Phil Tardieu

This trip was seamless and remarkable. Phil was a great communicator and the guides were really good- our guide on the volcano hike was great as well as in the guide on this silence hike and Santa Elena hike.

We were disappointed that we did not receive the final details until after we arrived in Costa Rica, we were unable to print them out which made life more difficult than it need have been

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Balmoral

San José

Very disappointed, other than the location it was tired, our room had a window too high to see out of. Very dark and gloomy

Authenticity & Character

None

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Manatus Hotel

Tortuguero

Lovely location, very comfortable room, good food and the trips with memorable. We had to rely on the hotel for drinking water and think this may have been the initial cause of tummy issues.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs

Fortuna

Lovely location and pools.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel & Spa Poco a Poco

Monteverde Costa Rica

Good location, the room did not have a balcony and was close to the road

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Manuel Antonio

Great location and views to the beach with a balcony The bedding and linen was tired and everything was minimalistic with no soap or shampoo provided.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

A Journey into the History and Culture of Tortuguero Village

Tortuguero

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transport to Tortuguero with Canal Tour En-Route

Costa Rica

Good journey, we enjoyed the view of the banana plantation. Lots of information and background to Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Motor Boat Tour Along the Tortuguero Canals

Tortuguero

Great guide and lovely views of wild life

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Volcano Hike & EcoTermales Hot Springs

Arenal/La Fortuna

Disappointing, unable to get close to the volcano, very busy path. Guide was informative and knowledgeable. The Spa was very busy.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coffee Experience and Nighttime Nature Walk

Monteverde

Very interesting and informative. The walk was very atmospheric.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanging Bridges

Monteverde

Self guided interesting walk and views.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sloth Sanctuary

Monteverde

Really enjoyed it

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve Guided Hike

Monteverde

The private guide was excellent the walk was enjoyable, lots of wildlife and information

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Nature Hike

Manuel Antonio

Very busy rather disappointing, it was sold as a walk needing walking boots, it was more of an amble.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

It was my second time to Costa Rica, but I traveled with my friend who had never visited it before, and it was so fun!
Phil, our specialist, was great. It was very easy to communicate with him, he made the trip perfect for us. He was very present and responsive even while we were traveling.
We loved everything, from the accommodations to the activities!

Hotel Reviews

Arenal Roca Lodge

La Fortuna

Authenticity & Character

The lodge bungalows were rustic in appearance, but were very spacious and had all the comforts for home (AC, hot water, comfy beds and an on-site restaurant)

Location

For traveler's with a rental car, getting to/from town to explore restaurants, shops, etc is easy. For traveler's without a rental, there were a few places within easy walking distance but for most a cab would be required.

Staff

The staff were very friendly. They all went the extra mile to make our stay a happy one.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Locanda Samara Beach

Samara

Hotel Locanda Samara Beach in Sámara was a great choice for a stay. The hotel's location allowed for easy access to various attractions, shops, and restaurants, making it convenient for exploring the area on foot.

Authenticity & Character

The bungalows, with the bamboo and thatched roofs added a local flair to the hotel.

Location

The hotel is right on the beach and easy walking distance to all amenities in Samara.

Staff

The staff were all very friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

The cleaning staff kept the entire hotel spotless

Activity Reviews

Guided Nature Walk at Ecological Park & Butterfly Garden Danaus

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sky Tram, Sky Trek & Sky Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

The zip lines and hanging bridges tour was thrilling and suitable for travelers of all ages. It may not be ideal for those afraid of heights, but overall, it was a fun and exciting experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ocean Kayak & Snorkel at Isla Chora (Seasonal)

Sámara

The ocean kayak and snorkeling tour at Isla Chora was a fun and exciting experience. Despite windy conditions, seeing a turtle underwater made the excursion memorable. The two-seater kayak was beneficial for less experienced kayakers, adding to the enjoyment of the activity.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Horseback Ride to La Fortuna Waterfall

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Horseback Sunset Tour

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rio Celeste Hiking - Tenorio Volcano National Park

Costa Rica

The hike at Tenorio National Park was challenging but rewarding. The guide was excellent, and despite the rain, the lush surroundings and the unique blue waters of Rio Celeste made the hike a memorable experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guatil Tour

Costa Rica

The Guatil pottery tour was a hidden gem and a fascinating cultural experience. The guided tour provided insight into local pottery-making techniques and traditions, making it a unique and enjoyable activity for those interested in learning about the local culture.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Really great trip! Phil recommended to us the pacuare river rafting, and it was AMAZING! A couple of communication situations in the trip but they were handled quickly and well. I liked the tour groups that Kimkim uses/phil recommended, they were fantastic! Overall a great experience!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Balmoral

San José

In a very bad part of San Jose, not safe to walk in or at least we did not feel comfortable doing so. No hot water in our two rooms, but staff was nice and restaurant was great!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hot water, no mildew smell in room

Hotel Aranjuez

San José

So while a cute, quaint hotel… there were ants and mosquitos and other bugs in the two rooms we had. The front door glass was shattered, making us question the safety of the hotel. Has good potential.

Authenticity & Character

Cute and quaint

Location

San Jose in general is very sketchy, homeless everywhere, but not the hotels fault

Staff

Great friendly staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

In both rooms we had, there was mold in the shower and a spiders nest in the upper corner of one. Windows in bathrooms did not have screens and let in multitudes of mosquitoes, ants, and the occasional other flying insect. Rooms and especially bathrooms seemed like they had not been cleaned recently or prior to our arrival (hence, the spiders nest and mold). Could definitely be improved, but at least the hotel itself felt safe and sheltered from the rest of San Jose.

Activity Review

Whitewater Rafting on the Pacuare River

Costa Rica

Fantastic exhilarating white water raft trip! Very good and safe guides, highly recommend!

Quality of Experience

The guides and the safety precautions taken. Top notch!

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We initiated and finalized our travel planning with a woman who left KimKim before our travels began. Phil took over and was very responsive and helpful during our trip. One day we had to cancel our tour due to rain and he made all the calls immediately to obtain a reimbursement for us. We learned when we got to Costa Rica that mornings are best for tours but our original planner scheduled many tours in the afternoon - when you see less animals and are more likely to get rained on. That was the type of insider travel coaching we were hoping to receive from KimKim when we decided to coordinate our travel plans - but apparently didn't get it. Had we worked with Phil from the get-go, it might have been a different story. Also - we traveled between several locations which on map don't seem that far away from one another and googlemaps indicated, for example, 100 miles. We assumed that it would be a 90-120 minute drive but it turned out to be nearly 300 because roads travel slow in Costa Rica. One day we were in a van traveling between locations for over six hours. This was unexpected and ate into vacation time for exploring, relaxing, and doing tours. Overall - we had a great trip, our accommodations were wonderful (and all had breakfast included which was great), and it was nice that everything was reserved and transportation was ready for us throughout our stay. Because we traveled to Costa Rica just before the busy season - almost all our tours were exclusive where we had the entire bus, boat, guide, or place to ourselves. We never felt rushed and really enjoyed the varied excursions that were arranged for us.

Costa Rica is a beautiful intricate layering of ecosystems, cultures, and people. The sunset tour on lake Arenal at the foot of the volcano was by far the favorite and not to be missed! Also the coffee chocolate tour and Maleku reservation. We had the best weather and most comfortable stay in La Fortuna.

The cloud forest lodge was also an excellent accommodation in Monteverde. The food is amazing with incredible views and bird watching. Unfortunately it rained so heavily we were not able to enjoy our tours.

The end of our stay was a disappointment. The Hotel Naoz was about a 45 minute walk from the Mandrake reserve and the ocean . The rooms were very small and smelled of gas, and the amenities were lacking comfort. Soaps smelled medicinal in a bad way. The toilet paper was thin and rough to the touch. So bad that we asked to go back to our accommodations in San Jose. This was so unfortunate when we later learned of all the options at the opening of the Mandrake reserve that we could have stayed at instead. We booked well enough in advance that this could have been avoided had we been familiar with the area.

Phil was very helpful in getting us back to San Jose where we could enjoy the museums and markets and were back in the comfort of the Presidente hotel.

Hotel Reviews

Cloud Forest Lodge

Monteverde

Fabulous literally in the clouds!! Great trails, excellent food and with the amenities they have thought of everything.

Authenticity & Character

Great trails and animal cams so you can get an inside view of the wild life.

Location

Literally in the cloud forest above the trees.

Staff

Very informative about the culture, eco diversity and community.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Super clean high quality. Umbrellas, boots, everything you think you might need.

Hotel Naoz

Manuel Antonio

Accommodations are very small, amenities smell bad. 45 minute walk from the ocean and reserve entrance. Beds are uncomfortable, We could not bear to stay another night due to the smell of gas in our room. The staff was very nice, but we were unable to get a refund.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Nothing it is too far from the ocean and reserve.

Staff

Excellent staff not their fault if is just an unfortunate hotel.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean but horribly uncomfortable and smelly.

Hotel Presidente San Jose City Center

San José

Great hotel and location. Some of the rooms are small, but the amenities are of very good quality. Excellent breakfast and bar. Smelled lovely and decorated very well. The staff was friendly, knowledgable, and very helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Fun refurbished factory great character.

Location

Very central location and felt safe always.

Staff

Super kind and helpful!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and comfortable.

Hotel Los Lagos Spa & Resort

Fortuna

Fantastic, fun, lots to do!! Highly recommend. I would go back.

Authenticity & Character

The pools were over the top and walking trails easy to find with very good signage.

Location

Right at the base of the volcano with spectacular Views.

Staff

The staff was a little aloof but this may have been to respect privacy. Pool bar staff was excellent!!!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very comfortable and clean highly recommend.

Activity Reviews

Coffee & Chocolate Farm Experience

Arenal/La Fortuna

This was very interactive. Great for all ages, very informative and we got to see Sloths and monkeys. Not only taste but also make chocolate and coffee.

Quality of Experience

Very educational and interactive.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kindness and always ready to answer wuestions.

Transport

Very reliable and timely.

Visit to Maleku Indigenous Reserve

Arenal/La Fortuna

This was a wonderful experience to be learning from the native people themselves. They were generous and kind.

Quality of Experience

Very special educational activities.

Food

Lical traditional food was delicious.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Their genuine kindness and joy in sharing their culture.

Transport

On time and shared knowledge on the way to the tour!!!

Sunset Cruise with Wine & Cheese on Lake Arenal

Arenal/La Fortuna

Wow, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity to see the volcano up close and personal. Very relaxing, excellent views and opportunities to see the wildlife. An array of beverages to choose from and a lovely cheese platter.

Quality of Experience

Perfect sunset and views!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Super friendly and knowledgable!!

Transport

On time and helpful.

Overall our trip was a fabulous experience. We had some wonderful interactions with local people, some fantastic accommodation and the National Parks were some of the best I have ever seen.

Highlights: Tortegeuro eco lodge (guide Oliver was funny, informative and well organised). The lodge was in an
incredible location and the wildlife was amazing
La Fortuna thermal pools and walk to the volcano (also a great guide with very good local knowledge)
Horseback ride Tamarindo through the forest and on to the beach was lovely and the beaches were beautiful
Zip lining and Cloud Forest walk Monte Verde (incredible being above and amongst the rainforest canopy).
Manuel Antonia national park walk (guide Roy was brilliant and the wildlife was incredible)
Corocavardo national park walk (again amazing flora and fauna and wildlife)

Disappointments: Whale and dolphin watching when there were no whales or dolphins and were never going to be at
the time of year. (would have like to see the famous waterfall near here instead if we were going to be
in Domincal)
Snorkeling from Tamarindo pretty much nonexistent
Danaus park night walk ( saw one frog and the guide was on his phone most of the time)
Snorkel at Cano Island the guide took amazing underwater videos of the sharks and turtles and
promised to send on whatsap but never did

Some really big issues were the lack of information on our itinerary. We often found that we didn't have any information about what we were doing, time frames for trips and what exactly was included in the day.

The hire car company Mapache was dreadful: we were given a very old front wheel drive tiny vehicle when we had booked a 4 wheel drive larger vehicle and on several occasions this vehicle was dangerous and inadequate for our trip. We were told to leave the vehicle full of petrol at the drop off and spot and when we arrived on empty there were no petrol stations for 25K so we had to hand fill our car from plastic drums and only out of the kindness of a local was this possible. Also we were not given any maps and the car had no navigation system so we took a lot of wrong turns.

We would definitely recommend Costa Rica as a fun, fabulous travel destination. Our trip covered a lot a beautiful areas and we found the local people helpful and interesting. Self drive was easy and gerat to be able to stop wherever we wanted.

The Emanuel Antonio Nation Park Tour led by Roy (Estelle Tours) was fantastic. Roy was personable, knowledgeable and enthusiastic.

The whole trip was wonderful.

Phil was polite, responsive and courteous throughout my trip. However, a few things could have been better planned and the last day was quite frustrating. My 8-day solo trip had 3 legs which started off in La Fortuna, then onto Manuel Antonio and finishing off In Corcovado National Park.

Phil did an amazing job arranging a car rental pick up and drop off at specific locations which really helped my journey. He also very kindly helped with the flight back to San Jose from Drake on the last day after I realised I had booked the wrong flight time. Thanks!

Unfortunately, I was given the wrong international dialling code so I wasn’t able to get Phil on WhatsApp until day 3. During this time he was not contactable on the KimKim platform either. It got sorted out eventually.

The Volcano Hotel Inn at La Fortuna was pretty basic to be honest and didn’t have any hot water for the shower. Spending $3,000 I would have expected a little bit of a higher standard. What lacked in quality was made up somewhat for a location as I had a breathtaking view of the Arenal Volcano from my room. The Baldi hot springs were super cool and highly recommended. I was disappointed that the waterfall tour was cancelled because of a lack of numbers and I would have liked an alternative to being arranged rather than a refund.

The next leg of my journey was a 9-hour drive to Manuel Antonio. In hindsight, I think this could have been planned better. I was able to break up the journey by stopping off at the La Paz waterfall which was beautiful and the crocodile bridge which was also cool. Then I was privileged to see a family of 9 whales on the afternoon whale-watching tour at Uvita. I didn’t realise I had to double back on myself to Manuel Antonio with another 2-hour drive. This left me absolutely exhausted when I checked into my hotel.

The Manuel Antonio hotel was fine, nothing spectacular but again the location was superb as I was right on the beach. There was a degree of noise outside my room with loud music coming from a local market across the way a few yards away. The itinerary said I should book a ticket for the local national park but when I got there it was already booked out for the next 2 days. I wished Phil had booked this for me in advance and can’t understand why it wasn’t.

The final leg of the journey started in Rancho Corcovado in Drake Bay but I had to pay for the ferry boat to get there. Phil kindly refunded me this fee. The hotel was right on the beach and the location is truly spectacular. The instructions for the pick up the next morning for Corcovado could have been better as the hotel manager didn’t know where I was getting picked up and Phil had some vague direction that it would be from the beach I was on.

I thought I was spending 2 nights inside the remote parts of the park but I only found out on day 2 that this wasn’t the case because there was no room for me at any station in the park. I felt let down when I found this out. I thought I had given KimKim and Phil enough time to arrange for this. I was very disappointed that I never received any communication about this. On day 1, this was the highlight of the whole trip. I saw so much wildlife and took many pictures. Our guide was amazing and had so knowledgeable about everything. He had a telescope with him and was able to zoom in on every animal so we could see everything in amazing clarity. The people on my tour were great and so friendly.

Day 2 of the trip started out with more wildlife watching, which is what I came for. Amazing! I was then told then the group would depart around 11, and I would be on my own with the guide which would turn into “more of a hike”. This was not clear in the itinerary as it mentioned “backyard station” which I took to mean a station inside Corcovado. This was not the case. There was also confusion about my large bag which I had kept on me and even hiked for 2 KM with on my back on day 1. In my opinion, it should really have been left behind in Rancho Corcovado but the communication on this wasn’t there, and at the last second I was told to leave it on the boat at San Pedrillo. I didn’t have time to really get anything out of my large bag to bring with me on the hike.

And so, to the “hike” which was very intense and very difficult through some very thick and dense forest. There wasn’t much of a trail and it was very muddy even for the dry season. As we were gaining altitude it was noticeable how little wildlife there is up here as they like lowland terrain just like humans. I really didn’t enjoy this at all, and the last thing I wanted on my last day on holiday before 20 hours of flying back to Ireland, was a workout like this.

I was very warmly welcomed at the lodging that evening, and while I had my own room, I couldn’t believe there was no mosquito netting around the windows, it was completely open. Even my guide said he had complained previously about this and was told there are no mosquitos around here. How wrong that was. I woke up the next morning with lots of mosquito bites, and for another gruelling hike back towards Drake Bay. It was really disappointing that I felt I only got half a Corcovado 2-night experience.

Overall, Costa Rica is a beautiful country with amazing people and I would have no reservations about recommending it as a destination for other travellers. My expectation was slightly off given some of the accommodation. Using KimKim on the whole was a useful experience. I guess where I feel let down is in some of the finer details which I was hoping I didn’t need to micromanage so closely.

Hotel Review

Hotel Manuel Antonio

The Volcano Hotel Inn at La Fortuna was pretty basic, to be honest and didn’t have any hot water for the shower. Spending $3,000 I would have expected a little bit of a higher standard. What lacked quality was made up somewhat for a location as I had a breath taking view of the Arenal Volcano from my room

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

The impressive Fortuna Waterfall

Arenal/La Fortuna

Didn't happen because there was not enough people to fill the tour

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Whale & Dolphin Watching Tour (seasonal)

Costa Rica

Absolutely amazing. Really amazing guides and very professional. I was honoured to see so many whales!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Corcovado Reserve Package - 2 nights

Corcovado National Park

I thought I was spending 2 nights inside the remote parts of the park but I only found out on day 2 that this wasn’t the case because there was no room for me at any station in the park. I felt let down when I found this out. I thought I had given KimKim and Phil enough time to arrange for this. I was very disappointed that I never received any communication about this. On day 1, this was the highlight of the whole trip. I saw so much wildlife and took many pictures. Our guide was amazing and had so knowledge about everything. He had a telescope with him and was able to zoom in on every animal so we could see everything in amazing clarity. The people on my tour were great and so friendly. Day 2 of the trip started out with more wildlife watching, which is what I came for. Amazing! I was then told then the group would depart around 11, and I would be on my own with the guide which would turn into “more of a hike”. This was not clear in the itinerary as it mentioned “backyard station” which I took to mean a station inside Corcovado. This was not the case. There was also confusion about my large bag which I had kept on me and even hiked for 2 KM with on my back on day 1. In my opinion it should really have been left behind in Rancho Corcovado but the communication on this wasn’t there, and at the at the last second I was told to leave it on the boat at San Pedrillo. I didn’t have time to really get anything out of my large bag to bring with me on the hike. And so, to the “hike” which was very intense and very difficult through some very thick and dense forest. There wasn’t much of a trail and it was very muddy even for the dry season. As we were gaining altitude it was noticeable how little wildlife there is up here as they like lowland terrain just lie humans. I really didn’t enjoy this at all, and the last thing I wanted on my last day on holiday before 20 hours of flying back to Ireland, was a workout like this. I was very warmly welcomed at the lodging that evening, and while I had my own room, I couldn’t believe there was no mosquito netting around the windows, it was completely open. Even my guide said he had complained previously about this and was told there are no mosquitos around here. How wrong that was. I woke up the next morning with lots of mosquito bites, and for another gruelling hike back towards Drake Bay. It was really disappointing that I felt I only got half a Corcovado 2 night experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Baldi Hot Springs & Meal

Arenal/La Fortuna

The Baldi hot springs were super cool and highly recommended.

Quality of Experience

Food

Very Basic Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport