Kimkim Trip Reviews for Costa Rica

I started with Alberto and he helped me plan an amazing trip that was the right balance of activities and down time. While on the tour, Jean Carlo, took care of me. He helped me when there were little hiccups along the way. It was great to be able to contact him when a problem arose. He was able to smooth things out and make whatever issue that came up go away. He was great!

Hotel Reviews

Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs

Fortuna

Amazing resort with friendly and helpful staff. Loved the setting, and the private patio garden area. The room was spacious and clean. The restaurant was great. It has wonderful food and a beautiful setting. There are lots of activities at the resort and wonderful walking paths in a quiet setting. I would definitely stay there again

Authenticity & Character

I loved all of the bird sightings at the property. The resort has a tropical garden setting, but is surrounded by forest.

Location

The resort was back away from the road and it was quiet, but a short taxi ride would tak you into town.

Staff

They were all so nice and went out of their way to be helpful. Many of them took the time to learn my name and my preferences

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was very clean and well maintained

El Establo Mountain Hotel

Monteverde

The hotel is beautiful and in a beautiful setting. My room was in one of the buildings at the top of the hill, so I had an amazing view. From the reception up to my room is a steep climb about a mile long, so the property is not really walkable, but they do have a shuttle service that will take you anywhere you want to go on the property. I found the room itself to be beautiful, but there was only one chair in the room. It could have used a second chair and a small table. Also, the walls between the rooms are very thin and I could hear everything that went on in the next room, even quiet conversations. I used ear plugs to help me sleep.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful view from my balcony.

Location

Seemed to be close to the sights I wanted to visit

Staff

Staff was a little hit and miss. There were some that were friendly and helpful and some who were not.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The resort and my room were very clean, but there was a noise issue with the room

Si Como No Resort & Wildlife Refuge

Manuel Antonio

Loved everything about this resort! My room was fantastic. It had a little seating area where I could sit and relax after my activities of the day. My view of the ocean was just awesome. Can’t say enough nice things about the resteraunt. The staff was always friendly and helpful. The location was great and I could walk to little stores close by.

Authenticity & Character

The place had a tropical setting and feel.

Location

The resort is part of a wild life refuge and there were amazing animals to be seen at the resort, including monkeys, iguanas, and birds.

Staff

The staff was great, very knowledgeable and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The whole place was clean and well maintained.

Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, San Jose Aeropuerto

San José

This was a good place to stay as you were making the transition in or out of the country. It was a perfect place for me to stay for one night when my vacation ended and needed to catch an airplane the next day.

Authenticity & Character

Exactly what I would expect from a Raddison hotel

Location

Close to the airport with an airport shuttle service

Staff

Very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was clean and well maintained.

Activity Reviews

Hanging Bridges, La Fortuna Waterfall & Arenal Volcano Hike

Arenal/La Fortuna

Beautiful setting and amazing wildlife viewing.

Quality of Experience

The hike itself was great, but my guide made it even more special!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

They were both very knowledgeable and planned the perfect level of activity for me.

Transport

My driver would see something and make a point of stopping so I could get a picture

Birdwatching tour by the Arenal Lake

Arenal/La Fortuna

My guide was so knowledgeable. I really learned a lot from him.

Quality of Experience

Very knowledgeable guide

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very helpful

Transport

Good clean and comfortable vehicle

Visit Paradise Hot Springs

Arenal/La Fortuna

It is a beautiful setting and the restaurant was good. I found the water in most of the “hot spring” pools to be on the cool side.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Horseback Riding in the Cloud Forest

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Birdwatching Tour in Monteverde (5:00 am)

Monteverde

Loved the tour.

Quality of Experience

Very knowledgeable and helpful guide..

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coffee & Chocolate Tour

Costa Rica

Loved learning about chocolate, coffee and sugar cane in Costa Rica. The tour guide was just great!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Nature Hike

Costa Rica

Awesome experience. The variety of the animals from white tail deer to bats, just great.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mangrove Boat Tour

Manuel Antonio

This was a fun relaxing tour. We saw a lot on the gentle boat ride through the mangroves to the sea.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The moment we decided in November 2022 that Costa Rica was going to be our honeymoon adventure vacation set for March 2023, I set out to create an itinerary that would be a blend of natural, cultural, and heart-pumping experiences that would fit our time and budget considerations. Since this would be our first visit to Costa Rica I sought the expertise from a couple of tour agencies which included kimkim. At kimkim we were introduced to Bryan, a specialist on his home country of Costa Rica. Before, during, and now, a few days returned from the trip, it's clear that planning with Bryan through kimkim was the best thing to happen for us in creating our getaway.

From the jump, Bryan listened to our ideas, asked all the right questions, made wonderful recommendations, provided incredibly prompt and personal responses to our itinerary requests and considerations, and within a short amount of time put together a personalized, 11-day, self-drive, "we can't wait to go," Guanacaste adventure.

Pura vida! We can say it now, each and every check-in along the way was flawless and anticipated by the receptionist; from car rental pick up and drop off, to each of the 4 hotels we stayed, and all 10 tours we booked.

The accommodations that fit our budget and were available at time of booking included Hacienda Guachipelin in Ricon de la Vieja; Volcano Lodge in Arenal; Fondavela in Monteverde, and Golden Palms Papagayo.

Below is a listing of the notable, day by day highlights*, raves*, and faves* of our 11-day Costa Rica adventure:

After touching down in Liberia we picked up our rental car and dined next door at *La Choza de Laurel

Rincon de la Vieja:
*Hacienda Guachipelin breakfast buffet and dining area
*Hike to Las Pailas and Oropendola Falls with guide *Johnny
*Hacienda Guachipelin tubing the Rio Negro with guides
*Hacienda Guachipelin room and balcony

*Rio Celeste self-hike

Arenal:
*Volcano Lodge flora and fauna
*Volcano Lodge private hot tub and view of Arenal Volcano
*Variety of birds gathering at "banana breakfast buffet" at Surá Restaurant
*Volcano Lodge grounds yoga pavilion, out door workout area, and pool
*The welcoming energy of the entire receptionist staff of Volcano Lodge
*Robert at Surá Restuarant
*La Fortuna Waterfall hike with guide *Kenneth (Arenal Star), sighted 3 toucan species, Deivar providing fresh fruits
*Sloth family viewed at Volcano Lodge parking area
*Ecotermales Hotsprings with buffet dinner
*Arenal 1968 hike w/ *Kenneth, anteater encounter, Pablo providing fresh fruits
*Great cups of coffee on Don Juan’s Coffee and Chocolate tour
*Dinner at Pollo Fortuneño in the city of La Fortuna, *Marlon offering great service

Monteverde:
*Santuario Ecologico visit and hike
*Night Walk: Children’s Eternal Forest with guide *Marvin
*Fondavela Hotel perimeter walk
*Selvatura Park: Canopy tour with *zipline guides, hanging bridges, sloth and butterfly tour. Great lunch and best cup of coffee of the entire trip.

*Palo Verde National Park Boat tour with guide, *Ulysses and Capt. Miguel.
*Great lunch served at Hacienda El Viejo

Papagayo:
*Golden Palms Papagayo resort: receptionist *Angie; comfortable room, lovely pool; easy access to Playa Buena; great rocky beach walk around point
*Kuna Vela morning “sail” and snorkel in Culebra Bay with *Capt. Israel and *First mate Andres.
*Lunch and dinner at Hacienda Blu Beach near Golden Palms
*Lunch at Eco Camping Papagayo

*Suzuki Vitara 4x4, Sport Mode setting, total miles driven about 340

We wanted to plan a memorable family vacation to Costa Rica, but felt daunted by the task. We decided to use KimKim and were connected with Fio who helped turn our ideas of areas we wanted to see and things we wanted to do, into a manageable itinerary.

Some of the highlights were the guided tour at Manuel Antonio National Park with our guide, Socio (with Endemic Bird tours). We ended up being the only family on his tour so we had a very personalized experience. His knowledge and ability to spot wildlife in the jungle was extraordinary. We also enjoyed our hotel Costa Verde - we had wonderful ocean views from our balcony and saw toucans and macaws, as well as monkeys and sloths. The room was nice and the grounds were enjoyable - beautiful views from the Anaconda restaurant for breakfast. We also enjoyed evening dining experiences at Cafe Milagro and Claro Que Si. Wonderful food and atmosphere in both.

We were glad to have a rental 4x4 vehicle for the trip - which made it easier to see more areas and definitely needed 4x4 as the roads were not easy in many of the out of the way places like Monteverde.

We enjoyed zip lining in Monteverde at Selvatura Park, but unfortunately we had our first attempt at doing so canceled due to lightning. So one thing we learned is to plan activities for the morning hours to avoid potential rain and maybe storms in the afternoon. The morning weather mostly seemed to be predictably clearer than the afternoon. Selvatura let us reschedule our zip lining tour for the next morning, so we were able to squeeze it in before leaving for Arenal Volvano the next day - and we thoroughly enjoyed the zip line experience so it was worth it to squeeze it in. We enjoyed our hotel - Fondo Vela (again we were glad for the 4x4 as it was tough to get there). It was beautiful, peaceful and the rooms were very nice. We also enjoyed St Elena and Taco Taco restaurant there. We wished we had more time to spend there as it was a very beautiful area with just the right amount of tourist action (didn't feel over touristy).

Our hotel in La Fortuna was nice - it was right off the main road through Fortuna so it was a little underwhelming location wise....but the grounds were pretty and they had a nicely maintained pool and we at at Puira, the adjacent restaurant which was very good. It'd a nice view of the volcano. Fortuna is very touristy feeling - more so than Monteverde and St Elena - but we still enjoyed it. Put your guide Kenneth and driver Roy were fantastic for our La Fortuna waterfall guided hike and the hanging bridges (again we were wishing that we'd had these activities scheduled in the morning as it down poured through out our hanging bridges tour (we consequently didn't see much and we were soaked thru), but it was interesting to be in the middle of the rainforest in the middle of torrential rain so our guides helped us make the best of it. We also thoroughly enjoyed the chocolate and coffee tour while in Fortuna at Don Juan (our guide Yen was very knowledgeable and it was a great tour). We also did our own hike at Arenal Volcano National Park (nice views and easy hiking, pricey entrance fee though for our family of four). Lake Arenal is really pretty and we were once again grateful for the car as we took our time as we drive toward Bijagua, and stopped a few places along the drive around the lake. Unfortunately our son left his iPad at the hotel (Arenal History Inn) in La Fortuna so we had to make the drive twice to go back and get it (I messaged Fio and Nancy thru KimKim and they very wonderfully made the connection with the hotel management to help us get the iPad back from the hotel room he had stayed in). They definitely went above and beyond to assist and it was comforting to feel that they had our backs if something came up that we needed some help with.

Bijagua was very peaceful and felt very authentic- not very touristy. Our tour guide, Freddie, on our Rio Celeste hike was also very skilled at locating animals and spotting things in the jungle including some varieties of beautiful birds and a tapir! We all noted that many of these hikes can be done without guides, but the guides do offer a significant benefit to seeing all sorts of wild creatures and have so much knowledge to offer so it really was worth it to go with guides. We loved our bed and breakfast accommodations in Bijagua - Sueno Rio Celeste (the owners - Marci and Bryant were so hospitable and kind - they recently purchased the Inn but had many valuable suggestions for us including a visit to a jaguar sanctuary about 30 min drive away). If they hadn't told me they'd only been there less than a year, I never would've guessed with how seamlessly they ran the B&B and the wonderful wealth of knowledge they had to share about the area. The grounds are gorgeous - I did yoga and qigong on their newly built yoga deck and was surrounded by monkeys and birds and lovely jungle views. It was so peaceful and another place we wished we had more time.

Our last full day in Costa Rica we spent driving to and exploring Tamarindo - it was very busy and lots of beach/surfer action and tourists. We are at Ocean right on the beach which was nice. Our hotel and overall experience of Tamarindo was underwhelming- our hotel Pasatiempo was just okay - the pool area was nice and the beds were comfortable, but there was bass thumping and music from adjacent bars into the very early hours - lots of partying and tourists which is what some want, but it's not our scene so we were left underwhelmed by Tamarindo. We did thoroughly enjoy our Turtle Night Viewing Tour with Reynolds and Bernie. They drove us to the National Park/protected beach at sunset and filled us with an exceptional amount of information about turtles in our way there. This was our absolute favorite part activity/tour in Costa Rica - they guided us on the dark beach with red lights only and we witnessed baby turtles hatching and several turtles coming out of the water in various stages of digging and prepping their nests for laying eggs. We even saw one turtle laying eggs. It was amazing and a must do activity (but it seemed that having a knowledgeable guide was essential - Bernie and Reynolds seemed to know much more than many of the other guides and so our experience was better - we were the only group to see the turtle lay eggs - the others had all left before this occurred...we felt very fortunate to have Bernie and Reynolds as our guides). Our turtle experience is something none of us will ever forget! Pura Vida!

Overall our trip was fantastic and it was very helpful to use KimKim and have Fio and Nancy's assistance. It was a memorable trip for sure and we appreciated the hassle free planning and organization from Fio.

We experienced a 6 day 5 night holiday with Olman's planning. It was perfect. All transports were perfect. Most were private. The ones that werent were small group. We did not pack light because of extension of cruise at the end. The transport across Arenal lake was a bit of a effort lugging suitcases across muddy embankment but the lake approach to Arenal was fabulous and the first view of volcanoe was truly special. Recommend packing light! We had asked for nature and animals and we got to see all. The hotel choices were all perfect. Thankyou to all who made this trip memoriable. A slight change in itinery was adjusted and we were well taken care of. Advised to check emails last and first thing of the day in case adjustments have been made by the company and an earlier pickup than scheduled has been planned. Would recommend KimKim travel. We have travelled extensively and we were very impressed.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Ficus

Monteverde Costa Rica

Close to restaurants and small mall. Beautiful grounds comfortable rooms. Traffic noise in early morning but because of Monteverde's hilly geography it was hard to avoid.

Authenticity & Character

Nice wood. Clean and comfortable.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Los Lagos Spa & Resort

Fortuna

Our room was at the top of the hill facing the mountsin. Lots of wildlife right outside our door. Staff were so kind. Bathroim a bit dated but bed was comfortable and clean. Has it's own hotsprings.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Need a car or rely on cabs to go to other restaurants.

Staff

My cleaning lady was so helpful. She found me a needle and thread to sew my back pack.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Buena Vista Chic Hotel

Alajuela

Beautiful authentic hotel close to airport but in the hills looking over san Jose. Room was lovely!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to airport.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Night Excursion at the Wildlife Refuge in Monteverde

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Selvatura Park Self-Guided Hanging Bridges & Zip Lining

Monteverde

The ziplines were top notch. Quite an exelerating experience. Need to be somewhat fit.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The team was very accommodating. We were traveling with our adult children and two grandchildren under three. They helped us know what was suitable for the various interests and abilities. When we requested a last minute change they were able to do that or without any issues. Travel provided by the Three Monkeys was exceptional and drivers accommodated extra stops when asked. We were able to get groceries on the way to our villas from the airport! I would highly recommend using this site to plan a trip to Costa Rica.

Randall with Kim Kim was great. Everything went splendidly! All the guides were great! One in particular was Rebecca from Canoe Adventura on our Cano Negro river trip

Hotel Reviews

Gran Hotel Costa Rica

San José

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arenal Springs Resort & Spa

Fortuna

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

El Establo Mountain Hotel

Monteverde

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Arenal Volcano Hike & Baldi Hot Springs & Dinner

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Volcano - Unique Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge Boat Trip

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hiking Waterfalls & River Swimming in La Fortuna

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Twilight Hike in the Cloud Forest

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanging Bridges at Selvatura Park

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coffee, Chocolate and Sugar Cane Experience

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transport

We recently traveled to Costa Rico with the the help of Kim-Kim. It was ‘nothing short of exceptional’. Sergio, our local contact, had the perfect suggestions based on our objectives. The accommodations were excellent, transports ( all 6 of them) were safe and never one minute late. The tour guides chosen for us were exceptional, knowledgeable and reliable. The logistics team, provided by Charlotte and Nancy, were tremendous. Throughout the entire process, all questions were answered promptly and not one detail was overlooked. In the future, we will use Kim-Kim for all of our travel needs.

Hotel Review

Bosque del Cabo Rain Forest Lodge

Puerto Jimenez

Paradise. Absolutely beautiful spot overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The accommodations, staff and food were exceptional. We will go back!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Coffee & Chocolate Tour

Costa Rica

The coffee and chocolate tour was interesting and fascinating. The guide was exceptional.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

B

Transport

Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve Guided Hike

Monteverde

A beautiful place in the planet. Our guide was exceptional and without her, we wouldn’t have seen a thing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ni

Transport

We were skeptical at first, but We absolutely loved our experience using kimkim. I couldn't ask for a better specialist than Veronica to plan our Costa Rica adventure. She understood exactly what we were looking for, planned the ideal trip, and made herself available for phone calls and messages at all times.

We traveled with our 3-Year-Old. She loved the trip and especially the nature hikes and spotting wildlife and birds. The food was incredible. Nothing fancy but everything is so fresh, and a lot of attention is paid to preparation regardless of where you eat from Soda’s to the 4-star hotels. My wife is a vegetarian and she had plenty of options to choose from.

All our pickups were timely and all we had to do was show up and enjoy ourselves. Transportation between our destinations of La Fortuna, Monteverde, and Manuel Antonio were seamless.

I highly recommend Kim Kim; it made my life and trip so much easier!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Los Lagos Spa & Resort

Fortuna

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cala Lodge

Monteverde

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel San Bada Resort & Spa

Manuel Antonio

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Sloth Tour (Sloth Territory)

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Volcano Hiking Tour & Paradise Hot Springs

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Hanging Bridges & La Fortuna Waterfall Guided Hikes

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coffee, Chocolate and Sugar Cane Experience

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve Guided Hike

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Nature Hike

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Planning our trip with KimKim was easy from start to finish. I just let them know dates, desires of the family and a budget, and they did the rest!

Everything happened when and as planned. When there were little issues (the rental car was booked to be returned to the wrong location ) - they were immediately corrected with follow up emails to ensure that everything went well. I never had to wait longer than a day to reach anyone for non-urgent matters while on vacation, and we didn't have to contact them for any emergencies because there weren't any!

We started at Playa Hermosa, following a simple private transfer from the airport. Our stay at the Bosque Del Mar was great. We had a large ocean view room with a separate bedroom and large balcony. The food on site (additional) was relatively expensive but delicious, but the service was good and it was very quiet at night (except for the occasional howler monkey!). The kids loved the pool, the beach, and the full-size pool table in the lounge, where we enjoyed the 2-for-1 daily happy hour and great views from the second floor.

We went SCUBA diving for 3 days, leaving from Playas del Coco (15-minute drive from the hotel). We found the service at Deep Blue Diving to be quite good for a PADI-certified site. The equipment was maintained (few minor air leaks in the rental BCD's) and the dive masters and the boat captains were attentive and safe, including extra safety equipment and plenty of food and water on-board. Everything was on time with no delays. The dive sites had about 20-30 feet visibility with very calm surface conditions (minimal wind each day) and a great variety of underwater life.

While we were diving, our children stayed with their own local Serendipity guide, Juan Carlos. They loved hanging out with him especially because his family was in the area and he offered to bring his kids with him to play! He took them to the pools at the hotels and mini golfing! They also explored the local tide polls and raced hermit crabs on the beach. He kept them feed, sun-screened and very happy. He also chauffeured us around to diving and dinners as needed.

We were then delivered a rental car to our hotel (a new Toyota Rav4), which was a great car to have for the rest of our trip. The agent delivering the car noted that the drop-off location was for a different airport than our itinerary but this was quickly corrected. We drove to the Hacienda El Viejo, where we had a good lunch of local cuisine and then went on a private river boat excursion in the Palo Verde National Park. Our guide seemed a bit more interested in talking with the boat captain than with us during the exploration but we did see alligators, a Jesus Christ lizard, a variety of monkeys and many birds. When we got back to the hacienda our guide asked us to give him a ride home. While that was a bit unexpected it's understandable given the distance from the remote park to his home and that it was in-line with our next destination. We were happy to help, too, since the rural roads were not paved and some routes shown on Google Maps were closed or weren't the standard local way to navigate. As we drove him to a drop-off point to catch a bus he pointed out additional wildlife from the car that we wouldn't have otherwise known to look for.

Our final destination was the Arenal Manoa Hotel and Hot Springs. The switch from a relatively dry and sunny oceanside into a humid rainforest, and the many twisting mountain roads, made for an interesting 3-hour drive. Our room at the Manoa was beautifully appointed and situated at the back of the resort, surrounded by dense trees, flowers, and many, many birds. The room was large and was kept very clean throughout our stay; the maid even left little treats and towel sculptures for the kids each day. Our room was close to the restaurant and the regular pool, though a bit of a walk to the on-site hot springs at the front of the resort. Again, the food was quite expensive at the hotel, so we dined nearby in La Fortuna frequently. All the food, both at the hotel and in town, was genuinely excellent. There were always options for the kids, too.

Our first private excursion in Arenal was zip-lining at the Vista Arenal Adventure Park and this was a family favourite. The equipment was great with good fitting harnesses and each of our kids had their own guide, Daniel and Tiago, who did each zip line with them to control the speed and breaking. There were fourteen platforms high in the forest near the base of the volcano. We zoomed through the canopy and over a river with incredible views. The kids were never scared and loved the thrill of the ride. Our main guide, Isaac, was very informative and discussed the wildlife and vegetation that we saw.

After a break at the hotel we went to the Hanging Bridges, which is very beautiful, but unfortunately it rained very heavily and we couldn't enjoy this to its fullest. It was neat to experience a rainforest in its full, rainy state, but it was also rather cold and limited views. What we did see was very impressive with beautiful pathways through the jungle and lots of different birds. We even saw a pack of peccary (feral pigs) wandering about.

The next day we went spelunking at the Venado Caves; this was the kids' favourite activity! They were a bit nervous starting the walk though the river in the caves, but after passing through some tight crawl-throughs, they explored with enthusiasm. One of our headlamps ran out of batteries midway through the spelunking, which is a bit disconcerting, but with the larger group (there were 7 of us) it was OK. This excursion included a transfer from our hotel, but this wasn't really needed and we would have preferred to drive ourselves as we would have stopped for food on our way home.

Our next day, we lounged at the hotel to rest in the morning and hang out at the pools while enjoying oven roasted pizzas that were popular at the resort. Then, we were picked up by Callidryas Tours for a sloth viewing expedition. For this tour, you do need the guides driving because they search for sloths in the wild while driving the local streets! They have amazing eyes to pick them out of the trees and we stopped multiple times to view the sloths in their natural environment through telescopes. We were able to see both two toed and three toed sloths and also found moms and their babies!

On our final day, we chose to stop at the Centro de Rescate Las Pumas, a wildlife sanctuary and rehabilitation center between Arenal and the airport in Liberia. This was additional to our KimKim itinerary but we note it here because it was nice to see a few of the rarer local animals that we hadn't already encountered and to break up the drive for the kids. Plus, they're doing great work for the local animal populations. The car return was super easy, over in about 3 minutes followed by a 5-minute shuttle to the airport terminal, where we enjoyed a final meal before our flight.

Altogether this was a great trip, well-organized, well executed, and worry free. Thanks to everyone for helping us!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Bosque del Mar

Playa Hermosa

Our stay at the Bosque Del Mar was great. We had a large ocean view room with a separate bedroom and large balcony. The food on site (additional) was relatively expensive but delicious, but the service was good and it was very quiet at night (except for the occasional howler monkey!). The kids loved the pool, the beach, and the full-size pool table in the lounge, where we enjoyed the 2-for-1 daily happy hour and great views from the second floor.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Fantastic beach

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs

Fortuna

Our room at the Manoa was beautifully appointed and situated at the back of the resort, surrounded by dense trees, flowers, and many, many birds. The room was large and was kept very clean throughout our stay; the maid even left little treats and towel sculptures for the kids each day. Our room was close to the restaurant and the regular pool, though a bit of a walk to the on-site hot springs at the front of the resort. Again, the food was quite expensive at the hotel, so we dined nearby in La Fortuna frequently. All the food at the hotel was genuinely excellent. There were good options for the kids, too.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Great views of the volcano and close to La Fortuna

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Coastal SCUBA Diving in Northern Guanacaste

Costa Rica

We went SCUBA diving for 3 days, leaving from Playas del Coco (15-minute drive from the hotel). We found the service at Deep Blue Diving to be quite good for a PADI-certified site. The equipment was maintained (few minor air leaks in the rental BCD's) and the dive masters and the boat captains were attentive and safe, including extra safety equipment and plenty of food and water on-board. Everything was on time with no delays. The dive sites had about 20-30 feet visibility with very calm surface conditions (minimal wind each day) and a great variety of underwater life

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very attentive to safety

Transport

2 Tank Scuba Diving at the Catalina Islands

Costa Rica

Better visibility at this site as it is further from the beach areas and less sandy debris in the water. The wreck at Tortuga was small but amusing to see and had an eel living in it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very helpful with the gear organization and distributing water and pineapple during the breaks.

Transport

Palo Verde National Park Boat Exploration

Costa Rica

We drove to the Hacienda El Viejo, where we had a good lunch of local cuisine and then went on a private river boat excursion in the Palo Verde National Park. Our guide seemed a bit more interested in talking with the boat captain than with us during the exploration but we did see alligators, a Jesus Christ lizard, a variety of monkeys and many birds. When we got back to the hacienda our guide asked us to give him a ride home. While that was a bit unexpected it's understandable given the distance from the remote park to his home and that it was in-line with our next destination. We were happy to help, too, since the rural roads were not paved and some routes shown on Google Maps were closed or weren't the standard local way to navigate. As we drove him to a drop-off point to catch a bus he pointed out additional wildlife from the car that we wouldn't have otherwise known to look for.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Given that this was a private tour, I was expecting a bit more about the history of the Hacienda and the family or some more info about the surrounding vegetation and wildlife.

Transport

Private Canopy Tour

Arenal/La Fortuna

We had a private excursion at the Vista Arenal Adventure Park and this was a family favourite. The equipment was great with good fitting harnesses and each of our kids had their own guide, Daniel and Tiago, who did each zip line with them to control the speed and breaking. There were fourteen platforms high in the forest near the base of the volcano. We zoomed through the canopy and over a river with incredible views. The kids were never scared and loved the thrill of the ride. Our main guide, Isaac, was very informative and discussed the wildlife and vegetation that we saw.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Isaac was very conscientious of checking the harnesses and equipment of our kids (and us) at each platform to ensure safety. I was never concerned.

Transport

Venado Cave Spelunking & Exploring

Arenal/La Fortuna

This was the kids' favourite activity! They were a bit nervous starting the walk though the river in the caves, but after passing through some tight crawl-throughs, they explored with enthusiasm. One of our headlamps ran out of batteries midway through the spelunking, which is a bit disconcerting, but with the larger group (there were 7 of us) it was OK. This excursion included a transfer from our hotel, but this wasn't really needed and we would have preferred to drive ourselves as we would have stopped for food on our way home.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide was very informative about the limestones formations and fossils found in the cave

Transport

We could have driving ourselves and likely would have preferred this.

Sloth Observation - Day or Night Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

We were picked up by Callidryas Tours for a sloth viewing expedition. For this tour, you do need the guides driving because they search for sloths in the wild while driving the local streets! They have amazing eyes to pick them out of the trees and we stopped multiple times to view the sloths in their natural environment through telescopes. We were able to see both two toed and three toed sloths and also found moms and their babies!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Amazing driving while also picking our sloths!!!

Transport

My family and I had the most wonderful time in Costa Rica! Yuliana did a great job planning a week of activities and cities to visit. We loved our time there and can't wait to go back.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Trópico Latino

Cobano

This hotel was amazing for our family. We had comfortable beds, a huge bathroom and some of the best service I've ever received. The food is top notch and don't skip the mojitos, so good!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Koora Hotel at Monteverde

Monteverde

If you go to Monteverde, you must stay at Hotel Koora. The views, the staff and rooms are incredible.

Authenticity & Character

The rocking chairs, to the small gift they give you. It's an amazing place.

Location

The views are incredible.

Staff

They remembered our names and gave amazing service!

Cleanliness & Comfort

The beds are on the stiffer side but still an amazing room.

Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs

Fortuna

This hotel is on the older end, and you can see it in the decor and rooms. The hot springs pools were nice and swim up bar was fun.

Authenticity & Character

Pretty generic hotel, decor was on the older side.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Combo Zip Lining, Villa Maleku & La Fortuna Waterfall

Arenal/La Fortuna

The staff here was amazing and we had a blast zip lining!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amazing trip, every request we had made was achieved. Guided activities were worth their weight in gold! Stress free planning, everything just as described!

Hotel Reviews

Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs

Fortuna

Pool side bar 10/10, breakfast buffet 10/10, room service 10/10, afternoon coffee 10/10.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Riviera Hotel B&B

Heredia

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Poas Volcano Lodge

Vara Blanca

Property, service and food was all amazing!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bosque de Paz Reserva Biologica

Toro Amarillo

Family style meals were amazing, modest rooms with everything you need, a private waterfall and trails to hike, orchid garden, great service!

Authenticity & Character

They are doing a lot of the enviroment here!

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rio Celeste Hideaway Resort

Bijagua

Beautiful property, the best service we had on our trip, outdoor showers, hot tubs, swim up bar, great breakfast, dinner was amazing, even made suggestions to a local restaurant up the street which was the best meal we had in Costa Rica! Would live here if I could!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Mambo Combo: Canyoning and Rafting

Arenal/La Fortuna

Guide was attentive, friendly and knowledgeable! Meal provided was amazing! Facility clean, in time pick up!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

On time

Ecotermales Hotsprings

Costa Rica

Buffet was ok, drinks were good poolside, lockers and bathrooms clean and in a good location. Pools were clean, various temps for everyone’s comfort.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

River Tubing, Río Celeste

Bijagua / Rio Celeste

Our guide Óscar was knowledgeable and friendly, spoke English as well as I do! We had a wonderful time and got to swim, jump into the river and eat pineapple on the shore!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Oscar was the best!

Transport

On time, very clean vehicle

Rio Celeste & Tenorio Volcano Guided Rainforest Hike

Costa Rica

The guide (Oscar) was able to provide so much information in the animals, the land, the history that while the waterfall is beautiful, the details made the trip!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a great time! It was the perfect introductory trip. Yuliana was very responsive and flexible. All the guides were great and very knowledgeable.
Drivers were always prompt and courteous. We did have an issue with one vehicle but the driver handled the situation as well as he could.
Costa Rica is a beautiful country and the people are extremely friendly and helpful. The wildlife was incredible, and rainforest and beaches are beautiful.

Activity Reviews

Guided Hike in Arenal Volcano Park 1968

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coffee & Chocolate Tour

Arenal/La Fortuna

Informative. Fun to make chocolate bars!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kayak Adventure in the Arenal Lake

Arenal/La Fortuna

Guide had amazing eyesight as pointed out many birds.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Guided Hanging Bridges

Arenal/La Fortuna

Very knowledgeable guide who pointed out many interesting flora and fauna.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overall all, the experience with KimKim in planning our Costa Rican adventure was excellent! Jean Carlo was fairly attentive to our needs/requests and provided an itinerary that was close to that which we hoping for. I had hoped to stay in Tamarindo, but Samara was substituted because of availability, supposedly. We had requested a catamaran adventure. This was the most important element of our tour. What we ended up with was a tour boat, that motored out about an hour, stopped while we watched for dolphins and elusive whales, the motored back to a snorkeling reef, then back to shore. While this excursion was good, it was not the sailing adventure we we’re desperately hoping for.
The hotels we were booked into we fine. The staff in Fortuna and Monteverde were excellent. The staff at Samara was horrible! The two men that worked the desk were terribly unfriendly and appeared to hate there jobs. The only saving grace was the waitress/maid. She was very friendly and always smiling and singing.
The transportation was excellent! The drivers were very good, especially William who drove us from Samara to Liberia. All of the drivers were very safe and focused drivers, which was necessary due to the bad road conditions.
Marco, our guide for the hanging bridges and waterfalls in Fortuna was fantastic! His experience and keen eye made for great wildlife viewing. I so appreciated that he would use our phones to capture close-ups of the fauna! He is truly an asset and would highly recommend he and his company to other visitors.
The crew on the boat in Samara we very good, as well.
Another disappointment in the planning of our trip. One of the reasons I had requested being in Tamarindo, was it’s proximity to the Liberia airport. We had an afternoon departure and wanted to spend some time in the town of Liberia. Since we were booked into Samara the road trip took up more time. I had asked Jean Carlo if we could be dropped in town and then catch a taxi to the airport, on our own. He insisted that it was very far away. I know it’s only 7 miles, but considering how long it took to drive through other parts of the country I accepted that. I understood. However, as William was driving to the airport, he confirmed that the city was only 7 miles, a ten minute drive away. Instead, we were dropped and stuck at the airport for four hours. Security and check in only took 30 minutes. Had other arrangements been allowed, we would have had plenty of time to spend in Liberia.
Again, I will say that for the most part our experience with Jean Carlo and KimKim was excellent and I would certainly recommend your company to my friends.

Hotel Reviews

La Fortuna Downtown Boutique Hotel

La Fortuna San Carlos

The hotel is centrally located in Fortuna. I really didn’t find the street noise to be a problem. The staff was very friendly and helpful with recommendations. The rooms were fine. The photo of the pool is VERY descriptive. It’s more like a fountain in the courtyard between the rooms and the restaurant

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Monteverde Villa Lodge

Monteverde

Our little bungalow was very nice. The staff was amazing!!!!! I was sick in bed for 24 hours and the brought me water and tea, and check on me a couple of times.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It’s secluded a bit, in its own little jungle. About a mile walk into St Elena

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Sol Sámara

Sámara

The hotel is fine. The staff (minus the waitress/maid) were horrible. If they dislike the jobs so much they should find somewhere else to be!

Authenticity & Character

Location

It’s only a half a mile walk to the beach, but the town is quite a hike!

Staff

Get rid of the two men, they don’t want to be there, anyway!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Arenal Hanging Bridges Guided Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

The rain forest was everything I had hoped it would be!! Simply amazing! Our guide, Marco, made it even better. His experience and keen eye, really made the trip. He is so knowledgeable and friendly. He put our phones up to his scope so we could have close up photos of the wildlife!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

La Fortuna Waterfall Guided Hiking Tour

Arenal/La Fortuna

This is a very nice waterfall. It is 500 steps down to the bottom, but you can soak your feet for the 500 steps back up. Well worth it!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

OCEAN SAFARI 2 IN 1 (DOLPHINS SIGHTSEEING & SNORKELING BOAT)

Sámara

This was not the catamaran we had requested, but it was a nice trip. We saw several dolphins, but missed the whales. The snorkeling reef was loaded with so many beautiful fish!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We were only 1/2 mile away from the boat, we really didn’t need the transportation, but we didn’t know that at the time.

This is the first big trip that my wife and I have done in quite a while. Traveling to a new country was new for us and a little bit in our stretch zone. We heard about KimKim so my wife contacted them and they connected us with Sergio and the Serendipity Tours team. Sergio worked dynamically with my wife, discussing our goals for the trip which was to start on the Pacific Coast and to work our way across Costa Rica and end our trip on the Caribbean. The two of them spend weeks going back and forth until we were felt good about all of the many recommendation that Sergio made. Serendipity is an excellent name for the travel company because that is what we felt like at each turn of the bend as we made our way across Costa Rica experiencing the country and the amazing accommodations and destinations that Sergio arranged for us.

As we made our way across the country I kept saying to myself and to my wife, I have no idea how we would have done this without Sergio. It was an amazing experience. The planning of the trip was outstanding but the engagement of Sergio's team partner and the trip coordinator Charlotte was absolutely amazing. Working with Charlotte was like having a on demand administrative assistant with us through out the trip. Any consternations that we might have had traveling in a foreign land were assuaged constantly by the incredible accessibility that we had with Charlotte thought-out the 3 weeks.
At times we truly felt like we had to pinch ourselves to make sure what we were experiencing was real. We are so appreciative of her support throughout the trip.

Regarding Costa Rica - the people are amazing, the country is drop dead gorgeous and the wild life is incredible. Pura Vida.

When we were starting to look into a 20 day trip to Costa Rica, a friend recommended we check out kimkim. That was the beginning of our amazing coast to coast adventure in Costa Rica! Kimkim connected me to Sergio, one of the local specialists with Serendipity Tours. Sergio spent a lot of time getting to know us...what we like to do and what we're looking for, our age & level of fitness and adventure, the length of stay, etc. Without his expertise and knowledge, we wouldn't have been able to come up with and coordinate the many places and excursions along the way. It took a few weeks of going back and forth to refine the itinerary as best we could. We were in constant communication. Working with Sergio eliminated much of the stress associated with exploring another country. He suggested places to visit, selected the hotels, arranged the excursions including transportation, booked the rental car, and offered many restaurant recommendations throughout our stay.

After we booked the trip, Sergio sent us preparation & packing tips, which were incredibly helpful. Even though plans were in place, we could still modify & adjust if necessary.

From the time we arrived at the airport, we felt as if we had a personal guide just a whatsapp call or text away! Once we arrived in Costa Rica, we could contact Charlotte with Serendipity pretty much 24/7 if necessary. She was our logisitics coordinator and was always available in a pinch; for instance, if we had to reschedule or cancel an excursion, if our pickup was late, she would call on our behalf, if we were running late, she would contact the transport company. We could reach out with questions about tipping our drivers and guides, and any other issues that might arise.

Because of the many places we were going, Sergio recommended that we rent a car and drive everywhere. That was definitely part of the adventure and we enjoyed the breathtaking views along every bend of the road (and there are many bends and switchbacks!). The trip exceeded our expectations and we are grateful for the team of Sergio, Nancy and Charlotte who attended to us for these many months!

Hotel Reviews

Amor Arenal

La Fortuna, San Carlos

One of the most beautiful places to stay! A place to feel pampered & peaceful. The design of the individual casitas incorporated into the lush foliage and rainforest landscape is amazing. The restaurant is outstanding and sits at the foothills of the Arenal Volcano; the views are spectacular.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The staff was over the top in every way! They couldn't do enough and anticipated our every need. We felt like we were leaving family by the time we had to depart!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Santarena Hotel at Las Catalinas

Las Catalinas

Beautiful hotel and location right on the gulf. When you're there, you feel as if you've been transported to the Mediterranean coast! The restaurant was excellent; breakfast was included daily and we had a few dinners there as well.

Authenticity & Character

Las Catalinas is very different than other areas. It's totally self-contained and the architecture has a whole different feel. It's built into the mountains and very beautiful; it doesn't have a local feel if that's what you're looking for.

Location

Beachfront location. Walkable to restaurants in addition to the hotel's. Beautiful hiking trails along the coast.

Staff

Fantastic service; everyone was incredibly attentive, friendly and responsive!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fonda Vela Hotel

Monteverde

Nice location in the cloud forest. The room was lovely. Unfortunately, the steep road up to the hotel was filled with many potholes which made it difficult to navigate, especially at night. We found that the restaurant was understaffed at breakfast, which created issues with pickup times.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Most of the staff was attentive and responsive to our needs and requests.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hacienda La Esperanza, Boutique Coffee Farm House

Cartago

This is a small hotel (real feel is a b & b). We loved the intimacy and feel of being in the home/hacienda of a local family. And we felt warmly welcomed by the staff. The hacienda sits above the small town of Aquiares and the views are spectacular! A delicious breakfast was included daily, but we were pleasantly surprised by the 5 star dinners that were optional, but available daily! We decided to take advantage of the chef's amazing cuisine!

Authenticity & Character

We loved the local flavor and experience. This is the hacienda of the families that own the coffee farm. It's furnishings, artwork, accessories have pesonality. The views and gardens are magnificent; we dined outdoors when we could.

Location

Staff

The staff was so welcoming, friendly and accomodating! They made it feel very special during our stay.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Laguna Lodge

Tortuguero

Rustic cabins in a beautiful location. The pool area was beautiful. All meals were served buffet style at the hotel and the food was very good. Bathrooms could use some updating and hot water in the sinks.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Banana Azul

Limón, Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

We had a great stay at this beachfront resort. It was very close to Puerto Viejo & other beaches, yet in a private & secluded location. We loved the relaxed & casual vibe; the restaurant served breakfast, lunch & dinner. During the day, you could sit at the beach and get served if you wanted. The hotel was beautifully designed and thoughtfully integrated into the lush foliage & landscaping of the grounds.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to town, but located in a quiet location.

Staff

Every staff member was fantastic...from the first person who welcomed and oriented us, the housekeeping staff, to everyone who worked in the restaurant. They were amazingly attentive and responsive.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Studio Hotel

San José

We stayed for one night at the end of our trip. The hotel was very comfortable and we enjoyed all the unique artwork and artifacts. Rooms were nicely furnished and very clean.

Authenticity & Character

Location

We needed to get to the airport in the morning, so this was a good location.

Staff

The staff was very helpful addressing any of our needs. The restaurant staff was amazing; I was sick upon arrival and they prepared chicken soup!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Sunset Catamaran Sailing Tour

Costa Rica

Catamaran was beautiful, clean & well maintained. We were expecting to sail on this excursion (it is titled 'Sunset Sailing Tour'), but unfortunately, the sails could not be raised due to mechanical issues, so we had to motor the whole way. We didn't find this out until we were on the boat. The other disappointing issue was that it turned out to be a 'party boat' because of crowd and the unlimited drinks/alcohol that were being served. The sunset part of the excursion was lovely, but I would prefer a less roudy group if doing an excursion like this again.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our driver was great, the staff on the boat were outstanding.

Transport

Treetopia Tram & Hanging Bridges

Monteverde

Handging bridges hike was fabulous; the guide was exceptional and very knowledgeable. He pointed out things we would have never noticed on our own. We learned about the cloud forest and were introduced to the flora and fauna. We even saw a quetzal! It was raining and cloudy, so the tram ride was disappointing because we couldn't see much along the way. We stopped at the top and had delicious hot chocolate.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

El Tigre Waterfalls Exploration

Monteverde

Beautiful hike with many hanging bridges and waterfalls. Lots of wildlife that our guide pointed out. We took horses back up the mountain at the end.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanging Bridges and La Fortuna Waterfall Guided Hike

Arenal/La Fortuna

Outstanding experience! Such a beautiful hike along the bridges and then to the waterfall. We had an unexpected treat and had lunch at a local soda in La Fortuna.

Quality of Experience

Food

We had a traditional Costa Rican lunch and it was delicious! We were treated like special guests at the restaurant!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide and driver were both fantastic!

Transport

Safari Float on the Peñas Blancas River

Arenal/La Fortuna

Delightful rafting/floating along the river which was filled with so much wildlife that our guide pointed out continually.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Enjoy the Thermal Hotsprings at your hotel

Arenal/La Fortuna

There were no thermal hotsprings at the hotel we stayed at. The hotel was

Hike Turrialba Volcano

Turrialba

This was an incredible experience starting with the breathtaking ride up the mountain! We had a fabulous hike with our guide; we were the only two in the tour, and we thoroughly enjoyed the intimate nature of this excursion:)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The tour guide was terrific; she was highly engaged throughout our time together, wanted to get to know us and we forged a friendship by the time things wrapped up.

Guided Boat Excursion Through the Tortuguero Canals

Tortuguero

Our guide and captain guided us through the canals pointing out so many birds and wildlife. Even though it was pouring rain, we had a great experience and also learned about the history of the area along with the flora and its unique characteristics.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploring the Underwater Wonders of Cahuita National Park

Costa Rica

Unfortunately, we weren't able to snorkel due to the currents & rip tides in the Caribbean. So, the excursion was modified and we took a boat out to the furthest most part of the park so we could hike back through the jungle along the beach. It was an easy & enjoyable hike and our guide kept us engaged as we spotted white faced and howler monkeys and sloths, along with other wildlife. There were some beautiful beaches along the way where the water was calm and inviting.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We enjoyed an amazing family vacation organized into the finest details by Jessica. At first I was a bit hesitant to book a fully organized t trip, no rental car, limited flexibility… but I have totally come back from that. Jessica put a fabulous itinerary together and organized hotels and transport for us. This was easiest the most stress free holiday we have ever had. Our 2 kids were very happy and picked up quite a bit of Spanish from the friendly drivers and staff. We saw interesting wildlife everywhere, hotels were value for modern. All in all an awesome job by Jessica! Thank you so much!!

We are 4 older ladies, fit and ready for a full-on, active 16 day vacation in Costa Rica. Sergio, our local specialist planned a great experience from beginning to end! Any questions we had were answered promptly and we always felt secure knowing we were never alone to try to sort things out by ourselves.
When our plane was delayed, Sergio made sure our transportation was taken care of at midnight to go to our B&B. The B&B was notified as well and it was a seamless transition from the airport to the B&B. He also notified the Car Rental place about picking up the car a day later than expected. When we arrived the car was ready for us.
All the hotels that were selected for us were AMAZING! Beyond what could have expected! Breakfast was included everyplace we stayed and they were all excellent!
Our itinerary was packed with activities. Transportation picked us up at our hotels promptly, and we had excellent and attentive guides. Most of our activities included pineapple and watermelon snacks and some meals were included, even though we didn't expect them. Oh, and by the way, they were great meals, in local Costa Rican eateries!
Here are some of the activities we enjoyed:
Puerto Viejo:
Hiking at Cahuita National Park with Tito. Without our guide we never would have seen all the animals or heard all the amazing stories about the animals, reptiles and insects in the national park.
We took an Afro-Caribbean Cooking class with Glenda in her outdoor kitchen. What a delight that was. We got to chop and dice and learn about roots, fruits and vegetables we had never heard of before. We made a a delicious fish soup, Ron Don, that is native to Costa Rica. With Caribbean music playing, we ate too much, but finished our meal with coconut ice cream topped with chocolate! Yum!!
The next day we enjoyed kayaking with Rofo. Even though it was raining, we had fun hearing his stories, as we paddled a river into the jungle.
Arenal/La Fortuna:
We enjoyed the Hanging Bridges walk and did what we weren't sure we could do, we walked to the bottom of the La Fortuna Waterfall...500 steps down, took a dip in the fresh water and walked 500 steps up! Whew...we made it!! The thermal springs at our hotel felt wonderful after our morning adventure.
One of our favorite activities was the class III-IV White Water Rafting on the Sarapiqui River. Momo was our guide. He made us laugh and kept us safe and called us "Chicas"! He'd yell instructions and we did whatever we were told. We had a fantastic ride down the river. No one fell out of the raft and we'll never forget his instructions, "Chicas, look at me"!
Monteverde:
Our next adventure was with 100% Adventura Zip Line. The longest in Latin America. Yes, zip lining was amazing, but the Tarzan jump at the end is what most people talk about. The question that everyone asks is..."Did you do it?" It's not for the faint of heart, but everyone of us did it!!! 4 older ladies. Until now I haven't revealed our ages...but I will.
That evening we went on a Coffee/Chocolate night hike through the jungle. Alex as our tour guide and we learned things we never knew before. It was kind-of scary at night. We got to see some nocturnal animals on the hike.
Taylor was our guide through the Santa Elena Cloud Forest. Although the forest was only 40 years old, it looked like it had been there since Adam and Eve. It was a nice hike, we crossed the continental divide, saw animals that live at higher altitudes and made our way back to our hotel to lounge in the hot tub and pool and enjoy an afternoon Bloody Mary.
Manuel Antonio:
We enjoyed a 25 mile, mostly off-road experience with Real Adventure ATVs. Kevin was our guide. He was very serious about safety, which was much appreciated! It was a great, long ride. We rode through palm oil groves, little streams, up mountains and to a pretty waterfall. We stopped, got in the water and continued even higher to see the view of the ocean and the valley below. The meal after the ride, was fantastic, rice, beans and chicken in a yummy sauce!
Our final activity was a Catamaran Ride. Drinks and a meal were included along with snorkeling, jumping off the highest deck of the catamaran into the water, and sliding down a slide, like a kid. For a group of women 72 to 74, we had a great time. Thank you Sergio, thank you KimKim!! We'll be working with you on next year's trip!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Los Lagos Spa & Resort

Fortuna

We four ladies were amazed with the rooms we were assigned. They were spacious, contemporary and the beds (very important) were very comfortable. We really enjoyed the plentiful , diverse selection in the dining hall and the fact that they opened early enough for us to be ready for our early pickups. We also appreciated that we were on the lowest level of the resort.. The roads to the top of the resort are very steep. It's one thing to hike them for exercise but quite another to do it after a long day of adventure. There was a shuttle but we were thankful to be on our lower level No shuttle required!

Authenticity & Character

Everything

Location

Away from town but close enough to drive to everything

Staff

Friendly, thorough and accommodating

Cleanliness & Comfort

Le Cameleon Boutique Hotel

Puerto Viejo

We loved this accommodation. We arrived late on Valentines Day and wanted to eat at our dining restaurant but we had no reservation..No worries the maitre'd quickly assembled a table and four tired travelers had a wonderful dinner. The hotel is right on the beach and offered more things to do than we had time for. We loved the all white rooms (even the tv hardware was white) with the colors coming from the art on the walls. Two bathrooms in each room was a delightful surprise. All in all a great experience!

Authenticity & Character

The cool beach vibe

Location

Close to everything but not right downtown.

Staff

Did everything right

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hard to keep an all white room clean looking but they did!

La Riviera Hotel B&B

Heredia

We got in late after a very long day. The beds were good and the breakfast was really nice with great coffee. We left right after breakfast so our stay was short ans sweet1

Authenticity & Character

Location

Nothing It was just a room to stay in while we arranged for our car and headed to the other side of the country

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel & Spa Poco a Poco

Monteverde Costa Rica

After our last two accommodations we thought this was a little step down..But after a day or so we realized this hotel offered a lot for this area. The dining room had great order from the menu meals, both dinner and breakfast. The temperature was such that the hotel had neither airconditioning or heat and didn't need it. And we especially appreciated the welcoming fruit drink given us at checkin.

Authenticity & Character

The tv's should be up graded and not enough closet space for two people sharing space.

Location

Close to everything

Staff

Friendly and accommodating. We especially liked the restaurant staff.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Costa Verde

Manuel Antonio

Our KimKim travel group really out did themselves when they saved this last hotel for us. WE were delighted and amazed that our last stop on our trip was the creme de la creme. We had a villa with four sleep spaces and four bathrooms,a kitchen and full length patio.Wow Multiple pools were on the property and monkeys and iguanas were seen daily. Even the hard to find sloth was seen at this our last stop. The kitchen staff(in particular Werner) made our dining experience a delight!

Authenticity & Character

Spacious villa spectacular grounds and friendly helpful staff!

Location

close to the ocean but high enough to not be too hot

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Had everything we needed

Hampton Inn & Suites San Jose Airport

Alajuela

Clean, friendly and close to airport. Shuttle service was every 15 minutes. Great breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Enjoy the Thermal Hotsprings at your hotel

Arenal/La Fortuna

After a hike and see La Fortuna Waterfall we came back to the hotel and enjoy the Thermal hot springs. It was wonderful so many pools and the design of them unbelievable very well done. The hotel it's huge and the views of the Volcano amazing. I love your country!!!

Quality of Experience

For more than expected

Guides, Drivers and Staff

All of them very kind and attentive and some funny and good looking too

Transport

All very kind and punctual

White Water Rafting on the Sarapiquí River, Class III - IV

Arenal/La Fortuna

OMG I was so afraid. It was my first. But Momo our guide was amazing. I highly recommend him. He is attentive, careful and he is so much fun. Me over 70's I felt secure and Momo made me fell safe and us 4 old ladies laugh and laugh with him. When he wanted our attention call us " chicas look at me" I had my greatest time of my life.

Quality of Experience

Speechless , the best!!!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

They are so kind and helpful

Transport

Same wonderful all the time on time

We had a fabulous time in Costa Rica, and really appreciated the planning help we received from Nuria. We particularly loved Sunset Lodge in Drake Bay, and the guided trip in Corcovado National Park. In Manuel Antonio, our lodging at Hotel San Bada was a wonderful location just steps from the park entrance and a short walk to the beach. Our night hikes were amazing, and we were happy with the choice to not use a guide inside Manuel Antonio NP. There were so many guides around that we didn't feel like we missed anything.
Kimkim and our specialist Nuria were really helpful to us. I think the Corcovado region in particular would have been difficult to plan and navigate without inside knowledge.
I will say, however, that we learned a bit about ourselves while planning. In general, we like to make decisions based on value. The Kimkim system didn't allow us to do that since prices of individual activities and expenses aren't shared, and we found that to be a bit difficult. Whether or not we want to do something is often balanced with the cost tradeoff in a typical situation. With Kimkim, we didn't know the relative prices of trip components, so when it came time to trim or change, it was difficult. Ultimately, that has to do with our own travel and decision-making style, not a flaw with Kimkim.
The trip was amazing and everything came together without a hitch. All car pick ups and drop offs; boat transfers; activities; shuttles; etc. went smoothly. Thank you!

Hotel Reviews

Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, San Jose Aeropuerto

San José

This hotel was perfectly fine for what we needed. Nothing too fancy, but comfortable. A great place to stay before a flight.

Authenticity & Character

Kind of a chain/corporate feel, but fine.

Location

Near airport

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel San Bada Resort & Spa

Manuel Antonio

Excellent location right near entrance to Manuel Antonio NP. Comfortable room facing the ocean was great for early morning bird watching and howler monkey listening. Included breakfast was an excellent buffet.

Authenticity & Character

Location

right near national park; no need to drive

Staff

friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sunset Lodge

Drake

This place is absolutely beautiful and the hosts were wonderfully kind and friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

beautiful views

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Corcovado National Park Hike - Estación Sirena

Costa Rica

This was really a high adventure. We left Drake Bay very early in the morning (before 6am) via boat transfer to arrive as early as possible at the national park. Our guide was excellent and we saw some amazing animals including tapirs, spider monkeys, howler monkeys and more.

Quality of Experience

Food

We preordered restaurant lunch with our tour group in the morning and then when we returned to Drake Bay we all went to lunch together. It wasn't my favorite meal, but it was fine.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coffee Experience and Nighttime Nature Walk

Monteverde

This was excellent. The coffee and chocolate portions of the tour exceeded expectations and were really fun and engaging. The night walk was great! We saw lots of wildlife including kinkajous and vipers. We also enjoyed the gift shop.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hanging Bridges

Monteverde

We did the self-guided trip to hanging bridges and really enjoyed it. It was nice to just listen to the birds and enjoy the quiet as we walked through the canopy. We didn't see lots of wildlife, but really enjoyed the experience.

Quality of Experience

Manuel Antonio Jungle Night Walk

Manuel Antonio

This was really fun! We had a private guide and he was really informative and great at spotting frogs, insects, snakes, etc. He was less interested in mammals, but we did see 2-toed and 3-toed sloths. He was really great with his spotting scope also and took photos with our phones through the lens for us, which was pretty cool.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Snorkeling at Isla del Caño Biological Reserve

Drake Bay

This was so fun! We joined a small group on a catamaran for a morning of snorkeling and playing off the boat, with lunch included. The snorkeling was guided and we were tightly monitored and kept in a group. I hadn't experienced that before on a snorkeling trip, but it worked out. We saw a huge stingray, several turtles, and lots of fish. The visibility was ok, not amazing, but we all had a great day. We also saw turtles and dolphins from the boat.

Quality of Experience

Food

Lunch was served on the boat and was tasty

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Took a chance on KimKim and it was a wonderful experience. From the very beginning, Sergio, from Serendipity Tours, took what we could and couldn't do into consideration. A little worried about being 65, long hikes and heights. Ends up we could do everything and it was an unforgettable trip. They took care of everything and took care of us. We did have to contact them a couple of times to confirm times and them got back to us quickly. They even changed the time of the car drop off in San Jose when our flight time changed.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Costa Verde

Manuel Antonio

From the moment the door to our room opened, and I gasped, I knew we were just maybe in the best room at the hotel. The large room looked out on the ocean and sunsets every night. Gorgeous.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Balmoral

San José

This is a tough one. Our room didn't have a window, or it had one which looked like you were in a basement apartment with the glass frosted over. And no hot water. Yes, we let it run. But the location was great and we were only there one night. Therefor the three star rating, versus one star.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Los Lagos Spa & Resort

Fortuna

A gorgeous hotel to stay at during our first nights in Costa Rica. We enjoyed the hot springs, location, and the pools. The breakfast was amazing, as were the staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Sunset Cruise with Wine & Cheese on Lake Arenal

Arenal/La Fortuna

Lots of fun, and there were very few of us on the boat. I think that allowed for learning how to make some signature Costa Rican drinks and learn the merengue. We were lucky to have a full moon over the Arenal volcano.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Catamaran Adventure from Manuel Antonio

Costa Rica

I should have done my homework on this one. I imagined a smaller group and this was a party boat. 120 on board a ship that could take 200. My partner did get to snorkel, though I stayed on board. One of the best pictures of the trip was taken aboard this boat though at sunset.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Asis Wildlife Rescue Center, Feeding Tour

Arenal/La Fortuna

An informative tour and getting to prepare their food was fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Nature Safari Float and Tortilla Making

Arenal/La Fortuna

Very nice being the only two people on board the float. A great informative guide. The tortilla making was fun, as were the hair nets and aprons.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to Maleku Indigenous Reserve

Arenal/La Fortuna

Only two in our group again. It was informative and we were able to pick up some lovely artwork for home. A walk through the jungle (wear bug repellent) to discuss the medicinal plants. Entertainment, which we got to take part in. We also shot arrows and had lunch. They very sweetly had prepared to pieces with our names on them which they gave to us. A lovely visit.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sky Adventures Tram, Hanging Bridges and Arboreal Tree Climbing

Monteverde

I was terrified. Especially as the wind was howling the night before. It was one an experience I'll never forget. The hanging bridges were incredible, including the monkeys (and the monkey poo I ran my hand through, yuk). The sky tram was a piece of cake after the bridges. The viewed amazing. We peeked in on tarantulas, and saw sloths as well. My partner climbed the 30 meter tree and rang the bell. Very proud of him!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sloth Observation - Day or Night Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

Just the two of us and a guide for this walk. We spotted sloth and frogs, and other wildlife.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Self drive from {{start_location}} to {{end_location}}

Costa Rica

Stopped at the Rio Grande bridge to look over at the crocodiles. Huge, prehistoric.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Manuel Antonio

Get a guide. We saw more with a guide than the solo visitors who would listen in. Having someone to locate, zoom in with their telescope, and take pictures for you was amazing. Very informative and easy hike.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Damas Island Boat Tour

Manuel Antonio

Loved our guide. Very nimble and entertaining, he climbed over the mandrake roots to point out the wildlife. It was very enjoyable. I think Tolkien must have seen the mandrake groves when he created the Ents.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My wife and I had (both early 60's and fairly fit) had a truly wonderful and memorable trip to Costa Rica. I usually plan my own trips, but since this was kind of last minute, I left all the planning to Kim Kim and kept my fingers crossed. They put me in touch with their local specialist, Nuria, who did a great job tailoring the trip to what was important to us. Our tours and transportation were totally private (a wonderful splurge). All guides and drivers were super friendly, prompt, and knowledgeable; but a special shout out to Jacamar Naturalist Tours. These guys were 5 star! With 9 days of tours, and transportation to 3 towns and airports it was incredible that their was only one very minor glitch the entire trip (no biggie). We hiked to volcanos and waterfalls, saw wildlife that we wouldn't have noticed without the guides' knowledge and telescopic equipment, zip-lined, bungee jumped, rode horses, relaxed in Tabacon's hot springs, did a cooking class, a coffee/chocolate tour, and a city tour of San Jose. Nuria even went above and beyond by reserving a few restaurants for us. Accommodations: Finca Paraiso Mtn Retreat in the hills outside San Jose is an absolute 5 star gem. Their property and views are sublime. Tabacon Spa and Resort is also 5 star all the way. Our 3rd hotel, Hotel Senda in Monteverde is a bit more complicated. The service level is 5 star, but the rooms and the property landscaping is just 3 star. Having said that, we did really enjoy our time at Hotel Senda. Staff is very friendly and helpful, free laundry!, free snacks and beverages from the mini bar, hot water bottles left during turndown to warm your bed, etc. . Some nice touches. All in all, we loved our time in Costa Rica and would certainly recommend KimKim and Nuria. Pura Vida!