Kimkim Trip Reviews for Costa Rica

Serendipity gave me an itinerary that was responsive the needs for an intergenerational trip. I was planning for my children and their grandparents. I am used to doing everything on my own and it worked out great to work with pros in-country! the local advice was critical. When one is an outsider there is no way to distinguish who are the best service providers, guides, transfers, etc.

Serendipity booked us the most incredible MASTER guide in Monteverde who was greeted like a celebrity by the other guides. Without Bryan and his team's expertise we would have been rolling the dice. Serendipity also had access to hotels beyond the booking.com options which was critical when we were searching for lodging in peak Christmas season on the beach. Given that this is a once-in-a-lifetime trip, it is great to have a local who knows what is good and worth it, depending on the travelers' profile.

I know this when I play host in my favourite cities- guidebooks and reviews are not enough and the options are overwhelming.

in country we had available and super-responsive support via WhatsApp.

This was the first time in a long time I used a travel agent or Kim-Kim but it saved me hours of time and all of their recommendations and timings of the day were great recs and worked out well. When decisions you make from you laptop don't line up it can be a bummer on vacation. My parents were super impressed.

Hotel Review

Fonda Vela Hotel

Monteverde

The Fonda Vela Hotel in Monteverde had its ups and downs. Initially, we were placed in less desirable rooms overlooking the parking lot, which lacked privacy and had a less pleasant view. However, we were able to resolve it due to speaking the local language, and eventually, we were moved to better rooms. The location of the hotel was beautiful, and the grounds were well-maintained. Service was good though the restaurant was overpriced and service slow. The New Year's Eve dinner was a letdown due to poor organization and long waits, despite being complimentary.

Activity Reviews

Morning Sailing and Snorkeling Adventure

Costa Rica

The morning sailing and snorkeling adventure was great. The crew was fantastic, making the whole experience smooth and entertaining.

Palo Verde National Park Boat Trip

Costa Rica

The Palo Verde National Park Boat Trip was an enjoyable excursion. It was a refreshing change of pace and presented Costa Rica's natural beauty from the water in a unique way.

Coffee & Chocolate Tour

Costa Rica

The Coffee & Chocolate Tour was one of the highlights of our trip. It lived up to its sterling reviews, offering informative and enjoyable experiences surrounding two of our favorite indulgences.

Treetopia: Tram, Zip Lines & Hanging Bridges

Monteverde

Treetopia adventure with zip lines and hanging bridges was exciting. Although my daughter felt the zip lines were too advanced, the hanging bridges were a great alternative, and we enjoyed the experience. The flexibility to change plans and enjoy different parts of the tour was appreciated, though I would have liked more specific guidance on choosing between this and other nearby attractions. Booking the first thing in the morning helped as we avoided the crowds.

Private: Guided Walk at Curi-Cancha Reserve

Monteverde

The private guided walk at Curi-Cancha Reserve was outstanding. Our guide was phenomenal, treating us with personal attention and engaging with our kids throughout the tour. He seemed like a celebrity, known by everyone at the site, and made the experience special. His ability to spot wildlife and engage us all made the tour unforgettable.

Kimkim put together a fantastic trip to visit the volcano, the cloud forest, and then the beach. We did not have to do a thing! The lodges they selected were terrific especially the Cloud Forest Lodge and the Lagarta Lodge in Nosara. The food at Cloud Forest Lodge was truly gourmet. It was wonderful to watch the bird life on the breakfast patio while eating delicious French toast. The highlights besides the accommodations were the wildlife opportunities. We booked on our own a zip line and hanging bridges experience at Treetopia which was great. We saw a group of howler monkeys: moms, babies, and males. A real highlight. At Nosara we went to the beach where the Olive Ridley turtles hatch one early morning. This was an unexpected treat and the highlight for our 9 year old grandson. It was a magical trip.
We opted out of a planned trip on our last day to take a boat to an island for snorkeling. The setting at Lagarta Lodge was just so spectacular that we did not want to leave that for our last day. Instead we swam in the beautiful infinity pools at the lodge, watched the coatis, and took a boat excursion up the river from the lodge. Kimkim agents Gustavo and Kate
kept in contact with us through the trip and we always felt like they were there to help us in any situation. I am very impressed with Kimkim after this trip. I accidentally found them while searching on the internet and will look into other trips with them in the future. Every meeting point was always met — we never had to wait or worry. Rather than take a group tour with another company this family tour for us worked very well. I highly recommend!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Boutique Lagarta Lodge

Nosara

The views alone are worth it!! Also, set in a more quiet location from other beach resorts that I have heard about. This was our hope and Gustavo met it. Loved the different pools — none of which were ever crowded. The hotel could offer more options for shuttle rides into town. Somewhat limited but we never even went into town because the hotel was so great. Excellent service at meals — food was also very good. Lovely room — very quiet and private and wonderful view of the coast and the river. From this hotel we booked an excursion to see the baby sea turtles hatching. This was probably the highlight of the whole trip. I have always wanted to witness this phenomenon and for my grandson it was the crown jewel of the whole trip!! When possible this should be offered as part of the trip. Staff always friendly and helpful!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Peaceful and quiet setting; not surrounded by other developments

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cloud Forest Lodge

Monteverde

Rooms were lovely with big outside deck overlooking the forest. Food was truly gourmet here. 5 star meals. Exceptional staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Montaña de Fuego Mountain Resort & Spa

La Fortuna

This hotel was nice, but the rooms were rather basic. Evidently we got a room upgrade for one of our rooms which worked well for our son and his family because it had two bedrooms. We, the grandparents, stayed in the more basic accommodation. The pool and warm springs were very nice. The night walk was a highlight.

Authenticity & Character

Location

La Fortuna is extremely crowded. Traffic is very bad. The hotel is a bit away from the town center so that was good.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Isla Chora Private Boat & Snorkeling

Nosara

We opted not to do this trip. It was too early in the morning for us knowing we had to get up very early the next day for our departure. I also think this is not a necessary trip for this area. You can rent kayaks or take a boat up the river from the lodge which is fine rather than traveling over the bumpy roads to get to the snorkeling area.

Self-Guided Beach Day in Nosara

Nosara

We did the turtle excursion offered by the hotel which turned out to be the highlight of the trip!! We also hiked down to the beach which is a bit of a trek. We think the hotel should offer better means of accessing the beach — develop a better route and shuttle.

Quality of Experience

Self-Guided Day at the Monteverde Hummingbird Garden

Monteverde

We did not do this. Instead we opted to go to Treetopia and do both the zip lining and the hanging bridges. This was amazing!!

Self-Guided Visit to the Monteverde Butterfly Gardens

Monteverde

We did not do this.

Private: Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve Guided Hike

Monteverde

This was a good trek through the cloud forest. Our guide was exceptional! Very good and patient. We did not see too much but we enjoyed the experience. Tarantulas and millipedes!

Quality of Experience

Guide was very knowledgeable.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Arenal Volcano & 1968 Reserve Hike

Arenal/La Fortuna

A good overview of the volcano and surrounding area. Glad there was shade a lot of the way. Beautiful views and we were lucky with the weather.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was good but seemed a bit preoccupied. Perhaps because there was some confusion about the trip. We were not aware that we would be going to hot springs and lunch after the hike. So we needed to get more gear before we headed out and that perhaps distracted him. Otherwise good information about the volcano. Sometimes repetitive.

Transport

Self-Guided Nature Walk in Ecological Park & Butterfly Garden Danaus

Arenal/La Fortuna

This was a nice first nature walk. We opted for a guide in training who was very good. The bird life was good. We saw one sloth and lots of butterflies. Otherwise not too much else. Are there other nature walks closer to the hotel that might offer a similar experience?

Quality of Experience

I was sick along with the majority of our family- the long bus ride from the airport was very crowded and uncomfortable for a few family members- we ended up renting 2 buses for the remaining transfers - if it hadn’t been so crowded it’s possible that many of us would not have gotten sick - The one excursion I did get to do was the coffee and chocolate factory- we had several excursions that we had to cancel or only a portion of the group were able to go - overall - not a great experience

We have just came back from our Costa Rica adventure. We have contacted kimkim because last year they helped us plan an amazing New Zealand trip. We love traveling but taking 2 little kids makes it hard for me to plan by myself and kimkim always comes through! We also had my dad join us for this trip
So we looked for something fun for all ages, literally.
We had our specialist Elena and the whole team at Serendipity Adventures make sure everything goes as smoothly as it possibly can.
Starting with planning, Elena was always available for questions or comments and made sure I’m happy every step of the way. She modified our itinerary 10 times until I felt it was the right one, location and budget combined. We also had Nancy in charge of booking our adventures and had Adria text us a few days before we left the US to introduce himself and let us know he will be available for anything we need and he was!
For the actual trip, every tour we booked came to pick us up on time, there were no hiccups.
We started at Arenal with volcanoe views and the nicest ppl. The hanging bridge was our favorite tour there, it was amazing and we all enjoyed it so so much.
We also did a sloth tour and a coffee tour (that was amazing as well)
Then we drove to the beach in Guanacaste stopping at La Leona on the way, this track was hard but the waterfall was worth it.
We arrived at Guanacaste for 4 days of resting by the pool in a beautiful resort. We had 2 scuba diving planned which was also really fun.
All in all, we all loved Costa Rica. Thank you, Serendipity Adventures for an unforgettable experience!

Yuliana provided an itinerary with an irreconcilable time conflict on one of the days—back-to-back activities with two different providers scheduled on the same day. I have a very disappointed teen who was excited about the waterfall visit, only to find out that we were unable to reschedule. There was no communication from Yuliana or anyone on the team for 48 hours, and no help with rescheduling or a refund, all following kimkim’s error in putting together a flawed itinerary.

We were disappointed about having to forgo the waterfall visit, and kimkim’s response further added to the disappointment. We contacted Yuliana multiple times; all we received were empty words that our “concerns are being taken very seriously,” but that “there’s nothing we can do.” Kimkim could have helped us with rescheduling or provided a refund, but instead we received “sorry, not sorry” responses.

The bottom line: Yuliana is great at booking four-star accommodations (which I can do myself as well), but not helpful at all when issues arise—especially issues caused by her faulty scheduling.

Via Kimkim, we booked our 9 day Costa Rica trip with Serendipity Adventures, a Costs Rica travel agency. Elena from Serendipity was super responsive in helping us customizing our trip and responding to all our questions. The trip was very well planned and fit our need. I would like to thank Adrien from Serendipity for her the assistance and support during our stay in Costa Rica. Her prompt responses were greatly appreciated when we encountered questions or issues. We felt we were in good hands with her help throughout the trip. Our local guide Sergio was awesome in providing helpful local information, including restaurants, local culture, etc. during the our ride/transportation between different destinations. We enjoyed this trip very much, and the journey definitely has become a beautiful memory that we will talk about for a long time. Both Costa Rica and Serendipity Adventures are highly recommended, and Kimkim made it possible!

Hotel Reviews

Arenal Paraíso Resort, Spa & Hot Springs

La Fortuna

Hot springs pools are fun to use. The hotel is directly facing the volcano ( although the clouds cover the volcano most of the time…) Great birding location! Room is outdated and felt cheap. About 10-15 minutes drive from the town. No other restaurants within walking distance.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Some staff are super nice but not all.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The air conditioner direct blow to the bed. Room design may be improved.

Koora Hotel

Monteverde

Awesome hotel with a superb restaurant! Outstanding services.

Authenticity & Character

cozy and nicely decorated room.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel La Mariposa

Manuel Antonio

Great sunset view! Nice pool. Many good restaurants near by.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Catamaran Tour with Meal

Costa Rica

Great staff. Very good fish bbq. Not sure the snorkel gears are properly cleaned between use.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All Day Adventure at Selvatura, including Zipline, Hanging Bridges, and Fauna Exhibitions

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Food

The pre-purchase meal tickets have limited selection and seem the food quality and portion not as good as if one purchases at the restaurant

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Whitewater Rafting on the Balsa River

Arenal/La Fortuna

The white water rafting experience is awesome and one of the highlights of our trip. Highly recommended

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Stevens was awesome

Transport

The drive to the rafting location is long 2 hours one way!

Private Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overall, the trip was planned well. There were minor miscommunications. For certain events, the specific s were not clear. We had one driver for two days, he was okay, sometimes moody. The second driver was nice and friendly. The third one was outstanding, went out of his to show the Cities around. Very friendly, very communicative with the history and the overall site seeing places. I want to point out about a trip that was planned in this trip, mangrove boat tour. The itinerary mentioned that the lunch will be provided, in fact, they served lunch after the trip at 4:30pm. It was not acceptable, there were few of us with diabetes, it could have ended up in a disaster. Luckily we had some snacks with us. I wish for future travelers, these things should be sorted out and rectified.

Adam (and team) was an amazing, thoughtful and thorough local specialist. He listened attentively to our goals & expectations and executed planning with precision.
We had hiccups with the car rental- overall probably the most disappointing/disruptive part. Ti-Fakara (waterfall) lodging was “ON POINT!” Second lodging was memorable for phenomenal(!!!) restaurant and grounds- room was “meh.” Last hotel was, “eek 😬… “ I think we were looking for a more authentic and intimate experience (like Ti-Fakara)- maybe hard to do at this location? However, feedback is not to throw shade at the hard working people who are employed there- they were wonderful with what they have to work with.
The ADVENTURES were STANDOUTS! 💖Consistently Adam booked us with BEST outfits and guides- this was a steady experience across the various areas we traveled in Costa Rica. Quality guides, educated, committed, engaging and enthusiastic- the guides were overall just BEAUTIFUL people, inside and out- people who will not be forgotten, who genuinely love their jobs. The logistics were timed perfectly, managed and communicated seamlessly. As a family, the adventures of hiking in various areas, bird spotting, animal, botanical, frog, insect identification, zip lining, white water rafting, whale/dolphin watching, snorkeling, beach frolicking, sunset/moon/ star gazing, photography … are memories forever seared into our individual and collective hearts and minds. We desperately needed this time to reconnect and recalibrate within ourselves, each other and with the naturaleza.

Hotel Reviews

Leyenda Boutique Hotel and Spa

Hojancha Guanacaste

Needs an update and a thorough cleaning.

Authenticity & Character

I absolutely adored the Christmas entertainment- almost all Spanish songs. Beautiful musical entertainment the instrument playing and singing. Really special/unique. Songs bellowed into the rooms/suites/outdoor patios, drowning out road traffic. I felt this hotel was very tailored to the American traveler, I felt sad/disappointed as I really wanted to feel more “Costa Rica” and less of an American experience. Felt like a mainstream cheap American hotel, copy and pasted in Costa Rica. It was a cheaper version (in all ways) of the bougie resort down the street, which neither experience was wanted by our family.

Location

Location is physically right on main road. One can hear road traffic and smell gas/exhaust even at the back of the hotel.

Staff

Great restaurant staff. Evening night staff was particularly kind.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Trash from former occupants was left in room. Bathroom was not clean with thoroughness/care. Felt creepy/weird. Chose to wear sandals in shower and opted out of using jacuzzi. Patio was so beautiful- and once again under amplified with cheap, uncomfortable, faded (old) plastic table and chairs. It was such a STUNNING patio and to look out on the beautifully kept grounds watching and listening to the birds could have been even more memorable, cozy, authentic. It was challenging to get enough coffee stocked in room. Zero privacy from other guests. Rooms and patios echoed with various aged human activity.

Cloud Forest Lodge

Monteverde

This hotel stood out with its hiking grounds on site and its PHENOMENAL dining experience- breakfast and dinner. I am not a vegetarian or vegan and their menu was so inclusive and inspiring, I chose a vegetarian option one of the nights- probably my most memorable vacation meal.

Authenticity & Character

Room felt like a slightly upgraded dorm room. With limited toilet paper, and wanting us to throw toilet paper in trash, access to a bidet would be a thoughtful touch. I desperately wanted a more “Tico” experience- traditional rocking chairs would be a beautiful touch to the sprawling deck.

Location

Remote- limited opportunity to explore the town- almost required dine-in at restaurant (which wasn’t a “bad thing,” just got “spendy,” but worth it!) However, great opportunity for rooftop bonfire, landscape views, sunset and star gazing!

Staff

Addressed above. Wait and Restaurant staff was top-notch.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Chillier than expected- no heater- limited blankets. Traveled with carry-on, limited space for warm clothing, had to get creative. It was fine. Curious toilet paper practices, could be cozier. BEAUTIFUL soaps and lotion. We upgraded room, in exchange we received a massively huge bathroom with vapid space- it was really “strange,” design-wise. Deck/Patio could embrace more ambiance as it is stunning and has amazing potential- it does have a coziness, which could inspire guests to linger with morning coffee, etc. In room coffee access was also very limited/scarce.

Ti-fakara Boutique Hotel

La Fortuna

Beautiful up to date inspiring room, quaint, secluded, with rainforest experience- lots of birds, sloth and monkey spotting. LOVELY breakfast dining, nice dinner experience- service staff had warm and kind hospitality. Awesome night time guided walk, attentive staff. Walking distance to Fortuna Waterfall. Overall, BEST lodging experience.

Authenticity & Character

Small, quaint, simple, attentive, good attention to detail, good quality of facilities and grounds! Ti-Fakara seems to understand what they have to offer and embrace it with simplicity and authenticity- not over-reaching- trying to be something they can’t, understanding there is a lot of competition and they offer a unique slice of experience.

Location

Away from downtown, walkable distance to Fortuna Waterfall, surrounded by rainforest.

Staff

Reception staff (Esther), wait staff (Antonio), electricians/maintenance and cleaning staff were particular standouts.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were so thoughtfully cleaned! So appreciative of the care put into the rooms.

Activity Reviews

TreeTram, Hanging Bridges & Zipline Adventure

Monteverde

Everyone was very friendly and the views were beautiful. Also, a very informative nature walk with Alex. Would visit again.

Quality of Experience

See above

Guides, Drivers and Staff

See above

Transport

Private Boat Seaside Adventure (Seasonal)

Sámara

Ok- next to the white water rafting… this experience might take the “gold star.” We were SO FORTUNATE to have Christopher as our guide once again, so he knew our family. He had a lovely crew. Josué and Yosuel (sp?). We had the most BEAUTIFUL experience and hands-down the best Christmas day of my life. Dolphins, whales, sea turtles, fish, invertebrates, coral reef. Snorkeling was top-notch and we tried out different locations.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Beaches Around Sámara

Sámara

Really beautiful tropical experience. So many tourists. 😂

Quality of Experience

Setting. Landscape.

Werner Sauter Biological Reserve Hike

Sámara

Christopher was a great guide. Great to be exposed to the land/botanical landscape of the “dry side” of the rainforest. Fun to get out, exercise, break a sweat and to be taught local knowledge.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Río Balsa Whitewater Rafting Adventure

Arenal/La Fortuna

Maybe our best/most fond Costa Rica adventure… on par with the Arenal hike.

Quality of Experience

Food

LOVED the family style (all guides, all tourists and restaurant together as one) feel of this TRADITIONAL Costa Rican meal after whitewater rafting. A special memory!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We especially loved that Jorge was with us from pick up to drop off, meaning he was ALSO our white water rafting rover guide. He was spectacular! 🌟 Driver was knowledgeable of roads and very safe. Vehicle was comfortable.

Transport

Teamwork between drive and guide. Good knowledge of roads.

Arenal Volcano Hike & EcoTermales Hot Springs Visit with Meal

Arenal/La Fortuna

Herson was just the BEST guide. We saw so much and were provided so much knowledge and wisdom of the land. Beautiful views. Great exercise. Ecotermales was nice. Super touristy- as was everything in Fortuna. Glad we went in the evening. Meal was delicious. Staff seemed somewhat annoyed/exhausted of tourists. 😂

Quality of Experience

The hike of Arenal with Herson.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Knowledgeable and Engaging. Wanting to teach.

Transport

Nice vehicle, knowledge of roads, safe driving.

Self-Guided Hike to La Fortuna Waterfall

Arenal/La Fortuna

Go early. Huge amounts of tourists. Staff seemed annoyed.

Quality of Experience

The beauty and power of waterfall and walk down and up masked any other “curiosity.”

Everyone was great.

We fully enjoyed our vacation to Costa Rica. The entire production was well organized by the team and we enjoyed a memorable family vacation. The trip out to Arenal was memorable at night. It is through some serious back and windy roads and so a little more heads up on that front in the travel description would have been great. Not everyone handles these types of car rides the same and the trip back (during the day) and a different driver was actually much more pleasant. Nevertheless, it was worth it!

We arrived at Hotel Mountain Paradise. The authentic and "rustic" rainforest setting was amazing and the view of the Arenal volcano was spectacular. The staff was delightful and polite. We enjoyed ziplining, the bridges and the forest walk on our first day. It was an early morning (since we came in late the night before) but beating the crowds was worth it. The facility got more crowded (December is peak season) as the day moved on. It was a unique and breathtaking experience.

The second day excursion was also enjoyable but we felt the volcano hike portion was underwhelming. Again, the trail was crowded and at the very end of the hike we did locate a couple of howler monkeys. However, the time spent on that portion of the trip meant that we had very little time at the waterfall. We were given about 30 minutes to hike down, jump in the falls and hike back up. It would have been more enjoyable to have a fair amount of time at the waterfall. As an unexpected surprise, we did have a complimentary lunch in La Fortuna and had a chance to go to a local restaurant (this was not mentioned on our itinerary.

Both "half day" excursions had us picked up between 7 and 8 AM and returning around 2:30-3:30 PM. They were long "half days" so I don't recommend doing any full day excursions if you want to enjoy the hotel or surrounding areas. We did fully enjoy the hotel and La Fortuna area (by taking an Uber) and being able to spend time together enjoying things in an amazing setting.

Our travel out to Guanacaste on Christmas day was extended by traffic near Liberia. It was almost four hours of travel time but the driver was professional and courteous and we much appreciated a short rest stop to use a restroom and stretch our legs. The Papagayo Golden Palms greeted us with an amazing setting and the beach beckoned. We enjoyed the facilities and this hotel was a bit more "modern" and the air conditioning and showers worked more reliably.

On both days, we enjoyed the pool, the beach and seeing the monkeys that live in the trees surrounding the hotel. We had a delightful dinner at the hotel (which was very good) and a great breakfast buffet. We did share a hotel shuttle with another family to Playa Del Coco for more beach time, food and souvenir shopping. Playa Del Coco had the most authentic Pura Vida vibes as we shared the area with both locals and tourists. We fully enjoyed our stay and the hotel coordinating a trip for us to that unique setting.

Our last day was met with a delay in our United flight home. We reached out to kimkim and they were able to extend our pickup by another 30 minutes. That was much appreciated as it allowed us to stay at the nice hotel for just a bit longer (before heading to the airport). Liberia is a small but bustling airport and easily accessible from Guanacaste. I highly recommend flying in/out of that airport over San Jose if you are in the coastal area.

Again, a well organized and wonderful trip to Costa Rica. Thank you for helping making this a great experience. Pura Vida!

Hotel Reviews

Papagayo Golden Palms

Guanacaste

Great pool, beach area is a little rough as you'll find a lot of rocks in the immediate area outside the hotel so you'll need to walk down the beach to find an easier entrance. The hotel area was extremely well kept and the staff were super helpful and polite.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It's sort of on a black sand beach but it's at the end of a cove that makes it a little less desirable.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Mountain Paradise

Fortuna

Staff was delightful, hotel had a few hiccups with things not quite working (e.g. air conditioning and showers) at times but we signed up for an experience in a remote part of Costa Rica and so we understood these challenges.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Amazing view of the volcanoes

Staff

Very kind and welcoming from the pool to the restaurant to around the grounds

Cleanliness & Comfort

Air Conditioning broke in the middle of the night and then never put out cool air again, pool was not always cycling water so collected a lot of bugs.

Activity Reviews

Sky Tram, Sky Trek & Sky Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

A unique and enjoyable expereince. The hike around the area was interesting but don't expect to see too much wildlife, Mostly birds, snakes, spiders and a few ants.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Volcano Hike & La Fortuna Waterfall

Arenal/La Fortuna

Arenal Volcano Hike was okay but the hike to "lava fields" that were about a mile closer to the volcano through a crowded trail wasn't much different than just taking pictures from the trailhead. The second part of the hike through more of the rainforest was a bit more interesting. The La Fortuna waterfall was the best part of the trip for our family but extrememly short so we had to move very quickly and rushed to enjoy any of it. It would be nice if the waterfall was longer.

Quality of Experience

Duration of the waterfall portion

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Introduction to the Gulf of Papagayo

Gulf of Papagayo

Not sure what I am reviewing. There wasn't much provided here. We did a lot of independent research to determine best places to visit, eat in the area.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Organized that independently.

Adam (and Team) did a terrific job helping us plan our vacation to Costa Rica. We had a great visit! Better than expected frankly and already thinking of another visit next year. Highly recommend working with KimKim to plan your trip. We visited Playa Hermosa for a relaxing few days at the beach while staying at the memorable Hotel Bosque del Mar (the staff were so friendly and accommodating and we loved every meal!) . Then on to Hotel Arenal Lodge where we traveled into La Fortuna to join a cooking class and prepare and eat an authentic Costa Rican meal, followed the next day with a hiking tour of Arenal volcano (amazing to think the land you're walking on has only existed for ~57 years!) and a trip to the hot springs. Our last day we visited the La Fortuna waterfall down almost 500 stairs. Amazing to swim in the water with the powerful falls just a few meters away. The last few days of our visit were spent near Rincon at Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin. Great accommodations with delicious food and drinks at the restaurants. But the best part was the outdoor adventure activities - horseback riding, tubing down rapids (one time isn't enough) and ziplining through the canopy. Each of these really exceeded expectations. KimKim made everything much easier and less stressful. Thank you for all your efforts to make this a fun and memorable vacation!

We had a great time in Costa Rica.The Hotels that were booked were great and we had a great time at the hotels.The drivers for the first two legs of the journey were good drivers and the third one-Driver+Guide,Mr.Sergei was a wealth of information and very nice-much appreciated by the group.Adrian,our local contact was awesome with his quick responses and we felt comfortable kowing that some one was available for contact and information locally.I did not think that I would be conatcting him but I did have to do it a couple of times.It worked out perfect-Kusod to him.

I would like to mention a couple of things:
1.The itenerary needed a little more detail in term of description of activity or Hotels and duration of activity with actual times.For eg.The Selvatura tour is a whole day trip that can started anywhere between 8-12:30pm.
2.The Damas island boat tour started at 1:30pm and said Lunch was included but in practice the lunch was not served till after the tour at 5 pm.If we had details,we could have had lunch on our own and skipped their meal which was very very POOR.
3.We are new to rhe country,so exact times of pick up and drop off would have been helpful.

On the whole except for a few little twiks,the trip went well and we felt comfortable and safe with the drivers.Thanks,Elena for planning teh trip.

Hotel Reviews

Costa Rica Marriott Hotel Hacienda Belen

San José

Beautiful Premises-wished we had stayed longer

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ecotica

Manuel Antonio

Beautiful location and nice utilization of landscape

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel & Spa Poco a Poco

Monteverde

Beautiful location in Monte Verde

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hilton Garden Inn Guanacaste Airport

Liberia

Conveinent for an overnight stay

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arenal Springs Resort

La Fortuna

The OT springs at the Hotel was nice added Bonus!We took full advantage of the spring

Authenticity & Character

Location

Beautiful view of Arenal

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private San José City Tour

San José

I would have liked a planned tour of the most important places to see.He did a good job but it was a little chaotic as he requested what we wanted to see and took us around.However I think he did a great job given the traffic in San Jose!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Damas Island Boat Tour

Manuel Antonio

The tour was called Lunch tour but they did not Provide any food till after teh trip at %pm-food was cold and very poor quality-fish and chicken were dry and rubbery

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All Day Adventure at Selvatura, including Zipline, Hanging Bridges, and Fauna Exhibitions

Costa Rica

The safest Ziplining so far and the team of six who were with were awesome in watching for safety and helping the group move safely across teh 16 platforms.Wasa great Experience as I felt safe.

Quality of Experience

Food

We had a choice of the Menu and teh staff were curteous and attentive!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Zipling was the safest

Transport

Our trip to Costa Rica was incredible. We were only there for 4 days between Monteverde & Manuel Antonio but our travel agent Elena did a wonderful job making sure those 4 days were memorable. The two hotels she picked were beautiful, clean, and with lovely views. The guides for our activities were all friendly and knowledgeable and we really enjoyed visiting the cloud forest, doing a nighttime wildlife walk, our boat tour, and the trip to Manuel Antonio park. All transportation arrangements were entirely seamless and pickups were timely. I will definitely use KimKim again for future travel needs.

Activity Review

Catamaran Tour with Meal

Costa Rica

The crew on our boat were super friendly and ensured it was a great experience. The boat was spacious and there were only 15 people on board so things didn’t feel crowded. We got a great tour of the western coastline and then enjoyed an hour in the ocean diving, swimming, and snorkeling. The lunch provided was delicious, as were the drinks. I would highly recommend this guide!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Costa Rica is an interesting country. We stayed in Nayara, Hotel Belmar and Cala Luna resorts so we experienced rainforests, cloud forests and the Pacific. Kat organized a trip around our interests, but driving from point A to point B was only for locals - the roads were typically in poor shape, two lanes and lots of ruts, so we were glad we had a driver instead of our own car. We also enjoyed the transfer time by observing the countryside that we wouldn't normally have seen. Miguel drove us to Nayara, a 3 hr + ride and he handled a detour skillfully while answering the many questions I had about the country. Nayara is so verdant and brimming with natural elements_ pools, natural springs and wildlife. A coati visited us on our patio one afternoon! First-class rooms, amenities and food. Every restaurant showed careful consideration of my food allergies. Massages by Alejandra and Erika were excellent. We would return to Nayara!
Hotel Belmont in the cloud forest (ironically, sunny every day!). The main part of the hotel was old but updated. We had a great view of the Pacific nearly 40 miles away. We enjoyed the cuisine at their restaurant and ate every meal there to be assured we had potable food and water. We shopped at many quaint shops in the town area with regional handmade items. At night we chose the guided Children's Eternal Rainforest walk. Our guide, Alum pointed out many nocturnal animals, birds and insects. Cala Luna resort in Tamarindo was next. While we were very near the Pacific we couldn't see it. The beach was full of enormous, slippery rocks making walking impossible. The nearby public beach (a drive) was crowded, so we stayed away. A shout out to Harvey and Carla at the restaurant, and the masseuses Caroleena and Silbeea, although the spa was near the road, so we heard traffic. The pool was lovely and void of guests, although my chair broke and fell to the ground and no employee noticed. Since we booked late, Kat was told the only room available was a three-bedroom home which was very expensive and it wasn't special at all. Tamarindo is very hot and humid. Kat only contacted us once during the trip...we've had Kim Kim guides text daily. Costa Rica is a mixed bag, but the people we encountered were lovely and appreciated us trying our very limited Spanish.

Activity Reviews

Nighttime Pacific Green Turtle Nesting Experience

Costa Rica

We have seen baby turtles leave their nests to travel to the ocean before, but never seen the mothers come directly to the beach to dig a hole and make a nest in the sand. This time, in total darkness, we saw several mothers come to the beach ready to lay their eggs. While exciting, Christian used red light for us to watch the mothers dig for over 45 minutes before they decided the sand was too wet and marched back into the sea to look for more favorable conditions. Again, it's nature so Christian could not have predicted it, but we were all disappointed. We had ample time to view the vast sky with stars, which was peaceful.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Mangrove & Estuary Safari by Boat

Tamarindo

Aside from getting up very early, this experience was very interesting. Our guide Juan Carlos was excellent and gave us a "lecture" about the importance of the estuary and what we might see. We did, in fact see crocodiles, monkeys and many birds. Our promised "snack" was a large piece of very fresh pineapple that Juan Carlos sliced perfectly with his machete!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Eternal Rainforest Night Walk

Monteverde

Our guide, Alum was very helpful in pointing out nightlife, when possible. There were only four in our group that night. We saw several birds but mostly insects....the finale was a tarantula that lives in a hollow log. I can't blame the guide for not seeing more wildlife and he did his best to find what he could. I love the story of how the Eternal Rainforest was initiated, but I'll leave that story for the next visitor to hear.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kimkim was very easy to work with. Yuliana put together a. Very memorable trip meeting our requirements - budget and adventure and cultural experiences. Thank you!

We really liked using Kim Kim for the expertise and the ease of planning the perfect trip. I built off one of the preplanned itineraries and customized it a fair amount for our desires, which included animals, surfing, beach time, and finding the right balance with a five-year-old in tow. The hotel choices were all very nice and I felt like the quality of the tours that Kim Kim and Amazalia selected were unique and beyond what I could’ve done on my own. (There are so many operators in Costa Rica! On one hand, this would seem to make it easy to do it all yourself. However, there is a difference in quality at least in the number of people on other tours where we had smaller groups). I wish I could’ve understood the pricing of Kim Kim a bit more. That was my only slight irritation. But, I did feel like the overall experience was well worth it, and I would like to book a trip through them elsewhere in the future. The itineraries, tour options, ease, and helping us do everything without a hitch was well worth it to me!

Hotel Reviews

Tamarindo Diria Beach Resort

Tamarindo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Los Lagos Spa & Resort

La Fortuna

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Heliconia

Monteverde

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Olas Verdes Hotel

Nosara

Loved this hotel!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Activity Reviews

Tamarindo Kayak Estuary Tour

Tamarindo

It was neat to paddle up the estuary. It wasn’t very easy to see much wildlife, so I wouldn’t choose this activity if that’s your main goal. However, it was nice to get on the water and experience it at that level. Much better than going on a boat, in my opinion. There had been some miscommunication and they didn’t have a PFD the right size for our daughter.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Catamaran Sailing Excursion

Costa Rica

Well run and fun experience. We weren’t sure if this was a good fit for doing with our 5 yo, but she had a great time. The food, drinks, dancing, views, swimming, and staff were all wonderful.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

El Silencio Volcano Hike & Visit to La Fortuna Waterfall

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Peñas Blancas River Floating Safari Adventure by Raft

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve Guided Hike

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

I

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Night Excursion at the Wildlife Refuge in Monteverde

Monteverde

We saw so many animals! Well run tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had only 5 days in Costa Rica and the trip planned by kimkim was excellent. We arrived in San Jose late and were picked up for a van ride to La Fortuna. The hotel was very nice and had an excellent restaurant, great masseuses, and several thermal pools. We visited the Arenal Volcano and walked up the 1968 Lava Tube trail. This trail was rocky, slippery and difficult, especially for older people or people not in good shape. This was not mentioned or discussed in planning or by the guides. That being said, the guides were helpful and knowledgeable. The noctural frog excursion with traditional dinner was our favorite part of the trip. The hosts were gracious, the food excellent, and the guides found lots of creatures to point out. We then went by van to Manuel Antonio National Park. The hotel was beautiful with stunning views. Our guide through the park was excellent. We were in a van for many hours getting to La Fortuna and then to Quepos then to San Jose. We often shared with others and 1-2 times were picked up first and drove around picking up others for 1.5. hours instead of moving on to our destination. The trip went on schedule and everything was on time until the last day of our trip. We were supposed to visit a spice farm outside Quepos but the tour never showed up. The number provided to contact the spice farm tour never connected. Our van to San Jose wasn't to pick us up for many hours and we had already checked out of the hotel. We did not want to sit in the heat for many hours so we asked kimkim to get us transport back to San Jose as soon as possible. We did this via their app (we did not have a phone number for direct contact). Kimkim could get transport but not for hours and the hotel told us they could arrange transport earlier which they did. We asked kimkim to reimburse the cost of the transport and refund the spice tour, which they did within 3-5 days after our trip. Our flight was very early in the am and our transport was late. There were celebrations in the city and traffic was horrible at 10 pm at night. Still, the transport van should have accounted for these delays. Overall, the trip was well planned, but we did not enjoy the long van rides or the gaffs with transport. An option would be to rent a car and drive yourself between sights.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel La Mariposa

Manuel Antonio

Incredible views and service. This hotel limits towels which I have never experienced before. If your towel was wet and you wanted a clean one, you had to turn in the wet one to get the clean towel. The views were stunning from the room which was spacious and clean.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Paradise Hot Springs Thermal Water Resort

La Fortuna

This was a very nice hotel and all the staff were helpful and courteous. The thermal pools were either warm or really hot (so hot none of us could get in).

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Presidente

San José

Lovely hotel with good restaurants. We never spent time off the property except in a van because we were only in San Jose at night or early morning and were told not to walk around at night.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Manuel Antonio National Park Nature Hike

Manuel Antonio

Guide was very good and we saw lots of things in the park.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Volcano & La Fortuna Waterfall Hike with Lunch

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Nocturnal Frog Excursion & Traditional Costa Rican Dinner

Arenal/La Fortuna

Terrific experience all round.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

It’s hard to know where to start about the wonderful time we had on our trip to Costa Rica. First it was a pleasure working with Olman to plan our itinerary. We listed the top attractions we wanted to see with lodging and transportation at a reasonable price and Olman really delivered.

The weather was mostly sunny and the landscape was lush and green from the previous wet season. On our well organized tours we saw a wide variety of wildlife and our guides were informative and helped us take amazing pictures we could not have gotten on our own. Our accommodations were clean and comfortable with pools and easy access to townsites and beaches. Transportation to all areas of the country was mostly on time and fairly pleasant. We also had ample down time where we could plan our own activities or just relax. Any issues we had with scheduling were not disruptive or affect our itinerary negatively.

Overall it was a fantastic experience and I would recommend this service to everyone.

Hotel Reviews

Gran Hotel Costa Rica, Curio Collection by Hilton

San José

The hotel itself was very modern and clean with a nice restaurant

Authenticity & Character

Location

Where we were was OK but would not recommend walking around at night in some areas of the downtown

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Playa Espadilla

Manuel Antonio

Best hotel we stayed in. Wonderful pool and cabanas plus very nice bar area and restaurant. We were also within easy walking distance to the beach and national park

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dreams Lodge Monteverde

Santa Elena

Hotel was very clean and comfortable and the staff was very friendly,helpful and easy to talk to.

Authenticity & Character

Location

K

Staff

Very nice staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Wyndham

Tamarindo

Fantastic hotel with amazing views of the beach and ocean plus an infinity pool

Authenticity & Character

Location

Good shuttle service

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Arenal Montechiari

La Fortuna

Nice location with amazing landscaping. Would have liked wifi in the rooms not just at the restaurant

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Auténtico Hotel

San José

Limited stay for only 1 night

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

San José City Tour

San José

Our guide took us to many parts of the city explaining the different buildings and history of San Jose. We also learned about the political development of Costa Rica.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Damas Island Boat Excursion

Manuel Antonio

Quiet boat ride though the mangroves learning about the different types and how they live in salty water. Also saw many species of birds that the guide pointed out and explained.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Costa Rica

This was probably the best guided hike we took as we saw and with our guide, took amazing pictures including a male, female and baby 3 toed sloths. Our guide took us back on a different path back to the entrance were we saw more beaches and flora and fauna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Night Excursion at the Wildlife Refuge in Monteverde

Monteverde

We saw and took incredible photos of insects and wildlife plus a toucan. I am amazing how the guide found the animals in the dark with a small flashlight

Quality of Experience

Guide helped take amazing photos

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve Guided Hike

Monteverde

Very tranquil walk though the forest with scenic views of flora and fauna with our guide getting us amazing pictures. We even saw a quetzal which we understand is a rare sight

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Selvatura Park Self-Guided Hanging Bridges & Zip Lining

Monteverde

I was a bit apprehensive about doing the zip lining but it turned out to be quite thrilling. Guides were very helpful. Very tranquil walk though the forest with scenic views of flora though the mist and hanging bridges were amazing. Some rain on the walk but did not affect the views

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coffee, Chocolate & Sugar Cane Experience

Monteverde

Our guide was excellent in his explanation of coffee, chocolate and sugarcane processing and was also had a good sense of humour

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Catamaran Sailing Excursion

Costa Rica

Beautiful and scenic catamaran ride with good drink and service plus very good staff

Quality of Experience

Views during snorkeling were not good area to murky water

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Whitewater Rafting on the Balsa River Class II & III

Arenal/La Fortuna

This was a very exciting and fun experience. Our guide was very good and described different plants and wildlife

Quality of Experience

Food

Excellent pineapple and watermelon

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

El Silencio Volcano Hike & Visit to La Fortuna Waterfall

Arenal/La Fortuna

Hike up to the volcano was nice and our guide was very informative but we could not see the volcano due to cloud. The waterfall was spectacular though the hike back up the steps was tiring for some. Have a bit of rain on both trips

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

EcoTermales Hot Springs Experience with Meal

Arenal/La Fortuna

Sitting in the hot springs was very relaxing with good drink service

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Great trip to Costa Rica, our first time. First guide from San Jose to la fortuna was our favorite. Appreciated drivers with snacks and drinks in the car. Sloth adventure was great! As was the tour with Socio in Manuel Antonio. The catamaran tour was okay….good food and drinks, BUT no visability for snorkeling apparently anytime around rainy season and they made like it was possible. The places we stayed at were wonderful. Wildlife around and incredible views! We were surprised by how much food costs here compared to Mexico and Guatemala. That would be the only reason I may not recommend it to friends.

Hotel Reviews

Gran Hotel Costa Rica, Curio Collection by Hilton

San José

Authenticity & Character

Breakfast food was below average of previous hotels. Not as much ethnic food and no fresh egg section until later.

Location

Right next to opera house

Staff

Friendliness at desk

Cleanliness & Comfort

Great room service menu

Hotel La Mariposa

Manuel Antonio

Best views of any hotel I have stayed at. From the garden and pools to the sea, mountains, to the jungle. Several varieties of monkeys come by, and they had a mother sloth and baby in their huge garden.

Authenticity & Character

Garden, animals, flowers. Some ethnic food at breakfast

Location

Sunrise to sunset views

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

So many windows for them to clean…some streaks….forgot to supply filters in coffee.

Arenal Springs Resort

La Fortuna

Great pools with natural springs wandering around. Many iguanas on trees and rocks around pools. Restaurant not our fav because of all the Italian food. Pool food offered some choices including sushi. Expensive dinners. Would have liked more ethnic choices. Great breakfast choices. Excellent view of Arenal. Cabins are duplexes and lively

Authenticity & Character

Iguanas. Some ethnic breakfast food was great

Location

View

Staff

Very punctual, friendly, lovely

Cleanliness & Comfort

Costa Rica Marriott Hotel Hacienda Belen

San José

Great pool!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Fairly near airport—nothing else around except industrial area

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Catamaran Tour with Meal

Costa Rica

No snorkeling anytime near rainy season. Visibility only 3 feet. Many jellyfish and people getting stung. They had a mix to spray on the blisters. Good food and drinks and sunset lovely. Dolphins around and seabirds

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Costa Rica

Excellent guide. Found way more creatures that we could imagine. Got excellent pictures from our guide

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Sloth Observation - Day or Night Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

Excellent and came back with great pictures thanks to the guides telephoto lenses. Then after finding the sloths and birds, monkeys, etc..,you come back and they have some great local food! Excellent

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Safari Float on the Peñas Blancas River

Arenal/La Fortuna

At the end they had some local food and drinks and chocolate demonstration. That was a lovely touch

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Hanging Bridges Guided Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip was excellent - we travelled with two children, 8 and 11, and everything was perfectly curated for them. The hotels were spectacular and the activities were really fun! Having activities in the morning left the afternoon free for lounging by the pool and relaxing in hot springs. Suggestions of what to bring and wear were very helpful. My only recommendation would be more details on where to drop the car off - we thought as per the instructions it was AT the airport but it was about 10 minutes away and required a shuttle back. This could have been a problem if we were short on time. Would definitely recommend this trip.