Kimkim Trip Reviews for Costa Rica

Everything went very well! Costa Rican people are very friendly and helpful. Olman adjusted my itinerary to fit my wishes. I also met many pleasant fellow travellers during the tours.

The guides on guided nature hikes are incredible. They can locate birds and other animals in the canopy or insects on trees that we would miss. Some could even imitate bird sounds enough to interact with the birds.

One of the drivers on the shuttle buses between places in CR was especially interesting to talk to and gave us many good tips. He worked for Interbus and his name was Alex. He speaks English fluently. With luck you'll he'll be your driver too.

The ziplining in Monteverde was fun and I highly recommend paying extra for the "Superman" harness that lets you lie prone as you zipline over the forest.

I miss the fruit in Costa Rica! It's something you can't take back with you. You can only encourage others to go there to try it.

Hotel Reviews

Hampton by Hilton San José Airport

Alajuela

This is a modern hotel which is very convenient to the airport. The shuttle runs regularly. If you have a room which faces the railway line expect some noise, but there are few trains and it finishes early enough. A good restaurant with Costa Rican food a short walk away is "Rosti".

Authenticity & Character

For this type of hotel I don't expect authenticity and character.

Location

Good location if you want to be close to the airport. You can also take the train to/from the city although it doesn't run often.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dreams Lodge Monteverde

Santa Elena

This is a small family owned and operated hotel with a super friendly and helpful staff! If you have your own wheels it's easier to go to the center of town, otherwise it's a taxi or long walk. But it's also quiet so you will probably sleep better than at a hotel in town. The freshly prepared breakfasts (no buffet) were also good.

Authenticity & Character

This is a small family owned and operated hotel away from the center of town. I liked it.

Location

Far from the main town area but quieter and closer to nature because of that.

Staff

Very friendly and helpful staff. They really make you feel welcome and give you good advice.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The only problem was that the small refrigerator in the room was noisy. So I unplugged it.

Hotel Magic Mountain

Fortuna

Spectacular view of the volcano from the room! The view changes depending on the cloud cover and the sun angle. The room was clean and comfortable. The music and partying at the swimming pool can be loud sometimes but it stops early enough that you can sleep. Fantastic breakfast buffet. Easy walk into town.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Spectacular view of the volcano. Easy walk into town.

Staff

I wanted to leave a tip for housekeeping but the front desk could not make change for Costa Rican money.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

El Silencio Hike & Visit to Ecotermales Hot Springs

Arenal/La Fortuna

I have the impression that part of the hike was skipped because it was raining. Part of the group returned to the van early and the guide took us somewhere on a normal road, not a hiking trail.

Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge Boat Safari

Arenal/La Fortuna

Fantastic! Saw many animals. The "surprise" at the end (after lunch) was also good but I don't want to spoil it here.

Quality of Experience

Food

The lunch was too rushed.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Night Excursion at the Wildlife Refuge in Monteverde

Monteverde

Very good tour. I would do it again and hope to see different animals next time. There are many people on other tours in the same area at the same time, so be prepared to be on a crowded trail. I would like to suggest a night tour with night vision glasses in a less crowded forest.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Selvatura Park Self-Guided Hanging Bridges & Zip Lining

Monteverde

The zip lining and the hike through the forest and over the hanging bridges was fantastic! I highly recommend paying extra to be put into the "superman" harness for the last zip line so you can lie flat as if you are flying. A pity that they don't make a video of that for you, only the regular zip line at the beginning. The zip lining is rather rushed but they need to run many people through the system. Try not to lean back when you are zip lining because then you will start to brake with your brake hand to prevent yourself from leaning back further.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The road to the activity is in terrible condition.

Celeste River and Tenorio National Park Hike

Arenal/La Fortuna

Excellent guide! (Sorry, forgot his name.) And finally a good strenuous hike.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coffee & Chocolate Tour in Monteverde

Monteverde

The freshly made chocolate paste was amazingly delicious!! I wish there was more chocolate tasting instead of just coffee tasting (with 1 hot chocolate).

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve Guided Hike

Monteverde

Great guide, wonderful experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We highly recommend our Kimkim team in Costa Rica. We did an impromptu trip and received amazing services from Gustavo and Jessica. Gustavo was able to formulate our trip itinerary and book everything with a turn around time of 6 hours. Thank you for making our trip so memorable, he organized the trip based on our preferences. Jessica was great at navigating our day to day plans and was quick with her communication. We will definitely use Kimkim for our future travels.

We recently returned from an amazing family trip to Costa Rica, all thanks to Priscila. Her meticulous planning and attention to detail ensured a smooth and enjoyable experience. When unexpected events arose, Priscila swiftly handled them, keeping our trip stress-free. She was always available to answer questions and provided invaluable tips throughout our journey. Her dedication and local knowledge made our adventure truly unforgettable. We highly recommend Priscila for anyone looking to create lasting memories.

Family adventure:Arenal/La Fortuna, Golf of Papagayo. This was relatively last minute trip with one adult (me) & 2 kids. It was a week filled with zip lining , nature walks, snorkeling and good ol ‘beach time. First time for all 3 of us in Costa Rica and I think we all are a little bit in love. Wilman picked us up from our hotel in San Jose in his nice clean car & drove us to Arenal. Wow what a beautiful place. Hotel room is on the foot of the volcano with our private hot spring. Mistico Park hike: so many hanging bridges through pristine jungle: it’s hot, loud and beaming with life: toucans, sloths, all kids of insects. Mundo Aventura zip lining was combination of adrenaline rush and amazement of zipping thought forest canopy. Staff were all so nice to my 9 and 14 yo sons. Night hike at wild frog sanctuary did not disappoint either, but we were really tired at this point:so many tiny frogs, huge spiders, sloth, and snakes. Next day we were picked up by Alex who drive us to Golf of Papagayo with a stop at Danaus eco park and butterfly garden. We saw crocodiles and more rainforest frogs. We arrived late in evening at our beachfront hotel just in time for quick swim before sunset: sun sets at 6: then pitch dark night.(which was amazing to us, boom, lights out) Next day Snorkeling with Pacific coast dive center was probably the top highlight in an action packed week. This was really unforgettable. Last day we enjoyed the beach and pool at Bahia del Sol, which was perfect. Transfer to Liberia airport was with Genaro who took different route:main road was flooded (rainy season). Big thank you, he knows how to navigate those muddy hills. When we could, we tried to eat at Sodas: family run restaurants serving Costa Rican dishes. I can’t really describe how beautiful Costa Rica is without mentioning the immense kindness and warmth of all the people we met during our trip. I feel very grateful I was able to experience this with my two kids. Thanks so much🙏I sincerely hope to be back and see more

We had an amazing experience. The drivers were all great, shuttle service was reliable, Priscila did an awesome job putting together our itinerary and was super responsive if we had questions. She checked on us every day and made sure we had a stress free and enjoyable trip. HIGHLY recommend KimKim - we will use this service again.

Hotel Reviews

Monteverde Country Lodge

Monteverde

Great staff, clean, quiet and comfortable. Great location. Everything was walkable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Montaña de Fuego Mountain Resort & Spa

La Fortuna

Friendly staff, good food. Room could use a little repair, but would stay again.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Playa Espadilla

Manuel Antonio

Clean, cozy, quiet, great location, pool was super nice.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Snorkeling at Isla del Caño Biological Reserve

Manuel Antonio

Absolutely amazing - highly recommend it. Great business, Kim was awesome, saw a ton just snorkeling - including a humpback whale, turtles, all sorts of different species of fish. The lunch on the boat was great.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Professional and knowledgeable - fast boat. Captain and crew knew what they were doing.

Transport

Canyoneering Tour by the Volcano

Arenal/La Fortuna

So much fun - not hard, little scary at first (if you’ve never done this), but very safe and an 8 year old did it with us. You will get wet!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Coffee, Chocolate & Sugar Cane Experience

Monteverde

Roll was very knowledgeable and personable. Very informative and bonus night hike if you do a later tour. Learned a lot and saw all sorts of wildlife - Boa, sloth, tarantula etc.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Rollo was great

Transport

100% Aventura Zip Line Monteverde

Monteverde

So much fun - safe for anyone. 5 year old was doing it with us - in tandem with a guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walking tour on the slopes of the Arenal Volcano

Arenal/La Fortuna

Great insight on the geological history of the area.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Monteverde

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ok

Transport

Arenal Hanging Bridges & La Fortuna Waterfall Hike with Lunch

Arenal/La Fortuna

Awesome - saw wildlife, beautiful, great intro to the area.

Quality of Experience

Daniella was a great guide - very knowledgeable.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Good bye Costa Rica!

Costa Rica

Fast and easy check in. Plenty of food options at the airport. Buy your souvenirs before you get to the airport - WAY expensive.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Christian was awesome. Gave us a little bonus sightseeing tour around San Jose and took us to a local spot for lunch.

We recently had the pleasure of working with Holden and his team to plan a trip to Costa Rica, and we cannot speak highly enough of the experience. From start to finish, Holden provided exceptional service, attention to detail, and a deep knowledge of the destination that made our trip truly unforgettable.

First and foremost, Holden took the time to understand our interests and preferences, ensuring that every aspect of our itinerary was tailored to our needs. We had a good idea of where we wanted to visit and what we wanted to do. However it was Holden’s recommendations of lodging accommodations and activities we had not even thought of that made the trip extra amazing.

Holden and his team’s expertise was evident in the seamless coordination of all our trip arrangements, from accommodations and excursions, to even arranging the rental car to be dropped off and picked up from our hotel. Throughout the planning process, Holden was always available to answer our questions, provide valuable insights, and make adjustments to our itinerary as needed. We had several changes in our itinerary over the few months prior to finalizing our trip, and each time the charges were made without hesitation.

Whether it was recommending the best lodge for hot springs near the volcano, arranging thrilling adventure activities like zip-lining and ocean kayaking, or suggesting serene beaches for relaxation, Holden had us covered. Our group of five included two almost-adult kids and Holden found the perfect accommodations that provided us just the right amount of privacy and togetherness.

We were particularly impressed with the local guides and tour operators they connected us with, who were not only knowledgeable but also passionate about sharing the beauty and culture of Costa Rica.

One highlight of our trip was the personalized wildlife Safari Float tour in La Fortuna, where we had the chance to see an incredible array of animals, including sloths, monkeys, crocodiles, a porcupine and tropical birds. Thanks to Holden’s recommendation, we also enjoyed a top notch hike through the Monteverde Cloudforest and were lucky enough to see not one but two of the elusive Quetzal birds.

While we were in Costa Rica, Holden checked in with us a few times to make sure everything was going well and his colleague, Wellman, reached out multiple times to prepare us for the next day’s adventure.

I wholeheartedly recommend Holden to anyone looking to plan a trip to Costa Rica or any other destination. His personalized service, extensive knowledge, and genuine passion for travel made our adventure extraordinary.

Mariano, Socio and everyone were incredibly knowledgeable, kind and enthusiastic! Kimkim and especially Serendipitious Adventures were excellent. Master logisticians. Our trip was seamless and ran like clockwork. Thanks very much! Book with confidence.

Whitewater was excellent especially our guide Roberto
Arenal Hot Springs Hotel was amazing as were all our activities there.
Manuel Antonio Karahe Hotel is very dated but a beautiful place outside of the rooms. Our guide on the hike through the National Park was beyond spectacular

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Presidente

San José

Nice place for a stopover. Rooftop bar is spectacular despite the rain

Authenticity & Character

Location

good location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

No place to sit and relax with a desk

Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs

Fortuna

We loved this place. Best staff I've ever seen. So friendly and helpful. Great room and great views of Arenal. Highly recommend.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

I'd give a six if I could

Cleanliness & Comfort

El Establo Mountain Hotel

Monteverde

Disappointed especially after Arenal Hot Springs. Too many steps to get to the room. Food selection/quality was not good. Pool was loud with a bunch of kids. Hard to relax. Courtesy transport was very good. Disappointing

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Karahé Beach Hotel

Manuel Antonio

Rooms are dated and need an upgrade. Property needs a facelift. However, the grounds are beautiful. The pool was fun as was the bar/restaurant. Needs mor food selection at breakfast. Stunning beach.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, San Jose Aeropuerto

San José

This was a dumpy old hotel. Horrible food and beverage selections. Do not recommend.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Whitewater Rafting on the Pacuare River

Costa Rica

A very well run, fun day on the river

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

ROBERTO!!!

Transport

Treetopia Hanging Bridges

Monteverde

A very cool experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

La Fortuna Waterfall Guided Hiking Tour

Arenal/La Fortuna

Very strenuous but worth it!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Arenal Volcano Guided Walking Tour

Arenal/La Fortuna

Tougher hike than described but well worth it!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Birdwatching tour by the Arenal Lake

Arenal/La Fortuna

A nice easy hike but unfortunately didn't see a lot on this particular day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Nature Hike

Costa Rica

If I could give a six I would.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

ours was a 7

Transport

Catamaran Adventure with Barbecue

Manuel Antonio

A nice relaxing way to end the trip

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We (family of 4) traveled to Costa Rica in Dec 2023 for 8 days, and we thoroughly enjoyed our trip. Adam worked patiently with us and proposed an itinerary that fit our budget and our Wishlist. There were quite a few back and forth (only because I changed my mind very frequently), but Adam was very patient and adjusted the trip. In the end we were able to experience all that we wanted. My daughter (11) is very much into understanding the local tradition, and Adam signed up for "Visit to Maleku Indigenous Reserve", and the whole family enjoyed the various activities they offered - that was one of our memorable times.
All the group and private tour organized went extremely well, and they were always on time and had no surprises. We had one misunderstanding with our hotel at Monteverde, but Adam was just one kimkim chat away, and resolved the issue in less than 20 minutes. I was very impressed.

Activity Review

Visit to Maleku Indigenous Reserve

Arenal/La Fortuna

My daughter (11) is into history and was very interested in learning about the local history and tradition. We were offered this private tour. It is nearly 4 hours tour - we learned about their cultural beliefs, then had a live demo session of making clothes from tree barks. We did some carvings, tried archery and finished the trip with a warm traditional home cooked meal.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a great time in Costa Rica. The team at Serendipity Adventures was phenomenal. We loved Alex! He was kind, patient, and knowledgeable. Our guide at Manuel Antonio National Park, Andres, was so passionate and enthusiastic. We loved our time with him -- we saw so many animals and had a wonderful time! Our kids loved Selvatura and ziplining. We all loved the wildlife. Our lodging was great, with incredible views of the surrounding wildlife. The staff at Koora were the most kind and attentive team we experienced. Overall, we had a fantastic visit and highly recommend it!

Hotel Reviews

Tabacón Thermal Resort & Spa

Fortuna

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Koora Hotel

Monteverde

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

If I could give 6 stars, I would!

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Mariposa Hotel

Manuel Antonio

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

All Day Adventure at Selvatura, including Zipline, Hanging Bridges, and Fauna Exhibitions

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Introduction to La Fortuna and Arenal Volcano

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private: Arenal Volcano & 1968 Reserve Guided Hike

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Sloth Observation Tour

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Cloud Forest Night Walk

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Catamaran Adventure from Manuel Antonio

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Thank you Holden and the rest of the gang from Serendipity Adventures! Me, my wife, my 8 year old, and especially my wildlife loving 10 year old all had an awesome time!

First, during the months before finalizing the trip, I appreciated being able to continually customize my itinerary. I sent a lot of messages, questions, late night thoughts, etc, and Holden would immediately answer every message.

My goals were to have a week that was half jungle, half beach with a variety of activities along the way. I chose La Fortuna and Manuel Antonio, and they worked in all kinds of excursions from hanging bridges, zip lining, a chocolate and coffee making tour, beach time, and lots of wildlife viewing opportunities. They arranged all of the transportation, and everything was spot on punctual.

The two hotels they recommended worked out great. In a single evening at Volcano Lodge I could watch steam rising out of Arenal Volcano, keep an eye on my kids in the pool, soak in thermal springs, and have a fancy dinner all in one comfortable spot. And my stay at Costa Verde included a room and multiple restaurants with beach views, as well as a fun airplane atmosphere that the kids enjoyed.

Also want to give a shout out to Alex from Serendipity Adventures, who picked us up from the airport and drove us all the way to La Fortuna. And several days later he met us again and drove us the five hours to Manuel Antonio. We spent a lot of hours chatting and learning about his country!

Overall, the personal touch made the difference. They even provided their contact info and kept in touch with us for the duration of the trip. I highly recommend them for a family with young kids!

The folks at KimKim were very easy to work with and were able to put together a wonderful family trip that met our budget. We loved the hiking, the food, the hot springs, the rain forest and, of course, the zip lining. We absolutely enjoyed almost every aspect of our time in Costa Rica but we would let future travelers know that June is definitely rainy season so book plans in the morning rather than the afternoon and inquire about the septic system in places you will be staying. Two of our hotels didn't let you flush the toilet paper, which some folks may find unacceptable.

Hotel Review

Hotel & Spa Poco a Poco

Monteverde

The location was wonderful, the amenities were very good, the staff was very friendly and helpful. In fact, the best meal we had was at a local restaurant across the street in the commercial center (2nd Floor) which someone recommended. We used the spa, which was well priced and a nice treat. The rooms were large and comfortable and ours had air conditioning. The negative which keeps them from 5 stars is that you cannot flush the toilet paper in the toilets. They should upgrade the system to handle that.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Easy location right near everything.

Staff

Very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Waterfall & Volcano Hiking Adventure with Lunch

Arenal/La Fortuna

Our tour guide was fantastic.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Self-driving was an excellent option for our family of 4 to see so much North Central Costa Rica had to offer.
Our family's favorite activity was Tubing the Rio Celeste. Our guides stayed with us to make it fun and safe. They stopped at great spots for swimming and rope swinging. This made it so magical for my kids.
A close second favorite was a cooking class at Maquenque Eco Lodge. We walked through their organic garden selecting our ingredients and then cooked with the chef. Andres was a fantastic guide in several of our activities there.
We wanted to see unique animals in nature and a great guide and eco lodge is necessary to achieve this. Our guide Andy at Forest Alive walked us through Monteverde preserve and pointed out amazing flora and fauna, the most exciting moment was watching the male and female Resplendent Quetzal return/leave the nest.
We had delicious food at all our eco lodges. I appreciated the locations that were selected for us because they matched our values and preferences perfectly.
Final Tip: self- drive is safe for families who will use a map app at all times, drive during daytime only, pay close attention to an ever-changing road system, and rent a 4x4 vehicle which is necessary in the mountains.

Working with Pricila to plan was Costa Rica trip was an amazing experience. As a solo traveler, you don't always know where to start. Pricila helped me tailor every point of my trip to fit my budget, experience, physical limitations, and safety requirements. She took the time to research and recommend several options for me to create a perfect itinerary.

The first half of my trip was spent near Arenal/La Fortuna where I enjoyed zip lining, hiking, and horse back riding. I was also able to explore the area and added an evening cooking with a local family and discovered a very cool butterfly conservatory.

I then traveled to Manuel Antonio to enjoy the coast and kayak in the mangroves. Pricila helped ensure I knew how to access the national park to get to the best beaches and found accommodations within walking distance!

All of the tours ans excursions she arranged for me were with reliable, timely and safe guides all of whom took excellent care to ensure I had the best experience possible.

Accommodations in both locations were beautiful and clean with excellent amenities and pools! Pricila remained in touch to ensure I was safe and well taken care of - almost as though she knew me personally and I was a friend. Her attention to detail and thoughtful planning made the trip feel luxurious and expensive even though I remained well within budget.

In summary, my experience with both KimKim.com and Pricila were top of the line and more than valuable for the cost. I wish I could work with Pricila to plan every trip!

The trip was seamless from start to finish with Holden and Wilman’s help. They did a great job listening to my needs traveling as a mom with two little girls and each of our accommodations were outstanding, as were those of any local sights / restaurants to visit. Our tours were exceptional - Mariano was a great guide and very personable. We truly enjoyed the time with him tremendously as well as the pace he set for us, even stopping additionally for ice cream, lunch etc. Alex was also helpful and our guides in Manuel Antonio were fabulous helping us see the wildlife and taking exceptional photos / videos to take with us! Additionally each transfer/driver was punctual and got us to our destination on time.

Hotel Reviews

Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs

Fortuna

Wonderful facility. Staff was warm and welcoming and went out of their way to help us - a staff member even stopped us one morning to show us an injured hummingbird! We enjoyed the low key nature of the resort and lounging in the hot springs each evening before bed.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Great location for tours - only drawback is not within walking distance to offsite restaurants.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Some bug issues but worked them out :) It is Costa Rica after all!

La Mariposa Hotel

Manuel Antonio

Beautiful facility and great location, but the service was sometimes lacking.

Authenticity & Character

Beautifully renovated, incorporating lots of local feel.

Location

Beautiful views, walking distance to beaches, restaurants and markets.

Staff

Mixed experience. The evening restaurant service was amazing, and certain attendants at pool/bar were great. Front desk service was cold and transactional; we also struggled to get the attention of wait staff to order lunch at pool or at bar.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Was beautiful! Would be helpful to have a couple more patio chairs so that a family of more than 2 can sit at once to enjoy the patio. Also needed a few more drawers/hangers.

Activity Reviews

Arenal Mundo Aventura Zipline and Horseback Ride

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Nature Walk in Danaus Eco-Center

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Catamaran Tour with Meal

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Hike at the Arenal Hanging Bridges

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Hike in Arenal Volcano Park 1968

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We used kimkim to book a trip to Costa Rica (on a recommendation from a neighbor) and from the start to finish, it has been a wonderful experience! Holden was the local specialist from Serendipity Adventures who worked with us to come up with a high level itinerary and activities to do based on our interests, kids’ ages and his recommendations. I appreciate how flexible he was to make changes and adjust the itinerary/exercises when we changed our mind :) He was always around to answer any questions/concerns around the trip (for example: self drive vs. using private pickup/drop-offs), giving us all the options and impacts on time, cost, etc. Once we had confirmed the itinerary and the place tickets and made the payments, we were introduced to the Operations team of Wilman and Nancy from Serendipity Adventures. I was really impressed on how they were always accessible and available to answer questions, to give us gentle reminders, offer preparation tips and be the go-to support for the trip.

Our trip started with a hiccup when our flights had to be changed the day-of travel but just letting Wilman know the new flight details was all it took to ensure that our arrival in Costa Rica was smooth, without any more bumps. He and his team also helped to work with one of the hotels when we had some room issues and made the whole situation so smooth and less stressful. Wilman used to check in often to ensure that things were on track, communicate if a pick up was running late, gave reminders about upcoming activities or to request early breakfast! Really thankful to him and his team!

The hike guides (Mariano, Alex, Andres) and car drivers (Mariano, Alex) - were just great and really fun to talk with! We learned so much about the new country, its ways, the food and the amazing biodiversity with each of these individuals who enriched our experience, and ensured that we were safe, comfortable and had fun! All the activities that were organized with Holden’s help - the zip-lining, forest night tours, kayaking were great and thankfully the weather cooperated all along!

Thanks so much kimkim and Serendipity Adventures for this wonderful trip! Pura vida!

Hotel Reviews

Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs

Fortuna

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

El Establo Mountain Hotel

Monteverde

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Costa Verde

Manuel Antonio

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The bathroom of our room looked like in need of an upgrade because of a broken toilet.

Activity Reviews

Guided Hike at the Arenal Hanging Bridges

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Big Arenal Mundo Aventura Zipline + Tractor

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rio Celeste & Tenorio Volcano Private Hike

Bijagua / Rio Celeste

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Manuel Antonio

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Introduction to La Fortuna and Arenal Volcano

Costa Rica

Sukia Nighttime Nature Walk

Manuel Antonio

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Monteverde Cloud Forest Guided Hike

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ocean Kayaking & Snorkeling Adventure

Manuel Antonio

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an amazing Costa Rica adventure! Our KimKim specialist, Gustavo, listened to our (very long!) dream list of activities and patiently worked with me over several weeks to fine tune and work out the details. Each activity was perfect - from the arranged transportation, length of excursion, tour guide (each of them were AMAZING), and what we saw or experienced - and I would not have changed a single thing. We will definitely be working with KimKim again!

Huge thank you to Gustavo for planning a fantastic trip to CR. The hotels and activities were just top notch. I also must recognize RideCR for getting to all locations safely and promptly.

We met other visitors from the US that also worked with KimKim Team and we agreed that you did a great job. We are recommending you to our friends.

Hotel Reviews

Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs

Fortuna

Beautiful grounds, great breakfasts, and meals by the pool and springs.

Authenticity & Character

Location

View of Arenal Volcano

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Koora Hotel

Monteverde

We stayed 3 nights and ate most meals at hotel. The food was truly superb and we wanted to try everything offered. We stayed in the Cloudforest Bungalow and it felt like we were in the middle of the trees. The staff would great us by name and quickly knew what our favorite items were.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The restaurant staff was amazing. There were several but Allison and Eric were a few standouts.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Capitán Suizo Beachfront Boutique Hotel

Tamarindo

Perfect location being further from town but walkable to everything. Grounds are beautiful with monkeys and iguanas present.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Treetopia Zip Lines

Monteverde

We highly recommend this zip line tour. Staff was superb and the views are exhilarating.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Hanging Bridges & La Fortuna Waterfall Hike with Lunch

Arenal/La Fortuna

Our naturalist guide Maloney made the experience. She pointed out toucans, monkeys, frogs, and other animals. So informative.

Quality of Experience

Food

Very nice touch to have fresh fruit after our hike.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

El Tigre Waterfalls Exploration

Monteverde

We were hesitant at first since we had seen a waterfall in La Fortuna. However this is a must do hike. It is very strenuous and we welcomed the provided walking stick. Very much enjoyed the horseback ride back up.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Surf Lessons at Tamarindo Beach

Tamarindo

We had Keki and Moses ans instructors and they did their job to perfection. We both were surfing within 30 minutes. Iguana Surf is a must do.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jessica was also helpful. Good service from both, patient with our planning efforts.

Hotel Review

Mar Inn Costa Rica

Monteverde Costa Rica

Nice place!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Private: Nocturnal Frog Excursion & Traditional Costa Rican Dinner

Arenal/La Fortuna

Good guide, nice place, good dinner.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Everything went fine with the exception of hotel El Faro in Manuel António which was very bad and is not a 4 stars hotel whatsoever. Even the guy on the reception was very antipathetic (despite many others being friendly)! My recommendation is straight forward: dont sell this hotel!|