Kimkim Trip Reviews

Isolated hacienda on a hobby farm -- it is not within walking distance of anything, so expect to stay and eat here. Their food is good though, so for a rest day it's a lovely place to be. - They own a few friendly dogs that we played with outside. - Charming rooms; beds had heated blankets because it was a bit chilly -- no problems with temp for us. Rustic-feeling, but clean and comfortable. - Breakfast was simple and tasty (toast, eggs, cold oatmeal-type dish, GREAT coffee) - Dinner options were limited -- not really a menu, more of a "this is what's for dinner tonight, or you can have a sandwich" -- and tasty. They did accommodate vegetarians!

Catered toward tourists: it's located in a touristy / wealthy part of Quito, the staff speak English, overall it was a very comfortable stay. Within walking distance of Quito's historical center, good restaurants, and a supermarket. - Breakfast (included) was incredible, seriously the best hotel breakfast I've ever had. - They have a laundry service, but it's priced per item and very expensive -- we ended up washing clothes in the sink. - Rooms and grounds are clean and well-kept. - The lighting is incredibly harsh and white. This seems to be the norm in Ecuador, but wow was it brutal turning on the lights in the morning. - Dinner (not included) is just okay; I'd go elsewhere for dinner. - Staff is very helpful! We left bags at the desk for a day while hiking (one night of camping, before returning to the hotel) and it was no problem.

An ideal final day in the Galapagos. The whole day we spent on a sailboat with a dozen other tourists and crew and took a 3 hour ride to an uninhabited island. There we did a short "hike" (it was climbing 365 stairs) to an incredible viewpoint — our guide kept telling us it’s been named one of the most beautiful places in the world. By whom, we have no idea, but it was beautiful. After the hike, we went snorkeling again. We saw sharks and a Galapagos penguin, the only species of tropical penguin. The penguins are tiny — no more than a foot tall at full grown. The boat ride back was close to perfect — warm air, sea breeze, a few sightings of jumping rays — a great end to a Galapagos vacation.

Our guide for the day took us to the Charles Darwin Research Station, where we learned more about the ecology of the Galapagos and the efforts to combat ecological destruction. It’s pretty cool how committed the islands are to preservation and environmental sustainability. At the research station we also got to visit the tortoise breeding center where we saw baby tortoises (younger than 5 years, when they’re returned to the wild), as well as a few old ones who were recovered from their early life as pets and can’t be released into the wild. After the research station, we went to the Highlands of Santa Cruz Island to visit a lava tunnel and tortoises in their natural habitat. It was, in a word, amazing. Because of the relatively short time humans have been present on the island, and the lack of predators, the wildlife here is shockingly unafraid of humans. They’re certainly aware of us, and the tortoises moved away if we approached from the front (threatening), but in general are fine with us being close and wandering around with them.

The volcano hike was long (~9 miles) but still far easier than hiking in altitude! We walked up to the caldera (nearly 10 km across) then down the south side and saw the remnants of lava flows from the 2005 and 2018 eruptions. The landscape felt a bit otherworldly, due to the lack of vegetation and lava rocks / fissures. We also saw on our hike three Galapagos hawks — a rare sighting according to our naturalist guide.

We took a boat from Isabela to Tintoreras Islet with a small group. Walking along the islet we saw lots of marine iguanas (they’re in their nesting season, so it’s only the females) as well as white-tipped sharks, crabs, and pelicans and lots of other birds. After the island walk we went snorkeling again and saw a pair of blue-footed boobies doing a mating dance.

We started the day with a walk into the national park to Tortuga Bay, where we kayaked among sea turtles (!), little hammerhead sharks (!), marine iguanas (!), and so many birds. It was SO COOL. The water is shades of azure and teal — it truly felt like we were in a movie.

This was our first hike above 5000m. The way up was challenging but great: we had nice weather, were feeling pretty good after our past two acclimatizing hikes, and there was lots to look at. We reached the refuge at 4700 m feeling tired but good, ate some food, then put on our helmets and harnesses to hike the last 425 m. It got tough quickly, scrambling up rocks using hands and feet, and the altitude was starting to really hit us. Right when we neared the summit, a storm began approaching, so we took a couple quick pictures, then headed down. We didn’t quite beat the storm, as the entire way down was in dense fog and it hailed on us for a few minutes, but avoided the deluge that started once we were in the car on the way back. It is a tough hike because of the altitude, but non-technical and a great first hike over 5000m!

An absolutely beautiful hike up the dormant volcano Pasochoa. We had perfect weather for hiking — and for getting sunburned. Getting there by car may have been more treacherous than the hike itself — we drove down a narrow cobbled road with holes / ruts / ??? that could swallow a few humans. If we were driving, we never would’ve imagined a car could make it through. The summit itself was incredible, passing through a short, verdant rainforest-like section, then leaping over a small chasm. 10/10 would recommend.

We hiked Guagua Pichincha, an active volcano! It was very cloudy at the top, so we couldn’t see the crater, but we could definitely smell the sulfur. And could definitely feel the altitude — it does make hiking (walking, moving, breathing) harder. At least for us: one of the many stray dogs in Ecuador was with us for the entire hike, more often leading than following. Instead of hiking back the way we came, we “land skied” by sliding on our feet down a sheer slope of sandy rocks. Our shoes were filled with rocks, but it was super fun!

On our first day, we went on a walking tour of the historical center of Quito and visited the equator. The historical center had beautiful old architecture, gold gilded churches, and a market where we ate local tropical fruit. We then visited the equator at the Intinan Museum and the fake equator at Mitad del Mundo. (As a bonus, we learned the process for making shriveled heads.) Incredible start to the trip!

We took a boat around the Santa Cruz bay, stopping to observe blue-footed boobies, learn about some of the unique animals of the Galapagos, and snorkel. The water is beautifully clear, the salt water buoyant, and there is SO MUCH wildlife, snorkeling is incredible. We were within meters of iridescent rainbow colored fish, sea turtles, starfish, sea lions, stingrays… so much to see.

Excellent Hotel to Stay At

Very cool hotel in the heart of downtown. We weren’t here long but it was a comfortable stay and the staff was very friendly and helpful. We walked right around the corner for dinner at Ten Foot Henry; outstanding food.

Amazing! So beautiful. The staff were incredibly helpful, especially Julie at the concierge desk. She helped us secure a ski instructor at the last minute and that made our whole trip! We are so grateful for her help. The food at the new restaurant was excellent. We were really happy with our stay here.

We loved the big, crackling fire in the lobby! The restaurant was excellent and the room was big and roomy. The heat did not work well at first but it was repaired quickly. the hotel itself was under repair so there was scaffolding built along the side we looked out of. We could not access the balcony or even open the doors because of this and the workers started banging away Monday morning. They should have mentioned there was a floor heater for our use. That helped a lot. The spa/hot tub was awesome. The desk failed to give us both sets of lift tickets. We did not know they had the second set and we had already traveled to our next destination without tickets. It was just a headache we didn’t need.

Loved our instructor Christopher! The lodge was cozy and vibrant. We had a lot of fun.

Breathtaking! We really enjoyed this!

We did not expect much from this hotel since it was just a place to spend our last night before catching our flight the next morning. It was more or less what we expected. This appeared to just be a hotel for big tourist groups. Friendly staff but the rooms were dirty. The sink and shower drains were partially clogged and drained very slowly. The towels had brown stains and there were mosquitos and ants in the room.

It was beautiful with a great view of Chefchaouen. The room was clean and the breakfast was very good with a variety of local dishes you can choose from. We didn’t mind the 159 steps to get to the lobby because that is what gives this riad the beautiful view in the common area.

We expected more from a four star hotel (according to Google). The riad patio/ground level common area was beautiful and the breakfast was fine, however, the cleanliness of the room (Bahia room) left much to be desired. The room smelled musty and dank like old wooden furniture that was not taken care of properly. There were stains on the bedsheet and the hair dryer was very dirty and sticky. The riad has great potential but was not taken care of properly.

It was almost like a luxury hotel room experience in a tent in the desert.

The standard room was small and dim, since it did not have a window or a view. The riad itself such as the buildings, garden, and courtyard view of the mountains was very beautiful.

Our driver, Samir, showed us around and customized the activity according to our requests.

Our guide, Hassan, was great, and we really enjoyed the Moroccan salad and the pastilla at the restaurant he took us to.

We got to try the fresh camel milk and even saw a wild monkey!

It would have been nice if the local guide told us what time this activity was scheduled to start. It says that it’s after breakfast but it ended up starting after 11am.

Loved this hotel. Beautiful with a traditional and contemporary vibe. Excellent location. Staff were all helpful and welcoming

Fun way to see Oaxaca and the beautiful murals surrounding the town

Highly recommend this activity if you want to immerse yourself in local culture. It was wonderful to be able to cook and learn recipes of a local woman from a small village. One of the most memorable activities of the tour

Beautiful winery! Had no idea Mexico produced good wines. We were given 5 tastings. Enjoyed this excursion very much

Interesting and beautiful Aztec pyramids with historical significance

Fun and provides the opportunity to try local street food this is safe to eat

Amazing experience. Great staff and really good food. The sleeping huts are lovely and clean. So many things to see and do! Highly recommend this lodge.

A nice looking hotel in a very walkable good location. This is only a 3 star hotel. The beds were hard and there was no heat or air conditioning in the rooms although the temperature was adequate. The dining room also had no heat, it did have some propane heaters but they ran out of propane while we were there and guests had to wear coats to dinner and breakfast.

We enjoyed this hotel very much. Its location near Puerto Natales was great and we had a room with a fabulous view. We thoroughly enjoyed the happy hour and the dinners. The people were very friendly. Lots of international travelers staying here to go and see Torres del Paine and other Patagonia areas. Breakfast was minimal, but that seemed to be due to the fact that everyone was headed out for hikes and tours. We would stay here again!

This hotel was clean, the people were friendly, and the hotel had all we needed for our stay. Its location is in a great area - we walked neighborhoods and found restaurants. Breakfast was included and was very nice. Everything was perfect - we would stay here again.

After our day of hiking to Torres del Paine, this was a nice, quiet activity. We enjoyed the glacier navigation. Our driver took care of us, but other passengers helped us understand (language barrier) that we would have down time after our glacier navigation. Fortunately, we had brought books with us and thoroughly enjoyed sitting in the lodge with a glass of wine and our books, waiting while the others took the second glacier navigation. The journeys to get to activities in Patagonia are long - we learned to relax and enjoy the 2 hours rides to get places.

Claudia was amazing and nicely patient with us! I loved this hike, but it’s a hard one. My husband was not sure that we should have been doing it. Once you get to the top, the experience is fantastic. But, be aware, the hike down is just as strenuous as the hike up. We probably wouldn’t have made it without Claudia, and it was her birthday, no less! Claudia took good care of us, and we thank her for it. It’s an experience I will keep with me for the rest of my life, and be glad for it.

We had a great day in the Colchagua Wine Valley. Our driver and guide, Orlando, was fantastic and we so enjoyed our time with him. We went to the Montes and Viu Manent wineries and enjoyed both experiences. We had lunch in Santa Cruz and went to the museum there. It’s a long day, but very, very enjoyable. Highly recommend.

Chris and our driver were great! We learned about Valparaiso, Vin Del Mar, and saw things that helped our knowledge. We had a good combination of walking and riding in the van. We had a lovely lunch in Vin Del Mar. This was a nice day. We very much appreciated seeing the Easter Island statue in Vin Del Mar.

We would have liked this tour to be a little better. We think it was a collision of many negative factors that led to the tour being not as good as it could have been. We changed to a private tour at the last minute. Our tour guide’s English was not quite as good as it should have been - he had the knowledge of the areas, but had difficulty communicating it to us. We would have liked to have seen, for instance, Iglesia de San Francisco. Another thing that was probably going on during our tour were demonstrations in downtown Santiago, causing our tour operators to not want to let us out among the crowds.

Paradise. Absolutely beautiful spot overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The accommodations, staff and food were exceptional. We will go back!

A beautiful place in the planet. Our guide was exceptional and without her, we wouldn’t have seen a thing.

The coffee and chocolate tour was interesting and fascinating. The guide was exceptional.

Great breakfast and dinner Great grounds. Chickens in the yard are cool. Some issues with getting hot water for shower. No AC.

Nice place with great breakfast Convenient location

Great staff who helped with boarding passes, restaurants and holding out bags. Good breakfast and late night drinks at top floor.

The side tours were good on the way there. Valparaiso was great. Orlando was an awesome guide.

Same comments as the full day tour.

Same comments as the full day tour

Sooo much history. Hugo was our guide and he has a degree in Rapa Nui culture. Two days with him was totally awesome

Fairly basic other than changing of the guard. Blue rock store was not needed

This was an awesome trip. Just the two of us, no dual translation. Learned about Mapucin culture from him, Javier was Mapucin. Great lunch spot in Castro on the water. Great local market tour

If you have the chance to stay here, DO. This amazing hotel was nothing short of incredible - very kind and professional staff, the food was delicious, and the building is so beautiful.

The hotel staff was very kind, the breakfast was incredible, and it is very centrally located. The room was quite small but I think having the charming character and decor while also being a few minutes from the train make this a great place to stay.

The Lyngen North hotel is such a unique and incredible experience. You cannot beat the view out into the fjord, and you absolutely cannot beat the talent of the chef there. Out of our vacation across Norway, the dinners at Lyngen North were hands down some of the best food we've ever had. The atmosphere is very calm and clean and the other staff are more than happy to help at any time.

Out of two weeks worth of Norwegian adventure, this tour was our favorite! Riding along with the dogs was so easy and it was an absolute joy to see their excitement for running. The trail we went on was perfectly worn in so the dogs did all the work! We were able to have fish soup and coffee by the fire to warm up and really enjoyed the company of the guides.

We loved our tour with Stig! We had a great time walking around and learning about the city's history and culture.