Olman Romero

Everything went very well! Costa Rican people are very friendly and helpful. Olman adjusted my itinerary to fit my wishes. I also met many pleasant fellow travellers during the tours.

The guides on guided nature hikes are incredible. They can locate birds and other animals in the canopy or insects on trees that we would miss. Some could even imitate bird sounds enough to interact with the birds.

One of the drivers on the shuttle buses between places in CR was especially interesting to talk to and gave us many good tips. He worked for Interbus and his name was Alex. He speaks English fluently. With luck you'll he'll be your driver too.

The ziplining in Monteverde was fun and I highly recommend paying extra for the "Superman" harness that lets you lie prone as you zipline over the forest.

I miss the fruit in Costa Rica! It's something you can't take back with you. You can only encourage others to go there to try it.

Hotel Reviews

Hampton Inn & Suites San Jose Airport

Alajuela

This is a modern hotel which is very convenient to the airport. The shuttle runs regularly. If you have a room which faces the railway line expect some noise, but there are few trains and it finishes early enough. A good restaurant with Costa Rican food a short walk away is "Rosti".

Authenticity & Character

For this type of hotel I don't expect authenticity and character.

Location

Good location if you want to be close to the airport. You can also take the train to/from the city although it doesn't run often.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dreams Lodge Monteverde

Santa Elena

This is a small family owned and operated hotel with a super friendly and helpful staff! If you have your own wheels it's easier to go to the center of town, otherwise it's a taxi or long walk. But it's also quiet so you will probably sleep better than at a hotel in town. The freshly prepared breakfasts (no buffet) were also good.

Authenticity & Character

This is a small family owned and operated hotel away from the center of town. I liked it.

Location

Far from the main town area but quieter and closer to nature because of that.

Staff

Very friendly and helpful staff. They really make you feel welcome and give you good advice.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The only problem was that the small refrigerator in the room was noisy. So I unplugged it.

Hotel Magic Mountain

Fortuna

Spectacular view of the volcano from the room! The view changes depending on the cloud cover and the sun angle. The room was clean and comfortable. The music and partying at the swimming pool can be loud sometimes but it stops early enough that you can sleep. Fantastic breakfast buffet. Easy walk into town.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Spectacular view of the volcano. Easy walk into town.

Staff

I wanted to leave a tip for housekeeping but the front desk could not make change for Costa Rican money.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

El Silencio Hike & Visit to Ecotermales Hot Springs

Arenal/La Fortuna

I have the impression that part of the hike was skipped because it was raining. Part of the group returned to the van early and the guide took us somewhere on a normal road, not a hiking trail.

Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge Boat Safari

Arenal/La Fortuna

Fantastic! Saw many animals. The "surprise" at the end (after lunch) was also good but I don't want to spoil it here.

Quality of Experience

Food

The lunch was too rushed.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Night Excursion at the Wildlife Refuge in Monteverde

Monteverde

Very good tour. I would do it again and hope to see different animals next time. There are many people on other tours in the same area at the same time, so be prepared to be on a crowded trail. I would like to suggest a night tour with night vision glasses in a less crowded forest.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Selvatura Park Self-Guided Hanging Bridges & Zip Lining

Monteverde

The zip lining and the hike through the forest and over the hanging bridges was fantastic! I highly recommend paying extra to be put into the "superman" harness for the last zip line so you can lie flat as if you are flying. A pity that they don't make a video of that for you, only the regular zip line at the beginning. The zip lining is rather rushed but they need to run many people through the system. Try not to lean back when you are zip lining because then you will start to brake with your brake hand to prevent yourself from leaning back further.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The road to the activity is in terrible condition.

Celeste River and Tenorio National Park Hike

Arenal/La Fortuna

Excellent guide! (Sorry, forgot his name.) And finally a good strenuous hike.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coffee & Chocolate Tour in Monteverde

Monteverde

The freshly made chocolate paste was amazingly delicious!! I wish there was more chocolate tasting instead of just coffee tasting (with 1 hot chocolate).

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve Guided Hike

Monteverde

Great guide, wonderful experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We had a fantastic time in Costa Rica and this is the second consecutive international trip we have used KimKim to make the arrangements. It saves considerable time doing research and hoping you are choosing the right hotels and experiences. Websites for vendors can be highly deceptive and using someone like KimKim who knows the country and various locations, resorts/hotels and excursion experiences is incredibly helpful. And never having to worry about transportation between locations, airport, etc. is a huge relief when traveling in a foreign country. I would highly recommend KimKim.

Hotel Reviews

Arenal Springs Resort & Spa

Fortuna

This hotel was beautiful, the grounds were amazing and close to La Fortuna and the Arenal volcano. The villas were great and the staff was extremely friendly. We saw several other hotels in the area but I doubt any were nicer than Arenal Springs Resort.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tamarindo Diria Beach Resort

Tamarindo

Excellent location with plenty of dining options on the premises and close to other shops and restaurants. The facilities were great and staff was very friendly. Highly recommend the hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided Hike in Arenal Volcano Park 1968

Arenal/La Fortuna

The walk through the park was fine, nothing super special but a relaxing couple of hour nature walk.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tamarindo Horseback Riding to Conchal Beach

Costa Rica

A very fun morning ride on some beautiful beaches of Costa Rica. Very enjoyable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Zip Lining - Hanging Bridges & Aerial Tram

Arenal/La Fortuna

Very cool experience. The views from the gondola, zip lines and walking bridges were amazing. Our guide for the bridge and country tour was incredibly knowledgeable about both wildlife and the fauna and made it an enjoyable experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Snorkeling to Catalina Islands

Costa Rica

This snorkeling trip was one of the weaker ones we have been on. The company used caters principally to divers so a lot of time was spent dropping them off and picking them up. Our snorkel guides were very nice, no issues at all but the underwater snorkeling wasn't that great. And it took quite a while to get to the boat since you have about a 30 minute drive from Tamarindo Beach with the traffic, then stop at the dive shop to get fins, then shuttle to the beach where you have to go in groups out to the boat on small tender barge since the dive boat is not in a marina. And then all in reverse at the end. And no cocktails and limited snacks at the end. All of our other snorkeling trips have been on better boats and for snorkelers with nice amenities.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Olman did an outstanding job meeting our objectives for the itinerary. All aspects of the itinerary were achieved and experience exceeded our expectations!

Hotel Reviews

Trogon Lodge

San Gerardo de Dota

All aspects were good, except the dining room was chilly and the food selections limited.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Esquinas Rainforest Lodge

Piedras Blancas National Park

A great experience. Food choices were adequate.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Immersed in the rain forest with beauty all around.

Staff

Very helpful and accommodating in answering questions

Cleanliness & Comfort

Parador Nature Resort & Spa

Manuel Antonio

Five star hotel with exceptional service and care. Excellent food.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Koora Hotel at Monteverde

Monteverde

Outstanding location and accommodations

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Went over and beyond our expectations

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Quetzal Safari Quest

San Gerardo de Dota

An adventure with an outcome of 5 Quetzal sited.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Early Birdwatching Tour on the Southern Pacific Coast

Costa Rica

The guide was outstanding and birding exceeded our expectations

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vanilla, Coffee, Chocolate, and Spice Guided Tour

Manuel Antonio

Did not meet our expectations based on what we thought would occur.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Costa Rica

Group was large

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Early Birdwatching Tour at Curi-Cancha Reserve

Monteverde

Overall the best birdwatching experience. Exceeded our expectations. Knowledgeable and professional guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

El Tigre Waterfalls Exploration

Monteverde

We cancelled this event as we were scheduled for La Paz. We went to Monteverde Forest Biological Reserve and Cafe Colibri instead.

Quality of Experience

Better detail of the walking/hiking requirements.

Kimkim made my honeymoon in Costa Rica so easy to plan, and so easy to glide through wonderful experiences, the majority of which they planned. We did not worry about a single thing, outside of excursions we planned ourselves once in country. Even then, all of the operators and hotels booked by Olman were extremely helpful and made every experience awesome. Highly recommend the Costa Rica adventures and Olman.

Hotel Review

Tabacón Thermal Resort & Spa

Fortuna

Spectacular resort with amazing amenities, experiences and service.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

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

Costa Rica

For nature lovers, the La Paz conservancy was a perfect introduction to the biodiversity of Costa Rica. The waterfalls are absolutely stunning as well. The conservancy has one of the best frog exhibits I've ever seen!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I feel like I really experienced the pura vida vibe of the Costa Rican people, the exotic wildlife and countryside! Thank you, Olman! The Arenal Observatory Lodge, volcano, and activities in that area were my fave!

We took a trip to Costa Rica for our 10 year wedding anniversary. Olman did a fantastic job helping us plan the trip of a life time. We didn't have to worry about a single thing. All the confirmations and reservations were available at the tip of our fingers. Everything was arranged and paid for prior to arriving. Our favorite experience was our two day white water rafting trip down the Pacuare River. Our rafting guides, Edwardo and Luis, were hilarious, a fantastic chefs. Very knowledgeable and made us feel safe the entire trip. I will definitely be booking our next big trip out of the country with Kim Kim.

Hotel Reviews

Autentico Hotel

San Jose

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mawamba Lodge

Tortuguero

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pacuare River Lodge

Bajo Tigre

What an amazing experience to enjoy the sounds of nature as you fall asleep at night. The beds were not comfortable, but the experience made up for the lack of comfort from the mattresses.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds were not comfortable at all. The water from the shower was ice cold.

Hotel Lomas del Volcán

Fortuna

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel & Spa Poco a Poco

Monteverde Costa Rica

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Park Inn San Jose by Radisson

San José

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

San Jose - Tortuguero

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day 2 Pacuare River Lodge - Rafting Adventure - Transfer Arenal

Costa Rica

Edwardo and Luis were amazing rafting guides, chefs, and company. I felt so safe as we rafting down the rivers enjoying beautiful sceneries, lots of wildlife and a cool hike to a swimming hole. The guides were very knowledgable and competent in their abilities to lead our group. They made us delicious meals as we arrived at the lodge for the evening.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Horseback Riding to the La Fortuna Waterfall

Arenal/La Fortuna

The pineapple treat prepared for us after we completed the long hike to the waterfall and back was a nice treat!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Monteverde Self-Guided Hanging Bridges & Zip Lining

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Prior to getting to Costa Rica the process with Kim Kim was fantastic. Unfortunately when we got two Costa Rica the whole process fell apart. We were extremely disappointed with the lack of communication and lack of availability of anyone at Kim Kim while we were in country. The number one reason we used a local travel agency was for the in-country support and that completely fell flat. The best support we got was from someone in finance who happened to pick up the phone on Friday when we were there. She was wonderful but completely under trained in order to actually help us with the concerns that we had. Absolute fail for in-country support. This will be the number one reason we do not use Kim Kim again in the future.

The trip to Costa Rica was amazing! The places we visited were beautiful and the balance was great between adventure and relaxation. The tours and tour guides were fantastic and not only shared their expertise for the activity (snorkeling, whitewater rafting, biking, and zip lining) but also details about their country and culture to enrich the experience. All of the hotel accommodations had beautiful views, delicious food, and great service. The shuttle transportation was safe and reliable. Olman was patient with my questions and planned a vacation my family and I will remember for a long time. I would recommend Kim Kim and Olman to anyone looking to travel to Costa Rica.

Amazing trip! Everything was planned down to detail. Transportation was efficient and reliable. 10/10 recommend.

We have had a wonderful time in Costa Rica and want to thank Olman for making it possible. Olman was very helpful in getting our trip together by offering lodging, guided activities and transportation from one place to the other. He adjusted to our wishes and budget and was quick in answering any questions we had.

Everything generally worked out smoothly: we got picked up on time, the transportation vehicles were very comfortable and modern, the groups were small as advertised and and the guides were ready to guide us.

We had four excellent guides:

One women (name?)in the bus driving from San Jose to Guapiles..

The Guide (name?) for the “Garden Walk” at the “Mawamba Lodge”

“Kendall” for the “Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve Hike” and

“Werner” (real name?) at the Manuel Antonio National Park.

We want to acknowledge their deep knowledge and expertise!

So overall the trip was a very good experience for us.

Since we we can imagine that you are interested in learning more about the details, we will mention the following.

It was disappointing that we couldn't stay a second night in Tortoguero especially when we learned there that the pick up for La Fortuna was at 9:00am instead of 1:35 pm as listed . The itinerary said 1:35, but not where or when, so it was an unpleasant surprise when we were picked up at 9:00 after a hurried breakfast, then went by boat to the dock and then by bus to Guapiles and then at 1:35 to La Fortuna.

The Lodging in La Fortuna “Hotel Campos Arenal” was excellent,and we highly recommend it especially when you stay a few days there. With the swimming pool and outside area it makes a wonderful place.

The El Silencio hike was cut short. It was planned to be a 1 km hike followed by another 1.5 km hike. But the guide skipped the second one saying he didn't have the order to do a second one. That was quite disappointing. We felt that he and the driver just wanted to go home. Arranged by “North Adventures”.

The owners of the “Dreams Lodge Monteverde” are very accommodating and helpful to their customers. But the rooms we had were very small and there is hardly an outside area to sit. If you spend more then one night, it would be better to have another accommodation.

The other accommodations were very good .

In advertising: it would be better to recommend good ponchos, not just rain coats. We had quite a few rainy days in the beginning. The raincoat doesn't protect the pants and the backpack as a poncho would.

So thanks again for making it possible for us to have a memorable trip!

Brigitte and David

Hotel Reviews

Park Inn San Jose by Radisson

San José

Authenticity & Character

Location

Closer to downtown

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mawamba Lodge

Tortuguero

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dreams Lodge Monteverde

Santa Elena

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

See our written review

Karahé Beach Hotel

Manuel Antonio

Make sure to get a Beach Front room ( and not one next to the road). Our pickup time for San Jose got delayed. For one hour. The staff of the hotel helped to find out where the driver was. They arranged for a driver who took us a few miles and connected us to a van who drove us to San Jose. The driver of the van was an excellent driver!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Campos Arenal

La Fortuna

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hampton Inn & Suites San Jose Airport

Alajuela

Unfortunately: when we arrived we learned that the Hotel was booked for the following night ( the wrong night!). But the Hotel staff was helpful in arranging a room ( one of two rooms left to book for the night!). So it avoided a situation which could have been very disastrous for us since we had to leave at 4 am the following morning for the airport.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

San Jose - Tortuguero

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

See. Our review

Wildlife Boat Tour in Tortuguero

Tortuguero

See our review

Quality of Experience

El Silencio Hike & Visit to Ecotermales Hot Springs

Arenal/La Fortuna

See review: second hike was cancelled. Guide was little motivated. Ecotermales was very good: better at daytime to see the environment

Quality of Experience

Better guide and coordination which hikes were scheduled

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hike to La Fortuna Waterfall

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve Guided Hike

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Hanging Bridges Hike

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Costa Rica

Wonderful place, but too many tourists and groups

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Celeste River and Tenorio National Park Hike

Arenal/La Fortuna

Rainy day, hike cut short: just to Laguna.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport