First time on kimkim - traveling made easy!!
Costa Rica
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Feb 8 - Feb 19, 2023
Booking was simple and efficient. I especially liked the kimkim web interface, trip summary, messaging and notifications - made it so easy! Bryan was very responsive. We liked the survey that helped inform our specialists of our interests and lifestyle - they were spot on in their suggestions. We really liked the option to self-drive ... It gave us flexibility when transferring between locations and more freedom to explore. It would be a nice option to be able to add on a rental car with preferred and price negotiated partners. Also, when self driving, it would be nice to have some site or food suggestions between locations. Lodging choices were great with exception of location in Manuel Antonio - conveniently located right next to park for easy access, friendly staff, good accommodations, but not really our preference of quiet, serene boutique hotel and not really an ocean view. All selected tour guides were very good, experienced and professional. Only other suggestion for tours is some recommendation on what to expect and what to bring (or leave behind). I would like to see a breakdown on costs that would help inform where we would want to spend more or less money. We would definitely use again and we have already recommended to some friends ... is there a referral program ;-) ?
Hotel Reviews
We'd rate this more like 4.5 stars. Location was amazing! - nestled among the native vegetation made us feel like we were in the jungle. We saw many local animals (birds and lizards) from our back patio which looked directly at Arenal Volcano. This property was a little more spread out which required a little more walking (not a problem for us) but also contributed to a feeling of being more remote. The restaurant, spa and pool area were all a short walking distance from our room. Breakfast was included. One restaurant on-site: great morning breakfast buffet with quite a variety and dinner selections let us explore local flavors. We both had a massage - nice outdoor setting and very relaxing. Rooms were nicely decorated, air conditioning was great, back patio with large sliding glass door was excellent. Reception area quite far from our room prevented us from spending much time there and developing any relationships with staff. Rooms are small duplex style - limited insulation between rooms made it easy to hear neighbors next door.
Amazing location, staff and accommodations! Nestled up in the mountains with incredible views of the Nicoya peninsula and Pacific ocean, this was our favorite for our emtire trip. Nestled in the cloudforest between Monteverde and Santa Elena, the climate was cooler than we expected in Costa Rica - but we loved it! Small mountain villages with plenty of site seeing opportunities - coffee & chocolate tour, cloudforest, nature preserves. Allowed us to experience the variety of ecosystems that Costa Rica has to offer. While here we saw beautiful Resplendant Quetzal and Motmot birds. We also saw a variety of insects and a couple vipers on night tour. Staff was fantastic, food was delicious, views were beautiful, bungalows were private and secluded. Don't miss this one - we highly recommend!
Conveniently located right next to Manuel Antonio National Park entrance for easy access. Nice kind staff. The hotel itself seemed a little more dated and not as well maintained as other properties we visited. The rooms were more traditional than modern. Nice pool area with snack/drink bar. Property is not on the beach but there are marginal views of ocean from 5th and 6th floors. Beware of rooms on 5th floor - raccoons (or Coati) fighting in attic at 3:00-4:00 am for all three nights of our stay. Issues with hot water availability. Not really our preference of smaller, quiet, serene boutique hotel.
Secluded private resort at the far end of town provided for a nice mix of quiet with everything Tamarindo has to offer - tours, restaurants, shopping and nightlife. Open air reception area overlooking beautifully landscaped property. Rooms nestled among the native vegetation provides for a feeling of authenticity and remoteness. Pool, restaurant, bar and beach are just beyond rooms. Beautiful setting - you can lounge near pool, under trees overlooking ocean or out on sandy beach. Rooms are well kept, nicely decorated and well stocked. Looking for a boutique hotel with the right balance of seclusion and tourism, look no further.
Great beach location on quiet Potrero Bay. Rooms nestled into thick vegetation making it feel more private and secluded. Natural modern stying of rooms and close proximity to beach, pool and restaurants. Breakfast included. 2 restaurants on-site: one traditional and one tapas bar. Other restaurant choices walking distance nearby. Kind helpful staff. Our room had issue with availability of hot water.
Activity Reviews
We showed up early and wandered around Hacienda el Viejo - what a beautiful historic building that just takes you back in time. Boat tour, guide and boat drive were all great - we saw a record 52 crocodiles, white faced monkeys, birds and lizards. We ate lunch at the Hacienda after the tour - fantastic meal!
Beautiful natural setting, clean facilities and reasonable amount of people. From what we understand, they limit number of people to ensure a positive experience. Our dinner meal was included - a traditional buffet with several local food options. Bar available for snacks and drinks. Beautiful to go just before dark so you can see both during day and night with dramatic lighting. Pools of varying temperatures and a few different pool settings from private & secluded pools to large open public.
Hanging bridges was a great excursion to see the jungle from different levels, different animals and amazing views. Our Guide, Marco was very knowledgeable and explained the balance of life in the jungle and roles of the different animals and plants - symbiotic relationships, very interesting! A lot of different plant life and monkeys too.
Learned so much about chocolate and coffee - from plant to harvest to consumption, fascinating! Informative and educational. New gained appreciation for the chocolate and coffee we consume!
A fantastic way to learn more about Costa Rican life outside the tourist towns. Fifst we stopped by the Mercado in Quepos to see where everyone shops. Then Toucanes Tours took us to their rancho located outside of town. They had several different animals on the ranch, we hand picked some herbs and vegetables. Then we cooked! It was just my wife and I - we had a great time learning to make plantain ceviche (delicioso!), rice, chicken and handmade corn tortillas! What a great meal to share with great new friends!
First introduction to all the ecosystems within Costa Rica - from dwarf forest mountaintops to dry lowlands. Our guide, Andreas, described in great detail all the ecosystems and what to expect. We chose to spend our time in the Rain shadow forest with greatest chance to see Resplendent Quetzal - we were not disappointed! We saw five differnet Quetzal (female, juvenile and male) - spectacular! We also saw the Motmot - beautiful! We also saw several other birds, including a variety of hummingbirds and one special Coati sunbathing on a log. An amazing experience!
An amazing ecosystem with a large variety of plants & animals and several amazing beaches. Unfortunately, too many people made it feel like groups competing with each other to view and experience the park. Still, it was amazing what we did see: dragon flies, lizards, iguana, sloths (2 & 3 toed), many birds and monkeys (white face Capuchin and Howlers).
Kayaked from Quepos marina to rock outcropping where we snorkeled and saw several different fish. Then a short distance to Biasanz beach where we enjoyed some cold fresh fruit before heading back. Along the way we saw and discussed several types of birds. Calm bays and beaches to launch and land so not big waves - A great time out on the water! Driver spotted some Scarlet Macaw's near seawall in Quepos, so he pulled over to let us see - very accommodating.
We saw everything: Aguti, monkeys, butterflies, grasshoppers and lots of frogs and toads. Our goal was to see famous red eyed tree frog and we saw several. Only wildlife refuge in Manuel Antonio - also had several crocodiles that had been rescued. a great night tour!
We went out at night and saw mothers coming up on the beach to dig holes and lay their eggs. We also saw baby turtles coming to the surface of the sand and making their way to the ocean - how special to see this whole process. We learned so much about turtles - informative and educational.
Very interesting to learn more about the mangroves and the animals that live there. We saw many different birds. a couple crocodiles and several howler monkeys. Beautiful boat tour in the mangroves with a humorous tour guide, Moises.
