Adriana Prado

Amazing family trip that we completed for spring break to Costa Rica. Adriana helped with the planning and produced options that would be fun for kids of different ages, also while making sure that we had time to relax as a family.

I first thought that this may be some sort of internet swindle, since I had never heard of KimKim before, but everything was exactly as promised. Every driver showed up on time, and every rental was organized, and excursions were as described.

I would recommend Adriana and KimKim without hesitation.

Rizwan Pasha, M.D.

Hotel Review

Hotel Arenal Kioro Suites & Spa

Fortuna

Very nice hotel and furnishings. Very good location, but food was better in the town.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Night Excursion at the Wildlife Refuge in Monteverde

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to Costa Rica was amazing. We visited Tortuguero, Arenal and Manuel Antonio.
We liked all three locations but we will not forget Tortuguero and the amazing hotel where we stayed, Tortuga Lodge & Gardens - truly outstanding location, view, service and food. Thank you to our guide Miguel.
In the Arenal area, Nayara hotels are a must if you are a foodie!
All the tours and transfers were on time with great guides. Everything worked flawlessly.

This was also my first experience with Kimkim and it will certainly not be the last. The degree of customization it allows is unparalleled. Also, Adriana was the perfect specialist for our first experience with Kimkim. Very friendly and responsive, her work was great creating a perfect trip and adjusting all the details we needed. She deeply understands the locations and activities, and gave us important suggestions. Thank you, Adriana!

TIP: always do your tours in the early morning. At first, we were afraid that the tours were too early (7-8 AM) but I glad we kept it like that. We soon adapted to do everything very soon in the morning (when it's fresh and the nature is more active) and then keep the afternoons to yourself and relax.

Hotel Reviews

Makanda by The Sea Hotel Adults Only

Manuel Antonio

Superb location and views, awesome design, great pools. Poor service at the restaurant - certainly doesn't match the price and profile of the hotel. Also, poor noise insulation in the rooms - you can hear everything that's going on outside and in other rooms. The music in the pool areas should be avoided and certainly affects your experience. We asked for a volume decrease, which happened during our presence by the pool, but the volume was turned up again as soon as we left. Would not return here unless a deep review of the service happened.

Tips for future travelers

Request a room far from the pool areas. Our room was next to the pool, and we could not rest/relax during the day due to the music.

Authenticity & Character

Location

awesome sea view

Staff

Staff in restaurants were not professionals, and some were unfriendly. The staff from front office and transport cars were nice, though.

Cleanliness & Comfort

room insulation in the rooms.

Nayara Hotel Spa and Gardens

Fortuna

Great hotel. Awesome food with lots of choices. It's not cheap, but if you can afford it and appreciate good service and food, go for it.

Tips for future travelers

Try to request a room with view of the Arenal vulcano.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Gran Hotel Costa Rica

San José

Great hotel, great design and breakfast. Central location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tortuga Lodge & Gardens

Tortuguero

Amazing hotel, one of the best we've been. Great service and food. Location and views are breathtaking.

Tips for future travelers

Arrive by boat and leave by plane, so you can have both experiences. The small airport is right across the canal. We upgraded to a room with A/C but we didn't really used it. The ceiling fan is more than enough. Book a Miss Evelyn suite - you won't regret it.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Shuttle from San Jose to Tortuguero

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Enjoy the Beauty of Tortuguero National Park

Tortuguero

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Hike in Arenal Volcano Park 1968

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Hanging Bridges & Hike to La Fortuna Waterfall

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

KimKim and Adriana were easy to work with, responsive and helped us create a fun trip. All transportation was on time. Our drivers were very nice. Some of them were even able to provide information along the way of what we were seeing. Hotels were nice and well situated for what we wanted to see and do. Our travels were to Monteverde, La Fortuna, Puerto Viejo and BriBri.

Hotel Review

Studio Hotel

San José

Best place to see a lot of diverse art work without going to a museum or art gallery. It was nice to have a full restaurant and bar in the hotel but also check out the taco place just down the street.

Tips for future travelers

You have to pay for coffee in your room. But staff was nice enough to let me bring coffee up from the restaurant.

Authenticity & Character

The art work and comfortable rooms.

Staff

Very accommodating even if we struggled through some communications.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Bribri Indigenous One Day Experience

Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

First of all, getting there is an experience in itself. Quite exciting! It was a privilege to share the indigenous culture. The people, the meal, the archery, the roof making and to hear their story (a bit of a challenge with the language barrier). We felt welcomed.

Quality of Experience

The family/community feeling.

Food

It all was great and the banana flatbread before lunch was out of this world.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Smiling faces

Transport

The boat ride was a hoot!

Adriana was there for my family whenever we needed advise or a change in our schedule. We had a great time

Our driver Roy was outstanding, knowledgeable about the areas visited, very good driver, spoke English and Spanish well, and friendly. One of the big things that stood out for me was how friendly the people of Costa Rica are. All of hotels that we stayed at were unique and very nice. The hotels that really stood out were Jardin del Eden Boutique Hotel in Tamarindo, Hotel Arenal Springs Resort and Spa in Arenal/Fortuna, and El Establo Mountain Hotel in Monteverde. All of the excursions were great. Our favorite areas visited were Tamarindo, Arenal/La Fortuna and Monteverde.

We enjoyed the entire trip and will return again soon.

Amazing Costa Rican Trip!

Adriana helps us setup a perfect trip for us! Adventure/Travel/Relaxation

Thank you!!

Amazing service. Would definitely use again for future travel plans. From the first time I connected with Adriana, she was very helpful and answered all my questions. After making a truly memorable trip plan, she was available for any further questions. Highly recommend!

Hotel Review

Nayara Hotel Spa and Gardens

Fortuna

Unique experience with unparalleled service.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Selvatura Park Self-Guided Hanging Bridges & Zip Lining

Monteverde

Awesome views and experience. Get to really experience Costa Rica with this excursion

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

January 2022. Our trip to Costa Rica was wonderful. Adriana, our trip planner was amazing. In planning the trip, she modified the itinerary several times to fit our specific needs and was available to answer all our questions immediately before and during the trip. She even offered to check her email after her regular hours to assure our needs were met. I never felt we were alone without help if needed.

The hotel in Arenal, the Kioro , could not have been more perfect. The view of the volcano from the room was phenomenal. One of our most memorable moments was seeing the volcano after the clouds finally cleared. Hotel staff was extremely friendly and helpful. The dinner meal at the poolside restaurant was delicious and included many local specialties. Franklin, the tour guide for the national park hike and the La Fortuna waterfall, (and our trusted driver, Gonzalos) was entertaining, informative and helpful. He went out of his way to try to try to find sloths, making extra stops along the way. And he helped us get an item in town that we needed. The 500 steps down to the waterfall are worth the prize at the end of the journey, even though the climb back up was challenging. Take some water with you for the climb back up. A couple hours to shop in La Fortuna is all you need and a nice place to gather souvenirs (as are some of the stops the drivers make in transport - good deals). Also some good dinner choices in La Fortuna. Note: no ATMs in the hotels, so get your cash in town.

Joshua was a great guide on the Frio River in Cano Negro tour and he really knew his facts. We saw beautiful birds, such as the blue heron, the Anhinga (native to CR), Wood-stork, and Amazon Kingfisher. Turtles, and Jesus Christ green lizards – named that because the literally fly across on top of the water. Oh, and huge iguanas! Caimans were sunning on the shores all over. The big treat, though, were the monkeys. Howler monkey families everywhere and we saw an adult w/a melanin mutation, causing him to be orange. There was also a baby with the same mutation which was white. Joshua had the boat docked so we could get a closer look and we got great photos through the telescope.

Zip line tour in Monteverdi was very fun! Another memorable moment. The staff that accompanied us throughout the tour deserve 5 stars. Friendly, helpful, reassuring, professional. A bit of climbing up and down steep stairs and about a total of 2 miles of hilly trails in between the zip lines, so be aware you need to be in shape if you are an older tourist. You can do the hanging bridges without a tour guide, but another 3 miles of up and down hilly trails. So, I’d recommend stopping for lunch in between zip lines and bridges.

Manuel Antonio area was another treat. The Parador Resort was 5 star +. Again, staff very friendly and took care of your every need. Beautiful ocean views and the rainforest was right in front of the property where you could take a 1/2 mile walk. We saw Congo monkeys in the trees, white-faced howlers (cappuccinos) and sloths and macaws right on the hotel property. Breakfasts offered many choices. Eat as much fresh fish as possible if that is to your liking - mahi-mahi, red snapper, sea bass - all fabulous. Take a private birding tour if possible. Our guide, Elias, was very informed and we saw fabulous, beautiful birds up close with the telescope (a must). The tour of the Manuel Antonio National Park can be very busy and you may or may not see some of the animals you are seeking, but the park is very lush and beautiful. The beaches are clean, with beautiful white soft sand and wonderfully warm waters. Very relaxing. We had a day without any tours and enjoyed this day on the beach. Can rent chairs and umbrellas for $10 USD for the day at the public beach. (No credit cards)

Tour guides, Warner (kayaking) and Mario (Manuel Antonio National Park) went way out of their way to help us when we had an unfortunate incident. They were extremely helpful.

A huge shout-out to our drivers during our private transports: Ricardo, from San Jose to Arenal; Wilson, Arenal to Monteverdi - (a treacherous journey across the mountain); Albarro, Monteverdi to Manuel Antonio; and our driver from Manuel Antonio to San Jose made sure our check-in at the hotel was seamless before he departed. Such caring service!

The people everywhere were warm and friendly. Breakfasts included every day and lunches with almost every tour, were very convenient and tasty! I would recommend this company to any traveler going to Costa Rica and will look into using them again for our next trip. Great job!

Hotel Review

Parador Nature Resort & Spa

Manuel Antonio

Great staff, perfect location, fabulous ocean views. Perfect sunsets. Great food. Fish is fresh and delicious. The rainforest in front of the hotel allows amazing opportunities to see wild life right on hotel property! Junior suites offer so much room and comfort. Several pools to choose from, clean and relaxing. 5 star.

Tips for future travelers

Take the private birding tour (at 0600 -worth it), if possible. Phenomenal birds and informative guides. And the guide will get you fabulous close up photos through the telescope. And most of the tour is right on the property!

Authenticity & Character

Tropical setting, birds and sloths on the property. Classy.

Location

Staff

Everyone acknowledges you and goes out of their way to help.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge Boat Safari

Arenal/La Fortuna

It was amazing because we saw so much. The Jesus Christ lizard jumping over the water, the huge iguana, the howler monkeys, including those with mutations. And our guide went out of his way to dock the boat and get us to shore so we could view the monkeys up close. But, it would not have been fun if we missed these sitings 🙁. It’s a 2 hour trip each way, so makes for a long day. Lunch was included, and was very good.

Quality of Experience

Food

Authentic Costa Rican meal.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Nothing, really. It’s just a long journey to and from the river.

Hi Adriana thank you for arranging what was a wonderful vacation in Costa Rica. The hotels were great. Good facilities, helpful staff, good locations. We were amazed by our hotel in Monteverde the view from our room was beyond Amazing!! The tour guides were friendly and knowledgable and the tours ran to time. Shuttles were also good. You did a great job arranging this trip for us and we would definitely recommend you and Kim Kim.

Hotel Review

Parque del Lago Boutique Hotel

San José

Friendly and helpful reception. Good rooms

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

El Silencio Volcano Hike & Visit to La Fortuna Waterfall

Arenal/La Fortuna

Great tour guide very knowledgeable we learnt a lot. Great group and tour. Definitely worthwhile.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

knowledge of guide; drive was on time and friendly

Transport

What a wonderful 8 days in Costa Rica for our family of 4 (including 2 teenage girls)! Because of the impeccable planning and support provided by Adriana, the actual trip turned out to be so much better even as compared to what we had anticipated.

Planning the trip took multiple back & forths with Adriana over a few weeks - given our specific interests, constraints as well as the changing COVID situation. But Adriana was always patient, resourceful and prompt in getting all the questions answered to our satisfaction. The trip plan that she arrived at, after all the iterations, based on our feedback was just perfect. Even after arriving at a perfect plan, we needed to move the dates by a couple of days, requiring Adriana to redo some of the planning and booking - but that did not deter her! A few timing changes during the trip were also accomodated by the Amazilla team. Wilson, Mr. Gonzalez and other drivers did an excellent job shuttling us between destinations and providing vivid commentary. Our guides Franklin (at Arenal), Jason/Jon Carlos (White Water Rafting), Allen (Manuel Antonio) were all very knowledgable and made the activities so much more interesting!

This was a memorable 8-days for all 4 of us. CR's beauty is alluring and captivating. And the local expertise and diligence provided by Adriana and the rest of the crew made it very seamless and delightful. Thanks everyone! Pura Vida!

Hotel Review

El Establo Mountain Hotel

Monteverde

Stayed here for 2 nights - Great Views specially if you drive up the property - Vegetarian food options were somewhat limited. But still manageable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Selvatura Park Self-Guided Hanging Bridges & Zip Lining

Monteverde

Ziplining over the Cloud Forests was amazing! Some climbing and fair amount of walking required

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Selvatura Park Self-Guided Hanging Bridges & Zip Lining

Monteverde

Ziplining over the Cloud Forests was amazing! Some climbing and fair amount of walking required

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coffee & Chocolate Tour

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

El Silencio Volcano Hike & Visit to La Fortuna Waterfall

Arenal/La Fortuna

Franklin (as our guide) was very knowledegable - Making the hike a very interesting and learning experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Whitewater Rafting on the Balsa River Class II & III

Arenal/La Fortuna

Level 2/3 White Water Rafting - This was on our bucket list. Had a small incident (since I do not know swimming and started panicking when the raft capsized and I fell in the river). But Jason (our guide) handled it professionally and strongly! Truly amazed

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport