Kimkim Trip Reviews for Costa Rica

Olman worked quickly following up on our initial inquiry to put ideas into a plan. The drivers we had were courteous and professional, getting us safely to and from destinations. Our initial drive from the airport to our lodging was a bit too long after a full day of travel and made more difficult by standstill traffic, dark and rain. In general, I was not prepared for some of the winding, bumpy roads and switchbacks and was grateful not to be trying to find our way driving a rental car. The lodging, restaurants and staff in Arenal all were excellent. The hike to the volcano was more challenging than the photos of the trail indicated but our guide was very patient and kind. All accommodations were very clean with attentive, polite staff. The river safari, coffee and chocolate plantation, organic farm and cooking class, swinging bridges and night hike were all great activities. If anyone could help us obtain the recipes from our cooking class, that would be much appreciated. Attempts to connect with them online have not been fruitful. Our guide at Manuel Antonio Park was very good but the park was very crowded and busy, taking away from the beauty somewhat. Some tourists in surrounding groups were excessively loud and as a result some of the wildlife were driven away by their noise unfortunately. It seemed to take awhile for groups to be connected with guides on the night walk, but once that happened we were pleased with the guide we had as well as the small group size. The beach in Guanacaste was beautiful and we enjoyed walking there. There were many roving "vendors" trying to sell their merchandise on the beach but we didn't encounter anyone being overly aggressive and most usually moved on quickly. Costa Rica is a beautiful country and the people we met were proud and happy to share the country with us. My hope is that development and commerce can be managed so the many beautiful spots we visited are preserved for the future.

Olman and his team put together a trip that we could not have done ourselves. I had a pretty good idea of what we wanted and looked at doing it myself. But without the local knowledge and connections, it would have been difficult at worst and most likely impossible.

We wanted upscale hotels and they were in fact amazing. The excursions also were perfect - exactly what we hoped for. Local transfers were great. Everything was seamless and no stress.

The only negative is the destinations were rather far apart. Driving in Costa Rica is challenging. The roads are narrow and mostly two lane. Traffic is terrible. So perhaps it would have been possible to find venues closer together (or maybe not - hard for us to know).

Hotel Reviews

Makanda by The Sea Hotel Adults Only

Manuel Antonio

Fabulous. Wonderful views and pools.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to the national park. VERY far from the previous hotel and far from the airport.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs

Fortuna

Our own pool! Volcano view! You'll love this place. Can't recommend highly enough.

Authenticity & Character

Location

This hotel was close to ziplining, coffee, and volcano. Set off by itself away from the crowd. In a perfect world it would be closer to the airport but what can you do.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hampton by Hilton San José Airport

Alajuela

This is exactly what you want. Five minutes from the airport. Reliable, easy to locate shuttle that goes every 15 minutes on the button. Free breakfast. No frills but very nice, clean, and US standard.

Authenticity & Character

You aren't looking for authenticy and character from an airport hotel.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sky Tram, Ziplines & Sky Walk Adventure

Arenal/La Fortuna

just what we hoped for

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

El Silencio Volcano Hike

Arenal/La Fortuna

The hike we did was great. The second half fell through

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coffee, Chocolate & Sugar Cane Farm Experience

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Elena was amazing. Knowledgeable and very pleasant to work with. She planned my bucket list trip of a life time exactly with precision and left no detail out. She included all of the activities that were important to me as well as my Niece and Great Niece that made this such a memorable experience

We had a private guide “Andy” who was so gracious wonderful. He shared his time and years of experience with a passion. He is an A+++ and represented your company very well

Our drivers were also amazing. Everything about Costa Rica was magical and special

Hotel Reviews

Hotel La Mariposa

Manuel Antonio

Wonderful accommodation. Staff were very nice and helpful Loved our resident 5 month old two toed sloth Lucy who visited daily Pool area was lovely and made it easy to meet other guests have drinks and relax

Authenticity & Character

Location

Situated beautifully on landscape. Felt private and had access to wildlife. Breakfasts were great

Staff

All were accommodating.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room was great. Wonderful view.

Hotel & Spa Poco a Poco

Monteverde

All staff were very helpful and the location was wonderful. Quaint and welcoming and nestled into a lush landscape. We were welcomed at our first breakfast with a stunning rainbow 🌈 Loved the night walk. Highly recommend the zip line experience and walking through the cloud forest and hanging bridges

Authenticity & Character

The spa was a wonderful addition. After a day of walking we loved our massages and hot tub

Location

Quaint and tucked into the landscape.

Staff

Everyone

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hampton by Hilton San José Airport

Alajuela

Close to airport. Clean and friendly. Only there overnight to arrive and leave

Authenticity & Character

Location

Location and optional restaurants close bu

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

ATV Adventure Manuel Antonio

Manuel Antonio

Quality of Experience

Sadly I rolled my ATV into a creek and broke my foot

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Catamaran Tour with Meal

Costa Rica

Great staff. Great food. We enjoyed snorkeling and swimming off the boat before the bbq. Watching the sunset and the dolphins was so special

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Nature Hike

Manuel Antonio

Our guide was great. He was able to find many species for us. So many creatures, so little time

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cloud Forest Reserve Privately Guided Hike

Monteverde

We did not have a guide. We chose to do this walk by ourselves and loved it

Quality of Experience

The view, the smell, the mist on my face. It is awe inspiring

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Countryside Horseback Ride

Monteverde

The farm was amazing. Greeted by goats dogs chickens and the barn cat The cowboys were wonderful and the scenery and ride was beautiful. Such vistas!! The farm was all organic and we were treated to a drink and lovely snack after the ride We even got to milk a cow and bottle feed a calf

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All Day Adventure at Selvatura, including Zipline, Hanging Bridges, and Fauna Exhibitions

Costa Rica

The team that conducted the zip line adventure were excellent. Friendly and funny. Very informative and careful with safety

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Night Walk at Children's Eternal Forest

Monteverde

Hard to get good photos in the dark. The guides were very helpful in assisting Guide was good but wished we could have seen more frogs

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Drivers were interactive and provided information about Costa Rica

We had a wonderful trip. The Serendipity guides were extremely knowledgeable and helpful. The accommodation was excellent and ending the trip by the beach was just perfect.

Having rarely used a travel agent, I was not sure if I would need one for this trip to Costa Rica, but since we had never been before, I wanted the security of having a specialist help us plan. And I really loved the convenience of the KimKim online platform where I could identify the exact details for our trip. What started as a family trip for four, eventually became a trip for just my husband and I and Holden was very helpful, very responsive and able to accommodate all of our requests with ease. Even when we had a small hiccup with our choosen hotel, Holden came through and pulled off an amazing alternate plan. The hotels were stunning and well appointed and made the trip even better. The drivers were super knowledgeable and helpful navigating the country. The tours booked were OUTSTANDING. Great overall experience for sure!

Activity Reviews

Canyoning in Arenal

Arenal/La Fortuna

AMAZING!!! This was the highlight of our trip by far. The staff was outstanding. The views impeccable. The experience unmatched. The waterfalls stunning....just amazing all around.

Quality of Experience

Just amazing--from the views, to the challenge level, to the safety...just all around great.

Food

Very traditional Costa Rican dishes--so much flavor and super tender. Delicious

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Dario, and his entire team were fabulous.

Transport

Little glitch at the end only because we had to check out of our hotel, but in the end it all worked out perfectly.

Private Guided Hike in Arenal Volcano Park 1968

Arenal/La Fortuna

This hike was really just ok. Our guide was AMAZING, and very knowlegeable and he tried to pull out little details we wouldn't have ever seen without him, but there really wasn't much to see (and it was not due to the cloud cover).

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Great guide--Mariano was amazing and knew so much about the area. Even suggested a great stop for lunch which we wouldn't have ever done. Just awesome!

Transport

So much fun hanging out with Mariano.

Coffee, Chocolate and Sugar Cane Farm Tour

Arenal/La Fortuna

Our guide was fun, passionate and very knowledgeable about the process of coffee and chocolate from growing to harvesting to production. The tasting experience was super helpful and we learned a lot about the entire process.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We were with a larger group and being that our hotel was the farthest away, we had to sit for a bit longer than other guests.

Big Arenal Mundo Aventura Zipline

Arenal/La Fortuna

Everything about this trip was amazing. The sites. The staff. The precautions to make us feel safe. Just truly superb! Loved every second of it!!

Quality of Experience

Ziplines of all options made this super interesting

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Fun, smart and great overall guides made this trip even more amazing!

Transport

Fun short ride in a tractor was cool...

First time using KimKim and oh, the experience was par excellent!! Right from start to finish- Kat and Kate were super helpful, professional, courteous, prompt, and simply amazing.

The itinerary that Kat created for us was perfect. The communication was on point. Kate from operations did an incredible job. The private taxis, private wildlife tours, the hotels … everything was great!

Midway we wanted to change taxi pickup timings. But it was the weekend and I thought oh we’ll probably hear back on Monday. But lo behold, both Kat and Kate responded and that was really kind of them. Mary helped with our last minute request. Thank you!

Their partner operators in Costa Rica, Javier and Sharon, were very kind and helpful too. All the taxi drivers were wonderful too! Okay, in gist- everyone was simply wonderful!

The accommodation arrangements were fantastic. The weather in one place wasn’t quite what we enjoyed, but that’s just Mother Nature! As for the wildlife (our main interest)- absolutely breathtaking! Vibrant toucans, sleepy sloths, caiman, and more! On the last day of our stay there, a monkey actually tried to open our room door! I caught it on video. That was epic!!

In gist, booking our Costa Rica trip with the help of KimKim was totally worth it. Highly recommended!

Hotel Reviews

Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs

Fortuna

Lovely jungle lodge. Breakfast was great! People were great. Birds galore! Caiman too!! Overall nice.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful lush greenery and a ton of birds!!

Location

Well nothing to improve! Personally we found it to be far from the downtown. That’s just personal preference.

Staff

Helpful and nice

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very well kept!

Holiday Inn Express San Jose Airport

San Jose

Eh, basic Holiday Inn Room. Okay for one night stay. Room was smelly. Proximity to airport: excellent! Just 5 mins away.

Authenticity & Character

Location

5 mins from airport

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ficus Sunset Suites

Monteverde

Gorgeous location, gorgeous suite, gorgeous sunsets!! We didn’t want to leave!! Close proximity to the lovely downtown. We could literally walk to everything. Close yet away from the noise. 5 stars! The front desk people were awesome. We weren’t fans of the breakfast though. The guy there wasn’t exactly giving off pura vida vibes, if you ask me! The options too were kinda eh. The accommodation itself was excellent!

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful interiors, great coffee in room

Location

Sunsets!! Downtown

Staff

Smiley, friendly, courteous

Cleanliness & Comfort

Great housecleaning, lovely furniture and decor

Activity Reviews

Traditional Cooking Class with Dinner

Arenal/La Fortuna

The cooking class was fun because of the company we had. Two other travelers were in our little group. The cooking class itself seemed a little “let’s wing it” kinda thing. Would have liked it to be more organized and upbeat. Perhaps some music in the background. Proper recipe cards for each participant, some hey let’s take pictures … that kinda thing. Upon one of the participants’ request, the cooking instructor emailed us the recipes later. There was also some confusion on a dancing class post dinner. Also it wasn’t a 2hr50 min activity. More like under 2 hours. All in all, a little disappointing. The food was yummy though.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve Hike

Monteverde

Okay, I’m probably being a bit snooty here. But having lived in Seattle for a major part of my life, the rainforest walk itself wasn’t as exciting as I thought it would be. If you’ve never been to a rainforest, you should probably go and experience. Our guide Will Nunez though- oh what a brilliant guide!! He has a ton of knowledge on all flora and fauna of Monteverde and CR in general. He showed us two tarantulas!! That was the highlight, really! As for birds, they were there alright, but hard to spot because of the dense forest. We did see a beautiful hummingbird chick in a nest. I think we enjoyed Will’s company more than the rainforest itself!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Will Nunez rocks!!

Transport

Private Guided Walk at Curi-Cancha Reserve

Monteverde

Our guide Oscar was brilliant! Knowledgeable and knew exactly where to take us so we could see the beautiful CR birds. Including the endangered Quetzal!! Didn’t realize how fast the 4 hours went by!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Loved it all. Driving in country was easier than I thought it might be. Drivers are more courteous in Costa Rica than, e.g. Guatemala. We had some road closures and weather issues to work around, but no real problems. We were a little fuzzy on tours included or not, but got it worked out. The logistics of landing in San Jose at 1:00 and getting the car and to our hotel meant there was not time to walk around San Jose. We didn't get to the hotel until after 5:00. Again, not a problem, but a heads up. Rush hour traffic in San Jose is slow like a sloth.

El Presidente hotel was great. Mawamba Lodge was lovely. Pacuare Lodge was spectacular and the tours and guides there were fantastic! And Banana Azul was fine... but after Pacuare Lodge, nothing was going to feel as lovely. Tours in Puerto Viejo were good. All in all, a lovely trip and the help planning it was essential.

Thank you to Kat and the whole team!

This trip was the AMAZING!
Elena really listened to us and created a custom curated itinerary that perfectly met our needs and desires. Best travel agent I’ve ever worked with. The hotels we stayed at were awesome! Arenal Springs Resort in LaFortuna, Cloud Forest Lodge in Monte Verde, and Hotel La Mariposa in Manuel Antonio ( my fav! - incredible view, wonderful room, and fabulous dining area).
We had a driver, Alex, who was very personable and taught us a lot about Costa Rica. Loved having him as our driver! The car was comfortable, clean, and well maintained. We felt very safe riding with Alex.
We went on a river float with Flow Trips. What a great team! Our guide was very knowledgeable and took care to position us so we could see the animals along the way. It was a very enjoyable outing. Highly recommend Flow Trips.
We went on a night hike in Monte Verde with Bosque Eterno de Los Ninos. Very knowledgeable guide who made sure we got to see lots of different animal life.
We did an all day Adventure at Selvatura Park, including zip line, hanging bridges, and butterfly and sloth exhibitions. Exhausting, but so worth it!
We had another driver, Andres, who was very professional and a pleasure to travel with. Did some stops that made the long ride so fun! Again, the car was comfortable, clean, and well maintained.
In Manuel Antonio we went on a morning hike in Manuel Antonio National Park with Endemic Bird. This was my husband’s favorite outing. Highly recommend Endemic Bird! We also went on a sailboat sunset tour with Planet Dolphin. What a great way to end our stay! If you’re in Manuel Antonio, do a catamaran tour. You will love it!
When we return to Costa Rica, we will definitely use Serendipity Adventures!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel La Mariposa

Manuel Antonio

Beautiful location, fabulous view, amazing dining area. Very responsive staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cloud Forest Lodge

Monteverde

Beautiful view of nature. Wonderful restaurant! Room was very comfortable and felt very private.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Dirt road to get to hotel.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arenal Springs Resort

La Fortuna

Loved the hot springs! The staff were so friendly and professional. The facility is very well maintained and soooo beautiful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

The view of the volcano

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds were a bit uncomfortable, but fine. Could hear our neighbors in the bathroom - a bit faint, but made us a bit uncomfortable.

Activity Reviews

Catamaran Tour with Meal

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

1

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

1

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All Day Adventure at Selvatura, including Zipline, Hanging Bridges, and Fauna Exhibitions

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Night Walk at Children's Eternal Forest

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Volcano Hike & La Fortuna Waterfall

Arenal/La Fortuna

Our guide at Arenal Volcano was keenly aware of our surroundings and was able to show us some animal life we never would have noticed on our own. La Fortuna waterfall was worth all 500 steps down and 500 steps back up!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Safari Float on the Peñas Blancas River

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We enjoyed our trip to Costa Rica. Elena was always readily available if we needed something during the trip planning stage. Once in Costa Rica, Adrian was very responsive and adaptable when we needed to modify our itinerary on short notice. Totally accommodating. Both he and Elena responded to our text or chat messages within seconds or minutes at the most. Very impressive.

Our tour guides were excellent, especially Olman, who we had for our Manuel Antonio National Park tour. He knew all the ins and outs of spotting wild life. He is clearly an expert and had a very kind and patient demeanor and a passion for his work. Because he had a such a high-quality spotting scope we did not even need our binoculars. He was able to take expert quality pictures for us.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel La Mariposa

Manuel Antonio

The location was the best part. Most unbelievable views of the Pacific Ocean, the mountains and the beach. Indescribable. The staff, however, or not the best. Most of them seem to have a bit of distain for the guests and would seem annoyed by questions or requests. There were a few exceptions. For example, the upstairs bartender was very friendly, and one or two of the waiters were. But the reception desk staff were cold and icy. I think that was because the head clerk had a poor disposition. And I think that flowed to everybody else.

Staff

The attitude of the staff at the reception desk. Most of the waiters and bartenders were friendly, except for one in particular, but the staff at the front desk were not very good with friendliness. They would seem annoyed by questions or requests.

Cleanliness & Comfort

We were put in what was clearly one of the older outdated rooms. The view was spectacular, but the hotel was cheap on things like only having shampoo in the bathroom and no conditioner. The outlets need to be updated. Charger chords wouldn’t even stay in them. They really need to update the older rooms.

The Royal Corin Thermal Water Spa & Resort - Adults Only

Fortuna

The thermal pools were awesome. Never crowded- no fighting for space or chairs. The hotel staff were sooooo wonderful. Eager to please and assist with anything; they all seemed genuinely appreciative of their guests being there. The breakfast buffet was like nothing you would find in the USA. Highest quality fruits and vegetables, cheeses, made to order omelettes, Costa Rican, coffee, as well as some American favorites, like bacon, eggs, and pancakes.

Authenticity & Character

The hot spring pools, hot tubs, saunas, and jungle feel of the place.

Location

A little too close to the busy road. While trying to listen to the sounds of nature the loud trucks passing by interfered a bit.

Staff

So attentive and eager to please.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Catamaran Tour with Meal

Costa Rica

Fun! The sunset was unbelievable. The dolphins, the swimming, the diving and going down the high, steep slides. Made me feel like a kid again.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Costa Rica

Our tour guide, Olman, was excellent. He knew all the ins and outs of spotting wild life. He is clearly an expert in his field and had a passion for his work. Because he had a such a high-quality spotting scope we did not even need our binoculars. He was able to take expert quality pictures for us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coffee & Chocolate Tour

Costa Rica

Our tour guide was GG (a nickname, not sure what his full name was) and he was excellent. Patient, knowledgeable, humorous. And the fresh brewed coffee was spectacular. This was such an informative and educational tour. I never expected to learn so much about coffee. I was wrong on so many things I thought I knew about coffee!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Volcano Hike & La Fortuna Waterfall

Arenal/La Fortuna

Unfortunately, the weather was terrible while we were there so we really couldn’t even see the volcano. I realize the weather was unusually cold and wet for what is supposed to be the dry season but it certainly limited our experience for this excursion. The guide, however, was excellent. Mariano. Very experienced and knowledgeable great personality. Funny.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Mariano was an excellent guide. He may be experienced as best as it could be in spite of the weather. Which he couldn’t control.

Transport

Wow! What an incredible adventure into the rainforest and beautiful Pacific coast. Holden planned our trip with so many amazing experiences: Safari float down a river in the rainforest, night hike to see cool frogs, the most unusual snakes and a sloth, a cooking class, a hike in the Arenal Volcano area and hike through the Hanging Bridges. Our guide from Serendipity was a local named Mariono. He was amazing! Shared so much of what we were seeing on our hikes, the history, culture and so much fun. The logistics were smooth with no problems. What a great way to see a country and experience its treasures without wasting time on logistics of where to go or where to have dinner. Our hotels were fantastic. The Arenal Manoa Hotel hot spring pools were beautiful and fun to relax in. The lushness of the vegetation around our rooms were also unique and cozy. The Bosque del Mar hotel at Playa Hermosa was beautiful and right on the beach. Our drivers got us everywhere we needed to be on time. I am so impressed with the trip this team put together for us! Thank you!!!!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Bosque del Mar

Playa Hermosa

Most beautiful view of the beach from open-air breakfast area. Quiet beach - much better than the beach in Coco. Rooms were large with a nice sitting area overlooking the pool.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs

Fortuna

Beautiful trail by pool with hot springs. Lovely breakfast spot overlooking the Arenal Volcano. We loved the location and pool areas were lovely. Great pizza!

Authenticity & Character

Lush landscape and hot springs were in a spectacular setting

Location

East to get to the areas we were visiting.

Staff

Very friendly and easy to communicate with.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nice rooms with a private porch

Activity Reviews

Morning Sailing and Snorkeling Adventure

Costa Rica

Beautiful trip on a sailing ship to a snorkeling area, beach and water caves.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Introduction to the Gulf of Papagayo

Gulf of Papagayo

It was a three hour drive and our driver shared many stories about what we were seeing. It seemed more like a necessary drive with good information versus a tour. Mariano selected a beautiful spot for lunch for us by a river.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Arenal Hanging Bridges Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

One of my favorite tours in the Arenal area. Just beautiful to walk among the canopy on solid ground or on the bridges. Mariano shared many details of what we were seeing. I have a fear of heights, but did not feel scared on the bridges as there is a railing to hold onto.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Mariano was great!

Transport

Night Excursion in Rainforest and Wild Frog Sanctuary

Arenal/La Fortuna

I was not sure what to expect, but this was way cooler than I was expecting. Our guide, JP, was amazing. I am not sure how he found all of those small frogs, snakes and spiders.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Safari Float on the Peñas Blancas River

Arenal/La Fortuna

We got to see a monkey, sloth, toucan and caymen (alligators). Beautiful to see the scenery on the water. Mariono was a great guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Organic Cooking Class

Arenal/La Fortuna

The two women who lead the tour of the farm were knowledgeable and passionate about organic farming.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Guided Hike in Arenal Volcano Park 1968

Arenal/La Fortuna

Really nice hike and learning about the area. Wish the rain would have given us a break so we could have seen the whole volcano, but still worth doing in the rain.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Mariono was punctual and a knowledgeable guide.

Transport

The overall trip was amazing. Borinquen was fun. We loved our hotel. The ziplining was truly fun. Monteverde was beautiful, with our hike being a highlight. The guide, Andy was VERY amazing and super fun. The dinner in the glass room was one of the best food experiences we have ever done. The waiter was amazing :). Finally, Tamarindo was warm, relaxing, and a great way to end our trip. The only thing we would say is for the Panache catamaran dinner cruise, be sure to let everyone know that pickup was 12:45 (on time), but you do not return until 7pm or later. The schedule said 12:45-4:45.

Hotel Reviews

Capitán Suizo Beachfront Boutique Hotel

Tamarindo

Great location, right at the beach.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Koora Hotel

Monteverde

Beautiful area. It was peaceful and serene. Staff very friendly

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Borinquen Thermal Resort

Guanacaste

Great place, enjoyed the hot springs, ziplining, and food was amazing.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Sunset Catamaran Tour

Costa Rica

Really fun, great food, great staff.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

San Lucas Treetop Dining Experience - Wine Pairing

Monteverde

One of the top food experiences EVER. Beautiful, food amazing, our waiting was amazing.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cloud Forest Reserve Privately Guided Hike

Monteverde

Andy was so well educated on the plants, area, and animals. We learned so much from him. We even had lunch with him at the end.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Canopy Tour at Borinquen Thermal Resort

Rincón de la Vieja

Super fun, our guides were amazing, fun, and full of life

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Natural High Expedition Tour at Borinquen

Rincón de la Vieja

Great hike, saw lots of birds and enjoyed our guide, Oskar.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Introduction to Rincón de la Vieja

Rincón de la Vieja

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our group of 4, thoroughly enjoyed our 10 day trip to Costa Rica. Holden did an excellent job helping us plan a memorable trip. He was always quick to respond to questions during the planning phase as well as during the trip itself. I can't say enough good things about how everything was organized from the drivers being on time, the tour guides being informative and fun to be around and the activities we participated in.
We flew into Liberia and were driven to La Fortuna. The driver was so kind and informative and provided us with bottled water and chips. He stopped in order for us to take photos of beautiful areas. We checked into the Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs Resort. The grounds and hot springs are exceptional. The rooms are ok. There is no chairs to sit in and it's a bit dated. The resort staff are welcoming and helpful. The breakfast buffet is huge and I appreciated the gluten free designated section.
We did the coffee, chocolate and sugar cane tour. The tastings were delicious and we learned a lot. Later, we had a guide, Mariano, give us a private tour of the Arenal Volcano and The La Fortuna Waterfall. The waterfall was beautiful even though we had to climb over 500 stairs each way. You are allowed to swim at the bottom by the waterfall but it is very rocky and would be hard to navigate your way to get into the water. Mariano did a great job on our Arenal Volcano hike and taught us a lot about the area. Mariano was also our guide for the Arenal Hanging Bridges Tour. It was fun and it's a very pretty area. Mariano was always on the look out for wildlife and even found some sloths and toucans for us to see. Mariano had a great sense of humor and we enjoyed his tours. One person in our group doesn't like heights so skipped the Hanging Bridges and went on a sloth tour. He loved it and got some amazing pictures.
We had a blast Whitewater Rafting and our guide Axel was great. It's exhilarating but be prepared to get wet which was part of the fun.
The boat ride and transfer to Monteverde was a beautiful way to see that area. It's a gorgeous area and our guide, Andy, was so informative and knowledgeable as he guided us through the cloud forest. The Cloud Forest Lodge was our favorite hotel. Everything was recently renovated. The rooms and bathroom are large and comfortable. The restaurant is delicious and has beautiful views. We saw some amazing birds during our stay there.
Upon arrival to the Wyndham Hotel in Tamarindo the lobby and views of the Pacific Ocean are stunning. The pool area and restaurant are very nice and also provide excellent views. The rooms were a bit run down and the bathroom incredibly small. The balcony however was great. While in Tamarindo we did a Wetlands Boat Tour. This was excellent and our first opportunity to see monkeys. The guide, Henry, did a wonderful job getting us as close as possible to see the wildlife. The beaches in Tamarindo are beautiful and we appreciated the free shuttle from the hotel to the beach and downtown area.
Overall the trip was excellent and we truly appreciated everything Holden, Nancy and Adrian did from KimKim and Serendipity Adventures. It was well planned and everything went great. I can't say enough positive things about everyone involved in planning a very memorable trip!

Hotel Reviews

Wyndham

Tamarindo

The lobby, views of the Pacific Ocean, pool, and restaurant are all wonderful. The rooms could use a fresh coat of paint as they are a bit scraped up. The bathroom is incredibly small. You can hardly move in there it is so tight. The balcony and views of ocean are beautiful.

Location

Beautiful views and shuttle service to town and beach.

Staff

Some staff were awesome and some were aloof. When we checked in we were on a floor that was only accessed by climbing a staircase. No-one mentioned that and no-one helped us carry all our luggage upstairs. Most rooms are accessed by elevator but ours was not.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The rooms need improvement and some of the common areas could be cleaned up better.

Cloud Forest Lodge

Monteverde

The rooms have been renovated. Everything is new and well maintained. Large room, large bathroom and large deck. The views from the restaurant are gorgeous and attracts a lot of different birds.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It's elevation is very high so the views are awesome.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs

Fortuna

The Hot Springs, Pool and Resort grounds are beautiful and well maintained. The hotel room is a bit dated and it would be nice to have a chair in the room to sit on. The patio is very nice and the views of the volcano are beautiful. The breakfast buffet offers a huge selection and a made to order omelet station. I appreciated the designated gluten free section.

Authenticity & Character

Resort is beautiful. Landscaping, pool and hot springs are great.

Location

Close to the activities we chose to participate in.

Staff

Everyone was kind, helpful and more than willing to assist with anything. We appreciated the staff giving us rides in the resort area as it is quite large.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The rooms could use some updating. The mattress was lumpy and chair in the room would be helpful. It is very clean and the resort area is beautiful and well maintained.

Activity Reviews

Sloth Observation - Day or Night Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

The guide was knowledgeable and they had a system for identifying where the sloths were located. They also used a telescope for spotting the sloths and allowing tourists to take pictures through the scope to get some awesome pictures.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunset Catamaran Tour

Costa Rica

It was a beautiful day to be on the catamaran. They don't allow shoes on the boat but the floor is very hot on your feet. It was smooth sailing and stopped to swim which was refreshing. The open bar was nice and the dinner was decent. I was impressed they had a separate box with a gluten free meal which I'm sure KimKim and Serendipity Adventures arranged for.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wetlands Boat Ride and Rum Tasting at Hacienda El Viejo

Costa Rica

The Wetlands Boat Ride is where we finally saw monkeys. Henry, the guide, and the boat driver were great at spotting wildlife. They made the effort to get us as close as possible. Henry also helped people take better photographs. We also saw crocodiles and various birds.

Quality of Experience

The boat ride was the highlight

Food

The cook grilled me a separate chicken breast since I am gluten free.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Henry was great and very helpful.

Transport

We had a private driver transport us from the hotel to this tour.

Cloud Forest Reserve Privately Guided Hike

Monteverde

Andy, our guide was extremely knowledgeable and an awesome tour guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Whitewater Rafting on the Balsa River

Arenal/La Fortuna

Loved this activity. So much fun and our guide Axel was great!

Quality of Experience

It was a level 2-3 rafting trip and it was fun

Food

Half way through the rafting we stopped to take a break and all the guides cut up fresh fruit for the attendees, which was great. We had lunch afterwards at a local restaurant and the food was very good.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Axel had a good sense of humor and great leader/navigator down the river

Transport

Private Organic Cooking Class

Arenal/La Fortuna

First we got a tour of the organic farm and the history behind it which was interesting. We picked ingredients that was to be used in our cooking class. Our host, Uber, made us 2 non-alcoholic drinks using sugar cane and sugar cane with various fresh spices and veggies that were delicious. We worked together to make dinner with Uber's mother. It was also delicious and a good way to learn about local cuisine and local culture.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mariano switched to a van so it was much more comfortable.

Private Arenal Hanging Bridges Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

It's a beautiful well maintained area. The paths are in great shape. There is a good amount of hiking up and down. If you do not like heights then you probably should skip this tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Mariano was great guide and very knowledgeable.

Arenal Volcano Hike & La Fortuna Waterfall

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Mariano was a lot of fun. He was very knowledgeable and gave us a wonderful tour.

Transport

Mariano was on time and drove us everywhere we needed to go. His jeep was a bit tight for 5 people, especially for the person who sat in the middle of the back seat.

Coffee, Chocolate and Sugar Cane Farm Tour

Arenal/La Fortuna

Well done, learned a lot and thoroughly enjoyed the coffee and chocolate tastings.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We appreciated the careful planning and arrangements for our trip to Costa Rica in January 2026. Arriving in Liberia - Guanacaste airport late because of flight delays, we found our driver after leaving the chaos of the airport and inefficient customs. Our driver brought us to Lomas Volcuna Hotel over twisty, bumpy roads late in the evening. Of all the arrangements, the only thing I would change was perhaps staying closer to the airport and taking the arduous trip the next morning. The hotel in Arenal surpassed all expectations. It was quiet, luxurious, and clean with the individual cottages. The landscaping lifted the senses and there was a trail in the woods for enjoyment. The North Fields chocolate and coffee experience informed us of all the complexity of these crops; the guide used excellent teaching methods to keep us engaged. The next day, our boat ride on the river found more wild life than any other adventure of the week. The guides spotted monkeys, sloths, caiman, iguana and several bird species. All week the guides had telescopes to see the animals and they outfitted our phone cameras for pictures. Our last day, we hiked up the side of Arenal; the climb was aduous for some of our party but the guide supported the members who needed help. The trip to Manuel Antonio was another long bumpy trip but the Mariposa Hotel destination was worth the drive. Great views, wonderful restaurant, infinity pool and capochin monkeys everywhere. Manuel Antonio park did not handle the crowds well, wildlife was distant, but the coast was beautiful. Back up the mountain to the cloud forest and Monteverde. The hotel, Fonda Vela, had a great pool, the best cooking of the trip and beautiful natural wood rooms. We traveled the hanging bridges which were very manageable even for our members who had difficulty hiking. Our night hike in the forest revealed the creature that come out after dark. Guides showed us toucans, other birds, a viper, and a frog. Seeing a frog made me realize that all the ecology and conservation in Costa Rica has at least saved this one little reptile. We just don't see frogs in the US like I did as a child. Kenny our driver brought us back down the mountain to Tamarindo bay. The resort had a gorgeous ocean front that we walks every morning at dawn to our extreme delight. The town and vendors could be overwhelming at times, but the evening shows with traveling Mariachi bands, jugglers and circus acts were entertaining. Photos of the week will be dear to us; a video of stills and video clips helps to recall the good times!

Hotel Reviews

Fonda Vela Hotel

Monteverde

The Fonda Vela Hotel in Monteverde had the best food of all the hotels we stayed at, thanks to its wonderful chef. The accommodation also featured a beautiful pool, which was a little too warm, but still made for a pleasant stay.

Lomas del Volcán

Fortuna

Lomas del Volcán was my favorite hotel during our trip. The accommodation consisted of charming little cabins with a back porch perfect for morning coffee and offered stunning views of the volcano. The beautiful gardens added to the serene environment. Overall, it was an absolutely fantastic location that I'm considering visiting again.

Activity Reviews

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Costa Rica

The Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike was my least favorite activity due to the large crowds. We did see some wildlife, but the experience was hindered by the inability to comfortably view the animals, such as sloths being barely visible.

Coffee, Chocolate & Sugar Cane Farm Experience

Arenal/La Fortuna

The Coffee, Chocolate & Sugar Cane Farm Experience provided the best instruction and learning during our trip. It was fascinating to learn about the production processes and added a depth of cultural understanding.

Night Excursion at the Wildlife Refuge in Monteverde

Monteverde

The Night Excursion at the Wildlife Refuge in Monteverde provided a thrilling adventure as we explored the forest at night. We saw a variety of fascinating wildlife, making it a memorable part of our trip.

Guided Hanging Bridges Walk

Monteverde

The Guided Hanging Bridges Walk in the Cloud Forest at Monteverde was absolutely stunning. Walking over the trees was an unforgettable experience, offering beautiful views and a unique way to explore the forest.

Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge Boat Safari

Arenal/La Fortuna

The Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge Boat Safari was a surprising highlight of our trip. We enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere and saw an impressive amount of wildlife during the tour. It was a wonderful way to experience Costa Rica's nature.

How the weather really is so you can pack the right clothes for where you're going and what you're doing . We were not told how chilly it was in the rainforest . We brought NO jackets . We were told that it was the dry season and that was not true for the region we were in. We had to leave rainforest early to get to a warmer climate . So over all we made the best of things but we were a little disappointed . We missed a few activities that we paid for , zip lining .....

Hotel Reviews

Capitán Suizo Beachfront Boutique Hotel

Tamarindo

Staff is great but be prepared NO tv in the rooms

Authenticity & Character

Location

right on the beach

Staff

The people of Costa Rica are super nice

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rio Celeste Hideaway Resort

Bijagua

Phenomenal hotel , highly recommend if you want to be in the rainforest. The staff is second to none

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

second to none

Cleanliness & Comfort

beautiful rooms

Activity Reviews

Tapir Valley Reserve Night Tour

Bijagua / Rio Celeste

Never made this tour had to leave early because of the weather that we were not informed of.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tenorio Volcano and Rio Celeste Guided Hike

Bijagua / Rio Celeste

If your near the state park tour do it but wear hiking shoes its a workout but a must do

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rio Celeste Zipline

Bijagua / Rio Celeste

how to miss because of the weather

4 of the 6 places we stayed were great but the first one in La Fortuna was only "OK" and the one we were first put into in Tamarindo was terrible and known by all locals to be unacceptable. Almost all of the tours we were booked for were very good but often the details we were given were totally wrong (3 hour plans were actually 5/6 hours in actuality). And one in Tamarindo did not even occur despite our wasting time because of messed up pickup due to our lousy location.

I had a wonderful experience and fell in love with Costa Rica!

Hotel Review

Casa del Sol

Manuel Antonio

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Chef Service

Manuel Antonio

Very professional and talented chef

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunset Catamaran Adventure with Meal

Manuel Antonio

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Villa Vanilla Spice Tour

Manuel Antonio

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

El Santuario Canopy Adventure Tour

Manuel Antonio

All of the tour operators were kind and helpful

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Río Savegre Whitewater Rafting Adventure

Manuel Antonio

We had wonderful raft captains

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Loved the tour guide

-Private Chef Service-

Manuel Antonio

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ocean Kayaking Adventure

Manuel Antonio

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The itinerary that was planned for us enabled us to see three of the most interesting areas in Costa Rica - Arenal, Monteverde and Manuel Antonio. All three hotels were luxurious and we used their restaurants and pools. All four drivers taking us between the airport and the three hotels were timely and efficient. The activities were strenuous for us older folks but we saw beautiful scenery, lush rain and cloud forests and all sorts of exciting spotting of animals and birds.
Bela led our first tour of hiking up Arenal Volcano and going down to the waterfall, with just one other couple. We had a private tour with Mariano to the Hanging Bridges near Arenal. We enjoyed the coffee and chocolate tour with Randy at Don Juan. Marvin guided us through the dark at the Children's Eternal Forest and showed us many nocturnal animals and birds. We walked around the Hanging Bridges on our own at the Selvatura Park and got a tour with a group of the Sloth, Butterfly and Reptile buildings. We had a very good private tour with Ivan at Manuel Antonio and got close-up views and pictures of sloths, monkeys and all kinds of other creatures through his long Zoom lens. The catamaran ride was very lively and fun, with dinner and dancing around the boat. Finally, Alex was very informative on our ride back to the airport.
There were only two minor inconveniences. We didn't get a note that the Hanging Bridges tour on Monday was changed from 8:00 to 10:00 but we found out when our concierge called the Serendipity Office. And our room (and apparently all the rooms) at the Sibu Lodge was much too chilly.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel La Mariposa

Manuel Antonio

Great views of the ocean and sunsets. A very large and comfortable pool. We enjoyed breakfast, dinner and desserts at Le Papillon Restaurant. The room was very spacious and well-laid out, with a wrap-around balcony overlooking the pool and bar.

Authenticity & Character

Location

The highest point in town, for great views.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Huge king-size bed and a great shower - and the views!

Sibū Boutique Hotel

Puntarenas

Beautiful grounds. We enjoyed our two breakfasts and two dinners at the restaurant, which was just a few steps from our room. There was no pool or exercise room, but there was a shuttle to a sister hotel a few minutes away with those facilities. The only issue with the hotel is that the room was freezing the entire time. The staff told us that there is air conditioning but no heat in their rooms.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Good views of the surrounding areas. I walked into town one day and it was extremely hilly.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Warmer rooms!

Arenal Springs Resort

La Fortuna

Beautiful grounds and room. We had fine dinners at their two restaurants and swam in the "hot springs" pool. And the first thing we saw when we left our room was a view of the Arenal Volcano among the clouds.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Lush surroundings, a spacious room and views of the volcano.

Staff

Great breakfasts and dinner and the concierge called the Serendipity office to find out the starting time for our toor.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Catamaran Tour with Meal

Costa Rica

The breeze made the ride very comfortable on a hot and humid day. We had great views of the towns, beaches and islands and got to see a few dolphins when we went out a few miles. Then we stopped at a cove for swimming and snorkeling. One of us did a little swimming with a life jacket, while the other took pictures of videos of all the younger passengers jumping or sliding into the water. Then we had a very tasty dinner of beef and vegetables on a skewer, pasta and fruit.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The van that picked us and others up from various hotels had mostly young and very loud passengers. When we got to the marina, it was unclear for a while where we should go - and where we would be picked up at the end. But it was well-organized and we made it on the boat and back to our hotel.

Private Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Costa Rica

It was very crowded, even at 8:00 in the morning - it took us 20 to 30 minutes just to get through the entrance to the Park. Ivan was an outstanding guide. He was able to identify many kinds of animals through his long Zoom lens and took pictures with our cameras through the view finder - so we have great photos of sloths, monkeys, crabs and many other forms of wildlife, along with palm trees. We stopped at the cafeteria a little over halfway through our walk and he got fruit and a fruit drink for us there. The best part was seeing close-up female monkeys carrying their babies on their backs through the trees near the beach.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day at Selvatura including Hanging Bridges and Fauna Exhibitions

Costa Rica

There were a lot of people at the reception building and it wasn't clear to us for a while that we would walk around the cloud forest and the hanging bridges on our own - and then have a guided group tour of the sloth, butterfly and reptile buildings. We saw a monkey and a quetzal on our walk, by noticing where guides were pointing their zoom lenses. We had a very good guide (didn't catch his name) in the sloth and butterfly buildings.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We didn't know in advance that Selvatura Park provides bus transportation back to the hotels in town. We thought we would have to look for the same bus that picked us up.

Night Walk at Children's Eternal Forest

Monteverde

Our guide Marvin was very patient and thorough in making sure we were safe walking in the dark and showed us many animals, such as lizards, birds and an armadillo. We had a little trouble adjusting to walking up and down in the dark, but we made it "out of the woods" safely.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coffee & Chocolate Tour

Costa Rica

Randy, the Don Juan tour guide, was very friendly and knowledgeable. We learned a lot from him on the process of growing coffee beans and cacao and how they turn into coffee and chocolate. We had a few hands-on activities, such as making our own chocolate bar or cookie. And we bought about 10 bars of chocolate at the gift shop to bring back to our friends and relatives.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Hanging Bridges Guided Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

There was a lot of up and down hill walking. Mariano recommend the best hike for us so that we went over 3 of the covered bridges and saw a fair amount of wildlife.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Volcano Hike & La Fortuna Waterfall

Arenal/La Fortuna

The volcano hike was very strenuous for us, but we did the best we could. We saw ants, butterflies and a toucan. One of us went down the 500 stairs to the waterfall and swam a bit in the pool on the left, while the other stayed on top and took pictures.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Bela was very respectful of what we could and couldn't do.

Transport

We (a pair of senior citizen siblings) told kimkim that we were interested in touring Costa Rica and that we liked hiking, wildlife, and local culture. They quickly came up with a two-week itinerary that included San Jose (1 day), Drake Bay (3 days), Manuel Antonio (3 days), Monteverde (3 days), Arenal/La Fortuna (3 days), which we traversed in a Suzuki Jimny during late January and early February. kimkim made all of the arrangements for accommodations, rental car, and daily tours. We just booked our flights and showed up. And were we glad we did!

All of the locations we visited were stunningly beautiful, and the balance between coast and mountains was just right for us, since both are terrific in Costa Rica. Our lodgings in the Hotel Rancho Corcovado in Drake Bay, the Karahe Beach Hotel in Manuel Antonio, the Camino Verde B&B in Monteverde, and the Hotel Arenal Lodge in Arenal were uniformly delightful. These 3-star establishments were all in convenient and interesting places, and all possessed distinctive character that made them part of the tour experience. We highly recommend them all.

In each location, we had day tours with various providers, all of whom were professional and friendly. The guides from Yemanya Expeditions in Drake Bay and Paddle 9 in Manuel Antonio were particularly knowledgeable. Both were exceptionally skilled at finding wildlife (in the sea and the forest) and helping us to view them with spotting scopes. We saw several species of monkeys, sloths, coatis, tapirs, perccaries, frogs, snakes, butterflies, spiders, dolphins, a rare silky anteater, and lots and lots of birds (including many different hummingbirds). Our excursions into Costa Rica's awesome national parks were more like walks than hikes, since one must move slowly to find animals. But we were able to exercise our zest for physical activity on a guided tour of El Tigre Waterfalls in Monteverde, where we hiked through forested hills past several striking waterfalls and then rode back up a steep hill to the entrance on horseback. For us, El Tigre was a high point among high points of our trip.

For the most part, we enjoyed driving ourselves around Costa Rica. The roads are narrower than in the U.S., and, because of the mountainous terrain, they twist and turn. But, outside the Osa Peninsula, most were paved and in decent condition. We found Costa Rican drivers to be courteous and responsible (except perhaps the motorcycle riders who tend to squeeze between cars with little room to spare). The roads on the Osa Peninsula into Drake Bay, however, were rough and steep. A 4-wheel-drive car, like the Jimny, is an absolute necessity. If you don't like off road driving, a better option might be to take the boat from Sierpe. But since we didn't do that, we can't say whether car or boat is better. What we can say is that snorkeling on Cano Island and wildlife watching in the Corcovada National Park make a visit to Drake Bay very worthwhile!

Overall, kimkim made visiting Costa Rica easy and fun for us. Our trip combined the freedom of self driving, which let us wander around on our own, with the structure and expertise of guided tours. An excellent mix and a wonderful vacation!

Hotel Reviews

Hilton Garden Inn, La Sabana

San José

Clean and comfortable place reasonably close to the airport. Included breakfast buffet was extensive and delicious. Perfect place for us to spend a night before embarking on our tour of Costa Rica.

Hotel Rancho Corcovado

Drake Bay, Puntarenas

Beautiful, if odd, hotel right on the beach of Drake Bay. Beds were comfortable. Room was clean. Balcony was beautiful with stunning views of the trees, flowers, sand, and water. Included breakfast was delicious. Dinners were also good, but it makes sense to check what's on the menu before signing up because they only serve one thing each evening. Room was unnecessarily huge - we weren't sure what all the empty space was for. And bedding consisted only of sheets, which may have been enough for their normal weather, but it was a little chilly due to the relative cold snap during our visit. Finally, the short drive from the road to the parking lot was so steep, loose, and potholed that it took every ounce of traction our 4WD could muster to get up it. Overall, a quirky but beautiful place.

Hotel Arenal Lodge

Fortuna

Fascinating place. Grounds are huge - we took two hikes around them and saw horses, birds, and beautiful views of the volcano. Rooms face the volcano and offer spectacular views if/when the clouds lift. The rooms and lodge are in reasonable condition and the food in the restaurant is good. But the grounds have odd structures (e.g., a wedding pavilion, stone pillars, a macadamia nut museum) that are in advanced stages of decay. Also the room lights seemed to be about 10 watts - it was hard to see anything at night. And the driveway is a steep, winding 2 km track that is only sometimes wide enough for two vehicles to pass. Definitely a curious place. But much more interesting place to stay than a generic hotel. We would gladly go back.

Karahé Beach Hotel

Manuel Antonio

Right next to the public beach in Manuel Antonio. Excellent food in restaurant. Clean and pleasant pool. Walking distance (less than a km down the beach) from grocery and souvenir stores. We loved our stay.

Camino Verde Bed & Breakfast

Small (20 rooms), friendly, well-located, and lots of quirky fun (check out the bottle chandelier in the hallway). Breakfast is delicious (best pancakes we've had in a very long while). And the staff go out of their way to be helpful. We had an absolutely first-rate experience!

Authenticity & Character

Atmosphere was low-key and fun. Staff were friendly and helpful. Guests were pleasant and polite (we all respected the "quiet after 9 pm" signs).

Location

Easy to get to and convenient parking across the street.

Staff

Very responsive to requests about towels and laundry. Helpful in finding things to see (they led us to a 360 lookout point that was absolutely amazing!).

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean. Nicest room we stayed in during our visit to Costa Rica.

Activity Reviews

Arenal Volcano Hike & EcoTermales Hot Springs Visit with Meal

Arenal/La Fortuna

Hiking on the volcano was highly enjoyable, although it would have been nicer if the clouds had lifted. But it is a rainforest after all, and rain it did. But the rain didn't dampen the EcoTermales experience, where the hot springs were pleasant and relaxing. And the buffet meal at EcoTermales included some of the best food we had in all of Costa Rica. Overall, this was a fitting capstone to a very fun visit to Costa Rica. Highly recommended!

El Tigre Waterfalls Excursion

Monteverde

Intermediate level hike over up-and-down terrain that passes through lush rainforest and past several spectacular waterfalls. Absolutely the best hike we took in Costa Rica. To top it off, we rode horses up the mountain to get back to the park building where we enjoyed a delicious Costa Rican casado for lunch! For us, this was the best tour among many excellent tours we experienced in Costa Rica.

Manuel Antonio National Park Nature Hike

Manuel Antonio

Beautiful national park, with amazing vegetation, delightful animals, and two lovely beaches (you can hike and swim in the same park!). Our guide, Roberto of Paddle 9, was outstanding. He spotted many animals (e.g., snakes and sloths) we would never have seen without him. And the capuchin monkeys put on a show by walking along side us as we finished our tour. Definitely a place worth visiting, especially with a qualified guide!

Isla Damas Kayaking Adventure

Manuel Antonio

Absolutely outstanding! Pedal kayaks were odd but comfortable. But the mangroves were mesmerizing and the wildlife was truly spectacular. And our guide, Roberto of Paddle 9, was exceptional. Thanks to him, we saw so many interesting animals, including a rare silky anteater! A real highlight of our Costa Rica trip.

Snorkeling at Isla del Caño Biological Reserve

Drake Bay

It was pretty rough the day we visited, so the boat ride and swimming were more difficult than normal. But the guides were skilled an knowledgeable. I'd rate the snorkeling a tad below that in the Galapagos or Caribbean, but still excellent. Definitely a reason to visit Drake Bay!

Corcovado National Park & Sirena Ranger Station Visit

Drake Bay

Outstanding wildlife watching walk with an experienced and knowledgeable guide (Maria). A first rate national park that was a highlight of our Costa Rica visit.

Day Trip to Doka Coffee Plantations, Poás Volcano & La Paz Waterfall Gardens

San José

Tour guide did not show up at all. We wound up visiting two of the three sites on our own, and they were outstanding. But we can't recommend a tour that somehow dropped us.

Using a travel agency/booking guides to plan, organize and adjust our itinerary and logistics for our trip to Costa Rica was a huge departure from our usual do it yourself travel. It was a first for us actually. So we obviously had some fears and trepidations in how it would all work out. We needn't have worried. Everyone we dealt with was professional and quick to adjust our plans as needed. From early on there were changes that had to be made. Perhaps most notable though were the cancellation of two of our planned and paid for activities due to weather conditions. I am very pleased those were refunded in full. The rental car seemed a little sketchy as we neared our departure day as I was unable to find much information or reviews on them but Sun Valley Rentals turned out to be a pleasure to deal with and we especially liked the pick up and drop off right at the airport. No un-nerving shuttle to deal with. The only glitz was the rep was not waiting for us when we arrived and I ended up paying a local who could see I was searching for awhile for them to call Sun Valley for me. I take the blame here though as apparently he sent us a message via Watts App which we missed. Still, he wasn't there with a sign as planned.
You really listened to what we wanted in Costa Rica and picked two perfect lodgings for us based on those wishes. We really feel we had two vacations in Costa Rica thanks to the dramatic differences between our lodges in Monteverde and Guanacaste. We experienced all the experiences we asked for, when the weather cooperated. We experienced a tropical storm and winds, rain and heavy rain our first three days there. Thanks in part to your help, we were able to salvage much of what could have been a disaster. I suppose you could suggest that folks vacationing in the cloud forest may experience significantly harsher weather conditions than expected. We had temperatures in the upper 40's (F) and winds in excess of 70mph! We took it in stride and even had some good laughs with other good natured tourists as we all admitted we had been wearing all the clothes we brought with us for three days in a row now :)
Our favorite highlights of our trip were the el tigre waterfall, tree top dining and everything about Rio Perdido, especially the thermal river and the overall complete lack of crowding (we hiked to miles without seeing anyone) and incredible privacy of our lodging.
Our planner was Gustavo and Kate assisted us while in Costa Rica.

Hotel Reviews

Río Perdido Hotel & Thermal River

La Fortuna

exceeded our expectations in every way. Perhaps the nicest lodge we've stayed at overall. The bungalows are extremely private and designed so well I found myself photographing many features of them to perhaps implement some of those ideas in my own house someday. The outdoor shower, the lava exfoliating tiles on the floor, the copper trough bathroom sink. Just wonderful. Couldn't believe the privacy we had in everything we did. Had the thermal river to ourselves, the hiking paths to ourselves and even the restaurant almost to ourselves. So much so that I questioned if they were perhaps not very booked and was stunned to hear they were at 100%.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cloud Forest Lodge

Monteverde

Very personal intimate experience, especially with the staff. Excellent food choices and quality. Loved the fireplace! Property is impeccably maintained and offers nice hiking, bird watching and other amenities.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Treetop Dining Experience with Wine Pairing

Monteverde

One of the best dining experiences I've ever had. The waiter was a true professional who really added to the experience. Not only did we enjoy 9 gourmet foods and wines but we learned a lot about the country. The setting was as unique and beautiful as the photos.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

TreeTram, Hanging Bridges & Zipline Adventure

Monteverde

I'm not usually much into such planned and organized activities as this but figured when in Rome. I've done hanging bridges and ziplines before so expected about the same. I was wrong. The Hanging bridges put you in or above the canopy which is other- worldly and a must see in Costa Rica. The ziplines are very fast and with the clouds present gave us the experience of plunging into a fog bank! Exciting and un-nerving at the same time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

El Tigre Waterfalls Excursion

Monteverde

Good description overall. Swimming on this hike should not always be expected. We had 4 layers, raingear and muddy boots on. Horseback ride was cool!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The KimKim website is excellent. We didn’t see a link for “ more details “ so didn’t have our complete itinerary info immediately. All our Guides were great and knowledgeable.
Our pickup at the airport was an hour late and he seemed annoyed. We had difficulty reaching KimKim when trying to locate the driver.
Olman did a great job on some excursions and hotels but missed on others. Not sure he fully understood what we wanted from our trip despite at least two phone conversations. Think it would have been helpful to get more information from travelers before booking hotels/room locations. Hotel Eco Arenal was very old, outdated and mold/peeling paint in our bathroom. Opposite side of the city where all our activities were. Camino Verde was lovely but our room was on a busy, loud street that was under construction so little sleep for 3 nights. Nammbu bungalow were beautiful! Private and group driver’s were also very good. Enjoyed Costa Rica We never were in contact with Olman once we arrived but referred to a female Costa Rica representative for any questions or issues??

Hotel Reviews

The Coast Beachfront Hotel

Tamarindo, Guanacaste Province

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Front desk staff were not friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Our room had some kind of noise machine in it running?

Nammbú Beachfront Bungalows

Sámara

Great quiet place. Excellent staff. Excellent breakfast. Beautiful pool area and lovely room overlooking the Ocean.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It isn’t walkable to Samara

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Camino Verde Bed & Breakfast

Great location, friendly staff and lovely room. Excellent breakfast!! Our room was on a very busy/noisy street that was under construction. Didn’t get much sleep

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Street noise

Hotel Eco Arenal

Fortuna

The people here were friendly and the breakfast was good. This hotel was outdated and we had water damage/mold in the bathroom. It was farther away from most Arenal activities. Pool was in poor condition.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Needs updating

Activity Reviews

Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve Guided Hike

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

TreeTram & Hanging Bridges Adventure

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Volcano to El Castillo Mountain Bike Tour

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Hanging Bridges & La Fortuna Waterfall Hike with Lunch

Arenal/La Fortuna

Monica our guide was amazing!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport