I was so impressed with our trip, and I thank...
Peru | Oct 1 - Oct 8, 2022

Susan
Susan B.
Pierceton, IN | Reviewed on Oct 10, 2022

I was so impressed with our trip, and I thank Liz Karen. When I decided to visit Peru, I looked into a group tour from a big company. But my husband discovered KimKim, and we contacted them. Liz Karen did a phenomenal job putting together a trip customized to the things we wanted to do. We also were happy with the pricing, which was less than the big company group tour I had originally planned.

Hotels were moderate-quality as requested, and we were happy with them overall. Each offered us an included breakfast daily. The Lima Arawi was an easy 15 minute walk from from the coast and the big Larcomar shopping area.

Casa Biru in Cusco was a favorite. We loved the courtyard inside it and sat there often. We made friends with the gentleman who ran the little shop between the courtyard and the street. We ate at the attached Bistro 390 restaurant and loved the reasonably-priced delicious meals, as well as the included daily breakfasts.

Susanna Inn in Aguas Calientes struggled a bit with a toilet that was stopped up when we arrived and quite a bit of noise at night (shouting, trains right outside the window). However, it was right by downtown and the breakfast there was amazing -- the best on our trip. The view from the breakfast room was right out on the river; beautiful.

Liz Karen put together a great group of guides for us. Rafael/Ramon? in Lima was nice, told us a LOT about the city's history, and helped us find a good ATM to use during our tour. We learned so much from him. David took us the Sacseyhuaman and told us much about its history. He was intelligent and cared about tailoring the tour to our interests. Daniel did a good job at the Moras Salt Mines and Moray, although this tour was less good than our others due to half or more of the narration being in Spanish (our group had Spanish and English speakers). Adriel, who took us to Pisac and Ollantaytambo, was the true star of the trip. WOW he knew a lot, and also was super alert to everyone's needs throughout our day, dropping people various places where they needed to be. I never saw him on his phone, etc. during the day. Ibrahin at Machu Picchu told us so much about the landmark (the reason for the trip to begin with) and again tailored the tour to our expectations. He also took several excellent photos for us and recommended spots that were goot for photography.

As far as memorable places -- Machu Picchu of course; I also loved Ollantaytambo which was impressive too but which I had never heard of. I loved shopping the markets and I loved Cusco a lot. The Peruvian people were so friendly and helpful. I also loved the women around town dressed in traditional clothing and with alpacas and lambs for photography. Another thing we did that I enjoyed was attend the evening program of dancing and music. This was included on a ticket we had and was an easy walk from our hotel.

Each driver was there on time (a couple of times they were 5 minutes later, but the came quickly after). It was so nice not to have to worry about getting where we needed to go or needing to navigate an unfamiliar city.

We totally loved the trip and would recommend KimKim and Liz Karen to others. Gracias!

Hotel Reviews
Arawi Miraflores Express
Lima

Excellent included breakfast, 15 min. walk from the coast and Miraflores shopping area.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Casa Biru Hotel Boutique
Cusco

Our favorite; loved the friendly staff, the coca tea always available, the cute Peruvian courtyard with many plants, the delicious included daily breakfast. We also enjoyed eating at the attached restaurant Bistro 390 for dinner one night -- delicious, and great prices. Maria who works in the restaurant was so friendly each day at breakfast. We also came to know the gentleman who tends the plants as well as the little store inside the entrance to the courtyard. The room itself was comfortable and nice. Location is a 5 minute walk from the historic city center. Loved it.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Susanna Inn
Aguas Calientes, Machu Picchu

Great location, right in downtown. WONDERFUL breakfast looking out on the river. Room toilet was clogged and had noise at night. Room was clean.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Local specialist: Liz Karen L. Jihuallanca
Liz Karen
Liz Karen L. Jihuallanca
Local specialist in Cusco | Replied on Oct 16, 2022

Hi Susan,
Thanks for taking the time to leave such a nice review!
I am very happy to know that you enjoyed your trip! I'll share this with all our guides and team.
Please take care and if somehow we can help in the future, just let me know. I will be always happy to help!
Kindly,
Liz.