Kimkim Trip Reviews for Belize

Catherina is amazing. From the preliminary agenda until we were on the plane she was on top of everything. When changes were required she made them, was solicitous of our comfort and in every way fabulous. JJ and Renee were equally impressive and did everything to make our trip enjoyable. Renee returned the room key that I forgot in Belize, JJ helped me through a bit of stomach upset. All of the birding guides were extremely knowledgeable. I would recommend that folks our age split birding and ruin watching into two days. It was 104 degrees the day we did it and we cooked. The reef in Belize is still beautiful, but showing signs of bleaching, more's the pity. All in all, it was one of our best trips. Kudos to Columbus travel.

Hotel Reviews

Mystic River Resort

San Ignacio

Sited in the jungle with balconies looking down on the river, Mystic River Resort is beautiful. For bird watchers like ourselves, there are over 250 species of birds on the property. The first morning a summer tanager dropped down to the railing when I walked out to claim her share of the banana bread (which hotel staff had brought to our door along with delicious coffee). The rooms are large and comfortable with both a fan and a fireplace. (A little too warm while we were there for the latter.) A very nice outdoor dining room with both hummingbird and platform feeders providing great interest especially in the morning. The staff are pleasant and solicitous of your well being. A thoroughly pleasant stay.

Authenticity & Character

Lovely cabins, decor throughout well done and consistent.

Location

Sited in untouched jungle, birds, birds, birds!

Staff

Way above average in friendliness and helpfulness.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was clean and comfortable/

Hotel Atitlán

Panajachel

Very different from Mystic River. Sculptured gardens and lots of flowers. Beautiful! Many birds, but not as many as Mystic River. Very comfortable room. Lovely restaurant with excellent choices and food.

Authenticity & Character

Very well done with a great deal of period pieces

Location

Right on Lake Atitlan with boat travel to various cool experiences.

Staff

Very helpful and efficient

Cleanliness & Comfort

Like most Latin hotel very clean, good shower, very comfortable

Azure Del Mar

Placencia

Again a huge switch, since this hotel is literally on the beach. What appears to be a very simplistic hotel turns out to be a very cozy stay with the wind off the Gulf blowing through the room day and night. There was no need of fan or air conditioning although a conditioner was provided. Palapa style office, dining room and cabins. Very intriguing! Thoroughly enjoyed our stay there

Authenticity & Character

Palapa says it all.

Location

Right on the beach, what more could you ask?

Staff

Extraordinarily helpful, efficient and thoughtful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean throughout. Very comfortable the way the cabins are sited!

Activity Review

Welcome to Guatemala

Belize

Went off without a hitch. We were met by JJ as we came out of baggage claim, the car was loaded and we were on our way.

Quality of Experience

JJ is friendly, helpful, personable and efficient.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

See above

Transport

Nice wheels.

We had a great time with Tomas and Michael in Belize. The tour guide in Guatemala gave us a good suggestion to do the tour at 4 am instead of later in the day bcoz the temperature was very high ( 101) and that helped us a lot!
Overall a great experience!

Hotel Reviews

Black Rock Lodge

San Ignacio

Best experience ever! The staff is fantastic and the hotel is so close to nature- great way to disconnect!

Authenticity & Character

Location

The location is beautiful but the 6/7 mile long road going to the lodge can be improved.

Staff

Best experience ever- everyone was super nice!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ramon's Village Resort

San Pedro

Paradise!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Jaguar Inn Tikal

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Issue with water supply and fan in the summer heat

Jaguar Creek Lodge

Cayo District, Belize

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Staff is good but they can help with lugging the bags to the rooms especially if the room is far away from the reception. No one offered to help us

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) caves day tour

San Ignacio

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

He could have planned for the tubes to be at the cave and not for us to carry it along the way. We saw other guides doing that and even offering to take family pics - he didn’t even ask

Transport

Cacao Farm & Chocolate Making Tour

San Ignacio

Very enriching experience!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Tikal National Park

San Ignacio

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

He charged us extra money for the 4 am tour

Transport

Canopy Tour in Tikal National Park

Belize

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Awesome staff

Transport

Hol Chan/Shark Ray Alley - from Ramon's Village

Belize

Dream come true!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Best staff - so helpful and made me and my daughter so comfortable

Transport

My 19yo daughter and I had a great time on our trip to Belize. Chris listened to everything I wanted and planned a perfect itinerary. We enjoyed horseback riding to the Maya site Xunantunich. Our guides Jose and Carla were knowledgeable and accommodating. Jose helped me get to the top of the pyramid as I’m afraid of heights. I’m so glad I did it—the view was amazing! We also enjoyed cave tubing en route from San Ignacio to San Pedro. It was beautiful and we saw a family of howler monkeys right above us along the riverside. Last, we snorkeled with nurse sharks and rays in Hol Chan. Our guide Carlos showed us a number of cool sea creatures like eels and an arrowhead crab. Our accommodations at Falling Leaves Lodge and Ramon’s Village were comfortable and clean. Thanks to Chris we were able to enjoy an upgrade to an ocean view room at Ramon’s which we appreciated. Last, our driver between sites, Derek, was always prompt and made getting around feel easy and safe.

Hotel Reviews

Falling Leaves Lodge

San Ignacio

Pool and poolside snack bar was under construction but will add a lot to the experience.

Authenticity & Character

The gardens were beautiful . Room was small but comfortable and clean. Shower hot.

Location

Proximity to Cahal Pech Maya site; being at the top of the hill limited dining and activity options

Staff

Paula and Kevin were great. Pointed out plants and a toucan in the garden. Some restaurant staff were not always welcoming

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ramon's Village Resort

San Pedro

Authenticity & Character

A little touristy in character but still beautiful and comfortable. The clean beach and chaise lounges were appreciated.

Location

Right on the beautiful turquoise water.

Staff

Friendly and lots of good suggestions

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bedding and pillows could use replacing.

Activity Reviews

Horse Riding Tour of the Xunantunich Maya Ruins

San Ignacio

Guides Jose and Carla were great. Horses were well behaved. Site was amazing. Jose helped me with the climb—so kind.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hol Chan/Shark Ray Alley - from Ramon's Village

Belize

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer from San Ignacio to Belize City with Cave Tubing Tour en Route

Belize

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A bit more spendy than I expected but lots due to traveling solo. Some of the excursions were cancelled due to weather, no one’s fault. One excursion actually encompassed what a second excursion was so cancelled that…no interest in doing it twice. The hotels were great. There was some confusion about day trip stuff or taxi not being paid so I was reimbursed after the trip. The jaguar did not last as long as indicated. I was back in 3 hours and the cooking class was only about an hour. Nothing about the Carifuna culture or drumming/dancing like I thought.

Hotel Reviews

Jan's Hotel

Caye Caulker

Great location. Super nice staff.

Authenticity & Character

Local operated

Location

Beachfront. Walkable

Staff

Everyone was super helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mata Rocks Resort

San Pedro

Great views

Authenticity & Character

Location

Beachfront

Staff

Super helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Lodge at Jaguar Reef

Hopkins

Absolutely gorgeous!

Authenticity & Character

Decor was lovely

Location

Staff

Very attentive

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spotless

Activity Reviews

Hol Chan/Shark Ray Alley - from Caye Caulker

Belize

Very nice. Also included Manitee and coral reef.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very knowledgeable

Transport

Blue Hole Snorkeling Day Tour

Belize

This was canceled twice due to weather. Sounded great though. Only rated it to continue this survey.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Caye Caulker Manatee Experience from Ramon's Village

San Pedro

It was a repeat itinerary of what I already did so I canceled it. Don’t think I was reimbursed for that one but unsure.

Garifuna Cultural Immersion and Culinary Tour

Hopkins Village

I just helped cook a dish which was good and fun but that was it. Only lasted about an hour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cockscomb Wildlife Sanctuary

Hopkins Village

Really nice but just a quick trip. Only 3 hours. Not what I expected.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We spent two wonderful weeks in San Pedro, San Ignacio and Guatemala with one other couple. Our vacation was arranged by Eduardo. Eduardo took care of everything for us. During our vacation he kept in touch with me to make sure all was going well. He genuinely wanted to make sure we had a good trip. One thing I greatly appreciated was that for most of our tours Eduardo planned them for just the four of us. We were very lucky to NOT be part of the big groups. Being this was our first time to Belize we were really unsure of where to go and what to expect. Our transportation was all pre-arranged which took a ton of stress off of me. Our first driver, (Cameron) was waiting for us at the airport and took us to the water taxi to get us to San Pedro. He was full of conversation and pointed so many things out on our way. He was wonderful. We started our vacation in Belize on San Pedro. We stayed at Tres Cocos Resort. This is a very clean resort. The staff, be it office or grounds, they were all so nice and went out of their way to help us. We went night snorkeling and also did a whole day snorkel with Inland and Sea Adventure (Eric and Maya). We had a really good time going to Hol Chan, Shark Ray Alley, and Caye Caulker for lunch. We were able to see manta rays, sea turtles, mannatees, and lots of different fish. The water was a little rough which made for the water being murky and having to deal with alot of human "trash". The tour company was wonderful. They made sure that we all had a really good time and of course safety was number one. The main transportation to get around San Pedro is a golf cart. Do know that the roads are full of pot holes and very rough. We ate at a couple different restaurants that in my opinion are worth mentioning: 1. for dinner Caramba 2. for breakfast Tres Cocos Waffles and Smokehouse. One thing to be prepared for while on the island: Things are very expensive. For example a pound of butter was $21.95 BZE. After spending 5 days on San Pedro we headed inland. Our next destination was San Ignacio. On our way there we again had Cameron as our driver. We learned so much from him. We made a stop to do a river tubing tour. Our guide for this tour was Victor. He was always talking and sharing his knowledge. I do wish that he had slowed down a little as my husband and I were a tad slower on the walk to the river and we missed out on most of his conversation. We also felt that we were rushed during the tubing part of the tour. Not sure we would do this again, but perhaps the kayaking instead. While in San Ignacio we stayed at the "Falling Leaves Lodge". I can't say enough good about this lodge. I absolutely loved it. ALL of the staff were so friendly and helpful. We ate breakfast there every morning, delish... One of the chefs is Mo. He personally came out of the kitchen at every meal to make sure that we had enjoyed everything. Paula (the manager) is the most wonderful person. She went out of her way to make our stay memorable. She really should be proud of her staff. The grounds are well kept and it is a very beautiful layout. The pool was not finished when we were there (December 2023), but it was being worked on between rainy days. We definitely will be staying with them on our next trip. On a side note there is a ruins that is just a walk from Falling Leaves Lodge: Cahal Pech. This is a self guided tour, but definitely worth it. A most interesting tour was the Cacao Farm and Chocolate making. If you want to know where chocolate really comes from and not a "Willy Wonka tour" this tour is for you. Adrian took us to the small farm where the cacao trees grow and then his family demonstrated how the Mayans make chocolate back in town at their shop. One tour that you do not want to miss is the ATM cave tour! There are many different comments on this tour about it being hard, and what you can bring with on the tour. I am 58 years old, not in the best shape: I did it!! You do have to cross 3 "river spots", but there is a big ol' rope to hang on to. There is a bit of swimming, but most of it is "walking" through the water. There is climbing on and through rocks (water shoes are a must). There is one spot where you have to climb up rocks, but there are so many helping hands in the groups to help, everyone makes it up and also down. Our driver, Hugh, stayed with the van and had a most delicious lunch waiting for us. Now as to what you can bring on this tour: Nothing, no wet bag, water, camera or anything. The guide carries it all in their bag. The one thing that you will need is an old pair of socks that you can throw away. You can bring a change of clothes as you will get wet. But that is left in the van. After you get to the top of the one climbing spot you may NOT wear shoes, that is where the socks come into play. Our guide here was Gonzo. Talk about a great guide, he is the best! Our next couple days were spent in Guatemala, heading to Tikal Lodge. Our driver to the border was again Hugh. As always he is so pleasant and full of knowledge as he is a retired tour guide. He made sure we got into Guatemala without trouble and found our connecting ride and guide. At the border on both sides there are many currency exchangers waiting to make sure you have Guatemalen money. Do make sure you get small bills not just large ones as the small shops aren't always able to make change. On our way to Tikal Lodge we stopped for lunch. Please know that Spanish is the main language in Guatemala so ordering lunch was a bit of a challenge since we don't speak Spanish. After lunch we headed to Yaxha Maya Ruins. This is an out of the way ruins. But boy is it worth seeing. Our guide, Oliver, was hoping that we would be able to see the sunset here, but due to the incoming rain, we missed out on that. This is one place that we got to see the howler monkeys and various birds. One suggestion I have is to leave earlier than 10 a.m. from San Ignacio if you are heading to Guatemala to do this tour. The travel time is a bit long due to ALL the "potholes" and rough road. We stayed at Jungle Lodge Tikal while in Guatemala. This was a clean lodge But... be prepared for no hot water, they shut the lights and electricity off at 11 p.m. (as they are basically off grid) in the rooms, the only internet is at the lodge not in your room, the restaurant is fair (it seemed that they were out of things on the menu and usually things we wanted to order) and again they only speak Spanish which makes things difficult. The staff wasn't overly friendly either. We were scheduled to have a free day in Flores on our own. Had it not been for our guide, Oliver, offering his services for the day it would not have been such a fun day. Again, we don't speak Spanish and it would have been a struggle without him. His helpfulness with the language barrier was most appreciated. He also took us places that we never would have known about, such as a wood carving school where the students are able to sell their projects and get the money, the animal sanctuary (Arca's) and another off the beaten path ruins. Our main reason for going to Guatemala was the sunrise tour at Tikal National Park. The nice thing about staying at Jungle Lodge Tikal is for the sunrise tour you're right there to start the walk to the temple. So with that in mind we would over look some of the down sides and stay here again so that we are right there for the sunrise tour. One thing to bring is a flashlight or even better a head lamp so your hands are free. One thing we wished is that we had allowed a couple days for Tikal, as our guide told us that about 2-3 days is what you need to see it all. We really didn't get to see much of Tikal because we didn't realize it was such a huge ruins. After getting back to Belize the next day we did a horse riding tour of Xunantunich Maya Ruins. This was alot of fun with our guides, Elio and Miguel. You get to see a bit of different scenery off the beaten path . One thing to remember this is a half day tour so there is no lunch provided. We ended our vacation with a Cooking Class in San Ignacio at Marie Sharp's Tourist Center. This was a blast! We were taken to the market by William (our instructor). He shared alot of information about San Ignacio while at the market. We all pitched in and helped prepare our lunch which was very tasty chicken, rice, bread pudding and other tasty things. This was a hands on cooking class. One thing to remember about Belize and Guatemala even though you go during the "dry season" this does not mean it won't rain. We found this out on many days. Our vacation was incredible! Alot of the credit goes to Eduardo for planning things out so well. We can't wait to start planning our next visit to Belize and Guatemala.

December 23 All-day island trip
It rained most of the day and it was windy and basically unpleasant.
The trip should have been canceled but the guide did not explain that
we could have postponed the trip until there was a sunny day
The boat trip was about 90 minutes each way and the sea was quite wavy.
There was little sun so the snorkeling was not good.
We did not dress very well for the weather and so we were cold a good part of the day.
The guide did provide us with some interesting facts about the Maya civilization and
he and his wife cooked a chicken lunch on an open fire which provided some heat to warm
us a little,
One reason we decided to vacation in Belize was because we had read that the snorkeling was excellent. However, rainy days are not good for snorkeling,

December 26 we were scheduled to visit the Mayan ruins.
Our guide was 90 minutes late to pick us up and then turned us over to a friend of his who guided us for the day. We first visited a family that harvested and made chocolate.
They talked for an hour about chocolate which was some what interesting and then they
prepared a lunch for us .
We then went to the Mayan ruins which were interesting and we enjoyed walking through the area. However, as our original guide was not with us and our substitute guide had no money we had to pay for all of us to tour the Mayan ruins.
We made a quick stop at the spice farm for cold drinks.

We cancelled the trip to the Zip Line a couple days in advance and I would appreciate a full
refund of $3,500 charged for that day. Also we cancelled in advance the driver who was scheduled to drive us back to Belize City. I trust you will reimburse me for the charge for
that trip. The drive to Placencia with 10 people and the driver and luggage was not very interesting so we all decided to fly back to Belize City

The accommodations at Los Porticos were comfortable.

Hotel Review

Los Porticos Villas

Placencia

Our group consisted of ten people - 7 adults and 3 children We rented two condos. Each had two bedrooms plus pull out couches in the living rooms. We were located on the ocean and there was a swimming pool. We rented a golf cart for the week as it was about a 10 minute ride into the town of Placencia. One condo also provided 2 bikes. We were also able to hire 2 chefs who cooked breakfast for us every morning which was very nice.

Authenticity & Character

It was on the beach and near other hotels where kayaks could be rented

Location

Near the town of Placencia which has several restaurants

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Local Area Boat Tour with Optional Activities

Placencia

Take this trip on a sunny day and the experience should be worth while It rained and was windy with out sun the day we took the trip

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Free day in Placencia

Placencia

Nim Li Punit Mayan Ruins & Spice Farm Tour

Placencia

Our guide provided good information about the Mayan ruins at Nim Li Punit. Walking through the area with the guide made the experience more interesting. We stopped at the Spice Farm only briefly.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Angel Falls Zipline Day Trip

Placencia

Not for people over 50 years old

Belize and Guatemala were new to me and we had one specific week in mind, at fairly short notice. Kimkim found us an amazing local agent, Eduardo, who suggested an itinerary including hotels, activities and transfers, and it was anbsolutely fantastic. The added challenge came when AA cancelled our flight and we had to find another way to make it all work - which Eduardo did with considerable creativity.

Our tour included an amazing jungle hotel, Tikal, Xunantunich on horseback, San Ignacio, cave tubing and Caye Caulker. All in 6 days. I wish we could have stayed longer but sadly we couldn’t.

.would very highly recommend Guatemala, Belize, Eduardo and Kimkim.

Hotel Reviews

Jungle Lodge Tikal

Peten

This is an authentic jungle experience. It’s just amazing. Basic but comfortable rooms, an excellent bar and restaurant, and wildlife all round. A really special place.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bear in mind that this is a jungle venue so it isnt going to be the Ritz, but for where it is, it is amazing

The Log Cab Inn Resort

San Ignacio

A very comfortable stay in a family room. The swimming pool makes it work. Handy for San Ignacio which is a shot can ride away. Very friendly and helpful staff

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Isla Resort

Cayo District, Belize

Disappointed that the restaurant was shut when we were there so there was no opportunity to sit on the hotel’s beach space and order a rum punch. But the rooms were fine.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean but several bits of minor maintenance needed: loose tiles, door not closing easily.

Activity Reviews

Explore Tikal National Park

San Ignacio

Amazing event with a great local guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Horse Riding Tour of the Xunantunich Maya Ruins

San Ignacio

Brilliant experience. Wonderful horses even for an old fatty like me!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cave tubing tour

Belize

Just completely awesome. Not remotely scary. Majestic is the word I’d use.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to Belize was wonderful. Catherina listened to what we wanted and we had a wonderful time. We stayed in two smaller resorts and the people were incredible and so friendly. We were in the mountains for the first part of the trip and then on the beach, to relax and do some snorkeling. We went to some Mayan ruins and hiked thru the jungle. We saw some incredible birds and fish. We swam with Eagle Rays and sea turtles, so very exciting. All of our guides and the staff at both resorts were fantastic. We had a really great time!

Hotel Reviews

Blancaneaux Lodge

This is a more rustic retreat. The rooms are not air conditioned, but they do have very good fans. When we went it was quite humid and hot, but we didn’t mind it too much. We were out doing things during the day and it cooled down a little at night. It was a beautiful setting and we really enjoyed our stay at Blancaneaux Lodge. The staff are so very nice and do everything they can to make your stay wonderful. This is a much smaller retreat which is what we really enjoy. They have their own farm with fresh eggs and produce. The food was very good. There were a number of families here and we really enjoyed connecting with the other guests as well. It was such a lovely place.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

This is a lodge, so it is a little more rustic - if you are looking for luxury you might be a little disappointed. It was clean and the bed was comfortable. We really enjoyed it.

Hamanasi Adventure & Dive Resort

Dangriga

This is a smaller resort, which we really prefer. It is right on the ocean and we had a lovely "tree house” room. It was air conditioned and a very nice room. The staff were amazing and so accommodating. All our guides were great and we got to see a ton of birds and had some incredible snorkeling adventures. We swam with Eagle Rays and Sea Turtles and lots of beautiful fish. It was so much fun. We had all our meals included in our package. They serve very large portions - they don’t want anyone to go hungry. Fortunately, you can order 1/2 portions. We had an amazing time here and would love to come back some day.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Barrier Reef Snorkeling

Belize

You really must at least go snorkeling here. The reef is teaming with ocean life and it was so beautiful. Our guides were really great and knowledgeable. We had such a great time snorkeling.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Enjoy Barton Creek

Belize

This was a surprisingly wonderful experience. Our guide was terrific and he canoed us a long way into the cave with all this history. He was very knowledgeable and we were very lucky to be the only ones there at this time. We were told that rarely happens. I don’t know that it would have been very enjoyable if it was crowded - part of what made it so nice was that we were alone and could take our time looking at the artifacts and learn about what was found inside this cave. We really enjoyed this adventure.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Discover Xunantunich

Belize

If you haven’t and even if you have visited a Mayan ruin before this is a must. Our guide was great and very knowledgeable and we climbed all the way to the top. It was worth the climb for the view. It’s really interesting learning about the Mayan culture and seeing the temples and ruins.

Our trip to Belize was incredible. This was our first time in Belize and Catherina and her team did a great job of matching our travel style and preferences to the two resorts we stayed at, Blancaneaux and Hamanasi. It was a great mix of inland and reef adventures and the service was fantastic. All of our guides and drivers were exceptional.

Belize trip 2023

Our guide, Rene’, was very nice, helpful, & knowledgeable. I believe Francis was our guide for ATM cave. He was the same in every way as Rene’. I didn’t care for the ATM cave but my youngest son really enjoyed it. While I wouldn’t have chosen either place we stayed I was pleasantly surprised by both. Table rock was beautiful & the staff & food were amazing. Only thing I would add would be ac. Brisa Oceana was also great & in the perfect place that gave us access to everything the area had to offer

We had a wonderful time. Rubin was a knowledge, kind, well spoken, service oriented guide. We learned and were so enhanced and blessed by the Mayan teaching, history and culture. The lodge was fantastic. Monkeys, sounds of the jungle and the accommodations we loved! Food was good. Also hit some local spots that Rubin recommended. This made our time even better.. Drivers were also excellent! Lenten and Fernando made the travel easy.

