Kimkim Trip Reviews for Costa Rica

This place is so special and amazing. We all loved it. The people are also very friendly and food was delicious. We all want to come back.

We weren't able to do the snorkeling but the hike to the waterfall was a lot of fun. I would let people know to bring some cash.

I've traveled the world - stayed in many nice places, but Nayara has them all beat. The turn down procedure, the grounds, the pools the amazing spa experience. Most of all the people. All the restaurants were wonderful. We will return

The people, the grounds, the pools, the food everything was stellar! The rooms were amazing. Clean, big, and unique. We will return here!

Very well run and we felt very safe! Fun. Once in a lifetime experience

We opted not to do this excursion and relax and enjoy our location/hotel

Our guide was amazing. Very informative and friendly. He made the ride more enjoyable.

Snorkeling was cancelled due to rough waves

As the prior hotels, situated in a beautiful setting, embedded in the flora with birds everywhere. Each room is in its own house/hut with large bathrooms and a swing on the porch (mosquitoes were in high season, so not used; bring that repellent). The massage here outside in the forest was amazing with Andrea. The staff upfront was superb, offered quick golf carts, and was incredibly helpful. Restaurant for lunch and dinner with excellent food and drinks (plus daily happy hour). Breakfast could use a little more variety and maybe not charge extra for omelets or egg stations (did not see that anywhere else), but was very accommodating to prepare our catch for dinner (mahi mahi). All and all beautiful.

Loved this place, minimalistic (almost Scandinavian feel) to the room with a balcony and seats to look out at the local ocatis playing around. Huge bathrooms. The highlight is the restaurant - we were shocked how amazing the food was - the chef is top-notch, and we are foodies! Everything was superb! The desserts were a must, and the restaurant staff was truly amazing - Marco and Fernando! The outside with the hummingbirds was a beautiful setting for lunch or dinner. Breakfast is a la carte, so no buffet - but excellent. The indoor lounge with the fireplace is cozy for a book, as you have no TVs, which I personally loved. :-) Our only wish was there was a pool (maybe instead of the glassed lounge outside), but that is just minor wishful thinking. You have umbrellas and ponchos available to use (and rain boots + hiking sticks), which you will use!

The setting is beautiful, and service is impeccable from the front desk to the maintenance staff. The best part of this hotel is the hot springs, a total gem for relaxation. Loved the setting of the rooms, standalone houses nicely built into the nature, yet free of insects inside. You can see and hear birds everywhere, and it is a live rainforest - beautiful in and out. The onsite restaurant is great for breakfast but limited in the menu for lunch/dinner and a bit high in prices compared to the US standards (same for the spa). A short uber ride to La Fortuna for a bit of a dinner adventure was great for diverse food options, though. Overall, a beautiful place .

Mauricio did a great job walking up the volcano with us - it is not too strenuous but gets a little rocky later on. The history of the volcano and the overall lake + the continuation of the bird watching was amazing .

This is a public, commercial place with 7 ziplines which are fun, fast and some quite long and two of you go together. It is high up in the cloud forest so it was misty/rainy and more cold than we expected (long sleeves and pants + rain jacket is a must) - don't be fooled by the weather on the ground. I think we lucked out and it was rather empty so it was just us and another family paired up. While scary upfront, the crew was amazing - did a great job with instructions and guidance (reassuring and repeating :-)

A good trip if you want to watch and let the crew or the boys do the job as the fish are huge and takes serious strength to pull them out! Two mahi-mahis took a while to get - just like any fishing, it takes patience.

So much fun - Bryan our guide and Adrian, our kayaking support were awesome. Figuring out which way to go so we don't flip (which we didn't but a few of us fell out which was kind of fun). The rapids are fun and there are good calm spots/breaks in between to rest. The time flies (14 kms) very quickly and you learn those commands just as fast. We will never forget Adelante, vamonos and a few more that's for sure.

Great start of a vacation to ease into the wildlife - Mauricio was a great guide, pointing out so many animals—crocodiles, sloths, toucans, iguanas, lizards, macaws, and so much more. Truly an amazing, laid-back, easy-to-take-a-picture ride on a river trip. Mao knew everything about every bird/creature and shared amazing stories. The howler monkeys were especially amusing with the howls and cheekiness. Loved it!

