Kimkim Trip Reviews for Costa Rica

The location was the best part. Most unbelievable views of the Pacific Ocean, the mountains and the beach. Indescribable. The front desk staff, however, or not the best. They seemed annoyed by questions and small requests. There were a few exceptions. For example, the upstairs bartender was very friendly, and one or two of the waiters were.

The thermal pools were awesome. Never crowded- no fighting for space or chairs. The hotel staff were sooooo wonderful. Eager to please and assist with anything; they all seemed genuinely appreciative of their guests being there. The breakfast buffet was like nothing you would find in the USA. Highest quality fruits and vegetables, cheeses, made to order omelettes, Costa Rican, coffee, as well as some American favorites, like bacon, eggs, and pancakes.

Fun! The sunset was unbelievable. The dolphins, the swimming, the diving and going down the high, steep slides. Made me feel like a kid again.

Our tour guide, Olman, was excellent. He knew all the ins and outs of spotting wild life. He is clearly an expert in his field and had a passion for his work. Because he had a such a high-quality spotting scope we did not even need our binoculars. He was able to take expert quality pictures for us.

Our tour guide was GG (a nickname, not sure what his full name was) and he was excellent. Patient, knowledgeable, humorous. And the fresh brewed coffee was spectacular. This was such an informative and educational tour. I never expected to learn so much about coffee. I was wrong on so many things I thought I knew about coffee!

Unfortunately, the weather wasn't great while we were there so we couldn't see the volcano. The guide, however, was excellent. Mariano. Very experienced and knowledgeable great personality. Funny.

Most beautiful view of the beach from open-air breakfast area. Quiet beach - much better than the beach in Coco. Rooms were large with a nice sitting area overlooking the pool.

Beautiful trail by pool with hot springs. Lovely breakfast spot overlooking the Arenal Volcano. We loved the location and pool areas were lovely. Great pizza!

Beautiful trip on a sailing ship to a snorkeling area, beach and water caves.

It was a three hour drive and our driver shared many stories about what we were seeing. It seemed more like a necessary drive with good information versus a tour. Mariano selected a beautiful spot for lunch for us by a river.

One of my favorite tours in the Arenal area. Just beautiful to walk among the canopy on solid ground or on the bridges. Mariano shared many details of what we were seeing. I have a fear of heights, but did not feel scared on the bridges as there is a railing to hold onto.

I was not sure what to expect, but this was way cooler than I was expecting. Our guide, JP, was amazing. I am not sure how he found all of those small frogs, snakes and spiders.

We got to see a monkey, sloth, toucan and caymen (alligators). Beautiful to see the scenery on the water. Mariono was a great guide.

The two women who lead the tour of the farm were knowledgeable and passionate about organic farming.

Really nice hike and learning about the area. Wish the rain would have given us a break so we could have seen the whole volcano, but still worth doing in the rain.

Great location, right at the beach.

Beautiful area. It was peaceful and serene. Staff very friendly

Great place, enjoyed the hot springs, ziplining, and food was amazing.

Really fun, great food, great staff.

One of the top food experiences EVER. Beautiful, food amazing, our waiting was amazing.

Andy was so well educated on the plants, area, and animals. We learned so much from him. We even had lunch with him at the end.

Super fun, our guides were amazing, fun, and full of life

Great hike, saw lots of birds and enjoyed our guide, Oskar.

The lobby, views of the Pacific Ocean, pool, and restaurant are all wonderful. The rooms could use a fresh coat of paint as they are a bit scraped up. The bathroom is incredibly small. You can hardly move in there it is so tight. The balcony and views of ocean are beautiful.

The rooms have been renovated. Everything is new and well maintained. Large room, large bathroom and large deck. The views from the restaurant are gorgeous and attracts a lot of different birds.

The Hot Springs, Pool and Resort grounds are beautiful and well maintained. The hotel room is a bit dated and it would be nice to have a chair in the room to sit on. The patio is very nice and the views of the volcano are beautiful. The breakfast buffet offers a huge selection and a made to order omelet station. I appreciated the designated gluten free section.

The guide was knowledgeable and they had a system for identifying where the sloths were located. They also used a telescope for spotting the sloths and allowing tourists to take pictures through the scope to get some awesome pictures.

It was a beautiful day to be on the catamaran. They don't allow shoes on the boat but the floor is very hot on your feet. It was smooth sailing and stopped to swim which was refreshing. The open bar was nice and the dinner was decent. I was impressed they had a separate box with a gluten free meal which I'm sure KimKim and Serendipity Adventures arranged for.

The Wetlands Boat Ride is where we finally saw monkeys. Henry, the guide, and the boat driver were great at spotting wildlife. They made the effort to get us as close as possible. Henry also helped people take better photographs. We also saw crocodiles and various birds.

Andy, our guide was extremely knowledgeable and an awesome tour guide.

Loved this activity. So much fun and our guide Axel was great!

First we got a tour of the organic farm and the history behind it which was interesting. We picked ingredients that was to be used in our cooking class. Our host, Uber, made us 2 non-alcoholic drinks using sugar cane and sugar cane with various fresh spices and veggies that were delicious. We worked together to make dinner with Uber's mother. It was also delicious and a good way to learn about local cuisine and local culture.

It's a beautiful well maintained area. The paths are in great shape. There is a good amount of hiking up and down. If you do not like heights then you probably should skip this tour.

Well done, learned a lot and thoroughly enjoyed the coffee and chocolate tastings.

The Fonda Vela Hotel in Monteverde had the best food of all the hotels we stayed at, thanks to its wonderful chef. The accommodation also featured a beautiful pool, which was a little too warm, but still made for a pleasant stay.

Lomas del Volcán was my favorite hotel during our trip. The accommodation consisted of charming little cabins with a back porch perfect for morning coffee and offered stunning views of the volcano. The beautiful gardens added to the serene environment. Overall, it was an absolutely fantastic location that I'm considering visiting again.

The Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike was my least favorite activity due to the large crowds. We did see some wildlife, but the experience was hindered by the inability to comfortably view the animals, such as sloths being barely visible.

The Coffee, Chocolate & Sugar Cane Farm Experience provided the best instruction and learning during our trip. It was fascinating to learn about the production processes and added a depth of cultural understanding.

The Night Excursion at the Wildlife Refuge in Monteverde provided a thrilling adventure as we explored the forest at night. We saw a variety of fascinating wildlife, making it a memorable part of our trip.

The Guided Hanging Bridges Walk in the Cloud Forest at Monteverde was absolutely stunning. Walking over the trees was an unforgettable experience, offering beautiful views and a unique way to explore the forest.

The Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge Boat Safari was a surprising highlight of our trip. We enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere and saw an impressive amount of wildlife during the tour. It was a wonderful way to experience Costa Rica's nature.

Staff is great but be prepared NO tv in the rooms

Phenomenal hotel , highly recommend if you want to be in the rainforest. The staff is second to none

Never made this tour had to leave early because of the weather that we were not informed of.

If your near the state park tour do it but wear hiking shoes its a workout but a must do

how to miss because of the weather

Very professional and talented chef

All of the tour operators were kind and helpful

We had wonderful raft captains

Great views of the ocean and sunsets. A very large and comfortable pool. We enjoyed breakfast, dinner and desserts at Le Papillon Restaurant. The room was very spacious and well-laid out, with a wrap-around balcony overlooking the pool and bar.

Beautiful grounds. We enjoyed our two breakfasts and two dinners at the restaurant, which was just a few steps from our room. There was no pool or exercise room, but there was a shuttle to a sister hotel a few minutes away with those facilities. The only issue with the hotel is that the room was freezing the entire time. The staff told us that there is air conditioning but no heat in their rooms.

Beautiful grounds and room. We had fine dinners at their two restaurants and swam in the "hot springs" pool. And the first thing we saw when we left our room was a view of the Arenal Volcano among the clouds.

