Alberto Molina

I started with Alberto and he helped me plan an amazing trip that was the right balance of activities and down time. While on the tour, Jean Carlo, took care of me. He helped me when there were little hiccups along the way. It was great to be able to contact him when a problem arose. He was able to smooth things out and make whatever issue that came up go away. He was great!

Hotel Reviews

Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs

Fortuna

Amazing resort with friendly and helpful staff. Loved the setting, and the private patio garden area. The room was spacious and clean. The restaurant was great. It has wonderful food and a beautiful setting. There are lots of activities at the resort and wonderful walking paths in a quiet setting. I would definitely stay there again

Authenticity & Character

I loved all of the bird sightings at the property. The resort has a tropical garden setting, but is surrounded by forest.

Location

The resort was back away from the road and it was quiet, but a short taxi ride would tak you into town.

Staff

They were all so nice and went out of their way to be helpful. Many of them took the time to learn my name and my preferences

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was very clean and well maintained

El Establo Mountain Hotel

Monteverde

The hotel is beautiful and in a beautiful setting. My room was in one of the buildings at the top of the hill, so I had an amazing view. From the reception up to my room is a steep climb about a mile long, so the property is not really walkable, but they do have a shuttle service that will take you anywhere you want to go on the property. I found the room itself to be beautiful, but there was only one chair in the room. It could have used a second chair and a small table. Also, the walls between the rooms are very thin and I could hear everything that went on in the next room, even quiet conversations. I used ear plugs to help me sleep.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful view from my balcony.

Location

Seemed to be close to the sights I wanted to visit

Staff

Staff was a little hit and miss. There were some that were friendly and helpful and some who were not.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The resort and my room were very clean, but there was a noise issue with the room

Si Como No Resort & Wildlife Refuge

Manuel Antonio

Loved everything about this resort! My room was fantastic. It had a little seating area where I could sit and relax after my activities of the day. My view of the ocean was just awesome. Can’t say enough nice things about the resteraunt. The staff was always friendly and helpful. The location was great and I could walk to little stores close by.

Authenticity & Character

The place had a tropical setting and feel.

Location

The resort is part of a wild life refuge and there were amazing animals to be seen at the resort, including monkeys, iguanas, and birds.

Staff

The staff was great, very knowledgeable and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The whole place was clean and well maintained.

Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, San Jose Aeropuerto

San José

This was a good place to stay as you were making the transition in or out of the country. It was a perfect place for me to stay for one night when my vacation ended and needed to catch an airplane the next day.

Authenticity & Character

Exactly what I would expect from a Raddison hotel

Location

Close to the airport with an airport shuttle service

Staff

Very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was clean and well maintained.

Activity Reviews

Hanging Bridges, La Fortuna Waterfall & Arenal Volcano Hike

Arenal/La Fortuna

Beautiful setting and amazing wildlife viewing.

Quality of Experience

The hike itself was great, but my guide made it even more special!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

They were both very knowledgeable and planned the perfect level of activity for me.

Transport

My driver would see something and make a point of stopping so I could get a picture

Birdwatching tour by the Arenal Lake

Arenal/La Fortuna

My guide was so knowledgeable. I really learned a lot from him.

Quality of Experience

Very knowledgeable guide

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very helpful

Transport

Good clean and comfortable vehicle

Visit Paradise Hot Springs

Arenal/La Fortuna

It is a beautiful setting and the restaurant was good. I found the water in most of the “hot spring” pools to be on the cool side.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Horseback Riding in the Cloud Forest

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Birdwatching Tour in Monteverde (5:00 am)

Monteverde

Loved the tour.

Quality of Experience

Very knowledgeable and helpful guide..

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coffee & Chocolate Tour

Costa Rica

Loved learning about chocolate, coffee and sugar cane in Costa Rica. The tour guide was just great!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Nature Hike

Costa Rica

Awesome experience. The variety of the animals from white tail deer to bats, just great.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mangrove Boat Tour

Manuel Antonio

This was a fun relaxing tour. We saw a lot on the gentle boat ride through the mangroves to the sea.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We visited Arenal, Monteverde and Manuel Antonio and the whole trip was amazing. Many thanks to Alberto for booking everything- it was all perfect!

Hotel Reviews

Autentico Hotel

San Jose

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Arenal Montechiari

La Fortuna

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cala Lodge

Monteverde

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Playa Espadilla

Manuel Antonio

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, San Jose Aeropuerto

San José

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Arenal Volcano Hiking Tour & Paradise Hot Springs

Arenal/La Fortuna

Great guide and really interesting hike; only negative thing was the torrential rain for the whole walk!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hanging Bridges & Zip Lining

Monteverde

The hanging bridges walk was excellent and really interesting; the zip lining was lots of fun!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Hotel Review

Hotel Arenal Kioro Suites & Spa

Fortuna

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

Authenticity & Character

Location

everything

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hanging Bridges, La Fortuna Waterfall & Arenal Volcano Hike

Arenal/La Fortuna

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

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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

Transport

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

Coffee & Chocolate Tour

Costa Rica

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

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Traditional Cooking Class with Dinner

Arenal/La Fortuna

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

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Safari Float on the Peñas Blancas River

Arenal/La Fortuna

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

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was tough to judge. Would like to give 4 1/2 stars. We had some issues and frustrations, particularly at the start of the trip. But - those all seemed to stem from the fact that KimKim had to swap out our representative a day or two before our trip started. As a result, some things got dropped or mis-communicated. Once we got further into the trip, things were much more smooth. All in all, it meant our arrival and first night were bumpy, and the start of the second day was messy, but after that, things were pretty great. So, summary advice: DO use KimKim, they put together a terrific vacation. But if they change out your contact/specialist, DO take some time to review the trip details with the new person, particularly things that were in emails or chat that didn't get added to the actual trip plan document.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Playa Espadilla

Manuel Antonio

Great vibe, great location, lovely little pool, just a really good fit for us. Monkeys, lizards and exotic birds on the grounds all the time. The restaurant doesn't have the deepest menu, but the food is _fantastic_. Would stay here again, no question. One small warning: in the restaurant, particularly at breakfast, avoid the corners of the sitting area furthest from the kitchen. The flies there are insufferable. Deeper into the seating area, things are fine.

Authenticity & Character

Definite Pura Vida sensibility. Everything was relaxed and smiley.

Location

Easy walk to the beach, but not so close that traffic and noise are an issue.

Staff

The restaurant folks were universally wonderful, in particular.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Las Caletas Lodge

Puntarenas

It's perfect if it's what you are looking for. This isn't about creature comforts. The path up from the boats to the hotel is steep, slippery and long. You'll be staying in a stifling hot cabin or a noisy, simple platform tent. Everything gets damp and stays that way. Meals are picked for you - there's no menu. No TV, viable internet or cell coverage. But if you are here to be here, to see Osa and Corcovado park, you're in the right place. Everything is astonishingly, endlessly beautiful. Scarlet Macaws nest in trees right on the grounds. Troops of Howler and Capuchin monkeys wander through all day and night. The forest, the ocean, the flowers -- this is the place to sit and soak it all in. If you want to see Osa, and be a part of Osa, this is a great place.

Authenticity & Character

It was like living in Corcovado, but with shelter, gourmet food and a fridge full of soda you could raid at any time.

Location

I mean - it's right there in Osa.

Staff

You pretty much only see one person (at least during the off-season), so if he's busy or resting, there really isn't any staff.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cleanliness and Comfort are relative. This isn't the W. But they keep the common area squeaky clean, and the cabins/tents are well-maintained. No silk sheets, but there are fans and good pillows. Picture elevated camping, more than hotel living.

Monteverde Country Lodge

Monteverde

Authenticity & Character

Maybe 4 1/2 stars? It's not one of the Monteverde hotels that is nestled into the wilderness, but it's not far from some good green spaces. The decor and overall tone is very Pura Vida, including some lovely hanging vines and fountains behind the restaurant, and a peaceful courtyard.

Location

Hard to beat Monteverde/Santa Elena in general.

Staff

Staff was pretty thin, clearly understaffed at mealtimes and early mornings at the desk. Likely due to it being the off-season, I'd expect things to be more fully covered during peak.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Park Inn San Jose by Radisson

San José

We went here at the start of a trip, got in late, left early. Didn't really get to evaluate much about the hotel, but what we saw was good. Five stars because they were accommodating (despite our late arrival). Helpful (which we needed because we were sleep-deprived and exhausted, and patient (which we needed because we were grumpy from the delays and other complications that made us late.

Authenticity & Character

Just a business hotel, but a good one. Nothing surprising, which is what you want in a business hotel.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Autentico Hotel

San Jose

We weren't here very long, arrived fairly late and left fairly early. We enjoyed our stay, but there are couple of things worth mentioning: * This is a slightly odd layout. Everything wraps around a smallish courtyard. The pool area covers most of the courtyard, and the restaurant seating spills out into the courtyard. The result is that everything feels kind of packed together, and you if your room opens to the inside area, you can hear pretty much everything in the building. It's cool and exciting for large groups, who get to be "together" even when they are in different places. I saw a couple of such groups here, and they were clearly having a great time. You might enjoy it less if your schedule depended on getting some sleep earlier than 10pm or later than 7am. * The restaurant was pretty great, with a deeper and more subtle dinner menu than your average hotel. * It's tough to find, even for San Jose. Parking is even trickier - it's across the street from the hotel, and you really have to plan in order to be able to get there without circling a few blocks.

Authenticity & Character

Very San Jose. It fits in well with the rest of the Central Valley. Don't expect it to feel terribly "Pura Vida," but it has a clean, professional, polished vibe.

Location

Not the easiest place to get to, not a lot of walkable places worth seeing, but a short drive from plenty of spots you might want to see.

Staff

The staff (along with the food!) made dinner a particularly memorable and positive experience.

Cleanliness & Comfort

As mentioned elsewhere, everything feels polished and professional and clean. It's not the Ritz, but it may feel like the top of the next tier. That's wonderful and impressive, considering the reasonable prices. You'll feel like you are getting more than your money's worth.

Activity Reviews

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Nature Hike

Costa Rica

We did nature hikes in Monteverde, Corcovado, and here. Much to our surprise, Manuel Antonio was the clear winner for variety of wildlife, educational content, and overall enjoyment. Coati, monkeys, huge spiders, snakes, a variety of birds, lizards, and an up-close encounter with a sloth. Don't miss this hike!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Every guide we had in Costa Rica was insanely knowledgeable. Even by that standard, though, our guide in Manuel Antonio was amazing. He was able to track and film moving animals using a scope (which I've always heard was impossible), while delivering a monologue about the scientific details for that animal, some things to look for to find them, etc. It was like traveling with David Attenborough and his film crew.

Transport

One of the great things about Manuel Antonio: the park is super close to the tourist area. We were close enough to walk, and walk back afterwards.

Horseback Riding in the Cloud Forest

Monteverde

I have a life-long, irrational fear of horses. I agreed to do this only as a trade-off to get my kids to try some other things on our trip. Much to my utter surprise, I had a great time. Our guides were patient and very clear with their instructions. They kept a pace that we could manage. We went through terrain that we never could have navigated on foot, and it was just amazing. I got my horse all the way up to a trot a couple of times. I can't say I'm cured. Horses still seem crazy to me. But, if they could deliver 2 hours of exhilaration for me, I expect they can do that for just about anyone.

Quality of Experience

Really cool extra touch - at the end, they fed us some home-made snacks, and let us try making cane juice from sugar cane. Not totally sure what that had to do with horses, but it was a great way to cool off and get refreshed.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

On-time. Vehicle was well-maintained and seemed safe. Driver was friendly.

Walking tour to Corcovado National Park in Sirena Station

Costa Rica

Some great wildlife! Can't complain about that, really. We saw big coati family, a couple of agouti, a tapir, lots and lots of monkeys. But, I suspect we could have seen a lot more, and would have on a normal tour, but something odd was going on when we were there. Our guide spent a lot of time just _waiting_. Not sure for what. We waiting 15 minutes before getting started, then walked back and forth over the same 100 feet of trail for another 30 minutes with no obvious explanation. We paused and talked to another guide for 15 minutes later. We hung around at Sirena Station for much, much longer than planned. We headed back to the boats 20 minutes early. The end result is that we only spent about 90 minutes actively looking and exploring. I think this was unusual, some mix-up. Maybe a guide didn't show up? In any case, I'd still strongly recommend this tour, but I think we caught them on an off day.

Quality of Experience

As noted above, we did an odd amount of stalling and waiting. That was the only negative. I suspect this was a one-time event, not their normal pattern. The guide seemed unhappy with the waiting, too.

Food

After the boat ride back, they took us to a great local place, and fed us simple, authentic, delicious food. A great way to end the trip.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very knowledgeable. Maybe a bit preachy - but in an incredibly well-intentioned way. Didn't get in the way of us seeing or enjoying anything.

Transport

Young, spry folks may not mind. Older folks and younger kids may find the long boat ride, and the wading to/from the boats, to be taxing. Just be ready to spend a lot of energy on the trip. The actual hike is gentle.

Zip Line (Canopy) Monteverde

Monteverde

I wanted to give this one star, because I was terrified the whole time and never really got to the point where I enjoyed myself, but that's just me and my fear of heights. The rest of my group had an amazing time. The guides were fantastic. They were very visibly obsessed with safety, which helped keep my panic to a minimum. They joked around with the kids, were patient with me and my wife, and generally did everything conceivable to maximize our enjoyment. Not their fault that it didn't work for me. Also - they used our cameras to get phenomenal number of great videos. I suspect we'll be watching those for decades.

Quality of Experience

For me, the highest achievable bar was: get through it without a debilitating panic attack. Checked that box. For the rest of our group, the trip was a thrill.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

They worked so, so hard to make things safe and enjoyable. Dedicated, skilled, friendly and energetic.

Transport

There was confusion with our initial pick-up, and it seemed like the driver couldn't find our hotel, but then tried to blame the issue on us. It was weird and unpleasant, but really a minor blip overall.

Snorkeling at Isla del Caño Biological Reserve

Drake Bay

I tired out after the first set of dives, but the kids kept going for another hour or more. Lots of great fish (including pufferfish!), sharks, some folks saw turtles. For me, the highlight was floating peacefully while hearing whales sing somewhere out at sea.

Quality of Experience

Food

The tour included a stop at a local restaurant afterwards. Simple fare, but delicious and authentic. Definitely a high note.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Nothing to be done, probably, but that boat ride is rough on older folks' backs and younger children's patience.

The planning and booking process was very easy. Alberto was very quick to answer all my questions and make the small changes we where asking for. We wanted a mix of adventure and relaxing down time for our honeymoon. The Hanging bridges in Arenal experience was great, Marcos was a very knowledgeable guide of all the animals and very enthusiastic. Rosa was our guide to Rio Celeste and she was also very knowledgeable. Orjel in the Cloud forest in Monteverde was very fun and we even got to see the Quetzal! Fabian in Manuel Antonio was very nice and genuinely happy to be our guide, saw a few sloths! Every driver was very nice, also every interaction with staff at the hotels. We would use kim kim in the future.

Hotel Review

Arenal Springs Resort & Spa

Fortuna

This was the best hotel we stayed in! From the greeting with juices to the service at the front desk. They decorated our suite for our honeymoon. The breakfast buffet was delicious and the food at the restaurant too. And the best part were the thermal pools.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Arenal Hanging Bridges Guided Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

It is definitely necessary to use a guide since they are the ones that know the forest and spot all the animals and plants and are so very knowledgeable

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Alberto arranged an incredible holiday for us. All the transfers and activities went very smoothly and we found Costa Rica to be a beautiful and friendly country with so much to see and do.

We visited Arenal, Tortuguero, Monteverde, Manuel Antonio and Bahia Drake and we enjoyed each and every one of them. The local guides are excellent and very knowledgeable.

In terms of accommodation Las Caletas in Bahia Drake is paradise.

Thank you for arranging such a fantastic holiday Alberto!

Hotel Review

Las Caletas Lodge

Puntarenas

Perfect location with gorgeous gardens, friendly staff and a beautiful beach. Great food. Highly recommended

Tips for future travelers

You will arrive by boat be prepared to get your feet wet!

Authenticity & Character

Stunning location

Location

So beautiful it's hard not to love it.

Staff

Very friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

We got the honeymoon suite with its own hammock. Lovely balcony

Activity Review

Arenal Hanging Bridges & La Fortuna Waterfall Guided Hikes

Arenal/La Fortuna

We swam at the base of the waterfall. Beautiful! And the hanging bridges are a great way to experience the canopy in primary rainforest

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My husband and I had the privilege of spending three weeks in Costa Rica and Alberto and the Kim Kim team made this trip a complete dream come true! I was a bit nervous about all the excursions and accommodations and travel plans as we stayed at 6 different spots and rented a car in a country we don't speak the language on (and Murphy's law is something is bound to happen) but NO! Everything was organized to perfection and by the most friendly people ever! We did not have a single issue and nothing was even 5 minutes behind schedule - this vacation truly operated flawlessly! When I did have questions, Alberto responded in a matter of minutes (seconds even sometimes, I am not kidding!!!) Highly recommend letting Alberto plan your trip to Costa Rica as we had a once in a lifetime experience and stayed at some of the nicest resorts I have ever been at.

Our favorites.....
1. The Caribbean side! You must visit this part of the country - Puerto Viejo & Limon region were spectacular!
2. Monteverde El Establo Resort - truly a magical place and you MUST go horseback riding at Equus Farms : https://www.monteverdetourscr.com/trip/monteverde-equus-horseback-riding-tour/
3. Diria Tamarindo Resort - we will be back here for sure!
4. Tortugero Evergreen Lodge - the windows are screens, not glass and you are living in a jungle sound machine! SOOO many animals here!

Tips for travelers....
1. Drink bottle water only! We both got sick
2. Rent a car - the roads were really easy to drive and the car had GPS
3. Fly in and out of different airports so you can see more of the country... next time we are going to fly into Limon airport and then fly out of Liberia so we can spend more time on the beach as San Jose is not great and you should try to spend as little time there as possible to maximize the fun.
4. You can book much cheaper excursions with the hotels you are staying at. You would save a lot of money doing it this way and they have more options to choose from and you can decide day of what you want to do instead of being locked into a schedule.

Seriously, Alberto was amazing and so communicative from start to finish! GO TO COSTA RICA, you won't regret it!

Pura Vida!

Our trip to Costa Rica was one of the best trips I've ever been on, and it's all thanks to the wonderful people at GWA. This is the first time we've let a tour company plan basically our entire trip and we couldn't have been more pleased with the results!
Our contact was Alberto who was knowledgeable, polite, friendly and very accommodating of all our tweaks and changes. It really felt like the success of our trip was important to both Alberto and the rest of the staff at GWA. Alberto worked with us to plan all sorts of activities/tours as well as picked all but one hotel with our approval.

Once we arrived we were met by Felipe, our main driver for the trip and a clean and private van transport to our San Jose hotel. When we arrived at the hotel Felipe gave us a lovely welcome bag with thoughtful goodies inside. The bag itself is designed by women at a women's shelter for domestic violence which we thought was so cool of them to support. They also included a nicely printed itinerary, a commemorative plaque/certificate of our visit, and two metal water bottles with their logo! Felipe went through our itinerary with us and patiently answered all of our questions.

The next day Felipe picked us up after breakfast and took us to our next location in La Fortuna, an approximately 3 hour drive from our first hotel in San Jose. Felipe shared his knowledge with us along the way and he was very kind and helpful when I revealed that I suffer from motion sickness. He recommended his favorite restaurant in the area Don Rufino which we took his advice on later, it was excellent! The hotel was fairly rustic with little cabins set up on a lovely garden trail. The wi-fi did not extend to our room and there was only soap in the shower but the grounds were very nicely maintained and the staff were so friendly and warm. Alex from reception did not speak English and with our limited Spanish it was difficult to communicate with him but he went out of his way to point out sloths in a nearby tree despite how frustrating it must have been that we did not understand. Eventually we figured it out and were able to spot sloths twice with Alex's help right there outside the reception! I also saw a toucan and many other beautiful birds on the property.
It was very quiet and peaceful and one morning we had breakfast and it was just us and Alex and the cook and a lovely woman who took our breakfast order the night before and I think may also have been the one who cleans the rooms. Jon played their old organ for them and we all enjoyed the music together.

That first night a driver named Otto from Desafio Adventure Company took us to the Paradise Hot Springs which was way less rugged than what we were expecting. We had drinks at the hot springs bar and lounged until dinner. There were lockers and showers on site and the springs themselves are located within a hotel. On the way back we told Otto about our need for shampoo/conditioner and Otto graciously accompanied us to a local supermarket where we were able to procure what we needed.

The next day we went on another tour with Desafio Adventure company with our wonderful guide Carlos and driver Alex. First we visited the Arenal Hanging Bridges which was pretty amazing and so beautiful! With Carlos's help we were able to see so many wonderful things that we would have missed alone, including Red-eyed tree frogs, White-nose Coatis, Howler Monkeys, Anoles, and even a Purple-Crowned Fairy! He was very knowledgeable about the many plants and trees that we encountered as well, and even their uses by indigenous societies. From the hanging forest we went to La Fortuna waterfall and went swimming near the falls in beautiful water with small fish. The walk back up the steps was pretty brutal, everyone told us a different number of steps, was it 600 or 800? Either way with frequent pauses and shaky calves we eventually made it to the top!
We then went to Desafio's base of operations and had a delicious buffet style lunch and coffee and rested for a bit. The final expedition of the day was to Arenal volcano, Carlos unfortunately was not feeling the best so we hiked up by ourselves to allow him a chance to rest. The view from the top was beautiful and it rained a bit which was very refreshing. We even found some colones up there! When we got back to the rest shop Carlos brought out some fresh fruit they got for us, they'd even gone out of their way to get a papaya for me because I wanted to see if it was way better in Costa Rica and it is! David expertly prepared the fruit for us and we ate to our heart's content. We then stopped by a natural hot springs by the road side and then stopped to take photos of a sloth that Carlos had spotted earlier since we hadn't managed to get a good photo the day before. I would recommend all of these tours and Desafio was great, GWA picks great tours!

Our next hotel was in Rincon de Vieja at Rinconcito Lodge. On the drive there Felipe taught us about Arenal Lake and took us to a delicious restaurant called the Macadamia Cafe. We thought we would see Felipe again but sadly this was the last day we saw him. Once we arrived at the hotel we were given a welcome drink of tasty watermelon juice. The bungalows at this hotel are lovely, we had sliding glass doors out to a balcony with two beautiful wooden rocking chairs and a nice view. The trek to our room was a bit much, especially with bags but thankfully we had Felipe to help us on the way up. They have a lovely pool which never had anyone else in it, horses and a trail on site and thankfully a restaurant because we were without transportation. I think having a car would have been useful here, as everything seemed to be at least 30 minutes by car and when we attempted to walk to Las Pailas we quickly realized it would take 3-4 hours! It's a nice location with many birds and butterflies and we would definitely stay again if we had available transportation. We mostly relaxed during this time except for the last day where there was some confusion on our part and we scheduled a hike during our pickup time at the hotel. We were coming back from a 12km trek to La Cangreja Waterfall when we realized our mistake. It's a really lovely waterfall with hot spring water but it took me days to recover from all the sun exposure! When we got back to the lodge, David was there patiently waiting. We felt terrible about the misunderstanding but David was very kind about the whole thing.
After our rough start our drive with David quickly became enjoyable, he had many interesting stories and . We stopped in Liberia I think to get some juice/gingerale for my car sickness which I really appreciated. We chatted all the way to the next hotel, Nambu Bungalows at Samara. This hotel is by far the fanciest that we stayed at, and we somehow got upgraded to a Master suite. This means you are on the top floor with a hot tub and there are no elevators which thankfully wasn't an issue for us. We loved sitting in the hot tub watching the sun set!
We had one delicious but expensive dinner at the hotel, the barkeeper was excellent and you can have drinks and coffee by the picturesque pool. The second day at Nambu we were supposed to go on a kayaking expedition but unfortunately I was still feeling unwell so we had to cancel. We spent the day relaxing at the beach and in the room. The restaurants in the area are not that plentiful but we really enjoyed the food at Hula Jungla which was maybe 2 minutes walk from the hotel. We tried two of the other local restaurants but Hula Jungla is the one we kept returning to.
We also did horseback riding in Samara with Rene from Paraisos de Caballos. The horses were brought right to the hotel and it was just us and Rene! We rode by the beach and on a lovely loop through the forest and up a hill with a gorgeous view of the mountains and shoreline. We saw Howler monkeys again and white-faced monkeys and were able to get quite close to the Howlers! We also saw many beautiful birds and Blue Morphos butterflies before taking photos near the beach of a stunning sunset. Rene was very knowledgeable just like all our guides and we enjoyed talking with him. I would definitely recommend Rene and all our other wonderful tour guides/drivers!

Our last day our driver had car trouble and we were given a generous credit to spend on drinks/foods while we waited pool side. They managed to find a different driver and Roberto soon showed up to take us back to San Jose. This was another 3 hour drive and Roberto was yet another pleasant conversationalist, he even stopped for us at a big mall so we could grab a bite to eat before returning to our hotel, as we were concerned nothing nearby would still be open. We walked all over the food court and Roberto was so patient with us. After we arrived at the hotel at almost 9pm our trip was basically finished. We got massages the next day and ate twice at Moose, which Felipe had recommended on our first day and got Covid tests at the mall located conveniently nearby. The following day we were picked up and taken to the San Jose Airport. We were sad to leave this beautiful country and our friends at GWA. Everything was so wonderful, all the people and places and activities, it really exceeded all of my expectations. I would book again with GWA with full confidence, they are professional, responsive, kind and all around a wonderful company to work with. You can't go wrong booking your trip to Costa Rica through them! Thank you to the entire GWA team for making our trip so memorable and fantastic!

Hotel Review

Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, San Jose Aeropuerto

San José

Convenient hotel location with plenty of amenities. Room was kind of loud (thin walls?) But the location was nice for proximity to stores/restaurants/etc

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Hanging Bridges, La Fortuna Waterfall & Arenal Volcano Hike

Arenal/La Fortuna

First we visited the Arenal Hanging Bridges which was pretty amazing and so beautiful! With Carlos's help we were able to see so many wonderful things that we would have missed alone, including Red-eyed tree frogs, White-nose Coatis, Howler Monkeys, Anoles, and even a Purple-Crowned Fairy! He was very knowledgeable about the many plants and trees that we encountered as well, and even their uses by indigenous societies. From the hanging forest we went to La Fortuna waterfall and went swimming near the falls in beautiful water with small fish. The walk back up the steps was pretty brutal, everyone told us a different number of steps, was it 600 or 800? Either way with frequent pauses and shaky calves we eventually made it to the top! We then went to Desafio's base of operations and had a delicious buffet style lunch and coffee and rested for a bit. The final expedition of the day was to Arenal volcano, Carlos unfortunately was not feeling the best so we hiked up by ourselves to allow him a chance to rest. The view from the top was beautiful and it rained a bit which was very refreshing. We even found some colones up there! When we got back to the rest shop Carlos brought out some fresh fruit they got for us, they'd even gone out of their way to get a papaya for me because I wanted to see if it was way better in Costa Rica and it is! David expertly prepared the fruit for us and we ate to our heart's content. We then stopped by a natural hot springs by the road side and then stopped to take photos of a sloth that Carlos had spotted earlier since we hadn't managed to get a good photo the day before. I would recommend all of these tours and Desafio was great, GWA picks great tours!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trip was as planned. All scheduled transfers showed up within (10 to 20 minutes) of the scheduled times. Organization of the trip was easy with Alberto.

As far as the trip itself, Costa Rica is a great place to visit, however; going from place to place is taxing. Our normal car ride was 3+ hours. This was expected for the places we choose, however; looking back on it we spent too much time getting from place to place and not enough time seeing relaxing on our vacation. For a week long trip, we estimated that we were in a vehicle for 30+ hours in total. This is not the fault of the company we choose, they did a great job, just a thing of note for others following in our footsteps.

Beer was cold, weather was ideal, people were friendly, food amazing and Costa Rica was beautiful.

We trusted Alberto, Diego (with GWA, who will be one of your main contacts once you're in CR), and KimKim as a whole with our honeymoon, and they knocked it out of the park. Booking everything was seamless, as we were able to adjust lodging and activities to fit our desired budget and pacing of the trip. Alberto was exceptionally responsive and accurate with his information. Every tour guide, every transfer/ride, and every hotel/resort were exactly what we'd hoped for. We ended up with the honeymoon of a lifetime, rich with wildlife, adventurous experiences (including horseback riding through the cloud forest and countryside, whitewater rafting, ziplining, and swimming in a waterfall), and most importantly, ease. I strongly recommend using KimKim to book your Costa Rica experience without hesitation.