Kimkim Trip Reviews for Costa Rica

Olman was amazing responding to all my queries in a timely manner and changing things in the itinerary based on my daughter’s animal and wildlife requirements!

Our trip, while only 7 days, incorporated so many trips and places. We had an absolutely amazing time and pretty much saw most of the country’s animals in their natural habitats.

Absolutely stunning country and Olman’s help definitely helped us to make the most of our limited time there.

Thanks again!

We enjoyed the whole trip and I just wish we could have extended our stay! From the transportation to the hotels and activities, Adriana made thiis trip really enjoyable for us. Thankyou Adriana and the rest of the kimkim staff :)

I was impressed with the transport arrangements between and at destinations. People were there on time and were excellent drivers and this was arranged beautifully. The road to the Caribbean coast was not good and it was disappointing to see the lack of ongoing construction for what is an essential highway servicing the plantations and the North South link. This does no credit to the country and the government.

The Tortoguero experience was also excellent. Great hotel and a very good... read more

I was impressed with the transport arrangements between and at destinations. People were there on time and were excellent drivers and this was arranged beautifully. The road to the Caribbean coast was not good and it was disappointing to see the lack of ongoing construction for what is an essential highway servicing the plantations and the North South link. This does no credit to the country and the government.

The Tortoguero experience was also excellent. Great hotel and a very good guide. The poor little village has a lot to learn if it wants to attract tourists and to get them to spend money rather than just walk through. There is so much competition in the world now for destinations that governments, local authorities and towns need to at the very least get on board or not bother and retain their own lifestyle.

The Caribbean coast would have been good for two days- five was too long especially at that time of year when the rainy season is starting. I am fit and active but not into dope, reggae, cheap food and surfing which seemed to be what was on offer. The hotel staff were a little surly ( one waitress was nice) . Despite being one of the few guests staying I was put into a dark downstairs room with no view of the sea ( there were balcony rooms which would have made the stay so much better) and the TV did not work. Very two star and was a low point in Costa Rica which coloured my overall impression of the country.

Avenal was a great area and I enjoyed the short time there. San Jose is clearly a city making a go of it in a period of transition. The Holiday In staff also need to go on a hospitality course. Just a few smiles would be good. The person selling tours in the lobby doesn't know how to smile. Facilities good and great location.

All in all Costa Rica was interesting. I stayed there about 5 days too long and while others have raved about the wild life, some huge conservation efforts are required to make it as good as Nepal, India, Borneo, Africa and the South Pacific, all places I have travelled. I got the feeling the country ( not Randall and the Kim Kim team) over promises and under delivers and I am not making making enthusiastic recommendations to others to travel there.

Good luck.

My boyfriend and I are just back from the most amazing 11 days in Costa Rica. Randall was a great specialist - giving fantastic recommendations on where to go and what activities to do, based on the information we gave him. He also provided a number of different itineraries for us to choose from, and was v. flexible with our requests.

Everything was a highlight really, but the top highlights were:

Our guide Pierre from Canoa Adventures in La Fortuna, who took us on the Mistico Hanging... read more

My boyfriend and I are just back from the most amazing 11 days in Costa Rica. Randall was a great specialist - giving fantastic recommendations on where to go and what activities to do, based on the information we gave him. He also provided a number of different itineraries for us to choose from, and was v. flexible with our requests.

Everything was a highlight really, but the top highlights were:

Our guide Pierre from Canoa Adventures in La Fortuna, who took us on the Mistico Hanging Bridges and waterfall tour. He was a fountain of knowledge and spotted so many things that would have gone unnoticed if we had done the walk by ourselves. He also shared some great photos via whatsapp after the tour as he had a good camera.

Our 3D2N stay at Laguna Lodge, Tortuguero. Our guide Alex was really knowledgeable too, and on two boat safaris we saw a huge number of animals and birds. The food at the lodge was delicious too.

All transfers between places were comfortable and on time, and the restaurants where we were being picked up from for each leg of the journey were fantastic. Selvica even had a butterfly sanctuary out the back!

We also loved Le Cameleon, the hotel we stayed at just south of Puerto Viejo. While we were there we took ourselves to the Jaguar Rescue centre and saw some amazing creatures, and on another day rented bicycles and cycled down the coast to Manzanillo, where we had miles of beaches to ourselves. We also loved Punta Uva beach - totally breathtaking! Whilst staying there we saw sloths and toucans daily, as well as a yellow eyelash viper on a hike in Cahuita.

We cannot wait to come back to Costa Rica and will definitely book through kimkim again.

Thank you!

Our Costa Rica trip was amazing! We had such a great time. The activities were well spaced out giving us time to explore in our downtime. The rides were perfectly structured so traveling was a breeze. The activities were so much fun.

The kayak was really fun. We really enjoy sport activities and it was so nice to get out on the water and view the volcano from another view. It was a bit windy that day but we were up to the challenge. Our guide Pedro was awesome. He showed us different birds... read more

Our Costa Rica trip was amazing! We had such a great time. The activities were well spaced out giving us time to explore in our downtime. The rides were perfectly structured so traveling was a breeze. The activities were so much fun.

The kayak was really fun. We really enjoy sport activities and it was so nice to get out on the water and view the volcano from another view. It was a bit windy that day but we were up to the challenge. Our guide Pedro was awesome. He showed us different birds and stories of the Volcano. Seeing all the birds in their environment was exciting. We even saw a beautiful macaw. After the kayak we had some fresh delicious fruit. Some of the best fruit we have ever eaten. Along the drive back they stopped on the side of the road to show us some animals. It was very exciting keeping our eyes up and looking for nature.

Horseback riding was really fun! It was a rainy day but we didn't mind. It was fun trotting along through nature. Along the ride to the waterfall we encountered some howler monkeys. That was quite the experience. The waterfall was huge and beautiful. So cool to feel the power of the water at the bottom.

The cooking class was so great! We learned a lot about the different plants that they grew on the farm. Drank some guaro and had a great time. The family that hosted it was so friendly and informative. The food we made was delicious along with the different meats they provided. When we left they even let us have some guaro for the rest of our trip. We enjoyed that every day until we left.

Our trip to Monte Verde Cloud Forrest was amazing! I have never had so much fun in my life. Despite me being scared of heights, the zip lining was exhilarating! Would 100% do it again! We felt safe the entire time and enjoyed meeting the people around us. We even ran into people that were from the same part of New York that I grew up in. Small world.

One thing we hadn't anticipated was all the animals that walked around. We must have fell in love with 5 different cats and dogs. They just roam around and are mostly ignored by the locals, but we couldn't help but give the little animals some love.

Would def book through kim kim again. We had so much fun and it was nice that everything was scheduled for us and all the hard work of the trip was taken care of.

This was my first experience with booking a trip through Kimkim and I happy to say that it was an absolute pleasure. The website was very informative and extremely transparent. Their curated tours is an excellent starting place to plan and then customise a trip.

My expertise with Carlos was also fantastic. Carlos is extremely knowledgable and very cooperative. He really helped my customise my holiday down to the smallest details. He was very patient and helped my make several changes to... read more

This was my first experience with booking a trip through Kimkim and I happy to say that it was an absolute pleasure. The website was very informative and extremely transparent. Their curated tours is an excellent starting place to plan and then customise a trip.

My expertise with Carlos was also fantastic. Carlos is extremely knowledgable and very cooperative. He really helped my customise my holiday down to the smallest details. He was very patient and helped my make several changes to the plan over time. He was quick to reply back to all my queries, give proper feedback & suggestions and make the required changes quickly.

My entire experience with Kimkim and Carlos was great. I will highly recommend them both to any traveller.

Costa Rica Trip

Kim Kim Review
My wife and I are from California, and we decided to take a trip to Costa Rica. We were looking for an adventure trip that would involve enjoying the Costa Rican rainforest. KimKim made this trip happen! It was such a comfortable, stress-free, and convenient way to book all our travel arrangement in one convenient site!

As I never used KimKim before, I was doubtful that it was this easy to book an adventure. However, it was this simple. It was merely... read more

Costa Rica Trip

Kim Kim Review
My wife and I are from California, and we decided to take a trip to Costa Rica. We were looking for an adventure trip that would involve enjoying the Costa Rican rainforest. KimKim made this trip happen! It was such a comfortable, stress-free, and convenient way to book all our travel arrangement in one convenient site!

As I never used KimKim before, I was doubtful that it was this easy to book an adventure. However, it was this simple. It was merely chatting and emailing back and forth to brainstorm ideas of what we wanted to do with a Kimkim representative. Kimkim will assign a country expert to provide you with a real perspective of what activities, sights, and ideas are great or not or unrealistic.

The private tour was money well spent! After, agreeing with all the activities for a 5-day trip; lodging, lunch, and tickets were all included in the price. Danny greeted us, our driver for the majority of the trip, right outside the airport, with a clean and private van. He was excellent and very professional, knowledgeable, and safe.

Our first stop was downtown San Jose. We visited some sights and tried some Costa Rican cuisine. The next day traveled and hiked almost six waterfalls! The highlight was The Bajo del Toro waterfalls. Expertly guided by our tour guide Kenneth, we were able to get to the waterfalls safe and sound. For the next few nights, we stayed at El Silencio spa and hotel. A charming hotel situated in the heart of jungles of Costa Rica. It was an eco-friendly and environmentally conscious hotel. We loved our stay here! It was quiet, clean, beautiful, impressively well-maintained, but most of all while eco-friendly, it creatively integrates activities with the surrounding community.

For the 5-days, we were able to see six waterfalls, zip line, and aerial tram in the Braulio Carillo National Park.

I highly recommend using Kimkim. I know my wife and I would be using them again for our next adventure. Pura Vida!

Randal did a great job communicating and organizing the itinerary.

I thought the experience was very good however the accommodations were somewhat underwhelming . Most of the resorts appeared to be about 20 % occupied which is indicative of the low season. I would not recommend the first hotel at all. They made no attempt to hide the fact that guests were eating breakfast in a cattle coral.

On the second day we were met by a tour guide named Chris. He was excellent. I could not... read more

Randal did a great job communicating and organizing the itinerary.

I thought the experience was very good however the accommodations were somewhat underwhelming . Most of the resorts appeared to be about 20 % occupied which is indicative of the low season. I would not recommend the first hotel at all. They made no attempt to hide the fact that guests were eating breakfast in a cattle coral.

On the second day we were met by a tour guide named Chris. He was excellent. I could not have imagined any better. He had a great depth of knowledge and humility. I hope you call him out and let him know that he made the trip well worth the time. He had knowledge by the broader economy that no other guide could match. We was wonderful.

Olman did a perfect job booking an amazing week of holiday in Costa Rica for my husband and son and I. After providing Olman with the cities, the activities, and our budget, he came back with a schedule that fit everything. I was a little worried that I hadn’t yet received any confirmation from Olman one week prior to our departure but Olman reassured me there will be a schedule before our departure. Everything in Costa Rica was right on schedule, the car transport pickups were always 5... read more

Olman did a perfect job booking an amazing week of holiday in Costa Rica for my husband and son and I. After providing Olman with the cities, the activities, and our budget, he came back with a schedule that fit everything. I was a little worried that I hadn’t yet received any confirmation from Olman one week prior to our departure but Olman reassured me there will be a schedule before our departure. Everything in Costa Rica was right on schedule, the car transport pickups were always 5 minutes early to pick us up. The level of hotel and quality of tours exceeded our expectations. I would recommend Olman to anyone wanting a trip organizer for Costa Rica. Pura Vida!

Randall was just awesome!! He created a wounder full trip for me. I been never to Cosa Rica before but I know what I like and how I like to travel. I just gave him the Information About what I was Looking for, and he planned a perfect trip for me. I had his number and I could contact him while traveling when I had any Questions. I will book again with KimKim and if I go back to Cosa Rica I will book again with Rendall. My trip was About 10 Days Long and I saw so many sides of Costa Rica... read more

Randall was just awesome!! He created a wounder full trip for me. I been never to Cosa Rica before but I know what I like and how I like to travel. I just gave him the Information About what I was Looking for, and he planned a perfect trip for me. I had his number and I could contact him while traveling when I had any Questions. I will book again with KimKim and if I go back to Cosa Rica I will book again with Rendall. My trip was About 10 Days Long and I saw so many sides of Costa Rica (Volcano, Rainforest, Cloud Forrest, Beaches, Nightwalks, Mountains, Rivers and lots of animals).

If you never been there just give Randall Information what you are looking for and your Budget, and he will create you an individual Trip whit everything in what you love. I got exactly what I was Looking for and I can recommend Kimkim and specially Rendall to everybody. Thank you again for the awesome Trip!!!

Caro

We had one of the best trips. Hotels were all great and activities were perfect. Transportation was all planned very well and on time. Overall, we are very happy with our first Kimkim experience and will be using Kimkim for our future travels. Thank you very much.

Adriana has been always of great support, before the trip. During the trip, however, she was mostly absent (perhaps due to the holiday season?).

During the trip, and on Adriana's absence, we got reactions via whatsapp from another member of the team (also called Adriana), who was, first, unaware of our location (we always had planned to go to Montezuma, and then take the ferry to Puntarenas; she left me me a voice message saying DO NOT take the ferry... to then say 'oh, I didn't know you... read more

Adriana has been always of great support, before the trip. During the trip, however, she was mostly absent (perhaps due to the holiday season?).

During the trip, and on Adriana's absence, we got reactions via whatsapp from another member of the team (also called Adriana), who was, first, unaware of our location (we always had planned to go to Montezuma, and then take the ferry to Puntarenas; she left me me a voice message saying DO NOT take the ferry... to then say 'oh, I didn't know you were in Montezuma, in which case you must take the ferry'); and, then, on the last day, just before heading back to the airport, told me I should take the car to the car rental agency instead of leaving it in the airport (as per the information in the voucher). I didn't have a problem with leaving the car there but I do have a problem with a travel agency associate telling me I should be the one calling the car rental and wait for them to answer back! So much for the value of hiring a travel agency...

On the catamaran trip, we got charged 1 extra child because the tour operator only had 3 children on the record (and I said multiple times it was always 4 children). I didn't complain, because Adriana went far and beyond to ensure we had a surprise birthday cake on board - and for that I'm very grateful, as my friend was not expecting that and felt very happy. Thank you.

Next time: if you have clients heading to the Santa Tereza / Montezuma area by car with kids, you should make sure they understand the roads pretty much everyone are gravel (not pavement), and there's only 1 gas station in the entire area.

Guides Juan and Daniel at selvatura hanging bridges and frog pond in Monteverdi respectively excellent. Night walk not worthwhile too many people and too many groups and unsuitable terrain. Best of all was Manfred Garcia Leon at casa Corcovado - brilliant informative and endlessly patient - couldn’t recommend him more highly!
Overall accommodation all excellent and all drivers punctual except the one for night walk who was sent to the wrong hotel and after 45 minutes we were picked up in a... read more

Guides Juan and Daniel at selvatura hanging bridges and frog pond in Monteverdi respectively excellent. Night walk not worthwhile too many people and too many groups and unsuitable terrain. Best of all was Manfred Garcia Leon at casa Corcovado - brilliant informative and endlessly patient - couldn’t recommend him more highly!
Overall accommodation all excellent and all drivers punctual except the one for night walk who was sent to the wrong hotel and after 45 minutes we were picked up in a taxi to join the others. Don Juan coffee chocolate tour very interesting and worthwhile.
We loved Costa Rica and especially it’s people
Judy and john

We had a great family spring break adventure vacation in Costa Rica. Yenyi was instrumental in planning all details from hotels, excursions, transfers between citis and local restaurant recommendations. Kids really enjoyed the hotels and excursions in:
> La Fortuna (Arenal) - hotsprings and coffee and waterfall tour
> Monteverde - nocturnal animal tour and hanging bridges and zip line
> Manuel Antonio - catamaran and snorkeling tour
with all the upfront planning and detailed itinerary, all... read more

We had a great family spring break adventure vacation in Costa Rica. Yenyi was instrumental in planning all details from hotels, excursions, transfers between citis and local restaurant recommendations. Kids really enjoyed the hotels and excursions in:
> La Fortuna (Arenal) - hotsprings and coffee and waterfall tour
> Monteverde - nocturnal animal tour and hanging bridges and zip line
> Manuel Antonio - catamaran and snorkeling tour
with all the upfront planning and detailed itinerary, all we had to do was show-up and follow the plan. Great way to enjoy the vacation and not worry about the logistics.

We will definitely work with Yenyi and the KimKim Team to plan our next vacation soon.

We are so thrilled with our trip. The recommendations were exactly what we were looking for - from excursions to hotel choices. Corresponding with Sofia was easy, quick and she was very knowledgeable. We will definitely book with KimKim again. Thank you!

It was a great experience visiting Costa Rica. Very Beautiful country and very nice and friendly people. We as a family enjoyed a lot. Kids had lot of fun.

Adriana did awesome job in arranging and planning the trip. it was perfect.
I would recommend kimkim to everyone.

I liked the interface--communication was very easy and consistent.

Yenyi did a great job setting up the overall plan and activities in Costa Rica.

Monica coordinated the travel plans locally and solved a couple of minor problems along the way. Our rides were always on time for pickup, the drivers were cautious, and the drivers and guides were always friendly.

Our favorite activities were the float on Penas Blanca river, the hikes in Monteverde, and the tour of Manuel Antonio National... read more

I liked the interface--communication was very easy and consistent.

Yenyi did a great job setting up the overall plan and activities in Costa Rica.

Monica coordinated the travel plans locally and solved a couple of minor problems along the way. Our rides were always on time for pickup, the drivers were cautious, and the drivers and guides were always friendly.

Our favorite activities were the float on Penas Blanca river, the hikes in Monteverde, and the tour of Manuel Antonio National Park (and beach), though we also loved Campesina Vida farm and the chocolate tours!

We would suggest that the timing of the events should be more explicit. For example, we were scheduled for a tour in the morning and a tour in the afternoon. The planned pickup times were indicated, but the duration or return time was not consistently indicated. As a result, we were sometimes stressed about the transitions between activities and had to change clothes and/or devour a meal in very little time. We also missed one activity because our transfer took longer than planned. They were kind enough to offer to reschedule, but it just didn't work out for us. (I know that we asked to push back our early morning schedules because of the children, but we relied on your advice about how much flexibility there was.)

The hotels, Arenal Springs and Parador in Manuel Antonio, were both terrific. However, Los Pinos in Monteverde was really not ideal for us. The staff there was incredibly kind and helpful, but the cabin was just too challenging for a group of 6 that included 2 grandparents and 2 children. It was up a steep hill, cramped quarters, small and somewhat uncomfortable beds, poor water pressure in the showers, and no food options on the premises.

Lastly, it would be helpful if the roadbook included all the information in the kimkim trip summary. The two components have complementary information and it would be more useful if all the info could be available in one place.

Overall, I would be glad to use kimkim again, but would more carefully review the timing and other details before the trip.

Our tour of Costa Rica, organised by Randall through KimKim was perfect. Every area we visited and the local guides we used were fabulous and shared a great knowledge of their areas which made for a genuinely phenomenal experience. Our standout tour guide was Warner in Tortuguero who exuded a love for nature and the locale. He was approachable during every stretch of the time spent in Tortuguero and not just when his guided tours were on. Our stay in Monteverde was made greater with the... read more

Our tour of Costa Rica, organised by Randall through KimKim was perfect. Every area we visited and the local guides we used were fabulous and shared a great knowledge of their areas which made for a genuinely phenomenal experience. Our standout tour guide was Warner in Tortuguero who exuded a love for nature and the locale. He was approachable during every stretch of the time spent in Tortuguero and not just when his guided tours were on. Our stay in Monteverde was made greater with the stay at Grace and Renzo's B & B. Grace was such a fantastic host and gave superb advice on places to roam, visit and eat throughout the small town. She made what would have been a great leg of the tour into one of our favourite sections of the holiday. KimKim really excelled in their planning with every section of the vacation running smoothly and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to anyone travelling to Costa Rica.

If I'm being honest - I was skeptical at first. I'm typically the traveler who likes to book all my own hotels, excursions and transportation. However, I came across Kimkim online as I was planning my trip to Costa Rica and decided to send an initial message. I was partnered with Randall, who ended up playing a key role in making my trip to Costa Rica unforgettable! He was very patient and flexible as I customized the 9-day itinerary, with multiple iterations, and gave many recommendations... read more

If I'm being honest - I was skeptical at first. I'm typically the traveler who likes to book all my own hotels, excursions and transportation. However, I came across Kimkim online as I was planning my trip to Costa Rica and decided to send an initial message. I was partnered with Randall, who ended up playing a key role in making my trip to Costa Rica unforgettable! He was very patient and flexible as I customized the 9-day itinerary, with multiple iterations, and gave many recommendations for activities and places to see during my stay. We didn't have any hiccups during our stay and all drivers arrived on time. When we first arrived at the airport, our driver even provided us with a folder of our itinerary and all vouches required for the trip. The organization was impeccable! In addition, the activities were awesome and my mom and I had a blast! Some activities included: volcano hike, hot springs, hanging bridges, waterfall hike, ziplining, butterfly garden, guided hike through Manuel Antonio park + more. I highly recommend Randall to help you plan your trip if you are thinking of going to Costa Rica and want to experience as much as possible. I definitely plan on using the Kimkim service again. Thanks Randall!

Overall we had a great trip to Costa Rica.
Our first 4 days of reservations were done by KIMKIM - Lily( Kim Kim guide).

We would like to thank Randall for his fantastic planning of our trip to Costa Rica. Everything went like clockwork from the transfers to and from the airport to the transfers between areas visited and the fantastic accommodation selected for us. All trips booked (which were many) were fantastic and showed how diverse Costa Rica is as a travel destination. The Ticos are warm, friendly and welcoming people and all went out of their way to make our holiday great.
I will have no hesitation... read more

We would like to thank Randall for his fantastic planning of our trip to Costa Rica. Everything went like clockwork from the transfers to and from the airport to the transfers between areas visited and the fantastic accommodation selected for us. All trips booked (which were many) were fantastic and showed how diverse Costa Rica is as a travel destination. The Ticos are warm, friendly and welcoming people and all went out of their way to make our holiday great.
I will have no hesitation in recommending your company and paticularly Randall for any persons planning a trip to Costa Rica.

The only suggestion I would make is on checking out in Manual Antonio we had to be out of our hotel at 11am and our transfer was at 2.00pm normally this would not be a problem but with the heat and humidity it would have been nice to have a later checkout or earlier transfer (we however did not see this a a negative in any way and did not reflect at all on our enjoyment of this holiday) it is merely a suggestion.

Thank you and Pura Vida

Morag and Brett

Our recent 9 day tour to Costa Rica went off without a hitch! All the details were in place so that all our activities happened smoothly. We spent 2 days in San Jose going on a wonderful coffee plantation tour and visiting Peace Waterfall Gardens. Our Hotel Martino was located on the outskirts of San Jose, just 15 minutes from the airport, so we didn’t have to deal with all the traffic in San Jose.
Next we were off to a crocodile and bird tour on Rio Tarcoles, then on to Manuel Antonio... read more

Our recent 9 day tour to Costa Rica went off without a hitch! All the details were in place so that all our activities happened smoothly. We spent 2 days in San Jose going on a wonderful coffee plantation tour and visiting Peace Waterfall Gardens. Our Hotel Martino was located on the outskirts of San Jose, just 15 minutes from the airport, so we didn’t have to deal with all the traffic in San Jose.
Next we were off to a crocodile and bird tour on Rio Tarcoles, then on to Manuel Antonio staying at the Costa Verde Hotel enjoying all of its amenities, good food, and unbelievably beautiful views. We reached our final location after an hour long boat ride down the Rio Sierpe where we arrived at Drake Bay Lodge near Corcovado National Park on the Osa Peninsula. A day in the jungle seeing a tapir, a mangrove hawk, parakeets, coatis, and macaws, among other animals, made for an amazing first day in the Osa. After a delicious picnic lunch we hiked to a waterfall for a refreshing swim in its cool waters.
On our last day a beautiful ocean boat ride took us to offshore Cano Island where we snorkeled with a plethora of fish in the clear waters followed by a delicious picnic on a gorgeous beach. Costa Rica offers everything an active vacationer could want in a tropical environment.

We used KimKim to arrange our first trip to Costa Rica and we were very, very happy how the trip was planned and coordinated through our awesome travel agent, Randall! We had such a great time hiking, biking, zip-lining, touring and had spa time as well and it was due to Randall who is amazingly knowledgeable and very nice and helped us to maximize our time in the country. He made us feel very comfortable with the planning from beginning to end. He was so responsive always- and even while we... read more

We used KimKim to arrange our first trip to Costa Rica and we were very, very happy how the trip was planned and coordinated through our awesome travel agent, Randall! We had such a great time hiking, biking, zip-lining, touring and had spa time as well and it was due to Randall who is amazingly knowledgeable and very nice and helped us to maximize our time in the country. He made us feel very comfortable with the planning from beginning to end. He was so responsive always- and even while we were in Costa Rica. Quite simply Randall made this trip easy to plan and fun, fun, fun!! We knew what we wanted to do and he planned it and he was very professional all the way through as well answering and handling all of our questions and needs. I now will use KimKim for all our travel needs!! Thanks again Randall for making our trip so much fun! I highly recommend him!!

Deidre Collins

This was our first time to travel to Costa Rica and first time to try Kimkim.

We believe that our trip wouldn't have been as great if we didn't work with Adriana! She really was the hero of our trip!

Despite the short notice, Adriana delivered and amazing overall plan that made us enjoy Costa Rica to the fullest!

She was very great and fast in responding to our many requests and changes and was very accommodating of our demands.

We appreciated her help since we landed in the airport... read more

This was our first time to travel to Costa Rica and first time to try Kimkim.

We believe that our trip wouldn't have been as great if we didn't work with Adriana! She really was the hero of our trip!

Despite the short notice, Adriana delivered and amazing overall plan that made us enjoy Costa Rica to the fullest!

She was very great and fast in responding to our many requests and changes and was very accommodating of our demands.

We appreciated her help since we landed in the airport where we found the driver waiting for us outside, who later gave us a file that had all the detailed of the trip.

In summary, if you are traveling to Costa Rica, work with Adriana and you'll have a grunted fun and smooth travel.

Overall, the planning for the trip was done well. Monica was very good about answering questions and making changes as we did the plan. The activities were as expected.

It would have been helpful to have more information about what was involved in some of the activities. e.g. we arrived at Sky Park to find out that we were going on a 3-hour hike to the hanging bridges before the zipline. There was not a great deal to see on the hike. There was no time to eat before the zipline at... read more

Overall, the planning for the trip was done well. Monica was very good about answering questions and making changes as we did the plan. The activities were as expected.

It would have been helpful to have more information about what was involved in some of the activities. e.g. we arrived at Sky Park to find out that we were going on a 3-hour hike to the hanging bridges before the zipline. There was not a great deal to see on the hike. There was no time to eat before the zipline at 1:00, and 2 of our party were so tired or slightly ill that they didn't go. The ziplining was great for the 2 of us who went.

similarly, the instructions for what to bring could be clearer. It said to bring hiking shoes and a bathing suit for the river trip. We did not need either. Water shoes would have been better.

the tour to Manuel Antonio was well-done with an excellent guide. We were not quite prepared for the long wait to get into the park. Also, you might tell people to wear a bathing suit if they expect to swim. There is no place to change. The hike itself was great with lots of wildlife.

Monica helped us plan an absolutely amazing 10 day trip to Costa Rica for our anniversary. Her communication before and during our trip was excellent. The trip was truly perfect, from accommodations to activities-everything was top notch and exactly what we wanted had we planned it ourselves! We couldn’t be happier! Thank you so much Monica and Kimkim-we definitely plan to use your services again for our future international travels.

Sylvia and her team were Absolutely Fabulous Putting up with me when I was feeling anxious and my big suitcase BRILLIANT!!!!

Our trip to Costa Rica was expertly planned! We had some reservations about how to get around to different destinations and what logistically was possible to do within our travel dates. Olman our together a perfect trip that allowed for adventure, relaxation, all that you want in a vacation, but the best part is that we never needed to worry about any logistics about how to get to our destination, etc. it was all layed out for us, allowing us to truly be on vacation the whole experience. I would highly recommend working with Olman.

Overall, our trip to Costa Rica met our expectations, aside from a small number of issues.

First, the good news. Randall and the KimKim team did a great job of planning a nice itinerary, and the hotels and activities were very good. The people of Costa Rica were delightful, and we had a fun trip. We especially enjoyed the zip-lining and the white-water rafting. The toucans and monkeys at Tortuguero were awesome.

Now to the issues.

We had a miscommunication with Randall on the... read more

Overall, our trip to Costa Rica met our expectations, aside from a small number of issues.

First, the good news. Randall and the KimKim team did a great job of planning a nice itinerary, and the hotels and activities were very good. The people of Costa Rica were delightful, and we had a fun trip. We especially enjoyed the zip-lining and the white-water rafting. The toucans and monkeys at Tortuguero were awesome.

Now to the issues.

We had a miscommunication with Randall on the maximum luggage weight for our internal flights. We thought the 40 lb limit was just checked luggage and that we could also carry on up to 10 additional lbs. The reality was that 40 lbs was the total weight limit, including both checked and carry-on luggage. So, we ended up having to pay for extra weight on all internal flights. Also, the airline, SANSA, told us that several tour operators had special arrangements to allow for extra weight, but that our operator was unknown to them, so we felt let down by this situation. This was not a huge issue, but it was a hassle, and could have been avoided, we feel. We did have an e-mail exchange with Randall about weight limits prior to our trip, but as far as my e-mail record shows, my question about total weight was not clearly answered.

Second, on the morning/afternoon of February 14, KimKim had planned for us to have a tour of the Hanging Bridges and La Fortuna Waterfall, plus lunch. The lunch turned out to be at the same restaurant as the dinner they had planned the night before, and it would have been nice to have a different restaurant for variety. But the real issue was that KimKim had planned for us to have a second tour that day, starting at 3:10 PM: a hike to the base of Arenal. We were really looking forward to this second event, but the problem is that by the time we had finished lunch and got back to our hotel from the first planned activity, it was almost 5 PM! Aside from being too tired from the active morning events to do a hike to Arenal, we were way too late for the second event. So, we felt that they had tried to cram in too much on this day, and it was impossible to have both excursions. The bottom line is that this day was not well thought out and we had to miss a planned (and I assume, paid-for) excursion.

Third, I want to mention that several of the planned activities during our trip involved being picked up and dropped back off by busses that made the rounds to several hotels and thus were filled with many people requiring multiple stops that take a lot of time. It would have been nice to have had private cabs or other transport so we didn't have to wait for other people (both pick-up and drop-off) at other hotels. Although we were always ready early for pick-ups, other guests were late, and so the entire bus-load got delayed. Not fun.

Finally, the KimKIm description of the food tour in San Jose was way off: the food courses that we got were far fewer that described, and we were all hungry after the tour. For examples, the description we were provided by KimKim (and which we got before deciding to purchase this tour), said we would "..try a Costa Rican-style hamburger made with delicious homemade tomato and achiote bread." We did not have a hamburger at all during our tour. Additionally, we did not have a guaro tasting nor any sangria as described in the detailed itinerary. We even asked about the sangria and the guide said that would cost extra. There were other differences as well. Our guide did tell us that he was anxious to get home for a big soccer match that evening, so perhaps we got a shortened version of the tour, and we were too tired from our international flight that morning to push back. But since this was supposed to be our dinner, we missed out on most of the food we were expecting! Our guide was nice and informative, but the tour was certainly far less than what was described.

We spent 9 days in Costa Rica. This was our first visit. Randall at Coast to Coast Adventures and kimkim helped me customize the trip so we got to experience a bit of everything- city, volcano, rainforest, and beach.
We considered renting a car and doing the driving ourselves. I am so glad that Randall gently advised us to go with a driver, instead. The roads can be pretty rough.
Randall arranged all the accommodations, and we received a booklet of vouchers upon arrival for all the hotels... read more

We spent 9 days in Costa Rica. This was our first visit. Randall at Coast to Coast Adventures and kimkim helped me customize the trip so we got to experience a bit of everything- city, volcano, rainforest, and beach.
We considered renting a car and doing the driving ourselves. I am so glad that Randall gently advised us to go with a driver, instead. The roads can be pretty rough.
Randall arranged all the accommodations, and we received a booklet of vouchers upon arrival for all the hotels and activities, as well as a clear printed itinerary. Things were very well organized, and the drivers were all terrific. Every one of them showed up on time and gave us some great info about Costa Rica as well as more practical advice, such as where to eat.

We stayed at 4 different hotels. With the exception of one of them, they were lovely and comfortable. Even the sub-par hotel had a very friendly and helpful staff.

We did some hikes, visited the fabulous Tabacon Hot Springs, and went zip-lining for the first time. It was an amazing experience. The young guys at the Selvatura zip line were absolutely terrific. They calmed my jitters with their great instruction and terrific sense of humor. I felt perfectly safe, and the view was AWESOME!

Manuel Antonio National Park exceeded my expectations. I was concerned that it would be touristy and crowded. It certainly is a huge tourist attraction, and for good reason. The well maintained trails through the park make for a great way to see some fascinating wildlife. It is definitely worth it to go with a guide. And the beach at the park is fabulous. The crowds dissipate after a short while, and it is just a beautiful place to be.

The trip was for the most part very good. We were met upon arrival and taken to our overnight hotel in San Jose.

The private transfer (drive) to our main destibation point, Arenal, was great, the driver/guide (Jorge) suggested that we could visit a coffee plantation on our way and we took him up on that idea. It was great! (Dona Estate). We also stopped at La Paz Waterfall Gardens, and that was also great! Beautiful place, well worth the visit.

At Arenal, we did many things that had been... read more

The trip was for the most part very good. We were met upon arrival and taken to our overnight hotel in San Jose.

The private transfer (drive) to our main destibation point, Arenal, was great, the driver/guide (Jorge) suggested that we could visit a coffee plantation on our way and we took him up on that idea. It was great! (Dona Estate). We also stopped at La Paz Waterfall Gardens, and that was also great! Beautiful place, well worth the visit.

At Arenal, we did many things that had been planned as part of the trip. We did a Skywalk hike that included ‘hanging and suspension bridges and saw some wildlife. We later went on a pretty excited zip line through the mountains and valleys. We hiked close to the foot of Arenal Volcano and learned about the history of it. We kayaked on Arenal Lake next to the volcano. We went to a hot springs, which was wonderful and where we soaked our tired muscles.

Meals were also very good. We ate at one of our hotel’s (Arenal Volcano Inn) restaurants several times, as well as at Don Rufuno’s in the town of La Fortuna.

The only things that were not so great were internet connectivity in our hotel in Arenal (we had to go to the lobby and restaurant to get connected) and communication with our activities planner Carlos (We had some miscommunication and some activities had to be rescheduled). We had requested to stay at a hotel with a hot springs in Arenal, but didn’t get it. We wanted to spend more time at some hot springs, but had just one evening during our stay. Finally, we were a little disappointed with the lack of friendliness on the part of the guides working for Eco Terra. We did several things with them, including a trip to a waterfall in La Fortuna and private transfer (drive) back to San Jose from Arenal. They were a bit dismissive of us and did not interact with us much.

That said, Carlos was very professional in trying to arrange our (many) requests. But perhaps in future he could drop Eco Terra. The other companies (Sky Adventures, Adventuras Arenal) were great.

Best,
Cris

It was the perfect trip! I was amazed at how well organized it was. I felt really safe and taken care of. We got to see so much of Costa Rica with limited amount of time. Thank you!

So first off, thanks to Olman for his great service. The trip that was planned definitely met our expectations. Below is our point by point review:

Arrival: all good, driver was able to accommodate all of us even though one flight was quite delayed. Overnite stay in the Radisson was fine as well. Early pick-up and xfer to La Fortuna went very smoothly.

La Fortuna/Arenal: Casa Luna was VERY nice, the staff super friendly and helpful. A little far from the center of town but still we enjoyed... read more

So first off, thanks to Olman for his great service. The trip that was planned definitely met our expectations. Below is our point by point review:

Arrival: all good, driver was able to accommodate all of us even though one flight was quite delayed. Overnite stay in the Radisson was fine as well. Early pick-up and xfer to La Fortuna went very smoothly.

La Fortuna/Arenal: Casa Luna was VERY nice, the staff super friendly and helpful. A little far from the center of town but still we enjoyed our stay there. The tour of Arenal was fine as well. We organized another outing the following day thru the hotel.

Monteverde: Xfer to Monteverde by car-boat-car the next day was fine as well. The replacement hotel was adequate but nowhere near the standard of the Casa Luna or La Mariposa, so we were glad it was only a one nite stay. The ziplining was fantastic though wet. We skipped the tour afterwards as we did something similar on our own the previous day after our arrival. As a result, we left earlier than planned and Olman was great in helping with that change. The xfer the following day to Quepos was fine as well, the driver very helpful and stopped off at the crocodile bridge for us.

Quepos: La Mariposa was easily the hilite of the stay hotel-wise. Great rooms, great views, great food (great French-trained Costa Rican chef). Super friendly staff. The day after our arrival we went to Uvita to dive. The club was super well organized, the staff very well qualified, high quality equipment. Having said that, this is a dive organization for beginner divers. So they were not really equipped to deal with experienced divers with computers that needed to be installed (a bit our fault as well as we should have had our own tools to do that – but we did not expect that the center would not have the tools either – somewhat surprising). The boat ride out to/back from to Isla del Caño was really fun and the island lovely. The two dives, however, were average at best. The usual marine fauna which is always nice but the flora was non-existent – a very degraded underwater environment, comparable to the Mediterranean but clearly lacking when compared to places such as the Red Sea, Rangiroa or Indonesia. We would not recommend this activity to intermediate and above divers. Plus we found out the there was a dive club at the Quepos marina, not sure if the dives were any better but it would have saved us the 2-hour transit to Uvita.

The rest of the stay at La Mariposa was great. We organized a tour of Manuel Antonio the last day and that was very nice. We made some last-minute changes which appeared to give Amazilia Travel a few problems: we switched the return to San Jose from 10:30 to 11:00, no problem there. But we changed my return as follows: instead of returning to SJ with the other two, I decided to stay at La Mariposa one more nite and xfer to SJO the following pm via air. We asked Amazilia to make this change, but it seems to have been too much: the SJ hotel resa and city tour were cancelled (we assume), the air travel from Quepos to SJO was handled fine, but Amazilia forgot to book an extra nite at La Mairposa or book xfer from the hotel to the Quepos airstrip. Oops. Fortunately it was not an issue and I managed to do everything on my own (although the airport xfer was done in extremis). Then there is the matter of cost: the extra nite at La Mariposa was paid directly by me so no issue there. But the flight to SJO was $65 and the xfer to the Quepos airstrip was $20. Perhaps I have missed something there but that would appear to a less costly initiative than staying overnite in SJ and then taking an all-day city tour. So you may want to have someone look into that.

Overall, an extremely enjoyable experience, and we would definitely recommend kimkim to others. Thanks again.

Chris Welton

When my family decided we wanted to visit Costa Rica we were at lost to where to go and what to do until we discovered kimkim and decided to try it out after reading some very positive reviews. It was a great tool to use and it made paying for our trip very easy and I plan to use it again for future travel as it really is a great way to connect with a local expert in the country you plan to visit. They do not bombard you with tons of emails and when they send email they have some very... read more

When my family decided we wanted to visit Costa Rica we were at lost to where to go and what to do until we discovered kimkim and decided to try it out after reading some very positive reviews. It was a great tool to use and it made paying for our trip very easy and I plan to use it again for future travel as it really is a great way to connect with a local expert in the country you plan to visit. They do not bombard you with tons of emails and when they send email they have some very interesting ideas for travel in unique places.

Sylvia with Horizontes Travel was our Costa Rica specialist and she was able to craft an amazing trip four our family. She patiently worked with us until we had an itinerary that was what we wanted. She also called us a few days into our trip to make sure everything was ok and we had contact information to call Horizontes if we needed anything. There was a little problem with an incorrect pick-up time and Horizontes paid for our supper one night. Having not used kimkim and an out of country specialist we were a little nervous but from the time we arrived in Costa Rica we were blown away by the custom trip and we felt like royalty from the moment we arrived at the Liberia airport. We were greeted by a company representative who took us to our private transport with a welcome package and snacks and drinks for our voyage to Monteverde and the Fonda Vela Hotel which had a great buffet village and stunning views looking down to the gulf of Nicoya. The personal guided walk through the Children's Eternal Rainforest was very good and our guide Marcella with Ocotea tours was very knowledgable and we managed to see and learn about many of the cloud forest treasures. Another highlight was zip lining and the hanging bridges through the cloud forest with Sky Adventures. Next we went to Manuel Antonino and stayed at the Costa Verde Hotel with outstanding views of the national park and its beaches. We had a fantastic guided tour of Manuel Antonio park with Iguana Tours and our guide Andry was absolutely amazing, his passion for his work and skill for finding wildlife and talking up the treasures was awesome. From Manuel Antonio we went to Arenal La Fortuna and stayed at the Arenal Manoa Hotel. A little isolating location if you didn't have your own vehicle but views of the Arenal Volcano were amazing and the grounds of the hotel were gorgeous. Highlights were to the Rainforest Chocolate experience and the guide Chapo was very funny and informative. Rafting the Balsa river with Wave rafting and our boat guide Horacio was very fun afternoon and a highlight. Canyoning with PureTrek canyoning was excellent and the staff helped my youngest daughter calm her fears of rappelling so that she had a fantastic time. We went to Rincon de la Vieja and stayed at the Hacienda Guachipelin and we did the 1 day adventure pass with horse back riding, river tubing, zip lining a canyon and finishing with a soak in volcanic hot springs. The staff for the adventure were excellent and we had guided tour of butterfly gardens and serpentarium. We capped off our 20 day visit to Costa Rica at the fantastic Tamarindo beach and stayed at the amazing Tamarindo Diria Beach resort.

All of our transportation to the different areas we visited were with very safe and conscientious drivers. The transportation was always on time. The vehicles were spotlessly clean and the drivers would usually point out points of interest and stop when asked. Rene from Jacamar Naturalist Tours was a great ambassador for Costa Rica explaining interesting things about Guanacaste province and life in Costa Rica.

We thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Costa Rica and we couldn't be happier with the personalized trip that Sylvia created for us and I would highly recommend her to anyone looking to travel to Costa Rica and I am trying to get my parents to plan a trip through her for next year.

We really enjoyed Monteverde forest walk and zip lining. The sloth trial was amazing and the guide there was super knowledgeable but low key. Traffic was horrendous, so hats off to our drivers who dealt deftly with the mayhem.

The trip conformed well to what I had desired to do. the hotel accommodations were good, the shuttle buses were exactly on time and took me to where I needed to go. All in all I was very pleased with the service.

We spent two weeks traveling around to multiple areas in Costa Rica. Randall helped us with a tremendous itinerary enjoying different climates and activities along the way. Some of the recommendations for dining were expensive and we didn't go to them as there were many choices available in each town. Beware the tour to Osa Pennisula is very remote, don't compare the accommodations to your standards! Drake Bay has only had electricity since 2007 and building codes are something they are not familiar with. That said, it was perfect and unspoiled.

The trip was marvelous. Yenyi was very responsive, attentive and made a real effort to understand what we were looking for and arrange it for us.
Our particular favorites were the all day ride through the countryside around Monteverde with Horse Trek Monteverde. Flavio, who rode with us, was friendly and informative and pleasure to spend the day with. The owner, Marvin, was very generous in showing us the stable and his horses at the beginning of the day. He is a skilled, knowledgeable,... read more

The trip was marvelous. Yenyi was very responsive, attentive and made a real effort to understand what we were looking for and arrange it for us.
Our particular favorites were the all day ride through the countryside around Monteverde with Horse Trek Monteverde. Flavio, who rode with us, was friendly and informative and pleasure to spend the day with. The owner, Marvin, was very generous in showing us the stable and his horses at the beginning of the day. He is a skilled, knowledgeable, passionate, charismatic horseman and was incredibly fun to talk to. And, the country side was magnificent!
Another highlight was a rafting trip in the tenerio area which was super fun with a great guide.
With one small exception which was quickly remedied, all of the plans and pick ups worked perfectly.
Thanks, Yenyi!

There was an issue with one of our excursions in Monteverde where the sky adventures park never received the reservation from desafio tour company and we had to reschedule the tour, which was a little disappointing

Carlos was very communicative with us and flexible. He made our itinerary changes whenever we requested them and did his best to accommodate our schedule and interests. He made himself available via text message as soon as we arrived and was very helpful whenever I needed some local advice.

We had an absolutely wonderful time in Costa Rica. All the events and lodging were impeccably planned and were first rate. All of our prearranged transportation was on time and friendly. We could not have had a smoother or more enjoyable vacation and we would use kimkim again in a heartbeat!

The trip was well-planned by KimKim staff, and was very enjoyable. The few snags we ran into were quickly corrected. Randall was very attentive.

We especially enjoyed our time in Monteverde, perhaps because the chilly wind and clouds are what we're accustomed to in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. The day at Selvatura was fabulous - the nature hike, led by Juan, introduced us to many plants and symbiotic systems. Zip-lining was fabulous (team of about a dozen energetic guides). Grace and... read more

The trip was well-planned by KimKim staff, and was very enjoyable. The few snags we ran into were quickly corrected. Randall was very attentive.

We especially enjoyed our time in Monteverde, perhaps because the chilly wind and clouds are what we're accustomed to in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. The day at Selvatura was fabulous - the nature hike, led by Juan, introduced us to many plants and symbiotic systems. Zip-lining was fabulous (team of about a dozen energetic guides). Grace and Renzo were excellent hosts at El Viandante, and gave very helpful advice on getting around the town.

We also enjoyed the hike at Volcan Arenal, led by Esteban. Our driver kindly stopped the van on the drive there so we could see howler monkeys and coati. Jimmy, another driver, was happy to answer our many questions, and he stopped so we could see a sloth up close at a produce stand. The chocolate-making tour and Proyecto Asis were interesting (guides Kyle (?) and Hector, respectively).

At Manuel Antonio we loved seeing all the animals right outside our hotel room. We never tired of watching iguanas and birds. Our tour of the national park, on Christmas Day, was too crowded to properly enjoy it. Our guide, Milo, was very good.

Rancho Corcovado was complicated. Our itinerary did not specify how we were to get from Sierpe to Rancho Corcovado, and our driver did not know where to leave us. When he learned where we would be staying, he knew which of the two boat landings we needed to get to. But we didn't know when our boat would arrive or how to recognize it. Between Randall's help and a call to the hotel, we got there. Boating on the river was pleasant, but getting through the surf was scary and unexpected (it took the driver two tries to make it through the waves). The hotel room had either no hot water, or scalding water. Sometimes no water at all. The food was very good, the trip to P. N. Corcovado was wonderful (Luis was an excellent guide) and the snorkeling was spectacular (excellent guides - Carol and a woman whose name I did not catch). There was an upsetting incident one night when angry people visited our next-door neighbors. All in all, the trip to Corcovado involved very good times and the least pleasant times, as well.

Our drivers were all good - Ricardo, Christian, Andres. The Hotel Don Carlos was a lovely secluded place in San Jose. We found a very good lunch at Cafe Rojo near the hotel, and spent a pleasant morning at Zoologico y Jardin Botanico Nacional.

We had a wonderful experience booking through KimKim and Adriana for our 10-day Honeymoon to Costa Rica! Adriana was professional, responsive and accommodating. We wanted a mix of adventurous yet relaxing, cultural but touristy, romantic but casual, and Adriana planned THE perfect vacation for us. My only hiccup was not receiving our arrival packets 2 days before our departure, as noted, but someone else from the KimKim team stepped up and responded to our message stating that Adriana out of... read more

We had a wonderful experience booking through KimKim and Adriana for our 10-day Honeymoon to Costa Rica! Adriana was professional, responsive and accommodating. We wanted a mix of adventurous yet relaxing, cultural but touristy, romantic but casual, and Adriana planned THE perfect vacation for us. My only hiccup was not receiving our arrival packets 2 days before our departure, as noted, but someone else from the KimKim team stepped up and responded to our message stating that Adriana out of the office. Those thoughts when booking through a website always pop into your head, "What if no one shows to pick us up? What if this is too good to be true?", but we truly felt both safe and taken care of upon arrival - in the shuttles, at the hotels and everywhere in between. We flew into San Jose with an overnight stay, then spent 2 nights in La Fortuna, 2 nights in Monteverde and 3 nights in Manuel Antonio. During our trip we hiked a volcano, swam in a natural hot spring, went ziplining, took a sunset/snorkling catamaran, visited a National Park and somehow still had plenty of time to sit by the pool and ocean to rest. Our activities were perfectly spaced out, allowing us enough time to not feel rushed with travel, check-in or excursions. Our transportation to and from the airport as well as to each city and excursion was timely, professional and labeled with their respective companies. Some of our favorite parts of the trip were simply traveling between cities! Our guides were knowledgeable, fun and even gave us suggestions for local cuisine and hang out spots. Thank you to KimKim & Adriana for helping us create such a memorable trip, we will be booking again in the near future!

We had an amazing adventure trip from start to finish.
Great communication from Rendell who took on board what we wanted to do. It was far better than we expected.
Fez our guide was absolutely fantastic along with our drivers and extra guides especially Martine who guided us on our long hike.
All food, all accommodation was brilliant.
Everyone was so friendly and made our trip truly wonderful. Thank you all at coast to coast.

Always available
Can make things happen for you
Tailored needs
books only with most reliable companies and guides
Overall I would suggest Carlos for my friends and families.

This was an incredible trip all thanks to Adriana! I was able to see so much of Costa Rica and enjoy the unique vistas and wildlife experiences that only this country can offer. I feel like I was able to get off the beaten path a little bit and really experience the country. From relaxing in hot springs in Arenal to gliding through the Monteverde canopy on a zipline, to watching dolphins play behind our catamaran on a sunset cruise in Manuel Antonio, Adriana took care of all of the back stage logistics so that I could focus completely on living Pura Vida.

The trip was terrific and we had a great time. Beautiful country and hospitable people. THe hotels and the activities (ziplining, white water rafting, hikes with guides) were fascinating and run by knowledgeable experts.

This is the second time we have used kimkim and would readily use your services again. Bill

Everything was very well organised from the time we arrived in Costa Rica to the moment we were taken to the airport for our return home. Randall listened to what we wanted and came up with a trip that suited all of us in the timescale that we had. We enjoyed staying in all different types of accommodation from hotels, lodges, a boardinghouse and campsites. Some of the best meals we had were home cooked, using fresh local produce. It was a great way of seeing this amazing country, the... read more

Everything was very well organised from the time we arrived in Costa Rica to the moment we were taken to the airport for our return home. Randall listened to what we wanted and came up with a trip that suited all of us in the timescale that we had. We enjoyed staying in all different types of accommodation from hotels, lodges, a boardinghouse and campsites. Some of the best meals we had were home cooked, using fresh local produce. It was a great way of seeing this amazing country, the activities were far from easy (cycling, hiking and rafting) but we had a real sense of achievement when we reached the end. Fez was an excellent guide, full of knowledge as well as being encouraging and understanding. He made sure we always had everything we needed and was happy to arrange any other activities we wanted to do. He always had time to chat, joined in with card games in the evening and generally made us all feel welcome.
I would thoroughly recommend this holiday to anyone looking for a more active break, I never thought I would be cycling through a banana plantation and crossing bridges and rivers or hiking through a jungle but the scenery is breathtaking and all the animals you see along the way is an added bonus.

Thank you so much kimkim for connecting us with Sylvia. She helped us put together a magical adventure in Costa Rica. It really was the trip of a lifetime with my son and daughter-in-law. With Sylvia's guidance we had a diverse itinerary chock full of adventure that immersed us in the beauty and culture of this most amazing country. Sylvia was very responsive on the kimkim platform and arranged for several phone conferences during our planning stages. She listened to our preferences and... read more

Thank you so much kimkim for connecting us with Sylvia. She helped us put together a magical adventure in Costa Rica. It really was the trip of a lifetime with my son and daughter-in-law. With Sylvia's guidance we had a diverse itinerary chock full of adventure that immersed us in the beauty and culture of this most amazing country. Sylvia was very responsive on the kimkim platform and arranged for several phone conferences during our planning stages. She listened to our preferences and several times we tweaked and fine tuned the itinerary to get the experience we wanted. When we were "in country" she was available to help us with any issues that arose. We enjoyed private transport the entire trip, and the drivers and ALL the guides were friendly and extremely knowledgeable. Pura Vida!!
Gracias kimkim.
Gracias Sylvia.

What an incredible first time ever experience with a travel agency and to luck upon Kimkim and Yenyi in particular was a real dream come true. Yenyi was available 24:7; was incredibly resourceful and pleasant all at the same time. Her ideas and creativity made our excursion to Costa Rica an incredible vacation. It's not easy traveling with almost grown children but Yenyi made suggestions (including separate rooms) and fun activities like rafting into and out of an eco lodge one of the best... read more

What an incredible first time ever experience with a travel agency and to luck upon Kimkim and Yenyi in particular was a real dream come true. Yenyi was available 24:7; was incredibly resourceful and pleasant all at the same time. Her ideas and creativity made our excursion to Costa Rica an incredible vacation. It's not easy traveling with almost grown children but Yenyi made suggestions (including separate rooms) and fun activities like rafting into and out of an eco lodge one of the best family experiences ever. She and Kimkim are the true dream makers. Thank you Yenyi (and Kim Kim) we won't travel anywhere without you!

Our Costa Rica trip was awesome and excellently put together and organized by Randall. Everything went exactly according to plan and the quality of the guides on the various tours and activities were first class.
Everything from our pick up at the airport, to our final drop off was precisely on time and all guides and drivers spoke excellent English which made communication so much easier.
We have absolutely no issues or complaints regarding any aspect of the trip and would absolutely recommend kimkim to anyone seeking a high quality tailor made trip to an exotic destination.

Trip was 12 days (month of March) for a family of four including two teenage girls. We flew in and out of Liberia and spent time in Rio Celeste, La Fortuna/Arenal, Monte Verde, Nosara and then just north of Tamarindo. Yenyi was fantastic in helping to plan the itinerary and activities from the beginning to the very end with a wonderful attention to detail. It was an interactive process and Yenyi's patience, resourcefulness and willing to answer or investigate all o four questions was a... read more

Trip was 12 days (month of March) for a family of four including two teenage girls. We flew in and out of Liberia and spent time in Rio Celeste, La Fortuna/Arenal, Monte Verde, Nosara and then just north of Tamarindo. Yenyi was fantastic in helping to plan the itinerary and activities from the beginning to the very end with a wonderful attention to detail. It was an interactive process and Yenyi's patience, resourcefulness and willing to answer or investigate all o four questions was a wonderful asset. Our family trip was an activity packed adventure by choice that included hiking, swimming, waterfalls, rainforest, volcanoes, zip lining, jet skis, canopy bridges, white water rafting, surfing, fishing and driving Costa Rica's roads the entire way (SUV w/ 4WD required). A truly fantastic and memorable experience with most activities organized by Desafio - a first class company whose guides and staff were wonderful to interact with - highly recommend both Desafio and kimkim for planning your next visit to CR.

Randall and Kim Kim planned the perfect trip for my family of myself, my husband and three grown kids. It was just the right mix of adventure, exercise, nature, discovery and relaxation.

We particularly enjoyed the Mistico hanging bridges tour with Carlos (of Pura Vida Tours) near the Arenal Volcano area, which included seeing monkeys, snakes, tarantulas and so much beautiful scenery.

We also really liked our raft trip in that same area with George "2" as our guide from Canoa... read more

Randall and Kim Kim planned the perfect trip for my family of myself, my husband and three grown kids. It was just the right mix of adventure, exercise, nature, discovery and relaxation.

We particularly enjoyed the Mistico hanging bridges tour with Carlos (of Pura Vida Tours) near the Arenal Volcano area, which included seeing monkeys, snakes, tarantulas and so much beautiful scenery.

We also really liked our raft trip in that same area with George "2" as our guide from Canoa Aventura. He was a pro at spotting all kinds of wildlife including fascinating birds, monkeys and even a crocodile. He was very knowledgeable and accommodating.

One of my favorite places was Tabacon hot springs. I wish we had gotten there earlier in the day so we could see it in the daylight, but even sitting in the hot river and pools at night was wonderful! I wish I had known to bring water shoes here, the bottom is rocky.

We loved our hotel, Montana de Fuego, with lovely pools, spa and individual bungalows overlooking the volcano. The staff there was very helpful and friendly, especially Veronica.

Our two days in the Monteverde Cloud Forest were also fun and fascinating.
One of our favorite activities was the zip line tour at Selvatura park. Even my husband who is afraid of heights felt secure enough to do the zip lines. This is a huge and very well run operation and even with lots of tourists they moved us through quickly and safely. It was amazing "flying" over the forest. We also took the short butterfly walk there which was interesting and the butterflies were incredibly beautiful and even landed on your hand if you were still enough.

We took a night hike with a guide at the Monteverde Wildlife Reserve and got to see a sloth in (slow) motion thanks to the eagle eye and strong flashlight of our guide there.
Our final day was a nature hike with Javier of Monteverde Experts, and he certainly was one. He knew every tree, every bird, every reptile and again helped us spot a sloth high up in the canopy.

And finally, we took several lovely drives with the Coast to Coast driver, Jose, who navigated very bumpy roads and long distances with a happy attitude and willingness to answer all questions and stop whenever we wanted to take photos.
This was really a fantastic Costa Rican advanture.

Except one Hotel, all Hotels we stayed at were below average, I imagine that is because we booked only 6 to 8 weeks before the trip(?).

All adventure trips that were booked were very good.

In some places, reservations were made in local specialist name and the vendors had a tough time looking up the customer's name and only to realize it is in the travel specialist name.

Overall, Costa Rica experience was above average.

We stumbled upon KimKim while looking for ideas for our Costa Rica trip. By the end of the trip, we were completely glad for going ahead with KimKim to plan the trip. KimKim was very prompt in coming up with the itinerary and the costs. Our local specialist, Carlos, was very helpful in answering all our questions in a short time. Carlos was able to adjust the itinerary according to our needs and plans. The hotels that they chose were just perfect for our budget and needs. Our driver/guide in... read more

We stumbled upon KimKim while looking for ideas for our Costa Rica trip. By the end of the trip, we were completely glad for going ahead with KimKim to plan the trip. KimKim was very prompt in coming up with the itinerary and the costs. Our local specialist, Carlos, was very helpful in answering all our questions in a short time. Carlos was able to adjust the itinerary according to our needs and plans. The hotels that they chose were just perfect for our budget and needs. Our driver/guide in Costa Rica, Sergio, was super helpful and very knowledgable about the local stuff - food, culture, local things to do, etc. Sergio went out of his way a couple of times to help us with local shopping. I definitely recommend the KimKim team and Sergio for planning any trips to Costa Rica.

I did some research on the Internet on where to go in Costa Rica, gave Kimkim my preferences and date of arrival/departure. Randall took it over from there and came up with a perfect itinerary for us.

Before we left we received the detailed itinerary from kimkim, airport pick up was on time, as well as the rest of the private transport pickup. Hotels were clean and comfortable, the guides were knowledgeable and friendly. No complaints whatsoever.

Highly recommended.

I couldn't be happier with my experience. Sylvia is great to work with and helped me plan my perfect trip.

I looked at a few of the ready made trips on Kim Kim to get an idea of what I wanted. Then I reached out to Sylvia. We set up a phone call. She offered suggestions and I told her what I was interested in doing. We had a few back and forths before we settled on my ideal itinerary. The whole thing was super easy!

Before we left: We had a flight change and Sylvia was able to make a few... read more

I couldn't be happier with my experience. Sylvia is great to work with and helped me plan my perfect trip.

I looked at a few of the ready made trips on Kim Kim to get an idea of what I wanted. Then I reached out to Sylvia. We set up a phone call. She offered suggestions and I told her what I was interested in doing. We had a few back and forths before we settled on my ideal itinerary. The whole thing was super easy!

Before we left: We had a flight change and Sylvia was able to make a few adjustments to our trip. Again, all seamless on my end. We were also provided a detailed itinerary which included recommended items to bring each event.

Things were great from the moment we arrived in Costa Rica. Someone met us at arrivals and explained our transportation to our hotel. Sylvia, and Horizontes, arranged all of our transportation to each different city. We decided on doing quite a few tours and all we had to do was be at a designated spot at a specific time. We did canyoning, hot springs, hiking, nature walks sky walk and a coffee tour. Everyone was so nice and helpful and all of the guides were extremely knowledgeable. Also, everyone was punctual so we never had to wait and wonder where our ride was. While in country, we had a WhatsApp phone number we could text 24/7 in case we had any questions. This is great because our phone service wasn't reliable all the time. Responses were always very timely.

Horizontes even arranged for our original driver from the airport to be our final driver back to the airport. It was a nice touch.

Things I would do differently - I'll start by saying this trip is EXACTLY what I asked for. This is my first time using a travel agent and I didn't think to ask some questions. So this is more for anyone else who is a first timer. One hike, which I specifically requested, was about 1.5 hours from town so it made for a long day. The hike was beautiful, but we probably wouldn't have done it if we knew we'd be in a vehicle for 3 hours. Next time, I'll ask about time and distance. The only other thing I'd probably request is a range of hotels. Again, we got exactly what we asked for but next time I'll ask to see one in each category.

I would definitely recommend Sylvia to anybody looking to plan their Costa Rica trip.

Monica did a great job organizing all our transport including transfers, flight, and set up with a rental car, making it easy and stress free to get from place to place. Our favorite parts of the trip were staying in Bahia Drake to explore the deserted beaches in our free time and exploring the cloud forests in Monteverde and Santa Elena. The freebie from Kim Kim to Tabacon Hot Springs in Arenal was also much appreciated at the end of the trip :) All the staff at the hotels were friendly and accommodating. It was a great trip!

Working with Adreana was a pleasure. She kept modifying the plan based on my comments to get me the perfect trip.
When we went there everything was organized and on time, all the guides spoke english and were very knowledgeable.
Thank you Adriana and Amazelia for making it a great vacation.

Olman was amazing to work with, he was very responsive and everything he planned for my trip to Costa Rica was exactly what I wanted, from hotels to activities! My trip was filled with activities and fun memories yet relaxing. And the hotel I stayed at had amazing views and service. I wouldn’t be able to plan this trip myself in such short time. I highly recommend Olman!!

Olman was very responsive and incredibly helpful in organising our trip at short notice. Would have appreciated a little more information about the tours that were being booked but they turned out excellently. We had a terrific holiday and really loved all the hotels and tours that were booked for us.

We just finished our amazing honeymoon in Costa Rica! And have to say that Randall was an absolute pleasure to work with - he made the process so easy to book and really worked with us to plan a great honeymoon!

We landed in San Jose and a drive met us at the airport right away to take us to our hotel. Everything was laid out and organized for us which was fantastic! In the morning we were picked up for the drive to La Fortuna. The one thing I would recommend is for future visits to let... read more

We just finished our amazing honeymoon in Costa Rica! And have to say that Randall was an absolute pleasure to work with - he made the process so easy to book and really worked with us to plan a great honeymoon!

We landed in San Jose and a drive met us at the airport right away to take us to our hotel. Everything was laid out and organized for us which was fantastic! In the morning we were picked up for the drive to La Fortuna. The one thing I would recommend is for future visits to let visitors know the length of time for the drives we had no idea and found ourselves on 3-4 hours drives (which we didn’t mind, but would have packed some snacks!). Our accommodations were stunning in
La Fortuna we stayed at the beautiful Tabacon. Our white water rafting trip was amazing and the local farm they took us to for lunch was an amazing highlight. Wave Expeditions are amazing and we highly recommend you book with them if wanting to do a white water tour. Very thorough in safety recommendations, good equipment, great guides and an amazing experience. We also went on the Volcano hike - although really interesting we found that our guide wasn’t that engaged in the hike and didn’t realize we were the last hike of the day so all of the animals were tucked away (I would recommend making sure you get an early tour if you do this hike). We would have loved to do the hanging bridges and ziplining here but unfortunately we didn’t.

We then went to Monteverde which was amazing! Wow is all we can say when thinking about Monteverde Lodge and Gardens. The lodge itself was amazing, the gardens spectacular and we had a great corner balcony room. It is also amazing that they have a butterfly garden in the hotel! The staff was amazing and surprised us with a dinner in the butterfly garden for our honeymoon. We also did the Cloud forest hike with Monteverde Experts - amazing tour guide. He was so passionate and really took his time to show us everything - if you do this excursion make sure to use this company. We also did horse back riding which we weren’t too crazy about - it was again the last tour of the day we found our horses to be tired and barely moving and again not much to see. Our guides also didnt explain much to us - in hindsight we would have omitted this although we did request for it to be booked and would have rathered book the hanging bridges etc.

We then made the trip to Manuel Antonio - which was an incredibly long drive 7 hours when it was supposed to be nor more than 4. Although this was a slight setback we fell in love with Manuel Antonio right away. We stayed at Makanda which is an amazing resort with amazing staff- we were treated like royalty and would highly recommend staying here. We visited a local beach recommended by one of the staff members at Makanda and loved it and also visited Ronny’s Place (amazing dinner venue with incredible sunset view), Emilo’s Cafe (amazing seafood) and The Wagon (amazing pizza). We had a tour organized for Sea kayaking and snorkelling - although we enjoyed this (physically challenging) our tour guide wasn’t the greatest he indicated he was feeling under the weather and stayed in his kayak while pointing at a rock we should swim towards to see fish, we would have liked to have someone in the water to tell us what we were looking at. He also told us we need to be back in the kayaks in 20 minutes and then proceeded to paddle back. We had thought this would be an entire morning event as indicated on our itinerary but ended up having our kayak, snorkel and lunch all by 11:30 am...in hindsight we would have either booked through a different company, done a different excursion or discovered more of Manuel Antonio on our own. Despite this we still loved the snorkelling but would recommend that they get new life jackets and clean their snorkels.

Randall was amazing to work with and we thoroughly enjoyed booking through KimKim they made the process so easy for us and would absolutely use them again if booking another trip to Costa Rica. Thanks Randall for all of your hard work and being so helpful with organizing our honeymoon!

Yenyi was patient as we went through multiple iterations of the itinerary to settle on one that included something for everyone in the family.

Costa rica as a country is a must visit.

Pros: very friendly people , the food is a gastronomic delight , attractions are breathtaking, the place is squeaky clean and yes you can drink tap water !

Cons: Knowing spanish is a huge plus, It's about 30-40% more expensive than neighbours(Mexico, Cuba etc) but well worth it.

The easiest experience ever! First time using kim kim and would definitely use it again! Adriana was my specialist/travel agent. She was a pro and knew exactly what i wanted to do. The hotels books were very nice and the activities were everything we expected. My favorite part was the white water rafting! Over all happy and easy experience.

We had a great trip despite the driver being 20 minutes late to pick us up at the airport. The Holiday Day Inn in San Jose wasn't anywhere near a 4-5 star hotel but was fine.

Rafting with Wave Company in La Fortuna was a great. The Baldi Hotel/Springs was nice but they had constructions going on the entire time we were there which was loud.

Ziplining (forget the company) in Fortuna was aweseome, small outfitter with great guides.

The Hanging Bridges at Mystic was great but could do... read more

We had a great trip despite the driver being 20 minutes late to pick us up at the airport. The Holiday Day Inn in San Jose wasn't anywhere near a 4-5 star hotel but was fine.

Rafting with Wave Company in La Fortuna was a great. The Baldi Hotel/Springs was nice but they had constructions going on the entire time we were there which was loud.

Ziplining (forget the company) in Fortuna was aweseome, small outfitter with great guides.

The Hanging Bridges at Mystic was great but could do without the walk down to the waterfall as the crowds were a real turn off.

Biking with Arenal Bike Company was nice.

Monteverde Lodge and Garden was really nice, very quiet and the grounds were impressive and the proximity to town was ideal for walking to restaurants.

We opted for another zipline which we booked through the hotel, Sky Adventure would have been fine but nobody mentioned how cold it would at that high location.

The horseback riding was one of our favorite tours, we had a private guide which made a huge difference.

Si Como No was a huge hit with my daughter. The only tour we had was to the Manual Antonio Park was fine but could didn't care for the crowds.

Randall did a great job but would have appreciated a bit more information on what to expect on each tour and how long each tour would last. Aside from that, he did a great job.

Everything was well planned out for us which made the trip so easy. We had a few challenges with the EcoLodge in LaFortuna - while breakfasts were excellent , the lunch we had there was BAD, fish was old and made our stomach upset. Also the hair dryer burst into flames while in use. The receptionist had the hair dryer replaced but we were nervous about the electrical outlet being hazardous and were unwilling to use any others nor would we use the replacement hair dryer - there were NO... read more

Everything was well planned out for us which made the trip so easy. We had a few challenges with the EcoLodge in LaFortuna - while breakfasts were excellent , the lunch we had there was BAD, fish was old and made our stomach upset. Also the hair dryer burst into flames while in use. The receptionist had the hair dryer replaced but we were nervous about the electrical outlet being hazardous and were unwilling to use any others nor would we use the replacement hair dryer - there were NO compensation offered for this. All other hotels had no issues and were very nice. All excursions were enjoyed ( rafting, zip-lining, nature tour, boat tour/snorkeling, turtle watch). The nature walk in Monteverde was nice - however the tour was regarding plants, insects, and birds and we'd asked to see wildlife (sloths, monkeys, tucans, mackaws) so that was a let down - park informed us we should have been signed up for a night tour to see that. I'm glad Monica really encouraged us to get the hot spot Wi-Fi and the GPS - they were extremely beneficial!

My daughter and I very much enjoyed the trip planned for us by Sylvia which met our interests and our budget. All of the tours were great (cacao farm, waterfall, hanging bridges) and the guides and drivers were excellent. Despite a bit of traffic noise, we also appreciated the lovely views at each of our accommodations. At our first resort near La Fortuna, we had a direct view of the Arenal Volcano, lush vegetation and colourful birds from the patio of our cabina. At our second resort in... read more

My daughter and I very much enjoyed the trip planned for us by Sylvia which met our interests and our budget. All of the tours were great (cacao farm, waterfall, hanging bridges) and the guides and drivers were excellent. Despite a bit of traffic noise, we also appreciated the lovely views at each of our accommodations. At our first resort near La Fortuna, we had a direct view of the Arenal Volcano, lush vegetation and colourful birds from the patio of our cabina. At our second resort in Tamarindo, we had a beautiful view of palm trees, the beach and the Pacific Ocean from the balcony of our low rise hotel. The staff we met at each resort were terrific and we spent many enjoyable moments chatting with them.

Great trip but missing voucher so did not know the plans for the big birthday day. Had to make other plans.

We were very pleased by the places and lodging chosen for us by John. We particularly loved the remoteness of Mawumba Lodge and then later the accessibility of Shahwamda Lodge to to the Jaguar Rescue Center, where we were able to see baby sloths, and eat the best swordfish ever at Pura Gula restaurant. Our guide Umberto was professional and knowledgeable, and our drivers--Ronnie, Patricia, and Jose--were wonderful ambassadors of their country.

Our trip to Costa Rica was amazing thanks to kimkim. We had no idea what to expect and from the moment we were picked up in the airport, we new we made the right choice. A representative greeted us and introduced us to our driver & from that moment on it was a carefree and memorable vacation. Our trip guide helped us plan it from beginning to end! Customizing it to our liking every step of the way. (If you will be visiting, make sure to check out La Fortuna waterfall...it is absolutely... read more

Our trip to Costa Rica was amazing thanks to kimkim. We had no idea what to expect and from the moment we were picked up in the airport, we new we made the right choice. A representative greeted us and introduced us to our driver & from that moment on it was a carefree and memorable vacation. Our trip guide helped us plan it from beginning to end! Customizing it to our liking every step of the way. (If you will be visiting, make sure to check out La Fortuna waterfall...it is absolutely breathtaking!) This was our first time using kimkim, but after the service they provided...it won't be our last! I already started spreading the word to my family and friends about kimkim!!

The entire experience of working with Kim Kim was terrific. I was able to customize a plan that included all of the activities my family wanted to do in Costa Rica. In country, every single driver, guide, etc was very punctual. We never had to wait for anything and all of the activities we planned were excellent. We loved stand up paddle boarding in Lake Arenal, zip lining in the cloud forest, and playing at the beach in Manual Antonio. The company Desafio was especially fun for our... read more

The entire experience of working with Kim Kim was terrific. I was able to customize a plan that included all of the activities my family wanted to do in Costa Rica. In country, every single driver, guide, etc was very punctual. We never had to wait for anything and all of the activities we planned were excellent. We loved stand up paddle boarding in Lake Arenal, zip lining in the cloud forest, and playing at the beach in Manual Antonio. The company Desafio was especially fun for our excursions in Arenal. Two out of the three hotels were great- clean, convenient, and comfortable. The third hotel was not exactly up to the standards we were hoping for so we were disappointed there. But overall, the trip was so memorable and I would recommend the use of Kim Kim to anyone wanting to plan a trip to Costa Rica.

The booking process was easy; Randall was very responsive and able to fulfill all our requests. All activities were well organized and transfers ran smoothly. Costa Rica's beauty takes your breath away! Our Tortuguero guide Rolando from the Laguna Lodge hotel was one of the best ones we've ever had. We even saw a giant sea turtle lay eggs - such a wonderful experience. Thank you!

I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to Costa Rica. I was looking for a nice blend of nature, adventure, beaches, nightlife and relaxation ... and this trip offered exactly what I was looking for. I booked with relatively short notice and didn't really have the time to research in advance. Fortunately, the local specialist Randall asked what I was looking for and customised an awesome trip. From the moment I arrived to the moment I left, everything was planned and scheduled (including pick-ups,... read more

I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to Costa Rica. I was looking for a nice blend of nature, adventure, beaches, nightlife and relaxation ... and this trip offered exactly what I was looking for. I booked with relatively short notice and didn't really have the time to research in advance. Fortunately, the local specialist Randall asked what I was looking for and customised an awesome trip. From the moment I arrived to the moment I left, everything was planned and scheduled (including pick-ups, drop offs, hotels, trips, meals etc). I was also given a detailed trip plan upon arrival meaning that I knew exactly where I had to be and when. In the end, I experienced many of the things Costa Rica had to offer and had a fantastic time. I would very much recommend kimkim.

Sofia was the person in charge of organising our 2 week trip to Costa Rica. She met all of our requirements excellently and all the hotels, guides and tours she had recommended were exceptionally good. She was caring throughout the whole trip and worried about us and solved any issues we could have - which were close to none.
Thank you for an amazing trip! We will most certainly take into account your travel agency for future holidays!!

Marina & Margarita.

Trip to Costa Rica - 7/17/18 - 8/2/18 for 7 people, 4 adults and 3 children (ages 10, 12 & 14)

This was our first trip using the KimKim service, which I found through online research. Overall the tools were easy to use and the communication worked great and without problems. I would recommend it and will use it again.
Our trip in country was planned by Sylvia and she did an outstanding job. We stayed 1 night in San Jose, then due to some Caribbean storms, she did a quick switch for us... read more

Trip to Costa Rica - 7/17/18 - 8/2/18 for 7 people, 4 adults and 3 children (ages 10, 12 & 14)

This was our first trip using the KimKim service, which I found through online research. Overall the tools were easy to use and the communication worked great and without problems. I would recommend it and will use it again.
Our trip in country was planned by Sylvia and she did an outstanding job. We stayed 1 night in San Jose, then due to some Caribbean storms, she did a quick switch for us from Tortugero to Rancho Humo on the Nicoya Peninsula. We stayed there 2 nights and then went to Arenal for 3 nights, Monteverde for 3 nights and then 6 nights at the Westin n Playa Conchal. We did not want to be part of a large tour group, so Sylvia arranged for us to have our own transportation, drivers and tour guides for every part of the trip including 8 or 9 excursions which she did a great job with the planning. Every part of it went flawlessly and she even arranged to have a birthday cake delivered in Monteverde for our nephew who was turning 12! Every hotel met our expectations (Rancho Humo, Arena Manoa, La FondaVela, and the Westin) and we all felt that all the excursions were worth it and helped us learn more about Costa Rica. I would highly recommend Sylvia.

Sylvia is amazing! She is pleasant and easy to work with. We missed our flight and Sylvia rearranged pick-up and transfers from the airport with no fuss. She surprised us with a last minutes city tour of San Jose and dinner at Tiquicia Restaurant. The view of central valley from Tiquicia Restaurant was spectacular! It is truly a million-dollar view. The food was delicious and the traditional dance was fantastic.

Tabacon Resort , all I can I say is " Wow, wow, and wow... read more

Sylvia is amazing! She is pleasant and easy to work with. We missed our flight and Sylvia rearranged pick-up and transfers from the airport with no fuss. She surprised us with a last minutes city tour of San Jose and dinner at Tiquicia Restaurant. The view of central valley from Tiquicia Restaurant was spectacular! It is truly a million-dollar view. The food was delicious and the traditional dance was fantastic.

Tabacon Resort , all I can I say is " Wow, wow, and wow " It is a thermal paradise! All of the staffs at the resort were wonderful. Do not miss this place.

Monteverde Cloud Forest - what an incredible place. I felt like I was in the movie Avatar. I saw so many wildlife - incredible experience. The sky walk, sky tram , and the zip lining was unbelievable. We had so much fun!

Manuel Antonio Nation Park - stunning park with amazing beaches. I'm so happy we did a guided tour of the park; otherwise, we would have missed out on the beautiful wildlife like the Sloth, rainbow grasshopper, and the colorful birds.

My daughter and I had an amazing time in Costa Rica. Thank you Sylvia .

XOXO
Seng

To be honest, I’d never heard of Kimkim, coast to coast adventures, or Randall. This made me a little bit wary of sending over a few thousand pounds and just assuming it would all be ok. Randall seemed very nice over email and we were keen to support local business in the country were visiting rather than some massive tour company, so we took the plunge.

I really didn’t need to worry at all.

We’ve had a stunning time in Costa Rica - truly the trip of a lifetime. Whatever words or photos... read more

To be honest, I’d never heard of Kimkim, coast to coast adventures, or Randall. This made me a little bit wary of sending over a few thousand pounds and just assuming it would all be ok. Randall seemed very nice over email and we were keen to support local business in the country were visiting rather than some massive tour company, so we took the plunge.

I really didn’t need to worry at all.

We’ve had a stunning time in Costa Rica - truly the trip of a lifetime. Whatever words or photos just don’t do it justice so I won’t even try. What can be said for definite is that I’d totally trust Kimkim again and, above all Randall is a total legend who sorted everything out to perfection. All the cogs and wheels that needed to turn at the same time did like clockwork and it’s all gone without a hitch. We were met at the chaotic airport after a gruelling 10 hr flight with 2 tired kids, by a lovely friendly guy who got us to our hotel. The next day we started the 3 day tour of a lifetime to Tortuguero National Park, just as Randall had recommended, it was one of those life moments to never be forgotten - the moment lasted 3 days though.

Everywhere Randall has booked for us was expecting us and we just had to get ourselves to the agreed place to find everything ready, and taken care of for us. We found ourselves on the best trips with the best guides while others struggled in the heat.

It’s hard to know what else to say, other than Randall totally made this holiday, I can’t recommend him highly enough and if we come back, and we’d very much like to, I know who to get in touch with.

We had a truly amazing time in Costa Rica. Sylvia organised everything so well. It's hard to know what the highlights were as there was so much which was just fantastic, but here are some that stick most in our memory:

• The first very rainy boat trip through the rainforest to Laguna Lodge, with Clarence taking good care of us throughout.
• The butterfly garden at the back of the Selva Tropical restaurant
• Witnessing a giant turtle laying her eggs (so many of them)
• Mauricio the driver... read more

We had a truly amazing time in Costa Rica. Sylvia organised everything so well. It's hard to know what the highlights were as there was so much which was just fantastic, but here are some that stick most in our memory:

• The first very rainy boat trip through the rainforest to Laguna Lodge, with Clarence taking good care of us throughout.
• The butterfly garden at the back of the Selva Tropical restaurant
• Witnessing a giant turtle laying her eggs (so many of them)
• Mauricio the driver stopping the car to show us a toucan on a tree beside the road
• The sunset view of Arenal, with rainbow, from the amazing Tabacon Springs where we also enjoyed a very good supper
• Swimming in the river at the bottom of the waterfall at Arenal
• The hilarious chocolate-making lesson
• Everything about Monteverde - the night walk and Sky Trek/zip-lining day particularly. It's a very special place. We had a nice meal at the popular Tree House in Santa Elena if you need a recommendation for anyone else (although some other tourists spoke highly of Morpho which has just opened up a new restaurant slightly out of the centre).
• Stopping to see the crocodiles under the bridge on the way to Manuel Antonio
• The Costa Verde hotel at Manuel Antonio which was fantastic in every way. What a view for breakfast! Their restaurants across the road were great too.
• Iguana Tours were brilliant at Manuel Antonio. They seem to really enjoy what they do. Andrey was our guide in Manuel Antonio National Park and JJ led the rafting expedition. We also went on a boat trip with Iguana.They own their own smallish catamaran and looked after us really well. Good food. Live banjo music. And we even saw whales.

Sylvia worked with us to create a perfect trip that met our specific requests and budget. She was very responsive and checked in with us before the trip and a couple of times during it. Our flight in was delayed by 14 hours and Sylvia rearranged pick-up and transfers from the airport with no fuss.

We had a wonderful 18 day vacation thanks to John and his great organization of our trip. This was our first visit to Costa Rica and we experienced a bit of everything - diving, visiting rainforest parks, zipline, white water rafting, horse back riding. Communication with John was very fast and efficient--both when planning the trip as well as throughout our itinerary. He booked for us places that matched very well our travelling & vacation style. I would highly recommend using the services of his company when planning Costa Rica vacation.

We had a wonderful trip, my son LOVED the zip line and the horseback riding. We also booked a chocolate tour in La Fortuna, and a naturalist-led tour of the rainforest in Manuel Antonio. All of the hotels were great, in perfect locations. I was a single mom traveling with my 9 year old son, and I felt safe the entire time. Thank you for setting everything up for us, it will be a trip we never forget :)

Amazing trip ! Everything was perfect!
Good hotels selection .
Thanks a lot

Gaelle

Everything made by Sylvia was perfect there is nothing to say, perfect Is the word
I strongly recommend Sylvia for anything you want to plan in Costa Rica
thank you
Bernard

My girlfriend and I booked a week's vacation in Costa Rica through Sylvia. It was super easy and Sylvia customized a great trip for us! We flew into San Jose from Toronto on April 14 and spent time in 3 spots - San Jose, Arenal and Manuel Antonio. It was an amazing experience and I felt like we had 3 vacations in one! Everything including the transfers, hotels and excursions was organized and we just had to turn up! Our guides were all fun, knowledgeable and gave us an exciting and authentic... read more

My girlfriend and I booked a week's vacation in Costa Rica through Sylvia. It was super easy and Sylvia customized a great trip for us! We flew into San Jose from Toronto on April 14 and spent time in 3 spots - San Jose, Arenal and Manuel Antonio. It was an amazing experience and I felt like we had 3 vacations in one! Everything including the transfers, hotels and excursions was organized and we just had to turn up! Our guides were all fun, knowledgeable and gave us an exciting and authentic experience. Our transfers were generally private so trips were relaxing and we got a lot of history enroute.

The cultural city tour with Abelardo was fascinating. We really enjoyed the National Museum and National Theatre. Arenal was gorgeous and our juniors suite has an incredible view of the volcano (thanks Sylvia). We had a little hiccup with the ziplining/hanging bridges excursion, and missed our transfer. Sylvia and Kimkim stepped up and covered the taxi to get us there and we had an awesome day. The intense hike trekking through the rainforest down the crater of an extinct volcano was incredible. The crater was heavily forested and had 3 lagoons in it. I swam in 2 of them and was the only person in the water! It felt like we had the whole place to ourselves! This was finished off with a traditional lunch at a Costa Rican family's home with spectacular views of the rainforest. Our guide Andreas was amazing and pointed out wildlife as we went along.

Manuel Antonio was another incredible place with beautiful beaches and a national park teeming with wildlife. The tour we had in the park was truly amazing. We saw so much wildlife. We stayed in a hotel called Si Como No - a beautiful property was many rooms set in the hillside. Our balcony had an ocean and rainforest view (thanks again for this booking Sylvia!)

The vacation was capped off with a private tour of a coffee plantation - yet another highlight! There's lots more to tell, but you're gonna have to discover Costa Rica yourself.

This was one of the best vacations I've ever had, and I've travelled extensively. I would recommend both Costa Rica and Kimkim! Special thanks to Sylvia for arranging this fabulous vacation!

Great trip! Thanks for the change in transportation to Tamarindo as the ride was awesome with the forst half hour on the beach and the most of the rest on backroads thru the countryside. On reflection i would have stayed an extra day at Flor Blanca versus goign to Tamarindo which was too touristy for me but great for my 16 year old. Thanks for your help!

Sylvia was very patient and help us a lot with the tour. We had a great time and will use the service again in the future.

We have recently returned from two weeks in Costa Rica and we loved it!
From day one the communication with Randall was amazing. He got back to all of my messages within hours. His speed and kind way were really helpful. We booked the trip a few months ahead and Randall kept in touch with us leading up to it, a nice touch. 

When we arrived in Costa Rica, again everything was very well organised and Randall always kept us up to date with those couple of minor changes in flights or pick up... read more

We have recently returned from two weeks in Costa Rica and we loved it!
From day one the communication with Randall was amazing. He got back to all of my messages within hours. His speed and kind way were really helpful. We booked the trip a few months ahead and Randall kept in touch with us leading up to it, a nice touch. 

When we arrived in Costa Rica, again everything was very well organised and Randall always kept us up to date with those couple of minor changes in flights or pick up times we encountered. Nothing ever seemed an inconvenience for him and it was great to know I could message him if needed.

In terms of the holiday itself, the places we visited were beautiful. Cloud forest, jungle, Pacific and Atlantic coasts. Lots of animals and activities everywhere plus time to relax. The holiday really ticked all the boxes.

Costa Rica is a stunning country and the way of life there is something I have taken home with me.. Pura Vida!!

I would wholeheartedly recommend kim kim and particularly Sylvia Durado.
My flight over to Costa Rica was delayed due to adverse weather conditions. Sylvia was a lifesaver, altering my booking accordingly. No stress, no hassle.
When i finally got to Costa Rica, everything was seamless!
I had an amazing trip and I cant wait to return!!

A great time was had in a wonderful country. We travelled from San Jose to Tortuguero national park where all arranged tour were perfect. The lodge we stayed in was great with good food. From there we were transferred to Arenal where the accommodation was wonderful and all tours again were perfect. From there we went to Monteverde with swinging bridge and night walk tours and again it went perfectly. We then went to Playa Hermosa for our final 5 nights and had a lovely time relaxing in... read more

A great time was had in a wonderful country. We travelled from San Jose to Tortuguero national park where all arranged tour were perfect. The lodge we stayed in was great with good food. From there we were transferred to Arenal where the accommodation was wonderful and all tours again were perfect. From there we went to Monteverde with swinging bridge and night walk tours and again it went perfectly. We then went to Playa Hermosa for our final 5 nights and had a lovely time relaxing in our hotel which was right on the beach. Couldn’t fault the wonderful job Sylvia did organising this trip everything ran extremely smoothly. Would highly recommend.

Costa Rica is a beautiful country with extremely welcoming and genuinely nice people. Overall we had a nice vacation in Costa Rica but mostly because we were able to roll with the things we found disappointing. We found that all the tours/adventures booked for us by Randall were excellent. The tour guides were extremely knowledgeable and the tours/adventures themselves were well executed. The guides were always on time and went out of their way to be welcoming.

The accommodations were from... read more

Costa Rica is a beautiful country with extremely welcoming and genuinely nice people. Overall we had a nice vacation in Costa Rica but mostly because we were able to roll with the things we found disappointing. We found that all the tours/adventures booked for us by Randall were excellent. The tour guides were extremely knowledgeable and the tours/adventures themselves were well executed. The guides were always on time and went out of their way to be welcoming.

The accommodations were from OK to terrible. The Country Inn in San Jose was fine. There was no real restaurant to have dinner at night. The casino next door that did have dinner, was not an appropriate place to have my young son visit.

The hotel in La Fortuna, was serviceable. We did not enjoy the bunkhouse feel of the room. Although the grounds were nice, the hotel room was just ok. Again, there was no restaurant for dinner and we had to walk to town in the dark when we arrived, not knowing where we were going.

Finally, the hotel in Puerto Viejo, the Cariblue, was terrible. Even though we switched rooms, the second room had roaches, had a shower that didn't drain well, curtains that didn't provide privacy and was generally built with old shoddy materials. It was really depressing. And although it had views of the ocean, they were across a busy road with loud motorcycles, construction trucks and other vehicles. It was very loud all night. We did call Coast to Coast about our disappointment, but nothing was done. We felt trapped and frustrated.

I have to say that in my dealings with Randall prior to our trip, I felt he tried very hard to meet our expectations for our trip. However, we obviously were not on the same page (with him or Kim Kim) regarding what I wanted for our vacation in terms of accommodations and beach feel. We expected to stay at much higher quality hotels, like at the Tabacon where we enjoyed the hot springs. And, the Caribbean side was not what I was looking for during the "beach" portion of our vacation. We found the Caribbean much more suited to the "surfer" crowd and was not appropriate for the family vacation we wanted. It was a real party scene and not the tranquil wide open beaches we were hoping to relax on. Most of our tour guides told us that that would be found on the Pacific side. We were really upset that we spent most of our time on the Caribbean. Also we also did not realize that we would be in a van for over 12 hours (at least 4 hours through a congested commercial area that was not very attractive) getting from one location to another. I wished that had been made clear.

In terms of our dealings with Coast to Coast in Costa Rica, I have mixed reviews. Our driver, Jose, was always on time, was very knowledgeable and stopped at restaurants he knew along the way for lunch/snacks. We really appreciated that. However, we did not enjoy being in his older, loud van for 8 hours. We also found him to be an aggressive driver and he seemed upset when we told him to be more careful. We also found him moody, especially after the trip back to San Jose, after we had complained about our hotel to Randall. This made for an unpleasant ride back.

I put the blame on Kim Kim, Coast to Coast and myself for not discerning or appropriately communicating what we were getting/asking for. You should let your customers know that you provide middle of the road accommodations for a middle market. I will not recommend any of your companies to my friends.

Debra Hernandez

Randall has been very responsible in tailoring our tour according to my request, with many back and forth. It’s been a great pleasure to work with him on putting the tour together.

Accomodation at Montechiari was very nice and the people were friendly with one exception. Management handled the exception very well.
The hike into the Hule Lagoon was great, Andre was an excellent guide.
He did at times seem to be in a bit of a rush. It was scheduled to be a four hour hike and we completed in just over three hours.
The pace was manageable but not leisurely. It was just the two of us, great.
The host family at the farm were wonderful and the food was awesome.
The mountain... read more

Accomodation at Montechiari was very nice and the people were friendly with one exception. Management handled the exception very well.
The hike into the Hule Lagoon was great, Andre was an excellent guide.
He did at times seem to be in a bit of a rush. It was scheduled to be a four hour hike and we completed in just over three hours.
The pace was manageable but not leisurely. It was just the two of us, great.
The host family at the farm were wonderful and the food was awesome.
The mountain biking was fun but we didn't get to see much and was not at the Volcano as expected. We rode out 16Km and stopped at the lake and were offered to ride back over the same route. We declined. Home by 10:20. It was a private tour with just the two of us, nice.
The guides were very nice , especially Brian who was in training.
The Tabacon Hotsprings was nice. The meal was buffet style but the food was excellent.
The guided tour at Manuel Antonio was a great experience overall and the guide was very knowledgeable. He also managed to get us out for lunch (I am diabetic) and back infor a swim on the same ticket .This was a large group of around 16 people so a bit unwieldy.
We had a private tour of Quepos and the Kids Saving the Rainforest with our guide William.
William was an excellent guide, very knowledgeable. Overall Iguana tours was excellent.
The accomodation at Tabulia Tree Hotel was quite nice and we were treated well.
The kayaking and snorkling was fun with an excellent guide and nice lunch afterward.
Monteverde was beautiful and the Fonda Vella Hotel was excellent. I believe we received a room upgrade as it was a very nice separate cabin.
The hanging bridges tour was very pretty views with a knowledgeable naturalist guide and some interesting sightings.
The coffee, cacao and sugar tour was enjoyable and informative.
Bosque del Mar at Playa Hermosa was very relaxing and the staff were very friendly and helpful.
A relaxing and enjoyable wind down.
The evening cruise was fun with a nice group of people. The snorkelling was a disappointment as we saw very little.
The trip was on a sailboat (OK but a catamaran was advertised.

Kimkim organised a 16 day self drive tour of Costa Rica for my family (my, my partner, our kids 5yrs, 8yrs, 11yrs and my mum). They were extremely prompt, very responsive and personal throughout the planning. They showed great attention to detail regarding our car seats, wifi and GPS. Fabulous accommodation everywhere. We had a wonderful time. It was great to have that extra flexibility a package tour cant provide.
Marco and the team are Evergreen Lodge in Tortuguero were an absolute... read more

Kimkim organised a 16 day self drive tour of Costa Rica for my family (my, my partner, our kids 5yrs, 8yrs, 11yrs and my mum). They were extremely prompt, very responsive and personal throughout the planning. They showed great attention to detail regarding our car seats, wifi and GPS. Fabulous accommodation everywhere. We had a wonderful time. It was great to have that extra flexibility a package tour cant provide.
Marco and the team are Evergreen Lodge in Tortuguero were an absolute highlight. We loved the whole immersive experience of living on the rivers and in the jungle.
I was really glad we drove down the Carribean Coast. El Encanto Inn was great. Dinner at Sonja's home restaurant was gorgeous. We walked to a great Calypso night from the hotel and El Encanto organised all our tours. Luis escorted us to a Medicinal and Chocolate Farm in the Bri Bri reservation which was wonderful. The Jaguar Rescue Centre was also fabulous, thanks to our guide Carlotta. Puerto Viejo was a wonderful swimming beach and we narrowly missed a world surf comp. Playa Negro was sadly quite polluted but it was a great community to walk amongst. We saw several sloths up close from the road.
The drive to Sarapiqui was a big one. The Rain Forest Lodge was a bit of a let down with its Museum closed and Gallery never opened. It seemed to cater for large bus groups and wasnt quite our style. KimKim were right that we needed to stop somewhere closer than Arenal that night though so we were glad of somewhere to sleep.
Arenal Springs was luxurious. Their hot pools were a huge hit with the whole family. I wouldnt book a tour through the hotel though as they add a hefty surcharge.The local laundromat gave fabulous local advice and we had our own car. The road to El Castillo wasnt nearly as bad as the guide book says and we really enjoyed our visit to the Eco Zoo, meeting Victor and our guide Andrew. Victor's wildlife photography is stunning.
The Pacific Coast was much more commercial than I had hoped for but we were excited to see Turtles nesting there (we were out of season in Tortuguero). Pasa Tiempo was a great lodge with a fantastic shared living, dining, entertaining area. We were treated to love music and enjoyed the pool, reading and playing cards amongst others.
Monteverde and Manuel Antonio were both spectacular. It was really worth saving our ziplining for the cloud forest. 60km per hour through a cloud was truly exhilarating. The guides at Selvatura were fantastic with our family.
If you have already been to Tortuguero you dont need a guide at Manuel Antontio. I was pleased we did it independently to allow the kids to travel at their own pace. Gorgeous beach. I'd never seen a raccoon before so that was exciting! Plaza Yara was gorgeous and Roger was a fabulous host who even gave us a wee gift on departure.
Trapp Family Country Lodge was a fabulous airport oasis. Definitely recommend over a chain hotel.
Thanks for everything Kim Kim we will definitely use you again.

We had a fabulous trip. I had asked for an active, adventurous itinerary, and that's exactly what we got. I'd have to say the highlight was river rafting, and camping on the river. It was gorgeous and fun and our guide Maurice was absolutely fabulous. He was a great guide on the river and fun companion, sharing lots of interesting things about the river, animals and Costa Rica. The food was excellent and the camp was comfortable, the rafting was exciting but we felt safe throughout.

The... read more

We had a fabulous trip. I had asked for an active, adventurous itinerary, and that's exactly what we got. I'd have to say the highlight was river rafting, and camping on the river. It was gorgeous and fun and our guide Maurice was absolutely fabulous. He was a great guide on the river and fun companion, sharing lots of interesting things about the river, animals and Costa Rica. The food was excellent and the camp was comfortable, the rafting was exciting but we felt safe throughout.

The trip to La Fortuna was easy, and our guide Roy for the hanging bridges and waterfall was great. We really appreciated that he wasn't in a rush and that we could take our time through the woods and enjoy. He had interesting information to share about all the animals we saw.

The ziplining was fun and enjoyed by all. It was great to have the woods all to ourselves, and was a good experience even in the rain.

The only glitch in our trip was the trip from Arenal to Quepos. Initially a vehicle that was too small for our group was sent, so we had to wait about 45 minutes for a 2nd vehicle. We all fit in the 2nd vehicle, but not by much - it was very cramped, and the driver was not smooth.

Our time on the coast was lovely - snorkeling was fun, and it was good to have a day on our own. We organized a night hike for ourselves which was also fun.

We reached out to Randall partway through the trip to change our hotel in San Jose for the return. The KC hotel was not in a neighborhood where we could easily walk to restaurants, and we got hassled a bit when we were out even though it was not late. He was very accomodating, booked us in the Sleep Inn which was perfect. We were able to walk to a nice restaurant for our final dinner in San Jose. I also appreciate that he was able to hold a spot on the tour for my husband, as he wasn't sure he'd be able to join us til just a couple of weeks before the trip. Overall he was very helpful and a pleasure to work with.