Costa Rica Travel Agents

Day 1: airport shuttle from San Jose to LaFortuna: Ride Cr, driver, Christopher. He was waiting for us with a sign, barely spoke English, did not offer water, did not explain what the drive would be , minimal comments on the 3 1/2 hour drive, we had to ask to stop for a break.
ROyal Corin REsort was EXCELLENT!! Extremely clean, very helpful staff, most spoke English, Daily breakfast was a huge buffett with many items, food was delicious. room was large, comfortable and clean. thermal pools offered a variety of temps. However, there was no hydro massage, the jets were weak. restaurant up stairs has fabulous service and food. lower level, main restaurant was closed, but offered gthe menu on top floor restaurant

Day 2: sloth & bird hike in La Fortuna, La Jacamar Natural Tours, Rodney. HE WAS FABULOUS! spoke English, truly an expert guide, spent extra time with us, provided a scope to see the animals, shared photos. offered additional information about the area and Costa Rica.

Eco Termales Hot Springs,Jacamar driver was great. The Springs staff was not friendly or welcoming and did not offer explanation of the facilities, offered minimal comments, there was nice variety of springs and all appeared to be clean. Nice that drinks were offered at the springs, the food was medium quality and variety.

Day 3: safari float, Jacamar driver and guides spoke English and offered much information. the boat itself was uncomfortable. I would suggest a stop along the way for a small break. the guides were helpful and well informed of the area and the river.

Lake Arenal sunset cruise, Jacamar Tours, guide was good, cheese, snacks & drinks were good. they pointed out several birds and offered a lot of information about the area. It was a little boring and lasted a little long for us. I understand it was designed to be that way and relaxing, but it is my personal choice, I woul not do it again or recommend it.

Day 4: sky tram, sky adventures. zipline experience was excellent, guides gave very good instruction, views were amazing. sky adventures scheduled too much time between the zipline and the hike. Therefore, we had to shorten the hike in order to get back to the bus for the return. Maria, our hike guide was fabulous. offered much information and spoke English.

Day 5: shuttle from La Fortuna to Manuel Antonio, Interbus Costa Rica. Larger more comfortable bus, was full of passengers (approx. 12) David was our driver, he did speak minimal English and did not comment or point out much on the drive. There were 2, 20 minute stops which made the trip more comfortable. He did not offer water.

arrived as Issimo, If I knew it was such a small seculed hotel, I would have nt chosen it. Angie, our travel agent, indicated she thought it was within walking distance to attractions & town.
the Jr. Suite was very disappointing. extremely small, not place to put away clothes, had to walk down several very steep steps to get to the room. the room smelled, ac wasn't working properly, sink area super tiny, shower floor was slippery. I spoke with Olivia from Kimkim and requested to be moved to another hotel. She said this could not be done. We spoke with hotel manager about being moved to another, possible larger & more comfortable room. Gustavo did reply on Jan 26th and was able to confirm us moving to a different room. The new room was much more comfortable, smelled better and was larger. Fortunately, we were able to taxi into the nearby town. AGain, if we knew it's location and the size of the room in advance, we would have asked for a different hotel before traveling. The staff at Issimo were fabulous, most spoke English, the breakfast every morning was delightful. Our new room was clean as well as all the facilities. I will say though, that I did see a spider and ants in our room. The view, was the best part about the hotel. The did offer complimentary hotel golf cart shuttle to very nearby beaches or bank, pharmacy.

day 6: national park nature hike, Paddle 9: Korry, our guide was definitely a 10 our of 10. He took much time to explain a lot of things alonge the way, pointed out many animals, birds, etc. He spent extra time with us, shared much information about the country and the town. and shared his photos with us. he provided binoculars and the scope to see animals. small group was best, as only 4 of us with Korry. He spoke fabulous English.

day 7: catamaran adventure, Tucanes Tours. comfortable boat, drinks included were poor quality, had to buy our own beer. I called Tucanes tours in advance and was told beer & cocktails were included. Only the poor quality cocktails were included. (watered down) great views, offered snorkeling, swimming and waterslides. The guide who did the talking to the entire boat, spoke mostly in spanish and very little in English. The quaity of the bbq, was medium. pre-cooked skewers of fish and peppers & onions. the views were amazing, saw whales. sunset was amazing and the ride was impressive.

Day 8: transfer to San Jose, Ride CR: david was our driver, he did a great job with a nice stop and break along the way. AGain, they did nor provide water, but I prepared and took my own.
He poited out points of interest, his English was minimal, but we managed to communicate well.

summary, we loved Costa Rica and learned so much from the locals and guides. I will go back, and now that I know more, will plan a little differently. Gustavo, I geatly appreciate your assistance. We always felt safe, hotels were so welcoming.

John & Susan Boggess

Hotel Reviews

The Royal Corin Thermal Water Spa & Resort - Adults Only

Fortuna

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Issimo Suites Boutique Hotel & Spa—Adults Only

Manuel Antonio

somewhat seculed, had to shuttle or taxi everywhere, very quiet & small. would be perfect for those who want quite, calm. no entertainment, staff was extremely friendly and helpful.Don't get a Jr suite, pool was 5 ft deep, then a large drop off to deeper water. No shallow area.

Authenticity & Character

Location

views were amazing,

Cleanliness & Comfort

spider and ants in my room

Activity Reviews

Río Peñas Blancas Safari Float Experience

Arenal/La Fortuna

boat was uncomfortable, suggest a short break

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sloth & Bird Hike

Arenal/La Fortuna

guide was fabulous, saw so many animals

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

EcoTermales Hot Springs Experience with Meal

Arenal/La Fortuna

staff was not welcoming and did not tell us what the experience would be, food was medium quality, the springs were a good experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

better communication by the staff at the facility.

Transport

Lake Arenal Sunset Cruise with Wine & Cheese

Arenal/La Fortuna

views were amazing and guides were very informative. it was a bit long, we thought it would be a small groupl

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sky Tram, Ziplines & Sky Walk Adventure

Arenal/La Fortuna

a must do in Costa Rica, guides were excellent in giving information and instruction.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Manuel Antonio National Park Nature Hike

Manuel Antonio

our guide was fabulous, spent extra time with us and offered so much information about the coungtry and the town. pointed out many animals, offered the scope to see better and shared his photos.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Morning Catamaran Adventure with Barbecue

Manuel Antonio

the main guide spoke mostly in Spanish, minimal communication in English, The quality of the food was medium, only watered down cocktails were offered. We had to buy the beer, even though I called ahead and was told beer was included. HOwever, the experience, the views, the activities were great. Sunset was amazing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

My wife and I had a great trip to Costa Rica -- we didn't have time to plan it, but had some ideas. Adam was very attentive and had great suggestions as starting points and adjusted the plan to our desires. Kimkim's communication with us was just right -- not too much but just enough. Once we were in Costa Rica and had travelled some, we realized we needed to instead rent a car and drive ourselves (my wife suffers from motion sickness, but if she drives it's much better) -- Kimkim came through for us with the adjustment and got us a car for the rest of our trip. We enjoyed all of the guided trips we went on and saw lots of Costa Rican wildlife and birds. Overall, Kimkim was responsive and helpful before and during our trip and we had a wonderful first trip to Costa Rica. Thanks Kimkim!!

The trip was wonderful. It was well put together and made it easy to see the different areas of Costa Rica. The activities and guides were on fun and educational. Enjoyed seeing all the rich diversity and climates the country has to offer. The Accommodations were all wonderful and provided the luxury and uniqueness we were looking for. The tour was very well put together we lots of activities but also having time to relax and enjoy the beauty of the rainforest and beaches. Everything flowed easily allowing us to enjoy our vacation on not stress about transfers or planning.

Hotel Reviews

Tabacón Thermal Resort & Spa

Fortuna

The hotel and service was wonderful and the thermal springs are amazing.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cloud Forest Lodge

Monteverde

The location and views were amazing. An extremely peaceful place to relax.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Capitán Suizo Beachfront Boutique Hotel

Tamarindo

Awesome beachside resort.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Private Guided Hike in Arenal Volcano Park 1968

Arenal/La Fortuna

Our trip was amazing from start to finish. The whole team helped make our dream vacation come true. We ran into unforeseen circumstances before our scheduled departure and everyone did everything they could to help us move things around so we could still do the trip. Once in Costa Rica every transfer was on time and every hotel was perfect. rideCR drivers were particularly great, they were more like tour guides than transfer drivers. The agent recommended tours were the highlights of each location. Would definitely recommend using KimKim!

Hotel Reviews

Karahé Beach Hotel

Manuel Antonio

We loved Karahe! We saw more wildlife on the property of this hotel than in the national park. We stayed on the beach side of the property and I would recommend that. The beach was incredible and the staff were very helpful and friendly. Would 100% stay here again if we ever come back to Manuel Antonio!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Only steps from a perfect beach!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Volcano Lodge, Hotel & Thermal Experience

San Carlos, Alajuela

This hotel had a lot to offer. The hot springs pools were incredible and the included breakfast was the best we had anywhere in Costa Rica! The only downfall was the lack of activity, we never saw anyone else in the hot springs pools or at the bar.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Lost Canyon Waterfalls & Rappelling Adventure

Arenal/La Fortuna

This was the highlight of our trip! The guides were so much fun and super helpful. Rappelling was incredible and the journey traveling between waterfalls was just as action packed. We didn’t stop smiling the whole time!

Quality of Experience

Better than expected!

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport