Mónica Meneses

We had top notch service with kimkim and have already recommended them to several friends. I was a bit leery using this service without firsthand knowledge of what we were getting into. But I was worried for nothing. Kristy put together a great 12 day Costa Rican itinerary for our family of five, including three teenagers! And Monica booked all
of our lodging, excursions, and in-country transportation (we took three Sansa flights...an easy and quick way to get around...and had private drivers everywhere). Even when I had questions while on our trip, Monica was available and promptly responded to our needs. We started at Manatus in Tortuguero on the Caribbean and we loved our quaint bungalow there. In fact, we loved everything about the Manatus resort; the service, food and included wildlife tours. Next we went to the LaFortuna/Arenal area and stayed at the Arenal Lodge. We loved the area and all of our excursions (zip lining with Sky Adventures and volunteering at Proyecto Asis), but we were not fans of the Arenal Lodge. It’s pretty run down and in need of some major renovations and repairs. With only breakfast included there, we were interested in trying different restaurants for lunch and dinner. But the lodge is also extremely remote and was an expensive and long cab ride into town. Seems like there are plenty of nice places to stay that would have been a better choice. Next we went to Rafiki Lodge outside of Quepos, and this was a major highlight...camping in the rainforest. The owners and staff were wonderful, and the included excursions and food were outstanding. What a unique and neat experience at Rafiki! And finally we spent the last three nights of our vacation in Manual Antonio at Tulemar Resort. Wow. This was a perfect way to end our trip with some beach time, relaxation, and a last opportunity to see sloths and monkeys up close. Views here from our Villa were amazing. We did do one excursion in this area, the Damas mangrove tour. I’d probably skip that if I could do this trip over, mostly to give us more time at the amazing Tulemar beach. And it wasn’t all that well done.
All in all, we were extremely happy with our vacation, experiencing a new place we’ve never been, and will now most likely return, thanks to kimkim!

We had a terrific time in Costa Rica! Highlights included a bunch of hikes, amazing food, ziplining, snorkeling... it was beautiful. Definitely want to revisit the country!

Monica and Kristy were outstanding - they asked the right questions, found out what kind of a trip we wanted to do, and came up with an itinerary tailored for us. They were responsive, attentive, and most of all, patient - we wanted to make some changes last-minute and they were willing to listen and be flexible. Thank you for everything!

Rodrigo was fantastic!

We were met warmly in the airport by Ben. The driver to Monteverde stopped at a wonderful vista and helped us access the house. We loved the walk through the Cloud Forest and was very impressed by our knowledgeable botanist guide, Rodrigo. Rafa from the boat was especially helpful in locating our AirBnB which turned out to be farther. We loved Hugo and Jacob, our kayaking guides. Hacienda la Isla was a gem. The beach walk and snorkel at Cahuita Park was wonderful! Impressive conservation of nature, flora and fauna!!

Monica was a true gem! She made my first trip to Costa Rica a lifetime memory. She was always available when needed. She ensured I received the best customer service. The trip plan she suggested was exactly what I wanted!

I liked the interface--communication was very easy and consistent.

Yenyi did a great job setting up the overall plan and activities in Costa Rica.

Monica coordinated the travel plans locally and solved a couple of minor problems along the way. Our rides were always on time for pickup, the drivers were cautious, and the drivers and guides were always friendly.

Our favorite activities were the float on Penas Blanca river, the hikes in Monteverde, and the tour of Manuel Antonio National Park (and beach), though we also loved Campesina Vida farm and the chocolate tours!

We would suggest that the timing of the events should be more explicit. For example, we were scheduled for a tour in the morning and a tour in the afternoon. The planned pickup times were indicated, but the duration or return time was not consistently indicated. As a result, we were sometimes stressed about the transitions between activities and had to change clothes and/or devour a meal in very little time. We also missed one activity because our transfer took longer than planned. They were kind enough to offer to reschedule, but it just didn't work out for us. (I know that we asked to push back our early morning schedules because of the children, but we relied on your advice about how much flexibility there was.)

The hotels, Arenal Springs and Parador in Manuel Antonio, were both terrific. However, Los Pinos in Monteverde was really not ideal for us. The staff there was incredibly kind and helpful, but the cabin was just too challenging for a group of 6 that included 2 grandparents and 2 children. It was up a steep hill, cramped quarters, small and somewhat uncomfortable beds, poor water pressure in the showers, and no food options on the premises.

Lastly, it would be helpful if the roadbook included all the information in the kimkim trip summary. The two components have complementary information and it would be more useful if all the info could be available in one place.

Overall, I would be glad to use kimkim again, but would more carefully review the timing and other details before the trip.

Overall, the planning for the trip was done well. Monica was very good about answering questions and making changes as we did the plan. The activities were as expected.

It would have been helpful to have more information about what was involved in some of the activities. e.g. we arrived at Sky Park to find out that we were going on a 3-hour hike to the hanging bridges before the zipline. There was not a great deal to see on the hike. There was no time to eat before the zipline at 1:00, and 2 of our party were so tired or slightly ill that they didn't go. The ziplining was great for the 2 of us who went.

similarly, the instructions for what to bring could be clearer. It said to bring hiking shoes and a bathing suit for the river trip. We did not need either. Water shoes would have been better.

the tour to Manuel Antonio was well-done with an excellent guide. We were not quite prepared for the long wait to get into the park. Also, you might tell people to wear a bathing suit if they expect to swim. There is no place to change. The hike itself was great with lots of wildlife.

Monica helped us plan an absolutely amazing 10 day trip to Costa Rica for our anniversary. Her communication before and during our trip was excellent. The trip was truly perfect, from accommodations to activities-everything was top notch and exactly what we wanted had we planned it ourselves! We couldn’t be happier! Thank you so much Monica and Kimkim-we definitely plan to use your services again for our future international travels.

We really enjoyed Monteverde forest walk and zip lining. The sloth trial was amazing and the guide there was super knowledgeable but low key. Traffic was horrendous, so hats off to our drivers who dealt deftly with the mayhem.

Monica did a great job organizing all our transport including transfers, flight, and set up with a rental car, making it easy and stress free to get from place to place. Our favorite parts of the trip were staying in Bahia Drake to explore the deserted beaches in our free time and exploring the cloud forests in Monteverde and Santa Elena. The freebie from Kim Kim to Tabacon Hot Springs in Arenal was also much appreciated at the end of the trip :) All the staff at the hotels were friendly and accommodating. It was a great trip!