Kimkim Trip Reviews for Costa Rica

It is hard to put this amazing trio into words ! It is always a bit worrying planning a trip to a new destination , not knowing different locations , “ things to do” and of course the logistics of making this all happen. KimKim planned a perfect trip for our family of 12 ranging in ages from 15-82! Our days were filled with adventures including hiking , kayaking , zip lining, hanging bridges , exploring nature and wildlife, enjoying sunsets and the warm ocean. Everything was planned so perfectly. Serendipity guides and drivers were FANTASTIC ! They were always prompt , waited patiently for us as we often took longer on our daily adventures , never rushed us , went above and beyond in retrieving an item left behind at a hotel and driving it to us 3 hours away !!!! Their guides were knowledgeable, humorous and patient. One driver spotted 4 different sloths along our drive and pulled over every time for us to take pictures ! Kim Kim and Serendipity was so responsive to any of our needs. Their drivers even drove us to the grocery store so we could buy an anniversary cake , then to a restaurant that was recommended and spoke with the staff to arrange to have the cake brought out at the end of the meal as a big surprise. We made so many memories on this trip and to have 12 people happy over 10 days and EVERYTHING run so smoothly was priceless !!! Thank you !!!

Hotel Review

Arenal Paraíso Resort, Spa & Hot Springs

La Fortuna

The all you can eat breakfast was incredible!!! We loved the warm spring hot tubs !!

Location

Activity Reviews

Sky Tram, Ziplines & Sky Walk Adventure

Arenal/La Fortuna

The bad news is I can never go zip lining anywhere else because I just experienced the BEST and MOST AMAZING ZIPLING ever !!! Anyone who is going to Cosya Rico has to zip line here ! There were 11 in our group and I loved how we were able to stay together and watch everyone in our group take off and land. The staff was incredible , they handled all the equipment, all you had to do was enjoy the ride !!!!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Fun and humorous ! Good looking too

Transport

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Nature Hike

Manuel Antonio

This guided tour eas like going on a tree sure hunt without having to hunt ! The guides found / spotted all these amazing animals and insects big and small and we viewed them through their telescopes ! They even took pictures with our phone through their lens of the telescope so we have amazing pictures ! The guides found was so enthusiastic when animals were spotted and that enthusiasm transmitted right to us.

Quality of Experience

O

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ocean Kayaking & Snorkeling Adventure

Manuel Antonio

This was one of the highlights of our trip. We paddled a double kayak across the ocean ( it was a long way :) and then snorkeled or relaxed on the beach before paddling back. It was such a beautiful experience. Everyone made it from ages 15-82 !!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I had no idea where to begin for this trip, but our teams from kimkim and Serendipity Adventures had us covered! Elena, Nancy and Wilman helped plan and coordinate things I didn’t even know I wanted to do. They gave us itinerary options so we could choose what was best for us. They were available for questions and even checked in regularly on our trip. They did an amazing job and we had the best adventures!

Hotel Reviews

Tabulia Tree

Manuel Antonio

The hotel room was very basic but we were not spending much time there. The gardens were beautiful. The wildlife while eating our meals kept us entertained! The pool was clean and enjoyable. The staff were so friendly and accommodating. We enjoyed our time there.

Authenticity & Character

The layout of the rooms within the gardens.

Location

Very pretty setting.

Staff

The staff were friendly and accommodating.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was very basic with limited supplies. Even the toilet paper was portioned out.

Hotel Eco Arenal

Fortuna

This hotel was in a private garden setting. The room had everything you need. The staff was very nice and the breakfast buffet was delicious. It was very close to La Fortuna, but quiet enough to be relaxing. The grounds were kept well and the pool area was clean and inviting.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Nature Hike

Manuel Antonio

Don’t skip this.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Catamaran Tour with Meal

Costa Rica

This was a lot of fun and it was all due to the staffs’ attitude. It was rainy and people were glum, but they got everyone up and going. The food was good, too.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanging Bridges, La Fortuna Waterfall, and Arenal Volcano

Arenal/La Fortuna

It was pouring most of this trip, but our guide, Chris, made it work. We had an amazing experience and learned so much. Don’t skip this!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Whitewater Rafting on the Balsa River

Arenal/La Fortuna

I’ve never done this before, but it was exhilarating! Our guide was experienced and gave great instructions. He also made it so much fun with his humor and enthusiasm.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Momo was the best!

Transport

Bryan, with Serendipity Adventures, did a fantastic job of arranging a ten day 60th anniversary celebration for my family of twelve. We flew in anda out of San Jose, then spent a couple of days in La Fortuna, Monteverde, and Manuel Antonio. Serendipity arranged all activities and transportation at each location. All Serendipity folks were personble and punctual, but we remember Minor, Manarino, and especially Alex who went out of their way to provide extra assistance whenever needed. The favorite activity was the zip linning at La Fortuna, but all twelve agreed that they enjoyed every activity, even though the others were not quite as exciting as the zip linning.

Just came back from a fantastic vacation in Costa Rica that Randall, our agent from KimKim, booked for us. All the hotel checkins and excursions went seamlessly smooth.

La Fortuna - we stayed at the Montañad de Fuego Mountain Resort & Spa. Nice rooms but probably wouldn’t recommend as to the paths to our bungalow were not lit and it was easy to trip along the way. The “thermal” pools are warmer at my home. We did the Arenal lava hike and that was good although we never did see the top of Arenal due to daily cloud cover. Baldi Hot Springs were fantastic as was the cano negro boat tour.
Our next stop was in Monteverde where we stayed at Poco a Poco. Loved this hotel and highly recommend it. Hanging bridges were great as was the zip lining. Really enjoyed the coffee, chocolate and sugar cane tour.
Our last stop was in Tamarindo and we stayed at the Wyndham. Very nice hotel although they would run out of clean towels (both in room as well as pool). Did a catamaran snorkel tour through Marlin Del Rey. Snorkeling was poor due to all the rain but the unlimited drinks and food were really good.

Hotel Reviews

Montaña de Fuego Mountain Resort & Spa

La Fortuna

Montaña de Fuego Mountain Resort & Spa had very nice rooms, but I was surprised by the lack of lighting on the paths, making it difficult to walk at night. The thermal pools were also not as warm as I expected. The garden was beautiful though, and the facility itself was lovely.

Hotel & Spa Poco a Poco

Monteverde

Hotel & Spa Poco a Poco in Monteverde was a quaint hotel with great service. The staff were lovely, making the stay highly recommendable.

Wyndham

Tamarindo

The Wyndham had a great location with a nice view over the city and beach. However, they routinely ran out of towels, both for rooms and the beach. At times, the rooms weren't serviced even after requesting housekeeping.

Activity Reviews

Monteverde - Hanging Bridges Guided Hike & Zip-lining tour

Monteverde

The Hanging Bridges Guided Hike was a wonderful experience. Although I didn't do the zip-lining due to my knee, I exchanged my ticket for the Sloth tour, which I really enjoyed. The park was well-maintained, and there were plenty of activities available for everyone.

Coffee, Chocolate & Sugar Cane Experience (English Tour)

Monteverde

The Coffee, Chocolate & Sugar Cane Experience was a delightful and educational tour. It was fascinating to see the process and try various samples. Walking through the plantations and learning about these products was a wonderful and tasty experience.

I was very satisfied with the level of interaction from planners, detail of the itinerary, and the quality of the hotels, excursions, and transportation. I'm a seasoned traveler and usually do everything on my own. However, finding myself in the midst of a last-minute planned marriage left me little time, if any, to put this trip together. So, if you would rather skip all the time and headache, I can't recommend them enough. However, just know that it comes with a price, and I estimate I could've saved 20-30% on my own. Nevertheless, they excel at what they do, so if the time value of money leans the favor of a third party, go for it!

Olman helped me plan the trip according to my specific requirements. Every single pickup for scheduled activity and transportation was ON TIME and that takes out the stress when you are on vacation. I honestly use Kimkim just for that - to ensure there are no cancelations on planned activities - its very reliable and definitely worth every penny to go with a travel agency.

Activity Reviews

El Silencio Volcano Hike

Arenal/La Fortuna

This was the best activity - enjoyed the views of the Arenal Volcano from close by.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

EcoTermales Hot Springs Experience with Buffet Meal

Arenal/La Fortuna

I have mixed feelings about Hot Springs - the activity was late in the evening - the dinner was good but the hot springs were ok especially with limited visibility in the dark.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Costa Rica

You absolutely need a guide here, since they will show you close up views of animals, spiders, birds etc. The beach is also great but we did not really use it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A taxi driver picked us up - while it was ok, would rather have better transportation like a private van.

Coffee, Chocolate and Sugar Cane Farm Tour

Arenal/La Fortuna

We went through Coffee and Chocolate tour - there was nothing mentioned about Sugar Cane - guess it wasnt that important for us, but would be nice to not include it from the beginning, so not create any expectations. Also, not sure if the pricing we paid was "extra".

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to Costa Rica was excellent. I do want to mention that our lodging at the Karahe Hotel in Quepos was our only glitch. We loved the hotel, the people, and the beach. But the one room up the stairs was problematic ... maybe not for young people who don't mind the many steps to their room, but for us, the nuisance of the climb to the small room (limited hot water) was not worth the gorgeous view. But we cannot say enough about Olman... and we ran into another family who had booked through him who also were extremely happy. So, we will return to KimKim for future trips, and if/when we return to Costa Rica, we want Olman to be our travel agent.
Thank you so much, and to Olman, Pura Vida!
Betsy

All guides good. All drivers good. Hanging Bridges guide exceptional; named Gabby.
Catamaran guides exceptional; saw whales!

Would recommend more hotel options be given rather than only one within the overall plan so customers can have flexibility in choosing given amenities and price range (we just took what was offered due to lateness of planning our trip; however we would have liked to have had different choices for our stays in San Jose and Samara).

Hotel Reviews

Auténtico Hotel

San José

First night poor, no air conditioning, mechanical building noise and outside noises that of course the hotel cannot control. 2nd night good enough.

Authenticity & Character

No comment

Location

Let customer know location. This hotel was not in a good location for walking to see any central areas.

Staff

The men were friendlier at the reception than the women. Welcoming treat was awful, but nice to be offered one.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Overall ok

Pachira Lodge

Tortuguero

For being in an isolated area, very nice. When not touring one has few options. Lodge could provide more activities, especially due to rainy weather, (when the swimming pool was not always suitable) and an ‘iffy’ internet connection in the rooms. In the public areas of the lodge, internet was ok if not always at its best, but then, one is in the isolated tropical forest, We enjoyed lying in hammocks under a covered, open space while it rained. Some tourists brought cards and games with them, which was a great idea for the free times.

Authenticity & Character

Nice lodge feeling. Nice wood architecture. One drawback, was that one can hear human neighbors due to open layouts. Saw monkeys, and sloths in trees at the lodge. Always had hot water, which was pleasant… and food was good.

Location

For the park and tours.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cariblue Beach & Jungle Resort

South Puerto Viejo

Ok place, but too musty for me. Make sure room is accommodating for your age and physical needs. We had two stories with very steep stairs. Restaurant ok.

Authenticity & Character

Hotel should remodel.

Location

Too close to busy main road. Beach across busy road. Nice beach.

Staff

Attentive

Cleanliness & Comfort

They do the best they can inside of room given the age of the structure.

Baldi Hot Springs Resort, Hotel & Spa

Fortuna

Nice and comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Choice of hot springs.

Location

Good for being picked up for tours; but not that close to towns restaurants etc.

Staff

Front desk

Cleanliness & Comfort

They say they make sure hot spring waters and pools are kept clean and safe for people.

Montelaguna Boutique Hotel

Samara

Simple place. Nice enough.

Authenticity & Character

Building ok. Could provide foldable chairs and hammocks to take to the beach.

Location

Close to beautiful Carrillo Beach but have to walk on narrow busy road and cross road to get to beach. Would be nice if road had shoulders.

Staff

Conversational and friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Best they can do for hotel age.

Activity Reviews

Cahuita National Park Snorkel & Rainforest Hike

Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

Loved!

Quality of Experience

Beauty and friendly guides

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

San Jose - Tortuguero

Costa Rica

Long trip. Food stop area pleasant. Transfer point from bus to boat is rustic, including bathrooms. Final boat trip to park is fun!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Enjoy the Beauty of Tortuguero National Park

Tortuguero

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to Maleku Indigenous Reserve

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Hanging Bridges Guided Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

Despite the rain which fortunately let up, wonderful experience. Friendly knowledgeable guide!!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Pura Vida in practice!!!

Transport

Catamaran Ocean Safari & Snorkel Trip

Sámara

Saw Whales! Extra special guides as hosts who kept us safe and provided levity!!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a fantastic trip to Costa Rica thanks to Kimkim and serendipity team. We were warmly received by Alex Quiros from serendipity travels who drove us to Manuel Antonio. He gave us a beautiful overview of Costa Rica and helped us see some great wildlife Enroute. Throughout the trip we had an amazing time, transport was well organized and on time. The staff were extremely polite and professional and went over and beyond for us. We will use definitely use kimkim and serendipity again!

Hotel Reviews

Arenas del Mar Resort

Manuel Antonio

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arenal Springs Resort & Spa

La Fortuna

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lighting in the rooms was very dull. Bathroom was slightly tight. Can be improved.

Studio Hotel

San José

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bathroom was not squeaky clean

Activity Reviews

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Nature Hike

Manuel Antonio

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Catamaran Tour with Meal

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to Maleku Indigenous Reserve

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Volcano & 1968 Reserve Guided Hike

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coffee & Chocolate Tour

Costa Rica

If you are looking for a stress-free and reasonably-priced itinerary to Costa Rica, look no further than Kim Kim. From the very beginning of planning and customizing the itinerary, Olman was immediately responsive to my questions and concerns. The planning was transparent with information about hotels and activities. We felt confident going into the trip. We were then handed off to Graciela who was our contact in-country. The great communication continued. Our private driver Leo was the star of our trip, though. So gracious, so patient, such a wonderful lovely man who went out of his way to make our trip special by taking us to great restaurants and working in new things we wanted to do.

Prior to signing up with Kim Kim, I checked out several other tours that frequently come up on Google. We started in San Jose, stayed a few days in La Fortuna, moved onto Monteverde, and ended in Samara. So many logistics that these trips can get very expensive quickly. But, we found Kim Kim to be both accommodating and reasonably priced. I would use them again in a heartbeat.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Magic Mountain

Fortuna

This was a perfect hotel for an 11-party group. The breakfast buffet included an omelet station which was really nice.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Cipreses

Monteverde

Family run hotel which had a very nice personal homey feeling. The rooms did not have air conditioning. The December temperature was in the high 60s and low 70s so we didn't need cooling, but it was rainy and humid. I would refer to this hotel as a "budget" level hotel.

Leyenda Boutique Hotel and Spa

Hojancha Guanacaste

Very nice hotel outside the touristy areas of Samara. There was a beautiful courtyard area, with a beautiful pool and playground for young children. The rooms were spacious with a mini-fridge and large clean bathroom. There are two restaurants advertised at the hotel - This is critical because there are no restaurants within walking distance to the hotel. The lobby hotel was very good - very responsive and yummy dishes. The second restaurant - Hachidori - was marketed as an "asiatic" restaurant with sushi, ramen, and pad thai on the menu. Our experience was astoundingly bad (thus the three stars) - we waited 2 hours for our food, the food was barely edible, and we even didn't get our entire meals. It took us an hour to figure out that the food was being cooked at the lobby restaurant and walked over to Hachidori. Clearly the cooks didn't know how to cook this cuisine and there was no expediting to this restaurant. This experience, while isolated, defined our experience at this hotel.

Activity Reviews

Whitewater Rafting Sarapiqui River (Class II -III)

Arenal/La Fortuna

Great adventure! We went at the end of the rainy season and the water was high! We've been on several white water rafting trips and this one was the most thrilling! Our guide, Carl, was super professional and calm. He gave great instructions and literally navigated us through rough waters. My only negative was that it was a gigantic group with numerous rafts going at the same time. But, when one raft flipped over, I appreciated how the other guides stopped and helped.

Waterfall & Volcano Hiking Adventure with Lunch

Arenal/La Fortuna

What a great nature walk at the volcano. Our guide, Franklin, was very knowledgeable about the wildlife and plant life. We learned a lot about each plant and their medicinal properties. Unfortunately, it was rainy and foggy that day and we couldn't see the volcano.

Arenal Volcano Canyoning Adventure

Arenal/La Fortuna

Absolutely the best activity we did in Costa Rica - The perfect blend of water, rappelling, and zip lining. Guides were very professional and we felt safe the entire time. Our family does a lot of adventure activities on vacation, and we have experienced nothing like this before. Lunch was great too! Just do it. You won't regret it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kimkim and our local specialist, Olman, made planning and traveling for our Costa Rican vacation easy and stress free. The hotels and excursions that Olman recommended were perfect and appropriate for the needs of our family of four (which included two teenagers). I will definitely use Kimkim again for any future international trips.

Hotel Reviews

Karahé Beach Hotel

Manuel Antonio

The private beach was amazing and the staff were wonderful and helpful. I will stay here again on my next trip to Costa Rica!

Authenticity & Character

We had easy access to the beach and ocean and also to the rainforests

Location

Beach was right next to National Park and full of services. Our kids took surf lessons from Waterdogs. I enjoyed a massage on the beach. My daughter and I got our hair braided on the beach and there was even a vendor selling coconut water in a coconut! The hotel and beach had monkeys and a sloth in the trees!

Staff

Staff could not have been more kind and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Service staff cleaned the rooms daily and replaced beach towels each time

Hotel & Spa Poco a Poco

Monteverde

Charming hotel located right next to shops and food.

Authenticity & Character

Complementary drinks provided in fridge, great pool and hot tub as well as a fire pit for roasting marshmallows

Location

Great location!

Staff

Staff were very nice and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Well maintained

Activity Reviews

EcoTermales Hot Springs Experience with Buffet Meal

Arenal/La Fortuna

My husband and I visited this 20 years ago on our honeymoon and it was just as we remembered it but better!

Quality of Experience

Food

Drinks were delicious and decorative. We enjoyed the buffet dinner and it had a wide array of choices.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

TreeTram, Hanging Bridges & Zipline Adventure

Monteverde

Our favorite experience of the trip. Suspension bridges were thrilling and we saw a tarantula in the rainforest. The ziplining was exhilarating. The staff were supportive and provided for our safety. Ziplining into the cloud forest was such a thrill.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip was truly wonderful - This was our 1st time visiting Costa Rica and we felt welcomed and well taken care of throughout our time there.
Planning and booking: My experience working with Yuliana was great. Her model of asking for our input and then providing suggestions and guidance was super helpful. We planned a 9-10 day tour (flying in and out of Liberia), and our group of 8 included family members in their 80's, 70's, 50's, and a 20 year old. We wanted to get a sense of different parts of the country so we visited Arenal, Tortuguero, Puerto Viejo, San Jose, and Monte Verde. Yuliana helped plan accordingly and found both accommodations and activities to meet a wide range of interests and abilities. Yuliana was patient and very flexible as we made adjustments and tweaked travel plans. She went above and beyond our expectations with some last minute add-ons that really made our experience memorable. She responded quickly and answered our questions and addressed our concerns. We had a detailed itinerary in hand with activities, travel, and lodging clearly laid out in advance of the trip for everyone to review. The itinerary included confirmation numbers for lodging and activities and phone contact numbers. (I would encourage anyone traveling to Costa Rica who has a similar itinerary to print a hard copy to take with you as part of the wonder of our trip was being in remote natural areas where there is not always internet or cell service).
Trip Itself: Once we arrived in Costa Rica Yuliana had arranged for our transport and drivers through a company called Amazilia Travel. I cannot say enough good things about this company. Graciela was out point of contact in the office with Amazilia Travel and was excellent. She was available when needed, answered questions quickly, and anticipated our needs during the trip. During our trip we had 2 drivers, Leo and Adrien. They were fantastic. I recommend both without hesitation. Not only are they talented drivers, they have vast knowledge of the country and areas in which we traveled and were happy to engage in conversation and answer questions. While most of the trip went very smoothly we did run into a few minor issues. That said, both Leo and Adrien went out of their way to resolve the issues quickly making extra calls and inquires as needed.
Overall a fantastic experience.

Hotel Reviews

Arenal Paraíso Resort, Spa & Hot Springs

La Fortuna

Authenticity & Character

The character of this hotel with the view of Arenal, the lush grounds filled with tropical plants and the hots springs gives the whole lodge/hotel a feeling of natural beauty and awe. We saw birds on the hotel grounds that we didn't see anywhere else during our trip.

Location

The view of Arenal from this hotel is spectacular.

Staff

Everyone was attentive and willing to help.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pachira Lodge

Tortuguero

The lodge is designed in a way that you feel you are in the jungle. We saw both Howlers and Spider monkeys up close on the lodge grounds. Additionally we saw sloths, Jesus Christ Lizard, Toucans, Bare Throated Tiger Herons, and leaf cutter ants without leaving the lodge

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Staff here went out of their way to take care of us. Very friendly and attentive.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Keep in mind the lodge is in the middle of a jungle, so if you don't want to hear the sounds of monkeys and other creatures at night, this is not the place for you - that said our rooms were clean and spacious, and the beds were comfortable. The rooms do not have A/C, but at least in December when we were there, the evenings cooled off nicely and the ceiling fans kept us comfortable.

Cariblue Beach & Jungle Resort

South Puerto Viejo

The combination of location (in the jungle, but right across the street from the beach) and the beauty of the grounds itself make it a wonderful place to stay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

We loved the location! That said, if you want to be within easy walking distance of town, this hotel is a bit far out.

Staff

Staff was helpful, polite, and professional. They spoke bot English and Spanish which was helpful for our group most of whom have very limited Spanish.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Auténtico Hotel

San José

Authenticity & Character

Location

The hotel location is good. That said it is not close to downtown and it is not on any public transit routes, so unless your group has a private driver, be ready for a lengthy walk (took us 40 minutes to walk to Central Market) or to pay for an uber or taxis.

Staff

Staff were friendly and professional, very welcoming and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Monteverde Country Lodge

Monteverde

This lodge is absolutely beautiful. The grounds are picturesque and the birds that we saw (toucans, toucanets, motmots, bluegrey tanagers) were fantastic. Staff was fantastic, food was delicious. We were truly welcomed and made to feel at home and cared for.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful, quaint, relaxing and comfortable. Excellent restaurant.

Location

We loved the location. We were not, however close to town. This made for a wonderful feeling of being out in the wild and for seeing birds and creatures right on the grounds. However, if you don't have a vehicle or a private driver, it could be difficult to get back and forth to town.

Staff

Some of the more friendly, courteous, professional, and helpful people we had the pleasure of meeting on our trip.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private: Arenal Volcano & 1968 Reserve Guided Hike

Arenal/La Fortuna

We toured with Franklin, he was fantastic. Knowledgeable and entertaining, he providing facinating facts and information about the volcano and the plants and animals we encountered on the hike. We would absolutely recommend him. He also helped us spot both toucans and sloths while in transit from the park to our restuarant.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Enjoy the Beauty of Tortuguero National Park

Tortuguero

Provided an experience were we truly felt we were out in the jungle and interactions with animals we didn't find anywhere else. We absolutely recommend a boat tour of the park. It is the only location in Costa Rica where we saw Spider, Howler and Capuchin monkeys all in the same day. It was also a great way to see both cayman and crocodiles. Our guide, Marco, and the captain of boat, Michael were both excellent.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Tour: Cahuita National Park Excursion

Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

Our tour guide Carlos was excellent. Very knowledgeable and helped us see so many things we would not have if we had gone on our own. The wildlife and plant life were stunning. The only thing we were not able to do was to try snorkeling - but we knew the odds of doing that were low given the time of year of our visit (Dec).

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cloud Forest Reserve Hike

Monteverde

Our guide, Andrey was phenomenal. Knew so many things and was able to show us a huge variety of both animal and plant life on the way. As with other hikes, we would have missed so much if not for him.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All of the tours and guides were very good. There was a mix-up with the pick-up time for one tours, which was very frustrating and quite an inconvenience on the day of. To her credit Graciela got it sorted out for us.
The horseback riding tour to La Fortuna Falls was good, however they should allow an additional 30 minutes at the falls. We barely had any time to see the falls and swim before it was time to go. Otherwise, it was a good tour.
Also, we would suggest booking the catamaran out of Tamarindo instead of a marina one hour drive away. There were catamarans sailing right off the beach in Tamarindo. The long drive each way added an additional two hours round trip.

Hotel Reviews

Park Inn San José by Radisson

San José

The pool area was under construction, so it was not available for our enjoyment.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Magic Mountain

Fortuna

Beautiful view of the volcano. Lovely grounds. Good breakfast. Nice pool area.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

William at the front desk was very helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Wyndham

Tamarindo

Gorgeous view, beautiful pool area.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Whitewater Rafting on the Pacuare River

Costa Rica

Amazing experience from beginning to end. Great guides, great food, great service.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge Boat Safari

Arenal/La Fortuna

It was our guide's first time on her own and she did a great job. Guide and the boat driver worked very hard to spot animals.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Horseback Riding to La Fortuna Waterfall

Arenal/La Fortuna

This tour has the potential to be excellent with a few modifications. The guides were supposed to point out sites along the ride which, they did not. One guide could not speak any English at all. Also, we did not have enough time at the Falls. The time should be extended by about 20-30 minutes. Also - very important ! - tell people to bring water shoes as it hard to walk around in the water around the falls without water shoes. On a positive note, the pineapple after the falls was a nice bonus. The guide that did speak English was very young (only 15) and was trying very hard. With some training, he could be very good.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

El Silencio Hike & Visit to Ecotermales Hot Springs

Arenal/La Fortuna

Guide (Monica) for the hike was excellent. The hot springs were amazing.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Catamaran Sailing Excursion & Snorkeling

Costa Rica

The catamaran tour was excellent. Good drinks, food, music and service. The only downside was the drive (almost an hour each was from Tamarindo). Suggest booking a catamaran tour closer to Tamarindo.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Had a great experience booking the trip with Kim Kim. Yuliana was amazing to work with. She was very patient as we planned with various options and extremely prompt in responding to our queries.

Our trip was very memorable. Kim Kim travel transportation partners were always on time and the guides were knowledgeable and ever so friendly.

Thanks to Kim Kim and the entire staff in making the trip memorable that we will cherish forever.

Also want to thank Graciela who responded promptly my questions during the trip and especially to accommodate our request to go to San Jose airport earlier to enable us to return back a day earlier.

Only feedback is to to set expectations for waiting for checkin at the hotels as 2 of the 3 hotels we reached earlier than 3 pm check in time and had to wait in the lobby and store our bags with reception.

Thanks again!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel & Spa Poco a Poco

Monteverde

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to restaurants and shopping.

Staff

Some were friendly but some not so much.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean, comfortable rooms

Hotel San Bada Resort & Spa

Manuel Antonio

A little dated hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ac was very good

Volcano Lodge, Hotel & Thermal Experience

San Carlos, Alajuela

Very good premises and restaurant was excellent. Loved the thermal pool. Staff was very attentive and friendly

Authenticity & Character

Location

Secluded quiet rooms

Staff

Friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Slightly dated

Activity Reviews

Guided Hike in Arenal Volcano Park 1968

Arenal/La Fortuna

Excellent entertaining guide

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Zip Lining - Hanging Bridges & Aerial Tram

Arenal/La Fortuna

Excellent experience. Was comforted with safety aspects

Quality of Experience

Food

The include lunch was very basic

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coffee, Chocolate & Sugar Cane Experience (English Tour)

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve Guided Hike

Monteverde

Liked that the guide took the time to show the wildlife

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Damas Island Boat Tour

Manuel Antonio

Quality of Experience

T

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Almost everything was perfect with the trip, all the hotels were great. Enjoyed all the tours we went on except the kayaking, the guide was only ok

Activity Reviews

Damas Island Mangrove Kayaking

Costa Rica

The guide was not that good, he did not give us clear instructions were we were going and what we wanted to see. There was just me and my partner so there was no excuse for him not paying attention to us.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

All were great except the kayaking one

Transport

They came on time and got us to where we needed to go

Arenal Hanging Bridges & Hike to La Fortuna Waterfall

Arenal/La Fortuna

The guide was very good and the tour was interesting, my only complaint was it rained the whole time

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Whitewater Rafting on the Pacuare River - Transfer to La Fortuna

Costa Rica

Guide was excellent the instructions we get were very helpful.the trip was a blast!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Again, working with KimKim was a fun and rewarding experience. Planning the trip went well as great help was provided in selecting hotels and an itinerary. The hotels we stayed in were beautiful with excellent service and beautiful unique environments. We planned a number of day trips. In each case, the guides were friendly, knowledgeable and excellent. This includes a river trip, nature walk and snorkeling trip. Each guide was great, making each trip fun and memorable. We also received daily interactions with KimKim overseeing that everything went well.

Hotel Reviews

Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs

Fortuna

We had a room with an unobstructed view of the volcano. Very cool. Everyone we interacted with was very friendly and knowledgeable. Food was good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to restaurants and events.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

W Costa Rica - Reserva Conchal

Guanacaste

Cool hotel. Great vibe. Areas for adults only. Great view of bay. Relaxing room geared for a fun time. Food was very good

Authenticity & Character

Location

Somewhat of a pain driving in and out of the area. But close to treat restaurants and beaches.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Coffee & Chocolate Tour

Costa Rica

Very informative and fun. Better than I expected. Great guide. Funny and energetic.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guanacaste Snorkel Adventure

Costa Rica

Great guides. Very focused on our comfort and safety.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Safari Float on the Peñas Blancas River

Arenal/La Fortuna

Fun morning floating down river. Nice snacks. Great guide. Amazon big how they can Find animals and birds

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Nature Walk at Ecological Park & Butterfly Garden Danaus

Arenal/La Fortuna

Very interesting. Great knowledgeable guide

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My son and I truly enjoyed our adventure in Costa Rica. Olman put together a nice trip plan for us, and we appreciated his flexibility in changing the itinerary to better suit our needs. When all was said and done, we did hiking, hot springs, kayaking, lake crossing on a boat, and ziplining. We also squeezed in our own visit to the waterfall. All of our drivers were on time and, aside from one packed and stuffy ride heading to the lake crossing, the vans were comfy, especially Interbus. The tour guides were knowledgeable, and everyone whom we interacted with was friendly. It was great having breakfast included at each accommodation, and having all the hotels be so different enriched the experience. We loved glamping in Arenal, the mountain hotel in Monteverde, and the small hotel near the beach - what a cool combination it provided, and ending at the beach was perfect. Even though we didn't see many animals up close (aside from a capuchin monkey and a caiman), it was interesting to hear what the guides had to say about the animals, and seeing the sloth from the binoculars was cool. Finally, everyone in the office was so responsive - whether speaking with Graciela or Adriana at dawn regarding our lost luggage or communicating with Olman to clarify with one of our hotels that breakfast was indeed included - we couldn't have been more pleased. We didn't have to worry about a thing, and everyone associated with our trip knew how to get a hold of us via Whatsapp to provide excellent communication along the way. Thank you, Olman and KimKim!

We are so greatful to have had the help of Holden, Wilman and Nancy from Serendipity Adventures in planning our dream trip to Costa Rica. From the start of planning our trip, to the last day of our trip, the Serendipity team were amazing communicators and facilitators of our adventures. From keeping us organized to anticipating any potential problems (there were none), we are so greateful to have had their help.

Hotel Reviews

Pacuare Lodge

Pacuare

One of the most fun and beautiful loding experiences of our lives. The activites and the rafting adventure were amazing.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Belmar

Monteverde

Great location with amazing food and views!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grano de Oro Hotel

San José

Great location to kick off our trip in CR. Food and staff were amazing!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nayara Tented Camp

Fortuna

One of the must stunning and well-amenitied properties I have stayed at in my life.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Andaz Costa Rica Resort at Peninsula Papagayo – A concept by Hyatt

Guanacaste

Beautiful location with incredible service and views of Papagayo!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Private: Arenal Volcano Hike & La Fortuna Waterfall

Arenal/La Fortuna

This was the least "authentic" activity we had the entire trip and I would not recommend spending over half a day on these canned excursions.

Quality of Experience

Food

food at the local Soda was decent, but felt forced having to spend more time with our guide.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

guide was not our favoriate. just a bad vibe/fit

Transport

The best idea I had was letting Serendipity plan my first trip to this beautiful country of Costa Rica. We just told the team we wanted an off-the-beaten track nature trip with hiking, animals and beaches. And boy did they deliver!! Whether it was a coffee tour, the kayak trip down the forested stream watching birds, chasing quetzals or spotting sloths and iguanas, we were in the best place and in the most gorgeous places, thanks to Serendipity. I fully recommend them!!

Activity Review

Kayak Adventure & Rainforest Hike in Punta Uva

Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

Amazing trip in the most beautiful place with the best guide: Ricardo was Fantastic and such a naturalist!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All of our drivers were amazing. Thank you Cristian, Alex, Mario, and Jorge for driving us safely around Costa Rica and telling us all about your beautiful country. The highlight was the night hike at Sukia Park with Juan and the guided hike through Manuel Antonio with Sosio.

Hotel Review

Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs

Fortuna

The food was tremendous and the people so friendly. The ground and pools were amazing!

Authenticity & Character

The hot springs, food, and great service.

Location

Beautiful hot springs

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Lookout Tram, Ziplines, & Hanging Bridges Combination Adventure

Arenal/La Fortuna

Guides, Drivers and Staff

So friendly, safe drivers, and shared tons of info about the country.

Transport