Kimkim Trip Reviews for Costa Rica

The great: rafting trip
The good: Hotel in San Jose; The pick -up
The marginal: everything else

Especially frustrating was that nobody talked with us the history, culture and traditions of Costa Rica. So we spend a week and learned nothing except for reading in Wikipedia

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Wagelia Turrialba

Turrialba

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

El Nido del Tigre Camping

Linda Vista

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Terrazas del Caribe

Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Everything

Cleanliness & Comfort

Crowne Plaza San José La Sabana

San José

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Irazu Volcano Tour

San José

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

There was no guide just driver

Transport

Overnight White-water Rafting into the campsite, meals included,

Río Pacuare

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overnight White-water Rafting Out of the Campsite

Río Pacuare

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a wonderful trip to Costa Rica thanks to Olman! Our itinerary was just the right mix of adventure days and relaxing days. The hotels and activities he suggested were perfect for us, and it was so nice to have all our transportation arranged. Highlights were ziplining in the cloud forest at Monteverde, sunset catamaran in Tamarindo, and staying at the Tabacon hot spring at Arenal.

Pros: Service and convenience was great. Simplified the process of planning enabling a relatively last minute vacation (2wks notice) without the planning stress. Curated options for hotels and activities to simplify. Responsive to chat messages. All the tours and transfers and hotels showed up on time.

Cons: Price points of hotels, activities, and travel agent services ($320 that they tell you at the end) were high vs. booking oneself. Guessing 10-20pct more expensive on my 2wk trip. I'm price sensitive so if planning with more notice, would book myself and save the money.

Hotel Reviews

Fonda Vela Hotel

Monteverde

Old hotel being renovated. Working through kinks as of writing; would recommend trying somewhere else for the price. Location is also less walkable than most in Monteverde.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Mountain Paradise

Fortuna

Had a great experience especially bird watching across the property including from our porch.

Activity Review

Coffee Experience and Nighttime Nature Walk

Monteverde

One of the most authentic feeling activities from our trip. Junior has his own (with his business partner and wife) small farm and showed us around. Felt less commercial than the other coffee options in the area, which was nice. Price was also reasonable. Bring extra money to buy coffee!

Nuria made booking an expansive trip across 3 different areas of Costa Rica very easy. She provided various tour and hotel options and stayed reasonably within the budget we had initially discussed. Overall 10/10 would recommend!

The entire 15 day itinerary was absolutely perfect for what we wanted to do in CR. Bryan and the rest of the staff at Serendipity Tours deserve kudos for all their hard work and expertise that they showed. Everyone was prompt at answering questions we had and if there were any issues that arose they were dealt with swiftly.

The drivers we had were great, arrived on time (usually early) and never made us feel rushed if there was something we wanted to see or do along the route. It was kind of them to bring water for us if we needed it during the drive. They truly went out of their way, were super polite and very professional. They really were ALL excellent.

Our many tour guides and tours were exceptional especially for our age group. The tours were varied (cruise, hikes, float and coffee tour and night walk) and educational. They all had such a vast amount of knowledge of the plant and wild life of Costa Rica. They all continue their education by taking courses to keep up their expertise. They were all very well mannered and always arrived on time.

Our accommodations were really nice (except for one).

Hotel Presidente had a beautiful rooftop patio and our room was clean and spacious.

Arenal Manoa and Hot Springs was magical, the view outside our cottage of the volcano, soaking in the hot springs, great wood fired pizza and foot massage by the bubbling river, all such wonderful memories.

Casitas Tenorio was so very special. Being so rustic and tucked in the mountains, we saw many animals and birds from the outdoor terrace while having breakfast. We enjoyed the tour of the farm and the staff was very friendly and helpful. Improvements could be made with the breakfast and the bed linens.

Senda Monteverde Hotel was magnificent. Such a beautiful view from high up on the cliff. We were very well treated, love the free snacks and alcohol in the fridge and the hot water bottles in the bed at night. We were glad we were in NUMBER ONE bungalow. It was very close to the dining room and check in. Many bungalows needed a driver to drive them up to it because of the steepness.

Hotel San Bada was a disappointment unfortunately. The check in experience by a very rude employee was disappointing. There was some error made where instead of 3 nights booked it was 2 nights. The employee was so rude and literally left it up to us to figure it out. Serendipity Tours was very good with resolving the problem. Also, our room had a very moldy, musty smell. We mentioned it to housekeeping and they tried to unsuccessfully resolve it. That smell got into some of our clothes as well. The hotel did not offer to move rooms. I would NOT recommend this hotel. It is in much need of renovation and repair. The elevator floor was broken and the rusty balcony railing needed painting. Having said that, the location is great, very close to the Park. And the rest of the staff was kind and helpful.

Hotel Buena Vista was wonderful and great location. Great staff, amazing breakfast and spectacular view. Our room was really nice and modern, well kept and clean. I would definitely recommend it.

I hope these comments are helpful for future visitors to lovely Costa Rica.

Pura Vida,
Vera and Doug Smith

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Presidente

San José

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs

Fortuna

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casitas Tenorio

Upala, Alajuela

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Senda Monteverde Hotel

Monteverde

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel San Bada Resort & Spa

Manuel Antonio

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

One front desk employee was rude and not helpful at all. The other two front desk staff were helpful and courteous. The cleaning staff was very good.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room had a smell that seem to be difficult to resolve. However the room was clean.

Buena Vista Chic Hotel

Alajuela

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided Hike in Arenal Volcano Park 1968

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sloth Observation - Day or Night Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Peñas Blancas River Nature Float (La Fortuna area)

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Very long pick up process

Rio Celeste & Tenorio Volcano Hike

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coffee & Chocolate Tour

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cloud Forest Reserve Hike

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sukia Nighttime Nature Walk

Manuel Antonio

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Damas Island Boat Tour

Manuel Antonio

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Manuel Antonio National Park

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Charlotte did an amazing job building an itinerary of all the places and tours we were interested in doing. We added and changed ideas a couple times and came up with a fantastic trip.
Every transfer, hotel, and tour, went exactly as planned. We had absolutely no issues or problems occur.
I would not hesitate to highly recommend using KimKim. We were more than happy with how our trip went.

All of the tours and transportation that she scheduled were prompt and knowledgeable about the area

Activity Reviews

Private: Full-Day Guided Birdwatching

Monteverde

Our guide was amazing! Took his time and helped us see some amazing wildlife! He used our phones and spotting scope to get beautiful pictures

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private: Carara National Park Guided Tour

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arsenal manoa was exceptional! Great food great atmosphere!all the staff were excellent the guides for trips were all outstanding : Franklin for the waterfall: Justin for the coffee chocolate tour, Winston for arenas
Volcano and Warner for kayaking and snorkeling. It was an excellent trip the transportation was great as well

Hotel Reviews

Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs

Fortuna

Authenticity & Character

The grounds the hot springs

Location

Town transport

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Monteverde Country Lodge

Monteverde

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Espadilla Gardens Hotel

Manuel Antonio

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Coffee & Chocolate Tour

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hike to La Fortuna Waterfall

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal 1968 Hike & Visit to Ecotermales Hot Springs

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Food

Not food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Hanging Bridges Hike

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ocean Kayaking & Snorkeling

Manuel Antonio

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The whole experience was wonder and perfectly planned. Not a single issue for the entry week of multiple excursions, shuttles, and hotel. Great recommendations on hotel and excursions. We looked it. Thanks Yuliana

Everything was so amazing. The tours and the hotel just perfect. Everything was easy and well taken care of. Anytime I had a question it was responded to.

My 14 day Best of Costa Rica trip was amazing. Bryan, Nancy, and Charlotte did a wonderful job of tailoring a mixture of the excursions I wanted with enough relaxing time so as not to be exhausting. Each destination had it's own unique quality and beauty to it. This was my first time doing anything like this, and I was very overly nervous about how it would all come together. The team answered my repeated questions, rapidly, effectively, in person, and kindly. The excursions, transportation, and lodging all came through on time and with no problems. KimKim and the team have earned my trust, and I am planning my next adventure with them.

Hotel Reviews

El Faro Beach Hotel

Manuel Antonio

The view is gorgeous and the best part of the hotel. It is on a steep hill, if someone is not able to walk well, but you can request a shuttle ride. All the furnishings were uncomfortable. The bed was hard, there was a cheap sofa facing a wall that only served to put luggage on, no inside chairs, and patio chairs also uncomfortable. Pool lounges uncomfortable too.

Authenticity & Character

it should be more homey. is uncomfortable and cold

Location

it is close to manuel antonio

Staff

didn't really interact with the staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

i guess it was clean, but not comfy

Hotel Heliconia

Monteverde

This hotel had the best bed and room setup. The bed was so comfy and fluffy comforter made it so cozy. It was better than other more expensive property beds. There were upholstered chairs by the windows for reading or whatever which other properties didn't have either. We found a trail in back, and saw lots of birds and animals.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It was just a bit far to walk to town or other eateries. We did eat at the restaurant and they had a good home made tomato pasta sauce with fresh vegetables from their garden

Staff

very friendly and helpful, and they were there day and night it seemed.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs

Fortuna

This property was gorgeous and we had a stunning view of the volcano. You had your own cabana, so it was very private and seemed like there wasn't other guests. The breakfast buffet had everything and overlooked a small pond with lots of wildlife. There were also sloths in the trees. We did take advantage of both pools and the termales. The bed wasn't as comfy as Hotel Heliconia was probably the only critique.

Authenticity & Character

the ground were gorgeous. reminded us of Hawaii

Location

view of arenal from the patio

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tenorio Lodge

Bijagua de Upala

I loved that the owner had a bird feeder in front which attracted so many kinds of exotic birds, and some squirrels too. It was great viewing and photo ops. The room had gorgeous floor to ceiling windows, but you didn't get much of a view because of the height of the vegetation. It did make it private. You had to go to the restaurant deck to get the view of the volcano. It was very nice relaxing on this deck. The canvas chairs that went with with the small table by the windows were too low for the table, and uncomfortable. There was a sofa which was good, but no good reading lighting to read in it. The water never was very warm. The grounds were very pretty, and it was quiet. It is a bit remote, so we made a stop at a market for some things before stopping. There is a walking trail to an observation deck over a pond, which was dense with foliage where we saw howler monkeys and birds.

Authenticity & Character

Location

was just a bit far out, which was both good for serenity, but left no other options for eating

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tamarindo Diria Beach Resort

Tamarindo

The location of our room was across the street from the oceanfront, which although not on the beach, was still convenient. I liked the grass beachfront, as it was breezy/windy and there was sand blowing. With the grass you didn't get sandblown. I did prefer the more sandy beach at the near Playa Langosta, however as I said, the grass here was a plus. And Playa Langosta was not too far to walk if you wanted to enjoy that Our room was in a multi level/unit building near the auto entrance and at the beginning of the passage. We got a lot of noise with people passing by, especially on Saturday when they are drunk and really loud. And at night, when the auto arm was raised, you got beep beep beep up, then the same down. We did not get good sleep here. The room had a nice patio oriented toward the pool, which although not the beach, was still nice. The breakfast buffet was really good. There are plenty of stores and eateries close. I would actually rate this hotel a 3 1/2 due to the noise and close proximity to neighbors.

Authenticity & Character

a big multi unit building if you're not right on the beach

Location

i would've preferred ocean front, and not having to cross the street. however, i was on a budget and the beachfront was probably more money.

Staff

didn't interact much with staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

be sure to get your room at the end of the aisle so you don't get a parade of people going by and can't her the auto arm

Activity Reviews

Catamaran Adventure from Manuel Antonio

Costa Rica

I got to be like Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous for an afternoon. The catamaran was amazing, the largest of any other tour company out there. Got to see the coastline, and lots of dolphins, and nesting habitats on the small isles. We didn't end up snorkeling, as there was a red sea so visibility was reduced. We also didn't jump from the boat to the water, due to our age. The young people really enjoyed that. The dinner provided was very good and ample. There was also fruit prior. And you got 4 drinks per person, which we didn't even use all of. The beautiful sunset was a perfect ending. What I didn't like was that the music was deafening. You could hardly speak with the person you came with. The music selection was good, but just too loud. I also didn't like that the transportation bus made many stops to pick up other guests, understandable, but then we all had to disembark at the Boat Headquarters in town to receive our bracelets for the tour. This was inconvenient and time consuming when we were all amped to start our experience. The driver had all our names, so why wasn't it possible for him to go in and collect our bracelets and give them to us, and we're on our way. That is my suggestion for your team for the future.

Quality of Experience

same as above

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Nature Hike

Manuel Antonio

I was really impressed with our guide for pointing out not only the obvious sloths, monkeys, but the flora and minuscule creatures that one would overlook. The guide was so adept at not only finding the wildlife, but getting the perfect photo and video for you. We did see many sloths, white faced monkeys, howler monkeys, and an endangered squirrel monkeys which was a rare treat. The tour ends on a beautiful beach where you can swim or relax away from the public beaches.

Quality of Experience

everything mentioned

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We had one small glitch. We were told the tour office was right outside the park. That's not exactly correctly. It's on a small side street on the left. Once there our names weren't in the computer and our guide wasn't there. However, shortly he showed up, and he was amazing, the best of them all

Children's Eternal Rainforest Night Walk

Monteverde

This walk was fun in that you are on trails in the night with your flashlight, provided by them, seeking out creatures of the night. It reminded me of being a kid. We mostly located species of birds roosting for the night, and it gave you the opportunity to see them pretty close up as they didn't fly off. It was interactive for the group (small) to participate in locating items of interest too. The tour begins with a beautiful sunset of the area that the children helped save before setting off on your adventure.

Day at Selvatura including Hanging Bridges and Fauna Exhibitions

Costa Rica

The jungle is so lush and beautiful Spent so much time just looking at everything. The bridges were a lot of fun swaying with the wind, as well as providing a view from higher up. The sloth sanctuary exhibit at the end provided up close viewing of these animals which was fascinating, and the guide was knowledgeable. There was also a butterfly exhibit and a reptile after, both enjoyable and less crowded than the sloths.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Group Surf Lessons at Tamarindo Beach

Tamarindo

I had such a fun time with this. The lesson was actually at Langosta Beach, not Tamarindo, which is a short ways away. This worked out fine as the beach is sandier and better for beginners. It turned out I was the only one in the group, so it was really a private lesson. I was able to get up my first try, and I am 68 years old. What a kick. The instructor guides you out on the board, then pushes you onto a wave, so it is not too difficult. Staying up is the harder part. The water was warm and shallow, and it was aslo a great respite from the heat.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Rio Celeste & Tenorio Volcano Guided Rainforest Hike

Costa Rica

This was a not to hard hike along the beautiful blue river culminating with the gorgeous blue waterfall. Our guide was very knowledgeable with the explanation and geography which makes this color occur. A bonus was the giant tapir which made an appearance.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Arenal Volcano & 1968 Reserve Guided Hike

Arenal/La Fortuna

The hike was not too difficult, and it had 3 levels of difficulty to choose. I chose the longest route, and it was still a pleasant hike although it rained and we didn't have a view of the volcano or lake.

Guided Nature Walk in Danaus Eco-Center

Arenal/La Fortuna

Ecotermales Hotsprings

Costa Rica

The warm water felt great as it was intermittent rain so was good to submerge in warm water. The water fall area was great on the back. The included dinner was very good.

Río Peñas Blancas Safari Float

Arenal/La Fortuna

It was relaxing going down the river and spotting the wildlife, but adventurous enough not to be boring. You are in a raft and do have to paddle in parts, so you got some exercise too. You do spot animals, but you are traveling down a river, so you don't get as great watch as if you were still. I didn't know about the chocolate presentation after, and thought it would be boring, but it wasn't. And the chocolate was delicious.

We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Costa Rica and are grateful for the planning by KimKim. We had a 3 hour tour of Hanging Bridges and it was fantastic! Loved it! We learned so much and would've missed so much had we walked through by ourselves. Then they recommended the Arenal Whitewater rafting and that was amazing! My husband said it was his favorite thing in Costa Rica. Thank you for your help and especially for Hanging Bridges tour!!

Activity Review

Arenal Hanging Bridges Guided Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

Fantastic guide! Learned so much!! Beautiful!!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide, Cindy, at Bridges was knowledgeable and friendly. Excellent!

My first review did not go through. I did provide a review to Yuliana noting that everything was as represented, no surprises and all is good. KimKim, Amazilia, Yuliana, all transportation and excursions were excellent.

Contact Yuliana for my review.
Thanks
Bill Bennnett

Serendipity Adventures organized a fantastic, memorable trip for us and another couple. Sergio, Nancy, and Charlotte readily incorporated our requests and preferences, secured top notch accommodations, booked excellent excursions, and made sure our transportation from destination to destination proceeded flawlessly. When we reached out via web messaging or What’s App, even after hours, responses came quickly and thoroughly.

Sergio suggested we start in San José, hike at Arenal Volcano and La Fortuna Waterfall, cross hanging bridges in the rain forest, raft the Peňas Blancas River, boat across Lake Arenal, hike and ride a sky tram in Saint Elena Cloud Forest, tour Don Juan coffee plantation, enjoy abundant nature and dazzling beaches in Manuel Antonio Parque, and wrap up with a sunset catamaran cruise in the Pacific. Our guides knew their fauna and flora, pointing out animals and plants we never would have noticed on our own. Andres, our Endemic Bird guide at Manuel Antonio, an ornithologist and botanist, topped them all. Bryan and Abner at the river rafting excursion were knowledgeable and great fun.

Our hotels in San José, Fortuna, Monteverde, and Manuel Antonio were clean, comfortable, roomy, and exceeded expectations. Our private transfers to each city and back to SJO went without a hitch. Courteous drivers. Clean, comfortable vehicles with sufficient space for luggage and relaxing on three- to four-hour drives. Turns out, being transferred cost less than renting a sufficient vehicle — and leaving the driving to Hugo, Marvin, and Wendell removed all stresses over navigation and poor roads.

An ice storm in Dallas nixed our flight home on the last day. Though there work for us was done, Charlotte replied promptly to my What’s App request for help securing a room near SJO. Glad she stepped up and made that aspect of our delays smooth. Pura vida.

All in all, we would use Serendipity again and are highly satisfied with the planning process, cost and value, and the outcome of our first trip to Costa Rica. Thank you, Sergio and the Serendipity team, for helping us enjoy a worry-free, memorable vacation.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Presidente

San José

We enjoyed our stay. The rooftop restaurant view. Delicious breakfasts and rich, strong coffee. Attentive, courteous staff. Good location for walking to museums, parks, and desired site. Clean, comfortable, spacious room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Los Lagos Spa & Resort

La Fortuna

We loved staying in the villa. Quiet location with superb view of flora and fauna. Timely shuttle service to/from the common areas. Enjoyed the many pools and water slide. Las Palmas wait staff took good care of us in

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Heliconia

Monteverde

What a view! We stayed on the second floor, overlooking the valley and town. Spectacular sunsets. Mileydi was especially kind and helpful to us. Tasty lunch and dinners at the restaurant.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel San Bada Resort & Spa

Manuel Antonio

Great location next to Manuel Antonio Parque and a short stroll to the beach. Attentive staff at check-in and helpful to us throughout our stay. Enjoyed the main and sixth floor pools, plus the view of the Pacific from the rooftop eating area. Clean, comfortable rooms.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

TreeTram & Hanging Bridges Adventure

Monteverde

Chris (sp?) pointed out so many birds, insects, and plants. The hanging bridges afforded spectacular views. Enjoyed the tram and climbing the observation tower.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Christian knew his stuff and pointed out flora and fauna we never would have noticed. He seemed to spend a lot of time looking at his cellphone during our lava flows walk. Would have appreciated more commentary during that.

Transport

We appreciate the driver stopping at a store so we could get things we needed.

Enjoy the Thermal Hotsprings at your hotel

Arenal/La Fortuna

Loved the different pools with varied temperatures. Exciting water slide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Timely shuttles to/from villa. We never waited long.

Nature Safari Float and Tortilla Making

Arenal/La Fortuna

Bryan and Abner made this trip fun. We enjoyed conversing with them on the rides to and from our hotel, floating down the river, and at the cacao presentation.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve Guided Hike

Monteverde

Absolutely breathtaking.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Dani did a great job guiding us.

Transport

Coffee & Chocolate Tour

Costa Rica

Loved the in-depth explanations of coffee growing, harvesting, roasting, and characteristics. Enjoyed the sugar cane and cacao presentations tastings.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Manuel Antonio

Lucky we that Andres guided us. What a lively, intense, patient, thoughtful encyclopedia of knowledge and wisdom he proved to be. Enjoyed the trails and beaches after our tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sunset Catamaran Sailing Tour

Costa Rica

A relaxing way to conclude our Costa Rica trip. Tasty fish dinner. Surprised that you offered four drinks per passenger, and they were kind of strong.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Inefficient process. We'd prepaid. Some on bus hadn't. Everyone needed to check-in at office, reboard bus, and drive to marina. Seems like the drivers could know who was prepaid, wristband them, and streamline the payment/check-in routine.

We had a great trip to Costa Rica! kimkim set us up with hotels, guided activities, and transportation. Everything went very smoothly. All of the people we interacted with in Costa Rica (hotel and restaurant staff, guides, drivers, etc.) were very kind and welcoming. All of the guides were extremely knowledgeable and we learned so much more than we ever could have on our own. kimkim made trip planning easy and I wouldn't hesitate to use them for a future trip.

We had an amazing trip! Costa Rica is a beautiful place with so much to see and do! From the places to visit, excursions and accommodations, all of Veronica's suggestions were great, and the entire trip ran like clockwork. It was wonderful to know everything was planned and taken care of, and just be able to enjoy the experience. The tour companies - Green World Adventures, Desafio Adventure Company, Monteverde Experts and Iguana Tours - and every guide - John, Gabriel, Kathy, Andrey, Tony, Diogenes and Allen - were fantastic, very knowledgeable and friendly. We would absolutely plan our next trip with KimKim!

This trip was 3 years in the making as Covid restrictions delayed our plans. Working with Randall was a god send! I have never felt more comfortable with someone that I haven’t met personally and only conversed with through emails and texting. Randall took our requirements and put together a 17 day trip that we will remember forever. The details of the itinerary were extremely helpful particularly when going on the different tours which included equipment & clothing requirements, pick up times, tour operators, and travel durations etc. We visited several national parks through guided tours and learned about the fauna and flora on both the Pacific, Caribbean and the inland mountains. Highly recommend going on guided hikes/walks and all the guides were amazing at spotting and learning about flora and fauna you wouldn’t pick up on your own. The trip was well balanced with excursions and down days were you could chill and relax when you wanted to. Also Randall and the Kim Kim were there if you needed them at all during the trip. Thanks so much Randall. Pura Vida!

We visited Costa Rica from Jan 4-18. We started in Tortuguero and finished in Manuel Antonio. We spent 2 nights in 5 different locations and 3 nights in Tamarindo. For the most part that was a perfect amount of time. However I do wish we had 3 nights in Manuel Antonio and a better hotel location in Arenal. The Kim Kim team was always easy to contact. The tour guides they work with are very good especially Marco in Tortuguero and Charlie in Arenal. We appreciated the good food we ate for breakfast and the kind workers at the lodges. All were very helpful. Don’t hesitate working with Kim Kim.
We did buy trip insurance since the payment amount due was several month before departure.

This was our first time using kimkim, the experience was great and we will definitely use the service again!

Kimkim worked with Serendipity Adventures to plan our trip.
Communication with Sergio, Charlotte, and Nancy from SA, while planning and during the trip, was excellent.
Sergio tweaked our plan to accommodate our travel interests and created an itinerary that matched our requests. Charlotte and Nancy were both quickly reachable while we were in Costa Rica via WhatApp, this was a huge benefit as we made a few changes on the fly.

Prior to leaving we had some concerns regarding self driving in Costa Rica, after a call with Sergio we felt comfortable proceeding as planned. Self driving around Costa Rica allowed us to explore and stop as we wished, we felt safe. The winding roads through mountain elevation changes might be a bit much for some travelers.

Tours:

La Fortuna area-

Hanging Bridges, La Fortuna Waterfall, and Arenal Volcano

This private tour was operated by Arenal Star. We were picked up by a van with a guide and driver. Nester was our guide for the entire day, his knowledge and passion for the local flora, fauna and ecosystem was outstanding. This package is a ‘do not miss’ tour.

Monteverde area-

Sky Adventures Zip Lines Monteverde Park

This is an amazing zipline system running through the jungle at high elevations up to 5,000 ft. The runs vary from 1/4 to 1/2 mile in length each; there are seven total cable runs. Be forewarned that this attraction operates in weather that would normally be considered dangerous in the United States. We had high wind and light rain accompanied by dense fog/clouds.

Coffee & Chocolate Tour

Don Juan coffee and chocolate tour is another 'do not miss'. A well organized and educational tour of the process involved in cocoa and coffee production also information about sugarcane.

Accommodations:

All were excellent and very different from each other. Rating on a 1-5 scale shown next to the property name below.

Arenal Paraiso Resort & Spa-4

Monteverde Lodge & Gardens-5

Los Altos Resort-Quepos-5

We had a great couple of weeks in Costa Rica, all planned through Kimkim and their agent Yuliana with Amazilla Travel in Costa Rica. Yuliana did a great job planning the trip following our, and our friends from Canada traveling with us, input on what to see and things we were interested in doing.
We travelled from Liberia to Monteverde by private transportation and knowledgeable guide that explained points of interest during the ~ 3 hour drive.
The Zip Line organized by Yuliana was fantastic. It worked out very well starting in the north cloud forest region first as it was a bit cooler but still very conformable mid 60’s to 70’s then making our way to lower elevations and south as the trip progressed. The accommodations were clean, comfortable and nice throughout the trip. Other main places visited included, La Fortune, Manuel Antonio and San Jose. Highlights were the Zip Line, Los Lagos hot springs resort, planned tours and hikes to beautiful water falls. Tour guides were friendly and knowledgeable which made the trip that must more enjoyable.
We learned a lot about the country, regions, culture, parks and animals through the organized tours so very glad we took them. All in all, it was a great trip, saw and did lots of things and had the right amount of down time. Would do it again.

Lorenzo & Helen C

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Los Lagos Spa & Resort

La Fortuna

This is a very nice resort with lots of hot spring pools, things to do and good restaurant. The rooms are spacious and clean as are the grounds and facilities. The town is easy to get to and Uber was a good mode of transportation. Great view of the volcano from the resort.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Located at the foot of the volcano and 5 minute drive to the town.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Monteverde Country Lodge

Monteverde

Good accommodations. Its on a hill so walking to stores and restaurants is very tough. Can take taxi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Presidente

San José

Well located in the heart of the city. Lots to see in within walking distance. As with many big cities, you will see some homeless people is some areas.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Costa Verde

Manuel Antonio

Amazing view of the ocean. Located in the hillside and close to the beach. Walking distance if you're a walker that doesn't mind steep hills. Local bus passed and stops near the hotel and other places of interest. Hotel grounds are well kept and a number of pools and great views. Restaurants are close by. Rooms are clean, spacious and great A/C.

Authenticity & Character

Location

View of the ocean.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Selvatura Park Self-Guided Hanging Bridges & Zip Lining

Monteverde

These were amazing zip lines, 13 in total. Some long some short. Well run and safe.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coffee & Chocolate Tour in Monteverde

Monteverde

Fun and tasty. Learned a few things about coffee and chocolate too.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

El Silencio Volcano Hike & Visit to La Fortuna Waterfall

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Río Celeste & Tenorio Volcano National Park Guided Rainforest Hike

Arenal/La Fortuna

Timing was right, if too raining you won't see the turquoise color, we were lucky and it was amazing.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ocean Kayaking & Snorkeling

Manuel Antonio

Fun kayaking here. The guide was good and water calm.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

San José City Tour

San José

City tour was informative and interesting.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport