Kimkim Trip Reviews for Costa Rica

Amazing service. Would definitely use again for future travel plans. From the first time I connected with Adriana, she was very helpful and answered all my questions. After making a truly memorable trip plan, she was available for any further questions. Highly recommend!

Hotel Review

Nayara Hotel Spa and Gardens

Fortuna

Unique experience with unparalleled service.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Selvatura Park Self-Guided Hanging Bridges & Zip Lining

Monteverde

Awesome views and experience. Get to really experience Costa Rica with this excursion

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Everything was truly great. Only issue we had was the reservation for the ride back to the airport. Our car came at 8AM when it probably should have come at 10. We were sitting at the airport for 5 hours.

Normally I book trips myself, but this was our first time using a travel agent, and we had a fun week in Costa Rica. It is a beautiful country with lots to do and see. If anything, I wish that we had more time there. Brittany, our agent, was always friendly and reasonably responsible. She listened to our needs throughout the process. Most of the trip reservations ran smoothly. The only hiccup we had was on the first night. We arrived at 2 am from our flight, super tired. When we came to the hotel, they could not find the reservation that KimKim booked through Expedia. They even tried calling Expedia and trying to find it but couldn't find anything. KimKim didn't give me any relevant info to find the reservation besides the unsuccessful confirmation number, and we couldn't get in touch with them since it was the night. Eventually, we had to end up paying for a night directly with the hotel at the counter (which was at a cheaper price than the KimKim booking). KimKim refunded their booking fee. In general, the agents were available to respond within 15-30 minutes of when we had a question or situation.

Besides this booking hiccup, all the other bookings ran smoothly. Everyone that KimKim booked us with were great companies and excellent service. We especially enjoyed Sky Adventures ziplining at Monteverde and the Catamaran Adventure with Tuscanes Tours in Manuel Antonio. Also, the shuttles that they booked us with RideCR between the different locations were always on time and very professional, which I very much appreciated. One note about the transfers, I feel that there could have been more attention to detail by Brittany for when the shuttle times were and when the hotel check-in/check-out were. There were multiple times when the two did not align and so we found ourselves having to figure out what to do in the interim time. Another way to work with this issue would have been to call the hotels for us in advance and let them know of these transportation timings.

One thing that I would have wished for is a breakdown of the costs for lodging and activities. As college students, we were hoping to keep the budget as low as possible. As such, Brittany kept some large blocks of time in the day free to do self-exploration so we didn't have to pay additional upfront costs. On the itinerary, she provided suggestions of what to do, but the transport and entrance fee to those activities were not included. If I had a cost breakdown, I could better understand where to spend and where to splurge. It is also possible that I could have found cheaper rates than the agent if I looked myself. It seems like most of the bookings were done through Expedia, at least for the hotels, which may or may not have been the cheapest rates.

Overall, we had a good experience, but not necessarily a great or excellent one based on the above factors. I appreciated that Brittany was able to connect us with the local companies, but now that we know the good companies to book with, I would book a trip by myself in the future.

Hotel Review

La Fortuna Downtown Boutique Hotel

La Fortuna San Carlos

Good, no-frills hotel. Good front desk service. I like that all the rooms face the pool. Breakfast in the morning was tasty. The location was great to be able to walk around town or get to La Arenal and the Hot Springs.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Morning Catamaran Adventure with Barbecue

Manuel Antonio

Staff was very attentive. We love boats so this was a really fun ride. It was great to interact with the other people on the boat as well. Had great food and drinks.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We have made a rather last minute decision to visit Costa Rica for our very first trip together with Anna. Having had difficulties with arranging a car rental we decided to look for some support with our arrangements. At this point Anna popped into Kimkim and ask for assistance. Charlotte did not only came up with a positive offer for the rental but gave us advise for our entire trip plan inclusive of hotels, activities, insurance, etc. We found the Kimkim platform very user friendly and easy to understand. Frankly we did not really hesitate for a moment weather to accepts Charlotte's offer as it gave us a the structure and the security for 16 days we just needed to feel comfortable. Not going into details we just really liked all our destinations, hotels so we were convinced enough to reach out to our suggested hidden spots in between the cities. Credit goes to Kimkim and Charlotte who by the way was all our way long available for questions or just a kind follow up. Traveling to different exotic destinations we would definitely be looking for a Kimkim representative to guide us with good recommendations !

PS : If you get the chance to visit the Pacific Coast, dont miss Playa Ventanas next to Uvita !

Hotel Review

Azania Bungalows

Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

our favorite

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Arrive and Transfer to Hotel

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Diego helped us plan the trip. He made suggestions about the itinerary and helped us select suitable hotels etc in accordance with our budget.
Our trip included most of the key parks, waterfalls, hot springs, and other must-see venues. We even ventured on a Zipline which was fun.
There was one excursion, the Volcano walk, which turned out to be very difficult for us (senior citizens). The walk was considered a "leisurely" walk but instead, it was a very difficult climb on a relatively steep grade. I would not recommend this tour for seniors.
Diego was very responsive to our inquiries which were promptly answered.
So thank you, Diego. You streamlined the trip for us and it was an enjoyable journey.
Costa Rica is a beautiful country, well worth a visit.

Hotel Review

Hotel Los Lagos Spa & Resort

La Fortuna

We stayed here for 3 nights. What we loved was that the hotel had hot springs. So after a day of walking and sightseeing, the hot springs were great for relaxing. The hotel dining room was spacious and the food and service were excellent. The only reservation is that the hotel facilities are on a hill and it is necessary to use a shuttle if your room is up the hill. While the shuttle was available most of the time, it was necessary to wait for the shuttle.

Authenticity & Character

Location

The ambiance was great

Staff

Very responsive staff. Always happy to help

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Transfer San José to Arenal with guided visit to La Paz Waterfall Gardens.

Costa Rica

The transfer was picturesque and La Paz was an interesting stop. The waterfalls were magnificient. The collection of animals reminded me of a zoo, but in reality La Paz was the only place where we saw the larger animals. We did see many butterflies and other insects as well and the gardens are a real treat.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Brittany and the Kim Kim team put together a fantastic 9 day trip for me and my son over the New Year holiday with very short notice and reasonably priced. Our accommodations in La Fortunate, Monteverde and Manuel Antonio were beautiful and luxurious. Twice we opted to hang out in our room just to enjoy the beautiful views.

Brittany had set up multiple excursions and guided tours at each of the three destinations. The activities like the sky walk, kayaking and snorkeling were so much fun. We really loved everyone of them. The guides on our tours through the rainforest of various parks and on the ocean were so professional and the experience was very educational as well as entertaining. We got a ton of great wildlife photos.

Our entire experience with Kim Kim has been the best and we will definitely use their services in the future. We highly recommend them and we are very picky vacationers.

Thank you Brittany and your team.

Sincerely,

Ann

Hotel Reviews

El Establo Mountain Hotel

Monteverde

Beautiful views. Another hotel we enjoyed just hanging out in our room watching the views and animals. The restaurant was delicious.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Luna Hotel & Spa

La Fortuna

A wonderful hotel. We loved the trail along the river. The food was delicious. Everyone was so nice and friendly. Thank you for a great stay.

Tips for future travelers

Enjoy your stay. Be adventurous and hike up to La Fortunate waterfall.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful accommodations.

Location

Staff

Very kind and friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Costa Verde

Manuel Antonio

So beautiful. Monkeys everywhere. We just enjoyed watching the view , hanging out at the pool and sipping a cocktail. Easy walk to the beach.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Sea Kayaking & Snorkeling

Costa Rica

We loved it. Awesome to kayak experience as well as snorkeling.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sky Tram, Sky Trek & Sky Walk & Meal

Arenal/La Fortuna

Great guide. Great educational experience. The sky walk was a blast.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rio Celeste Day Trip

Arenal/La Fortuna

Great guid.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

January 2022. Our trip to Costa Rica was wonderful. Adriana, our trip planner was amazing. In planning the trip, she modified the itinerary several times to fit our specific needs and was available to answer all our questions immediately before and during the trip. She even offered to check her email after her regular hours to assure our needs were met. I never felt we were alone without help if needed.

The hotel in Arenal, the Kioro , could not have been more perfect. The view of the volcano from the room was phenomenal. One of our most memorable moments was seeing the volcano after the clouds finally cleared. Hotel staff was extremely friendly and helpful. The dinner meal at the poolside restaurant was delicious and included many local specialties. Franklin, the tour guide for the national park hike and the La Fortuna waterfall, (and our trusted driver, Gonzalos) was entertaining, informative and helpful. He went out of his way to try to try to find sloths, making extra stops along the way. And he helped us get an item in town that we needed. The 500 steps down to the waterfall are worth the prize at the end of the journey, even though the climb back up was challenging. Take some water with you for the climb back up. A couple hours to shop in La Fortuna is all you need and a nice place to gather souvenirs (as are some of the stops the drivers make in transport - good deals). Also some good dinner choices in La Fortuna. Note: no ATMs in the hotels, so get your cash in town.

Joshua was a great guide on the Frio River in Cano Negro tour and he really knew his facts. We saw beautiful birds, such as the blue heron, the Anhinga (native to CR), Wood-stork, and Amazon Kingfisher. Turtles, and Jesus Christ green lizards – named that because the literally fly across on top of the water. Oh, and huge iguanas! Caimans were sunning on the shores all over. The big treat, though, were the monkeys. Howler monkey families everywhere and we saw an adult w/a melanin mutation, causing him to be orange. There was also a baby with the same mutation which was white. Joshua had the boat docked so we could get a closer look and we got great photos through the telescope.

Zip line tour in Monteverdi was very fun! Another memorable moment. The staff that accompanied us throughout the tour deserve 5 stars. Friendly, helpful, reassuring, professional. A bit of climbing up and down steep stairs and about a total of 2 miles of hilly trails in between the zip lines, so be aware you need to be in shape if you are an older tourist. You can do the hanging bridges without a tour guide, but another 3 miles of up and down hilly trails. So, I’d recommend stopping for lunch in between zip lines and bridges.

Manuel Antonio area was another treat. The Parador Resort was 5 star +. Again, staff very friendly and took care of your every need. Beautiful ocean views and the rainforest was right in front of the property where you could take a 1/2 mile walk. We saw Congo monkeys in the trees, white-faced howlers (cappuccinos) and sloths and macaws right on the hotel property. Breakfasts offered many choices. Eat as much fresh fish as possible if that is to your liking - mahi-mahi, red snapper, sea bass - all fabulous. Take a private birding tour if possible. Our guide, Elias, was very informed and we saw fabulous, beautiful birds up close with the telescope (a must). The tour of the Manuel Antonio National Park can be very busy and you may or may not see some of the animals you are seeking, but the park is very lush and beautiful. The beaches are clean, with beautiful white soft sand and wonderfully warm waters. Very relaxing. We had a day without any tours and enjoyed this day on the beach. Can rent chairs and umbrellas for $10 USD for the day at the public beach. (No credit cards)

Tour guides, Warner (kayaking) and Mario (Manuel Antonio National Park) went way out of their way to help us when we had an unfortunate incident. They were extremely helpful.

A huge shout-out to our drivers during our private transports: Ricardo, from San Jose to Arenal; Wilson, Arenal to Monteverdi - (a treacherous journey across the mountain); Albarro, Monteverdi to Manuel Antonio; and our driver from Manuel Antonio to San Jose made sure our check-in at the hotel was seamless before he departed. Such caring service!

The people everywhere were warm and friendly. Breakfasts included every day and lunches with almost every tour, were very convenient and tasty! I would recommend this company to any traveler going to Costa Rica and will look into using them again for our next trip. Great job!

Hotel Review

Parador Nature Resort & Spa

Manuel Antonio

Great staff, perfect location, fabulous ocean views. Perfect sunsets. Great food. Fish is fresh and delicious. The rainforest in front of the hotel allows amazing opportunities to see wild life right on hotel property! Junior suites offer so much room and comfort. Several pools to choose from, clean and relaxing. 5 star.

Tips for future travelers

Take the private birding tour (at 0600 -worth it), if possible. Phenomenal birds and informative guides. And the guide will get you fabulous close up photos through the telescope. And most of the tour is right on the property!

Authenticity & Character

Tropical setting, birds and sloths on the property. Classy.

Location

Staff

Everyone acknowledges you and goes out of their way to help.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge Boat Safari

Arenal/La Fortuna

It was amazing because we saw so much. The Jesus Christ lizard jumping over the water, the huge iguana, the howler monkeys, including those with mutations. And our guide went out of his way to dock the boat and get us to shore so we could view the monkeys up close. But, it would not have been fun if we missed these sitings 🙁. It’s a 2 hour trip each way, so makes for a long day. Lunch was included, and was very good.

Quality of Experience

Food

Authentic Costa Rican meal.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Nothing, really. It’s just a long journey to and from the river.

We had a great experience touring Costa Rica. Chris and Randall was very organized and planned our trip really well. They were very responsive . I will definitely recommend working with Chris and Randall if you are planning a trip to Costa Rica.

Yenyi was helpful and responsive every step of the way during trip planning, rescheduling twice because of Covid cancellations, and when we were finally in Costa Rica. When we had an issue in-country with one of the scheduled tours, Yenyi was on it immediately once contacted, helping to resolve things and get us on our way. My family loved every part of the trip. I highly recommend Yenyi and kimkim.

Planning a trip to Costa Rica on my own was confusing and frustrating. There are so many amazing places and I didn't know where to start. I found kimkim online and gave it a shot. I was very pleased with the response I got. Diego was attentive and listened to my requests. It was easy, I told him what I wanted to do and he made it happen. I didn't need to manage anything and I didn't have to at all. He booked transportation, lodging, and excursions for me. All of the planning was flawless. We were picked up at the airport on time and had a pleasant ride to the first resort, the Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin. It was a beautiful resort with delicious food. All of the excursions were done right at the activity center on the property. Johnny took us on a hike in the national park where we saw monkeys and geothermic anomalies. The zip lining was exciting and well organized. The guides made it so enjoyable. They were fun and personable. Horse back riding and tubing was so fun! Canyoning is something I never thought I'd do. So glad Diego booked it.
We were transported to Tamarindo beach in an air conditioned van. The drivers were very cautious and we felt very safe. We stayed at the Dira resort. The pools and beach are beautiful. Diego booked us a catamaran sunset cruise with Marlin Del Rey company. The guide, David, was engaging and the cruise was 5 hours long. It was excellent.
I was impressed with kimkim and Diego. I have recommended their services to others and I will use them again.

Hotel Review

Hotel Hacienda Guachipelín

Liberia

This is jungle resort at the base of the national park that sits on over 3,000 acres. It's a working rach and farm. It also hosts the adventure center on the grounds, which is super convenient. The food is delicious. The only downside is that every restaurant has the same exact menu for lunch and dinner. We did all of the excursions offered and we hiked to all the waterfalls. We loved our trip! The best adventure for us was tubing. The staff is friendly, the rooms are nice and clean, the views are beautiful. I would definitely stay here again.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Canyoning at Victoria Waterfall

Rincón de la Vieja

Very unique experience. I would combine this adventure with something else that day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Charlotte did an amazing job working with our group to plan a wonderful trip to Costa Rica. We were able to do all the adventures we planned without missing a beat. She took the guess work out of everything and having a personal driver was the best. Andres was an excellent driver and companion on our trip.

Will definitely be using KimKim in the future for other vacations.

Hotel Review

Studio Hotel

San José

The hotel was nice and about 20 mins from the airport. The breakfast was good and the hotel is very close to many places to eat that are within walking distance.

Tips for future travelers

Clean and quite hotel. I enjoyed the local artwork that was displayed throughout the hotel.

Authenticity & Character

The local artwork.

Location

20 mins from the airport.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Arenal ATV Adventure

Arenal/La Fortuna

Really enjoyed the trail and the guides.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Definitely made the atv trail fun.

Transport

My husband and I had the privilege of spending three weeks in Costa Rica and Alberto and the Kim Kim team made this trip a complete dream come true! I was a bit nervous about all the excursions and accommodations and travel plans as we stayed at 6 different spots and rented a car in a country we don't speak the language on (and Murphy's law is something is bound to happen) but NO! Everything was organized to perfection and by the most friendly people ever! We did not have a single issue and nothing was even 5 minutes behind schedule - this vacation truly operated flawlessly! When I did have questions, Alberto responded in a matter of minutes (seconds even sometimes, I am not kidding!!!) Highly recommend letting Alberto plan your trip to Costa Rica as we had a once in a lifetime experience and stayed at some of the nicest resorts I have ever been at.

Our favorites.....
1. The Caribbean side! You must visit this part of the country - Puerto Viejo & Limon region were spectacular!
2. Monteverde El Establo Resort - truly a magical place and you MUST go horseback riding at Equus Farms : https://www.monteverdetourscr.com/trip/monteverde-equus-horseback-riding-tour/
3. Diria Tamarindo Resort - we will be back here for sure!
4. Tortugero Evergreen Lodge - the windows are screens, not glass and you are living in a jungle sound machine! SOOO many animals here!

Tips for travelers....
1. Drink bottle water only! We both got sick
2. Rent a car - the roads were really easy to drive and the car had GPS
3. Fly in and out of different airports so you can see more of the country... next time we are going to fly into Limon airport and then fly out of Liberia so we can spend more time on the beach as San Jose is not great and you should try to spend as little time there as possible to maximize the fun.
4. You can book much cheaper excursions with the hotels you are staying at. You would save a lot of money doing it this way and they have more options to choose from and you can decide day of what you want to do instead of being locked into a schedule.

Seriously, Alberto was amazing and so communicative from start to finish! GO TO COSTA RICA, you won't regret it!

Pura Vida!

Our trip to Costa Rica was one of the best trips I've ever been on, and it's all thanks to the wonderful people at GWA. This is the first time we've let a tour company plan basically our entire trip and we couldn't have been more pleased with the results!
Our contact was Alberto who was knowledgeable, polite, friendly and very accommodating of all our tweaks and changes. It really felt like the success of our trip was important to both Alberto and the rest of the staff at GWA. Alberto worked with us to plan all sorts of activities/tours as well as picked all but one hotel with our approval.

Once we arrived we were met by Felipe, our main driver for the trip and a clean and private van transport to our San Jose hotel. When we arrived at the hotel Felipe gave us a lovely welcome bag with thoughtful goodies inside. The bag itself is designed by women at a women's shelter for domestic violence which we thought was so cool of them to support. They also included a nicely printed itinerary, a commemorative plaque/certificate of our visit, and two metal water bottles with their logo! Felipe went through our itinerary with us and patiently answered all of our questions.

The next day Felipe picked us up after breakfast and took us to our next location in La Fortuna, an approximately 3 hour drive from our first hotel in San Jose. Felipe shared his knowledge with us along the way and he was very kind and helpful when I revealed that I suffer from motion sickness. He recommended his favorite restaurant in the area Don Rufino which we took his advice on later, it was excellent! The hotel was fairly rustic with little cabins set up on a lovely garden trail. The wi-fi did not extend to our room and there was only soap in the shower but the grounds were very nicely maintained and the staff were so friendly and warm. Alex from reception did not speak English and with our limited Spanish it was difficult to communicate with him but he went out of his way to point out sloths in a nearby tree despite how frustrating it must have been that we did not understand. Eventually we figured it out and were able to spot sloths twice with Alex's help right there outside the reception! I also saw a toucan and many other beautiful birds on the property.
It was very quiet and peaceful and one morning we had breakfast and it was just us and Alex and the cook and a lovely woman who took our breakfast order the night before and I think may also have been the one who cleans the rooms. Jon played their old organ for them and we all enjoyed the music together.

That first night a driver named Otto from Desafio Adventure Company took us to the Paradise Hot Springs which was way less rugged than what we were expecting. We had drinks at the hot springs bar and lounged until dinner. There were lockers and showers on site and the springs themselves are located within a hotel. On the way back we told Otto about our need for shampoo/conditioner and Otto graciously accompanied us to a local supermarket where we were able to procure what we needed.

The next day we went on another tour with Desafio Adventure company with our wonderful guide Carlos and driver Alex. First we visited the Arenal Hanging Bridges which was pretty amazing and so beautiful! With Carlos's help we were able to see so many wonderful things that we would have missed alone, including Red-eyed tree frogs, White-nose Coatis, Howler Monkeys, Anoles, and even a Purple-Crowned Fairy! He was very knowledgeable about the many plants and trees that we encountered as well, and even their uses by indigenous societies. From the hanging forest we went to La Fortuna waterfall and went swimming near the falls in beautiful water with small fish. The walk back up the steps was pretty brutal, everyone told us a different number of steps, was it 600 or 800? Either way with frequent pauses and shaky calves we eventually made it to the top!
We then went to Desafio's base of operations and had a delicious buffet style lunch and coffee and rested for a bit. The final expedition of the day was to Arenal volcano, Carlos unfortunately was not feeling the best so we hiked up by ourselves to allow him a chance to rest. The view from the top was beautiful and it rained a bit which was very refreshing. We even found some colones up there! When we got back to the rest shop Carlos brought out some fresh fruit they got for us, they'd even gone out of their way to get a papaya for me because I wanted to see if it was way better in Costa Rica and it is! David expertly prepared the fruit for us and we ate to our heart's content. We then stopped by a natural hot springs by the road side and then stopped to take photos of a sloth that Carlos had spotted earlier since we hadn't managed to get a good photo the day before. I would recommend all of these tours and Desafio was great, GWA picks great tours!

Our next hotel was in Rincon de Vieja at Rinconcito Lodge. On the drive there Felipe taught us about Arenal Lake and took us to a delicious restaurant called the Macadamia Cafe. We thought we would see Felipe again but sadly this was the last day we saw him. Once we arrived at the hotel we were given a welcome drink of tasty watermelon juice. The bungalows at this hotel are lovely, we had sliding glass doors out to a balcony with two beautiful wooden rocking chairs and a nice view. The trek to our room was a bit much, especially with bags but thankfully we had Felipe to help us on the way up. They have a lovely pool which never had anyone else in it, horses and a trail on site and thankfully a restaurant because we were without transportation. I think having a car would have been useful here, as everything seemed to be at least 30 minutes by car and when we attempted to walk to Las Pailas we quickly realized it would take 3-4 hours! It's a nice location with many birds and butterflies and we would definitely stay again if we had available transportation. We mostly relaxed during this time except for the last day where there was some confusion on our part and we scheduled a hike during our pickup time at the hotel. We were coming back from a 12km trek to La Cangreja Waterfall when we realized our mistake. It's a really lovely waterfall with hot spring water but it took me days to recover from all the sun exposure! When we got back to the lodge, David was there patiently waiting. We felt terrible about the misunderstanding but David was very kind about the whole thing.
After our rough start our drive with David quickly became enjoyable, he had many interesting stories and . We stopped in Liberia I think to get some juice/gingerale for my car sickness which I really appreciated. We chatted all the way to the next hotel, Nambu Bungalows at Samara. This hotel is by far the fanciest that we stayed at, and we somehow got upgraded to a Master suite. This means you are on the top floor with a hot tub and there are no elevators which thankfully wasn't an issue for us. We loved sitting in the hot tub watching the sun set!
We had one delicious but expensive dinner at the hotel, the barkeeper was excellent and you can have drinks and coffee by the picturesque pool. The second day at Nambu we were supposed to go on a kayaking expedition but unfortunately I was still feeling unwell so we had to cancel. We spent the day relaxing at the beach and in the room. The restaurants in the area are not that plentiful but we really enjoyed the food at Hula Jungla which was maybe 2 minutes walk from the hotel. We tried two of the other local restaurants but Hula Jungla is the one we kept returning to.
We also did horseback riding in Samara with Rene from Paraisos de Caballos. The horses were brought right to the hotel and it was just us and Rene! We rode by the beach and on a lovely loop through the forest and up a hill with a gorgeous view of the mountains and shoreline. We saw Howler monkeys again and white-faced monkeys and were able to get quite close to the Howlers! We also saw many beautiful birds and Blue Morphos butterflies before taking photos near the beach of a stunning sunset. Rene was very knowledgeable just like all our guides and we enjoyed talking with him. I would definitely recommend Rene and all our other wonderful tour guides/drivers!

