Kimkim Trip Reviews

Our trip was breathtaking....We were met at the airport in the middle of the night by Ruwan who was to be our fantastic, knowledgable and generous driver and guide throughout our 16 day trip. I highly recommend to ask for him specifically. He made sure entries into all the sites went smoothly and he was a safe and careful driver on very tricky roads. We were greeted at the hotel at 3am with fresh juice and a lovely hotel team. Next morning we met Ishan who was our amazing guide as well, predominantly but not only , when we were on our bicycles which was up to 6 hours a day. He cycled us, a party of 4 - 50 something old parents and 2 strapping 20 something old sons, through the gentle quiet roads, through forests pointing out all kinds of stunning scenery, the magnificent birds that he knew by name, up and down hills and through jungles. All are requests for what we were interested in...mainly the Sri Lankan life and as little as possible touristy places, were met gracefully. Every evening we sorted out the route for the next day....exactly according to our ability, interests and his advice regarding the best path, scenery. Both Ruwan and Ishan I can recommend very highly for their unfaltering reliability, knowledge, humor, kindness and understanding....The hotels were all superb...quiet places that all provided breakfast on the go and a wonderful dinner. We particularly enjoyed the camp sites in the countryside with fabulous views and our own lake to canoe in. Yasantha was in touch with our guides throughout and had been in touch all the time as we planning...with patience and understanding helping us plan our trip and with irreplaceable advice. I recommend everything about the trip.....Even after the trip was over our wonderful guides offered unlimited support to our son who stayed in Sri Lanka another 2 weeks. We would like to thank all of the kimkim team that provided the platform for Yasantha Ishan and Ruwan and for a life long memorable holiday.

Hotel Reviews

Blue Magpie Lodge

Sinharaja

Loved it. Great large room. Beautiful surrounds. Very kind staff and great food.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Big Game Camp - Udawalawe

Udawalawe, Angunakolapelessa

Ecocamps are a must for any trip in Sri Lanka....they are outstanding....on everything....

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lady Hill Hotel

Galle

Very interesting renovated hotel....super staff lovely swimming pool great views

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Morning Star Resort

Negombo

Loved it, great garden lovely dinner perfect swimming pool

Authenticity & Character

Location

Just a short ride from the airport. Quiet steet

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Big Game Camp -Wilpattu

Wilpattu

Middle of the jungle, camping in incredible style. Fantastic dinner and night nature walk....unforgettable

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Amaara Forest

Sigiriya

Loved it. Lovely rooms Beautiful surroundings, cool refreshing pool. Great service. Nearby lots of historical sites at Sirygia.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Thilanka Hotel

Kandy

Stunning room. Great views....lovely dinner including live music and European food.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lake View Comfort Bungalow

Nuwara Eliya

Unexpectedly unique place. Lovely staff cooked us a delicious meal. Great scenery all around us.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kinchigune Adventure Camp

Belihuloya

Camping for real in the heart of the country surrounded by birds, monkeys. The guy who runs the place was fantastic, welcoming and knowledgable. And the lake was incredibly warm and we could swim and canoe. Breathtaking scenery and wild life....birds, buffalo, dear....

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Camping with all its charm!

Fairview Hotel

Colombo

Very convenient and quiet in the midst of busy Colombo...Very comfortable and clean. Relaxing...perfect place.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

City Tour in Colombo

Colombo

Ruwan took us on a fascinating tour of the city. Memorable, interesting and diverse. Help us with some lasting minute shopping as well making sure we got a good deal.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cycling Trail in the backyards of Sigiriya

Sigiriya

Ishan was a wonderful cycling guide and was the best we could have imagined. He fulfilled our dream of a cycling holiday....we cycled through villages, past lakes with countless birds, though forests and jungles and even through bustling towns...always with our warfare and satisfaction foremost in his thoughts....thank you

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was a fantastic trip to Patagonia and KimKim/Natalia did an excellent job in putting the itinerary together. Keeping in mind that you are visiting some of the most remote places in the world the quality of tbe experiences was very good - hotels, transfers, guides, restaurants. Best guide goes to Sonia in Ushuaia who was a fund of information and a great companion for 2 days. Best transfer goes to Patricia who brought us from El Calafate to El Chalten and back 3 days later. Best restaurant goes to Isabela’s in El Calafate where you much try one of their Plough/Disco dishes. Best hotel setting is a top gh call but was probably the Los Cauquennes in Ushuaia overlooking the Beagle Channel. Best Hotel was the Noi Hotel in Santiago - they even gave us a late checkout room gratis as we toured the city. Their rooms, breakfast and service were all excellent. Patagonia is an amazing part of the world. Comparing things to do is difficult. I will give my Top 3 to Torres del Paine Base, Mount FitzRoy/Chalten and Pietro Moreno Glacier. Every site is stunning. Some of the hikes are tough especially the last mile or two to the top - but the reward of seeing the spectacular Mountain views was always worth the effort. You don’t always need a guide especially those hikes where it is more about the experience of reaching that final destination. We found our local costs cheap especially in Argentina - you could have a very nice dinner including drinks, taxes and tip for less than $25 per person. Patagonia may be the end of the world but it is a view of what it was like when it all started. If you have the opportunity you will not be disappointed.

Patrick
Natalia we had a great once in a lifetime trip to Patagonia, overall the guides were great and everything ran on time getting us from one location to another. Thank you for a great experience.
Patrick & Joanne

Hotel Reviews

CasaSur Recoleta

Buenos Aires

Nice hotel great location,breakfast lnot so good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Location

Staff

Attentive staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room was always clean

Los Cauquenes Resort & Spa

Ushuaia

Authenticity & Character

Decor fitted in well with the surrounding area

Location

Great views and shuttle bus to Ushuaia

Staff

Attentive and courteous

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and comfortable seating in the lounge area

Destino Sur Hotel

El Chalten

Authenticity & Character

Location

Great location near hiking trails

Staff

Attentive and courteous staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Well taken care of hotel

Lagos Del Calafate

El Calafate

Authenticity & Character

Weird layout and noisy room

Location

Close to town center

Staff

Nice staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean

Hotel Las Torres Patagonia

Torres del Paine

Authenticity & Character

Very authentic and rustt

Location

Great location near hiking trails

Staff

Staff in general we're okay not very responsive when we had a problem with our safe,supposed to take of it next day but it never got fixed

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hallway was stained and not cleaned

Noi Vitacura

Vitacura, Santiago

Authenticity & Character

Modern and functional

Location

Great location and safe area

Staff

Great staff and excellent breakfast

Cleanliness & Comfort

Comfortable bedroom

Activity Reviews

Buenos Aires Barrios Tour

Buenos Aires

The tour was fine,got to see major areas of interest

Tango Show & Dinner at La Ventana

Buenos Aires

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trek & Canoeing in Lapataia Bay

Ushuaia

Great trip and our guide in Ushuaia Sonia was excellent

Quality of Experience

Great guides

Food

Great food cooked by staff on the tour

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Again great guide just give me other alternatives when weather doesn't cooperate

Transport

Hike to Esmeralda Lagoon

Ushuaia

Sonia our guide made the trip to the Laguna,very knowledgeable about the area and the its characteristics

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Minitrek Perito Moreno Glacier

El Calafate

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our guide, Esteban, was incredible. From the moment he picked us up at the airport until he dropped us off 2 weeks later, we felt incredibly safe and well cared for. Esteban was very engaging with our children and had each of us excited for the adventures ahead with his delightfully enthusiastic daily greetings. His passion for his country shone through with everything we did and his knowledge of Guatemalan and Mayan history is exceptional! The entire team at Columbus made us feel more like family than clients. I would highly recommend this company.

Hotel Review

Hotel Villa Caribe

Livingston

Excellent food and entertainment! Great pool. Friendly and helpful staff

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Villages Around Lake Atitlán by Boat

Guatemala

Unique opportunity to see authentic Mayan tradition and lifestyle. Opportunities to support local families and to purchase beautiful, unique textiles.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Esteban’s respect for and understanding of Mayan culture

Transport

Iguana was our boat driver. Super happy and pleasant guy!

All of our guides were amazing but especially Danny and Louis for our Quito/Banos piece!! Absolutely amazing! Will definitely recommend all of our activities!!

This was a wonderful trip and James and his team made the planning and execution seamless. We loved the hotels they chose, especially Casa Balthazar in Lisbon - very intimate, beautiful and charming hotel with a spacious room, helpful staff and in a great neighborhood. We loved Lisbon and Porto. The walking tour in Lisbon was really fun and informative, as was the bike ride there but a little scary (for me) with so many people walking, riding scooters, some cars etc. on the bike path. It was hard to navigate. It was not a big deal but I just hadn't anticipated that from the description. But seeing all the people was also quite fun and it was a very scenic ride.
Possibly my favorite place was Coimbra, the old and very picturesque university town. I liked seeing a smaller city that was very walkable, historic and interesting. I would have liked to spend more time there and skipped Aveiro. This was not a fault of Kimkim; I could have done more research about it beforehand. Our guide for a bike ride in Porto, Jose, was very informative, patient, and took us to a fabulous restaurant where we chose our fish (in Afurada, near Gaia). We also really liked our guide for the trip to the Douro Valley, Francisco, who was fun and interesting, and the trainee Paulo who came along. The quinta we went to was beautiful. I think Kimkim did a great job of planning for us considering I had said I didn't want to stay in too many different places. I might ask next time for suggestions about something a little more off the beaten path to do, particularly if we have more time, such as meeting with a family or a cooking class. The additional suggestions that Kimkim provided for places to see and eat in each city were also great!
We found and went to the Museum of Liberation and Resistance in Lisbon, which I highly recommend. It's a smaller museum in a former prison that explains all about the dictatorship, censorship, jailing, exiles and resistance movements, so we learned a lot we didn't know before, and it is in the Alfama district in a picturesque area.

Hotel Reviews

Casa Balthazar

Lisbon

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sapientia Boutique Hotel

Coimbra

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

PortoBay Teatro

Porto

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Heritage Avenida Liberdade

Lisboa

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very convenient, on a beautiful street, but less character to the area than where we stayed at Casa Balthazar.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Explore Lisbon with a Private Walking Tour

Lisbon

Lisbon Riverside Bike Tour

Lisbon

A little scary due to so many people on the bike path riding scooters, walking, running, and having to navigate in traffic and around cars, but the guide was very informative and it was fun to go along the river.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Wander the Historical Streets of Coimbra with a Private Walking Tour

Coimbra

Coimbra is interesting and fascinating. Sara knew so much history and interesting information. She also showed us the fado organization/ school where she works and explained about the type of fado music in Coimbra and how it is unique.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Travel from {{start_location}} to Aveiro & Arrive in Porto

Portugal

Our guide, Walter, was really nice and informative. However, personally I was not thrilled with Aveiro. We were allotted a lot of time there we did not need. They call it the "Venice of Portugal" but the canal ride and scenery is overhyped (in my opinion - others might love it!). There are a lot of nice cafes and interesting history of salt production in Aveiro, and some good architecture but overall I could have spent more time in Coimbra, or go to Obido instead I think. Not the fault of Kimkim, I just didn't really think about this. It sounded like there are lots of canals to wander around the city but that isn't the case. We were on a boat ride with a huge bunch of schoolchildren and couldn't really hear or undersatnd the information from the guide on the boat.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Day Trip to the Douro Valley for a Wine Tour & River Cruise

Porto

Loved our guides, the scenery, learning about the wine and port production, the wine tastings and learning about the industry. We had an amazing lunch at a very scenic restaurant on the river. Really a great day! it is a long day trip so an alternative would be to spend aa night at a lovely inn in the Douro Valley.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Take a Bike Tour of Porto & Visit the Fishing Village of Afurada

Porto

Really fun to pedal through Gaia and have great views of Porto. We had a great lunch at an outdoor restaurant in Afurada. The guide was very understanding of my fear of riding through the Porto streets at the begnning and took it slowly. He even stayed with us for a while after the tour and showed us more things in Porto, such as some of the famous and beautiful churches, but we did then want to determine ourselves what we were going to do after that. He had a really interesting background and it was great getting to know the various guides and learn more about their lives.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Meree was incredibly patient and a wealth of information. We were trying to meet long-lost family AND keep up with my daughter's surprisingly fluid (their itinerary kept changing) school mission trip. Meree was able to make suggestions according to what we thought we wanted and what we ended up needing and we wouldn't hesitate to recommend her.

Activity Review

Return to Oslo, Explore

Oslo

We returned to Oslo from Stockholm towards the evening just before shops closed and there wasn't much to do other than go to our hotel and get ready for our return flight. We booked our flight to Stockholm and back and chose a later flight on purpose so not a reflection on Meree or the Kimkim team at all.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We reserved our own flights to Norway and then within Norway and to Sweden. We booked the flexible/refundable tickets which came in handy as we ended up rescheduling once. They are a bit pricey but worth it if you at all think you might need to make adjustments along the way. Also learned that the less expensive tickets increase in price substantially about 2 weeks out from the date you want to fly.

My friend and I recently returned from a 9 day trip to Morocco and we had a spectacular time! We had very limited time to plan the trip so we decided to use an online travel agent to help us. The kimkim platform is excellent - very easy to use and Hamza helped us put together a custom itinerary based on one of their recommended routes.

Having them take care of the accommodations, overall itinerary, and finding us a driver removed so much stress from the planning process. If we were to return to Morocco, we would definitely feel comfortable doing our own planning, but for the time we had available and what we needed, it was great. We were able to request days without a tour guide so we could explore on our own, and they were receptive to specific requests about types of activities we were interested in. The one thing I'll say is that because kimkim is working with a local tour company, certain days didn't follow the original itinerary exactly. We were pretty easy-going about where we went but if you prefer to know exactly what's happening and when, make sure to communicate this and do a final itinerary overview before your trip.

One of the best parts of our trip was our driver, Said, who ended up feeling more like a friend. He did an amazing job, was fun to hang out with, and was proactive in giving us advice on feeling safe as two women travelers. I'd recommend him to anyone interested in visiting Morocco and we'll certainly be calling him if we return. Other highlights: the night in Merzouga and 4x4-ing through the desert, the gorgeous scenery between Merzouga and Ouarzazate, the Berber Museum, and just about everything in Marrakech. Make a few restaurant reservations in advance to take advantage of Marrakech's amazing food scene and if you have any interest in contemporary art, be sure to spend a day exploring the galleries and museum in Gueliz.

It was so easy and lovely working with Rachel especially when we had a missed connection late at night and having to rearrange travel plans. Our favorite day in Rio was because of Vincent the tour guide operator where we walked around together in Santa Teresa & Faevla. The hotels Rachel picked for us in Rio & Amazon were also amazing (and Santa Teresa Gallery hotel had such good food at their restaurant). I would definitely come back and use Rachel again and recommend to friends.

