Chimu Adventures Reviews 

150
TrustScore 3.5 out of 5

3.5

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Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Me and my friend book Antarctica cruise through them. We paid the most out of everyone on the cruise and our room was leaking water. Please don't go through them. Edit - contrary to what the compan... See more

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Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Stayed 3 nights at Ecocamp in Torres del Paine. Superb scenery. Great guides. Lots of Tasty VEGAN food. Unique accomodation. EXCELLENT! 10 day trip to ANTARCTICA on board the Ocean Endeavour. Amazing.... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Everything that Chimu arranged for us was perfectly organised. The multiple transfers in Lima, Cusco and Santiago were seamless with good drivers/guides in well maintained clean vans with plenty of s... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

This was an outstanding adventure.Gavin Breeze was very helpful in making it happen. My daughter and I stayed in Ushuaia 2 nights arranged by Gavin. Crossing the Drake Strait was challenging both ways... See more

Company details

  1. Tour Operator

Written by the company

Chimu Adventures is a leading specialist travel company to Antarctica, the Arctic and Latin America. Founded in 2004, this B Corp Certified global business is an expert in small-ship expedition cruising to Antarctica and the Arctic, offering immersive sailings where guests can maximise their time off the ship and on the ice. Chimu also offers a portfolio of Signature South and Central America itineraries, showcasing both major highlights and local gems to travellers. Catering to travellers of all ages, Chimu’s Destination Specialists helps guests find their ideal expedition cruise to Polar regions, and with over 20 years of experience, they are true Antarctic and Arctic experts. As Polar specialists, Chimu can plan not only your best Antarctic expedition cruise, but also any flights, insurance, transfers, and pre or post cruise travel. Chimu’s Signature South America itineraries are the ideal Antarctic complement and offer a blended mix of flexible and independent travel throughout South and Central America, highlighting both major highlights and lesser-known attractions. In the communities where Chimu operates, they partner with locals who have exceptional knowledge in their regions. Chimu has their own operations in Peru, Brazil, Chile and Argentina, and is also a member of the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO). Chimu has offices in both North America and Australia.


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3.5

Average

TrustScore 3.5 out of 5

150 reviews

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3.5

All reviews

(150)

2 reviews in the last 12 months

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Rated 3 out of 5 stars

I felt there was a lack of…

I felt there was a lack of communication and very vague information was shared with little clarity. I had to ask for clarification on multiple items multiple times. I felt there could have been better proactive messaging and detailed information shared. Especially around the website. We don't use it everyday like y'all do, so we don't know what prompts to use.
I was disappointed about the fuel surcharge-especially after being on a zoom call and the guys told us they do not anticipate a fuel surcharge, they could have been more transparent with us earlier about the possibility. That fuel surcharge was my on board spending money, so y'all lost that margin to fuel. I get it, tough times, but an earlier notice would have helped me save more money for the onboard spending.
We were also passed around to multiple people and a few times I didn't know who to communicate with. I understand staffing issues, but it was challenging a couple times.
Super frustrated and STRESSED out about having to get a doctors clearance note 2 weeks before departure. That was completely unnecessary and avoidable if the communication had been clear early on and I could have proactively gotten and submitted that notice...it was for seasickness, nothing major even. Everyone gets seasick, I was so frustrated and stressed because I couldn't find anyone to see me with that short of time.
However, everyone was professional and pleasant to work with, even when I was a difficult customer. I think the pricing (beside the fuel surchage) was fair and reasonable.
We had an EPIC and AMAZING time and the entire expedition was so incredible, I am very very grateful for this trip and thank you for making it possible for me to experience Antarctica!

21 November 2022
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Reply from Chimu Adventures

Thanks for the feedback and I'm sorry to hear that there were some frustrations. Like most travel companies, the reopening of international travel did provide us some resourcing issues as borders reopened. We're past that now and back to full staffing. Sorry to hear that you were disappointed about the notice period for the fuel surcharge. I will just note here that we were the first company in the industry to notify people, so we did do it well before any other operator.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Lima to Machu Picchu return plus Santiago

Everything that Chimu arranged for us was perfectly organised. The multiple transfers in Lima, Cusco and Santiago were seamless with good drivers/guides in well maintained clean vans with plenty of space. The arrangements made for our two day Inca trail hike to Machu Picchu ran like clockwork with an excellent guide also being with us the whole time. The hotels recommended to us and booked by Chimu were excellent. We would have no hesitation in using Chimu again and would highly recommend them.

17 October 2022
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Absolutely awesome company to travel with. With very professional friendly staff to deal with 5+ stars all the way

Well to start off when I rang your company I spoke to Craig he was awesome. So helpful informative and honest.
I told Craig what we liked to do, he put together an itinerary he thought we would like including accommodation airfares internationally and domestic. It was awesome we absolutely loved everything Craig had done for us.
Everything was perfect from flights transfers pick ups and drop offs.
Chimu I will always recommend you guys as your service was impeccable 5 star all the way.
Also Craig was absolutely amazing friendly and very professional 😀😀😀😀😀😊
Thankyou so so much from two absolutely happy travelers
Kind regards
Lee-Anne & Scott Thomson

25 December 2022
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Jason was very helpful

Jason was very helpful all through my booking process and always provided quick responses to my questions. Due to Covid, my booking had to be changed in 2020, again in 2021 and thankfully I finally got to the Arctic in Sept/Oct 2022. I had previously booked with Chimu/Jason to go to the Antarctic and had good service which was why I booked through Chimu again for my Arctic trip with Quark

12 September 2022
Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Antarctica a lifetime experience

It was a once in a lifetime trip and overall a wonderful experience. The scenery was beyoned expections. Our trip was too early for most wildlife which was disappointing, but enjoyed what we saw. The staff were helpful although there were a few times the boat drivers went too fast in the vodiacs for the conditions in Antarctica . Overall a fabulous trip.

16 November 2022
Rated 2 out of 5 stars

Travelled with Intrepid ship Endeavour…

Travelled with Intrepid ship Endeavour only their second trip to the Antartica. I found the staff 60% (women) not informative or forthcoming with knowledge which was a let down. I also found there wasn't much warmth towards me a hello, a good morning. Travelled home to Australia with 3 intrepid employees not a hello nothing. Unfortunately for me the ship turned back due to bad weather it left me gutted and cheated. I paid a lot of money to fulfill a dream only for it to be cut short. I felt l was unable to absorb the beauty of Antartica. I feel l never went, it's all so blurry. I did not read nor was l advised there was a possibility of the ship turning back. I paid extra for fuel surcharge. I believe l with my daughter was entitled to compesation. I was unable to claim on my insurance. I'd return there in a heart beat but i am unable to afford it. It is my understanding many passengers travelling were there due to cancelled trips over the last years, cancelled due to Covid. Interestingly l read how important it was not to have Covid prior to travellling. This was not policed. My temperature was taken on the ship like every other passenger and that was it. I was not surprised at the end of the journey there were clients with Covid. In all gutted considering how much money it cost.

1 November 2022
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Reply from Chimu Adventures

Sorry to hear about your frustration Mary. We're aware that trip had to depart one day early but as will have seen in your tour information, all expedition cruises have to be flexible to weather conditions. Although these situations are disapointing, it's always preferable to a stormy Drake passage crossing.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

A very good trip

A very good trip, great food and experiences.
Disembarkation was a disorganised schemozzle with no communication, you knew your trip was over when you were sent to a lounge for hours, the drink machine run out and the one public toilet was inadequate. All while crew change and reprov
Isioning was prioritised.

10 January 2023
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Absolutely Amazing

Chimu were great all the way. Everything was organised perfectly. Always had pick ups at designated locations and times. Accommodation was great itinerary was the best. Peru had protests and riot but they kept me safe and organised something else.
I highly recommend Chimu.

15 December 2022
Rated 2 out of 5 stars

I don’t regret going to Antarctica but…

I don’t regret going to Antarctica but I do regret going with Chimu. I’ve already put down a deposit to go to the Arctic but with another company.

Compared to the first time we travelled with Chimu there was a sharp decline in quality. We had two agents. The first one thought laterally and provided options. The second one just didn’t care. We ended up on a crowded Spanish speaking tour one day (when we don’t speak Spanish). When we questioned this afterwards we were told that wineries didn’t offer English tours everyday - if so, why were we placed on this tour? I still haven’t gotten an answer to this. We were not told about a World Heritage site that we could have visited - and would have - if we’d known that was an option. We were asked repeatedly for information we’d provided before and asked if we wanted to buy insurance every time we emailed (when we advised this at the time of booking). Basic information like the need to do an online Chilean customs declaration before we could check in was not communicated to us. On the ground our Chilean guide was superb. Argentina left something to be desired (see above - also we ended up with odd transfers, twice in a car too small for our party, which then needed to be changed). Oceanwide Expeditions did a good job and asked for feedback a few days after the trip, not months later. Still the memories are fresh unfortunately.

24 November 2022
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Reply from Chimu Adventures

Very sorry to hear that you had this experience. We'll reach out to you privately to get some more detailed feedback. I see you travelled to Chile just after the reopened their borders and we do know that some operations were still struggling to reopen at that time.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Antarctica cruise

I loved the whole journey, the days in Buenos Aires prior to the cruise out of Ushuaia.
Each of my excursions in BA I was met with a private car or small tour van which was the best.
My only issue was that I had no communications from the agency H&T whilst in BA but managed to be ready in time for each pick up.
Great experience 🤓

2 December 2022
Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Very reliable for all our arrangements…

Very reliable for all our arrangements in Argentina. The tours booked were very good, especially in Iguazu. The only annoyance was that Chimu said entrance into the famous cemetery in Buenos Aries was included in our tour, but our guide would not take us there. The reason is that entrance is now charged for this number 1 site, and Chimu will not pay this. The Chimu advertising is therefore misleading and we were disappointed as we did not have day to go to the cemetary independently.

12 December 2022

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