Our last day our driver had car trouble and we were given a generous credit to spend on drinks/foods while we waited pool side. They managed to find a different driver and Roberto soon showed up to take us back to San Jose. This was another 3 hour drive and Roberto was yet another pleasant conversationalist, he even stopped for us at a big mall so we could grab a bite to eat before returning to our hotel, as we were concerned nothing nearby would still be open. We walked all over the food court and Roberto was so patient with us. After we arrived at the hotel at almost 9pm our trip was basically finished. We got massages the next day and ate twice at Moose, which Felipe had recommended on our first day and got Covid tests at the mall located conveniently nearby. The following day we were picked up and taken to the San Jose Airport. We were sad to leave this beautiful country and our friends at GWA. Everything was so wonderful, all the people and places and activities, it really exceeded all of my expectations. I would book again with GWA with full confidence, they are professional, responsive, kind and all around a wonderful company to work with. You can't go wrong booking your trip to Costa Rica through them! Thank you to the entire GWA team for making our trip so memorable and fantastic!

Hotel Review

Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, San Jose Aeropuerto

San José

Convenient hotel location with plenty of amenities. Room was kind of loud (thin walls?) But the location was nice for proximity to stores/restaurants/etc

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Hanging Bridges, La Fortuna Waterfall & Arenal Volcano Hike

Arenal/La Fortuna

First we visited the Arenal Hanging Bridges which was pretty amazing and so beautiful! With Carlos's help we were able to see so many wonderful things that we would have missed alone, including Red-eyed tree frogs, White-nose Coatis, Howler Monkeys, Anoles, and even a Purple-Crowned Fairy! He was very knowledgeable about the many plants and trees that we encountered as well, and even their uses by indigenous societies. From the hanging forest we went to La Fortuna waterfall and went swimming near the falls in beautiful water with small fish. The walk back up the steps was pretty brutal, everyone told us a different number of steps, was it 600 or 800? Either way with frequent pauses and shaky calves we eventually made it to the top! We then went to Desafio's base of operations and had a delicious buffet style lunch and coffee and rested for a bit. The final expedition of the day was to Arenal volcano, Carlos unfortunately was not feeling the best so we hiked up by ourselves to allow him a chance to rest. The view from the top was beautiful and it rained a bit which was very refreshing. We even found some colones up there! When we got back to the rest shop Carlos brought out some fresh fruit they got for us, they'd even gone out of their way to get a papaya for me because I wanted to see if it was way better in Costa Rica and it is! David expertly prepared the fruit for us and we ate to our heart's content. We then stopped by a natural hot springs by the road side and then stopped to take photos of a sloth that Carlos had spotted earlier since we hadn't managed to get a good photo the day before. I would recommend all of these tours and Desafio was great, GWA picks great tours!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hi Adriana thank you for arranging what was a wonderful vacation in Costa Rica. The hotels were great. Good facilities, helpful staff, good locations. We were amazed by our hotel in Monteverde the view from our room was beyond Amazing!! The tour guides were friendly and knowledgable and the tours ran to time. Shuttles were also good. You did a great job arranging this trip for us and we would definitely recommend you and Kim Kim.

Hotel Review

Parque del Lago Boutique Hotel

San José

Friendly and helpful reception. Good rooms

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

El Silencio Volcano Hike & Visit to La Fortuna Waterfall

Arenal/La Fortuna

Great tour guide very knowledgeable we learnt a lot. Great group and tour. Definitely worthwhile.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

knowledge of guide; drive was on time and friendly

Transport

This is our first trip with KimKim and Charlotte. We could not have asked for anything better. Charlotte collaborated with us to customize the entire trip per our requirements and budget and took care of all planning, bookings, events, guides including vaccine testing during a peak travel season. Charlotte is very knowledgeable about Costa Rica and helped us explore, enjoy Costa Rica at our pace and liking, and managed to organize, fulfill some unique requirements for our family. she is super nice and easy to work with was an only text away and was super flexible to add something along the way if needed.

We are very pleased with KimKim as a platform, Charlotte, and the team as local experts. They took all the stress/guesswork out of the way and saved us time and risk. Could not have asked for anything better. I think a KimKim APP would be even better but not a big deal.

All our future travel/vacation will be with Kimkim and their team of local experts!

What a wonderful 8 days in Costa Rica for our family of 4 (including 2 teenage girls)! Because of the impeccable planning and support provided by Adriana, the actual trip turned out to be so much better even as compared to what we had anticipated.

Planning the trip took multiple back & forths with Adriana over a few weeks - given our specific interests, constraints as well as the changing COVID situation. But Adriana was always patient, resourceful and prompt in getting all the questions answered to our satisfaction. The trip plan that she arrived at, after all the iterations, based on our feedback was just perfect. Even after arriving at a perfect plan, we needed to move the dates by a couple of days, requiring Adriana to redo some of the planning and booking - but that did not deter her! A few timing changes during the trip were also accomodated by the Amazilla team. Wilson, Mr. Gonzalez and other drivers did an excellent job shuttling us between destinations and providing vivid commentary. Our guides Franklin (at Arenal), Jason/Jon Carlos (White Water Rafting), Allen (Manuel Antonio) were all very knowledgable and made the activities so much more interesting!

This was a memorable 8-days for all 4 of us. CR's beauty is alluring and captivating. And the local expertise and diligence provided by Adriana and the rest of the crew made it very seamless and delightful. Thanks everyone! Pura Vida!

Hotel Review

El Establo Mountain Hotel

Monteverde

Stayed here for 2 nights - Great Views specially if you drive up the property - Vegetarian food options were somewhat limited. But still manageable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Whitewater Rafting on the Balsa River Class II & III

Arenal/La Fortuna

Level 2/3 White Water Rafting - This was on our bucket list. Had a small incident (since I do not know swimming and started panicking when the raft capsized and I fell in the river). But Jason (our guide) handled it professionally and strongly! Truly amazed

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

El Silencio Volcano Hike & Visit to La Fortuna Waterfall

Arenal/La Fortuna

Franklin (as our guide) was very knowledegable - Making the hike a very interesting and learning experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coffee & Chocolate Tour

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Selvatura Park Self-Guided Hanging Bridges & Zip Lining

Monteverde

Ziplining over the Cloud Forests was amazing! Some climbing and fair amount of walking required

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Selvatura Park Self-Guided Hanging Bridges & Zip Lining

Monteverde

Ziplining over the Cloud Forests was amazing! Some climbing and fair amount of walking required

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We booked a trip to Costa Rica through KimKim using Randall. He was amazing, and the process of setting up and managing the trip was great. We made several changes to our group and our itinerary throughout the process - including while we were in Costa Rica - and Randall handled everything professionally and quickly.

We did a river nature tour on Cano Negro, which was amazing - although it helped that we were the only people on the tour. Our driver for the day, Daouren, was also a tour guide and very knowledgeable.

We also loved our hanging bridges walk in Fortuna, our night jungle walk in Manuel Antonio and surfing lessons with MASS in Manuel Antonio.

On the downside, we didn't have a great time in the actual Manuel Antonio park. We were there on New Year's Eve day and it was packed. We saw very little wildlife and when we did it was often waiting with a group of 20 or 30 people to look through a spotting scope.

Our first hotel - Montana Del Fuego in Fortuna - was okay, except that our rooms were right off of the main road. It was very noisy and felt more like being in New York City than in Costa Rica.

All in all we'd recommend working with Randall if you are trying to book a trip to Costa Rica and need some help!

Randall provided insider advice on Costa Rica, a country I struggled to piece together things online. He gave a great itinerary for my friends and I based on our likes and dislikes, including great lodging, in great locations, and with activities we got really excited about. It's like having a family friend create a perfect insider's trip FOR YOU. Recommended!

The trip was well planned, but it would be nice to know in advance which tours were private and which were small group. Also, in terms of our itinerary, it would be better if we had the hot springs visit on the evening that we arrived in La Fortuna rather than the next day when we also had a bunch of tours. That would give us more time to enjoy the resort and provide dinner. The fact that the La Fortuna hotel had no restaurant aside from breakfast was a bit of an issue without a car. Thankfully the hotel manager offered us her car so we could get food, but otherwise we had to cross the language barrier to get taxis into town and back. I'd recommend clarifying the hotel's amenities.
Manuel Antonio Park entry rules have changed as well from the information provided in the itinerary. You can now book timed tickets online on the park's website and also get tours there as well. That removes the hassle of going early in the morning to get tickets the day of. Thankfully we checked and booked tickets the day before. There is a cafe in the park as well so no need to pack food.
Otherwise all the guides were good. We especially liked the one in Monteverde cloud forest.

Hotel Review

Igloo Beach Lodge

Manuel Antonio

Activity Review

Arenal Hanging Bridges Guided Walk & Baldi Hot Springs Excursion

Arenal/La Fortuna

The hanging bridges experience was great. The hot springs not so much in the beginning, but better once we figured out the lay of the land.

Everything was fantastic! Olman did an incredible job answering all my questions about places to stay and excursions to take. Every detail was planned and made the trip stress free. We had an incredible room at each of our destinations and I would credit Olman in making that happen. I highly recommend using KimKim. It made traveling to a country we weren't familiar with very easy and comfortable. We are very pleased with everything!!

Hotel Reviews

Tabacón Thermal Resort & Spa

Fortuna

This place is absolutely magical!! We truly enjoyed everything about this hotel except for the lack of water pressure in the shower. That was disappointing, but it by no means ruined our trip. The robes to walk around in were a very nice touch. The restaurants on site were really good and the signature drinks were fun to try. Shang ri La Gardens- the adult section for hotel guests only was incredible. We spent a very large amount of time there. We loved the server Adrianna. She was fantastic. The little cabanas to rest in were perfect. It was so quiet and calming. Incredible!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel La Mariposa

Manuel Antonio

What a view! This hotel was amazing and had the best views in the area. The food was great and the customer service at the pool bar and the restaurant were top notch. We were very pleased and would definitely return to La Mariposa without hesitation. It was the perfect location to get around the area and walking distance to so many restaurants and shops. The free shuttle to and from Manuel Antonio was convenient, and the city bus was great too! We enjoyed our room and the panoramic views it provided us. Every afternoon after our excursions we looked forward to relaxing by the pool for a few hours then up to our room to watch the sunset. Amazing!! Photos don't do this place justice. Andres and Harvy at the pool bar were very attentive and Christian at La Papillion Restaurant went above and beyond to make sure we enjoyed our stay. Thank you so much for the outstanding customer service!!

Tips for future travelers

Just relax and chose this place. You will not be disappointed at all!!

Authenticity & Character

Beautifully manicured and very clean

Location

perfect! we could walk to at least 10 different restaurants and the city bus was so easy and clean to use

Staff

everyone was so nice and attentive

Cleanliness & Comfort

very clean and extremely comfortable, especially the padded sun loungers by the pool under the canopyt

Hampton by Hilton San José Airport

Alajuela

super convenient airport shuttle! perfect place to stay for quick layover before our adventure. The hotel was very clean and breakfast was perfect

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Surf Lesson

Manuel Antonio

We had a great time learning to surf! The guys were very patient with me and my inability to figure it out! lol! My husband had a blast and I gave up after about an hour, but that was just fine for me. I sat in a lounge chair and enjoyed a wonderful passionfruit margarita in the shade that was provided by the surf club. No worries;) Pura Vida

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Hanging Bridges & Hike to La Fortuna Waterfall

Arenal/La Fortuna

We had a great time! The hanging bridges were so fun! The hike through the rainforest was beautiful! Our guide showed us 4 different poisonous snakes on the way. Super cool! We went for a nice authentic Costa Rican lunch after were was fabulous as well.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Volcano National Park by Arenal Lake

Arenal/La Fortuna

This was a wonderful boat ride and a very relaxing. The hike down to the boat ride was also very nice! We saw some birds and a sloth on the hike.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal - San Jose - Visit La Paz Waterfall

Costa Rica

Absolutely stunning! We couldn't believe how beautiful this park was. The falls, hummingbirds, and landscape was incredible. It was so peaceful.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Savegre Whitewater Rafting

Manuel Antonio

The guys were so friendly and enthusiastic! I felt safe the whole time in the water and the hike to the waterfall was really nice. We even enjoyed the open air truck ride up to the river. Awesome experience on my 40th birthday!

Quality of Experience

great time!

Food

the restaurant we stopped at for lunch was delicious and the food was nearly ready for us when we got there. The company calls ahead to put our order in. That is a great way to be mindful of time.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

very friendly and enthusiastic

Transport

loved the open air truck ride

Catamaran Adventure with Snorkeling

Manuel Antonio

The boat was very spacious and clean. There were 2 waterslides that some enjoyed. Our captain even spotted some whales so we were able to see 2 whales on our sail. That was a pleasant surprise. The lunch they served was phenominal! The food was very good and they served plenty of it.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport