Kimkim Trip Reviews for Costa Rica

My daughter discovered KimKim. Initially I was very nervous and skeptical using KimKim an unfamiliar online service. I wanted to stick with the big box travel service that I always used in the past. However, my daughter convinced me to use KimKim. I did have several discussions to convey what I wanted out of this vacation and I can unequivocally say this was the best vacation I have ever had! All seven of my family members said the same thing, BEST VACATION EVER! The authentic experiences we enjoyed would not have happened with a big box travel company. The entire experience was unforgettable and amazing. Olman our KimKim travel agent found great local vendors, hotels and private drivers for every city that we visited. I requested luxurious accommodations after our hiking, horseback riding, zip lining and white water rafting and we stayed in absolutely breathtaking accommodations in Monte Verde, La Fortuna and Tamarindo! Cala Luna Boutique Hotel was the perfect place to end a glorious vacation, relaxing doing morning yoga, swimming in our private pool and having complimentary cocktails served at sunset on the private beach. Fantastic job Olman —listening and deliver on all our must haves for a vacation of a lifetime!

Hotel Reviews

Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs

Fortuna

We loved this hotel, it was beautiful. We had great nights sleep on comfortable beds and a delicious breakfast every morning. The staff was friendly, kind and helpful. I would definitely stay here again.

Authenticity & Character

The view of the volcano, mountains and landscape made the character of this hotel very special.

Location

The view of the volcano was breathtaking!

Staff

All our staff interactions were wonderful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The cleanliness was excellent but our mattress was not that comfortable, it sank in the center. We wanted to remain next to our family members rooms so we didn’t ask to change rooms. The cleanliness gets an excellent rating though.

Cala Luna Boutique Hotel & Villas

Guanacaste

This hotel is spectacular! The setting is beautiful and amazing. The aroma therapy, the sound therapy the staff, the classes, the food — are all absolutely amazing! I look forward to returning.

Authenticity & Character

Everything about this hotel is special and spectacular! Upon arriving on a very hot day we were greeted by staff with cold hand towels with refreshing lemon grass aromas coming from the towels. The calm, beautiful sounds playing in the exquisite open air lobby made us feel like we had been transported to some magical carefree world! Everyone instantly, instinctively relaxed. Our family stay was exquisite in a 3 bedroom Villa that was absolutely breathtakingly beautiful. It was appointed with everything we needed to relax and enjoy the most amazing family time. We got to see lots and lots of monkeys in the trees including baby monkeys being carried by their mothers. We got to hear alpha male monkeys loudly roaring claiming their territory from an opposing alpha male. This was sooooo cool and interesting for our 10 year old as well as for the rest of the family. We enjoyed a family game night in the beautiful family room. The entire villa had high vaulted wood beamed ceilings that added to the beauty and charm of our Villa. We did not want to leave at the end of our stay. Everyone was so relaxed and renewed by the ambiance of the Cala Luna Hotel. The bedroom rooms had superior quality bedding and you felt like you were sleeping on a rainforest cloud! I’m not easily impressed and I love and appreciate excellence. The Cala Luna did not disappoint or fall short in any area.

Location

This hotel’s location was perfect for us. It has a beautiful private beach away from the crowds where you get to enjoy delicious nightly complimentary cocktails at sunset. Cala Luna is a short walk from the beautiful public beach if you want to catch bigger waves or get surf lessons. You can walk to an amazing family owned restaurant 4 minutes away, Fish and Cheeses! Yummmmm!!! or enjoy a 15 minute walk and you’ll find lots of shops and tons of restaurants. I loved the quiet location of the Cala Luna away from the crowded strip yet easy access to the popular tourist areas.

Staff

Everyone on the staff, from the front desk to the yoga and fitness instructors to the room cleaners to the restaurant staff were gracious and wonderful! They all displayed such lovely kindness and a desire to make our stay extraordinary. I have not experienced this level of customer service in years. Kudos to the owner of this amazing hotel for assembling such an amazing team of employees.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything detail about this hotel exceeded my expectations! It was indeed amazing, no exaggeration.

El Establo Mountain Hotel

Monteverde

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Parque del Lago Boutique Hotel

San José

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

San José - Arenal - Visit to La Paz Waterfall & Gardens

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Coffee & Chocolate Tour

Arenal/La Fortuna

This is my first time experience with KimKim and my 8-day trip with Randall was incredible. From start to finish, everything ran smoothly thanks to his exceptional organization and expertise. The hotels were good, with the one in La Fortuna exceeding my expectations. Randall struck the perfect balance between travel, activities, and relaxation, allowing me to fully experience Costa Rica's stunning destinations like La Fortuna and Volcán Arenal, Manuel Antonio, and San José. His prompt responses to my questions were invaluable and demonstrated his commitment to ensuring a seamless and enjoyable trip. I wholeheartedly recommend Randall for an unforgettable Costa Rican adventure. Thank you, Randall!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Lomas del Volcán

Fortuna

Hotel Lomas del Volcán exceeded my expectations in every way. The bungalow was cozy and comfortable, the location was perfect, and the staff was incredibly attentive and friendly. A truly remarkable experience!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Karahé Beach Hotel

Manuel Antonio

Great location and a comfortable room! However, I experienced some issues with the wifi, which was a bit slow and problematic. The staff was okay. In any case, I had an enjoyable stay due to the hotel's prime beachfront setting and location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Crowne Plaza San José La Sabana

San José

Clean and exceptionally comfortable rooms. The staff was friendly and attentive, ensuring a pleasant experience. I

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Coffee & Chocolate Experience

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Volcano Hike & Baldi Hot Springs & Dinner

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Volcano - Mistico Hanging Bridges and La Fortuna Waterfall with lunch

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All the guides were great, so glad had private tours and transfers, learned so much more and experienced local places.
Loved the mombo combo in la fortuna.
The Springs is the most amazing resort I have ever been too!
The cave exploring was nothing like i have dine before.
All the guides were so nice, friendly and sensitive to the needs of my children.

I went into this without any knowledge of KimKim or using a service to plan our trip to Costa Rica. I'm more excited to use it again now that I understand the process and what to expect. We were routed to Serendipity Adventures to plan our trip and Bryan Leon was the organizer for the trip. He was very patient with me as I wasn't sure what our family wanted to do. He offered many suggestions, even events I hadn't considered that ended up being some of our favorite parts of the trip. First of all, all of our transportation was either on time or early. They were all very knowledgeable and friendly. There was not one hiccup in our itinerary. It all went smoothly and if anything needed to be amended, they made sure it was taken care of.

The Guided hikes, zip line adventure, waterfall and cultural experiences were fantastic. We visited a farm owned by the granddaughter of the original owner. Her and her husband were so gracious. They showed us around their farm, our teenage kids participated by pulling Yuka to make chips, mango for our salad, they milled sugar cane for juice and we picked a pineapple that we took back to our hotel. We ate a wonderfully home cooked meal, listened to Eli play and sing, we sang and danced with them and it felt like we were spending time with family. Our kids spoke Spanish and that was very helpful and made the experience that much better.

Our surfing lessons by Glen were fantastic. We felt very well taken care of by him and his staff. We even went back later in the week and really enjoyed our time on the beach. I highly recommend working with Bryan and the others from Serendipity to plan an educational, adventurous and well organized trip in Costa Rica. We felt safe and the locals really love and care about their beautiful country.

Hotel Reviews

Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs

Fortuna

The staff was so friendly and so helpful. The room was clean and very comfortable. The best part was the breakfast. It was THE best included breakfast I've ever had at a hotel or resort before. It had everything you could think of and it was fresh and they took a lot of pride in the presentation and service. It was impressive. We also loved the spa services. We had a perfect view of the volcano.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It's a little further from LaFortuna, but never a problem.

Staff

The staff was so helpful and friendly. I would talk with the staff about some of the adventures we went on and if they weren't aware of it, they wanted to know how it went later. They were polite and kind.

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Mariposa Hotel

Manuel Antonio

It was at the top of a hill and we needed to walk up many steps and hills. Not an issue for us, we liked it, but for others that have an issue ask for a room in the main hotel area. The view from the hotel was spectacular. The breakfast wasn't our favorite, but it was fine as they provided a number of options. The staff was very accommodating and friendly. We loved that the hotel itself had a lot of wildlife. We saw a sloth, two macaws, toucans, spider monkeys and a white-faced monkey right there at the hotel. That was exciting.

Activity Reviews

Lookout Tram, Ziplines, & Hanging Bridges Combination Adventure

Arenal/La Fortuna

The guide for our hike was so knowledgeable and really eager to point out and tell us about the jungle and the animals. You could tell he loved what he was doing. The zip line was so much fun. Well worth it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cultural Experience

Arenal/La Fortuna

We cannot say enough about our time at the Farm. Eli and Esteban were so wonderful. They both, along with their friend who helped cook the meal and the dancers that performed, made the experience unforgettable. It really helped that our two teenage kids could speak Spanish. It allowed them to practice and to communicate with Esteban in a way that my husband and I could not. It's always fun to see wildlife, zipline, hike, and be adventurous, yet, taking the time to learn and experience the culture of Costa Rica from the food, the land, the music, the dancing, the singing to just being with a Costa Rican family and connecting was so magical. We loved every minute of it.

Quality of Experience

Food

The food was cooked by Eli and her friend and it was made on an outdoor grill box. The food came from their farm and it was all so delicious. We loved that my son pulled a Yuka plant from the ground and she used it to make chips for the homemade guacamole. They accommodated for the two vegetarians in our family and everything was so yummy. Best meal of our trip.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Esteban picked us up from our hotel and took us home. He stopped to buy fruit along the road that we had never seen before, he even cleaned a bathroom before we used it. He went above and beyond to make us comfortable.

Transport

Arenal Volcano Hike & La Fortuna Waterfall

Arenal/La Fortuna

Our guide Mariano was a pro from start to finish. He was our personal guide for many hours that day and ended with a nice lunch at a really great restaurant in La Fortuna. He was very knowledgeable and taught us about the fauna and flora in the park. We walked about 2 1/2 miles while he explained all that we were seeing and hearing. After a very hot and humid hike, we went to the waterfall. It was so beautiful and so refreshing. We LOVED it. Mariano was patient, he helped connect us with others to book additional adventures, he was a terrific guide.

This was the most organized trip I've ever taken. The team was very communicative and responsive. They were also able to modify changes we requested for different with times. All the drivers were professional and on time at each point. The hotels were all great and waiting for us, no issues with check in. The activities are all great top notch tour guides. If anything we had a lot of similar activities, but that was more our doing than theirs. Safari Float(Diego & Mariano) and Volcano Hike(Mariano) were amazing. It's impressive to have a 10 day trip without a single hiccup. Great job by Bryan, Charlotte and the whole team. I would gladly recommend this team for a Costa Rica Tour.

Hotel Reviews

The Royal Corin Thermal Water Spa & Resort - Adults Only

Fortuna

Amazing. Everything was great from check in to check out. Jose at the pool bar, everyone at the restaurant. Everyone at reception. Rooms were comfortably with amazing shower. I would be happy stay here again. Pools are fed by hot springs so they are warm. We were a group of adults. Not really a kid property more relaxing adult. You can not really walk to town or restaurants but taxi's are always readily available and its a short drive. Views from room are great, not one complaint.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel & Spa Poco a Poco

Monteverde Costa Rica

Clean, nice pool area covered. Rooms worked, nothing amazing. Friends enjoyed spa. Great location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel San Bada Resort & Spa

Manuel Antonio

Great location for park and beach. Rooms are a bit worn, but functional. Pool Bar was great, the whole staff was amazing at both bars had great bartenders, I believe Estrella was one gal and Josue upstairs.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Studio Hotel

San José

Very clean and good location 20 minutes from airport. Only issue is hotel restaurant was blah and very pricey, outside of that it was great.

Authenticity & Character

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Safari Float on the Peñas Blancas River

Arenal/La Fortuna

Very relaxing, saw lots of wild life. Mariano and Diego were great. A surprise snack was lovely. Would recommend especially if you don't want to do rapids but want to be on the water.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Volcano Hike and Hot Springs

Arenal/La Fortuna

Mariano was amazing, slow paced walked but did have some tough parts. Great guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sloth Observation - Day or Night Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

We saw about 12 sloths, but far away. If you want to be close look for conservatory. Also seeing sloths could be a miss. But the end of trip coffee and snack was nice.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Night Walk in the Children's Eternal Forest

Monteverde

Guide was very knowledge able and although we saw about 15 animals its hit or miss and most need to be seen through a telescope.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Canopy Zip Lining Tour, bridges, and Fauna Exihibitions at Selvatura

Monteverde

Amazing, would do it again, best zip line activity, give yourself time to do the bridges and sloth exhibit. Best place to get close to sloths.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Costa Rica

Great experience saw lots of animals but far away. Tour guide was a little snotty and rude to other people.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Thanks to Bryan and Nancy and the entire team who helped make our Cost Rica Bird Watching journey truly memorable! We are amateur birders who saw 100 new species. KimKim matched us with expert, patient and friendly guides who answered our many questions. All the transportation was on time, professional and safe. The accommodations were wonderful. Many many thx!

The planning experience with Serendipity Adventures through KimKim was excellent and everything went very smoothly. We only had one issue before the travel regarding an accommodations booking mistake, but they worked hard to find a solution and I was satisfied by their resolution. The in-country support was also good - we had communications many days to answer questions and make adjustments, and Charlotte was responsive even throughout the weekend. Our tourguides through Exploradores (Andrés and Alex) and Maquique Adventures (William and Kenneth) made the experiences so special and personal, and I especially enjoyed talking with our Serendipity transport driver Alex as he drove us across the country. Would absolutely use these companies again and recommend!

Wilie from Serendipity was wonderful. He went way over and above wonderful to accommodate and help each one of us in the group. Our group was diverse but with more seniors then young people he actually assisted us and particularly me on and off the bus. Beside his help he is a very smart, well informed guide with spot on answers of facts and information. His knowledge of Costa Rica history and Central American politics is amazing. Our driver was great and I liked the fact that they ate their meals with us. We were a family group and they became part of the family. Our trip was a little different because we primarily were there for my grand daughter's Bat Mitzvah. The day went off better then we even planned and the services and celebratory dinner will be memorable to all of us. The sites were well planned and either every tourist gets to see Sloths, Anguti, coatimundi, Tuocans, monkeys wild pigs, whales or we were the luckiest tourists to visit Costa Rica. The hotel accommodations were wonderful, the food, the amenities and the people were so helpful and friendly except for the driver on the return trip from horseback riding (not everyone is entitled to a bad day)when you work with the public.
The trip will remain memorable to all of us and Pura Vida to our new Tico friends.

Great hotels! First hike in Puerto Viejo wasn’t the greatest. There was a lack of communication with how much time it would take. We were under the impression that it would be 3 hours, ended up being closer to 7 hours.
-sky adventures was amazing! So structured and well planned out.
-Olman did a great job changing our itinerary after we had to shorten our trip due to flight cancellations. I do feel that we ended up paying more for less. Originally we were going for 7 days. Ended up going for 5 and paid more, 1 less activity, no airport transfer between cities, and we paid more.

Overall our trip was a fabulous experience. We had some wonderful interactions with local people, some fantastic accommodation and the National Parks were some of the best I have ever seen.

Highlights: Tortegeuro eco lodge (guide Oliver was funny, informative and well organised). The lodge was in an
incredible location and the wildlife was amazing
La Fortuna thermal pools and walk to the volcano (also a great guide with very good local knowledge)
Horseback ride Tamarindo through the forest and on to the beach was lovely and the beaches were beautiful
Zip lining and Cloud Forest walk Monte Verde (incredible being above and amongst the rainforest canopy).
Manuel Antonia national park walk (guide Roy was brilliant and the wildlife was incredible)
Corocavardo national park walk (again amazing flora and fauna and wildlife)

Disappointments: Whale and dolphin watching when there were no whales or dolphins and were never going to be at
the time of year. (would have like to see the famous waterfall near here instead if we were going to be
in Domincal)
Snorkeling from Tamarindo pretty much nonexistent
Danaus park night walk ( saw one frog and the guide was on his phone most of the time)
Snorkel at Cano Island the guide took amazing underwater videos of the sharks and turtles and
promised to send on whatsap but never did

Some really big issues were the lack of information on our itinerary. We often found that we didn't have any information about what we were doing, time frames for trips and what exactly was included in the day.

The hire car company Mapache was dreadful: we were given a very old front wheel drive tiny vehicle when we had booked a 4 wheel drive larger vehicle and on several occasions this vehicle was dangerous and inadequate for our trip. We were told to leave the vehicle full of petrol at the drop off and spot and when we arrived on empty there were no petrol stations for 25K so we had to hand fill our car from plastic drums and only out of the kindness of a local was this possible. Also we were not given any maps and the car had no navigation system so we took a lot of wrong turns.

We would definitely recommend Costa Rica as a fun, fabulous travel destination. Our trip covered a lot a beautiful areas and we found the local people helpful and interesting. Self drive was easy and gerat to be able to stop wherever we wanted.

A wonderful family trip of a lifetime! Veronica was incredibly knowledgeable and customized our trip perfectly for our family of 7: four boys ages 17-27 and a girlfriend. We didn’t need her help while there because everything was great, but she was completely available if needed. Highlights included horseback riding, zip-lining, the waterfall hike, a cooking class, a night hike, and a catamaran cruise. The people were lovely, and the guides always on time and so kind and helpful, including the one who was waiting for us in the middle of the night with a smile and cooler of drinks after an 8-hr flight delay. I would definitely use KimKim for future trips and Veronica if I return to Costa Rica.

This was my family’s first time working with a travel agent and it was definitely worth it. Our trip went very smoothly, allowing everybody to relax and enjoy more. Olman, our travel agent, was very patient with us in the planning process and booked accommodations and excursions that the whole family ended up enjoying. We probably would not have booked so many excursions or explored the country as much if we didn’t work with a travel agent who knows the country well and was able to give us the best experience.

The Emanuel Antonio Nation Park Tour led by Roy (Estelle Tours) was fantastic. Roy was personable, knowledgeable and enthusiastic.

The whole trip was wonderful.

Wonderful trip, Olman found us the best guides for all our experiences. Mariso who was our guide on the volcano walk was fantastic. All the children gave him a “20 out of 10” and still talk of how much they learned from him. Transport provided was always on time and very curtious.
I will use KimKim again and recommend them to everyone

Hotel Review

Hampton Inn & Suites San Jose Airport

Alajuela

Excellent service, food and location

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to airport

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Arenal Volcano Extreme Zipline

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Great guides, understanding the needs of children and made it a fantastic experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Helpful and fun. Everything felt very safe

Transport

San José - Arenal - Visit to La Paz Waterfall & Gardens

Costa Rica

Amazing animals, butterfly pavillon was like being in another world. Waterfalls were incredible. Lunch fantastic

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Hike in Arenal Volcano Park 1968

Arenal/La Fortuna

Mauricio was exceptional. Best guide ever. Wonderful with children and kept them entertained the entire time. Educational and fun!

Quality of Experience

Mauricio best guide ever

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Gave us plenty of time, stopped for bird sightings

Transport

AMAZING !! is the one word to express our trip to Costa Rica. We just returned from one of the most memorable trips we've taken in years - my wife and 2 kids (19 and 14 yrs).
And it all started with KimKim and Gustavo. I have never used a travel agency for any vacation before -- and after this trip, I'm already recommending my family and friends - this is the way to book your travel.
The team at KimKim was very knowledgeable, and i'll have to say very patient with all the changes i'd made in our itinerary over the couple weeks of planning. The trip from the start of the pickup at the Airport, with our private transfer from San Jose Airport to Arenal - was very professional, the car was very clean, and the overall trip felt very safe and comfortable.
We spent 8 nights, with 3 in Arenal, 3 in Monteverde, and 1 in San Jose. We loved both Arenal and Monteverde - completely jam-packed the 1st half of every day with activities -- well, you have to do that with young boys ;-).
We did Canyoning and White Water rafting with the Defasio team - and none of us had done either activity previously. The Defasio team was great - they picked us up at the hotel. took absolute care in the safety of the activities, without sacrificing the fun !!! we had great local food - delicious. On the White Water rafting activity, we had fresh fruit as part of our activity, lovely fruit along with all the amazing sights all around. We were a group of 6 on the raft. Lots of fun!!
We did the guided tour at the La Fortuna Waterfalls - and our guide was great !! he was very knowledgeable and patiently let us stroll around and took all the wonderful pictures for memories and we were swimming there with the fishes ;-). The water was great !!
In Montevede, we did the Zip Line - wow - amazing fun -- the team at SkyAdventures was super. They were so much fun !! And again our ride back from Monteverde to San Jose was comfortable in a nice clean vehicle and our driver was very courteous and safe driver - which is important given the roads ;-).
Our 1 day in San Jose was ok. Maybe because we were so pumped with action, a rest day did not align with our mindset. However, our resort in San Jose made up for the lack of activity there - we stayed at the Marriott Hacienda - an absolutely lovely property.

And KimKim helped us manage all of this via their planning site - i could always quickly get to my itinerary and the daily details. Looking to have KimKim help us with our next vacation.
Note, we did not book everything via KimKim; they had the flexibility for us to book directly with a hotel if we wanted - which i thought was quite helpful.

Activity Reviews

Canyoning in the Lost Canyon

Arenal/La Fortuna

This was amazing !! We had never done Canyoning - like rappeling - but I'd not done that either. Everyone in the family loved this activity. I would definitely recommend it to anyone active.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Whitewater Rafting on the Balsa River

Arenal/La Fortuna

This was so much fun !! My 14-year-old son said this was the best activity for our entire trip -- and we did a lot of activities. We had never done White Water Rafting before -- so this was a true highlight. The team at Defasio was awesome - very professional, safety oriented and knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Treetopia: Tram, Zip Lines & Hanging Bridges

Monteverde

This was such a lovely waterfall -- the sights are just amazing !! We also did swim in the bottom of the falls -- and next to the falls there is a smaller area where the water is more suitable to swim - we were literally swimming with the fish it was so clear.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

La Fortuna Waterfall Guided Hike

Arenal/La Fortuna

The falls were so majestic - and the hike down was pretty easy - although some folks took time climbing back up -- We also did swim in the bottom of the falls -- and next to the falls, there is a smaller area where the water is more suitable to swim - we were literally swimming with the fish it was so clear. At one time we did see a Toucan so that was a bonus ;-).

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Eight family members traveled to Costa Rica with three generations ranging in age from 5 to 70. Brittany and Jessica helped us craft a terrific itinerary, We spent four wonderful nights at Hotel Arenal Springs. The hot springs were enjoyed by the adults and the kids loved having lunch at the swim-up bar. The food was tasty and reasonably priced at all the restaurants and the breakfast buffet was plentiful with many options to choose from.

The grounds at Xandari Resort were stunning. We enjoyed the hike to the waterfalls on-site and stumbled upon a bamboo grove that was spectacular. Food was excellent, but a bit more expensive. Spa services were enjoyed by yhe adults.

Tours were great. At Hanging Bridges the naturalist Helen from Jacomar Tours spotted wildlife that we would never have found on our own. She was exceptional. She placed her camera up to her scope so even the youngest in our family could get a close-up view when they could reach the scope itself. We were thrilled to see her again for our Sloth and Bird Walk.

Our Rainforest Chocolate Tour was both educational and entertaining. And the samples were delicious.

The LaPaz Waterfall Park was a wonderful way to see Costa Rican animals up close and the waterfalls were stunning, with fewer steps than the la Fortuna waterfall!

The younger adults in our group were daring enough to zipline through the tree canopy at Arenal Adventures. Those that chose not to, were able to watch them leave from the first platform which was an unexpected surprise. The staff there were numerous and appeared to be very well trained which helped to quell any fears about the experience.

However, the best service received from KimKim was unexpected. Two of our family members had flights cancelled and did not arrive in San Jose until two days later at 1am. With one email from us, Adam was able to communicate updates to RideCR. The driver monitored the flight, met them at the airport and safely drove them to the hotel in Arenal. A foggy ride that took 3 hours! It was comforting to know they were in good hands.

Despite the heat, humidity and rain we created memories that will last a lifetime.

Activity Reviews

Private: Arenal Volcano & 1968 Reserve Guided Hike

Arenal/La Fortuna

We booked this tour to learn more about the volcano's eruption, but it was more rigorous than we expected. Due to the heat, and fatigue from other activities, we chose the one-hour walk which was easy, but not very interesting. To get the full benefit from this activity one must be an in-shape, frequent hiker.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Hanging Bridges Guided Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Pointed out animal and gave details about fauna we did not know. She 'airdropped' photos that she took through her scope that were amazing.

Transport

I enjoy interacting with everyone I met.

Hotel Reviews

Azania Bungalows

Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

Very nice being in a bungalow. Comfortable and I enjoyed the hammock on the porch

Authenticity & Character

The bungalow

Location

Close to the beautiful Caribbean ocean

Staff

Accommodating, friendly enough

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bungalow experience

Crowne Plaza San José La Sabana

San José

Very clean, comfortable and the hotel staff were nice. I really appreciated th e wait staff and the chef at the hotel restaurant.

Authenticity & Character

Very modern, clean with welcoming luxuries and amenities

Location

I had a second floor room, during my first stay. I felt it was too close to the busy road below. Also too close to a bar or restaurant, were loud music was playing, throughout the evening. My second stay, we’re my room was located on the seventh floor, was terrific, there I slept very well and uninterrupted.

Staff

Friendly, engaging and supportive.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Modern, very well kept and extremely comfortable

Hotel Costa Verde

Manuel Antonio

I enjoyed my stay here

Authenticity & Character

Grounds, proximity to the ocean. Beautiful swimming pools

Location

Being in Antonio Manuel by the Pacific Ocean was exceptionally nice!

Staff

Friendly and accommodating enough

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arenal Country Inn

Fortuna

Very quaint and authentic

Authenticity & Character

It was nice

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Arenal Volcano - Unique Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge Boat Trip

Arenal/La Fortuna

It was a nice boat ride

Quality of Experience

I would have preferred to have gone on the kayak trip.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

They were nice

Transport

Very informative of our surroundings during the trip

Snorkeling & Hiking in Cahuita National Park

Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

Excellent time here. The whole day was fun, exciting and interesting.

Quality of Experience

Our guide was a great guy!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Free day in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

I thought Puerto Viejo was interesting but far to busy with car an motorcycle traffic on such a narrow main road.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The top three activities for me were the Hanging Bridges, the rafting, and the afternoon on the catamaran. Thanks for suggesting such great excursions.

We started out with Sergio and he was amazing. He was very responsive and helped us plan an amazing trip for a very diverse group - we had vegans in the group and we also had some elderly people, including my dad who had mobility challenges. He also helped select restaurants. We were celebrating a life event and Serendipity scheduled an amazing private dinner at La Divina Comida in San Jose. I could not have been happier with the restaurant and private room. It exceeded our expectations. Sergio laid the framework for managing this diverse group. Charlotte wasn’t as responsive as Sergio (I would have liked her to respond to messages more quickly) but the transition was pretty smooth overall.

Our guide was Willy. He was outstanding. He was incredibly friendly and flexible. He handled our diverse group so well and the trip was really seamless. At times serendipity brought in additional guides to allow the group to enjoy activities despite some mobility challenges. Our favorite activities were the hanging bridges, the raft tour, the catamaran cruise and horseback riding. The only constructive feedback I have is to not do the lava hike in Arenal on the same day as the hanging bridges. We ended up shifting toe La Fortuna Waterfall hike to another day because we were exhausted after the hanging bridges and lava hike - and ran out of time. There’s no way we could have handled all 3 activities on the same day.

We would definitely recommend Serendipity and would work with them again.

Hotel Reviews

Grano de Oro Hotel

San José

This hotel was so beautiful. It feels like a classic hotel from the turn of the 20th century. The rooms are lovely, included breakfast wonderful and staff friendly. We absolutely loved the gardens outside with the covered walkways. We even enjoyed the jacuzzi on the roof one evening!

Authenticity & Character

The old world feel and friendly boutique service makes this hotel stand out.

Location

Staff

Staff was friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

The rooms were charming. The restaurant was beautiful.

Baldi Hot Springs Resort, Hotel & Spa

Fortuna

We loved the hot springs. We had a nice room On the fourth floor but the first floor rooms my relatives had weren’t as nice. The hotel was very stingy with towels and the shower had no water pressure. It took forever to bathe and the water was never warm. If you lost your room key (a plastic card), they charged $10. Toiletries were cheap. The food at breakfast was decent but we ate dinner in the restaurant one night and it wasn’t great. I wouldn’t stay at this hotel again.

Authenticity & Character

The hot springs were awesome! Our room was great but room quality is uneven.

Location

The location was fine. It wasn’t in the middle of town but wasn’t far either.

Staff

Staff was friendly but the hotel rules were not. They were very stingy with towels.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The beds weren’t that comfortable, the showers had no water pressure and were never hot enough and the toiletries were cheap. It felt like we were roughing it.

The Westin Golf Resort and Spa, Playa Conchal

Playa Conchal

We loved this all Inclusive! The rooms are lovely and the grounds are beautiful with lots of wildlife. We enjoyed the pool and beach and we thought the food was pretty good. We would consider returning to this resort.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Staff was attentive and friendly and went the extra mile

Cleanliness & Comfort

Comfortable beds, nice toiletries and excellent water pressure in the shower!

Activity Reviews

Museum of the Jewish Community of Costa Rica

San José

This isn’t for everyone but we loved it! We really enjoyed the artifacts documenting the journey of the founders of the Jewish community from Poland to San Jose and the tour of the synagogue.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jade Museum Tour

San José

The carvings are interesting to see, but the experience is similar to other museums I have been too. It reminded me of a smaller version of the Museo de Oro in Bogota

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Willy was great

Transport

Explore Barrio Amon with your Dedicated Guide

San José

We loved this! I learned a lot about the history of Costa Rica and enjoyed seeing the old part of the city.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coffee & Chocolate Tour

Costa Rica

This was a very interesting experience. Our tour guide was great and we loved learning about chocolate and coffee making. We preferred the Chocolate part of the experience because the coffee grown at this location isn’t actually the coffee sold or tasted during the tour. The best coffee is grown at higher elevations. It’s also quite hot and there are lots of mosquitos!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was great!

Transport

Private: Safari Float on the Peñas Blancas River

Arenal/La Fortuna

This raft safari was another highlight of our trip. We loved seeing howler monkeys and white faced capuchins and other wildlife. We also loved the picnic our guides set up on an overturned raft with fresh watermelon, pineapple and Costa Rican candies.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ella's Bat Mitzvah Ceremony

San José

Sloth Tour

Arenal/La Fortuna

It was a lot of fun to “hunt” for sloths in La Fortuna and see them in their natural habitat. We had a specialty guide for this tour and he taught us a lot about sloths and was great at spotting them!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private: Hanging Bridges, La Fortuna Waterfall, and Arenal Volcano Visit

Arenal/La Fortuna

The hanging bridges was possibly our favorite activity of the trip. Warning: the bridges are a bit scary. But the views are incredible. We saw lots of wildlife - spider monkeys, pit vipers, and lots of birds. The lush rain forest is classic Costa Rica. We thought the lava hike of Arenal Volcano was challenging - a tough activity to do after the hanging bridges. The views were pretty but the path was tough for our group. We ended up shifting the La Fortuna waterfall to the next day.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve Guided Hike

Costa Rica

We loved the cloud forest and wished we had more time there! We saw lots of wildlife including a quetzal, three wattled bellbird, capuchins, and agouti. The trail was walkable and the views great. I wish we had more time in Monteverde.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We were able to get a golf cart for my parents so they could enjoy the trail too!

Transport

Horseback Riding Beach Tour

Playa Conchal

We loved the horseback ride on the beach. The sights were beautiful. The beaches were practically empty and the guides took great photos. However, I had to knock off a star because we had a horrific experience getting back to the resort. We were driven around for almost an hour only in a crowded van to return to the horseback riding place. The driver then refused to drive us back to the resort and we had to beg to get taken back.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guides were great but the driver was rude and unprofessional.

Transport

Private Sunset Catamaran Sailing Tour

Costa Rica

This cruise was spectacular. The food and drinks were good and plentiful, the catamaran clean and beautiful, the swimming cove pristine. We saw whales and dolphins, a double rainbow and beautiful sunset. This was a magical end to our trip.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Serendipity Adventures (Sergio and Charlotte) were amazing! Building the custom itinerary to match our specific needs, and being available during the trip for questions and assistance.

The KimKim platform is excellent and super helpful during the planning stage, but there are a few things that can be improved during the trip itself when we wanted to look up our next destination and plan details:
1) accessing the trip details requires an active internet connection, which isn't always available.
2) There's no way to access the plan details directly, it requires several clicks and is quite annoying!
3) Especially for longer trips (ours was 24 days), because each time you have to load the trip details from scratch it's a pain to scroll through the itinerary to get to right place, it would be nice if the page opened on the current date :)
4) A dedicated app, or integration with another app (like TripIt) would be a super valuable feature!