Alvaro Pereira

We had a wonderful time in Ecuador and the plan Alvaro put together for either side of our visit to the Galápagos Islands was just perfect!

All of our accommodation was excellent and we had great variety every day. We felt we had a very nice balance of culture and nature and although we had a busy itinerary, we never felt at all rushed.

The “icing on the cake” for us was our guide Marco Herrera. He was so kind and considerate of our needs. He was knowledgeable but never made us feel overwhelmed with facts and figures. He didn’t rush us at all, and made sure we had as much time as we needed for taking photos and “mooching about” at our leisure.

Jeferson from the Tour Company called to meet us at our hotel in Quito and he was regularly in touch throughout our stay in Ecuador, making sure we were enjoying ourselves.

We would highly recommend Ecuador to everyone and feel it’s a shame that so many tourists only visit to see the Galápagos Islands. This is most definitely the highlight of the country, but there is SO much more to experience and we are really pleased we decided to spend over 3 weeks here in total.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Las Plazas

Quito

What a gem this family run hotel is! Lucia is an absolute lady and all the staff did their utmost to make our stay perfect. The rooms were great and we slept very well thanks to the lovely mattresses, soft cotton sheets and comfortable pillows. Breakfast was a treat with fresh varied juices and fruits and eggs cooked to order. The location couldn’t be better. Just a few minutes walk from one of the delightful town squares. We will most definitely recommend this hotel to our friends.

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Hotel Boutique Carvallo

Cuenca

Gorgeous old hotel with great character. Our room was stunning! It’s perfectly located close to the old centre of Cuenca and breakfast was very good. I would suggest asking for a room that doesn’t overlook the main street as we found it noisy at night.

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Iguanazú Bed & Breakfast

Guayaquil

Wonderful old style hotel outside the centre of Guayaquil. We had a huge suite and we felt like a Honeymoon Couple! Food was lovely and the staff were very kind. It was so peaceful up on the hill and we slept really well. We would definitely recommend this hotel over those in the busy Malecon area.

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Termas de Papallacta

Papallacta

The hot spring pools were wonderful. Rooms were so comfortable and nicely decorated. Food was excellent and staff were all very friendly. Would definitely live to return here!

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Coffee lodge Cristal Glamping & Spa

Mindo

Very pleasant stay here for our 1 night in Mindo. It’s such a great place to “get away from it all”! Having dinner and breakfast on the balcony overlooking the treetops was wonderful. Staff were very kind and friendly.

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Hacienda El Porvenir

Machachi

Very comfortable room and we found the food to be outstanding! Staff were so kind and welcoming and the location was magical!

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Hotel Spa Casa Real

Riobamba

Lovely hotel. Very quiet and our room was huge! Staff were friendly and helpful and the meals were excellent.

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Hacienda Pinsaqui

Otavalo

This was such a luxurious hotel and the grounds were incredible! Our room was beautiful and we loved our food at dinner and breakfast. Definitely a 10 out of 10!

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Activity Reviews

Otavalo Market - Cuicocha Lagoon

Ecuador

Nice hike around the lake and it was pleasant to amble around the market for a while.

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Exploring San Pablo Lagoon & Encounter the Andean Condor at Parque Condor

Otavalo

Cóndor Park was very good. We were amazed at the variety of birds!

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Alpaca Encounter at Quilotoa Lagoon

Ecuador

Unfortunately the weather wasn’t in our favour the day we visited. We didn’t see any Alpacas, but the fog was so heavy we could hardly see our hand in front of our faces! The drive (until we hit the fog) was pleasant however and we had a lovely lunch in one of the small restaurants near to the lagoon.

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The Adventure Continues - Hiking Day at Cotopaxi National Park- Overnight at a Hacienda.

Ecuador

We had glimpses of Cotapaxi summit (and when we did see it, it was beautiful! The National Park was beautiful though and there’s lots to enjoy even if you don’t see the volcano that clearly.

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Exploring Chimborazo Wildlife Reserve

Riobamba

Again we had very poor visability the day we were to see Chimborazo peak. We asked the guide to turn back 10 minutes after we hit the dense fog (about 20 minutes before the summit) and instead we enjoyed the lower area close to Riobamba.

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Exploring Cuenca and surroundings, Gualaceo, Chordeleg

Cuenca

We loved Cuenca! Very traditional and very walkable around the old centre. This was one of our favourite places in Ecuador.

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From the Highlands to the Coast: Cajas National Park to Guayaquil

Ecuador

Enjoyable scenery but I was a bit underwhelmed to be honest! The photo stop at the top was good but I think perhaps I expected more from the National Park area.

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The Pearl of the Pacific: Highlight Sites of the City of Guayaquil

Guayaquil

We enjoyed our time exploring Guayaquil. The Santa Ana area was lovely and we enjoyed the walk along the Malacon.

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Exploring Guayaquil's Local Wildlife at Parque Histórico

Guayaquil

Really enjoyed seeing the Iguanas in the park! Especially nice to see the babies who were only a couple of months old!

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Welcome Back to Quito

Ecuador

Wonderful time exploring the historic centre of Quito. We loved all the Churches and the big squares with the fabulous architecture.

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Colonial City Tour, Cooking Class & the Middle of the World Monument

Quito

Very enjoyable day. We loved the cultural aspect of it and the food at lunch was super!

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Mindo Cloud Forest

Ecuador

Highlight of our trip on Mainland Ecuador. The birds were just amazing. We saw several species of Toucans and the experience with the humming birds was phenomenal!

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Kimkim did an incredible job as usual! Alvaro was terrific to work with and and answered all of my questions in a timely manner and worked with us to put together a memorable vacation.

Once we were there Rita was also excellent to work with. She coordinated everything and she was always met us in-person with a bright smile to get our daily plans started.

Overall it was a trip of a lifetime!

Alvaro helped us plan the perfect trip for us. We loved the whole experience.

We put together a fairly complicated trip with a lot of varied destinations. Alvaro was totally helpful and very can do in setting the trip up as we wanted it. During the travel, everything went as smoothly as butter. We were met by friendly and competent people at every stop and were escorted to our travels to the next destinations at exactly the times that were promised. We couldn't have been more pleased with the planning that Alvaro did for us. Ivan met us at the Airport in Bogota, and was with us the entire stay, actully had dinner with us. He was exceptionly knowledgable about the birds, and he could hear the calls and identify amazingly. We saw 90 bird species in 2 days. He could also spot birds and point them out to us well before we could see many of them ourselves. We were a little nervous about going to Inirida and alon the Oronico River, esp with the situation in Venezuela , but we were accompanied by able guides all the time and actually felt safer than when we were in 4th grade. The Tucunare Lodge was rustic but far removed from modern civilization. Alexandro, who was our fishing guide was quite knowlegable and competent and PATIENT. We fished for 2 days solidly and came away with some amazing pictures of us holding giant Peacock Bass. Than off to Cartegena for rest and relaxtion. Beautiful old town. Good nightlife, esp rooftop bars, and excellent food. All and all, would highly recommend Alvaro and Kim Kim for planning a trip to Columbia. Plan on asking for the same in a few years to Equador.

We had a great trip. Alvaro and his team were great communicators, organized, offered helpful advice, and responded quickly to any inquires. Our tour was well-paced and interesting. We learned a lot about Ecuador, had some adventures, and saw many beautiful areas. Our lodgings were all very comfortable, the meals were good, and the tours were very enjoyable.

Our tour guide, Edison, was knowledgeable about Ecuador and generously shared his insights and expertise. He only added to the experience.

Hotel Reviews

Hosteria La Andaluza

Riobamba

Great hotel. Warm and welcoming staff. Beautiful location. Comfortable rooms. Amazing art. Delicious dinner. And the courtyard with the bunnies and peacocks made us laugh.

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Hacienda Santa Ana

Cotopaxi

Great hotel. Warm and welcoming host. Beautiful location. Comfortable rooms.

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Activity Reviews

Colonial City Tour, Cooking Class & the Middle of the World Monument

Quito

The class was great. I didn't know what to expect, but it was very fun. Our host was welcoming and knowledgeable. The meal was delicious. And it was a great way to slow down a little and learn about Ecuadorean food.

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Journey to the Peak From the Center of the Earth: Chimborazo!

Ecuador

We were suffering with the altitude, so we weren't sure if we'd make it to the second refuge, but we did! It was snowing and foggy, so there was no view, but we were still thrilled to have made it.

Our Medellin experience began with superb planning by Alvaro at Kimkim Travel. We decided a short tour would be best for us and it was set up exactly as needed and tweaked when we changed something which is the beauty of Kimkim! Maria, our tour guide, met us at the airport and was lovely, informative, helpful, friendly and spoke excellent English. We then had our quiet and courteous driver, Raul, take us to our clean and comfortable hotel in a location that has everything. The hotel band was fun and entertaining. Breakfast each morning that made us feel like a King and Queen! The first tour day was 4 hours learning about the city and its history. We did the metro and cable car to Comuna 13 and the people’s story from Maria who lived through and in it. She became our friend that day. Leaving the city the 2nd tour day to Guatapé was a long and exciting day to The Rock where Maria and I climbed to the top - 702 steps. People cheered on our arrival at ground level and the memories are forever depicted in our views and photos at the top. The next day was SW of the city to the finest coffee plantation where the son in the family business showed us and explained the entire process of making a cup of coffee. Cima in Fredonia, was 2 hours away from our start but the drive with Raul again, made it relaxing. Maria interpreted since the family spoke no English. They made a delicious meal and finally coffee tasting. We dined at suggested restaurants at night that Maria advised were best. The 3rd day was a drive to La Miel - a nature conservation area of river and waterfall where we had a 90 minute hike on a natural trail of water running through rocks while we were educated on the area and flora and fauna by Lena - interpreted through Maria. Lena was wonderful too and at the end we cleaned up and changed for an excellent cooking class and meal at Martha’s - a woman who grows everything she prepares. The flowers, birds, hilled surroundings, made such a memorable day. We rate 12 out of 10 for each special day of the tour and return home with new friends and recommend Kimkim as the travel agents who plan specifically for their client’s needs!! Mary and Rudy Ralian of Wisconsin. Gracias Amigos!!!!

Our trip was in January 2024 and was an amazing trip. We stayed in Quito for a couple of days and had an excellent guide and driver, Marco. His English was good and he helped me with my Spanish :). We especially loved the trip to Cotopaxi and the horseback ride in the National Park. From there we went to the Galapagos and boarded the ship, Infinity. The ship and crew were fabulous. There were two very knowledgeable, engaged naturalists on board (Fernando and Mari) that made our trip memorable. The ship advertises that they have gourmet meals, which we would rate as just ok, but we were there for the wildlife and the experience so it wasn't that big of deal. There was no lack of food - seems like they were always feeding us. The wildlife was unlike any we have seen elsewhere. We were able to get up close and personal with all species - even the birds didn't fly away from us when we got close. I would recommend this trip to anyone! Alvaro was great in helping us personalize the itinerary. and answering all our questions. KimKim is a bit expensive but this is our third trip with them so I guess we think that it's worth it.

Activity Reviews

Explore Cotopaxi National Park on Horseback, Transfer to Quito

Cotopaxi

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Isabela Island: Moreno Point - Elizabeth Bay

Cruise Ship

Isabela Island: Urbina Bay - Tagus Cove

Cruise Ship

Santiago Island: Egas Port - Bartholomew Island

Cruise Ship

North Seymour Island - Baltra Airport (Infinity Luxury Yacht)

Cruise Ship

Our experience with KimKim was phenomenal. Out trip planner Alvaro made sure every detail was to our liking prior to our departure. He was always very responsive during the planning phase and even set up some surprises for us since we were celebrating a milestone birthday. One at our destination our contact Belén was also very responsive, checking on us, providing us details for upcoming days, and answering all of our questions. Every excursion was top quality and all of our guides - Edwin, Candi, Rita, Zambo, Darwin, Javier, and Julio - were excellent and so friendly. Highly recommend!

Hotel Reviews

The Royal Palm Hotel Galapagos - Curio Collection by Hilton

Santa Cruz

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Albemarle

Puerto Villamil

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Activity Reviews

Hiking the Sierra Negra Volcano

Galapagos Islands

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Welcome to Santa Cruz Island: Highlands (Plant a Tree) & Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

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Isabela Island's Treasures: Exploring the Breeding Center & Wetlands

Galapagos Islands

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Kayaking on Tortuga Bay

Puerto Ayora

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Afternoon Bay Tour in Santa Cruz

Puerto Ayora

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Experience the Pristine Beauty of Galápagos Islands: Discovering an Uninhabited Island

Puerto Ayora

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Wildlife Encounter at Los Tuneles (Cabo Rosa)

Galapagos Islands

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