Lots of walking in the forest and up and down stairs. All worth it, but you will be tired after 6 hours. Or, you can opt out.
Rubin kept us going but also realizes that some cannot keep this pace.

Servers at the lodge were trying hard, but many don't speak English. Just be prepared if you don't speak Spanish. One lovely server who could speak some English stepped into translate often.

We will definitely use kimkim again. Could not have done it without them. Guidance was priceless and made for no stress at all.

I have nothing but great things to say about Guatemala! Eduardo made the itinerary to fit my needs and interests, and even adjusted it as needed! Luis, my tour guide all week, made my experience one to remember as a solo traveler. He was passionate about his home but also so open to welcoming me to it. I didn’t have nearly enough time to see as much of this beautiful place as I wanted, but I definitely believe Lake Atitlan is a MUST SEE in Guatemala. I hope to be back to see the northern regions!

Service provided by local specialist: Outstanding!
I wanted to give my husband a surprise vacation to Belize, a gift for his 36 year retirement celebration (we've never been) I chose KimKim as a starting point and was assigned to Columbus Guatemala Travel. I worked with Catharina, she helped me plan a 10 day trip. I expressed to her that I wanted to spend half of our time doing land excursions and the other half doing water activities. I also was very certain on what type of accommodations I wanted , as well as preferring private tours over group tours. Long story short- our trip was amazing! We spent 5 days in the Cayo district at a mountain jungle ridge resort- then transferred 3 hours away to the peninsula coast and spent the remainder of our time. Renee our personal tour guide in the Cayo district was awesome, he was very thoughtful and really tried to tailor the experience to what was important to us. We had different guides at the coast and all were very friendly and professional. While abroad we had 24 hour access to Catharina and her team- and when an urgent situation arose in the middle of our trip I reached out to her and within a few hours the situation was resolved and we were able to continue with our vacation.

Hotel Reviews

Blancaneaux Lodge

Amazing, I highly recommend the Honeymoon Hut with plunge pool over looking the forest mountain ridge (Hut 12) No Television, No Air Conditioner- I never missed either! We really connected with the vibe, so relaxed, so tropical, so unique, so beautiful!

Authenticity & Character

Loved the cultural influence in all the decor

Location

Felt like I stepped into a tropical daydream

Staff

Staff provided excellent service with a smile- everyone made a point to know/remember our names and what we liked (food, beverage,snacks and services)

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean!

The Placencia Muy'Ono Resort

Let me first say....I chose this resort, I stayed here 1 night- the next morning being very distraught ...spoke to Catharina about the condition of this place- she jumped into action! she immediately , set up our transfer driver, and booked us into the Turtle Inn Lodge ( another Francis Ford Coppola Resort) where we finished out the rest of our amazing Belize adventure! The Placencia Muy'O Resort is NOT as advertised- Not a 4 or 5 star resort- Think more along the lines of a timeshare resort with deferred maintenance throughout the resort and including the room I booked . I chose Placencia Muy'Ono Resort based on the advertised pictures (chose ocean view king size bed rm 221) -Upon arrival we noticed the beach was beautiful and the pool seemed really nice. However our room wasn't ready for us so we hung out a little and walked around. We began to notice all the missing tile around the pool sitting area, cracked /broken tiles along pathways and stairs- broken or missing ground lights (and the kicker) we went to see the organic garden , that was actually a weed patch. -Room: worn old furniture, stained light shades, water damage stain on up-wall near ceiling, stains running under a/c, hole in balcony ceiling , open electrical with missing light fixture outside bedroom door, dirty coffee cups for use in cabinets, bathtub with mold, the list goes on and on (we took pics of everything) -On-site Restaurant : Food was awful and overpriced, my husband sent his pork chop dinner special back and ordered a burger - I simply could not eat my fish dinner plate. Staff: some were really friendly others were not. Management : assistant manger took our call, listen to complaint (my husband did not sleep at all on the worn spring mattress- I woke up with a headache) she looked at the pictures we took of everything that was broken/dirty etc...and she apologized, said she was working on our request for the one night stay refund. We were told K.Williams was the manager and was the person to approve the refund. However K. Williams was never available when we called .....and still has not responded to our complaint or request for refund of our one night stay ( we were stuck for the night ) -We asked 3 people that worked there if this resort was a timeshare, they said yes- assistant manager said no -Length of stay: we were booked for 5 nights, we stayed 1 night -The Casino is closed down (local tour guide said an incident happened) ...Maybe at one time this resort may have been really nice, I can't speak to that- but based of my experience, I would say vacationer beware !

Staff

Service was not of a 4 or 5 star resort....Poor management

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean the rooms, update the furniture , complete routine maintenance ....so rooms will match advertised pictures

Activity Reviews

LEISURE DAY

Belize

We spent our leisure day exploring the surroundings and relaxing at the resort, which set the tone for our entire trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Xunantunich

Belize

We had a great time visiting the Xunantunich Mayan ruins, even though not everyone would want to walk up 120 steps in humidity our local guide, Rene, made the experience memorable and informative as he was of Mayan descent.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Caracol And Rio Frio Cave & Pools

Belize

Our visit to Caracol and Rio Frio Cave & Pools was enjoyable, thanks to our guide, Rene, who understood our interests and made the experience more engaging. If we went back we would definitely want to explore more of the caves. His wife even prepared a delicious, traditional lunch for us, which added to the authenticity of our experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Barrier Reef Snorkeling

Belize

We had a good time snorkeling at the Barrier Reef, but we were in a group, which impacted the experience. In the future, we would prefer a private snorkeling experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jaguar Preserve

Belize

The Jaguar Preserve was educational and a great experience for those interested in the preservation of jaguars. Even though we didn't see a jaguar, we enjoyed the hike.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Eduardo was helpful before, during and after the trip. He tailored the initial proposal to suit our budget and preferences and we ended up choosing all his suggestions. Could not have been more perfect. When the weather was interfering with some of the scheduled excursions, Eduardo stayed on top of it to make sure we end up doing what we wanted.

I would like to give my highest recommendation to both Guatemala as a country and to KimKim/Old Town Outfitters. My wife and I have travelled quite a bit and this was one of our favorite destinations that we have been to. From the inception of our idea to travel to Guatemala, Eduardo was incredibly responsive, receptive and flexible in creating an itinerary that matched our desired level of adventure and relaxation. In traveling to Guatemala we missed our connecting flight which altered our arrival time significantly. After contacting Eduardo he sorted everything out and changed our itinerary to accommodate this unforeseen issue.

While in Guatemala, our guide Oseas, was also incredible. His local knowledge, flexibility and overall joy and passion for showing visitors his country enhanced our experience in a wonderful way. He was easy going but also a go getter with no hesitation in driving many long hours often starting early in the morning. We truly feel that Oseas has become a friend and would love to show him around our neck of the woods.

As far as highlights of the trip go, it is hard to nail down just one. That being said, we absolutely loved our time in the Lanquin/Semuc Champey region. The 7 hour drive from Guatemala City is absolutely worth it for those who are seeking a little adventure. Lake Atitlan surpassed its extensive reputation and Antigua was truly a city that we feel we could live in long term.

I speak Spanish which was helpful but absolutely not necessary as both our guide and everyone we interacted with from Old Town was fluent in English. The people of Guatemala are welcoming and friendly, rarely did I feel out of place or unwelcome. As a seasoned traveler, both Guatemala and Old Town Outfitters/KimKim come with my highest recommendation. Please consider a trip here and with them if you are looking for a Central American destination with all the natural and cultural beauty you can imagine.