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Leslie Pérez

I am proudly Mexican and a travel passionate. I have had the opportunity to visit 25 different countries and during the past 4 years I have focused on exploring and sharing about the hidden treasures in my country, Mexico! I love sharing about its iconic destinations, cultural heritage, natural treasures and welcoming people, and will be more than happy to share my experiences and knowledge to help you design the most authentic and transformative trip.

Leslie is part of the following groups: Mexico Travel Agents
Enjoy a luxury trip to the Riviera Maya
Luxury Family Trip to Mexico's Riviera Maya - 7 Days

Make the most of a week in Mexico by basing yourself in one beautiful place and eliminating the need to rush between different destinations. On this weeklong, family-friendly tour, you'll settle into a luxury villa on the Riviera Maya, an ideal location to relax, explore, and enjoy outdoor adventures. Outdoor adventures such as boat tours, snorkeling, caving, and trips to cenotes can be modified to suit the needs of your kids, making this a vacation that everyone will love.

Explore ancient ruins in Tulum with the kids
Family Adventure on Mexico's Costa Maya - 14 Days

Mexico's Costa Maya region is an ideal destination for families, whether your kids are tiny, nearly grown, or somewhere in between. The combination of beautiful beaches, outdoor attractions, plentiful wildlife, delicious food, and fascinating culture will appeal to kids and adults alike. This two-week itinerary provides ample opportunities to relax and rejuvenate as well as get active and make the most of the destination—as you snorkel, kayak, cycle, and swim together along the spectacular Caribbean coast.

Sea turtle hatchlings ready for release
Culture, Cuisine & Conservation in Oaxaca & Huatulco - 10 Days

Practice a more sustainable style of travel on this 10-day exploration of southern Mexico. Start in Oaxaca to tour the city's food markets, sit down with local artisans and cooks, and visit rural villages supported by ecotourism. Cross the Sierra Madre del Sur to hike among cloud forests and spend a night in a secluded mountain cabin, then finish on the wild Pacific beaches of Huatulco—exploring one of Mexico's newest national parks, helping with sea turtle conservation, and snorkeling among pristine ocean reefs.

Maya ruins near Tulum
Explore the Real Riviera Maya – 8 Days

Discover authentic Mexican life on this sustainable tour of the Riviera Maya. Take a road trip from Valladolid to Tulum, stopping at sparkling forest cenotes, biosphere reserves, and ancient Maya ruins like the UNESCO-listed Chichén Itzá. Along the way, you'll meet corn farmers, rap groups, and the founder of a wildlife conservation project. Soak up some Mexican culture with a traditional steam bath and mariachi evening, then finish up on the white-sand beaches of Playa del Carmen.

A secluded beach at Puerto Escondido
Immersive Mexico: Culture, Cuisine & Community - 18 Days

Experience 18 days of cultural tours and outdoor adventures that help support local communities and conservation, focusing on heritage and food as you enjoy culinary tours of Mexico City, Oaxaca, and Chiapas while visiting historical sites and meeting locals. You'll also embark on cycling tours, try surfing, take boat trips, and visit ancient Maya archaeological sites like Palenque.

Street in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
North & Central Mexico: Chihuahua to Mexico City - 13 Days

Discover northern and central Mexico on this 13-day itinerary that centers around food and off-the-beaten-track locations. Enjoy Chihuahua's unique culture and cuisine, then visit beautiful stone valleys and canyons in lesser-known Creel. Head down to Mexico City for pyramids, gastronomic tours, and afternoons spent on traditional boats. The trip ends in San Miguel de Allende, considered the most stunning "pueblo" in Mexico.

Recent trip reviews for Leslie

Mexico Road Trip
Mexico | Dec 21 - Jan 5, 2023

J
Joe K.
Sunnyvale, CA | Reviewed on Jan 07, 2023

This was a great trip filled with very positive and unforgettable experiences. Everything worked out as planned. The itinerary we had was excellent and the gastronomic, geographic, archaeological, and artisanal tours were excellent. The hotels were great with a couple of exceptions. They were all centrally located and we could easily move about on our own and explore the places not included in the formal itinerary. All the guides were knowledgeable and spoke english as promised. The drivers... read more

This was a great trip filled with very positive and unforgettable experiences. Everything worked out as planned. The itinerary we had was excellent and the gastronomic, geographic, archaeological, and artisanal tours were excellent. The hotels were great with a couple of exceptions. They were all centrally located and we could easily move about on our own and explore the places not included in the formal itinerary. All the guides were knowledgeable and spoke english as promised. The drivers that took us on our city tours and long distances from city to city were friendly and drove with great care. All the guides and drivers were very punctual and we could complete all the activities in the time that was planned.

Ximena out travel coordinator was outstanding! She checked in with us every day to ask how the day went and also to inform us about the next day's plan. The couple of times we had an issue with hotels, she was very quick to get them resolved.

Hotel Reviews
Histórico Central Mexico City
Mexico City

Very centrally located with extremely friendly and helpful staff. The breakfast that was included had a lot of choices, and the free food all day long was amazing.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Casona de los Sapos Hotel Boutique
Puebla

Very centrally located. The staff were very accommodating even though it was Christmas eve.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Boutique Casa Garay
Oaxaca

The hotel is very centrally located and that was the only positive aspect about it. The room was windowless and had very poor ventilation. Unfortunately, to improve ventilation we could not leave the door ajar since it opened directly into the dining area. The room was not serviced well and one morning the water ran out in the bathroom and it took a lot of time to restore. The air conditioning unit was very noisy, but we had no choice to use it since the room had no air circulation. The hotel was understaffed and the couple of employee there were doing multiple tasks and as a result everything took time. We had breakfast at the hotel the first morning, but it was such a bad experience that we decided to eat elsewhere the next day. We were also very frustrated with the wifi which was very very slow and at times we could not even connect to it.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Please refer to my detailed review.
Hotel Parador Margarita
San Cristobal de las Casas

Nice hotel. very centrally located. Large rooms. The only issue was that the rooms did not have any heating, but fortunately we could get spot heaters from the hotel. The breakfast was wonderful and the staff were very friendly and helpful.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
The heating could be improved.
Piedra de Agua Hotel Boutique Palenque
Palenque

It is a nice hotel, but it is far from the town center. Also, there are no shops anywhere within walking distance. Continental breakfast was served at the hotel, but besides that the hotel did not have a restaurant and since we did not have a car, the only option was a restaurant that was 75 meters away. We had to eat all our meals at that single restaurant, The room was a bit small and it was strange that the light for the bathroom also switched on a light that was in the bedroom. That did not work out well at night when my wife or I had to use the toilet.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Please see my detailed review.
Hotel Plaza Campeche
Campeche

Nice hotel, very centrally located.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Nice large room and everything worked.
Hacienda Mérida
Mérida

This is nice hotel, but we had a bad experience. We were assigned a room with clearly had an issue with the plumbing. The water pressure was extremely low and therefore we informed the front desk who sent someone to attend to it. After sometime they reported they had fixed the problem, but the situation was still the same. It is hard to accept that the hotel was not aware that this room had a plumbing issue, but still decided to assign the room to a guest.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
I have mentioned about the issue with the plumbing in my review.
Activity Reviews
History, Culture & Gastronomy in Mexico City
Mexico City

This is a good introduction to Mexico City's historic center and street food. The tour is a bit early in the day to truly enjoy the street food especially after a hearty breakfast.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Knowledgeable, friendly and could speak English.
Transport
This was a walking tour and so there was no transport.
Floating Gardens & Canals of Xochimilco
Mexico City

This is a very unique tour. We enjoyed the serene and quite environment and the demonstration of how farming is carried out on the small islands on the canals.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Explore Coyoacán
Mexico City

Very nice neighborhood of Mexico City with its colonial ear houses, markets, and food courts. The zocalo and church are very picturesque.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Explore the Pyramids of Teotihuacan
Mexico

Must visit archeological site.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Free Afternoon in Puebla
Mexico

Very charming city with a nice zocalo and cathedral.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Tastes of Oaxaca Gastronomy Tour
Oaxaca

This is a fun tour, but to do justice you have to start on an empty stomach since there are many stops for food.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Archeology and handicrafts in Monte Alban, Arrazola, Cuilapam and Coyotepec
Oaxaca

All wonderful sites and places on this very enjoyable tour.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Excursion to the Sumidero Canyon & Chiapa de Corzo
Mexico

The Sumidero Canyon is amazing!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Cultural Immersion in Zinacantan
San Cristobal de las Casas

This was a very very unique tour. The visit to Chamula and especially to the church there was a truly one-of-a-kind experience. The visit to Zinacantan was also special, with an exposure to the milpa form of farming and being invited to the house of a local artisan to see how they create their wears and to share a meal with them.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
The beautiful waterfalls of Misol-ha & Agua Azul - Night in Palenque.
Mexico

Agua Azul is beautiful, but Misol-ha is special.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Discover the Palenque Archeological Site
Palenque

A must visit archeological site of the Mayas.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Explore the Archaeological Site of Uxmal
Mexico

A must see archaeological site of the Mayas. It is laid out much better than Palanque, the first Mayan archaeological site we visited.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Jícara Engraving Workshop & lunch in a Mayan Community
Mexico

A very unique experience. We loved the hands-on workshop on how to polish and engrave a jicara shell.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Visit Chichén Itzá, Wonder of the Maya World
Mexico

Unfortunately, we could not visit Chichen Itza since the site was closed due to local protests. However we did visit Izamal which was nice.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Leslie Pérez

Perfect first trip to explore Mexico!
Mexico | Dec 23 - Jan 2, 2023

Annette
Annette G.
Port Chester, NY | Reviewed on Jan 04, 2023

Our Christmas Mexico trip was perfectly planned - everything ran smoothly, our guides were extremely knowledgable , flexible and friendly, and the suggested tours and experiences were fun and all worth our time and money! The best guides were our 'Mexico a pied' guide Emilio in Mexico City who showed us the culture and history and food culture in a tour around the historical district, Alex from etnotouristica for our Oaxaca tour of Monte Alban and the crafts people, and the guides from... read more

Our Christmas Mexico trip was perfectly planned - everything ran smoothly, our guides were extremely knowledgable , flexible and friendly, and the suggested tours and experiences were fun and all worth our time and money! The best guides were our 'Mexico a pied' guide Emilio in Mexico City who showed us the culture and history and food culture in a tour around the historical district, Alex from etnotouristica for our Oaxaca tour of Monte Alban and the crafts people, and the guides from Huatulco Salvaje who guided us through the National Park's ecosystems and to the magic waterfalls. We are grateful to them for sharing so much of their beautiful country with us!

Hotel Reviews
Zócalo Central
Mexico City
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Boutique Casa Garay
Oaxaca

Images on web are not what the hotel looks like. Rooms are a dark, all face in towards an atrium / common spaces + staircase so you hear when everyone comes home at night. Roof terrace and balcony are not in use. Breakfast is not served until 8:30, which is a problem if you are leaving for tours in the morning. It is generally clean but looks very 'lived-in' and is in need of some upgrading. Def. not a "5 star boutique hotel" and not what could be expected at the price. During our stay there were plumbing problems (black water, water turned off at night on one of our rooms), which eventually got fixed but no extra water, refunds, move to other rooms were offered. Would def. not recommend

Authenticity & Character
Location
right in the middle of center, close walk to cathedral and other attractions
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Las Brisas Huatulco
Santa Maria Huatulco

Great place for beach fun! 3 beaches (1 with water sports) and 5(?) separate 'pueblos' break up the large complex. Recommend to stay in "Mar" section - it has a separate lounge ("Beach Club") for Continental breakfast and happy hour from 5-7. Great service, friendly and helpful. Food is soso (especially the lunch buffet), but La Crocecita with fun (La Crema Bar + Pizzeria) and other good food options and the amazing 'Ocean' restaurant in the Cosmo condo complex next door are only a short taxi ride away. "El MExicano" is the nicest restaurant on site, located on one of the beaches. Be prepared for a lot of walking in the complex - it has beautiful walks along the beaches to get from one end to the other (or hilly walks and steps, depending on where you live), but shuttles can also take you around. Great entertainment with DJ's, bands, cultural groups, evening shows., and kids' crafts. On site store with everything you could need for the beach and your OTC medicine cabinet. Tour into the National Park and surrounding beaches with Huatulco Salvaje!

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
History, Culture & Gastronomy in Mexico City
Mexico City

Emilio from 'Mexico a pieds' was amazing. He knew everything....

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Archeology and handicrafts in Monte Alban, Arrazola, Cuilapam and Coyotepec
Oaxaca

Alex from etnotouristica was an amazing guide!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Gastronomic Indigenous Roots
Oaxaca

THE BEST MEXICAN FOOD on our entire trip was in Oaxaca!

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Explore Wild Huatulco
Mexico

Fascinating tour through the National Park. Our guide knew all fauna and flora and their medical uses. Great snorkeling, too!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Magical Waterfalls Adventure
Mexico

The waterfalls were fun - our guide Raoul was always the first one int he water, unter the falls, climbing through the crevices!

Quality of Experience
Food
Expect local dishes.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Explore the Pyramids of Teotihuacan
Mexico

Interesting. We had an average guide.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Leslie Pérez

Overall good tour but with lots of snags
Mexico | Dec 24 - Jan 2, 2023

SARA
SARA R.
Gaithersburg, MD | Reviewed on Jan 03, 2023

The kimkim team (Leslie and Ximena) were very helpful in:
1) Planning my trip, giving me options, suggestions, etc. The trip was well planned (for the exceptions see below).
2) Helping me with any and all issues during my trip. Ximena was very responsive to all my messages and very nice.
3) My tours of Puebla and Oaxaca were very good.

Suggestions for the future:

1) Please book hotels that have a return policy, even if it costs a bit more. Something always comes up, hotel fees need to be... read more

The kimkim team (Leslie and Ximena) were very helpful in:
1) Planning my trip, giving me options, suggestions, etc. The trip was well planned (for the exceptions see below).
2) Helping me with any and all issues during my trip. Ximena was very responsive to all my messages and very nice.
3) My tours of Puebla and Oaxaca were very good.

Suggestions for the future:

1) Please book hotels that have a return policy, even if it costs a bit more. Something always comes up, hotel fees need to be returnable up to 24 hrs before the stay, this is international practice.

2) If a tourist needs to spend a night near the airport, the hotel needs to be near the airport and not in the Historical Center. I feel silly even writing this. I mean, hello? All the traffic and 250 pesos to get to the airport in the morning, for what?

3) That my original flight was cancelled due to the cold weather is nobody's fault. But in the end I was in the MC for the two full extra days. And the team that was SO helpful in planning everything before I bought the tour kind of left me hanging. I went on internet and booked my own tours, one tasting tour in Polanco and one private guide tour through the Historical Center. The hotel staff recommended museums and how to get there. It probably cost me more, I am sure you have your contacts and your discounts. I could not even get into Palacio Nacional because there were no tickets. I was expecting, for this price, that the team would come through and help me plan those two unexpected days with the same care they helped plan the original tour BEFORE I paid. But I guess when you don't have anything else to sell, it's not that important. It left a bit of a bitter taste in my mouth.

4) Xochimilco is a tourist trap. That was a unanimous opinion of all 18 people in our group. There are no flowers - they say they don't buy them anymore due to the inflation. There were a million of garishly painted cheap wooden boats in dirty water. No flowing at all because there were centimeters between these boats and they kept hitting each other. No views except the aforementioned garish boats and huge crowds. Mariachi that wanted $10 (that's $220 pesos) for ONE song. Noisy sellers of junk and drinks coming over all the time. Nothing to see, really. Maybe it was nice 30years ago but now during the holiday season? Plain awful.

That whole tour was not very successful. The guide gave a saliva-spitting raging rant about the conquista (get over it, it's been 500 years; a guy from Chicago next to me commented, "what sore losers") and kept bragging about his sexual conquests while in college. Coyocan was nice but we spent less than an hour there. Xochimilco, as I said, was awful, long waits, huge crowds... I could have spent my day better.
A good tour would be to visit Coyocan, visit the Frida Kalo museum, visit the Trotsky museum, etc.

Final note: they came at 9:07 am, not sure why I was told to be ready at 8:30 am sharp. I have no problem waiting but I need to be told that there is a time range. I worried they forgot about me.

5) The tasting tour in Oaxaca is a LOT of food. Please tell your guests not to eat anything before. I was told to have a light breakfast and in the end completely missed the last two tastings because I physically could not fit anything else in me. It's a feedback for them, not for kimkim, but it needs to be related to them. Each stop is a lot of food. They need to plan it better. They are very nice people and I really enjoyed working with them, don't get me wrong. But one can only eat so many big pieces of dough stuffed with meat/veggies.
For example, the tasting tour in Polanco in MC had seven stops but was PERFECT in terms of the quantity of food: a small cup of tortilla soup here, a (very) small tortilla with some topping there, etc. In Oaxaca they want to feed you all the good stuff that there is to eat in Oaxaca, in regular portions. It's like eating six lunches in a row. I was almost sick after it.

Again, thank you for all your help. Please take my suggestions with a good heart - I am simply trying to make it better for the next tourist. Mexico is a beautiful country with a lot to see. I will be back.

Hotel Reviews
Hotel Punto Mx
Mexico City

This is a VERY nice, borderline luxurious hotel. Fantastic breakfast with a million choices that lasts till noon. Great rooms, great stuff.

Authenticity & Character
It's not authentic or anything. Just a nice hotel that could be anywhere in the world. This is not criticism.
Location
It's right in the historical center, 5 min walk to Zocalo. Taxis there cost a lot though.
Staff
Very helpful, lovely people.
Cleanliness & Comfort
That part was perfect.
Casa Pepe Puebla
Puebla

A nice hotel in the center of Puebla. Clean rooms, helpful staff. The breakfast options are limited. They charged me 25 pesos to add a slice of tomato and a couple of mushrooms to my omelet in the morning (I am serious).

Authenticity & Character
Location
The location is perfect.
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Boutique Casa Garay
Oaxaca

The location is great, right in the center. The staff is very nice. The rooms are clean. It is probably the most authentic of all the hotels I visited. But it's in the old building, so the bathrooms are old. My biggest issue was the shower. You know how you turn on the water and then wait till it heats? Well, there was no way to wait OUTSIDE. You have to be in the shower to turn on the water. And it's cold for a while, plus adjusting the temperature and figuring out takes time. I kept squeezing against the wall, but still got a bit of a cold shower.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
See above about the shower. Generally the bathrooms are outdated, the drain in the sink does not work well. The room is clean though.
Histórico Central Mexico City
Mexico City

That place was almost too high-end for my tastes. I did not really need it. This is not the hotel's fault of course - I highly recommend it to those who like top-notch hotels and are willing to pay for it. If you need to just stay overnight, you can go with a cheaper and simpler option. This is a fancy-shmancy option.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Local specialist: Leslie Pérez

Wow, what great service!!!! This was the firs...
Mexico | Dec 27 - Dec 30, 2022

Michelle
Michelle D.
Dallas, TX | Reviewed on Jan 03, 2023

Wow, what great service!!!! This was the first time I've worked with a travel agency and they made our last minute mother daughter trip an absolute breeze! It was so nice having someone on-call to answer any questions I might have while traveling out of the country. We truly had a seamless experience and I'm SOOO HAPPY I used them. Highly recommend! read more

Wow, what great service!!!! This was the first time I've worked with a travel agency and they made our last minute mother daughter trip an absolute breeze! It was so nice having someone on-call to answer any questions I might have while traveling out of the country. We truly had a seamless experience and I'm SOOO HAPPY I used them. Highly recommend!

Activity Review
Río Secreto: The Mayan Underworld
Mexico

The highlight of our trip!!! It was so cool being underground and swimming! The caves were absolutely beautiful and I felt completely safe the entire time.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Leslie Pérez

Great quick trip
Mexico | Nov 10 - Nov 13, 2022

Alexandra
Alexandra S.
Atlanta, GA | Reviewed on Nov 27, 2022

Our team was great in setting up a quick getaway to Mexico City packed with fun, cultural adventures. Would absolutely recommend for anyone wanting to get a good taste of the city. read more

Our team was great in setting up a quick getaway to Mexico City packed with fun, cultural adventures. Would absolutely recommend for anyone wanting to get a good taste of the city.

Activity Review
History, Culture & Gastronomy in Mexico City
Mexico City

Lots of great insight! Fun and good food. Loved the tacos. Would, if anything, mix in some other non-tacos (churros perhaps?). Very fun and informative, though!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Local specialist: Leslie Pérez

A wonderful Mayan journey
Mexico | Nov 11 - Nov 19, 2022

Vicki
Vicki D.
Quincy, IL | Reviewed on Nov 20, 2022

Our Mayan trip was wonderful. Our guide, Joyce Guia was so knowledgeable and accommodated our need to move a little slower and take breaks. He could also answer our questions about the current culture, flora and fauna. Seeing Palenque and The famous Bonampak murals were a highlight as well as the Olmec sculptures in Villahermosa. read more

Our Mayan trip was wonderful. Our guide, Joyce Guia was so knowledgeable and accommodated our need to move a little slower and take breaks. He could also answer our questions about the current culture, flora and fauna. Seeing Palenque and The famous Bonampak murals were a highlight as well as the Olmec sculptures in Villahermosa.

Hotel Review
Hotel La Aldea del Halach Huinic
Palenque

The plants were beautiful on the grounds, the restaurant had good food, the pool was lovely and we tried a massage at the spa.

Authenticity & Character
The local food
Location
The tropical plants
Staff
Very friendly
Cleanliness & Comfort
The rooms were clean and pretty
Activity Reviews
Visit to Carlos Pellicer Cámara
Villahermosa

Amazing artifacts that should not be missed if you are interested in archeology.

Quality of Experience
Accommodated our needs
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Joyce Guia was fabulous
Transport
Ancient Mayan Cities of Yaxchilan & Bonampak
Mexico

While it is an effort to get to these sites, it is worth it. The murals at Bonampak are amazing and should not be missed.

Local specialist: Leslie Pérez

This special trip otherwise known as My Dias ...
Mexico | Oct 28 - Nov 6, 2022

Deborah
Deborah W.
Columbine, CO | Reviewed on Nov 09, 2022

This special trip otherwise known as My Dias de los Muertos Birthday Celebration was beyond amazing & was magnificent!! Leslie was kind, helpful, patience & extremely creative with her planning & designing our 10 day adventure! We also were so very impressed with the constant communication from our "Guardian Angel" Ximena Villavicencio. She gave us the comfort of always being there with confirmation info, questions or problems we had. It was like having insurance our entire journey as... read more

This special trip otherwise known as My Dias de los Muertos Birthday Celebration was beyond amazing & was magnificent!! Leslie was kind, helpful, patience & extremely creative with her planning & designing our 10 day adventure! We also were so very impressed with the constant communication from our "Guardian Angel" Ximena Villavicencio. She gave us the comfort of always being there with confirmation info, questions or problems we had. It was like having insurance our entire journey as she was an excellent communicator & problem solver. This is what makes Kim Kim so special and personalized, Leslie's planning & Organizing and Ximena's follow through & communication. As for the entire trip itself, it was a a dream come true. Starting with The Hotel Morales in Guadalajara was perfect in terms of location, onsite restaurant and amenties was perfect. Our driver Ceaser was a sweet heart, kind, gentle & always on time or even a tad early. We knew we could depend on him. Our tour guide Josue was wonderful, helpful & very knowledgeable. Our trip to Oaxaca was a dream come true and our hotel at Hotel La Parra was amazing. The pool & bar side service were wonderful. Our trip to Mezcal country was a special experience. We also were blown away with the rooftop access and terrace at our second hotel in Oaxaca. Our last night was in the cute Mexico City neighborhood of Coyoacan and we loved our quaint b&b at Casa Jacinta, but the showstopper & grand finale Gastronmic workshop & coffee tasting was beyond any experience we could have imagined. It was the best way to end a dream vacation and left us full with happiness!

Activity Reviews
Tequila Distilleries Tour
Guadalajara

Loved our guide & driver and the town of Tequila. I do think there was a little miscalculation of time and we didn't get to go to Jose Cuervo as we had been told. But what I appreciated about the guide was he wanted to make us happy and found a way to get us a tour at Sauza. That really was impressive to see how much they wanted us to have a good experience. The lunch was a little long in time but was a great choice for food & atmosphere. We really enjoyed the day.

Quality of Experience
timing of sightseeing
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Kind & Helpful
Transport
On time and enjoyed their company. It was great as we got familiar w/ them having them on other tours
Tlaquepaque: "The Magic of Cacao"
Mexico

A mouth watering sensory journey for your pleasure! This was an amazing tasting & educational experience. I learned so much and felt this was a special session that I would highly recommend to anyone.

Quality of Experience
The food, samples, drinks, atmosphere were top notch
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Educational & helpful
Transport
On time and helped with carrying my purchases!
The artisan route of Tlaquepaque
Mexico

This was a magical & visual experience I will never forget. Seeing all the town decorated for Dias de Los Muertos and the vendors and Catrinas was eye candy and made me so happy. I felt like this was my DisneyWorld experience. Loved seeing the town, alters, vendors and more. A special town with a special celebration.

Quality of Experience
Getting my face painted, watching the Brides Parade
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Helpful and knowledgeable
Transport
knew the short cuts to avoid traffic
Visit the great Zapotec city of Monte Albán
Oaxaca

A great place to visit to get the history of the area. It was a hot day and very busy so we cut the trip a little bit shorter. We appreciated the guide letting us cut the trip shorter as the information was alot to absorb.

Quality of Experience
Give options of 2 or more hours
Guides, Drivers and Staff
not sure
Transport
Historical Tour of Oaxaca City
Oaxaca

I did not personally do this tour as I wanted to see the Dias De los Muertos parade (we were not told about this by Leslie) but by our hotel and this was a priority. My roomate enjoyed the thour and thought it was great. She left it an hour early to go with me to the BIG parade!

Quality of Experience
seeing the town
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Mezcal Tour
Oaxaca

A wonderful day with lots of stops to see many things that make Mezcal country special. Loved the variety of places we visited and the two different type Mezcal Distilleries. They really were informative and the Mezcal was yummy. Our private dinner at a families house was very special and the food was very good.

Quality of Experience
The whole day
Food
Homemade food was wonderful
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Anna was a beautiful lady with a kind heart & very knowledgeable. She just needed to speak a bit louder
Transport
Wasn't so comfortable in the van. The driver never attemtped to talk to us. He wasn't mean just no connection w/ us
Biking tour and street art
Oaxaca

My Birthday Day was kicked off with this amazing Bike Street Art Tour and it did not disappoint! The guide Shai was amazing, kind and spirtual. She made the trip 5 star. Her kindness & help was beyond. Somehow we had no confirmation number and they initially were not going to let us on the trip. I was so upset, but she was kind, patient and spoke to Kim Kim so they could provide an email confirmation. Luckily it worked out. The tour itself was perfect. Plenty of stops to see art, hear explanation and a few stops to galleries as well. A perfect size group too and the best way to cover a lot of ground in the busy city roads of Oaxaca.

Quality of Experience
All
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Shai was the best tour guide ever
Transport
Bikes were comfy and great to have mountain bikes on the cobblestone roads
Gastronomic Workshop in Coyoacán
Mexico City

This experience was truly one of the highlights of the week and a perfect ending to a perfect vacation! The education & guidance for our cooking experience was superb. We learned techniques on how to chop veggies, prepare food and tricks w/ garlic. The menu that was provided was so much and a great way to learn about Mexican culture and dining. The food was delicious and our Host Chef was excellent. He truly made us feel comfortable and he was very entertaining & engaging. This experience was exciting, enjoyable and full of passion.

Quality of Experience
The Chef, his direction, menu and the whole experience!
Food
The Guacamole, Mezcal, Coffee Drinks, Rice, and putting it all together
Local specialist: Leslie Pérez

Guadalajara and Oaxaca, Mexico. My friend, D...
Mexico | Oct 28 - Nov 6, 2022

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Carol G.
Avon, CO | Reviewed on Nov 08, 2022

Guadalajara and Oaxaca, Mexico. My friend, Deb Weed, organized the trip and worked extensively with Leslie on planning and Ximena on the details. So I was along for the ride. From my prespective, the trip was fabulous. Our guide (Josue) & driver (Caesar) in Guadalajara were friendly, prompt, sincere and flexible. We felt like they were our friends when we left. Day trip to Tequila was memorable. In Oaxaca, our guide for our art bike tour (Shai from Coyote Aventuras) and Ximena helped... read more

Guadalajara and Oaxaca, Mexico. My friend, Deb Weed, organized the trip and worked extensively with Leslie on planning and Ximena on the details. So I was along for the ride. From my prespective, the trip was fabulous. Our guide (Josue) & driver (Caesar) in Guadalajara were friendly, prompt, sincere and flexible. We felt like they were our friends when we left. Day trip to Tequila was memorable. In Oaxaca, our guide for our art bike tour (Shai from Coyote Aventuras) and Ximena helped us through a miscommunication issue which was resolved satisfactorily. Ximena was available every step of the way to help. She was awesome. Last night was in Mexico City before our departure, we did a cooking class with Luis Alfonzo, chef of Barra de Cafe de Malinche which was over the top. I will definitely recommend KimKim to my friends.

Hotel Reviews
Hotel Morales Historical & Colonial Downtown Core
Mexicaltzingo, Guadalajara, Jal.

We loved this hotel with its rich history. Beautiful courtyards and centrally located. The restaurant was an added plus since some nights we were too tired to venture out. Staff was very accommodating.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel De La Parra
Oaxaca

This smaller hotel was perfect for us. The location was perfect and within walking distance for all of the Day of the Dead feastivies and sightseeing. The staff was very helpful. Loved the pool area and the ability to get a cocktail in the afternoon. Breakfast was delightful.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Suites de la Parra
Oaxaca

Only stayed one night, but loved the penthouse suite. Large suite with outdoor patio and 360 degree views. Lots of stairs to the penthouse.

Casa Jacinta Guest House
Del Carmen, Coyoacán, Ciudad de México

Only one night here but wish it were more. Property was cute and quaint in a good neighborhood.

Activity Reviews
Tlaquepaque: "The Magic of Cacao"
Mexico

Christina Taylor was amazing with this private experience. You could tell she was passionate about her work and shared that passion with us. Loved the pairing portion of the tasting.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Josue (guide) and Casear (driver) were professional, knowledgeable and very friendly.
Gastronomic Workshop in Coyoacán
Mexico City

Loved this private experience! Luis, our chef, was amazing, friendly and professional. The food we prepared was delicious and we learned that everything is used in one form or another. Highly recommend this experience.

Local specialist: Leslie Pérez

We really appreciated Leslie’s Mazunte recommendation...
Mexico | Oct 21 - Oct 29, 2022

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John K.
Santa Barbara, CA | Reviewed on Oct 31, 2022

We really appreciated Leslie’s recommendation to visit Mazunte. It was exactly the kind of quiet, private, low key beach getaway we were looking for. Casa Lu hotel was perfectly located, clean, relatively upscale for the area, friendly staff, bar/restaurant on the beach. Loved that the infinity pool was steps away from the sand so you could lounge in the fresh water while taking in the dramatic coastline. Outstanding dinners at Navigante in San Agustinillo and Alquamista in nearby Zipolite.... read more

We really appreciated Leslie’s recommendation to visit Mazunte. It was exactly the kind of quiet, private, low key beach getaway we were looking for. Casa Lu hotel was perfectly located, clean, relatively upscale for the area, friendly staff, bar/restaurant on the beach. Loved that the infinity pool was steps away from the sand so you could lounge in the fresh water while taking in the dramatic coastline. Outstanding dinners at Navigante in San Agustinillo and Alquamista in nearby Zipolite. Also enjoyed our 3 days in Oaxaca city. Excellent tour guide, Leonardo, took us on a private city tour, as well as visits to local archeological sites, a mescal production facility, the giant Tule tree and a small weaving village. A former teacher, he was incredibly knowledgeable and enthusiastic. the best! Food was ok, but didn’t live up to the foodie capital reputation we’d heard. Only downside was returning with dysentery as we were not particularly careful about ice in drinks, salads, etc. Otherwise, great trip and Kimkim was helpful, responsive and professional.

Hotel Reviews
Los Pilares
Oaxaca

Clean, good location, lush rooftop restaurant for breakfasts, walking distance from town. Pool was tiny, for dipping only. Rooms surround an open courtyard which amplifies sound. So between hotel guests, motorbikes and street partiers, it was quite noisy at times. But that’s pretty typical for the city.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Casa Lu Mazunte

Clean, private, well maintained, excellent location, only property in the area with the pool located right next to the beach so you could enjoy both at once. Beachside bar and restaurant was great for breakfasts, lunch and drinks. large rooms all have spectacular views, A/C and were cleaned and restocked daily. Though a bit pricey for the area, the location and comfort were worth it to us. We’ll definitely return.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Local specialist: Leslie Pérez

KimKim service was fantastic and will use again!
Mexico | Sep 22 - Sep 26, 2022

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Shawana G.
Cypress, TX | Reviewed on Sep 28, 2022

This was my first time using KimKim and was phenomenal in many ways. It was like having a personal guide with me and my group of 8 friends throughout my entire birthday celebration.

They set up a personal chef, photographer, five days of transportation and excursions.

The only thing that I am not totally favorable about is the lack of transparency in the pricing model. I had a friend to cancel and hike I understand the no refund policy after thirty days, we all know that all... read more

This was my first time using KimKim and was phenomenal in many ways. It was like having a personal guide with me and my group of 8 friends throughout my entire birthday celebration.

They set up a personal chef, photographer, five days of transportation and excursions.

The only thing that I am not totally favorable about is the lack of transparency in the pricing model. I had a friend to cancel and hike I understand the no refund policy after thirty days, we all know that all excursions can be cancelled and refunded up until
About 48 hours before the trip.

But, I will let that go because everything was planned out perfectly and took allllllllllll the stress away from me. Any issues that we had Ximena and Melina were only a WhatsApp chat away. I honestly rate these ladies 7 stars!!!!!!

Leslie did great on the planning but was often slower for someone who lacks patience (me), but once the trip was handed over the Ximena and Melina the responses were within seconds. This brought me so much comfort and my group was amazed at how responsive they were at all hours!!!

Activity Reviews
Mexican Dinner Party!
Nuevo Vallarta
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Sunset in a Sailing Boat
Mexico
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
City Tour and Tequila Tasting!
Mexico
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Leslie Pérez

An unforgettable Mexico vacation experience with Kimkim
Mexico | Aug 13 - Aug 21, 2022

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William W.
Los Angeles, CA | Reviewed on Aug 22, 2022

We had a fantastic experience with the Kimkim staff and the tour guides they connected us with.

Adrian our Mexico City food tour guide was amazingly knowledgeable and conscientious. The food in Mexico City is so delicious and we got to experience all sorts from markets to street vendors to high end pastries. Luis our guide in Tenochtitlán was friendly and easy going with all our questions and our kids. We learned so much about the history of Mexico and how it influences the culture of... read more

We had a fantastic experience with the Kimkim staff and the tour guides they connected us with.

Adrian our Mexico City food tour guide was amazingly knowledgeable and conscientious. The food in Mexico City is so delicious and we got to experience all sorts from markets to street vendors to high end pastries. Luis our guide in Tenochtitlán was friendly and easy going with all our questions and our kids. We learned so much about the history of Mexico and how it influences the culture of modern Mexico. Jorge set us up with some amazing food while on the trajiñeras and gave us the historical perspective of Coyoacán .

Willy in Puerto Escondido was a local who knew about everything in the area and was always on time, was great with kids and went out of his way to make the trip great.

I’m so glad we had Ximena on WhatsApp the whole time. It was so great to have her there to confirm tours and adjust schedules, and even in one case help us figure out what to do when one tour was no longer available due to weather.

Activity Reviews
Sweets & streets! Family-Friendly Historic Center Tour
Mexico City

Adrián was an amazing guide, a chef and pastry maker himself he was so knowledgeable about the world of food and about Mexico City’s gems. Great with kids and fun to spend the day with.

Walk through the mangrove and release the turtles - Walking Night Patrol
Mexico

We got to see a turtle lay eggs and release baby sea turtles! What a unique and wonderful experience. Willy was the ultimate driver and guide.

Local specialist: Leslie Pérez

Thank you Leslie and Ximena🙏🏻
Mexico | Jul 15 - Jul 22, 2022

Jessica
Jessica M.
Albuquerque, NM | Reviewed on Jul 23, 2022

Thank you Leslie and Ximena🙏🏻 Our Mexico City and Playa Del Carmen trip was so enjoyable and carefree thanks to all your planning for us. Every transfer, tour and reservation went according to plan and my daughter and I felt completely safe and taken care of💞 read more

Thank you Leslie and Ximena🙏🏻 Our Mexico City and Playa Del Carmen trip was so enjoyable and carefree thanks to all your planning for us. Every transfer, tour and reservation went according to plan and my daughter and I felt completely safe and taken care of💞

Hotel Reviews
Histórico Central Mexico City
Mexico City

The service at the Historic was fantastic. The desk was always so helpful with information, reservations and assisting with transport. The complimentary breakfast was delicious and tge 24-hour cafe was very convenient. The hotel was clean, lovely and centrally located. Our room was a bit small and had no view yet cozy. Thank you Historic Central!

Authenticity & Character
Beautiful hotel!
Location
Right in the middle of everything!
Staff
Very friendly and helpful!
Cleanliness & Comfort
Room was clean and cozy but a bit small.
Thompson Beach House Playa del Carmen
Playa del Carmen

This hotel was centrally located near center of town and the beach. Our room was just lovely with a fabulous view of the pool. Bring some white noise however since it does get loud at night from the pool and beach bars. The staff was beyond helpful. It was wonderful that we could use the rooftop pool at the sister hotel and we met so many wonderful people at the beach pool. My daughter and I really enjoyed our time at the Thompson Beach Hotel.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Center of everything
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Local specialist: Leslie Pérez

Oaxaca - city and beach magic
Mexico | Jul 8 - Jul 16, 2022

Lisa
Lisa H.
Houston, TX | Reviewed on Jul 20, 2022

This is the second time we used kimkim for our trip planning and this is the second wonderful experience that we had. The trip was wonderful, the guides and tours were great, and we had great peace of mind knowing that the details were taken care of. I find the planning process painless and flexible so we get the kind of trip that we want. Both Lelie and Melina were prompt in their communications. Although we didn't have any problems, I knew we were just one chat away from getting help which... read more

This is the second time we used kimkim for our trip planning and this is the second wonderful experience that we had. The trip was wonderful, the guides and tours were great, and we had great peace of mind knowing that the details were taken care of. I find the planning process painless and flexible so we get the kind of trip that we want. Both Lelie and Melina were prompt in their communications. Although we didn't have any problems, I knew we were just one chat away from getting help which is a nice feature in a foreign country.

I highly recommend the guides we had, Alex from Etnotouristica and Margot from Vamos o Que?. They really knew their stuff and we feel we got very unique tours tailored to our specific interests. And thanks to Alex, we got to see one of the pre-festival parades on our first day which was a real highlight for me.

Overall, I highly recommend kimkim and we will use them again.

Hotel Reviews
Hotel Boutique Parador San Miguel
Oaxaca

We loved this hotel. Fantastic location and adorable accommodations. Very friendly staff. We would definitely stay here again.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Santa Fe Hotel
Puerto Escondido

Great location but the hotel was showing some wear and tear. The food and staff were great. The hotel had very unreliable internet which became frustrating (we never got it in our room, we had better luck in the restaurant).

Authenticity & Character
Location
Across from the beach!
Staff
Very friendly and helpful.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Internet. Need to improve reliability of internet in the rooms. The room was looking a little worn out.
Activity Reviews
Artistic tour of Oaxaca
Oaxaca

Loved it, small group, great way to experience the block print art of Oaxaca and it was great to meet some artists. The chocolate tasting was a nice surprise and a great way to break up the walk.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
This is a walking tour. Be prepared to walk!
Gastronomic Indigenous Roots
Oaxaca

Amazing meal! Quite a treat, beautiful presentation and delicious food.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Local specialist: Leslie Pérez

Our 5 days tour package to the Mexico City wa...
Mexico | Nov 24 - Nov 28, 2021

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Prakash S.
Live Oak, TX | Reviewed on Dec 11, 2021

Our 5 days tour package to the Mexico City was put together by KimKim's team. Leslie from Rutopia, a travel specialist, helped put together this package. She was in close contact with me throughout this process until the package was finalized. We never had been to the Mexico City before, so wondering how the package would be prior to our travel.

We were picked up from the airport by a private driver to our hotel Sofitel located at Reforma, which is indeed a beautiful luxury hotel. Our tour... read more

Our 5 days tour package to the Mexico City was put together by KimKim's team. Leslie from Rutopia, a travel specialist, helped put together this package. She was in close contact with me throughout this process until the package was finalized. We never had been to the Mexico City before, so wondering how the package would be prior to our travel.

We were picked up from the airport by a private driver to our hotel Sofitel located at Reforma, which is indeed a beautiful luxury hotel. Our tour began from the 2nd day. We were picked up by our personal guide Pablo every morning at 9 am. Besides his amicable personality, Pablo speaks English very well, and is highly knowledgeable about culture, archeological and architecture Mexico throughout its rise and fall of history.

We returned back to US with full of memories to be cherished in our lives. We are very happy with Kimkim's service.

Local specialist: Leslie Pérez

It was OK
Mexico | Nov 9 - Nov 13, 2021

T
TAS K.
Canada | Reviewed on Nov 18, 2021

The trip overall was good but not the greatest. There were so many things we missed doing and other things that we struggled with. To start with, the hotels we were booked at were not what you would expect out of a vacation. Our first hotel had cold water and was smelly in an awful way. Our last hotel was good but the water was cold and salty. I ended up being itchy and my legs had a ton of rashes I am curing until now. Additionally, we were not told about the fees we need to pay to our... read more

The trip overall was good but not the greatest. There were so many things we missed doing and other things that we struggled with. To start with, the hotels we were booked at were not what you would expect out of a vacation. Our first hotel had cold water and was smelly in an awful way. Our last hotel was good but the water was cold and salty. I ended up being itchy and my legs had a ton of rashes I am curing until now. Additionally, we were not told about the fees we need to pay to our second hotel. We were not advised of the ATV tours, zip lines, horseback riding, Xcart or the major shopping centers in cancun which we had to extend our holidays for. We have asked for adventure but ended up in Tulum with nothing to do there. We were booked with a local tour guide in Coba who talked non stop about history in extremely hot weather instead of actually doing sth we enjoy. In our 2nd hotel, we missed out on having breakfast because the trip plan timings were incorrect.

On.our 5th day we were told by locals about all the things we are missing out on. which we had to extend our stay for an additional 2 days and pay extra money on activities we actually enjoy.

Off to the good, we loved the snorkeling activity in Puerto morales and the night life and beach walks in Playa de Carmen. They were amazing. The breakfast in the first and last hotel was amazing. We loved it. We loved the gesture in the last hotel when the company offered us a cake and flowers

Overall, we enjoyed it, but after being to and knowing Mexico, we deeply believe the plan could have been way better than this.

Local specialist: Leslie Pérez