Jason Kearney

This was an excellent and amazing vacation!

Hard to single out one place. I learned a lot about a part of the world that I never really thought about. It was exciting to be in Buenos Aires when they won the soccer championship. We were there at the right time to share their joy. All places we visited were beautiful. The guides were excellent. I can only say that it opened up a whole world I was ignorant of. We have been to Europe several times. This trip gave me a new understanding of... read more

This was an excellent and amazing vacation!

Hard to single out one place. I learned a lot about a part of the world that I never really thought about. It was exciting to be in Buenos Aires when they won the soccer championship. We were there at the right time to share their joy. All places we visited were beautiful. The guides were excellent. I can only say that it opened up a whole world I was ignorant of. We have been to Europe several times. This trip gave me a new understanding of the world.

Thank you Jason for planning such a wonderful trip for Jim and me. All your arrangements worked out perfectly, from pick up at the airport in Santiago to our departure on the last day from Puerto Natales. Felipe, our guide in Santiago, was amazing. He had such a thorough grasp of Santiago’s history, the people and the politics. We learned so much from him as we toured the city. Lunch at Boscanariz was a delicious surprise and gave us an education in Chilean wines. The Atacama Desert was... read more

Thank you Jason for planning such a wonderful trip for Jim and me. All your arrangements worked out perfectly, from pick up at the airport in Santiago to our departure on the last day from Puerto Natales. Felipe, our guide in Santiago, was amazing. He had such a thorough grasp of Santiago’s history, the people and the politics. We learned so much from him as we toured the city. Lunch at Boscanariz was a delicious surprise and gave us an education in Chilean wines. The Atacama Desert was another highlight of our trip. The salt dunes, geysers and lunar vistas were amazing. All of our guides were so knowledgeable and engaging. We liked staying close to town at Noi Casa Atacama and being able to walk into town whenever we wanted. The staff at the hotel was great and the pool and spa were perfect for relaxing after long touring days. And of course staying at Explora Patagonia in Torres del Plaines with its incredible views and vistas was thrilling. The hikes, guides, food, spa, and staff, all surpassed our expectations. We were so impressed with the passion, enthusiasm and love the staff have for Patagonia and Chile. By the end of our trip, we shared that love.

Our trip was fantastic. Every tour guide we had was great. From Evelyn in Santiago who took us around downtown and gave us great insights about Santiago and Valparaiso.
To our guides in Atacama (Pablo, etc).
The hotel cumbres was great!. People were super helpful.
To our tour guides in Patagonia Camp. This hotel was great!!!! What an experience. I would go back in a heart beat. Barbara, Marcelo and Pauline were great!!!. A wealth of knowledge and extremely accommodating. This place is... read more

Our trip was fantastic. Every tour guide we had was great. From Evelyn in Santiago who took us around downtown and gave us great insights about Santiago and Valparaiso.
To our guides in Atacama (Pablo, etc).
The hotel cumbres was great!. People were super helpful.
To our tour guides in Patagonia Camp. This hotel was great!!!! What an experience. I would go back in a heart beat. Barbara, Marcelo and Pauline were great!!!. A wealth of knowledge and extremely accommodating. This place is amazing and the excursions were great.
I have nothing but praises for the whole trip.
Honestly… every hotel and excursion.. fantastic!.
I would book future trips with Kim Kim. This was my first experience with them and would definitely repeat.

We had the most incredible experience from start to finish. Jason was helpful, responsive and planned the most amazing trip! I will never go on a trip again without using kimkim. We felt like VIPs!

Trip planning...

Jason, our travel agent, was very helpful and attentive. He was very receptive to feedback and promptly incorporated my input into a revised travel plan. Jason was very easy to work with, and I would highly recommend his services to anyone looking to travel in Latin America. I think the only way for the trip planning to be easier is if Jason could read my mind, because it was sometimes difficult to describe the types of adventures that would interest me and my family. ... read more

Trip planning...

Jason, our travel agent, was very helpful and attentive. He was very receptive to feedback and promptly incorporated my input into a revised travel plan. Jason was very easy to work with, and I would highly recommend his services to anyone looking to travel in Latin America. I think the only way for the trip planning to be easier is if Jason could read my mind, because it was sometimes difficult to describe the types of adventures that would interest me and my family. I look forward to planning my next vacation with him.

