Our trip to Costa Rica was absolutely awesome...
Costa Rica
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Apr 15 - Apr 22, 2023
Our trip to Costa Rica was absolutely awesome thanks to the shuttle service, hotels and excursions we planned on Kimkim. We arrived at the airport and our driver from Ride CR was there to meet us as expected. Albeir was friendly, professional and attentive to our needs. When we requested a lunch stop on our 3 hour trip he chose a small restaurant overlooking Lake Arenal and the volcano that had delicious, affordable food and was just busy enough. ALL of the drivers at Ride CR were punctual, professional, friendly people (Tim, Albeir, Marcos, etc.) Each one was sure to point out sights and provide optional stops for photo ops, points of interest and tell short stories about life in Costa Rica. We enjoyed the travel within our vacation because of this.
All of the hotels we stayed at were as described. Check-in and check out were a breeze. The only excursions we chose were a night hike and a sea kayaking and snorkeling trip. The team that picked us up and guided these adventures were friendly, knowledgeable and supportive.
I would highly recommend Kimkim to plan another vacation for us. It was so easy and made what would have been a logistics nightmare as simple as clicking a button.
Thank you Brittni and Jessica at Kimkim for your time and energy answering questions and the support.
Hotel Reviews
The Catarata Eco Lodge was clean and had an amazing view of the volcano. The grounds were filled with beautiful flowers, lush greenery and was well groomed but still looked very natural. The pool was nice and was well maintained. We ate in the restaurant for dinner one night and the food was OK. Birds and howler monkeys were in abundance! They are a 10-15 minute walk downhill to the outskirts of La Fortuna whee there were a few restaurants, coffee shops a market and artisan shops. It was safe to walk to and from this area but at night we chose a cab due to our concerns with wildlife and walking on a dimly lit road that has cars at night. One negative to the Catarata Eco Lodge was that the rooms are all open near the top of the wall (there are screens) which makes privacy between the rooms is non-existent. We could hear our neighbors sneeze, use the bathroom and almost participate in their conversations. Luckily, we were only in our room at night and fell right to sleep from a busy day.
The Mar Inn was clean, comfortable and had a fabulous view over the mountains and offered a peek at the pacific. Like most other places in Monteverde it is on a hill. Be prepared to walk down a decent hill to go into town (less than 10 minutes) and back up for a market, lots of shops and restaurants. When we checked in we were offered a 'free' upgrade to a slightly bigger room with an amazing balcony. Of course, we gratefully said 'yes!' . All was great until the following day we wanted to nap but it was hot in our room, we looked and looked for the remote for the wall mounted fan unit (no ceiling fan) and couldn't find it. We went to the front desk and were told that because we took the 'upgrade' it would be $10 per day extra for AC or the fan. We politely declined. I would recommend this place but be certain t ask for details if offered an upgrade.
Clean, quiet and so convenient to the beach and shops and restaurants. The Karahe had the most comfortable beds and a balcony that just beckoned you to sit out on and listen to the birds, watch monkeys and hear the surf. This hotel was also very conveniently located- a brief walk down the beach (15 minutes) and you're in a little beach village that had a convenience store, beach shops and restaurants. If you wanted more options the bus takes you a quick 5-8 minute ride up the very steep hill for less than 50 cents per person to an abundance of options for dining and shopping or 20 minutes to Quepos for anything you would need or want. I would not recommend the restaurant here for dinner as the food was overpriced (even for a tourist spot) and rather unappetizing. (it seemed like they piled shredded lettuce and drizzled ketchup and mayo over our chicken tacos) The staff were helpful and friendly.
Activity Reviews
Knowledgeable guide found tree frogs, nesting birds and explained things about the flora and fauna of the area.
Had a great time. Charlie was a fabulous driver and Marcos was a knowledgeable and attentive guide.