Kimkim Trip Reviews for Costa Rica

Adrianna was amazing throughout planning our trip.
Our drivers always arrived on time and ready to pick us up -- even for our delayed flight at the start of our trip!

All our guides were fun, exciting, and very knowledgeable.
Thank you Alfredo for showing us La Fortuna Waterfall and guiding us through the orchid path and bird-sightings.
Thank you Ignacio for a witty, wonderful tour through the Hanging Bridges and for spotting countless interesting animals.
Thank you Daniel for exploring... read more

Adrianna was amazing throughout planning our trip.
Our drivers always arrived on time and ready to pick us up -- even for our delayed flight at the start of our trip!

All our guides were fun, exciting, and very knowledgeable.
Thank you Alfredo for showing us La Fortuna Waterfall and guiding us through the orchid path and bird-sightings.
Thank you Ignacio for a witty, wonderful tour through the Hanging Bridges and for spotting countless interesting animals.
Thank you Daniel for exploring Manuel Antonio Park with us and teaching us about the various flora and fauna.

We really loved the views of the Arenal Volcano and of course the warm beach waters that hug you as you step in. Best of all, the locals of Costa Rica are so friendly and helpful.

We booked the whole CostaRica 10 days tour through KimKim. The people who helped us with planning and while we were on vacation were extremely helpful. They answered all our questions and made several changes to the itinerary, activities, and hotels to accommodate us. The activities were planned well, the travel from one destination to another was nicely arranged. We stayed at three hotels - Hotel Arenal Manoa, Senda Monteverde and Shana at Manuel Antonio. The hotels Arenal Manoa and Senda... read more

We booked the whole CostaRica 10 days tour through KimKim. The people who helped us with planning and while we were on vacation were extremely helpful. They answered all our questions and made several changes to the itinerary, activities, and hotels to accommodate us. The activities were planned well, the travel from one destination to another was nicely arranged. We stayed at three hotels - Hotel Arenal Manoa, Senda Monteverde and Shana at Manuel Antonio. The hotels Arenal Manoa and Senda were of luxury style. Senda's service was just extra-ordinary. However, the hotel Shana, its food, and its service are not of luxury caliber. My only suggestion is for the KimKim team to review this hotel before recommending it as a luxury option.

My family is a very active bunch and we love adventure and keeping busy. We certainly had all of this on our vacation. Randall listened to what we wanted, and was easy to contact regarding changes in plans and what we wanted to do. We spent the first half of our trip at La Fortuna and the second half in Manuel Antonio. Our accommodations at Manuel Antonio were fabulous, with outrageous views, helpful staff, spacious for our family of 6. I usually like to plan my own trips, but having Randall took a lot of the load off and it was nice having someone to help out when issues arose.

I was hesitant about using an online travel agent but Randall was great; arranging and rearranging the schedule and activities as our plans evolved. The trip to Costa Rica was fantastic and is the best vacation I’ve had, ever! There is such a lush concentration of plants and every kind of living thing. Our accommodations were all first rate, we particularly enjoyed the El Establo Hotel at Monteverde. We traveled Jan 1-Jan 13 and enjoyed excellent weather, were never rained on in the... read more

I was hesitant about using an online travel agent but Randall was great; arranging and rearranging the schedule and activities as our plans evolved. The trip to Costa Rica was fantastic and is the best vacation I’ve had, ever! There is such a lush concentration of plants and every kind of living thing. Our accommodations were all first rate, we particularly enjoyed the El Establo Hotel at Monteverde. We traveled Jan 1-Jan 13 and enjoyed excellent weather, were never rained on in the daytime. We had several nature tours and a fab zip line excursion in Monteverde. Check out one of our guides Instagram sites: Jpablo_cruz226. We also visited the Mt Arenal area and a memorable highlight for us was the river cruise on the Rio Frío in the Cano Negro reserve with guide Joudan, who was especially knowledgeable. All the transfers and flights that Randall arranged for us went off without a hitch; we found two of the drivers, Jose and Jorge most helpful and professional. We also had a rented car and adventures driving the winding bumpy roads. If we had been choosing our own vehicle it would have been under powered and wrong for the terrain; but with a good travel agent to help we enjoyed the ride! We also had a cool domestic flight in a teensy plane to round out our transportation experience. It was great to see the ocean, jungle, crop lands, and mountains from a birds eye view. Sansa Air was excellent.

Randall, and the crew at KimKim did a great job in arranging a perfect trip to Costa Rica for our family. Randall was great in being flexible, and was accommodate all our requests in terms of the places and itinerary. He was very prompt in responding to the Emails, and providing the requested information.

I was amazed that they were able to pick the hotels that were just perfect for us for the location, for the most part. The hotels in Manuel Antonio (Karahe), MonteVerde (Ficus), and La... read more

Randall, and the crew at KimKim did a great job in arranging a perfect trip to Costa Rica for our family. Randall was great in being flexible, and was accommodate all our requests in terms of the places and itinerary. He was very prompt in responding to the Emails, and providing the requested information.

I was amazed that they were able to pick the hotels that were just perfect for us for the location, for the most part. The hotels in Manuel Antonio (Karahe), MonteVerde (Ficus), and La Fortuna (Montana del fuego) were excellent. The location of the hotel (Sleep Inn) in San Jose makes it a little less desirable for families (I think). Overall, the hotels were great, and their location made it possible to explore the place, find nice local establishments for food (and shopping) pretty easy.

The private transfers from the airport, and between the hotels were really nice. The drivers (Alex from Coast-to-Coast travels, Nelson and Diego from RideCR) were on-time, pointed out local wild-life along the way, and stopped at great fruit stalls, or coffee places when requested. one of the travel companies, RideCR, had Wi-Fi in their vehicles, so that was specially appreciated! Overall, there was a clock-work like quality for the travel arrangements, which was really nice. The car-boat-car transfer from MonteVerde to La Fortuna was a great experience, save the terrible condition of the roads in MonteVerde.

The guides in our tours were very passionate about their country, and what it stands for in the world (in terms of ecology, climate change etc.), and were very informative. Specially want to mention Aaron in Manuel Antonio night walk, Froy on boat trip to Cano Negro, and Horatio in hanging bridges tour in MonteVerde, as they were fantastic. I have to mention, the best meal we had in our entire trip was a home cooked meal on the Cano Negro trip!

The tours we have taken on the trip were ranging from very good to excellent, with a couple of exceptions. The hanging bridges, and canopy tour in MonteVerde was fantastic. Boat trip to Cano Negro was up there, as well as the trip from San Jose to Poas Volcano etc. Night walk in Manuel Antonio was great too. The Kayak trip to Isla Damas was a bit of a let down, and more adventurous (or risky) than imagined. And the night walk in MonteVerde was Okay as there were a lot of people, and not much luck with spotting wild-life on that night.

The early start times (pre-8:00AM) for some of the tours were a little difficult for the night owls of the family, and could have been managed better, in general. Usually, the tour guides pick-up people from various hotels before the tour started, and depending on the hotel, the pick-up time could be really early. It might be better to organize that differently to have a little bit extra time in the mornings for all, for example, by transporting the guests from their hotels to a central location where the tour started or something like that.

Overall, it was an excellent trip. Kudos to the KimKim team for their help and organization.

S.

OUTSTANDING TRIP

Our trip was fantastic, and was extremely well planned and well executed. Every excursion was exactly what was promised to us. Alex was truly outstanding. Will definitely use KimKim again, and would use Tachiz travel when we return to Costa Rica.

My family of four (two grown daughters, my wife and I) just returned from a 10-day trip to Costa Rica. KimKim was very easy to deal with. Adriana was our main contact, but when she was off Olman responded and helped us with our arrangements. Both were knowledgeable and helpful and worked as a team. We spent 3 nights in Playa Flamingo (near Tamarindo), 3 nights in the Arenal area (near La Fortuna) and 3 nights in Manuel Antonio (near the national park). We had lots of adventures, but also... read more

My family of four (two grown daughters, my wife and I) just returned from a 10-day trip to Costa Rica. KimKim was very easy to deal with. Adriana was our main contact, but when she was off Olman responded and helped us with our arrangements. Both were knowledgeable and helpful and worked as a team. We spent 3 nights in Playa Flamingo (near Tamarindo), 3 nights in the Arenal area (near La Fortuna) and 3 nights in Manuel Antonio (near the national park). We had lots of adventures, but also found the trip very relaxing. We did not rent a car. KimKim arranged for our transports. I'm sure this is much more expensive than renting a car, but as first time visitors to Costa Rica, we were concerned about road conditions and getting around. We observed some other travelers having trouble navigating, but they all seemed to get where they were going eventually. The drivers were always prompt, friendly and pulled over to show us things, especially when they knew areas where sloths or crocodiles were typically spotted from the road. (Special shout out to Jonathan who was our driver on three days.) Having drivers definitely made it a stress-free vacation. It would have been helpful to have a car in Playa Flamingo as there were other beach towns just far enough away that you need to drive and it was not certain that we could get taxis back. We took a Catamaran sunset cruise with Panache sailing. The guys working the cruise were great and friendly. You stop and snorkel but it was not good snorkeling. We heard there was much better snorkeling spots back in Playa Flamingo, but you're really there for the cruise which is very relaxing (even though it felt like there were too many people on board). We stayed at the Lost Iguana in Arenal. Very very nice. It's remote and in the rain forest. Highly recommend. It's a 30 minute drive to La Fortuna. We just took all of our meals at Lost Iguana. We did the SkyAdventures zipline. Very thrilling experience. Even though we were scared to death by the heights and the speed, we highly recommend. Another highlight was the farm tour and cooking class as Vida Campesina. My family likes to cook. It was a fun, informative and delicious evening. We did a "hike" to the La Fortuna Waterfall. It's not a hike. You walk down steps to the waterfall. It's beautiful and we swam in the very cold water, but you don't need a guide for this. If you have a car, just drive there, pay the entry and walk down to see the waterfall. We went to the hanging bridges, which is set up like an amusement park. That was initially a turn-off, but once in we really enjoyed the walk through the rain forest, the views and bridges. If you go to the Manuel Antonio national park, you could skip the hanging bridges and do something more adventuresome. We stayed at the Mariposa Hotel in Manuel Antonio. It is perfectly located at the top of the mountain with great views (amazing sunsets every night), and walking distance to the best restaurants we ate at in Costa Rica (Emilio's Cafe, Agua Azul and Milagro). We only ate breakfast at the Mariposa. Breakfasts were nice at both hotels. We went into the National Park with a guide. You must have a guide or you won't see anything. They have special scopes and spot things animals that are camouflaged or too high up in the trees to see with the naked eye. Don't be turned off by the crowds. It's good to have a few guides around because they tell each other what they have spotted, so you are bound to see more things if there are other guided groups in the area. We spent a few hours at the Playa Espedilla Sur (beach) in the park. Great beach, but beware of the animals. The monkeys come down and try to steal from the tourists, we also saw a raccoon try to do the same. We also did the boat ride through the Damas estuary to see the mangroves. Very relaxing. We used Aventuras Tropicales. It's a family business. At the end you eat a home cooked lunch of typical Costa Rican cuisine at their home. The boat ride feels like the Disneyland Jungle Cruise. We saw many birds and some monkeys, but mostly it's just a relaxing cruise. We don't regret doing it, but it's not very adventuresome. Younger kids might get very bored very quickly. Note, the weather forecast often showed rain, but it mostly rained at night or while we were driving but never rained during any of our activities. Not sure if that was typical or we were just lucky, but the point is not to fret over weather. I'm sure we paid a premium to use KimKim's services, but we think it was worth it as they made it a seamless process and the result was a great time had by all. We would use KimKim again. Many thanks to Adriana and Olman.

Our guides were awesome, such a fun and easy experience. It was a breeze

Our family (3 adults) really enjoyed our first trip to Costa Rica. The process of planning the trip with kimkim was very easy and convenient, and our specialist Yenyi was always very responsive and helpful with our questions.

Overall, we had a great time on our trip. We went to Arenal and Monteverde (one of our guides described it as going from the rainforest to the cloud forest), which were unique and beautiful. Our accommodations were wonderful, especially our stay at Tabacon resort in... read more

Our family (3 adults) really enjoyed our first trip to Costa Rica. The process of planning the trip with kimkim was very easy and convenient, and our specialist Yenyi was always very responsive and helpful with our questions.

Overall, we had a great time on our trip. We went to Arenal and Monteverde (one of our guides described it as going from the rainforest to the cloud forest), which were unique and beautiful. Our accommodations were wonderful, especially our stay at Tabacon resort in Arenal - which has the best hot springs facilities in town (the town is famous for the natural hot springs due to the nearby volcano). We ended up going to the hot springs every day! Our hotel in Monteverde - Fonda Vela - was also nice, although it was definitely a bit outdated (especially the bathroom) and they were actively doing construction during our stay (a bit dirty and loud at times), but our room had a beautiful view of the forests and Pacific Ocean.

Out of all of our activities, some of the highlights were zip lining in the cloud forest (10 different lines) and the nocturnal nature tour (we were able to spot snakes, birds, and unique insects in the complete dark with our guide). We also really enjoyed our Rio Celeste day trip - unfortunately the trip itself was cut short due to heavy rainfall closing off half of the park (and the river was brown instead of blue), but our guide Michael was so amazing he really made it a fun and educational trip (teaching us about local plants and insects), and the lunch was good too.

The parts we didn't enjoy as much/some issues:
- Our local tour operator was late several times and did not give us notice. For our boat ride, we waited 30 minutes in our lobby; the tour operator did not contact us, we had to ask the hotel to call them to see when they were arriving.
- The description for "Arenal to Monteverde by boat" is extremely misleading. The kimkim page described it as 3.5 hour boat ride, in reality it was a 40 minute boat ride followed by a 2 hour car ride on extremely bump roads.
- The La Fortuna Waterfall tour was also a disappointment. It was billed as a half-day tour, but the tour itself was only one hour (you climb down the steps, see the waterfall, then climb up the steps). We had to leave the hotel at 7:30 AM, the drive was an hour round trip, and the tour was an hour. We had to wake up so early but then were back at the hotel by 9:30 AM. Our tour guide didn't really explain anything to us, and towards the end he was rushing for us to leave even though the tour was much shorter than we anticipated.

Issues aside, we did have a wonderful time in Costa Rica. The majority of our guides were awesome and super knowledgeable. The accommodations were great and everything was nicely organized. We loved the food and the friendly people everywhere.

The team at Kimkim put together a fantastic itinerary which checks every wish box of our dream vacation. Thank you, Thank you!

I would definitely take their service for our next vacation.

Randall did an excellent job and listening to what we were looking to for for our vacation. He put together a great vacation for us! We did whitewater rafting, tubing, horseback rides, zip line and repelling, catamaran and hiking tour. These excursions were fun, breathtaking and outstanding. I would highly recommend him for anyone planning a trip to Costa Rica! Thank you Randall!!!

Planning the trip with Kim Kim was excellent. I appreciated the advice that allowed us to customize a tour in a new country to us that allowed enjoyment and comfort for our group from age 12-84. The efforts from our advisor was excellent and the execution of the plans was flawless. We had one hitch that was taken care immediately with our KimKim rep, Yenyi- right away after one email.

We especially enjoyed the Hotel Ficus for its views in Monteverde and excellent staff support. The sloth... read more

Planning the trip with Kim Kim was excellent. I appreciated the advice that allowed us to customize a tour in a new country to us that allowed enjoyment and comfort for our group from age 12-84. The efforts from our advisor was excellent and the execution of the plans was flawless. We had one hitch that was taken care immediately with our KimKim rep, Yenyi- right away after one email.

We especially enjoyed the Hotel Ficus for its views in Monteverde and excellent staff support. The sloth tour with Daniel at Arenal was a highlight in Christmas Day. And while the rooms are simple at Hotel and Villas Huertes the staff and groundskeeper, Alberto, were amazing. That team and especially the maintenance of the pool, landscaping and environs made that simple hotel an excellent choice.

Surfing with Iguana Surf in Tamarindo was a great experience and introduction to the sport.

By far, the best travel company i’ve ever dealt with. My wife and I had a really great experience.

All the events were great and the accomodations were good. They planned the trip I wanted though it was a little too packed- almost stressful. That's on me though. The other thing was I had said that I didn't know how releastic it was for me to do all three things I wanted and was worried about logistics. I think they could have gotten me my itinerary a little sooner and if I knew that some days I would be in the car 5+ hours in a day I would say why don't we skip that. They did help me make... read more

All the events were great and the accomodations were good. They planned the trip I wanted though it was a little too packed- almost stressful. That's on me though. The other thing was I had said that I didn't know how releastic it was for me to do all three things I wanted and was worried about logistics. I think they could have gotten me my itinerary a little sooner and if I knew that some days I would be in the car 5+ hours in a day I would say why don't we skip that. They did help me make changes on the fly however. And I also should have told them that I didn't want to wake up at 5AM on vacation. I guess that's on me too but I would think they could have said- hey if you want to do this, you have to get up at 5. I would have said no thanks.

My friend and I had a great experience using kimkim to plan our itinerary for an 8 day/7 night trip to multiple destinations in Costa Rica. It was a different experience than the guided tours that we are used to in that we didn't receive our voucher information until two days before the trip (though we knew our whole itinerary long before then). However, everything was beautifully orchestrated from the shuttles between locations, hotel accommodations, and quality excursions and tours.

Our... read more

My friend and I had a great experience using kimkim to plan our itinerary for an 8 day/7 night trip to multiple destinations in Costa Rica. It was a different experience than the guided tours that we are used to in that we didn't receive our voucher information until two days before the trip (though we knew our whole itinerary long before then). However, everything was beautifully orchestrated from the shuttles between locations, hotel accommodations, and quality excursions and tours.

Our only suggestion was that the itinerary include more detailed information about the tours. For example, we knew we were doing a tour of a volcano one day and there was some mention of visiting hot springs after that, but there were not many specifics. Thankfully we brought bathing suits with us on our volcano tour just in case, because we found ourselves being dropped off at a hot springs after the volcano and even being served a dinner we didn't expect. It would just really help to have some details about what clothing items to have packed (such as an extra change of clothes) for the tours or excursions which are included.

Otherwise, I would really recommend kimkim for anyone who doesn't want to go through the hassle of arranging multiple in-country transportation and excursion bookings.

I am very happy with the service KimKim provided in planning & booking our trip to Costa Rica. Randall was very friendly & knowledgeable and he was able to customize our trip to fit our schedule & needs. We had out flights to San Jose Costa Rica booked but we had not planned or booked anything further. Randall at KimKim made it very easy for us & took care of all the bookings including hotel, transportation, and activities. I highly recommend KimKim & Randall.

The trip was well planned and fantastic.! We loved the rafting in La Fortuna,. The hot springs were great. The zip-line in Monteverde and suspension bridges were fun. All transfer drivers were polite and on time. Instead of the Sloth Territory tour I would probably do the waterfall hike or a different sloth place since we didn’t see much. The hotels were fine and what I expected since that was not our focus. I would recommend Beatriz!

Great job randall!!! Everything went without a problem. The shuttle service was superb and on time. Even had 2 excursions that were just my husband and I with the tour guide.

The trip was well organized and everything went smoothly.

This was our second trip to Costa Rica and Randall did a great job of organizing exactly what we wanted this time around. There was only one glitch when a river rafting trip was cancelled at the last minute, but Jimmy Villegas immediately found and booked an alternative tour rappelling down waterwalls which turned out to be a real highlight of our vacation.

We organized the trip through Olman, and communication was very smooth (quick replies to questions). Hotels and transportation was all very good (in particular the hotels in Arenal and Manuel Antonio areas).

My wife and I were unfamiliar with Costa Rica but she loves sloths so we selected this location for our honeymoon. With minimal details aside from sloths, Olman was able to plan a beautiful vacation for us. It included a romantic stay for a few nights at a resort as well as a multitude of excursions. Thanks to Olman, we had a great experience in Costa Rica with wonderful memories - we are now planning a trip to Hawaii because of our past experience with KimKim.

The trip was very well organised by Adriana, she was very helpful, especially when it came to last minute changes. The hotels where fantastic, all nature guides were awesome, very knowledgeable, pick ups were all on time and everyone was super friendly. La Paloma Lodge in Osa is outstanding, In hindsight I should have included a two night stay at Sirena Ranger Station, some people who stayed at Paloma did this and where blown away by this experience.
In Porto Viejo I would include a walk... read more

The trip was very well organised by Adriana, she was very helpful, especially when it came to last minute changes. The hotels where fantastic, all nature guides were awesome, very knowledgeable, pick ups were all on time and everyone was super friendly. La Paloma Lodge in Osa is outstanding, In hindsight I should have included a two night stay at Sirena Ranger Station, some people who stayed at Paloma did this and where blown away by this experience.
In Porto Viejo I would include a walk through Cahuita National Park rather than a walk at Punta Uva. ( this was very basic). The trip from San Jose to Porto Viejo was 6 hours due to road works......was not enjoyable but not much do be done about it. If I had to leave something out of the programme, it would be Porto Viejo and spend time in Arenal area instead.
The company at Monteverde who ran the zip line at Selvatura can be highly recommended.
All up, a fantastic trip, true pure vida........thanks a lot Adriana and the team, I will definitely recommend you......

Our driver (Mau) and our guide (Julio) we’re very friendly, knowledgeable and responsive to our requests and needs . They really added to the success and enjoyment of the trip. We would highly recommend this trip-especially with Mau and Julio.

We booked two excursions for our one week stay in Costa Rica in November. One, out of San Jose, was to Poas Volcano and then La Paz waterfalls and nature park. Our guide was Edgar and we had a lovely time despite the rain and fog up in the mountains. Edgar was fun to be with and informative. I absolutely loved La Paz, especially in the mist and drizzle. Just magical! Our other excursion was from Puerto Viejo, the Cahuita national park. Our guide was Shailo Rose and he was charming and such a... read more

We booked two excursions for our one week stay in Costa Rica in November. One, out of San Jose, was to Poas Volcano and then La Paz waterfalls and nature park. Our guide was Edgar and we had a lovely time despite the rain and fog up in the mountains. Edgar was fun to be with and informative. I absolutely loved La Paz, especially in the mist and drizzle. Just magical! Our other excursion was from Puerto Viejo, the Cahuita national park. Our guide was Shailo Rose and he was charming and such a wealth of information about local plants and animals and growing up in the area. This was my wife's favourite day. To be honest we had two free days to walk around San Jose and I think one would have been sufficient. We would have loved to have had an extra day in Puerto Viejo!

Costa Rica is a beautiful Country. The guides were kind, the zip line experience was amazing, and the hot springs hotel was really pretty. I enjoyed kayaking in the river a lot. I was disappointed in the 3rd hotel for adults only; especially for a group of girls. It was highly geared toward couples and I feel we were treated differently there then the other places. I found a hotel that we moved to for the last 2 nights called the Carriblue which was my favorite one. I like the space, jungle... read more

Costa Rica is a beautiful Country. The guides were kind, the zip line experience was amazing, and the hot springs hotel was really pretty. I enjoyed kayaking in the river a lot. I was disappointed in the 3rd hotel for adults only; especially for a group of girls. It was highly geared toward couples and I feel we were treated differently there then the other places. I found a hotel that we moved to for the last 2 nights called the Carriblue which was my favorite one. I like the space, jungle and it was much roomier. Unfortunately it cost 500$ that I didn’t expect to spend but we felt highly uncomfortable at the other place and had to move. The last day was difficult with all the shuttle driving; it took 2 hours longer then we were told and we sadly missed our plane back to Liberia and had to rent a car. I felt we all were pretty positive and made the best of it, enjoying the natural beauty of Costa Rica. I believe we took good care of those guides/locals that helped us to enjoy our vacation. I’m not sure I would do anything as busy next time (going from place to place) and I’d like much less time actually “traveling.”

We had a terrific time in Costa Rica! Highlights included a bunch of hikes, amazing food, ziplining, snorkeling... it was beautiful. Definitely want to revisit the country!

Monica and Kristy were outstanding - they asked the right questions, found out what kind of a trip we wanted to do, and came up with an itinerary tailored for us. They were responsive, attentive, and most of all, patient - we wanted to make some changes last-minute and they were willing to listen and be flexible. Thank you for everything!

Rodrigo was fantastic!

In general it was easy to organise and good recommendations were given. The problem was that the hotels and experiences that were booked did not meet our expectations or the description provided by kimkim and once the issues were raised they were not addressed by Kimkim

We would like to thank Olman for the amazing 11 day trip he planned for us with such short notice. Costa Rica has been on our list of places to visit but we only booked the flights 4 weeks before travelling. I was apprehensive about Travelling in October as it is meant to be the rainy season. Olman explained the weather is normally sunny in the morning clouding over in the afternoon. We seemed to be lucky as we only had 1 evening when we had a real downpour, which was quite an adventure. The... read more

We would like to thank Olman for the amazing 11 day trip he planned for us with such short notice. Costa Rica has been on our list of places to visit but we only booked the flights 4 weeks before travelling. I was apprehensive about Travelling in October as it is meant to be the rainy season. Olman explained the weather is normally sunny in the morning clouding over in the afternoon. We seemed to be lucky as we only had 1 evening when we had a real downpour, which was quite an adventure. The 5 hotels we stayed in were all different but each lovely. Pick ups and transportation excellent all on time and went without a hitch. We got to see so much wild life. Our favourites were the sloths and a turtle laying her eggs. The white water rafting down the Pacuare River and zipline tour in La Fortuna were so exciting and fun through beautiful scenery. Thanks again Olman and Kim Kim for planning a stress free amazing holiday

My specialist, Randal, planned me an amazing trip to Costa Rica! This was my first time traveling alone internationally, and I wanted a mix of outdoor activities + leisure. Randall worked with me and happily tolerated it when I changed my mind about things periodically until the plans were perfect! I had no questions or issues along the way -- everything was planned from top to bottom.

We were met warmly in the airport by Ben. The driver to Monteverde stopped at a wonderful vista and helped us access the house. We loved the walk through the Cloud Forest and was very impressed by our knowledgeable botanist guide, Rodrigo. Rafa from the boat was especially helpful in locating our AirBnB which turned out to be farther. We loved Hugo and Jacob, our kayaking guides. Hacienda la Isla was a gem. The beach walk and snorkel at Cahuita Park was wonderful! Impressive conservation of nature, flora and fauna!!

What a wonderful experience! The hotel was amazing and the staff was so friendly. We loved all of our guides, especially Jose and Cesar. I miss the sounds of the howler monkeys. Also we were very lucky with the weather!

We are very disappointed with our experience with KimKim on what should have been a great trip. Randall was helpful in laying out an itinerary that suited our needs. The quoted price seem quite a bit higher relative to the experience of friends and family who have been to Costa Rica, which prompted us to ask about any included fees. Randall said that all contracts with tour operators were "confidential" and that "all benefits are passed along to you." He insisted that there were no added fees... read more

We are very disappointed with our experience with KimKim on what should have been a great trip. Randall was helpful in laying out an itinerary that suited our needs. The quoted price seem quite a bit higher relative to the experience of friends and family who have been to Costa Rica, which prompted us to ask about any included fees. Randall said that all contracts with tour operators were "confidential" and that "all benefits are passed along to you." He insisted that there were no added fees beyond what was shown at the end.

The tours and experiences that Randall had booked for us were actually prominently advertised with their prices in every hotel we visited. All the hotels themselves also had their rates prominently displayed. Once we added it all up, we realized that KimKim had charged us more than a 30% premium on every activity and hotel as well as added on the fee at the end. Given the price, the lack of unique experiences that we all readily bookable everywhere, we would never use this service again. If you like the convenience and are willing to pay the huge premium, this is a great service. However, be aware that there is no transparency with regards to this premium and you can probably do just as well booking with your local reputable hotel from one of the major sites.

Our whole experience couldn’t have been more seamless. Our transportation, our lodging, our activities...everything was perfect. We had an amazing time in Costa Rica, and Randall made it happen!

We had an amazing time in Costa Rica. The communication with Olman during the planning process was excellent. He was extremely responsive. The trip was extremely well planned and well organized. All the transportation and transitions went off without a hitch. All of the hotels were lovely, but Tabacon was the winner. The rooms and grounds were beautiful, especially the hot springs and the breakfast was sumptuous. All of the tours were great and well run but the wildlife tour and turtle... read more

We had an amazing time in Costa Rica. The communication with Olman during the planning process was excellent. He was extremely responsive. The trip was extremely well planned and well organized. All the transportation and transitions went off without a hitch. All of the hotels were lovely, but Tabacon was the winner. The rooms and grounds were beautiful, especially the hot springs and the breakfast was sumptuous. All of the tours were great and well run but the wildlife tour and turtle nesting tour in Tortuguerro were incredible (and Willis, our guide, was extremely knowledgable) and the white water rafting trip with Wave Expeditions was the highlight for all of us. Our guide, Yorjani, was incredible. He made us feel safe and kept us laughing the whole time. And thanks to the kayaking photographer for preserving our memories (and saving our cameras and phones from being submerged). Thank you for a wonderful and well-planned trip. Our kids keep saying how much they miss being in Costa Rica and can't stop talking about all the animals they saw. thanks kimkim!

We had just 4 nights to explore outside of San Jose and no time to plan, so we took a chance on Kimkim and Randall after randomly finding Kimkim online. Randall put together a plan based on the info we gave him, tweaked a few things at our request and then put it into action via the local contractor Coast to Coast Adventures. Every activity on the pretty busy schedule went off without a hitch -- ALL drivers arrived on time (or early!), ALL activities were pretty much as described, ALL... read more

We had just 4 nights to explore outside of San Jose and no time to plan, so we took a chance on Kimkim and Randall after randomly finding Kimkim online. Randall put together a plan based on the info we gave him, tweaked a few things at our request and then put it into action via the local contractor Coast to Coast Adventures. Every activity on the pretty busy schedule went off without a hitch -- ALL drivers arrived on time (or early!), ALL activities were pretty much as described, ALL hoteliers were expecting us and the rooms were as described, and ALL the guides for the various activities were well-trained, knowledgeable and personable.

- Day 1 La Fortuna Arenal Volcano nature walk; Tabacon Hot Springs
> The nature walk was less of a hike than we were hoping for, but really beautiful scenery around the volcano and Nestor, the guide, was very knowledgeable and great at spotting birds/wildlife.
> Of all the experiences Kimkim/Randall/Coast to Coast Adventures arranged for us, we might have skipped Tabacon Hot Springs just because it was very expensive, crowded and super touristy (we live in Japan and the hot spring experience here is very, very different!), but it was good for a laugh just the same, with the wall of water and hidden nooks and crannies. Other visitors, beware -- the footing around some of the pools is very slippery and we really recommend water shoes or flipflops or something grippy to keep you on your feet. We were both fine, but we saw a visitor in bare feet slip and fall hard on some tiles, banging his head and tailbone pretty hard. A medic was called to tend to him.

- Day 2 La Fortuna Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge boat trip
> Hermann, the boat driver, didn't speak English but he was REALLY good at spotting wildlife even as he drove the boat, and Gustavo the guide was good at both spotting and explaining. This was a brilliant day -- we saw SO MANY birds/animals. Sloths, 3 different kinds of monkeys (we were actually treated to a big monkey drama as 2 troupes of white-faced monkeys shrieked at each other across the river), "Jesus Christ" lizards, snakes, tiny little bats, one caiman, and an incredible number and variety of birds. TAKE YOUR BINOCULARS if you do this trip. They were glued to my face the whole time. It was a rainy day but the boat had a roof and we were very comfortable. A tasty homemade lunch was also provided after the morning voyage.

- Day 3 La Fortuna & transfer to Santa Elena - Kayaking on Lake Arenal in the morning
> The kayaking was fun and easy, and the guide, Joseph/Jose was one of the nicest guys we encountered. Earnest, hardworking, friendly, knowledgeable, curious -- he was a great representative of Costa Rica. We really enjoyed spending the morning with him, while the views of the volcano towering over the placid lake were pretty spectacular.
> The bus/boat/bus trip to Santa Elena was a laugh -- the boat pulled up on a completely undeveloped shoreline and we were asked to get out with our bags. Without explanation, we were led down a dirt path, across a makeshift bridge and up to a dirt road were, magically, a bus appeared! Then off we went on the bumpy, mostly unpaved road to Santa Elena. Loved the green green green views of farms and jungle along the way. BEAUTIFUL Costa Rica...

- Day 4 Santa Elena / Monteverde Cloud Forest
> Morning hike in the reserve was great but here we did find our guide to be a bit ... what... jaded? Too used to tourists, maybe? Bored? All the same, he did spot some fantastic wildlife for us that we would never have seen on our own, including the Resplendent Quetzal (several, in fact...) WOW! On this hike, we found there was a lot of standing around -- we might have liked a smaller group that went a bit further afield.
> "Night walk" -- it POURED rain on us, but we were prepared with rain gear, etc. The animals were not so keen to be out in the rain, so it was harder to spot things, but we saw snakes, spiders, Costa Rican porcupines and sloths all the same...
> Our B&B -- Grace & Renzo B&B -- was excellent. We talked a lot with Grace and enjoyed their hospitality.

- Day 5 Aventura Ziplining and transfer back to San Jose
> Great thing for thrill seekers! Screaming through the canopy -- don't miss the Mega Tarzan Swing -- HEART STOPPING! Good fun for us and the weather cooperated. We enjoyed getting to know other travelers in our group.
> The Interbus transfer back to San Jose was punctual, comfortable, and uneventful.

SO, overall, we had a fabulous trip thanks to Randall, Kimkim, and all the local service providers. Randall arranged exactly what we asked for -- a taste of Costa Rica on a limited time budget -- so all in all, we are very satisfied.

This was my first time using KimKim and I was definitely leery. I usually book all of our trips by myself. I have to say though that Adriana, who booked our trip to Costa Rica was wonderful. She answered all of my questions and rearranged our trip so that it fit what we wanted to do and our budget. She was even able to change a pick-up time in the middle of our trip when I requested it. All of the excursions we went on were run by top-notch companies and guides and the hotels she recommended and booked had amazing views. Everything was very smooth! I'd highly recommend her!

Well worth every dime
Amazing place and people 💓

carlos helped us and made our trip memorable, thanks
we had the trip of a lifetime

Monica was a true gem! She made my first trip to Costa Rica a lifetime memory. She was always available when needed. She ensured I received the best customer service. The trip plan she suggested was exactly what I wanted!

My trip has been amazing. Olman perfectly understood my expectations and organized it as well as I could have hoped. Strongly recommended.

We couldn't have been more pleased with our trip. We took a 12-day family trip with 3 teenagers (18,16,13). All of our accommodations were perfect, from the hotels, the excursions, and the included meals. It was the perfect mix of adventure and fun with learning about the history of the country, the agriculture, and seeing all the plants and animals in their natural habitat. All of our drivers, guides, and excursion leaders spoke perfect English, and were so friendly and eager to tell us... read more

We couldn't have been more pleased with our trip. We took a 12-day family trip with 3 teenagers (18,16,13). All of our accommodations were perfect, from the hotels, the excursions, and the included meals. It was the perfect mix of adventure and fun with learning about the history of the country, the agriculture, and seeing all the plants and animals in their natural habitat. All of our drivers, guides, and excursion leaders spoke perfect English, and were so friendly and eager to tell us about their country. Highlights of our trip would be white water rafting on the Balsa River, ziplining in Monteverde, and the hot springs/thermal baths in La Fortuna/ Arenal volcano. The wildlife at the beach in Quepos was unreal- we saw sloths, monkeys, and iguanas daily on the ground of our hotel and around town. Carlos’ attention to detail was great and he checked in on us multiple times during our trip to make sure everything was perfect.

We made a fairly last minute decision to take our family of 4 to Costa Rica in July. Without enough time to research an itinerary, we are so glad we found kimkim online. Working with our trip planner, Adriana, was effortless and she planned a fantastic vacation for us!

Some comments on the service first. Adriana was extremely responsive. Using kimkim's messaging service, I received texts when she sent updates which allowed us to plan the trip very efficiently. We caught up by phone as well... read more

We made a fairly last minute decision to take our family of 4 to Costa Rica in July. Without enough time to research an itinerary, we are so glad we found kimkim online. Working with our trip planner, Adriana, was effortless and she planned a fantastic vacation for us!

Some comments on the service first. Adriana was extremely responsive. Using kimkim's messaging service, I received texts when she sent updates which allowed us to plan the trip very efficiently. We caught up by phone as well when a couple of quick decisions needed to be made and I was really impressed with her knowledge of the local hotels, restaurants and activities. While we were in Costa Rica, we reached out a couple of times just to let her know how great the trip was and, again, she responded immediately, making us comfortable that we could reach her if we had a problem.

We made a couple of decisions on activities, but for the most part Adriana planned our itinerary and her choices were excellent. We did at least 3 guided tours at popular local attractions which offer multiple guide options. Her resource choices were awesome - extremely knowledgeable and with great language skills (we are English-speaking with some Spanish skills). Her hotel choices also were excellent. We stayed in four places and it was clear at each stop that she knew the venues well and had taken our interests into consideration (pools, views, rooms together).

After speaking with Adriana, we decided not to rent a car. Given the number of times we moved, it made the transportation logistics important. Every transfer she set up showed up on time, the drivers and boat operator were efficient and professional and we were so happy in the end with our decision as the driving would not have been impossible, but challenging.

FInally, a few words about Costa Rica if you are considering it as a destination. We loved this country! The people are very friendly and the variety of activities, terrains and even weather is incredible. We were there during rainy season but even so really enjoyed the trip (if you go at the same time, bring a quality rain jacket and a quick dry shoe option). Highlights for us were the Selvatura Park in Monteverde and our tour of the Manuel Antonio National Park. If you stay in Manuel Antonio, consider La Mariposa - it's beautiful and the service is fantastic.

We definitely will use kimkim again - thanks again to Adriana and the team for giving us such a special experience!

Our trip was AMAZING!!! UNFORGETTABLE! We told our Kimkim rep what we wanted to do and see and they took care of the rest....no issues whatsoever!!! Everything was soooooo well coordinated!! Thanks KIM KIM!!

Randall was fantastic from start to finish, his local knowledge and suggestions for tours and activities resulted in a fun filled 6 day itinerary as part of our family holiday to Costa Rica. The hotels, transfers and tours all went smoothly and communication throughout the booking process was clear and very easy.
Thank you Randall! We had a fantastic time and would recommend your services and KimKim to anyone looking to book a holiday to beautiful Costa Rica. Pura Vida!

Carlos was always very responsive and a pleasure to work with. He had many good ideas for the trip, and most importantly, he chose a perfect guide and driver for our family trip. Our guide, Margarita, was a biologist who had a vast knowledge of bird, plant and wildlife, but she was also great with kids, making up various games and contests to keep them engaged. Enrique was also very knowledgable and accommodating to kids and my mom, who is 85 and couldn't participate in many of the... read more

Carlos was always very responsive and a pleasure to work with. He had many good ideas for the trip, and most importantly, he chose a perfect guide and driver for our family trip. Our guide, Margarita, was a biologist who had a vast knowledge of bird, plant and wildlife, but she was also great with kids, making up various games and contests to keep them engaged. Enrique was also very knowledgable and accommodating to kids and my mom, who is 85 and couldn't participate in many of the activities, so he often stayed with her. We had a wonderful time and learned a lot about the beautiful country.

We just returned from an 11-day family vacation in Costa Rica and it was truly fantastic. We had a great balance of planned adventures and downtime that we used to explore on our own. The tours and hotels organized by Randall were all great, and I am so glad we decided to have an expert organize our itinerary instead of trying to figure it out ourselves. Below are the brief reviews of the major highlights of our trip:

Balsa River rafting with WAVE: 5/5. Fun river, great guide, great... read more

We just returned from an 11-day family vacation in Costa Rica and it was truly fantastic. We had a great balance of planned adventures and downtime that we used to explore on our own. The tours and hotels organized by Randall were all great, and I am so glad we decided to have an expert organize our itinerary instead of trying to figure it out ourselves. Below are the brief reviews of the major highlights of our trip:

Balsa River rafting with WAVE: 5/5. Fun river, great guide, great lunch. Wished it were longer!
Arenal Springs Resort: 5/5. Beautiful resort, nice rooms, nice hot springs, amazing breakfast.
Horseback/Waterfall: 5/5. Nice guide, great scenery, just the right length.
Arenal Hike + Tabacon Hot Springs: 5/5. Terrific guide, interesting history, saw red-eye leaf frog. Evening at hot springs was really relaxing, the buffet at Tabacon was just OK.
Sloth Tour: 3/5. Booked this on our own... seeing the first sloth was cool but after 2 hours they're kind of boring. Very nice restaurant stop at the end.
Car/Boat/Car trip to Monteverde: 5/5. Enjoyed practicing my Espanol with driver Hugo. Rough road, wouldn't want to drive this ourselves!
Hotel Ficus: 4/5. Nice room, lacked fan, restaurant was just OK, too pricey for dinner.
Twilight hike: 3/5. It was OK, but we got really wet and only saw bugs.
100% Aventura Ziplining: 5+/5. Whole family loved this! Tarzan swing at the end is a true test of courage.... just do it!
El Trapiche plantation tour: 5/5. Booked this on our own... very nice coffee/sugar farm tour with chocolate demo too, and tasty samples of everything.
Car trip to Manuel Antonio: 5/5. Private van, our driver Rafael was very friendly and took us to a great soda for lunch. And he stopped so we could see Croc Bridge - very cool!
Hotel Costa Verde: 5/5. Great location, spacious rooms, and plenty of monkeys!
Catamaran Cruise: 3/5. Nice day on the water, but the snorkeling is not really any good. Lots of hot, boring waiting before boarding the boat. We paid for the ship paparazzi photos and felt it was a ripoff for what we actually got. Lunch was decent, crew was friendly.
Espadilla Beach: 5/5. Great beach for relaxing and swimming. Rented cheap surfboards for the kids. Lots of monkeys here too!
Manuel Antonio National Park: 5/5. Beautiful, but prepare to get HOT and SWEATY. Lots of monkeys here.

Overall we had a great time and we could have never figured this all out without Randall. Thanks for the great adventures!

The coordination of drivers, guides and various excursions worked well: the drivers and guides were personable, knowledgeable, courteous and punctual. The experiences were interesting too as these naturalists were able to spot hidden creatures in the murky waters or shadowy trees and shrubbery such as sloths, caymans, monkeys, parrots, snakes, frogs, millipedes and a variety of birds.

Adriana was absolutely great to work with! Our trip had a rocky start when a delay in our first flight caused us to miss our connecting flight to Costa Rica. That delay in turn made us miss our our first booked trip. Adriana and kimkim rearranged our whole schedule, rebooking hotels and tours. The following day when there was a nation wide truckers' strike, and we couldn't get to the east coast of the country, she rebooked everything all over again! I can't even imagine what we would... read more

Adriana was absolutely great to work with! Our trip had a rocky start when a delay in our first flight caused us to miss our connecting flight to Costa Rica. That delay in turn made us miss our our first booked trip. Adriana and kimkim rearranged our whole schedule, rebooking hotels and tours. The following day when there was a nation wide truckers' strike, and we couldn't get to the east coast of the country, she rebooked everything all over again! I can't even imagine what we would have done with out her. just thinking about trying to deal with that mess on our own was daunting. The rest of our 18 day trip went flawlessly and we are so thankful that we had someone help us through it. Gracias y Pura Vida Adriana!

My son and I spent 9 days in Costa Rica during the last week of June. Randall did an exceptional job arranging all our excursions and hotel accommodations. Randall was also extremely responsive in answering any of my questions. The 2 day white water rafting trip down the Paquare River was great! We also really enjoyed the zip lining and hot springs in La Fortuna. The Costa Verde hotel was beautiful in Manuel Antonio and we enjoyed kayaking, snorkeling, and surfing. Every adventure was wonderful and I would plan my next vacation through Kimkim. Thank you for a very memorable vacation!

Olman did a fantastic job arranging our trip to Costa Rica. We were very happy with the hotel recommendations as well as activities that were pre-arranged. Transportation was flawless. Various drop-offs and pickups were all right on time. I changed my plan mid trip , and Olman sent new itinerary within a few hours. Great job.

Carlos arranged an amazing trip for my family that captured all the best things about travel: opening hearts and minds, meeting new people and some great fun! I'd say that the trip included something for everyone, but it actually included everything for everyone. We all - myself, my wife and my 10 and 8 year old kids - loved rafting on the Balsa with Carlos T., a chocolate tour near Arenal with Katherine and surfing (or trying to, anyway) on Playa Blanca with Walter and Niels. Along the way... read more

Carlos arranged an amazing trip for my family that captured all the best things about travel: opening hearts and minds, meeting new people and some great fun! I'd say that the trip included something for everyone, but it actually included everything for everyone. We all - myself, my wife and my 10 and 8 year old kids - loved rafting on the Balsa with Carlos T., a chocolate tour near Arenal with Katherine and surfing (or trying to, anyway) on Playa Blanca with Walter and Niels. Along the way we managed some relaxation in the Arenal springs and some poolside chillin' in Papagayo.

Unexpectedly, the highlight of the trip may have been the afternoon before we left when Carlos himself came out to spend an afternoon with us in San Jose. We walked, ate and went to markets where we met some of the warmest and friendliest people you can imagine. Thanks Carlos, for sharing some of your amazing home town with us.

Carlos arranged a seamless trip. Every tour and transfer he arranged was with warm, friendly, and reliable guides. To a T, each was on time and ready to go. Carlos was immediately available by phone, text or WhatsApp throughout the trip.

The highest compliment was from my 8 year old who had tears in his eyes as we left, wanting to know when we could go back to Costa Rica and willing to give up his Nintendo Switch just to stay another day.

Thanks Carlos. Pura Vida!

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