The breeze made the ride very comfortable on a hot and humid day. We had great views of the towns, beaches and islands and got to see a few dolphins when we went out a few miles. Then we stopped at a cove for swimming and snorkeling. One of us did a little swimming with a life jacket, while the other took pictures of videos of all the younger passengers jumping or sliding into the water. Then we had a very tasty dinner of beef and vegetables on a skewer, pasta and fruit.

It was very crowded, even at 8:00 in the morning - it took us 20 to 30 minutes just to get through the entrance to the Park. Ivan was an outstanding guide. He was able to identify many kinds of animals through his long Zoom lens and took pictures with our cameras through the view finder - so we have great photos of sloths, monkeys, crabs and many other forms of wildlife, along with palm trees. We stopped at the cafeteria a little over halfway through our walk and he got fruit and a fruit drink for us there. The best part was seeing close-up female monkeys carrying their babies on their backs through the trees near the beach.

There were a lot of people at the reception building and it wasn't clear to us for a while that we would walk around the cloud forest and the hanging bridges on our own - and then have a guided group tour of the sloth, butterfly and reptile buildings. We saw a monkey and a quetzal on our walk, by noticing where guides were pointing their zoom lenses. We had a very good guide (didn't catch his name) in the sloth and butterfly buildings.

Our guide Marvin was very patient and thorough in making sure we were safe walking in the dark and showed us many animals, such as lizards, birds and an armadillo. We had a little trouble adjusting to walking up and down in the dark, but we made it "out of the woods" safely.

Randy, the Don Juan tour guide, was very friendly and knowledgeable. We learned a lot from him on the process of growing coffee beans and cacao and how they turn into coffee and chocolate. We had a few hands-on activities, such as making our own chocolate bar or cookie. And we bought about 10 bars of chocolate at the gift shop to bring back to our friends and relatives.

There was a lot of up and down hill walking. Mariano recommend the best hike for us so that we went over 3 of the covered bridges and saw a fair amount of wildlife.

The volcano hike was very strenuous for us, but we did the best we could. We saw ants, butterflies and a toucan. One of us went down the 500 stairs to the waterfall and swam a bit in the pool on the left, while the other stayed on top and took pictures.

Clean and comfortable place reasonably close to the airport. Included breakfast buffet was extensive and delicious. Perfect place for us to spend a night before embarking on our tour of Costa Rica.

Beautiful, if odd, hotel right on the beach of Drake Bay. Beds were comfortable. Room was clean. Balcony was beautiful with stunning views of the trees, flowers, sand, and water. Included breakfast was delicious. Dinners were also good, but it makes sense to check what's on the menu before signing up because they only serve one thing each evening. Room was unnecessarily huge - we weren't sure what all the empty space was for. And bedding consisted only of sheets, which may have been enough for their normal weather, but it was a little chilly due to the relative cold snap during our visit. Finally, the short drive from the road to the parking lot was so steep, loose, and potholed that it took every ounce of traction our 4WD could muster to get up it. Overall, a quirky but beautiful place.

Fascinating place. Grounds are huge - we took two hikes around them and saw horses, birds, and beautiful views of the volcano. Rooms face the volcano and offer spectacular views if/when the clouds lift. The rooms and lodge are in reasonable condition and the food in the restaurant is good. But the grounds have odd structures (e.g., a wedding pavilion, stone pillars, a macadamia nut museum) that are in advanced stages of decay. Also the room lights seemed to be about 10 watts - it was hard to see anything at night. And the driveway is a steep, winding 2 km track that is only sometimes wide enough for two vehicles to pass. Definitely a curious place. But much more interesting place to stay than a generic hotel. We would gladly go back.

Right next to the public beach in Manuel Antonio. Excellent food in restaurant. Clean and pleasant pool. Walking distance (less than a km down the beach) from grocery and souvenir stores. We loved our stay.

Small (20 rooms), friendly, well-located, and lots of quirky fun (check out the bottle chandelier in the hallway). Breakfast is delicious (best pancakes we've had in a very long while). And the staff go out of their way to be helpful. We had an absolutely first-rate experience!

Hiking on the volcano was highly enjoyable, although it would have been nicer if the clouds had lifted. But it is a rainforest after all, and rain it did. But the rain didn't dampen the EcoTermales experience, where the hot springs were pleasant and relaxing. And the buffet meal at EcoTermales included some of the best food we had in all of Costa Rica. Overall, this was a fitting capstone to a very fun visit to Costa Rica. Highly recommended!

Intermediate level hike over up-and-down terrain that passes through lush rainforest and past several spectacular waterfalls. Absolutely the best hike we took in Costa Rica. To top it off, we rode horses up the mountain to get back to the park building where we enjoyed a delicious Costa Rican casado for lunch! For us, this was the best tour among many excellent tours we experienced in Costa Rica.

Beautiful national park, with amazing vegetation, delightful animals, and two lovely beaches (you can hike and swim in the same park!). Our guide, Roberto of Paddle 9, was outstanding. He spotted many animals (e.g., snakes and sloths) we would never have seen without him. And the capuchin monkeys put on a show by walking along side us as we finished our tour. Definitely a place worth visiting, especially with a qualified guide!

Absolutely outstanding! Pedal kayaks were odd but comfortable. But the mangroves were mesmerizing and the wildlife was truly spectacular. And our guide, Roberto of Paddle 9, was exceptional. Thanks to him, we saw so many interesting animals, including a rare silky anteater! A real highlight of our Costa Rica trip.

It was pretty rough the day we visited, so the boat ride and swimming were more difficult than normal. But the guides were skilled an knowledgeable. I'd rate the snorkeling a tad below that in the Galapagos or Caribbean, but still excellent. Definitely a reason to visit Drake Bay!

Outstanding wildlife watching walk with an experienced and knowledgeable guide (Maria). A first rate national park that was a highlight of our Costa Rica visit.

Tour guide did not show up at all. We wound up visiting two of the three sites on our own, and they were outstanding. But we can't recommend a tour that somehow dropped us.

exceeded our expectations in every way. Perhaps the nicest lodge we've stayed at overall. The bungalows are extremely private and designed so well I found myself photographing many features of them to perhaps implement some of those ideas in my own house someday. The outdoor shower, the lava exfoliating tiles on the floor, the copper trough bathroom sink. Just wonderful. Couldn't believe the privacy we had in everything we did. Had the thermal river to ourselves, the hiking paths to ourselves and even the restaurant almost to ourselves. So much so that I questioned if they were perhaps not very booked and was stunned to hear they were at 100%.

Very personal intimate experience, especially with the staff. Excellent food choices and quality. Loved the fireplace! Property is impeccably maintained and offers nice hiking, bird watching and other amenities.

One of the best dining experiences I've ever had. The waiter was a true professional who really added to the experience. Not only did we enjoy 9 gourmet foods and wines but we learned a lot about the country. The setting was as unique and beautiful as the photos.

I'm not usually much into such planned and organized activities as this but figured when in Rome. I've done hanging bridges and ziplines before so expected about the same. I was wrong. The Hanging bridges put you in or above the canopy which is other- worldly and a must see in Costa Rica. The ziplines are very fast and with the clouds present gave us the experience of plunging into a fog bank! Exciting and un-nerving at the same time.

Good description overall. Swimming on this hike should not always be expected. We had 4 layers, raingear and muddy boots on. Horseback ride was cool!

Great quiet place. Excellent staff. Excellent breakfast. Beautiful pool area and lovely room overlooking the Ocean.

Great location, friendly staff and lovely room. Excellent breakfast!! Our room was on a very busy/noisy street that was under construction. Didn’t get much sleep

The people here were friendly and the breakfast was good. This hotel was outdated and we had water damage/mold in the bathroom. It was farther away from most Arenal activities. Pool was in poor condition.

Monica our guide was amazing!!

The view was exceptional, the food was mediocre, and the rooms were minimally acceptable

The staff was warm and truly exceptional in every way. The room was gorgeous, the hot springs were clean and truly hot, the spa was exceptional and the food was very good.

BEAUTIFUL grounds! Our room was fabulous! Very clean and beautiful view. The property looks like there is still construction to be done. I hope it is able to get finished...it is beautiful there and having the horses and stables added a nice touch too.

The hotel was OK, but our room was very mildewy and caused us to wake up very congested. Also the lighting in our room was too dark.

Very interesting tour and presesntation. Loved the interaction. It just got a little bit too long.

Beautiful property. I could have spent more time there!

Beautiful living space. Bedrooms were spacious and living areas relaxing. We had fun using the pool table and pool area. Housekeeping was daily and always done well. Also able to have our clothes washed when needed. Andreas was the host for the house. He was very helpful with questions and helped to coordinate the chef who made dinner for us two nights. The location was close to grocery stores and were walkable distances. Also able to walk to nearby restaurants and small shops to look around in. We were picked up at the end of the driveway for our tours which made it so very easy for us. Local wildlife included monkeys and beautiful birds. The scarlet Macaws were my favorite.

Please see my earlier comments about this service. This was our second chef prepared meal. W e had it on the evening before we left to go home. Again, a wonderful experience and meal.

Very fun experience. Our tour was not crowded and staff were very attentive. We chose not to snorkel as we had been in this area earlier in our visit. Instead we enjoyed the slide and jumping into the ocean. The boat captain was able to located a pod of dolphins and they were very entertaining to watch chasing along the side of the boat. The sunset at the end of the trip was beautiful and we were able to take several really nice pictures. The meal was good.

The spice tour was in a beautiful setting. Our guide shared the spice farm's development and current crops that included many spices, cacao, and vanilla beans. As we walked through the farm/gardens she would share the various spices and the organic growing practices. There was a tasty treat at the end of the tour as well.

This was my first time doing a zip line. I had a lot of fun doing the different lines and was impressed at the safety precautions that staff used.

White water rafting was the highlight of the trip for me. Orlando was the guide who talked with us on the ride in. It took an hour and a half to get the area on the river where the rafts could be launched. He shared many stories about the countryside, the people and the surrounding industry and farming. He kept us all entertained. David was the guide for the raft I was in. David made the trip so very fun and memorable. He was a good judge of our capabilities and would find fun areas to go over and get a good splash of water. We were able to get out of the raft and swim in a deeper area. Also go into a waterfall and splash around a bit. Mario, our driver, was also a gem. Not only was he a good driver, he had a beautiful snack set up for us when the trip ended. Mario also shared several local plants and their uses with us. The meal at the end of our trip was a buffet and was very good.

I would definitely recommend using a guide service when visiting the national park. Our guide found many animals, insects, birds, and flowers that we would have not seen. Also, he had a viewing lens that he could take pictures on our smart phone. We have many fun pictures because of this. Also our guide was so knowledgeable about the park and beautiful nature in it.

Wonderful meal! Chef Germaine's dinner for us was delicious and beautifully presented. Everything was prepared fresh. Chef Germaine and his staff set the table, served the food, cleaned up the dishes and kitchen. It was awesome to have a gourmet meal prepared and served in the house we were staying at.

The kayak portion was fun. However, snorkeling was limited as there were so many people in the snorkeling area due to other tours using the same reef area. Caesar and Joseph were our guides and were very helpful. My thanks to Joseph for snorkeling with us and helping us to find an octopus to see.

El Lugar provided very comfortable accommodations for our group. There were minor issues, such as room allocation, but they were promptly addressed. Although the casitas were spread out (as described in their literature), the resort provided quick service via golf carts, picking up guests to get them around. They also anticipated when we would move to meals and kept the carts available outside the reception or dining area. Feeding 66 people 3 meals a day, buffet style, was challenging. The meals did get a bit repetitive, but they tried to change it up. The staff went above and beyond and provided dance lessons, free carriage rides around the resort, and a dancing horse send-off as we boarded the buses to say goodbye. It was a very pleasant stay.

Our short stay at Costa Rica Marriott Hotel Hacienda Belen was well-received by most of the group. There were minor issues due to a long line at check-in, but they quickly resolved that by adding another agent. The grounds were beautiful and allowed us to stretch our legs after a long day of travel. We had a group dinner, and the service was quick and efficient. Overall, it was a good start to the trip.

The Mistico Hanging Bridges and Ecotermales Hot Springs tour was another highlight. Despite the long day, it was a worthwhile experience. We started early with the zip lining option, which many participated in, and ended the day with a relaxing time at the hot springs. The flexibility of choices made it enjoyable for everyone.

The privately guided tour at La Paz Waterfall Gardens was a favorite. Our group loved the variety of activities offered there. Some of us enjoyed the entire tour, while others opted to explore only parts of it according to their comfort levels. It was well organized, and everyone had a fantastic time!

Very well located in center of town although the entrance is not very obvious. Rooms and food were great. Free breakfast

Very nice grounds with a great pool, view of the ocean and great wildlife including scarlet macaws and toucans. Food at both restaurants was above average

Very quiet and well appointed hotel away from the more touristy parts of Monteverde. Food was excellent and the bird feeders at the restaurant were a treat

Nice hotel right on beach at Playa Hermosa

Great place to stay for a few days with good wildlife, lots of activities and two restaurants to enjoy.

Resort was a little tired and touristy. Food was not the best

A decadent gourmet dining experience in a glass wall treetop cabin at sunset. Well worth the splurge

Two snorkeling sites were selected, one with low visibility and lots of sand, where we saw several small sharks and a turtle, and the other which was shallower, had better visibility and more coral and nice reef fish. Overall, the snorkeling was not much better than some places in Hawaii and I was disappointed. I also got a mild foot cramp from so long in the water. Overall the trip was overrated for me: too much effort without enough return.

Got to prepare a great Costa Rican style meal with stewed chicken, rice, beans, salad, hand made tortillas, and plantain ceviche. Chef showed us exactly what to do and it turned out wonderful. Nice tour of farmers market in town and a beautiful farm with rabbits, goats, sheep, turkeys, hens, ducks, geese, peacocks, guinea hens and an enormous riding bull recuperating from a horn surgery. Also saw their organic garden, a vanilla plantation with pepper, cacao and coffee plants. Nice to see squirrel monkeys and a great toucan along with a gorgeous sunset

National Museum is not included in this tour so it should be renamed. Tour focuses on the Mercado Centrale and Costa Rican food primarily. There was some historical commentary and brief visits to the Cathedral and the lobby of the National Theater which was being renovated during our visit.

Best thing about the trip was seeing the rain forest canopy from above and getting a closeup view of all the epiphytes living high up on the tall cloud Forest trees. Also got to see a forest millipede and our first tarantula.

Hike through Tenorio National Park with great views of Arenal volcano and great cloud forest vegetation. Wildlife was a bit sparse however, and there was a very long wait with lots of people to see the waterfall, because of a landslide Finca Verde Nature Farm was excellent and we got to see a couple of sloths on the move as well some great birds.

We hiked for several hours with a very pleasant young man called Olivier who was knowledgeable about the flora, fauna and geography of the area. Saw howler monkeys and white faced capuchin and some great birds. Saw three waterfalls which were each spectacular. The first two we had completely to ourselves. The last one had a great swimming hole but there were quite a few people. It was nice to relax in the hot spring pools at the end after the hike, but they were also quite crowded. Beware: the no-see-um bugs in the parking lot were the most vicious bugs we encountered during the whole trip. The bites stayed with us for 2 weeks.

Very wet hike. Saw bedraggled specimens of both 2- and 3-toed sloths high up in trees, but they were huddled up and not moving much. It’s good sloth habitat. Also saw a BoatBilled Heron who was rather splendid. Good coffee at the place they took us after the hike and it was great watching birds eat plantain pieces while staying dry!

One of the best nature hikes on our trip. Saw quite a few species including the Blue Jeans poison frog and the eponymous Red Eyed Leaf Frog