Memorable trip to Costa Rica, hope to return!
Costa Rica
|
Nov 23 - Dec 6, 2024
We had a wonderful trip to Costa Rica, and Gustavo was knowledgeable and patient as we worked out an itinerary to work with teens, parents and grandma. Kimkim was quick to respond when we had in country questions about booked activities and any issue was resolved quickly.
We enjoyed the guided nature tours we took in all locations, having a guide really ensured you got to see the animals, birds and insects.
We spent on afternoon ziplining and walking on hanging bridges. If people in your party are doing the ziplining I would recommend that you not also book the gondola ride too, as you take it up to get to the start of the pipeline, had we known this we would not have booked separately the gondola ride.
We choose pretty basic accommodations which met our needs. We had one issue with stinging insects in Monte Verde getting into the cabin and had to prompt the staff twice to deal with the matter. We also had a issue with a rodent in our hotel in Manuel Antonio, built of shipping containers, and the hotel did move us to another room. The location however was excellent, right at the entrance to the National Park!
All our drivers between locations were excellent!
We had a memorable trip and would love to visit Costa Rica again. We have recommended KimKim to several friends and colleagues who are considering upcoming trip in different locations around the world. We will certainly be using KimKim services in the future.
Hotel Reviews
Great Breakfast buffet and lovely cabins, we had ones at the back of the hotel, perfect for us as they were looking out into the jungle where we saw howler monkeys and other wildlife. The free hot spring pools on the grounds were nice to relax in. The hotel also has options for activities on site and they were able to accommodate our last minute request to zipline and horse ride. The horse riding ended up being a private session and we were taken to a river and waterfalls with a very knowledge guide.
Staff were friendly and helpful. We arrived into the country late due to a delayed flight and they got us into our rooms quickly. Breakfast the next morning was a good choice for a buffet. The staff observed that I was interested in some of the fresh fruit that had not been cut up (mangos etc) so I did not select the items. However, the staff came to our table with a plate of cut up prepared mango for us along with other fruits we had never tasted.
The cabins are cute and located in the forest. We had some issues communicating with the staff over stinging insects entering the cabin from the roof. It was eventually sorted. They have greenhouses on site which apparently you can purchase salad items from. However, after hiking up to the greenhouses we could find no one to help us and it did not look like you could help yourself in anyway, certainly not any direction for guests. The hotel is in a good location and you can walk the 15 minutes to town. There is a steep hill on the walk.
The hotel is up a very steep hill! The views out over the ocean are amazing. The location is great, on the edge of the National Park and 5 minutes to the beach and 1-2 minutes walk to several restaurants. Rooms are small and basic, and the Beds were not comfortable, and the AC unit drips water on your head at night. You have to watch for the monkeys that will try and get in your room, have no food unattended outside.
Great location for exploring the city. Comfortable rooms and good breakfast. They have a restaurant on the roof too which has a nice view.
Activity Reviews
We had a private tour and the guide was engaging for all of us. He explained the chocolate making process and we got to sample some of the best hot chocolate I have ever had. The night hike to see the wildlife was fun even in the rain! We got to see the release of a baby snake.
The beaches in the park are beautiful, plenty of iguanas and monkeys.
The hanging bridges and trails make you feel you are in the canopy of the jungle. The guide was knowledgeable and pointed out things of interest. The zip lining staff were fun and engaged my teen with his little Spanish and taught him a few new phrases. I was nervous of hights and the staff put me at ease with the very easy to use system.
We enjoyed our day in San Jose and visited the national museum, which has a butterfly room and national history including indigenous history. We also visited the market, it is pretty crowded with narrow walk ways between stalls which can be overwhelming. I would not spend any more than 2 days max in the city, unless you want to see all the museums
