Kimkim Trip Reviews for Costa Rica

Excellent service provided by partners even with a few hiccups along the way. Wish we could have stayed longer!!!

Hotel Reviews

Arenal Springs Resort & Spa

Fortuna

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Costa Verde

Manuel Antonio

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Riviera Hotel B&B

Heredia

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Lookout Tram, Ziplines, & Hanging Bridges Combination Adventure

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chocolate Factory Tour in Rainforest Chocolate Tour.

Arenal/La Fortuna

Sukia Nighttime Nature Walk

Manuel Antonio

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Manuel Antonio National Park

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

San José Explorer City Tour

San José

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

La Fortuna Waterfall visit

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ecotermales Hotsprings

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

When we chose Costa Rica as our honeymoon destination, we didn’t know that we would have the trip of a lifetime! From the first day to the last, Green World Adventures planned a fantastic trip for us! From a private rafting and bird watching tour to meeting people from different countries joining us on coffee and chocolate tour—each day unfolded into something special.

Every hotel we stayed at was a great experience, and they all were generous in surprising us with honeymoon champagne and chocolates. We want to visit again soon!

Hotel Reviews

Parador Nature Resort & Spa

Manuel Antonio

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

El Establo Mountain Hotel

Monteverde

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Volcano Lodge, Hotel & Thermal Experience

San Carlos, Alajuela

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, San Jose Aeropuerto

San José

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Transfer San José to Arenal with Safari Float in Sarapiqui River.

San José

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Volcano Hike & Tabacon Hot Springs & Meal

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Night Walk Tour

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sloth & Bird Hike

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Río Celeste & Tenorio Volcano National Park Guided Rainforest Hike

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coffee & Chocolate Tour

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve Guided Hike

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ocean Kayaking & Snorkeling

Manuel Antonio

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Can't express enough of how wonderful Sergio was in helping us plan our trip. Sergio easy to contact and there to answer all our silly questions and make changes when needed. He was even available during our trip and after we returned home. I will be returning to Costa Rica and will defiantly be using Sergio to help with planning. EVERYTHING was taken care of and we had zero issues. Best trip of my life.

Thank again!
Audrea Hiatt

Hotel Reviews

Hotel & Spa Poco a Poco

Monteverde Costa Rica

Did not like walking up 4 floors to our room. Other then that the staff was nice and hotel was walking distance to the town. Food and shops were great as well.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lots of floors to walk up.

Hotel Costa Verde

Manuel Antonio

Beautiful hotel, great views(pool, patio, ect), nice staff, town foods and shopping are over priced. Walking distance to the beach.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Super super hard bed. Rooms are beautiful and big with small kitchen though.

Hotel Balmoral

San José

Okay hotel but didn't like San Jose. Had free breakfast and staff was friendly. A/C didn't work in our room the first night.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Luna Hotel & Spa

La Fortuna

AMAZING!!! AMAZING!!! AMAZING!!!! Beautiful hotel and staff. Everyone went above and beyond to make our stay one to remember. Can't wait to go back. Loved the town and the local people. Everyone was so nice and helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Just beautiful. Sitting on the porch and watching all the wild life was amazing. I could sit there for hours.

Location

Great location, close to the town. $7 taxi ride into town. Felt very safe at this hotel.

Staff

Nice beautiful people. Even the lawn crew smiles and says hello and welcome.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very Clean and comfortable.

Activity Reviews

La Fortuna Waterfall, Hanging Bridges, Arenal Volcano, and Ecotermales Hotsprings

Costa Rica

Great experience, would do this again. It was raining very hard and we did not get to go down to the waterfall but we did go to the over look. Ecotermales hot springs was AMAZING! We got to swing in the hot spring and order drinks. Then had a nice all inclusive dinner. Must do if you visit La Fortuna.

Quality of Experience

Food

Lunch was included at the hanging bridges and it was fantastic. We even had coffee and desert after. Dinner at the hot springs was amazing as well.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Loved our private tour guide Raul. He was very knowledgeable and we learned so much from him. He truly loves his job and teaching people everything he knows.

Transport

We had Raul as out pirvate tour guy for the day and it was worth the extra money.

Sloth Observation - Day or Night Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

We saw a momma and baby sloth. The tour guys great and were able to find sloths just driving down the road. We got to see 5 different sloths. Learned a lot about 2 and 3 toed sloths. We even saw other animals like a howler money. So cool!

Quality of Experience

Seeing a baby sloth with his momma.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

So smart and ready to teach you everything they know.

Transport

Had water and umbrellas available for everyone.

Horseback Riding to Nauyaca Waterfalls

Costa Rica

Breath taking experience. Horses are so fun and make the travel to the falls so easy. You fall in love with your horse and get to know there personalities. Horse guides are fun and make you smile. Horse guides also teach you a lot about riding a horse. Lunch after visiting the falls is amazing as well.

Quality of Experience

Food

Lunch made by local woman was amazing.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Dennis was a super fun horse guide. He always had a smile you his face and answered all our questions.

Transport

Private transport stop at his house to give us fresh made ceviche his wife made. BEST CEVICHE EVER! Nicest couple you will ever meet. They would of invited us in for dinner and made us feel welcomed.

Private: Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Nature Hike

Manuel Antonio

This was not on our visit at first. Then after arriving and speaking to the locals and visitors. We learned how amazing the national part was. We opted to do a private tour and it was better then we could of hoped for. Wish we would of had time to enjoy the park beach, but we will for sure next time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private tour guide was one of the best in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica. His love for this area shows. He loves to teach and wants you to learn everything possible able the jungle.

Transport

100% Aventura Zip Line and Hanging Bridges Monteverde

Monteverde

Do it! I got to see flying toucans while ziplining.

Quality of Experience

Amazing! Was scared but I overcame my fear and I don't regret it.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

we are a family of four, and I have never booked with a travel agency before. My kids are now 12 and 13, and for our trip to Costa Rica, I thought I'd give it a try.

Yuliana was lovely. We went back and forth many times making little adjustments to the itinerary, and talking about possible activities. Typically, our family just lands somewhere, and then tries to figure out what to do, and we never do as much because we are sitting in a hotel room trying to figure it out as we go along.

This trip was so different. Everything was taken care of for us, and there was so little stress. Yuliana knows the country, and each of the hotels and "adventure" companies that are available, so I didn't have to worry, and research every single thing.

We will use these guys again. Why didn't we do this before??????? Give Kimkim a try!

Yenyi and Jessica were amazing! My mom and I planned this trip back in 2020. They checked in with us consistently until we were able to book again. The communication was fantastic, activities were perfect and the private transportation was just what we needed. My mom and I are extremely happy with all the accommodations they made for us. Everything was so thought out and planned great, We were able to participate in activities but also have private time to explore ourselves! Highly recommend and will be using them again!!

Hotel Reviews

Karahé Beach Hotel

Manuel Antonio

The room was clean and perfect for my mom and I. The exclusive beach access was wonderful, it is a bit of a hike up to your rooms. But Costa Rica is very hilly. Service was wonderful and anytime we needed a taxi they would call and get one to us quickly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

The beach access

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

AC is not very common, the room kind of smelled wet when we entered.

Hotel & Spa Poco a Poco

Monteverde Costa Rica

Fantastic hotel. Very clean and aesthetically pleasing. Beds were soft and towels were soft, I would definitely stay here again.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right next to town.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Traditional Cooking Class with Dinner

Arenal/La Fortuna

This was a very personal and delicious meal. My mom and I got a private lesson and our chef was very personal. She made us feel right at home! She also sent us the recipe to make! Loved it

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Night Walk in the Children's Eternal Forest

Monteverde

It was very very dark. I think I underestimated nature at night, but the guide was helpful. I don’t think I would’ve spotted any of the animals without him. We got to see a snake and birds. The hike was easy and our guide was very knowledgeable!

Quality of Experience

This is a great way to see sleeping birds

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide and driver were timely

Transport

Arenal Volcano Hike & Tabacon Hot Springs & Meal

Arenal/La Fortuna

I definitely recommend not skipping this event. The hike was fantastic, the Hot Springs were perfectly warm. We got to experience them in the evening followed by a dinner.

Quality of Experience

The Hot Springs were fantastic

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Knowledgeable about plants and animals

Transport

Veronica and her agency provided great service overall. Easy to work with, very responsive, considered our needs and desires and stayed within our budget. The ability to contact her “on the fly” was very reassuring and we utilized it more than once. This was our first experience using kimkim and this agency but definitely won’t be the last!

My family and I travelled to Costa Rica in October 2022. We had the best time! Sergio and his team made our experience completely seamless and yet adventureful. My husband and I are used to blazing our own trail when we travel, but this time having our 10 & 7 year old daughters along with us we wanted to capitalize on our time and have activities that they would find engaging and provide them opportunities to learn along the way. Sergio and the team at Serendipity provide this and so much more!

We visited Tortuguero, Turrialba and Puerto Viejo. Each location had well thought out activities that allowed us to explore the local culture and environment.

While in Tortuguero we enjoyed a canal tour and learnt about Costa Rica's conservation efforts and national parks. We watched a turtle lay her eggs on the beach and our highlight was an evening walk where a bunch of baby turtles were hatching and making their way to the ocean.
Our guide Jose engaged with the kids and made sure they felt safe, he also helped them spot some tree frogs and bull frogs by the pool at our hotel. It was a rainy couple of days but Jose showed up with ponchos, a sense of humor and a whole lot of fun!

On our 4th day we said goodbye to Tortuguero and met our driver Andres. Andreas was our driver for the duration of our stay in Turriabla and further to Puero Veijo. Andreas was such an amazing guide, he was incredibly knowledgably about Costa Rica and was very helpful translating for us when we needed some help. He safely delivered us to our hotels and always stayed to make sure we got checked in safely. He was wonderful with our kids and even had Disney radio cued up for them in his car!

In Turriabla we went rafting, canyoning and for a farm tour. Our guides while we were rafting, Jonathan and Poco were amazing! Jonathan had a great sense of humor and painted or faces with mud and taught us how to balance rocks on the shore line. The river was beautiful and warm. Poco was great to point out wild life along the shore. While were were rafting, Andres drove down stream and took some action shots of our family to share with us. Andreas also capped the day off by making us the most delicious and beautifully presented picnic we've ever had, he'd made pasta, salads, fresh fruit and even dessert!

The following day we enjoyed a canyoning trip and farm tour with our guides Ceasar and Sergio. They were also very knowledgeable. Our youngest was scared during canyoning and Sergio, who also has young kids got to her level and explained what would happen, how he would keep her safe and also confidently assisted her down the falls. But the last waterfall she was laughing and having the best day! We enjoyed lunch with Ceasar and Sergio at their family farm and then proceeded to a farm tour with Sergio, where we were able to sample fresh fruits and home made coffee. It was a day for the books!

Andreas safely delivered us to our final stop, Puerto Veijo, we were sad to say goodbye, over the last 3 days Andreas had become a trusted friend along our adventure. We arrived at Congo Bongo where we met the owner, Marisol, she was so welcoming and we felt like family instantly. She was an amazing host, providing free laundry service (which was much needed after a few days of rafting and canyoning!), farm fresh eggs, clean accommodations and an amazing eco-village for us to enjoy. Puerto Veijo was a great place to cap off our trip, it was laid back and we enjoy time playing in the ocean, walking to Manzanillo (If you're there check out Colores, the local Greek restaurant - great staff and good food!). Our days were enjoyed touring a chocolate tour at a local indigenous farm, our guide Theresa was incredibly caring. She spoke the local Bri Bri language which added so much value to our tour. We attended a cooking class with a local chef, Glenda and made a traditional Rondon Soup. The following day we went snorkling and on a light hike through the national park where we swam with a lemon shark, sting ray, a variety of fish and coral.

Our final stay before departure was at the Studio Hotel in San Jose. the roof top pool, art, food and Piano / Violin show we were treated to on our last night perfectly summed up our family vacation.

We came home with so many amazing memories and stories, we could never have planned a trip like this on our own. We met amazing people and experienced so much of Costa Rica! We are so grateful to Sergio and the Serendipity team for creating a memorable family vacation. If you are considering Costa Rica, reach out to Sergio, he will enhance your experience and take away the stress of traveling.

Sergio - Thank you for being a phone call or message away whenever we needed to adjust timing, ask advise and for easily rearranging activities based on the weather.

Pura Vida!
Jody

Hotel Reviews

Autentico Hotel

San Jose

We weren't here very long, just slept and left, but the room was clean, the hotel was beautiful and the waiter at dinner was very friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Laguna Lodge

Tortuguero

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Jose and the tour guides were very helpful. The front desk staff was not overly friendly or helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Turire

Turrialba

Authenticity & Character

We loved the Cuban feel and 1950's vibe this space had

Location

Staff

The staff was so helpful, friendly and accomodating, they offered games for the kids and suggested local scenery to take in

Cleanliness & Comfort

Congo Bongo EcoVillage Costa Rica

Manzanillo, Limon

Authenticity & Character

Marisol has done an incredible job with this eco-village I found her entrepreneurial nature and creativity refreshing. The world needs more people like Marisol

Location

A close walk to Manzanillo, but about 15-20 min drive to Puerto Viejo. This was nice as it was quite and away from the business of Puerto Viejo, although if your looking to be closer to the action and restruants in Puerto Viejo you'll need to find transport.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Marisol cleaned our house every day and helped with our laundry. Thank you!!

Studio Hotel

San José

Authenticity & Character

The art, piano, violin players were all incredible!

Location

about 40 mins to the airport

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and comfortable

Activity Reviews

A Journey into the History and Culture of Tortuguero Village

Tortuguero

Cute town, I wouldn't recommend going at night. No street lights and it would be very dark and unsafe.

Nighttime Turtle Nesting Tour

Tortuguero

Super cool experiance!

Guided Boat Excursion Through the Tortuguero Canals

Tortuguero

Private rafting on the Pejibaye River with children

Turrialba

Our guides were incredible!

Quality of Experience

Food

Best picnic lunch ever!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Canyoning in Turrialba

Turrialba

Local Farm Experience

Turrialba

Dive into Afro-Caribbean Culture with Exquisite Cooking Classes

Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

Chocolate Tour

Costa Rica

Exploring the Underwater Wonders of Cahuita National Park

Costa Rica

Thank you so much for making the trip a wonderful adventure!
Everything was simple and easy thanks to the efforts of Brittany and the KimKim team to arrange all the travel details and transport.

Thanks !!

Top notch!
We went to Costa Rica for 6 nights, no hiccups, everything was great. The local tour guides were aways helpful and friendly. Kimkim chose great companies to work with.
The activities we did always met and surpassed our expectations.

P.S. if you fly into Liberia, I would recommend using Adobe car rental, they are super friendly and have a shuttle from the airport to their HQ. When you walk out of the airport you will be greeted by your shuttle driver holding a Adobe sign.
Don't pay attention to any other companies there or anyone in the airport.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Kokoro Mineral Hot Springs

La Fortuna

Hotel Pasatiempo

Tamarindo

Activity Reviews

Coffee & Chocolate Experience

Arenal/La Fortuna

Sky Tram, Sky Trek & Sky Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

Sunset Cruise with Wine & Cheese on Lake Arenal

Arenal/La Fortuna

Sloth Observation - Day or Night Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

Catamaran Sailing Adventure

Costa Rica

Rincón de la Vieja Full Day with Hot Springs Visits

Gulf of Papagayo

Snorkeling at the Catalina Islands

Costa Rica

First of all, Bryan was an amazing help in discussing our travel ideas and after confirming everything, he made an awesome job of scheduling the full holiday.

Every accommodation, activity, guide, travel, etc was smooth and punctual. The only thing we had to do was follow the itinerary and enjoy ourselves.

There were several times when arriving at the new accommodation, the guides were already there waiting for us, so we could go immediately if we feel like it, for example, the river tubing in Bijagua. Unfortunately, I have forgotten the name of our river tubing guide, but he was a really informative, friendly and good guide who made sure we enjoy the river tubing and hiking with him in Bijagua. The Casitas Tenorio B&B in Bijagua was a beautiful and calm resting place for us in the middle of our trip, where we could even spot howler monkeys a few meters away.

One of the most beautiful, calm and nature surrounded and favourite place we stayed at was the Caribbean side, the Congo Bongo EcoVillage Costa Rica in Puerto Viejo - Manzanillo. Here, you feel like you are inside the jungle, with monkeys above the house, with raccoons trying to steal your food remains in the night and hummingbirds buzzing and flying around you (less than a meter away) while you are chilling on the porch and sipping your coffee. It is beautiful.

In La Fortuna, I would strongly recommend that you would stay in the Tabacón Thermal Resort and Spa. While it is really not the cheapest (however not the most expensive either), it gives you a transcendental experience. Here, you will not have any other task just to unwind and relax. They are making sure you will have a perfect time there and nothing to worry about. I would really like to go back there, even if the level of pampering there were so new to me that I was sometimes a bit flustered. :)
I would like to mention two people from Tabacón who were extra friendly and helpful. Diego was one of the chefs (at least at the breakfasts) who made sure that you had everything you wanted, and was willing to go the extra mile to make something for you if you had any wishes.
The other person was Diane, who was the most friendly and cute person we ever had the chance to talk with. She was a joy to speak with. (most of the time she was in charge of greeting and sitting the people at the restaurant reception)

In Monteverde, while the accommodation we selected was nothing special (and even had some struggles to change rooms because the rooms randomly don't have safes), the area is wonderful and filled with animals. The coffee and chocolate tour with the Don Juan Tours was really informative and our guide was one of the funniest on the whole trip, always cracking us up. The next day, in Sky Adventures park, we had two really good guides. The hike in the park was really informative and after that I really enjoyed the Arboreal tree climbing experience. It was challenging and rewarding at the same time and had just enough trees to enjoy it.

And for last but not least, we visited Manuel Antonio and stayed in the Tico Tico Villa which was an another amazing and relaxing experience. It is just a small but well equipped nice apartment with swimming pool, BBQ and etc, meanwhile scarlet macaws are flying above you, iguanas relaxing on the porch, capuchin monkeys are travelling on the trees. The owner is the loveliest person we have met on the trip. This place in details was nothing special, however I would really recommend it because overall it is a beautiful and relaxing experience after travelling through the country.
In Manuel Antonio we went to kayaking in the Damas'Island mangrove forest which is a really nice, relaxing and unwinding experience where Emese even realised how much she likes kayaking.
The next morning, we went to the Manuel Antonio national park with Adrian from Paddle 9, who was one of our favourite guide. He was informative, friendly and helpful and through him, we could get to know a lot not just about nature but Costa Rica too. Later on the same day we had another trip with Paddle 9, however it was less successful. While the activity would have been perfect, unfortunately trying to learn to do Stand-up Paddle Boarding (SUP) on the ocean is not beginner friendly. Unfortunately our guide misjudged our level and we went to a shore where the waves were over our levels and had to cancel our activity, but I have to mention that they really did their best to let us hike out of that bay through the forest the safest and easiest. As a summary of this activity, it is a good fun, but be sure you are not a total beginner or if you are, you are a confident swimmer in a really good shape.

And for the end, I would like to thank Bryan and the Serendipity Adventures team again for their efforts to make sure we enjoyed this trip. Be it organising everything, giving us travel updates about larger road closures or trying to get back our lost belongings, they always did their best and we are really happy to recommend them. Thank you very much. This 19 days and 1500km round trip was a really amazing holiday.

Wow!!! I am speechless!!! My husband and I had the very best trip of our entire lives and we are absolutely convinced we will never go on another trip that could possibly be any better than this one!!! We love the outdoors and the jungle tour, the volcano hike, the waterfall excursion, rafting down the Blancas River, coffee tour, chocolate tour, cooking class, a volcano and the Howler Monkeys just outside our hotel room, the hotsprings, the beautiful hotel, the wonderful food!!! Anyone who loves the outdoors should take this exact trip!! Our tour guides were phenomenal!!! Alberto arranged the trip of a lifetime!!! We will never be the same!!! I miss my volcano and the sound of Howler Monkeys in the morning!!! Thanks to all who made our trip so special.
Tim and Lisa

Hotel Review

Hotel Arenal Kioro Suites & Spa

Fortuna

We know this hotel is the most beautiful one in the area with the best scenery!!! It was like being out in our own world because of the separation from town/other hotels. Room service was fabulous!!! The people who cleaned our room made the room spotless every day and even folded clothes we had draped over a bench. They made beautiful towel/flower jungle animals on our bed each morning after cleaning. All were very helpful and friendly at the front desk. Our included breakfast was phenomenal!!! Loved the rice and beans, the casava, the cheese, the French Toast, the freshly squeezed juice and fresh, local fruit, the beautiful view of the volcano with the huge windows wide open in the dining area as we ate. Loved the coffee too!!! I am convinced we stayed in the best hotel in the entire area!!! So beautiful!!! Such beautiful plants and flowers!!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

everything

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hanging Bridges, La Fortuna Waterfall & Arenal Volcano Hike

Arenal/La Fortuna

A must do 8-hour tour for those who want to experience the jungle, volcano and waterfall! If you love the outdoors and walking, you will love it. We saw every kind of bird, insect, plant, flower!!! Our tour guide was amazing!!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our first driver in from the airport told us to get up early to see the entire volcano every day before it clouds over and listen to the Howler Monkeys. We got up early every day and these experiences were some of the best part of our trip!!

Transport

so friendly, so concerned that you are comfortable, we asked one driver if he would take us a little out of the way to a bank machine as we were running low on funds. He acted like he would be happy to take us like he's used to this type of request everyday. Learned so much culture of Costa Rica from these drivers as every one grew up in Costa Rica.

Coffee & Chocolate Tour

Costa Rica

I never realized how hard people have to work to make coffee!!! The coffee tour will make me appreciate coffee from now on!!! We bought coffeee for absolutely everyone back at home and they all thought it was delicious!!! Our chocolate that we made did not taste very good, but it gave me a big appreciation for how chocolate was made. Saw a lot of interesting plants on this tour--baby pineapple plant, multiple kinds of coffee, vanilla plant, etc.. We saw an extremely active sloth on this tour as well!!! Our tour guide was phenomenal!!!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Traditional Cooking Class with Dinner

Arenal/La Fortuna

Wow!!! What can we say???!!!! Kathy was an amazing instructor!!! We were with a couple on their honeymoon and we were on our 25th wedding anniversary trip. Kathy shared stories of her life growing up with her mom and told us about her daughter!!! We made a huge Costa Rican dinner and even made our own tortillas--my favorite thing we made. Kathy even emailed all of the recipes of everything we made, so we can try to replicate what we made there. Very nice addition to our trip and a suggestion by Alberto!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Safari Float on the Peñas Blancas River

Arenal/La Fortuna

I am certain this tour was my very favorite on the trip! We floated down the Penas Blancas River in our raft with our guide and saw monkeys, iguanas, bamboo trees, you name it. So peaceful!!! Our guide here was very funny!!! We stopped halfway down the river and he wanted to know if we would like any pineapple. He took out his knife and said this was the way he learned to cut up pineapples in prison (very funny!!!). He cut the pineapple in fourths and then cut the pineapple from the rind and then cut triangular pieces and pushed them out every other one and kept them in the rind for a beautiful way to serve pineapple. I will use that!!! Very cool and nothing like eating pineapple in the jungle!!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This trip was absolutely fantastic. Randall did such an amazing job planning it for us. We took our family of ten and did many touristy things, such as a catamaran tour with snorkeling and soaking at Baldi Hot Springs, but we also wanted to get immersed in the culture. We had the opportunity to hike through the rainforest and learn about volcanos, tour a farm and learn how to cook traditional Costa Rican food, volunteer at an animal rescue facility, and get up close and personal with crocodiles and monkeys. It couldn't have been a better trip (unless we'd seen some sloths, but unfortunately they were shy on our hikes). The hotels were perfect, the people were kind, and the tour guides were informative and fun. I would highly recommend anyone visit this incredible country and use Randall to help them plan it!

Hotel Reviews

Montaña de Fuego Resort & Spa

La Fortuna

Beautiful, peaceful, quiet, and the staff couldn't have been nicer!

Authenticity & Character

Cute little huts instead of typical hotel rooms and the flowers were amazingly beautiful.

Location

Great location close to many activities

Staff

Just the nicest people who were willing to help with anything. Especially the restaurant staff!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and comfortable.

Tamarindo Diria Beach Resort

Tamarindo

Well secured, great location, lots of amenities.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to a lot of great places. Right on the beach!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hiking Waterfalls & River Swimming in La Fortuna

Arenal/La Fortuna

Gorgeous views!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Volcano Hike & Baldi Hot Springs & Dinner

Arenal/La Fortuna

Very educational hike with incredible views! Relaxing in the hot springs was a great way to end the day.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer Hotel - Arenal Vida Campesina - Hotel

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vida Campesina Cultural & Cooking Class

Arenal/La Fortuna

Really fun and educational experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer Hotel - Proyecto Asis Wildlife Rescue Center - Hotel

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunset Catamaran Sailing & Snorkeling Tour

Costa Rica

Fantastic trip! Beautiful sunset, snorkeling, delicious meal. Couldn't have been better.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Palo Verde National Park Boat Tour

Costa Rica

Loved this adventure. The guides were great and helped us spot so many unique animals! The food was good and the pottery is beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Proyecto Asis Rescue Center Wildlife Tour + Volunteer

Arenal/La Fortuna

This was a great place to visit and we highly recommend staying for the volunteer portion! It was my kids' favorite activity of the whole trip!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had the best time!! Veronica was amazing planning and replanning due to the hurricane…
She did everything so perfect!! Every guide we had was wonderful as well!! They all made us feel so welcome and they were so helpful! The hotels were breath taking too. We had such a great experience and can’t wait to go back!
Pura Vida! 😊

Hotel Review

Si Como No Resort & Wildlife Refuge

Manuel Antonio

This hotel was absolutely amazing! The view from our private balcony was breathtaking!!! The room was so beautiful and spacious. The grounds were so tropical and very well kept. All the workers were truly so welcoming and made sure we were having a great time!

Authenticity & Character

The room and grounds were stunning!!

Location

The view of the ocean

Staff

So happy, sweet, and welcoming

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room and grounds were spotless

Activity Reviews

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Nature Hike

Costa Rica

We had our own private guide nicknamed “Rooster” He was the best!!! Brought an amazing camera with him to help us see all the wonderful animals, and he was so knowledgeable!!!! He helped us get beautiful pictures and made sure we had a great time!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Volcano Guided Walking Tour

Arenal/La Fortuna

It was raining but that didn’t stop us from having a great time!! Our guide was so nice and so informative about the volcano. He looked out for our safety and was very helpful and had a great personality!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Catamaran Cruise & Snorkeling/Lunch included

Manuel Antonio

So much fun!!!! The staff on the boat (who is a family) we’re so fun!!! The food for lunch was amazing!!!

Quality of Experience

Fun and beautiful views, funny staff

Guides, Drivers and Staff

So helpful and welcoming

Transport

Chocolate Farm Visit & Workshop

Arenal/La Fortuna

Our tour guide was so wonderful!! He was extremely knowledgeable, friendly, and great with kids! We had a wonderful time with him educating us on chocolate!

Quality of Experience

Everything from start to finish

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Everyone was extremely friendly

Transport

They made it easy for us

Whitewater Rafting on the Pacuare River

Costa Rica

Wow, we were very impressed how organized they were with everything! They basically thought of it all! What a fun adventure we had! Our rafter guide on our boat was so knowledgeable of rafting, very helpful with my younger kids, and great personality!

Quality of Experience

Food

Wow, the women cooked us such a wonderful meal.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Everything was timed so perfectly

We booked a trip to Costa Rica to check out the Caribbean coast, and it was fantastic! Our local specialist, Olman, set everything up and all we had to do was show up. We were picked up at the airport and driven to our hotel in San Jose for the first afternoon, where we did a little sightseeing downtown. The next morning we got picked up and driven on a nice bus across the mountains to board a boat to the lodge in Tortuguero. The resort was very nice and laid back, with lots of wildlife to see. The next day we returned to the mainland and picked up a rental car to drive south to Puerta Viejo de Talamanca for a couple of nights. Here we enjoyed the beach, saw the wild sloth staying at our hotel, hiked in the national park, and checked out the local nightlife. After our stay, we drove back to San Jose for one more night before flying out.

The best thing about this trip was that everything was arranged in advance (except my navigation skills on the self-driving part). We didn't have to hassle with arranging tours or getting reservations, and they even delivered our rental car to the lodge's restaurant. When I left my ID at the boarding area for the boat, Olman worked a minor miracle and arranged for me to pick it up on our return.

Everyone we met on the trip was helpful and friendly; the tour guides were great all around. Next trip like this we take, I will definitely book this way again.

Hotel Reviews

Gran Hotel Costa Rica

San José

Great location right in the middle of downtown. Everything worked, the room was very nice and very clean, and the breakfast was great.

Authenticity & Character

I don't know about "authenticity", but it's a modern hotel with the normal amenities.

Location

Staff

Super friendly!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean, nicely appointed.

Mawamba Lodge

Tortuguero

The individual lodges were a little spartan, but nice enough, and it added a little bit of charm. We really only used our room to store our stuff and sleep. They had nice porches with hammocks. The grounds are pretty cool, with some short nature trails and easy access to the beach, though the beaches apparently have strong currents and are not great for swimming. You can use the beach to walk to the town to pick up souvenirs or have dinner and drinks on the lagoon. The restaurant/bar was excellent. It is not a buffet style, and there was a wide selection. A few specialty items had upcharges (fresh seafood choices). The boat tour we took was great, and our tour guide was hilarious in at least 5 languages.

Authenticity & Character

I loved the atmosphere of the lodge; you can be as active as you'd like to be, but if not, it's relaxing and laid back.

Location

You have to travel there by boat, which was an adventure. The scenery is amazing.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room amenities were less than you would get in a super luxury resort, but that wasn't what we were looking for. There's no AC in the rooms, though it was pleasant at night and we didn't spend much of our day in the room.

Le Cameleon Boutique Hotel

Puerto Viejo

This is a very modern-design hotel. It's got an open space in the middle with a nice pool and a hot tub, and each room has balconies looking into the jungle. The rooms open into large stairwells that lead directly to the pool area. The restaurant is right across the road and has indoor and outdoor seating with beach access. We really liked Le Cameleon!

Authenticity & Character

There is a sloth that came to visit the hotel!

Location

Everything

Staff

Friendly, efficient

Cleanliness & Comfort

Our only issue was that the water on our side of the hotel kept going out, but they were keeping an eye on the situation and got it fixed pretty quickly each time.

Activity Reviews

San Jose - Tortuguero

Costa Rica

We were picked up at the hotel right on time, and we joined a group of other people for the ride to Tortuguero. The drive was through the mountains and across the eastern side of the country; the driver was excellent and our guide was entertaining. He pointed out the sights and gave some commentary, but left plenty of time for napping and watching the scenery. Lunch was provided at the Mawamba lodge restaurant in Guapiles. The boat ride to Tortuguero was fun. We saw lots of wildlife on the way.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wildlife Boat Tour in Tortuguero

Tortuguero

Spent the morning on a boat cruising around the lagoons. Our guide and boat pilot were excellent at spotting wildlife, including a crocodile, monkeys, turtles, iguanas, etc. Our guide was really funny and spoke something like 6 languages.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

It leaves from the lodge, no transport needed.

Guided Hike in Cahuita National Park

Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

Cahuita tours provides several different packages. We did only the nature hike (about 2 miles). Some of our group did snorkeling for part of the morning and met us for the hike back, but on the way out it was just us. Our guide was really good at spotting animals and was very knowledgeable. She was really friendly and didn't mind our tourist questions.

Quality of Experience

Food

Local restaurant, good food, good beer.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Got picked up at the hotel and driven in a van to the park (~20 minutes).

Drive to Jaguar Rescue Center

Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

The drive to the Jaguar Rescue Center took us about 45 minutes, except that we were driving to the wrong place (I blame my phone map). The actual Jaguar Rescue Center was literally next to our hotel. We ended up running about 5 minutes late to the tour after figuring out our mistake, but the staff understood and we got connected to the tour group. We saw a baby sloth, and a bunch of other animals. Definitely worth taking the tour to see some of the wildlife up close. The rescue center is a legit rescue operation, not a zoo, which was important to us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We were so pleased with how easy it was to book our trip w/KimKim. Loved how it was all done online, easy breezy. Our guide, Olman, was so responsive and quick to make adjustments as requested. He curated the perfect trip for our family of 4 (two kids 10 and 7), and when my son had an unexpected accident, they were SO incredibly helpful and accessible at all hours.

Day 1: Arrived late night into SJC and as promised our ride was ready and waiting to take us to our hotel, The Radisson, not too far from the airport. Perfectly adequate for an overnight stay. We literally just slept. Hotel breakfast was meh, but again adequate.

Day 2 (sorry, it's long, but relevant): Radisson hotel breakfast was just meh, but fine. Our driver was ready and on time for the 4 hour drive to Puerto Viejo. Note that the drive feels LONG. Much of the road is under construction so it isn't particularly pretty, and because there are so many trucks, the fumes were annoying. We were so excited to reach our hotel, Le Cameleon, which was lovely. Very boutique, though we weren't so thrilled with the service of the one young woman that seemed to always be working the front desk. So unhelpful. I really wish I could remember her name. Never smiled. Never followed through when we made a request (a box of tissue in our room, that the hotel jacuzzi be turned on..). Because our room wasn't ready when we arrived, we went to the hotel restaurant on the beach which was very pretty, but VERY SLOW, so plan accordingly if you have a tour to catch. We weren't actually able to eat our breakfast the next morning, because our driver was on-time and breakfast (despite having a reservation 90 minutes before our pick up time), had to be packed to-go. Anyway, back to today and our unfortunate incident. The restaurant had aerial trapeze ribbons freely dangling from the trees (they offer lessons), which many children were playing on, so of course our kids joined in. Moments later, our son fell HARD from the ribbons and as we found our later, he broke his collarbone. No one from the restaurant acknowledged the injury or helped in any way. The woman at the fort trek was SO unhelpful when we asked about a doctor. She have us a business card and said that they "may or may not be open." Didn;t offer to call or anything, while my son is sitting there in pain, saying he's going to throw up and sweating profusely. She eventually burdened herself enough to call a taxi for us. While there are private doctors in Puerto Viejo, the only doctor open did not have an x-ray machine, so after being seen by him, we drove 90 minutes into Limon via taxi to be seen at the public hospital. BUT, here's where KimKim was great! I called them to find out what would happen if we needed to cancel our trip which had only just begun. They were SO nice and reassuring, They offered to translate with the doctors at the hospital (apparently there aren't many English speaking doctors at the public hospitals) and assured us that IF we needed to cancel that they would help us to reschedule or get refunds. Fortunately, his injury did not require cancellation, but we did have to alter some of the activities in our itinerary, which they happily did, still taking our interests into account. When we finally returned to the hotel, there was ONE bright light--a young man named Daniel that was SO helpful and concerned. He checked in on us for the rest of our stay and was so kind to our son. Thank you Daniel!

Day 3: Believe it or not, our son was a total trooper and wearing his sling, we were able to do the Hike at Cahuita National Park. A MUST DO. We saw SO many animals (boa contrictor, golden viper, howlers monkeys, golden orb spiders everywhere, sloths, very curious raccoons). Be sure to eat a great breakfast, bring water, snacks and a swim suit. It's a long hike and comes with a late lunch so snacks are good.

Day 4: Jaguar Nature Preserve. Super cool experience. Up close and personal and the volunteers are really knowledgable. Go and support a good cause. Oh, when we arrived, they had our reservation, but said they never received payment. I immediately called KimKim and they immediately called the preserve and it was cleared up within moments. This was the only scheduling snafu we encountered. After the tour of the preserve, our driver picked us up at the hotel for the FIVE hour drive to Arenal and The Springs hotel. OMG, did we NEED this beautiful hotel after the stressful injury and all of the driving. It was just stunning. Five-star all the way.

Day 5: Picked up early from the hotel and headed for a boat cruise. This wasn't;t on our original itinerary, but the La Fortuna waterfall hike was out of the question given our sons injury. It actually worked out great. The boat was lovely and again, SO many animal sightings. Monkeys, Caiman, Basilisk lizards, etc.

Day 6: Just enjoyed THE Springs. Needed this relaxation day for sure. Tropical drinks, beautiful hot springs and a stunning volcano. Be sure to go down to the Adventure Center and soak in those Springs. It was a total highlight.

Day 7: On our way to Montverde Lodge and Spa via van, boat, and van again. Pretty cool. The Lodge was great, though several areas are under construction. We LOVED the mid-century modern architecture in the middle of the rain forest. Even if you don't stay at the Lodge, PLEASE do yourself a favor and eat at the restaurant. My husband is a chef and total foodie (so complains alot), but this place was INCREDIBLE. We usually stay away from the hotel restaurants and try to eat more locally, but this place was killer! If you do stay at the Lodge be sure to have breakfast in the Orchid room. So pretty. Here we did a night hike. Didn't get so lucky with the animal sightings, but it's still pretty cool to hike through the rainforest at night.

Day 8: Zip lining, butterfly garden and sloth sanctuary all in one place. This was one of our favorite days. Getting up close with the sloths was a highlight and the zip lining was a kid favorite. My son was even able to go with his sling, they just had a guide accompany him, which was great. The lunch at the restaurant was also pretty delicious.

Day 8: Sadly back to San Jose and the Hampton Inn. We arrived in the early afternoon so we had some time to explore San Jose. The hotel is directly across the street from the airport, so a super convenient option.

All in all, we really loved our trip to Costa Rica and HIGHLY recommend using Kimkim to plan. They were so easy and so helpful. Our guide was fantastic. Thank you OLMAN (and sorry it took me so long to finally write a review ;-)!!!

Thanks so much to Randall and team for designing our holiday to Costa Rica, and being so responsive to any requests or changes we had. It was our first time using Kimkim and they were very patient and understanding. They recommended a great mix of locations and activities for us and we managed to fit a lot into 2 weeks. All of the transfers went really smoothly and we felt really well supported throughout the whole trip. Pura Vida!!

Hotel Reviews

Jaguarundi Lodge

Monteverde

Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs

Fortuna

Activity Reviews

Canyoning Tour

Arenal/La Fortuna

Monteverde - Hanging Bridges Guided Hike & Zip-lining tour

Monteverde

Guided Hike in Arenal Volcano

Arenal/La Fortuna

First time KimKim user and will now be an evangelist. I highly recommend KimKim if you lack time to plan a trip yourself. Bryan was our local specialist, and he helped arrange an excellent introduction of Costa Rica for us, with a detailed itinerary that made our trip entirely stress free. We had a quiet trip that focused on short, guided hikes introducing us to the forests. We loved our two cities (La Fortuna and Quepos/Manuel Antonio Park), though in the future we might look for a more remote beach (we were right outside of the park, which was nice, but that part of Quepos wasn't so interesting). One of our favorite parts of the trip was getting to meet all of the different guides, who each had their own way of showing off their country. We look forward to using KimKim in the future.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel San Bada Resort & Spa

Manuel Antonio

Right outside the Manuel Antonio Park entrance, and thus to the park beaches which are incredible. Couldn't be closer, or have better location. We also went to the hotel sushi restaurant and booked a couples massage at the hotel. We enjoyed both experiences.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs

Fortuna

Incredible.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Canopy Zip Lining Adventure

Arenal/La Fortuna

Good experience, a nice view of the canopies, a bit of adrenaline for those with acrophobia

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coffee & Chocolate Tour

Costa Rica

Very interesting

Quality of Experience

The guide was great

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Manuel Antonio

loved this park!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide was one of the most knowledgeable guides we had our entire trip; he was also weirdly an anti-Darwin evangelist for Intelligent Design, but that just added some character to the trip.

Transport

we were right next door to the park! Couldn't have better transportation.

Hanging Bridges and La Fortuna Waterfall Guided Hike

Arenal/La Fortuna

Guide Kenneth was fantastic.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Birdwatching in Arenal Mundo Aventura Park

Arenal/La Fortuna

Amazing diversity of birds

Quality of Experience

Food

I think in future might have been nice to have coffee snack *before* starting (it's 530am!) and then get back for hotel breakfast after birding.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Everything was great!

Really enjoyed how seamless the process was. Our trip was exactly what we wanted. Our rides all showed up on time, the drivers were all fantastic. Our guides were local, knowledgeable. Not associated with any company, which we liked.

Manoa Arenal - oh my god. What an amazing hotel. Stunning. Beautiful. Great service. Would go back.
San Bada in Manuel Antonio - Not my favorite. It sells itself as very convenient as it is attached to the national park. However, this puts you right in the middle of the tourism central, which isn't the relaxing beach vibe I was looking for. Kinda tacky and stressful. It definitely sells itself as more of a party location, and the facilities are a little run down. Service was excellent. Maybe a good choice for some, but looking back I wish I had spent the money for something a little nicer, especially with the convenient bus system.

9/10 great visit to costa rica, will be back
will use kimkim again

:)

I had such an amazing trip! Tortuguero was beautiful. Staying in the rainforest and seeing all kinds of wildlife was so great. I saw so many sloths I lost count! Watching the sea turtles lay eggs on the beach was life changing. I could’ve stayed there for my entire trip, but I am also so glad I visited Puerto Viejo and San Jose. All of the tour guides and drivers arranged for my trip were knowledgeable and friendly. As a female solo traveler I was nervous for my first experience going alone, but Brittany and Ryan- my kimkim specialists were so helpful in the planning and coordination. Everything was seamless!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Balmoral

San José

Worked for what I needed but not worth the money. Location is great, right downtown. Not very clean or comfortable. Lots of people up making noise after the bars. Can hear everything from your room. Didn’t have the food.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Evergreen Lodge

Tortuguero

Amazing place to stay, right in the middle of the rainforest. Staff was super friendly. Activities were amazing, and coordinated well. Food was good, however you are forced to eat at specific times and found myself wanting to eat when food was not being served. Also, since you are secluded and can only get to places by boat, you can’t just go find a place to buy snacks.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Autentico Hotel

San Jose

Nice and clean, staff were great. Location is good but not quite close enough to walk to downtown area.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Banana Azul

Limón, Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

Great hotel. Clean and comfortable rooms, friendly staff, and great food. Some rooms are right above the dining area so they don’t feel very private. The beach is beautiful and they offer food and drinks from the beach. Location for me was perfect but it is not close to the town of Puerto Viejo, you would need a taxi or tuktuk to get there.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Tour: Kayak Adventure & Rainforest Hike in Punta Uva

Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

Highly recommend, especially as a private tour. My guide Rodrigo was great. Super knowledgeable and shared a perceptive of how traveling impacts small communities.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Boat Tour Through the Tortuguero Canals

Tortuguero

I was part of a small group for this tour and couldn’t have been happier. Our tour guide, Noel, was amazing. He was pointing out so many animals on this trip that I could barely keep track. The area is absolutely beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tortuguero Village Visit

Tortuguero

I loved the town. I would’ve liked to have been able to travel here by myself to grab food or drinks, but unfortunately since it is part of your hotel stay you can’t just make arrangements and have to go when they arrange it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Costa Rican Culture & Cuisine – Nighttime Guided Walk in San José

San José

Had an amazing tour guide, Luc. She was really knowledgeable about the city, the history of Costa Rica, and even took me by some amazing art when I mentioned I had a teen son at home who loved graffiti, so that I could take pictures to send to him. I learned so much more than just talking about food, it was great!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

From start to finish working with Olman was an absolute pleasure. His extensive knowledge of Costa Rica coupled with his lovely demeanor and exquisite attention to detail all aided in us having an incredible trip. Because of our short stay Olman suggested that we visit two different locales. And then he provided lovely accommodation options and day trip options. After we confirmed our choices he arranged everything and all we had to do was just show up. What a joy!! We fell in love with beautiful Costa Rica and miss it already!!!