I had a wonderful trip to Colombia, and I am so happy that I worked with KimKim to plan this experience. I had three wonderful city guides in Bogota, Santa Marta, and Medellin. I also had a number of hiking guides for various outdoor excursions in Bogota and on the trek to Ciudad Perdida. Each guide was extremely well-informed and did a great job sharing the history and culture of the place along with time for me to just enjoy and take it all in. The trip was a great balance between activities and free time: I was so happy to have a series of scheduled activities, but I was also glad to have plenty of time to myself to make my own plans or to explore the cities I was in. I wholeheartedly recommend booking through KimKim and working with Wendy and her team in Colombia!

My husband and I just returned from a two week tour of northern Argentina. Our private tour was arranged by Ana and she put together a perfect trip. We spent time in Buenos Aires, Iguazu Falls and Salta. We loved all of these areas. She arranged our domestic flights and I received our boarding passes very timely (I'm a little fanatical about details). Our guides in each area were very friendly and took such care to make sure we did and saw the things we wanted and at our pace. This was important as we are not spring chickens. Flo was our guide in Buenos Aires for our city tour. She was knowledgeable, friendly and professional. Our guide in Iguazu Falls was Matias who is a fantastic guy. We spent two great days with him and they are two days we will never forget. When he picked us up at the airport, he immediately asked if we had our proof of covid vaccination as this is required to enter Brazil to see the Falls from that side. I didn't have mine but was able to immediately reach our son who messaged it to me. I highly recommend seeing the Falls from both sides as the views are so very different. I appreciate Ana including this as I hadn't looked into it and we loved the experience. Matias also suggested a local place to have lunch in Puerto Iguazu that was one of the best meals we had the whole trip. Our guide in the Salta Area was Jorge, We spent three day with Jorge and had a blast. There is so much to see in this area that appears to be off the beaten path. Everything from rainforest to desert. We visited small villages, traveled through mountains with views that take your breath away. Jorge was our driver as well as our guide and did a great job of both. I tend to be a bit of a nervous passenger as I usually am the driver as I love to drive as did Jorge. I was totally relaxed with him as the driver on the harrowing roads used in this area. Our activities in Buenos Aires included a city tour, an asado dinner, a dinner with a tango show and a day at a gaucho ranch where we rode horses. All these were great additions to our trip. The hotels chosen for us by Ana were perfect. You can book your custom tour with Ana and KimKim with full confidence of having a wonderful vacation.

Hotel Reviews

CasaSur Palermo Hotel

Buenos Aires

This hotel is in trendy Palermo with tons of restaurants. We felt totally safe walking throughout the area. The staff are friendly and the rooms are extremely clean.

Authenticity & Character

Very clean, good breakfast and very helpful staff.

Location

Great neighborhood.

Staff

Helped us in many ways.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Comfortable bed, very clean and fast elevators.

Loi Suites Iguazú Hotel

Puerto Iguazú

Great resort type hotel. Beautiful views. Only reason I didn't give 5 stars is that the buildings are connected by suspended walkways. I have never been a graceful person and had some trouble keeping my balance on the walkways if anyone else was on them at the same time.

Authenticity & Character

Top rating for a beautiful hotel.

Location

Beautiful location but secluded so it doesn't leave you many options for eating unless you take a taxi into town.

Staff

The wait staff in the restaurant weren't very attentive.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean.

Legado Mitico Salta Hotel Boutique

Salta

I can't say enough about how much we enjoyed this hotel. It is unique, beautiful and has a great location. The breakfast has a lot of options including eggs cooked to your liking. The staff are really friendly and helpful. The rooms are beautiful, comfortable and extremely clean.

Authenticity & Character

This is an old building that has been renovated into a beautiful hotel. You are greeted with your own wine, cheese, and olives reception. Has a library and outdoor area to relax and enjoy some downtime. Our room had it's own secluded patio.

Location

Great location. .

Staff

All the staff were great.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and roomy.

Activity Reviews

Asado Dinner at El Fogón

Buenos Aires

This is a really unique experience. What was suppose to be a seven course dinner ended up an eight course dinner. It is just fun. The staff interact with the customers all during the meal. The food is cooked to perfection.

Quality of Experience

We felt very welcomed and were treated so well. The food is excellent!

Food

All of the courses were great. Just remember to take it slow as the best is last.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Staff was very friendly and fun.

Transport

We arranged our own transportation to the dinner and used Uber.

Buenos Aires Barrios Tour

Buenos Aires

Beautiful part of Buenos Aires.

Quality of Experience

Very colorful.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide, Flo was informative and fun. Our driver did a great job driving in very heavy traffic.

Transport

Comfortable vehicle and good driver.

Gala Tango Dinner & Show

Buenos Aires

The food was good but for us the dancing went on too long. Ignore the previous if you are a late night person.

Quality of Experience

Food

Good but not memorable.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Staff was professional but not as friendly as other places we ate.

Transport

Used Uber.

Day trip to San Isidrio & Tigre with Lunch at Vivanco Restaurant

Buenos Aires

For my husband and me, this was a really good experience. The boat ride was very interesting and enjoyable. Seeing life along the river was fun and enlightening. Seeing the El Tigre area was a nice addition to our experience.

Quality of Experience

Our guide did a great job of making sure all of his group kept informed although we did spread out on the boat.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was a very fun person, the driver was good.

Transport

Really enjoyed the boat ride.

Estancia Gaucho Day

Buenos Aires

The guide had so much information she shared with us on our way to the Gaucho ranch. Enjoyed the horse ride. The food here was excellent. We didn't participate, but really enjoyed watching others learn the dance.

Quality of Experience

Was a fun day.

Food

Really good food.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide was very informative and the staff did a terrific job.

Transport

Comfortable van and a nice drive.

Brazil Falls & Birds Park

Argentina

Iguazu Falls are spectacular from the Brazil side. You get the full panoramic view. The bird park provides a lot of information regarding the native species and was definitely worth the time spent there.

Quality of Experience

Just a totally awesome view of Iguazu Falls.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide and driver were both extremely friendly and professional.

Transport

Very comfortable vehicle.

Visiting the Argentine Waterfalls of Iguazu

Argentina

What a fun day we had with our guide. The Falls are so close. We took the train first thing in the morning and avoided the crowd for this first viewing of the Falls from the Argentina side. Then took the two upper paths. These are long walks but very much worth the effort. It was a hot day so really enjoyed the mists. Lots of nature to enjoy on the path walks. My husband and guide then took the third (lower) path and there they saw the monkeys.

Quality of Experience

Great day of walking and seeing the falls.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide and driver could not have been better.

Transport

Comfortable vehicle.

Tour of the City - Discovering Salta's Hidden Treasures

Salta

Was a fun way to get to know the city of Salta.

Quality of Experience

Saw local crafts, museum and wine tasting.

Food

Had some really good coffee, lunches and dinners.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jorge was both our driver and our guide. Great at both.

Transport

Enjoyed riding in the pickup truck through the mountains.

Scenic Drive to Cafayate

Salta

Beautiful drive through the mountains. The echo chamber was fun. My husband enjoyed the wine tasting and the wine museum was interesting.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visiting Quebrada de Humahuaca

Salta

Another great day of driving through the mountains with beautiful views. The small villages are definitely where you want to purchase locally made items. They are displayed on tables around the village square. The hills of seven colors is gorgeous.

Purmamarca & Salinas Grandes

Argentina

We did not get to see this.

This trip was perfect. Costa Rica was absolutely breathtaking.

We just returned from a 15-day trip to Argentina that we planned through kimkim. We loved the door-to-door coverage knowing that all arrangements for transfers, lodging, domestic flights, and most excursions were handled. In addition, we had a team of guides and drivers, almost all of whom spoke English, to help us really find the best of this unique South American Country.

Our trip started in Buenos Aires, went to Salta, Cafayate, Mendoza, and then El Calafate in Patagonia. The 474 Buenos Aires Hotel was in a great location, a short stroll from the Obelisco and bustling Avenue Corrientes. A private sightseeing tour took us to the Recoleta Cemetery and the colorful La Boca neighborhood, among other sites. We really enjoyed the spectacular Gala Tango Show (which was a recommended option). The food and wine were stellar and this started our Argentina experience in good fashion.

We then traveled to the beautiful city of Salta, whose scenic square features the impressive Cathedral, built in 1865. Our hotel, Balcon de la Plaza, was beautiful and two blocks from the square. The square is loaded with shops and restaurants and is a perfect spot to take in the evening fun while dining at a cafe. We had an evening tour of Salta with the highlight being a visit to San Benando Hill, which gives a panoramic view of the city below.

A full-day tour the next day took us to the Heights and stops included San Antonio de los Cobres, a village on the Puna plateau, which featured a tasty restaurant (loved the empanadas), an ancient church, and a bustling craft marketplace. We also stopped at Alto El Morado, 13,681 feet in altitude, the highest spot in our journey, and the salt plains of Salinas Grandes.

The next day was travel to Cafayate, with spectacular scenery and a stop at luxury winery Colome. Special thanks to our guide Andres, who was outstanding during our swing into the high-elevation wine country. To get to Colome we had to drive through (not over) two rivers. The winery experience, which includes the James Turrell Museum, was spectacular.

Our lodging in Cafayate was the Patios De Cafayate, our favorite stay of the trip. This elegant hotel is in the style of a French country estate, with beautiful grounds, a pool, courtyards, and a fine dining restaurant. Just about perfect -- and even more so since the El Esteco winery is right next door. El Esteco is a world-class winery not to be missed. The Cafayate wine museum in town is also a wonderful attraction. Other wineries visited included Nanni, located downtown, and the impressive Piatelli.

We then ventured to Mendoza, the wine capital of the country. We stayed in the Bohemia Hotel. We found this to be sub-par but with an ideal location two blocks from Avenue Arístides, which had eateries and shops galore. Our first sip of wine in Mendoza was at a lovely outdoor table under the trees at Repulica Aristides. We also found a nice vegetarian restaurant just steps from the hotel.

We visited a total of six wineries in Mendoza, three through the kimkim arranged Wine & Flavors of Maipu tour and the others through another tour we found online. The famed Traipiche was everything you could hope for in a winery visit. Sin Fin, Vistandes, and Familia Checchin were also memorable.

The final leg of our trip took us the the breezy region of Patagonia and El Calafate. We again stayed at a fine hotel in the Esplendor by Wyndham El Calafate. The hotel had all the full-service amenities including a nice restaurant and pool. The culinary highlight of our trip was dinner at Rancho Aparte. This was an optional recommendation and turned into an unforgettable event. The restaurant is the home of Chef Gabo, who prepares meals for small groups, in our case seven people. Guests are seated around a common table and the conversation flows as the amazing dishes come out paired with the rare and unique wines of Patagonia. El Calafate is an appealing small town with plenty of great restaurants and shops with outdoor gear. The Glaciarium is another great stop.

The excitement continued as we visited the Perito Moreno Glacier at Los Glaciares National Park. We hiked the catwalks opposite the glacier, giving amazing views of this glacier -- one of the few in the world that isn't shrinking. Titanic formations of blue and white ice make it a photographer's dream. We then took a boat tour to get even closer to the glacier (an optional but inexpensive add-on). This gave us another perspective of the glacier and brought us up close to hear the cracking sounds as icebergs calved and fell to the water. Memorable in every way.

Our final activity (aside from return travel) was a Patagonia Ranch Day at Nibepo Alke, where we were able to watch gauchos in action (shearing lambs) and enjoy a tasty asado of lamb and Malbec. We hiked to a lake and enjoyed the impressive views of the Andes.

We packed a lot into our two weeks and kimkim helped make it happen.

Our trip was well planned and executed.
Irish was very responsive.

Not knowing much about this vibrant country we really needed some guidance and KimKim with the assistance of Wendy really helped us. We arrived and left the country stress-free! All arrangements were exactly as per the trip plan.
Highlights:
Street Food tour in Cartagena under the guidance of Willy Gutierrez
Sends Koguiwa Hotel next to Tayrona Park
Tours in and around Bogota under the excellent guidance of Daniel Espejo
Thanks KimKim and Wendy for helping in making our visit memorable!

Activity Reviews

Magical Sunset and Dinner from a Cartagena Island

Cartagena

Not really a sunset cruise as we left at 7pm when it was already dark. Food not very tasty. Very friendly reception and views from the boat was nice. Gave an idea of the layout of Cartagena.

Quality of Experience

Actually leaving at sunset. Better food!

Food

Not tasty at all

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Friendly and very helpful

Transport

On-time, clean, safe

Wander Cartagena’s Storied Streets & Discover the Art of Getsemaní

Cartagena

This tour covered the most important parts of Cartagena and is definitely worthwhile.

Quality of Experience

Covers the most important sights of Cartagena

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Everybody was very friendly and helpful

Transport

Clean, safe

Cartagena’s Street Food: The Soul of a City in Every Bite

Cartagena

We had an excellent guide who made the experience extra special. Stopped at about 6 street vendors including a visit to an emerald shop.

Quality of Experience

Variety of street-food under excellent guidance

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Professional, knowledgeable, friendly and well-spoken guide

Barú & the Rosario Islands

Colombia

Interesting excursion although not what we really expected. Being a national park, we expected serene beauty but the area is actually very build-up. There were also a lot of boats arriving from Cartagena making the beaches and snorkeling very crowded. We did go during a national holiday weekend, so maybe that made the crowds even worse?

Quality of Experience

Crowded, build-up not very pristine.

Food

Tasteless and poor presentation

Guides, Drivers and Staff

As always friendly

Transport

Clean, safe

Hiking in the Tayrona National Park

Colombia

This is a beautiful park with beautiful vegetation and beaches. Beware that there is only one trail that everybody takes. It was very crowded and at times we came to a complete standstill. After about an hour the crowd spread a bit. Then it was more pleasant.

Quality of Experience

I would suggest timed-entrance to alleviate the congestion.

Food

Tasty meal on the beach

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Friendly

Transport

Clean, safe

Discover La Candelaria & The Monserrate Hill

Colombia

This tour covers the most important sights and museums of Bogota. Highly recommended.

Quality of Experience

Well-timed visit to views and museums.

Food

Excellent down town restaurant with delicious local food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Excellent, well spoken and knowledgeable guide

Transport

Clean, safe

The Salt Cathedral & Zipaquirá

Colombia

A very interesting visit to a unique site. Worth visiting.

Quality of Experience

Uniqueness of this site

Food

Visited a restaurant in an unattractive area. I think a restaurant in Zipaquira downtown would have been a better idea. The food was ok.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Knowledgeable and well spoken.

Transport

Clean, safe

Guatavita Lake

Bogotá

Definitely with the visit. Interesting history and beautiful nature.

Quality of Experience

Views, historical importance, nature

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Knowledgeable, friendly

Transport

Clean, safe

Axel, who stepped in for Oleksandra, was also amazing! Their attention to details and their excellent communication were very much appreciated.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Director Vitacura

Santiago, Vitacura, Región Metropolitana

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Altiplanico Puerto Natales

Natales

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Calafate Parque Hotel

El Calafate

Authenticity & Character

Location

Loved the location. Easy walk to El Calfate!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rendez-Vous Hotel Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires

From the moment I walked in, I didn’t care for it. I didn’t like the dreariness of the lobby. The location was not good either. I never saw the room because we opted to find another hotel before check-in. This was not at all on par with our other hotels.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full day Torres del Paine with Milodon Cave

Puerto Natales

Beautiful although cloudy weather precluded seeing the beauty of the area. We only saw lakes!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arrival in Santiago

Santiago

I loved Santiago. I booked a private tour and Angelika was a great guide! I also did a hop on hop off which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Perito Moreno Full-Day Tour

El Calafate

Gorgeous scenery!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boat hovered by glaciers to give us ample time for photos.

Dinner & Tango Show

Buenos Aires

This was a great experience. The show was excellent and we had great seats.

Quality of Experience

Food

I was looking forward to the steak but it was very tough.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Driver was very friendly and pick up and drop off was timely. Staff at tango show was quite attentive.

Transport

Trekking in El Chalten from El Calafate

El Calafate

This would have been a lot better if our tour guide had provided us with (1) an option for the day and (2) if she had provided a map of our trail. According to the tour description we were to choose from 4 options for the day. Didn’t happened - the option was selected for us. Secondly, the tour guid got off at option one and we were left with only the bus driver who dropped us off at a hostel, procured our lunch then provided no direction as to where to go from there. We ended up not even seeing the sight we were supposed to see. Also, the guide spent 3/4 of the time speaking Spanish and very little time with English even though many if not most of the people in our tour were English-speaking. The only saving grace was that it was a beautiful day for a hike and the scenery was amazing!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jorge was great to work with and he did a wonderful job in understanding what we were looking for and planning accordingly. The trip was amazing. Each guide we had was incredibly knowledgeable, friendly and fun and showed us places we would never have discovered on our own. We had a wonderful outing in Teotitlán, hiking, bird watching and visiting a weaving family and having a wonderful lunch with them. We visited the paradisiacal Apoala with its blue lagoon and waterfalls , horse riding to the Dinosaur tracks was stunning and discovering Puebla City and Cholula and learning about the history, culture and beautiful churches was fascinating . It was a full five days filled with interactions, visits and sites we will never forget.

Hotel Reviews

La Catrina de Alcalá

Very clean, friendly staff and quiet.

Authenticity & Character

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Cantarranas

Tehuacan

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Pepe Puebla

Puebla

Great room and amazing bathroom. Clean, friendly and perfect location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

A tour through Teotitlán del Valle and its handicrafts in Oaxaca

Oaxaca

Margaux was an amazing guide and person. So much know and able to point out bursa to us we would never have seen. We did a wonderful hike and had lunch with a weaving family learning about weaving. We also visited a candle making workshop and the village of Teotitlán . It was the perfect day.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Margaux was so knowledgeable, flexible, relaxed and fun

Transport

Hike and swim in Santiago Apoala

Oaxaca

Such a beautiful paradise

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was great. A joy to be with and very flexible, interesting and knowledgeable

Transport

In the Footsteps of Dinosaurs in San Juan Raya

Mexico

Quite a long horse ride down to the area with the dinosaur tracks . Fascinating to hear all about the history and geology. The guides were wonderful and very knowledgeable

Quality of Experience

Scenery, history,

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walking tour of the historic center of Puebla

Puebla

We were fascinated to visit Puebla and discover what a great city it is. The cathedral, the library , multiple churches, candy street and pottery. All amazing. Maria was lovely and very knowledgeable

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover the Magical town of Cholula

Mexico

It was wonderful discovering the churches here, especially the one coated in ceramics and fascinating to learn about the pyramids underneath the main church

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide was full of energy and knowledge and great fun. The driver was fantastic.

Transport

Very comfortable and friendly driver - Miguel

4-5 days in Cape Town(V&A hotel is a great location )is perfect, table mountain and Robben island were great experiences. 2 days Franschhoek was perfect and Avonrood accommodation excellent.Ryan was a brilliant guide for both above . Thabamati luxury tented lodge was just brilliant (food, safari’s,service all excellent) and 4 nights was just enough. To finish at Victoria falls and sunset cruise was a fantastic finish to our brilliant holiday.

Hotel Reviews

The Victoria & Alfred Hotel

Cape Town

Great location.Clean room. Service could be a bit better at breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Location

Staff

Help at front of hotel for taxi’s etc

Cleanliness & Comfort

Avondrood Luxury Guest House

Franschhoek, Western Cape

Friendly, very comfortable accommodation in great location. Very high standard. Great breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Great character, lovely furnishings

Location

Staff

Very friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Thabamati Luxury Tented Camp

Kruger National Park

Overall fantastic experience, luxury accommodation, excellent setting,service, safari’s, staff friendliness .The experience surpassed our expectations.

Authenticity & Character

Excellent quality of accommodation. Really friendly feel to the camp. The staff are all great

Location

Timbavati game reserve offers a lot of spotting from start to finish.

Staff

All helpful with everything

Cleanliness & Comfort

Extremely high standard in communal and private areas

Ilala Lodge

Victoria Falls

Great location, saw wild animals in the lovely garden areas. You can hear the sound of the falls which we liked

Authenticity & Character

Dining , pool and bar areas very well laid out

Location

Staff

Reception staff really helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full Day Cape Peninsula Tour (including lunch)

South Africa

Great day tour. Great sights. Our lunch was average on this trip , I think because they rushed leading up to load shedding.

Quality of Experience

Seeing great sights and scenery

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ryan provides just the right amount of information and is relaxed and friendly

Transport

Table Mountain Hike and Cable Car

Cape Town

Great hike, great guide who was really friendly and knowledgeable

Quality of Experience

Good sense of achievement in completing the hike

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Knowledgeable, friendly

Transport

Afternoon Game Drive

South Africa

Brilliant

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Cape Town City and Scheduled Robben Island Tour

Cape Town

Robben island is a must do item. Really interesting. City tour informative and pleasant to see the different areas.

Quality of Experience

Informative and interesting

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Winelands Tour (including lunch)

South Africa

We really enjoyed the day especially the cheese and wine pairing and the final stop location, setting and scenery was spectacular(Stark Conde). We felt 2 wine tastings would have been better than 3 , also a slightly later start would be good to allow a bit more free time in Franschhoek

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Location choices arranged by Ryan

Transport

Days on Safari

South Africa

Brilliant

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Timbavati Private Game Reserve Safari Day

Timbavati Game Reserve

Brilliant

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boma Dinner

Victoria Falls

Slow start but got better and better. Food was nice also

Quality of Experience

Drumming, singing

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Didn’t always have transportation cool enough

Tour of the falls and sunset cruise

Victoria Falls

Excellent tour of the falls, great experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to Morocco was fantastic. I've always enjoyed researching destinations, finding the perfect hotels, and booking tours, but this was a girls' trip to celebrate 50th birthdays, and we wanted to make it special. I did some of the research, and Abdel and Said took care of the rest. Everything Kim Kim had planned was great. Working with Abdel was simple, and the website facilitates communication for everyone.

We chose to stay in riads instead of hotels. Each one was unique, but they all provided excellent service, friendly staff, and delicious breakfast. The only thing that could be improved are the tour guides. We felt some pushed us to go to specific stores to shop, and one ended with a demand for a tip (which we had planned to give).

Tarik, our driver, was awesome! He was friendly and caring, and he looked after our group well. We made some changes along the way, and he was accommodating. I will most certainly use Original Travels and Kim Kim again!!

Our trip to Portugal was OUTSTANDING. I have always loved researching destinations, finding the perfect hotels and booking tours, but this trip was to celebrate my husband's 60th birthday and I wanted it to be really special. I planned some of the trip and Raquel planned the rest. Everything Kim Kim planned was perfect. Working with Raquel was easy -- I changed my mind SEVEN times and each time she adjusted our itinerary without complaint. We had three private tours; Celia in Porto was fabulous -- so much so that when the tour ended, we invited her to have a drink and spend time with us. The hotel in Coimbra was one beautiful and gorgeous and exactly our style and aesthetic. Our guide Jose in Lisbon was terrific. Paolo took us to Sintra for day trip and we met his wife, and had a wonderful experience. All the guides were highly vetted, super knowledgeable and really personable. The app makes communicating with Raquel easy and all information is at your fingertips. I will definitely use Kim Kim again!!

Hotel Reviews

Sapientia Boutique Hotel

Coimbra

Beautiful hotel with a fab roof top deck, a gorgeous lobby, restaurant and great staff. Outdoor courtyard was a real treat!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Vincci Baixa

Lisbon

Nice hotel, very well situated, breakfast was great, nice staff, room was nice but tight. Bathrooms are fully mirrored and after a week of wine and cheese, that view wasn't ideal. :)))

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Privately Guided Visit of Porto

Porto

Celia was amazing, smart, fun, a tiny energizer bunny with a great personality!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Dinner With Locals at a Local Home

Lisbon

One of our favorite nights of the whole trip! Magarida and her family welcomed us into their home and we stayed for 4 hours of wine, conversation, a great homecooked meal and laughs. A real treat!

Quality of Experience

Food

Half Day Excursion to Sintra

Lisbon

What made this excursion phenomenal was Paolo - his knowledge of history and traditions was unbelievable. Thank you for a great day and a great meal!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff