Kimkim Trip Reviews for Costa Rica

Ryan and Brittany were great, always in communication during both planning of trip, as it reached closer to dates of departure to Costa Rica and when I reached out during my visit to Costa Rica. We had a mix of beach, rainforests and volcanoes - I wouldn't of changed it a bit. I highly recommend KimKim, they are a A+ in my book. Thanks KimKim.

Hotel Reviews

Karahé Beach Hotel

Manuel Antonio

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel & Spa Poco a Poco

Monteverde

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arenal Country Inn

La Fortuna

Not my favorite, very dated and rustic. Rooms were tiny.

Hampton by Hilton San José Airport

Alajuela

Activity Reviews

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Nature Hike

Manuel Antonio

Arenal Hanging Bridges Walk & EcoTermales Hot Springs Experience with Meal

Arenal/La Fortuna

This was truly a vacation that was filled with fun, adventure, delicious food, wonderful people, beautiful nature and animals, peace of mind, and memories to last a lifetime! Thank you KimKim and especially Sergio for making this such a wonderful experience. I truly appreciated Sergio’s patience and perseverance as we carefully refined our itinerary!

When we landed at San Jose’ we found our driver easily. After a red-eye flight it was a treat to be driven to our first destination, Nayara Springs! We were greeted by Andreas and escorted to a comfortable chair in the lobby where we enjoyed a cool cloth to refresh and a sample of their delicious drinks. Here is where we checked in to our room and were introduced to the many amenities of this beautiful hotel. We enjoyed a delicious lunch overlooking the Arenal Volcano and infinity pool. Our room was more like a luxury apartment! Their were two vanity areas in the bathroom, an indoor shower, private outdoor shower, large bedroom and sitting area, private patio complete with lounge bed, table & chairs, hammock, plunge pool, and the most beautiful landscape complete with birds and other creatures that graced us with their presence! Our stay here was outstanding! All of the hotel staff were super friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. The head chef was friendly & made creative dishes. It was here that we had some of the most unique and delicious meals, and the service was exceptional! Above the lobby is where I was able to get some of my first Costa Rican Coffee! Amazing! Andreas was always available to help us and even found the sloth we so wanted to see! The hotel even surprised me with a happy birthday decoration, card, and champagne in our room when we arrived home from our first tour.

Kenneth Arenal Guide was awesome! He and Pablo (great driver) provided us with our Arenal Volcano Private Hike & La Fortuna Waterfall Tour. Kenneth was truly amazing as he shared his knowledge of Costa Rica and guided us to the base of the volcano. He brought his scope along and was very talented at taking photos and videos through it to share with us. Kenneth has a passion for his work and has an incredible ability to seek out all kinds of wildlife. We had a delicious snack that Pablo had prepared for us at the end of the hike, and then we headed for the Waterfall. The 500 steps down with the cool mist of the fall was peaceful, and we stopped to take more photos of course! Kenneth was always patient, helpful, and never rushed us. What a way to begin our tour experience! I highly recommend Kenneth and also left him a 5star review on Costa Rica Travel.

Safari Float at the Penas Blancas River was also a fun. We grabbed our paddles and enjoyed a float with a small group to observe more wildlife. The guides on this float were fun, informative, and also had a great ability to find alligators, iguanas, herons, and so much more! After, we enjoyed lunch and had our first intro into extracting the juice from the sugar cane. Lots of pictures! Lots of Fun!

The transfer to Monteverde I would categorize as fun! Our driver had a new vehicle which he took pride in, and was kind enough to make a couple of stops for us to get coffee. We were enjoying the music he played as he expertly avoided as many pot holes as possible. At one point we were all singing the Queen song “Don’t Stop Me Now” at the top of our lungs… we were truly “having such a good time”. :)

Senda Monteverde Hotel was like being nestled in a little mountain cabin. Again we were offered drinks when we arrived and the friendly staff checked us into our room. The rain that was promised finally arrived! We had quite a down pour, but we were thrilled to be safe in our room and enjoyed watching the rain. After all it was a perfect time to relax after our long drive. By the way… I give this hotel the “Softest Robe Award”! Truly the softest and coziest robes of all the places we stayed. There were even hot water bottles at night and complimentary snacks in our room. The bartender and servers here were so friendly that we enjoyed all of our meals here!

Sky Adventures Zip Lines & Hanging Bridges - YES! YES! YES! This is a definite must if one visits the Monteverde area. We definitely chose to enjoy the hanging bridges with a guide. Again the guide was instrumental to finding interesting creatures and fully enjoying the experience above the jungle canopy. The zip lines were truly exhilarating! What an adventure! Again - lots of photos…. Lots of laughs! The staff here works hard to make this a safe and fun experience.

Coffee & Chocolate Tour - Very enjoyable! It was nice to be in a small group. Our guide was so informative and we learned so much about coffee and chocolate. It was here where I felt I was able to learn more about the culture and people who work in these areas as well. Yes, we bought lots of coffee and chocolate for gifts … and ourselves too!

Transfer to Gulf of Papagayo - again another wonderful driver. He was super kind and stopped to show us monkeys and picked a small orchid for me along the roadside. At one stop we were able to see some beautiful McCaws too!

Casa Chameleon Hotel Las Catalinas was another gorgeous hotel with an incredible view of the ocean. Again we were welcomed with a refreshing cloth and special drink. Our luggage was carried to our room for us… thankfully! Fortunately we enjoy walking and hiking and the 75 steps down to our room … and back up….well… let’s just say we stayed in shape! Our room was well decorated, complimentary snacks and drinks, and even hot tea and treats were left at night! Here we experienced still more amazing staff, food, and scenery! The servers all work so hard! I looked forward to the delicious fruit plate, coffee, specialty juice, and pastries that were served every morning. There was also entertainment at night, and they made a delicious Negroni too! William at the front desk helped me to pack some gifts that I purchased there to take home safely. There were so many extra touches… ones that might go unnoticed… such as something as simple as insuring that when we were leaving for a tour that we were notified when the driver arrived and confirmed that it was the correct one. We really appreciated all of the kindness and thoughtfulness of the staff!

Wetlands Boat Ride and Rum Tasting at Hacienda El Viejo - loved this tour too for so many reasons. Carlos/Charlie was our driver and was friendly, patient, & thoughtful too! We enjoyed our time with him in the car and also at the Hacienda El Viejo. Our guide (Daniel, I think) was exceptional as well. Helping us to find more wildlife as we toured the wetlands by boat. After we took a side tour through another section not often traveled and were able to spot so many more birds and even a rare Jabiru’! After another delicious lunch we walked down to meet our tour guide Roberto for the Rum Tasting. Roberto was also passionate about his work and shared so much information with us. We even got to blend our own rum to take home! I definitely would go back here on another visit. Hacienda El Viejo is such a beautiful place with such history, and I hear that they are adding beer tasting room soon too!

Our last tour was the Sunset Catamaran Sailing Tour. The crew was awesome and worked hard to insure everyone had a great time. Drinks were served right away and the sailing began. We even spotted turtles in the water as we sailed. When we reached a cove the crew offered snorkeling, paddle boarding, and kayaking. They were so helpful providing equipment and assisting all of the passengers. I enjoyed kayaking and just relaxing on the boat realizing this was our last full day in Costa Rica. The crew provided some delicious snacks/dinner too! We saw a beautiful sunset and then returned to shore. Although we really enjoyed this tour, I think we would have enjoyed a more romantic type sunset cruise for our last evening here.

Thank you for helping to make this trip to Costa Rica so memorable! Even the weather was wonderful. We were expecting lots of rain, and we only experienced it a few times - once in Monteverde and then a couple of evenings in Nayara Springs. We are so grateful!

My husband and I had the most impeccably organized 13-day honeymoon planned by Veronica. She made sure we were able to do everything we wanted and everything was planned with love and top notch detail. Everything from transportation, local recommendations, and tours with knowledgeable and courteous organizations, made this trip truly unforgettable. We’ll never forget our memories of hiking through the Cloud Forest and rappelling down waterfalls near Arenal Volcano. Thank you Veronica and GWA for making our honeymoon the trip of a lifetime and showing us the true Costa Rican experience. Pura Vida!

Both my husband and I thoroughly enjoyed our Costa Rica trip. All the planning of our activities and places to visit was done in conjunction with Yuliana and she was able to set us up with very comfortable, inviting and clean accommodations at every stop. All the hotels provided excellent breakfasts so we were well fortified for our activities
Our trip started in San Jose, then a private transportation to La Fortuna/Arenal area, boat transportation to Monteverdi area and finally a private car trip to Tamarindo, a beautiful beach town on the Pacific Ocean.
We had excellent guides for all our activities which included hiking near The Arenal Volcano and La Fortuna water falls, riding class 3-4 rapids on the Balsa River, exploring Hanging Bridges and The Monteverde Cloud Forests, Ziplining and finally kayaking in the Pacific Ocean. We were able to see many flora and fauna, including the beautiful Quetzal, Howler monkeys and sleepy Sloths!
The whole trip was amazing, stress free with the excellent planning of Yuliana and her team at kimkim. Would highly recommend planning a trip with them.

Activity Reviews

Sky Walk, Sky Tram & Sky Trek Zip Line Adventure

Monteverde

Daniel, our guide for the hanging bridges tour was extremely knowledgeable, patient and had great communication skills. The whole group of assistants working on the 7 different Ziplines were professional, caring and reassuring those who were a little scared of the Ziplines.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tamarindo Estuary Boat Tour

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kayak & Snorkel Tour in Tamarindo Bay

Tamarindo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Whitewater Rafting on the Balsa River Class II & III

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I'd like to split my review into 2, our experience with kimkim and the serendipity team, and Costa Rica overall:
1. We knew nothing about CR prior to this trip, Bryan and the serendipity team built a perfect itinerary for us, adjusted it multiple times based on our preferences and were fast and efficient. Before but also during our trip and sometimes in a very short notice, they were always attentive, available and flexible, this trip could not have been so successful if it wasn't for Bryan and the team, THANK YOU 🙏
2. Costa Rica - how can you not fall in love with this country? Starting with the warm and welcoming people of CR and continue with the amazing nature, and finally the different attractions and things to do, we enjoyed every bit of it, our guides (Kenneth and Pablo in Arenal, Edson in the Sloth territory, Hector and David at Rio Celeste horseback riding, Andy at Monteverde, Juan at Damas) all were absolutely amazing!
We will definitely come back to CR following this great vacation.
Thank you, Pura Vida!
Motti and the family

Sergio was terrific in helping plan a trip for my husband and myself to Costa Rica. We were to be in CR for about two weeks and he had to work out an itinerary that involved a commitment in Playa Hermosa, near Santa Teresa. The arrangements were ideal and proceeded seamlessly with an abundance of good suggestions. Accommodations were all excellent. Throughout the trip, Sergio was available to help or answer questions and was always accommodating. He is also very knowledgeable and knows his country extremely well.

We flew from Denver to Liberia, where we were met by our driver, who took us to Monteverde, which was fantastic. Sergio convinced me to do the zipline above the cloud forest, and I was happy he did. Our privately guided hike was perfect with an extremely knowledgable fellow, who managed to find exotic birds, even one quetzecoatl.

Drivers were arranged to and from our assorted destinations, always punctual, and excellent and friendly. Our stay in Playa Hermosa (near Santa Teresa) was independent and I do not especially recommend that nor Santa Teresa unless the objective is to surf. Getting around means negotiating mud during rainy season and flying dry sand in summers with the smell of gasoline from zooming dune buggy vehicles.

Our driver picked us up from Playa Hermosa and drove us to a private island to Isla Chiquita, which is a fabulous resort with kayaking, whale watching, and a host of other activities. It was great and I would not mind returning.

So all and all a superb holiday with Sergio making ideal choices that were efficient and made the best use of time as he needed to plan around Playa Hermosa.

Hotel Reviews

Monteverde Lodge & Gardens

Monteverde

The hotel is well situated with beautiful surroundings. Not a luxury hotel, but adequate. The staff was always available and very helpful. I was quite happy with the restaurant and menu choices.

Authenticity & Character

A pretty hotel with stunning grounds.

Location

Short distance to all of the sites and forests.

Staff

They were available and did their best to make you comfortable and to address any concerns.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Accommodations were roomy and pretty

Isla Chiquita Glamping Hotel

This is a private glamping hotel off on a tiny island, which is leased from the government. It is quite top notch with lots of staff always available and doing their utmost to make sure your stay is perfect and wonderful, which it was. The glamping tent was beautiful, roomy, spotless, and very private surrounded by jungle--quite idyllic. There were plenty activities to keep us busy for four days. The hotel is immaculately maintained with gorgeous plantings and flowers everywhere.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Isla Chiquita is in the middle of a jungle and extremely safe, not a thing to worry about. No need to lock up anything.

Staff

Staff was always there wanting to be sure that we were happy and doing everything we wanted. They bent over backwards. Everyone seemed happy, calm, and never rushed,

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Coffee & Chocolate Tour

Costa Rica

This was great, entertaining, and educational. I will be ordering chocolates and coffee directly from Don Juan. I never knew anything about coffee making processes, the holy coffee, in particular. And their chocolates are fabulous.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

TreeTram, Hanging Bridges & Zipline Adventure

Monteverde

This was totally fun. I can't think of improvements other than the hanging bridges are kind of sketchy for overweight people.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

They all had a good sense of humor and made everything fun.

Transport

We had a private driver to take us there and to our next destination, and I recommend that.

Bioluminescence & Sea Life Tour

Isla Jesusita

Totally enjoyable and a fun thing to do in the evening. We even saw a manta ray.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Isla Chiquita Optional Activities

Isla Jesusita

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cloud Forest Reserve Privately Guided Hike

Monteverde

Our guide, Andreas, was great and very interesting. He is extremely knowledgeable about all of the plants, vegetation, and wildlife in his region, as well as the history. He loves what he does and loves sharing information, which is obvious. It is great to have a guide to provide information about plants and their habitats and can spot birds and animals which are camouflaged in trees.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had the BEST time visiting Costa Rica thanks to KimKim.com! I highly recommend this country and the experience it has to offer. Not only is the country lush and beautiful, the people are so hospitable and genuinely seem to appreciate your visit. In fact the local tour company that KimKim.com arranged greeted us with a note thanking us to contributing to the social-economic involvement of their local communities and said that we were all making our world a better place. You truly notice the local sense of community they share. And the people of Costa Rica make good/right decisions that avoid the kind of exploitation you see in much of the world. (For example, if a baby sloth falls from its momma, you won’t find tourists holding it, passing it around and taking photos for money. Instead, one wildlife specialist is assigned to raise the baby. This person is the only one allowed to interact with it and it will eventually be reintegrated into the forest ecosystem.) There are so many thrilling things to do in this country. In the short amount of time we were there, KimKim.com arranged for us to go white water rafting (Balsa River), zip lining (Sky Adventures Zip Lines), embark on a catamaran tour with snorkeling, take a guided hike to La Fortuna Waterfall (excellent guide, wish I could remember his name), and take another guided hike/tour through Manual Antonio National Park spotting animals, reptiles, and insects along the way (special thanks to our amazing guide Andrey Obando). My daughter wanted me to add that the local food was yummy - healthy and flavorful. We used KimKim.com to book our trip and they orchestrated everything through the local Costa Rica tour company Greenworld Adventures. KimKim.com assigned a local planner (Veronica - who was excellent!) and they were in touch with us through Whatsapp during the trip. We had every activity and transfer planned and did not have to worry about a single thing. It was like having a vacation concierge. Specifically the hotels we stayed in included the Grand de Oro Hotel in San Jose (first night only when we arrived late), Tabacon Thermal Resort & Spa in Arenal/La Fortuna for three nights, and Los Altos Resort Private Reserve and Beach in Manuel Antonio for three nights. It was a vacation of a lifetime exceeding our expectations with so amazing memories. I cannot recommend KimKim.com enough.

Hotel Reviews

Tabacón Thermal Resort & Spa

Fortuna

Simply beautiful. This is an elegant hotel. The hot spring fed pools were amazing. The restaurants were delicious. The views and location could not be beat.

Authenticity & Character

Very simple and zen like. Lovely taste.

Location

View of the volcano!

Staff

So polite and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Perfection.

Los Altos Resort

Manuel Antonio

Great location. Lovely pool area. The rooms were enormous! It was like having our own apartment. I think our room may have even had more square footage than our own house.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grano de Oro Hotel

San José

Very quirky and interesting hotel. We only stayed one night and used them because we arrived late in San Jose and were transferring early the next morning. I only wish we could have stayed longer to enjoy it more.

Authenticity & Character

One of the more original hotels I've ever seen. Very unique.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Nature Hike

Manuel Antonio

So much nature. Animals, reptiles, insects... I thought this was just a hike but it was more like living a real life national geographic expedition. My 10 year old daughter had her mind blown and literally came home and made her own documentary about how amazing this tour was. Special thanks to Andrey Obando who I think is the best guide there is. He made a special effort to connect to our daughter and she was just thrilled (as were we) with the whole experience. You also end up at one of the most beautiful beaches around.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Andrey Obando was our favorite guide of our entire trip (which is saying a lot because they were all great).

Transport

Catamaran Cruise & Snorkeling/Lunch included

Manuel Antonio

It was POURING down rain when we woke up for this tour, but we pressed on and so glad we did. The lead crew member ensured us we'd have a great time and the conditions were safe and he was not wrong! They made a big effort to make sure we also saw humpback whales.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

You could tell the crew member on the ship in charge of taking care of the guest was making a huge effort to ensure everyone had a great time.

Transport

Sky Adventures Zip Lines

Arenal/La Fortuna

Far more than I expected! I thought zip lining in Costa Rica would be cliche (because everyone does it) but it was well worth it. Very high and long lines. Totally thrilling. We'd never done anything like it. I'm mildly scared of heights so had to conquer my fear a little, but doing so was invigorating.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

La Fortuna Waterfall Guided Hiking Tour

Arenal/La Fortuna

This was maybe the highlight of our trip. It just so happened we had a massive rain storm during our hike which made the water fall all the more thrilling. We got to see a second water fall form. Our guide said he'd never been there at that exact moment and you could tell just how excited he was too!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I wish I could remember our particular guide's name because he was a gem.

Transport

Transfer San José to Arenal with Rafting on the Balsa River en Route (Class II & III)

Costa Rica

The guides were amazing! We had a thrilling time. We did this river with our 10 year old daughter who'd never been before. They took us to an appropriate stretch of river for her age. The rapids were thrilling but age appropriate for her. This was an amazing way to travel from one destination to another.

Quality of Experience

So glad we did it!

Food

Very authentic local Costa Rica cuisine and delicious!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The people make it! All our guides from the shuttle driver to the river guides were wonderful.

Transport

Right from the start KimKim were just so amazing, Brittany really took the time to go back and forth and help us design our perfect holiday. She helped us with activities and with budgets, it made the process fun and easy. Once we were on holiday, we had delays and cancellations with our flights, KimKim were great here as well. Ryan called us on the phone and helped organise new transfers at our destination and kept in touch the whole time to help us out. It really went above and beyond. The level of care and consideration was beyond expectations and we will definitely be using KimKim again as we had such a fantastic time. We had some fantastic guides and met some great local people as a result of our activities and accommodations. La Baula Lodge was outstanding in its service, I would definitely recommend anyone stay there in Tortuguero. Charlie and Andrea felt like friends after our stay there. Shana Hotel in Manuel Antonio was brilliant as well, and the amount of sloths we saw at the national park was mindblowing. We loved every second of the trip and wish we had stayed another week. Thank you so much to the KimKim team for all your help!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Lavas Tacotal

Fortuna, San Carlos

The grounds of the hotel are just gorgeous. The staff are really friendly and breakfast was good. We had a gorgeous room with a volcano view, very comfortable bed and a jacuzzi bath.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Great views of volcano, there's a shop and restaurant nearby. Uber works well to get around here.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Shana by the Beach Resort

Manuel Antonio

Fantastic hotel, great facilities and lovely atmosphere. I'd recommend an ocean view room. It was spectacular watching the sun go down from our balcony. There's a private beach that's great to spend the day on (just take cash). I'd really recommend staying here.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Suites & Villas Calathea

Monteverde

The rooms had a musty smell, a lot of humidity and that affected our stay quite a bit. The staff were really nice but management present a long list of rules that are a bit over the top. I'd probably recommend finding a different hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Baula Lodge

Tortuguero

The staff here are so lovely! The food served is amazing and the location is beautiful. This was such a great place to stay and I couldn't recommend it highly enough!

Authenticity & Character

Charming and authentic

Location

Sitting by the water on rocking chairs was so peaceful.

Staff

Charlie and Andrea became like friends, such wonderful people.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Always clean, but you do get what you pay for and it is not luxury, but it is comfortable!

Activity Reviews

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Nature Hike

Manuel Antonio

The park is so beautiful and there are so many sloths!! The beaches are stunning! Our guide Danny was great, such a lovely man.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Canoeing the Tortuguero Canals

Tortuguero

Fantastic experience, we saw so much wildlife and our guide Mau was great!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

TreeTram, Hanging Bridges & Zipline Adventure

Monteverde

Fantastic! I was a bit scared but the staff know what they're doing and it was an experience of a lifetime!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Monteverde Cloud Forest Guided Hike

Monteverde

This was speculator. So beautiful and the guide was lovely!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Volcano Hike & Tabacón Hot Springs with Meal

Arenal/La Fortuna

The hike itself was a bit disappointing. The views were spectacular but our guide didn't show us any wildlife and we were hoping for more of that, he did not know a lot about the volcano itself which was interesting. The hot springs are amazing! They were a highlight of the trip!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Night Hike

Tortuguero

Mau was a great guide. This was fun, informative and entertaining.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip was INCREDIBLE! Adriana and Yuliana were BEYOND helpful and had wonderful suggestions to make our holiday even more special! As a single
mom this was a very special trip and we felt safe and participated in EVERY adventure possible from ziplining to rafting to animal walks, a volcano hike, hot springs, surfing, parasailing, whale and dolphin watching to suspension bridges….
THANK YOU!
Carolyn

The trip Bryan planned was great. Overall, we had professional tour guides and felt like the locations we visited were the best for what we were looking for. Pablo, our driver and guide for our first day, was exceptional, had great energy, and left us with many tips that other tourists did not know about. (ie. Soda's are family owned restaurants!)

One room for improvement would be to communicate with local excursions/drivers/and us/tourist if there is a cancellation. For example, our driver picked us up and drove us to the excursion location (50 min away from Nosara to Samara) and back to the hotel upon learning of the cancellation of our diving excursion due to ocean conditions. We thankfully received a refund for the cancellation of the excursion.

Thank you to Bryan and the Serendipity Adventures team for the lovely holiday. Our wonderful trip leaves us with a want to return Costa Rica again in the future.

We had an incredible time traveling with our children to Costa Rica. The accommodations were incredible places we wouldn’t have been able to find in our own and the transport was so seamless. We are so thankful for our amazing time.

Everything about the trip was amazing.
Bryan chose excellent hotels and all the activities that we took part in were amazing ways to explore the rich Biodiversity you can find in Costa Rica . Our only regret is that we couldn’t have added an additional week to explore more of the country.
The guides were excellent and incredibly knowledgeable and happy to accommodate anything we wanted to focus on in our trip. The locals are so friendly and genuinely want you to enjoy their country and appreciate all the wonderful fauna and flora as well as the delicious food and of course the coffee. We weren’t bothered in any way to buy any of the souvenirs or take part in additional activities. If you’re planning a trip definitely pack for two very different climates, sunshine and bouts of heavy rainfall (it gets very humid at times) but the rain is always refreshing. Definitely recommend the hike around Arenal, the hanging bridges and zip wire in Monteverde, as well as the catamaran trip. Sensoria was amazing too and the opportunity to bathe in the hot springs was a fantastic way to finish the hike around the rainforest and waterfalls. This is one trip we will truly cherish and we hope to return to Central America and use the services of KimKim again to help organise our trip. Nilima

Excellent experience and will use them again and again. Great resource for the busy parent that wants to make the most of a destination but doesn't have the time to research all the different options! We used this for the first time to visit Costa Rica, our rep, Olman was knowledgeable and helped me throughout the trip with questions and concerns. Can't wait to use them for our next vacation!

Hotel Reviews

Los Altos Resort

Manuel Antonio

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Springs Resort & Spa at Arenal

La Fortuna

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Monteverde Lodge & Gardens

Monteverde

Wonderful staff with a Scandinavian ambiance!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Whitewater Rafting on the Balsa River Class II & III

Arenal/La Fortuna

Mario was excellent! Amazing experience with door-to-door service. Very professional and friendly staff.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Diego planned a great trip for us. All the details ran perfectly and we had a trip of a lifetime! Everyone we encountered was nice but two favorites that stood out were our driver for a few legs (John I think). And our guide for the Arenal Volcano was the best guide of all our hikes. The others were great too but he was our favorite! Thank you Diego.

This was tough to judge. Would like to give 4 1/2 stars. We had some issues and frustrations, particularly at the start of the trip. But - those all seemed to stem from the fact that KimKim had to swap out our representative a day or two before our trip started. As a result, some things got dropped or mis-communicated. Once we got further into the trip, things were much more smooth. All in all, it meant our arrival and first night were bumpy, and the start of the second day was messy, but after that, things were pretty great. So, summary advice: DO use KimKim, they put together a terrific vacation. But if they change out your contact/specialist, DO take some time to review the trip details with the new person, particularly things that were in emails or chat that didn't get added to the actual trip plan document.

Hotel Reviews

Auténtico Hotel

San José

We weren't here very long, arrived fairly late and left fairly early. We enjoyed our stay, but there are couple of things worth mentioning: * This is a slightly odd layout. Everything wraps around a smallish courtyard. The pool area covers most of the courtyard, and the restaurant seating spills out into the courtyard. The result is that everything feels kind of packed together, and you if your room opens to the inside area, you can hear pretty much everything in the building. It's cool and exciting for large groups, who get to be "together" even when they are in different places. I saw a couple of such groups here, and they were clearly having a great time. You might enjoy it less if your schedule depended on getting some sleep earlier than 10pm or later than 7am. * The restaurant was pretty great, with a deeper and more subtle dinner menu than your average hotel. * It's tough to find, even for San Jose. Parking is even trickier - it's across the street from the hotel, and you really have to plan in order to be able to get there without circling a few blocks.

Authenticity & Character

Very San Jose. It fits in well with the rest of the Central Valley. Don't expect it to feel terribly "Pura Vida," but it has a clean, professional, polished vibe.

Location

Not the easiest place to get to, not a lot of walkable places worth seeing, but a short drive from plenty of spots you might want to see.

Staff

The staff (along with the food!) made dinner a particularly memorable and positive experience.

Cleanliness & Comfort

As mentioned elsewhere, everything feels polished and professional and clean. It's not the Ritz, but it may feel like the top of the next tier. That's wonderful and impressive, considering the reasonable prices. You'll feel like you are getting more than your money's worth.

Park Inn San José by Radisson

San José

We went here at the start of a trip, got in late, left early. Didn't really get to evaluate much about the hotel, but what we saw was good. Five stars because they were accommodating (despite our late arrival). Helpful (which we needed because we were sleep-deprived and exhausted, and patient (which we needed because we were grumpy from the delays and other complications that made us late.

Authenticity & Character

Just a business hotel, but a good one. Nothing surprising, which is what you want in a business hotel.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Monteverde Country Lodge

Monteverde

Authenticity & Character

Maybe 4 1/2 stars? It's not one of the Monteverde hotels that is nestled into the wilderness, but it's not far from some good green spaces. The decor and overall tone is very Pura Vida, including some lovely hanging vines and fountains behind the restaurant, and a peaceful courtyard.

Location

Hard to beat Monteverde/Santa Elena in general.

Staff

Staff was pretty thin, clearly understaffed at mealtimes and early mornings at the desk. Likely due to it being the off-season, I'd expect things to be more fully covered during peak.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Las Caletas Lodge

Puntarenas

It's perfect if it's what you are looking for. This isn't about creature comforts. The path up from the boats to the hotel is steep, slippery and long. You'll be staying in a stifling hot cabin or a noisy, simple platform tent. Everything gets damp and stays that way. Meals are picked for you - there's no menu. No TV, viable internet or cell coverage. But if you are here to be here, to see Osa and Corcovado park, you're in the right place. Everything is astonishingly, endlessly beautiful. Scarlet Macaws nest in trees right on the grounds. Troops of Howler and Capuchin monkeys wander through all day and night. The forest, the ocean, the flowers -- this is the place to sit and soak it all in. If you want to see Osa, and be a part of Osa, this is a great place.

Authenticity & Character

It was like living in Corcovado, but with shelter, gourmet food and a fridge full of soda you could raid at any time.

Location

I mean - it's right there in Osa.

Staff

You pretty much only see one person (at least during the off-season), so if he's busy or resting, there really isn't any staff.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cleanliness and Comfort are relative. This isn't the W. But they keep the common area squeaky clean, and the cabins/tents are well-maintained. No silk sheets, but there are fans and good pillows. Picture elevated camping, more than hotel living.

Hotel Playa Espadilla

Manuel Antonio

Great vibe, great location, lovely little pool, just a really good fit for us. Monkeys, lizards and exotic birds on the grounds all the time. The restaurant doesn't have the deepest menu, but the food is _fantastic_. Would stay here again, no question. One small warning: in the restaurant, particularly at breakfast, avoid the corners of the sitting area furthest from the kitchen. The flies there are insufferable. Deeper into the seating area, things are fine.

Authenticity & Character

Definite Pura Vida sensibility. Everything was relaxed and smiley.

Location

Easy walk to the beach, but not so close that traffic and noise are an issue.

Staff

The restaurant folks were universally wonderful, in particular.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Snorkeling at Isla del Caño Biological Reserve

Drake Bay

I tired out after the first set of dives, but the kids kept going for another hour or more. Lots of great fish (including pufferfish!), sharks, some folks saw turtles. For me, the highlight was floating peacefully while hearing whales sing somewhere out at sea.

Quality of Experience

Food

The tour included a stop at a local restaurant afterwards. Simple fare, but delicious and authentic. Definitely a high note.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Nothing to be done, probably, but that boat ride is rough on older folks' backs and younger children's patience.

Zip Line (Canopy) Monteverde

Monteverde

I wanted to give this one star, because I was terrified the whole time and never really got to the point where I enjoyed myself, but that's just me and my fear of heights. The rest of my group had an amazing time. The guides were fantastic. They were very visibly obsessed with safety, which helped keep my panic to a minimum. They joked around with the kids, were patient with me and my wife, and generally did everything conceivable to maximize our enjoyment. Not their fault that it didn't work for me. Also - they used our cameras to get phenomenal number of great videos. I suspect we'll be watching those for decades.

Quality of Experience

For me, the highest achievable bar was: get through it without a debilitating panic attack. Checked that box. For the rest of our group, the trip was a thrill.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

They worked so, so hard to make things safe and enjoyable. Dedicated, skilled, friendly and energetic.

Transport

There was confusion with our initial pick-up, and it seemed like the driver couldn't find our hotel, but then tried to blame the issue on us. It was weird and unpleasant, but really a minor blip overall.

Walking tour to Corcovado National Park in Sirena Station

Costa Rica

Some great wildlife! Can't complain about that, really. We saw big coati family, a couple of agouti, a tapir, lots and lots of monkeys. But, I suspect we could have seen a lot more, and would have on a normal tour, but something odd was going on when we were there. Our guide spent a lot of time just _waiting_. Not sure for what. We waiting 15 minutes before getting started, then walked back and forth over the same 100 feet of trail for another 30 minutes with no obvious explanation. We paused and talked to another guide for 15 minutes later. We hung around at Sirena Station for much, much longer than planned. We headed back to the boats 20 minutes early. The end result is that we only spent about 90 minutes actively looking and exploring. I think this was unusual, some mix-up. Maybe a guide didn't show up? In any case, I'd still strongly recommend this tour, but I think we caught them on an off day.

Quality of Experience

As noted above, we did an odd amount of stalling and waiting. That was the only negative. I suspect this was a one-time event, not their normal pattern. The guide seemed unhappy with the waiting, too.

Food

After the boat ride back, they took us to a great local place, and fed us simple, authentic, delicious food. A great way to end the trip.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very knowledgeable. Maybe a bit preachy - but in an incredibly well-intentioned way. Didn't get in the way of us seeing or enjoying anything.

Transport

Young, spry folks may not mind. Older folks and younger kids may find the long boat ride, and the wading to/from the boats, to be taxing. Just be ready to spend a lot of energy on the trip. The actual hike is gentle.

Horseback Riding in the Cloud Forest

Monteverde

I have a life-long, irrational fear of horses. I agreed to do this only as a trade-off to get my kids to try some other things on our trip. Much to my utter surprise, I had a great time. Our guides were patient and very clear with their instructions. They kept a pace that we could manage. We went through terrain that we never could have navigated on foot, and it was just amazing. I got my horse all the way up to a trot a couple of times. I can't say I'm cured. Horses still seem crazy to me. But, if they could deliver 2 hours of exhilaration for me, I expect they can do that for just about anyone.

Quality of Experience

Really cool extra touch - at the end, they fed us some home-made snacks, and let us try making cane juice from sugar cane. Not totally sure what that had to do with horses, but it was a great way to cool off and get refreshed.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

On-time. Vehicle was well-maintained and seemed safe. Driver was friendly.

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Nature Hike

Costa Rica

We did nature hikes in Monteverde, Corcovado, and here. Much to our surprise, Manuel Antonio was the clear winner for variety of wildlife, educational content, and overall enjoyment. Coati, monkeys, huge spiders, snakes, a variety of birds, lizards, and an up-close encounter with a sloth. Don't miss this hike!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Every guide we had in Costa Rica was insanely knowledgeable. Even by that standard, though, our guide in Manuel Antonio was amazing. He was able to track and film moving animals using a scope (which I've always heard was impossible), while delivering a monologue about the scientific details for that animal, some things to look for to find them, etc. It was like traveling with David Attenborough and his film crew.

Transport

One of the great things about Manuel Antonio: the park is super close to the tourist area. We were close enough to walk, and walk back afterwards.

We had a wonderful week in Costa Rica. This was our first time using kimkim and Yuliana of Amazilia Travel could not have have been more helpful with her suggestions and spot on with her itinerary. We visited three different parts of the country (Arenal/La Fortuna, Monteverde, Manuel Antonio) and thoroughly enjoyed all of the hotels and various activities that she had booked. 10/10 for Yuliana! Thank you so much!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel San Bada Resort & Spa

Manuel Antonio

Fantastic location right next to the National park. The hotel was comfortable, easy to navigate and only a few minutes walk to the beach and other restaurants. The hot tub did not appear to be working but the pool was lots of fun for the kids. The best part of the hotel was watching the monkeys and toucans in the trees next to the pool!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lomas del Volcán

Fortuna

Fantastic hotel in beautiful surroundings. The bungalows felt very luxurious and the view of the volcano could not be beat. We enjoyed the swimming pool and hot tub and the breakfast was delicious.

Authenticity & Character

Beautifully appointed bungalows amid very carefully tended landscape.

Location

Overlooking the volcano and close enough to La Fortuna to not have to drive too far to restaurants and activities (too far to walk).

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

El Establo Mountain Hotel

Monteverde

Unique and comfortable hotel. The views from the 800’s building were gorgeous and the shuttle busses made traveling the mile (up and downhill) between the rooms and reception/restaurants very do-able. Our only issue was that the wifi, including the premium option, did not work in our rooms. Delicious breakfast and very friendly staff.

Authenticity & Character

Unique layout

Location

Not really close enough to walk to restaurants in Monteverde but the views from the rooms are everything!

Staff

Very friendly staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The rooms do not have heat or ac so we layered our clothing indoors.

Activity Reviews

Nature Walk at Ecological Park & Butterfly Garden Danaus

Arenal/La Fortuna

Very enjoyable, basically private tour at the Ecological park. Karina of Ecoterra Tours was very knowledgeable of the local fauna and flora. The butterfly enclosure had been damaged and all of the butterflies had to be released but we saw many other animals on the tour. The Maleku presentation was interesting.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Costa Rica

Danny of Toucanes Tours was a wonderfully kind and knowledgeable guide. His English is phenomenal and he clearly enjoys what he does. We saw many animals during our two-hour walk and enjoyed a brief break at the park’s beach. 10/10!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Coffee & Chocolate Tour

Arenal/La Fortuna

Rafael at Don Juan was a kind and knowledgeable guide who taught us so much about cacao and coffee. The kids loved making their own chocolate bars and we thoroughly enjoyed tasting the coffee. Definitely one of the highlights of our trip!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Safari Float & Hike to La Fortuna Waterfall

Arenal/La Fortuna

Great time rafting on the Peñas Blancas river with a snow Aventira. Our guides, Martin and Brian, were knowledgeable and enthusiastic. Didn’t see any sloths but saw many other animals. The trip down to the waterfall was fun but, in hindsight, this was something we could have done on our own. Lunch at Cava Pizza was the only downer of the day - the guide called our order in ahead of time, sensing that the kids were hungry after a long day, but we still had to wait almost 1.5 hours for our food.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Night Excursion at the Wildlife Refuge in Monteverde

Monteverde

Quite a unique experience to walk through the Costa Rican forest at night at Refugio de Vida Silvestre. We spotted a bunch of different animals during the two hour tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Aerial Tram, Zip Lining & Hanging Bridges

Monteverde

AWESOME experience! We were a little hesitant about zip lining in the pouring rain but it was such a great experience. There’s nothing quite like zip lining into the clouds. The guides at Sky Adventures took safety very seriously and their course and hanging bridges are well worth it.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Olman planned a fantastic trip for our family of 7 adults and an 11 month old. 10 out of 10 is the score for this trip, as suggested by our adult children. I was apprehensive about the 3.5 star hotels we requested in order to keep the cost down and have more $ to spend on meals and more. The 3.5 star Los Lagos had several thermal springs which was a highlight of our trip as well as a well appointed breakfast buffet. It was perfect for our family as we did not spend much time in our hotel room. If you are staying at the Park Inn by Radison in San Jose, take a 5 minute walk to the nearby outdoor farmers market. I loved the butterfly garden, seeing the caged animals from he region
, the hike to La Paz waterfall and the hearty lunch. Wouldn’t have missed it! The zip line has an automatic stopping system making it safe and not too scary for this 65 year old grandma. The light rain jacket is good to have. I wish I had brought a sweater to take on the plane and for going out to dinner in the evening. I wore my raincoat, a sweater would have been nice. I packed more socks than underpants. Bad idea as we were going swimming and in the thermal pools multiple times a day and taking showers. Bring extra underpants and extra swim suits. Swimsuits, and clothing for that matter, don’t dry overnight in the rain forest. Son went on early morning run and spotted 5 toucans in a tree. Sons pointed out that horseback riding at our hotel Los Lagos was a waste as horses were on complete auto pilot . A favorite for the 30 year olds was white water rafting after it had rained for 2 days. It was perilous and exhilarating. The night walk and coffee& chocolate tours were excellent. Wyndham Tamarindo 3.5 star hotel had terrific showers, an amazing view for all hotel rooms, and a beautiful infinity pool. We all enjoyed our stay there. This was a memory maker family reunion. It was better than we had expected. So glad we went with kimkim.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Los Lagos Spa & Resort

La Fortuna

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Park Inn San José by Radisson

San José

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Wyndham

Tamarindo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

San José - Arenal - Visit to La Paz Waterfall & Gardens

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to Costa Rica was excellent in every way. Olman did an outstanding job of putting together an itinerary geared to our interests and we were so happy with every part of it. We started with white water rafting on the Pacuare River which was unforgettable and exhilarating. And the Exploradores Outdoors guides were exceptional in their instruction, support, and unwavering vigilance. It was an experience of a lifetime for us . And our hikes near the Arenal Volcano and the Fortuna Waterfall were also unforgettable in their quieter way. I was very impressed with our guide, Randall, from Amazilla Travel, who was very engaging and remarkably knowledgeable about the volcano and the plants and animals of the jungle. We learned so much and I have brought back home with me the memory of the magical quiet of the rainforest. Every place we went we were pleasantly surprised with the quality of the accommodations, the food (which we will miss), the warmth and hospitality of the people we met, and the beauty of Costa Rica. Kimkim was the way to go for us.

I cannot thank Bryan from Serendipity adventures enough!

He helped us to plan the most wonderful trip in Costa Rica! Not only did he give us wonderful suggestions but he also took into account our interests and our desires to see as much as possible in a short frame of time. He planned our activities meticulously and followed up with us throughout the trip to ensure that everything was going smoothly.

All our guides arrived on time and were extremely well trained and informed. Their enthusiasm to share their knowledge about their country, the wildlife and the forests was contagious.

I would like to particularly mention Arenal Star, their service was impeccable. The owner picked us up and had local sweets and chips as well as drinks for us in the car. Not only that he stopped on the side of the road to get us Rambatans so that we could taste them. We made use of his company the next day for a hike and again we had the most incredible experience with fresh fruit being beautifully cut for us after our hike. Our guide was extremely informative and really went over and above to ensure we had an unforgettable experience.

In Monteverde we would really like to mention Andy from Forest Alive. He was by far the most experienced guide we had for the whole trip. He allowed us to freely use his spotting scope so that we could see all the animals. He had an array of specialist equipment that he used to show us so many interesting things that we would have otherwise not seen. He also understood our desire to take it slowly and really "see" the forest. We noticed how other guides were on their second or third trip with clients whilst we were merely completing our first excursion. He really took his time to show us nature at its best. He also showed us how diverse the forest is and gave us an in-depth explanation of the difference between all the various forests (dry, could, rain, dwarf). Our experience in Monteverde with Andy was one of the main highlights of our trip. He really is an exceptional guide and we will be forever grateful to him for everything he shared with us. Not only that he is also a fantastic photographer and he was able to teach us and show us how to take beautiful photos of what we were seeing.

We had an amazing time and we will definitely be using the services of Kimkim in future for all our trips. They make planning your dream trip a walk in the park!

Thank you to everyone for the most unforgettable experience in Costa Rica!

Diego did an excellent job planning our trip! All the excursions and airport/city transfers were timely in picking us up. All our tour guides were knowledgeable and excited about sharing their expertise with us. The hotel selections were perfect. There was one last minute change with one of our excursion providers and we received multiple notifications to ensure we were aware of the change. Overall, my family and I had a wonderful trip!