Vacation summary...

Santiago
- Tour guide Felipe – Very nice, personable, helpful, and knowledgeable tour guide. Provided great insight during the tours and provided great suggestions for activities outside of our planned tours.
- Tour description/review: It was a holiday weekend when we visited Santiago, which our tour guide said was why many locals left the city. We may not have gotten the real feel of Santiago; however, less people likely simplified our tour of the major tourist attractions and important monuments throughout the city. We saw many, if not all the important monuments and learned a fair amount about the city during our tour.
The day trip to Valparaiso and Vina del Mar was amazing! The mural-like graffiti of Valparaiso was one of the most memorable things from our trip. Even our little kids were interested some of the graffiti and architecture of Valparaiso. In addition to the fascinating tour, Felipe took us to get some of the best empanadas we have ever tasted. Even though the water was too cold for us to get into, the view of the beach at Vina del Mar was beautiful. Santiago and the nearby areas were an excellent start to your vacation!

Puerto Natales
- Tour guide Jonathan – Our tours in Puerto Natales were guided by another great tour guide. Jonathan was very knowledgeable about the area, nice and personable, and very patient and good with our kids.
- Tour description/review: The next phase of our trip was even better than the initial. Our hotel room offered a view of the water and the mountain range, and the tours were just as amazing as Santiago. The tours of Milodon Cave and Grey Lake were even more exciting for the kids than the beach and graffiti of the Santiago area. The tours of the Milodon Cave and Torres Del Paine National Park were very interesting. The pinnacle of the vacation occurred on Grey Lake with an up-close view of Glacier Grey. The entire family was awestruck by the size and beauty of the giant glacier. While leaving the national park, we saw several guanacos in the hills on the side of the road. The kids were entertained by the guanaco calls to one another that sounded like they were laughing. The guanacos will likely be a vivid memory of the vacation for the kids, also.

Puerto Varas
- Tour guide Carlos was the best tour guide during our vacation, and all our guides up to this point were very good.
- Tour description/review: Another good view from our hotel room and good tours. The tours were good, but they followed the glacier tour, so they were unjustly penalized. Whatever the tours lacked in comparison to the glaciers, Carlos, our tour guide, did an excellent job of compensating. The final phase of our vacation included more interesting things for the entire family. The tours included a ski lift to nearly the top of a snowcapped volcano, amazing views of Todos Los Santos Lake and Petrohue, and a ferry ride to Chiloe Island to take a boat around Ancud Island to see penguins, sea lions, and birds. Seeing the glaciers was the climax of the vacation; however, the tours of Puerto Varas were the perfect falling action in the wonderful story of our Chile vacation.

We have numerous pictures of amazing sights that will remind us of our wonderful vacation!

Hotel Reviews

Pullman Santiago El Bosque (Ex Atton)

Las Condes, Santiago

The hotel staff was very friendly and helpful. The hotel is located in a very good location that allows for a short walk to restaurants and the huge mall.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

NOI Indigo Patagonia

Puerto Natales

The view from our hotel room was amazing. The staff was friendly and helpful. The restaurant staff went out of their way to accommodate us when we arrived just before breakfast was finishing. The hotel is located in walking distance to the major attractions of the city.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Cumbres Puerto Varas

Puerto Varas

The hotel room was nice with a very good view. The hotel staff was very helpful. The restaurant was okay; however, the menu was limited. The hotel is located in walking distance to the town center, which offers various restaurants, a casino, and other attractions.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Torres del Paine National Park & Grey Glacier

Puerto Natales

The views of the glacier were amazing, and the knowledgeable and friendly tour guide was an added bonus. It would have been helpful to prompted to bring snacks for such a long tour. Also, for such a long tour, it would be better to have a more substantial lunch included/offered.

Quality of Experience

Food

It would be good to have options available for the box lunch or the option to eat at the hotel restaurant prior to boarding the boat.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Viña del Mar & Valparaíso

Chile

The tour guide was awesome and the murals/graffiti throughout Valparaiso are unforgettable!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a wonderful trip - every detail was considered! It was so nice and relaxing for our first trip to South America to know that all the lodging, travel and transfers were scheduled and taken care of.

Our hotel in Palermo, Be Jardin Escondido by Coppola, was one of the favorite places we have ever stayed. The space and our room with the balcony overlooking the garden was so charming and cozy, but the true highlight were the staff - who were all so so so helpful and accomodating. I... read more

We had a wonderful trip - every detail was considered! It was so nice and relaxing for our first trip to South America to know that all the lodging, travel and transfers were scheduled and taken care of.

Our hotel in Palermo, Be Jardin Escondido by Coppola, was one of the favorite places we have ever stayed. The space and our room with the balcony overlooking the garden was so charming and cozy, but the true highlight were the staff - who were all so so so helpful and accomodating. I couldn't speak highly enough about the staff at Be Jardin. Also the included breakfast was so delicious and generous every time - which we mostly enjoyed from the balcony in our room.

All of our hotels were unique and comfortable. The Lares De Chacras was an absolutely beautiful hotel and property. Our room was large, comfortable and the balcony was so nice. While it wasn't quite warm enough for us to use the pool, the pool and hot tub areas were really beautiful and the patio inviting.

All of our scheduled excursions were as promised or better. The gaucho experience at Estancia El Ombú exceeded our expectations. Our host for the day was so knowledgeable about the history of the region and helped take care of every detail and introduce us to local shop so we could really feel immersed. The group at the ranch was small enough to feel intimate and like were taking part in a family dinner. (and the food was some of our favorite on the trip!)

Other highlights included the speakeasy bar tour - we never could have figured out how to get into such cool cocktail bars on our own! Also the dinner and tango show and Rojo Tango was magical and both of our bike excursions (around Buenos Aires and through Mendoza vineyards) were so much fun and a great way to feel a part of the land and the city.

Thank you for helping us discover Argentina and have a wonderful holiday. We can't wait to go back!

Hotel Review

Be Jardin Escondido by Coppola

Buenos Aires

This was one of the favorite hotels we have ever stayed at. It is absolutely charming and cozy - you really feel like you're visiting someone's gorgeous home in Palermo with your own private garden. The staff were some of the friendliest, most helpful and accommodating hosts we've ever had. Everyone spoke great English and were always willing to help us find great local spots, answer questions or just make us a needed afternoon cappuccino. I cannot say enough wonderful things about the staff. The breakfast was always delicious and generous, it was always such a wonderful way to start our day. I appreciated the flexibility of time and ability to dine in our room - it felt so luxurious! I would highly recommend this hotel to anyone and would love to stay here again. Thank you for an amazing stay.

Authenticity & Character

This hotel had so much character - it felt like you were staying in the luxury garden oasis of the Coppola family. Dreamy.

Location

Easy walking to all of the trendy shops and restaurants in Palermo. Great location.

Staff

Probably the friendliest and most helpful staff I have ever experienced at a hotel!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Speakeasy Cocktail Adventure in Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires

This was so much fun to have our own private guide and driver to get us access to some of the coolest and most exclusive speakeasys in Buenos Aires. We never would have been able to figure out how to access these spots without our guide, and learning about the cocktail history in the city was super fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Loved having a private driver - I felt like a star!

Gaucho Full Day Tour at El Ombú de Areco Ranch

Buenos Aires

This trip exceeded my expectations. I expected it to be a large group and feel very "touristy", but it turned out to be a very intimate group for the tour of the town and we got behind the scenes access to local artisans and shops while learning about the region's history. The ranch was also a small enough group that you felt like you were celebrating with friends and family. The horses, food, music and dance were all very magical.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our host in the town and the ranch was lovely. She was so knowledgeable and passionate about the area's history and made our day truly special.

Transport

Bike & Wines Lujan de Cuyo Mendoza

Mendoza

The bike paths around Mendoza are so easy to navigate and give you a unique perspective of the region. What a lovely way to spend the day. Also, the final stop for food and drinks felt very special - like were visiting someone's home.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tango Show & Dinner (Tango Rojo) + Private Transfers

Buenos Aires

This was so cool. What a beautiful venue and talented artists. Being able to enjoy a meal and Malbec and have everything you need while enjoying the show was a very special experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our driver was so kind and excited that we were going to have this experience. Although it was so close we definitely could have walked from our hotel. :)

Urban Bike Tour Buenos Aires, Heart of the City - South Circuit

Buenos Aires

Our day of riding around Buenos Aires with Jackson was one of the highlights of our trip. We learned so much about the city and it's history while taking in beautiful parks and streets. The bike lanes were plentiful and we always felt safe and comfortable on our ride. We enjoyed Mate by a lake and fresh empanadas for lunch. It was a really magical way to see more of the city than you could easily cover on foot.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a great two-week trip around Argentina. The trip includes a good balance of history, culture, scenery, and cuisine in each of the locations we visited. The hotels that we stayed in are either in really good locations or every interesting settings.

The tours themselves were excellent overall and had plenty of photo opportunities, activities, and food. The horseback riding in Mendoza and Iguazú Falls are notable highlights! We didn't visit the salt flats during the rainy season, so... read more

We had a great two-week trip around Argentina. The trip includes a good balance of history, culture, scenery, and cuisine in each of the locations we visited. The hotels that we stayed in are either in really good locations or every interesting settings.

The tours themselves were excellent overall and had plenty of photo opportunities, activities, and food. The horseback riding in Mendoza and Iguazú Falls are notable highlights! We didn't visit the salt flats during the rainy season, so the five hour drive to there from Salta made it underwhelming. Unfortunately, we didn't find many other activities to do during our stays in Salta and Iguazú.

We had four main tour guides throughout this trip: Maria Laura (BA), Gabi (Mendoza), Andres (Salta), and Marcos (Iguazú). Each of them was able to offer interesting insights and commentary on each location. They were very friendly and easy to talk to. We noticed Andres wasn't as talkative as the other guides, but that might be because he was the only guide who also had to drive at the same time.

Overall, we enjoyed the trip and would love to visit again!

the local guides were wonderful!!!! read more

the local guides were wonderful!!!!

Hotel Reviews

Anavilhanas Jungle Lodge

Manaus

very unique setting and experience. A must stay place if in the amazon

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Belmond Hotel das Cataratas

Foz do Iguaçu

The style was not our favorite so almost didn’t select this location. Extremely glad Jason highly encouraged it! The location was incredible and private time without the crowds at the falls was well worth it! Food and service were fantastic.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Janeiro Hotel

Rio de Janeiro

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Walking Tour & Secrets of Old Rio

Rio de Janeiro

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Yacht Tour of Cotunduba Island

Rio de Janeiro

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Corcovado & Sugar Loaf with BBQ Lunch

Rio de Janeiro

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Helicopter Overflight Iguazu Falls Brazil

Brazil

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Tour Brazilian Iguazu Falls

Foz do Iguaçu

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Argentine Iguazu Falls from Foz do Iguacu

Foz do Iguaçu

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Great Adventure (Argentinian Falls Tour Supplement)

Foz do Iguaçu

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Final Day Amazon. Flight to Foz do Iguaçu via Rio and Transfers

Brazil

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The trip was truly exceptional. The Amazon is a great adventure for anyone traveling with teenage boys. Our guide Robert was patient and able to help us spot monkeys, sloths, spiders, birds and caimans. The next stop was visiting the Sacred Valley. Our guide Dennis gave us a great foundation in Incan history prior to us heading to Machu Picchu. He made looking at the tiered potato fields interesting by talking about the debunked theories around their existence - such as meteorites and... read more

The trip was truly exceptional. The Amazon is a great adventure for anyone traveling with teenage boys. Our guide Robert was patient and able to help us spot monkeys, sloths, spiders, birds and caimans. The next stop was visiting the Sacred Valley. Our guide Dennis gave us a great foundation in Incan history prior to us heading to Machu Picchu. He made looking at the tiered potato fields interesting by talking about the debunked theories around their existence - such as meteorites and UFOs. We of course went to Machu Picchu with Marcellino - the most patient, fun and informative guide on the planet. And we finished with Arturo and Dennis in Cusco. The chocolate making class is so fun. But ultimately the time I was able to spend connecting with my son was the most valuable part of the trip.