were both nice!
Sacsayhuaman & Cusco Guided Hike
Sacsayhuaman & Cusco Guided Hike
Cusco

Our guide, Cesar, was also amazing! He was enthusiastic and eager to share his knowledge and affinity for Cusco with us. Cusco and its surroundings are historic, beautiful, and widespread. Cesar helped us maximize our time and our experiences by adjusting our itinerary ever so slightly, enabling us to see and do more than what we had planed. His recommendations for restaurants were on point.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Again, Cesar was awesome. We appreciated the time he dedicated to us, and his suggestions that had us see and do more than what we had planned. He was super willing to take photos of and for us, which was great.
Transport
Wilmer did a super job of driving us around. He was polite and friendly, and a competent and safe driver.
Viacha Community Experience & Pisaq Archaeological Site
Viacha Community Experience & Pisaq Archaeological Site
Peru

We wanted to get our hands dirty with the local community, and this experience got us to do just that. From working with textiles to digging up crops, to dancing and sharing a lunch, this was an immersive, personal experience that was really impactful. Pisac is a large archeological site, and it would take more than a day to explore it all. However, our specific hike was tailed to our wants, and we spent a few hours on a 4km trail that got us to incredible vistas and historic sites that were well explained by our guide.

Quality of Experience
This was an impactful experience. Our guide was an able translator for us, but there wasn't much that needed to be spoken, rather, the engagement was in action. We worked with textiles. We worked with farming equipment. We shared a lunch. We danced together. If that's your thing, this is a great experience. Pisac is more of a hike, which is what we wanted, and our guide did a great job of explaining the historic significance of the site.
Food
Our lunch was very good! Sourced locally it was a tasty showcase of the community.
Ollantaytambo Village and Inca Site Exploration. Pinkulluna Hike
Ollantaytambo Village and Inca Site Exploration. Pinkulluna Hike
Peru

Olly (for short) is a small town that offers up a lot of sights and experiences. Situated about halfway between Cusco and Machu Picchu, and a stop on the railway between the two, it is easily accessible. There are serval Inca sights to see, and I appreciated getting to ones that were on and off the main tourist circuit. The town itself is very scenic, with a lively marketplace and historic center.

Quality of Experience
 Pachamanca: Traditional Andean Underground Cooking
Pachamanca: Traditional Andean Underground Cooking
Sacred Valley

The cooking method, and explanation, are good experiences. And the lunch that follows is very good! This is a more commercial enterprise and less personal than I would have preferred. There was a missed opportunity for this to be more inclusive with a tour of the farm (not just the distillery and beanery that were targeted for sales) and to have more interactions with the staff.

Quality of Experience
More commercial than interpersonal. Some missed opportunities for this to be a more engaging and fulfilling experience.
Food
Lunch is really good!
Maras Salt Ponds
Maras Salt Ponds
Sacred Valley

The salt ponds are a wondrous sight. The scale of the development is impressive, and the photography opportunities here are vast, with different colors and elevations to point your camera at. However, that's all this is - a view of some salt ponds.

Quality of Experience
The scale of this place is impressive, and you have an opportunity to point your camera at a stunning backdrop of colors and elevations and textures.
Moray Terraces
Moray Terraces
Peru

Like the salt ponds, this is a limited experience. The history of the place is fascinating, and the photography opportunities are good (albeit less so here than at the salt ponds). If you are already in the Sacred Valley, this is a worthwhile stop. But if you are only in Cusco, I wouldn't make the trek to visit these exclusively.

Quality of Experience
A historic Inca ruin with some interesting history, and a cool photo stop. But not much more.
From {{start_location}} to {{end_location}} via  Salinas and Aguada Blanca National Reserve
From {{start_location}} to {{end_location}} via Salinas and Aguada Blanca National Reserve
Peru

The National Reserve is vast, and unspeakably beautiful. I would say the same of the Sacred Valley as well, but the landscapes here are totally distinct, with different wildlife and vegetation. You can take photos and videos endlessly here, and still fail to capture the magnitude of the area. If you're driving from Arequipa to the Colca Canyon this is a super worthwhile route to take.

Quality of Experience
Truly a wondrous landscape to drive through and make photo stops in. You can't venture far off the road as it is a protected area, but being able to make frequent stops and just "take it all in" is very cool.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Our guide, Antonio, clearly loves this place, and he was eager to point out various wildlife and vegetation unique to the park. Also, he knew the best photo stops, yet was more than willing to accommodate our own requests to make stops to take in the sights.
Transport
Our driver, Gonzalo, was awesome. The road through the park is a two-lane highway, chock full of cars and buses and trucks. He navigated both the road and the traffic supremely well, and didn't get frustrated when we made stops, or asked for them.
Hike to Chimpa Fortress
Hike to Chimpa Fortress
Colca Canyon

Getting to the starting point for the hike is an adventure in and of itself. It is in the middle of nowhere, in what's already the middle of nowhere! The hike itself is relatively short, but it is steep. If going in the midday sun, bring a lot of water - and trekking poles, though not strictly necessary, are helpful. The fortress itself isn't much, but the viewpoints from it, are spectacular and worth the effort to get to, both in the drive there, and the hike.

Quality of Experience
A great hike to a great viewpoint. The fortress itself is a bit "meh" but that is a small component of a much larger experience.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
As usual, Antonio and Gonzalo did an amazing job of navigating the roads, and sharing the history and significance of the fortress, while also enduring the hike with us!
Classic Gastronomy Tour - Arequipa
Classic Gastronomy Tour - Arequipa
Arequipa

We had spent several days with our guide, Antonio, already, so he was familiar with our travel style, and our preferences for food and drink. As such, he was able to curate a food tour that was particularly aligned with our tastes (quite literally). We had a great time eating our way around Arequipa, combined with a nice walking tour of the city, and Antonio's lecture points.

Quality of Experience
Our guide made great choices on which places to visit and when. All of our eats were tasty local favorites, representative of the city and region.
Food
We are really well; local dishes in neighborhood cafes and restaurants that were not part of the main tourist circuit.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Antonio was great, setting up a walking and food tour that was on point.
Local specialist: Nicholas Cino
Nicholas
Nicholas Cino
Local specialist in Peru | Replied on May 22, 2024

Hola Peter! Thanks for taking the time to write sure a detailed review. I really appreciate all your comments it as a pleasure having you with us. Your feedback is very valuable too, rest assured that we will be taking it into account when selecting future activities.
All the best in your future travel! Saludos! Nicholas