Booked this for the teenagers for the adrenaline and was a bit uneasy about it myself, as I don't like heights. Both the guides were excellent, making us all comfortable, explaining everything, and helping the weakest links (me) navigate the slippery walks and jumps. It was super fun and doable (how elegant it was, don't ask - and how much screaming there was). Didn't care - saw gorgeous waterfalls, learned some new skills, flew through the rainforest, and definitely got wet - but it was controlled and safe - and yes, lots of fun!

Andres - no words needed. The guy is a magician and an encyclopedia on steroids - the passion for nature and everything that moves or is green is unmatched. It was a joy to watch him and listen to him as he lit up with every part of the rain and cloud forest. Teenagers wanted to spend more time with him and pick his brain, for which he should get a prize. We have all learned so much and didn't want it to end. Truly a remarkable tour, you have to do it.

We were not there in the tourist season and often felt like the only guests which affected the service. It was adequate. The restaurant menu was very limited and the site remote enough to make easy access of other restaurants difficult. The bar did make a really good mojito.

This was our favorite site as we were right on the beach, had great service and a good restaurant and bar. The layout is very tropical making fun for each of us. We enjoyed both pool and hot tub. Our last day there was a huge rain which ended up causing our cabin to be surronded by about 2 feet of water. So they moved us to the Tree House for our last night which was fun. For the move staff carried our luggage out of the cabin keeping everything dry. We missed the shower of the cabin and enjoyed the adventure of the event.

We loved the El Silencio hike and our guide Monica. Ecotermales was a fun hot spring, but we’ve been to several so this was not new for us.

First-class boutique hotel with spectacular views and even better service. We enjoyed a two-floor suite which was beautifully appointed. The food was exceptional and the staff was kind, attentive and always accessible. Highly recommend and would absolutely stay again.

Nice activity if you'd like to see the beautiful coast line by boat. The crew were very good and the catamaran is spacious and well maintained. we enjoyed snorkeling in the cove and were able to view dolphins jumping alongside the boat.

This is a must do for the area. would have preferred a longer guided hike in the park with more time to enjoy the beach. the main trail is very crowded with tourists and guides. we did see numerous birds, sloths, monkeys, insects and diverse landscapes.

This was just ok. This experience is likely dependent on the guide. we were disappointed that we did not learn much about chocolate and coffee harvest and production and the quality of the tour and food was poor. would skip this.

spectacular falls. kids loved swimming in the pools and climbing over the rocks. must see.

Must do. Jay was our tour guide and was the best guide we have ever had. He was extremely knowledgeable and passionate about the flora/fauna of the region. Beautiful hike, wonderful guide.

Hotel Presidente is centrally located, but that comes with heavy traffic—we had to be dropped off at the corner because the street was temporarily closed. The room we were assigned was also quite small, especially considering we were traveling as three people. Once we opened our suitcases, there was barely enough space to move around. The next day, I noticed that some of the rooms around us were much larger, so I’m not sure why we were given such a small room and bathroom. That said, the breakfast was very good, and the hotel itself has a unique charm in its design. We especially loved the rooftop patio and the abundance of plants and flowers throughout the property, which added a really nice touch. Staff very friendly and helpful.

Sibu Hotel was hands down the best hotel we stayed at during this entire trip—truly boutique, with incredible attention to detail, and absolutely deserving of more than a 3-star rating. The lobby alone feels like an art exhibit. The rooms are exceptionally well equipped, including a fully stocked minibar with drinks and snacks (complimentary on the first day), which was a really nice touch. We really appreciated the room for 3 having a third proper bed. They even had an ice machine—the only place we saw this—while at other hotels we had to request ice and water from the restaurant or bar. (Tap water is safe to drink everywhere, but it was a bit inconvenient filling a thermos from small sinks.) The room amenities were outstanding: custom toiletries, a travel toothbrush, sewing kit, shoe towel, and even a cosmetic mirror—everything thoughtfully provided. The hotel grounds are small but beautifully designed, with every corner carefully landscaped. There are cozy sitting areas throughout and even a fire pit outside—it’s just a beautiful, welcoming space. I would easily rate this hotel as a 4-star property. They also have sister hotels in the area, and I’d expect those to be just as impressive.

La Mariposa in Manuel Antonio has absolutely stunning views and beautiful pools, but the rooms felt somewhat basic compared to the other properties we stayed at, and we wouldn’t consider it a true 4-star experience. We had three people in the room, and the third bed was a small, squeaky bed with an uncomfortable mattress. In comparison, at Sibu Hotel—where we also had three in a room—the third bed was a full, proper bed, which made a big difference. The room itself was quite minimalistic, with basic wall-mounted dispensers for shampoo and conditioner (not even marked which one is which). That said, the view from the balcony was incredible, overlooking Espadilla Sur Beach and Manuel Antonio National Park. The wildlife on the property was also a highlight—we saw plenty of capuchin and spider monkeys, especially active in the mornings, eating mangoes from the nearby trees. There were often mangoes scattered right outside our door. Manuel Antonio is truly full of wildlife—you don’t even have to go far to see it. At one point, we were walking back from dinner and spotted a sloth in a tree just a few feet away. We were especially excited about this hotel since we had planned two days to relax by the pool and beach, and based on the photos and 4-star rating, we came in with high expectations. It’s possible we didn’t get one of their better rooms—there are several floors of rooms in the main building, and those may offer a different experience. We did enjoy the pools—they are very nice—and the overall setting is beautiful. We didn’t dine at the restaurant as it seemed pricey, though we did try the bar; drinks were on the expensive side but very good. The entire area is built on a hill with narrow roads. While it’s technically walkable to nearby restaurants, there are stretches without sidewalks, so we ended up using Uber a few times, which was very reasonable.

This Hotel has very nice rooms, spacious and comfortable. Staff is very friendly and helpful. The hotel grounds overall are very beautiful (the flowers and landscape are amazingly beautiful). It has a short hike trail on the property. The breakfast was very good. If I would go to La Fortuna, I would definitely stay there again. Close to pretty much all attractions in the area.

Great location being downtown San Jose but not in the middle of the city. Good breakfast, room clean and decent size. Great Soda place right next to it.

Definitely a must-do. The guides communicate with each other and know exactly where to look for wildlife. They typically come equipped with professional tripods and binoculars and can even help take great photos using your phone. The park has strict rules about food and drinks, so even though the activity description mentioned a snack being provided, it’s unclear how that would be possible. Also, keep in mind that if you decide to stay in the park after the guided tour—either at Manuel Antonio Beach or Espadilla Sur (which are side by side and absolutely worth visiting for their beautiful sand and calm waters)—the guide will leave, and you’ll need to arrange your own transportation back to the hotel. The public bus runs every 20 minutes from the public Espadilla Beach (outside the park) for about $1 per ride, so getting back wasn’t too difficult.

One of the highlights of our trip—a definite must-do. The canopy views were absolutely breathtaking. Some of the ziplining runs are quite long, so try to relax and enjoy the experience. Definitely go for the Tarzan Swing! The hanging bridges were also very nice. Just take your time and enjoy the walk—it’s about 3 km long, not 3 miles (we made the mistake of thinking it would be longer and ended up rushing to get back in time for the next bus).

It was a great visit, and we learned a lot. Unfortunately, we happened to go on a day when it was raining heavily, with very little break between the tastings and walking to the next stations. The farm is clearly geared toward tourists and is more informational in nature, but they were transparent about the fact that coffee grown in that area isn’t considered the best due to the high amount of rainfall. Even so, we still gained a lot of insight into chocolate (cacao), coffee, and sugar cane production.

Of course, we traveled during the rainy season, which is outside of Kimkim’s control, and it did impact a couple of activities. For example, at Río Celeste the river didn’t have its famous blue color because of the heavy rain. At Tenorio National Park, we felt the guide was trying to shorten the hike due to the rainy conditions, but we asked to complete the full route since it was part of what we had booked. The lunch was nice, but no fruit snack as listed in the activity description. No biggie. I did appreciate though the driver pulling over to show us through his binoculars a sloth up in a tree. He took pictures with our camera.

These activities are definitely not for the faint of heart—especially the rappelling! We had a great time, and everything (organized by what seemed to be two different companies) was very well coordinated, including transportation. The lunch provided was very good, and we especially enjoyed the small cultural demonstration of sugar cane juice extraction. My husband opted out of canyoning and rafting, which ultimately turned out to be the right decision—he wouldn’t have been able to participate in these activities, and even tagging along with the driver wouldn’t have added much value. In hindsight, I wish we had clearly indicated from the start that only four of us would be participating, so we wouldn’t have paid for his activity and lunch.

We traveled during the rainy season, which is outside of Kimkim’s control, and it did impact a couple of activities. For example, during the Arenal Volcano hike we couldn’t see much due to the fog. That said, Franklin and his driver were excellent—friendly, professional, and very accommodating. We really enjoyed the insights Franklin shared about the local plants and vegetation throughout the hike. Even though the volcano was mostly covered in clouds, the viewpoint of Arenal was still beautiful in its own way. At the end of the hike, they provided fresh fruit, which we appreciated very much. We only wish we remembered all of their names so we could give them proper credit—they truly made the experience enjoyable despite the weather. The driver also took us to Ecotermales, which turned out to be one of the highlights of our trip. The dinner there was fantastic, and everything was well coordinated—the driver returned later in the evening to pick us up and take us back to the hotel, making the entire experience seamless.

We didn’t like it at all. We had an apartment upstairs with no elevator. The condition was bad. The shower faucet didn’t work. No breakfast included

We loved the room. There were so many birds in the beautiful gardens. The pool was lovely too.

The room, restaurant and pool were very nice. I enjoyed the open air lobby.

Our guide David was wonderful. He was very knowledgeable and entertaining. It was amazing to see the cocoa fruit and taste it. The different stages of the chocolate making process was interesting. The plain chocolate was bitter but the chocolate as you add milk and sugar was delicious. The coffee segment of the tour was just as enjoyable. Watching the lady roast the beans was intriguing. David ground the beans and brewed the coffee . It was very tasty. The farm had many different plants including pineapple. Also we saw a “blue jeans” frog on the property. Everything was fabulous.

We were there for 1 night at the end of our trip to be closer to the airport. It is a very charming hotel.

This hotel had amazing hot spring pools, swim up bar. Everything was very tropical. Breakfast included every day was very good. Lots to do and see on the property - did horseback riding, a very nice spa. Room was spacious and cleaned every day.

The rainforest night walk was fun, saw lots of night critters. Dinner at the Mendez family home was welcoming and delicious.

Spectacular views and great accommodations. We saw monkeys in the trees from our deck.

Instead of doing this we went ahead and booked our own fishing trip through the hotel. I tried to book fishing with KimKim but they didn’t offer any fishing trips. This is the only disappointing part of dealing with KimKim. They should be able to set you up with a fishing trip too.

Better than expected. It wasn’t obnoxious like other ‘booze cruise’ experienced I have had. Pretty views. Relaxing time.

We saw many different animals. It felt a little contrived though as we were in a preserve that was between a couple of farm fields. The guide was great and we did see a sloth as well as an owl.

Beautiful hike with a very informative guide. We learned a lot about the area.

This was in the heart of the rain forest….so it rained of course. We saw plenty of wildlife. The hanging bridges were slightly unnerving but the views were incredible. The lunch that was included was above expectations.

We saw a lot of frogs and butterfly’s. Joe shared his great pics with us on What’s App. He was very knowledgeable.

Our guide was great. I wish I could remember his name! He made sure we saw all the good animals including two snakes and several sloths. He helped us get great pictures of them too!

Our guide Val was great! She was so knowledgeable! Sadly, we didn’t get to see much of the volcano because we got caught in a huge rain storm. But that’s life in Costa Rica!

This was a great tour. We saw lots of animals and it was fun to be on the water. Our guide Lawrence, was great!