Randall Jiménez

So many good and positive things to say about this excellent trip to Costa Rica. Working with Randall on our itinerary and all other planning details was very easy, straight-forward, informative and FUN. We had some issues getting there and with our luggage via the airlines, no fault of Kim Kim whatsoever, but once we arrived at the San Jose airport it was smooth sailing all the way.

Our trip ran like clockwork with all Tour companies being at the right place at the right time to pick... read more

So many good and positive things to say about this excellent trip to Costa Rica. Working with Randall on our itinerary and all other planning details was very easy, straight-forward, informative and FUN. We had some issues getting there and with our luggage via the airlines, no fault of Kim Kim whatsoever, but once we arrived at the San Jose airport it was smooth sailing all the way.

Our trip ran like clockwork with all Tour companies being at the right place at the right time to pick us up or drop us off for planned excursions & airport transfers. Very impressive! Everyone was so kind and helpful every step along the way. It was "Pura Vida", which I learned means so many things.

The excursions were amazing and exceeded our expectations. The lodgings were outstanding, our favorite is the Arenal Manoa with a fantastic view of the volcano right outside our floor to ceiling windows. Highly recommend this place as the whole site is filled with beauty everywhere you look, the staff is very nice and helpful, as well as patient with my "Spanglish" conversations. Just a short taxi ride away is the EkoThermales Hot Springs - a must see and do experience after morning excursions. And Manuel Antonio Park...WOW!...another superb lodging with view and excursions.

I could go on and on about this trip but the one thing everyone should know: Costa Rica is absolutely beautiful and should be on your list of places to visit. Highly recommend working with Kim Kim Travel as they have all the hooks in place for a safe, well-planned, flawless connections trip. I will work with them again in the future.
Thank You Kim Kim!

There is far too much to mention here in detail, so I'll summarize by saying that I can't recommend KimKim's services highly enough. It would be next to impossible to name a favorite day or activity, as everything was seamlessly organized and integrated into a perfect, once-in-a-lifetime experience. In short, it was the best introduction to the amazing beauty and culture that Costa Rica has to offer that I can possibly imagine. From hiking to adventurous activities and relaxation beyond any... read more

There is far too much to mention here in detail, so I'll summarize by saying that I can't recommend KimKim's services highly enough. It would be next to impossible to name a favorite day or activity, as everything was seamlessly organized and integrated into a perfect, once-in-a-lifetime experience. In short, it was the best introduction to the amazing beauty and culture that Costa Rica has to offer that I can possibly imagine. From hiking to adventurous activities and relaxation beyond any expectation, everything was top notch; locations, hotels, transportation, food, activities, guides, etc. There was nothing left out by our outstanding agent and the guides and drivers along the way, and plenty of room to keep things custom and personalized at every step. If you're considering the trip, don't hesitate another moment!

Sorry it's taken sooooooooo long to reply to this however ive only just found this email in my junk folder while looking up the old trip details... Hope it's still good with Randal and all you guys ?

I’m usually very sceptical about booking vacation packages, but i have to say that i was really impressed with Randall and his service!

Whenever i go somewhere i’ll always look up top things to do, things to see, places to visit etc… Costa Rica seemed to have many top attractions depending on if you’re going to be staying on the Caribbean side vs the Pacific side. Randall helped us decide & pick hotspots that fit what we wanted to do.

We went right between the transition from the dry... read more

I’m usually very sceptical about booking vacation packages, but i have to say that i was really impressed with Randall and his service!

Whenever i go somewhere i’ll always look up top things to do, things to see, places to visit etc… Costa Rica seemed to have many top attractions depending on if you’re going to be staying on the Caribbean side vs the Pacific side. Randall helped us decide & pick hotspots that fit what we wanted to do.

We went right between the transition from the dry season to the rain season so we came prepared with raincoats and extra shoes (i suggest you bring a raincoat because weather is quite unpredictable, especially in the Pacific coast) . Weather was hot & humid. Usually starting off the morning with a bit of rain, some sun throughout the day, rain again in the afternoon, and a calm night.

As for the excursions, they were well planned and the guides were super friendly.

For those who have time to fully plan your trip, i would say you can easily look up pre-made travel itineraries (and tbh, i think this is what we’ll do if we ever go back to Costa Rica), but if you’re tight on time, or simply want an expert to plan your trip, Kimkim is amazing.

Tips if you’re travelling to CR:
- rent a car… just do it. The drive through the mountains and the forest itself is worth it
- pay in colones
- don’t know expect things to be “cheap”
- bring a raincoat
- go to eat where the locals eat… if you go to your typical tourist traps, food is 2x-3x the price, for literally the same food
- Visit Manuel Antonio

Hotel Review

Hotel Arenal Country Inn

Fortuna

Overall Rating

Hotel Review

Cozy bungalows with breakfast included. View of the volcano.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Staff

Authenticity & Character

Location

Activity Review

Arenal Volcano Hike & Baldi Hot Springs & Dinner

Arenal/La Fortuna

Overall Rating

Food

Transport

Guides, drivers and staff

Quality of Experience

Randall knows the country very well and the best things for tourists to visit. He takes into account budget and other constraints! He organiséd a fabulous trip for me and my daughter! Unforgettable ❤️

Over all a very good time for us, the Whitewater rafting with Desafio was really well done and lots of fun the guides where top notch. We loved La Fortuna and really enjoyed staying at "Arenal Springs" a really amazing hotel/resort and the hanging bridges. Good times ziplining at Monteverde and the Poco a Poco.
Beaches, Monkeys and wildlife in Manual Antonio where a highlight of the trip.

In hindsight we would not have done the night walk with Terra Travel and I might have tried to... read more

Over all a very good time for us, the Whitewater rafting with Desafio was really well done and lots of fun the guides where top notch. We loved La Fortuna and really enjoyed staying at "Arenal Springs" a really amazing hotel/resort and the hanging bridges. Good times ziplining at Monteverde and the Poco a Poco.
Beaches, Monkeys and wildlife in Manual Antonio where a highlight of the trip.

In hindsight we would not have done the night walk with Terra Travel and I might have tried to schedule the last days differently so there was less driving. (maybe a day in Jaco or somthing)

But thanks for the good times and well orchestrated adventures.

We had an amazing time in Costa Rica thanks to our local specialist Randall. He tailored our trip to exactly what we wanted in this trip. Communication/response time was excellent. Randall timed everything just right; the pace for all of our activities were spaced just right. Transportation was punctual, comfortable and pleasant. We had excellent guides at Monteverde Cloud Forest, Hanging Bridges, and Manuel Antonio National Park. They were all experts of the rain forest and at finding... read more

We had an amazing time in Costa Rica thanks to our local specialist Randall. He tailored our trip to exactly what we wanted in this trip. Communication/response time was excellent. Randall timed everything just right; the pace for all of our activities were spaced just right. Transportation was punctual, comfortable and pleasant. We had excellent guides at Monteverde Cloud Forest, Hanging Bridges, and Manuel Antonio National Park. They were all experts of the rain forest and at finding wildlife. Our guide even spotted the Resplendid Quetzal in Monteverde Cloud Forest! He took photos and video for us through his scope. Costa Rica is so full of wildlife. We even had a resident three-toed sloth at our hotel in Costa Verde! Our trip to Costa Rica will live forever in my memories. Thank you Randall for your amazing service. ¡Pura Vida! ☺

Hotel Review

Hotel Costa Verde

Manuel Antonio

Overall Rating

Hotel Review

Loved the view and the wildlife everywhere we looked!

Activity Review

Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve Hike

Monteverde

Overall Rating

Activity Review

Our expert guide was wonderful and full of information about the rainforest.

Transport

They were punctual.

Guides, drivers and staff

Well-informed.

Quality of Experience

It wasn't crowded.

I cannot thank Randall enough for the amazing itinerary he put together for us. He made suggestions and changes and nothing was too much for him. The trip was incredible and all to plan. Brilliant communication and choice of accommodations. read more

I cannot thank Randall enough for the amazing itinerary he put together for us. He made suggestions and changes and nothing was too much for him. The trip was incredible and all to plan. Brilliant communication and choice of accommodations.

Booking this trip was the right choice. The specialist were patient and helpful with any questions we had. It was the perfect way to celebrate a birthday. The schedule kept us busy but there were a few moments where we were able to explore on our own. Most of the guides spoke some english and most drove carefully. Only once was I ever concerned about being in the cars or transportation. Kimkim made it easy to enjoy the experience without the worry. Our lodging was great but not luxury, it fit... read more

Booking this trip was the right choice. The specialist were patient and helpful with any questions we had. It was the perfect way to celebrate a birthday. The schedule kept us busy but there were a few moments where we were able to explore on our own. Most of the guides spoke some english and most drove carefully. Only once was I ever concerned about being in the cars or transportation. Kimkim made it easy to enjoy the experience without the worry. Our lodging was great but not luxury, it fit our needs. Costa Rica was a great experience and I would definitely recommend to others.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Arenal Country Inn

Fortuna

Overall Rating

Hotel Review

The welcome was great. The hostess and the rest of the staff were helpful and suggested ways to get around and places to eat. You get your own little villa with AC, tv, and a safe. The pool and dining hall areas were well kept and they were very environmentally focused. The mattresses were very hard.

Tips for future travelers

Take lots of pictures and enjoy your time. The place is lovely and homey.

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Staff

Authenticity & Character

Sleep Inn Hotel Paseo Las Damas

San José

Overall Rating

Hotel Review

The location of this hotel was perfect. Right in the middle of downtown, we were able to visit museums and take in some local life. The rooms were a bit dated and the beds hard but the staff was always nice and helpful. The second time we stayed on our way back the room was nicer and had a city view. Good experience overall

Tips for future travelers

Keep in mind that it is a 2 star. Its perfectly nice and clean but there is some dated and older fixtures there.

Location

its in the middle of everything

Cleanliness & Comfort

hard mattresses but clean overall. Older carpets and bathroom fixtures.

Staff

Authenticity & Character

good location

Activity Review

Arenal Volcano Hiking Tour & Tabacon Hot Springs

Arenal/La Fortuna

Overall Rating

Activity Review

Very well planned day. The tour was very knowledgeable despite the trails being a little longer than expected. We saw many cool animals and even learn about costa rica conservation and history of Arena/Fortuna. Going to the hot springs after was a great plan as we were tired after the hiking. We got to the hot springs when it was dark so I do wish that we could have enjoyed some of it during the day light. They had well-lit paths and the pools were lovely. The resort was so well kept and felt very luxe.

Food

Good food but it is a set menu

Transport

guides suggest local places to eat

Guides, drivers and staff

very knowledgeable and local

Quality of Experience

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Randall went above and beyond with helping to plan our trip to Costa Rica. He responded quickly when we had questions, and customized our trip exactly how we wanted it. Once we arrived, everything was as planned and on-time. Airport pick-up, hotel pick-ups, tour guides were punctual, friendly and knowledgeable. The tour of La Fortuna volcano was informative and very enjoyable. The guide included the history and educational aspect of the area which we appreciated. The hot springs were an... read more

Randall went above and beyond with helping to plan our trip to Costa Rica. He responded quickly when we had questions, and customized our trip exactly how we wanted it. Once we arrived, everything was as planned and on-time. Airport pick-up, hotel pick-ups, tour guides were punctual, friendly and knowledgeable. The tour of La Fortuna volcano was informative and very enjoyable. The guide included the history and educational aspect of the area which we appreciated. The hot springs were an awesome experience to end the night. The white water rafting day trip was one of the best experiences. Our guide, Roberto was absolutely the best. He was very thorough with the safety precautions and made sure we were confident with the directions before we went out on the river. He was also great at navigating us through the river and even helped us to catch some surfing on the rapids! It was quite an impressive experience. Not to mention the food everywhere we went in Costa Rica was delicious. We most definitely recommend using the kimkim team to help book a trip to Costa Rica. Especially if you want to see and travel to different sites. Without Randall's assistance, it would have been tough to navigate on our own. Also, Christopher (the emergency contact) came through when we weren't sure about how to get our COVID test prior to departure. He immediately responded and helped us to get things taken care of in a timely manner. We are very grateful for the kimkim team.

WOW! I usually am anti-have someone else plan your vacation, but Randall and KimKim really changed my mind on this. Myself and 3 friends were planning a trip to Costa Rica and after a couple weeks of self planning we realized how difficult it was with our busy schedules and the intricate logistics of seeing both coasts. Randall was able to fit in exactly everything we wanted and made all the right decisions when it came to travel days, transfer drives and hotel choice. No question I would use... read more

WOW! I usually am anti-have someone else plan your vacation, but Randall and KimKim really changed my mind on this. Myself and 3 friends were planning a trip to Costa Rica and after a couple weeks of self planning we realized how difficult it was with our busy schedules and the intricate logistics of seeing both coasts. Randall was able to fit in exactly everything we wanted and made all the right decisions when it came to travel days, transfer drives and hotel choice. No question I would use KimKim again, I think it made our experience so much better. It also took all of the stress out of weeks leading up to the trip and all at a very affordable price. Couldn't recommend them enough!

Going through KimKim was a great idea. Everything was seamless. The hotels were wonderful, especially Poco a Poco and Costa Verde. Randall (from KimKim) made himself available to us for anything that came but, but it all went perfectly so we didn’t need to reach out. I am really happy with how the trip worked out. He even made sure we had all our covid travel documents and testing in order. Made it much easier. :)

Randall created an amazing trip for us! COVID delayed our honeymoon last year, so this year was a make up honeymoon. I had a million questions and Randall was so kind, patient, and super quick at responses! We had a beautiful trip, the perfect combination of adventure and relaxation. We could not be more thankful to Randall and will definitely use Coast to Coast adventures again!

My daughter and I went on a trip to Costa Rica at the end of July. KimKim connected us with Randall, a local agent who works with Coast to Coast Adventures.
Randall was great from the time we first connected all the way to a couple of days after being back in the US when he checked up on us to see how everything went.
Randall was very good at communicationg and staying in touch throughout the whole proccess.
He made recommendations and made any changes I requested.
He is very propmpt to... read more

My daughter and I went on a trip to Costa Rica at the end of July. KimKim connected us with Randall, a local agent who works with Coast to Coast Adventures.
Randall was great from the time we first connected all the way to a couple of days after being back in the US when he checked up on us to see how everything went.
Randall was very good at communicationg and staying in touch throughout the whole proccess.
He made recommendations and made any changes I requested.
He is very propmpt to respond and he is very knowledgeable about what to do and where to go in CR.
He made our 8 day trip and unforgatable one and for bing our first time there, it could nt have been better!!!
Once we were in CR he put me in touch with Christopher, he was our point of contact while in CR. He, as Randall, is very respomsive and he made sure our trip went as planned. I requested a couple changes with time and transportation kind of last minute and he made things happen!
Our driver from Coast to Coast, Carlos Torres, who I would also like to mentioned in this review, was no different. He was very informative to let us know where to go on our down time when we arrived to La Fortuna, and gave me some tips on what to do on some of the places we were to visit.
He was also our driver on our way back to San Jose. He made our trip back and our visit to La Paz Waterfall and Gardens a very nice trip.
Overall, if you are visiting CR and you are doubtful about using KimKim, I wiuld say go for it and hopefully you get connected with Randall.

Randall helped us plan a 9-day trip to Costa Rica. The itinerary he created met all our expectations and the trip went very smoothly. He came up with multiple itineraries before the trip to make sure it fit our specific needs. When we wanted to make last minute transportation changes, Randall was able to quickly accommodate us and find us a new transportation company. All activities took place as planned and all transportations were on time. We had a wonderful time in Costa Rica thanks to Randall and we highly recommend Randall for your travel planning!

Randall was amazing at planning our trip to Costa Rica! He was able to incorporate all of the activities we wanted and was very quick to make adjustments to our travel plans when needed. He also selected beautiful places throughout the country for us to visit, it was definitely a memorable trip! Highly recommend Randall and kimkim!

Overall GREAT experience, not only booking with Kimkim, but the beautiful places we were able to see! Randall did an excellent job working with our budget while still giving us the full experience of exploring Costa Rica! We visited the Hanging Bridges, hot springs, monte verde volcano, beautiful beaches, ziplining, ATV tours through Manuel Antonio, and more! The locals were the nicest people and treated everyone like family!

The trip was incredible and Randall was incredible as well. There were lots of complicated logistics involved in this trip and everything (seriously, EVERYTHING) went off without a hitch. Transportation was perfectly planned and executed, and everyone he worked with for tours and transport was extremely friendly. The trip itself was SO fun. We couldn't have asked for a better week.

Our local specialist, Randall, helped customize my mom's birthday celebration in Costa Rica. The only complaint is that we couldn't stay longer from our drivers picking us up from the airport to taking us on our adventures and other cities. We enjoyed our trip and will definitely be using KimKim again!

First trip to Costa Rica and it was everything we expected and more. Have wanted to go there for years!

Costa Rica itself is beautiful and bother tourist and Covid friendly.

Our family is well traveled through Asia, Europe, and N America, and rank Costa Rica right up at the top.

Randall from KimKIm was great and all of the arrangements were perfect and everything ran smoothly.

Normally we would book and work the details of a trip ourselves, but with this being our first trip there and... read more

First trip to Costa Rica and it was everything we expected and more. Have wanted to go there for years!

Costa Rica itself is beautiful and bother tourist and Covid friendly.

Our family is well traveled through Asia, Europe, and N America, and rank Costa Rica right up at the top.

Randall from KimKIm was great and all of the arrangements were perfect and everything ran smoothly.

Normally we would book and work the details of a trip ourselves, but with this being our first trip there and with Covid, decided to give KimKIm and Randall a shot.

We definitely paid more for the trip than we would have booking it ourselves, but there is a lot to be said about hassle free trip planning and execution.

I would definitely use them again!

Randall was great and was available during the trip to help us plan as well. My friends decided to go as well last minute and he helped them plan their trip as well

We loved our trip that was arranged for us. Randall did a great job. The top site seeing areas were seen plus they booked us in really nice rooms. That were unique except for first and last night which was in a typical 4 star American hotel the CROWN PLAZA. They gave us ample opportunity for free time as well. The guides were great. The vans the roads the restrooms were all cleaner than you typically see in the USA.

Wow we can't say enough good things about Randall and the trip he created for us. From start to finish it was amazing. It was exactly what we wanted and he even arranged some things we didn't even know we wanted that were perfect additions. During the trip, we made a few modifications like extending our time at the beach and upgrading our rooms and he took care of all of those things efficiently and professionally with exceptional communication. I can't recommend his services enough. THANK YOU RANDALL!

Randall made a great itinerary we were both very pleased

It was very easy to plan our trip with the trip planner. We were able to choose the types of things that we wanted to do like hiking & eliminate those that we weren’t interested in doing such as no shopping. We could also choose the areas that we wanted to visit. Randall coordinated everything so we didn’t have to worry about transportation or guides. It was all included. It’s a great way to explore such a beautiful country. Our hotels were all very nice. I would recommend KimKim to arrange a trip to Costa Rica.

Our trip was wonderful. We saw heaps of fauna and flora and were well looked after by knowledgeable, friendly guides & drivers.
Randall's activity suggestions were appropriate for our group, we enjoyed all of them.
Thanks Randall.

The guides were great. Getting to different locations was frantic.
We saw some great birds.

Our Pura Vida guide in Arsenal, Christian was awesome and we were the only two people in our group that included hikes of Arenal and the hanging bridges.

Every aspect of our itinerary either met or exceeded our expectations. The one exception would be the night tour in Monteverde. We were not the only ones to say it was over-hyped. There were over 100 tourists in groups of 6-8 walking the same paths that reminded me of a “snipe” hunt.

Lodging at Arsenal was superb! Great complimentary breakfast and on-site hot spring.

Truly the best trip ever!! From planning to execution everything was flawless. 10 days 2 teens and a single Mom not a single argument, PRICELESS!!. Every excursion was amazing. Waterfall rappelling was our adventure highlight. Relaxing in Manuel Antonio was the cherry on top. Between the high end accommodation, fabulous food, wildlife and beaches couldn’t have asked for anything better. Can’t wait to book our next trip.

From start to finish - the initial enquiry, through the planning and amendments to delivery and experience - just brilliant. Randall responded to my every enquiry, request and for reassurance. The mix of activities, rest days, hotels and places was just perfect. Driving ourselves gave us added freedom to see more of the beautiful country that is Costa Rica. We met lovely, welcoming people, ate good food and enjoyed the stunning scenery along the Caribbean coast, interior and Pacific coast. We... read more

From start to finish - the initial enquiry, through the planning and amendments to delivery and experience - just brilliant. Randall responded to my every enquiry, request and for reassurance. The mix of activities, rest days, hotels and places was just perfect. Driving ourselves gave us added freedom to see more of the beautiful country that is Costa Rica. We met lovely, welcoming people, ate good food and enjoyed the stunning scenery along the Caribbean coast, interior and Pacific coast. We loved the laid back feel of the Caribbean, the spinal mountain range, the warm waters of the Pacific coast and the fabulous OSA peninsula with all its wildlife above ground and below the sea. All the guides who took us on our hikes and snorkelling were gracious, knowledgeable, considerate and professional. Thank you for making sure our holiday was everything we wanted it to be.

This was a fantastic trip! Our family was in Costa Rica for 15 days in January 2020. Our local guide was Randall Jiminez, and he was great.

The whole KimKim experience was really easy to deal with. We established how long we wanted to go for, as well as a preliminary budget. Randall gave us some ideas to start with, as it was our first time in CR.

We wound up doing what we later found to be (from other travelers) a pretty standard sampling of CR. We started in Arenal, staying in La Fortuna,... read more

This was a fantastic trip! Our family was in Costa Rica for 15 days in January 2020. Our local guide was Randall Jiminez, and he was great.

The whole KimKim experience was really easy to deal with. We established how long we wanted to go for, as well as a preliminary budget. Randall gave us some ideas to start with, as it was our first time in CR.

We wound up doing what we later found to be (from other travelers) a pretty standard sampling of CR. We started in Arenal, staying in La Fortuna, then moved to the Cloud Forest of Mote Verde, and finished up on the Pacific Coast, near Manuel Antonio National Park.

Almost all of our experiences were excellent. The highlights that we would recommend to others would be:
Arenal:
- Proyecto Asis rescue centre. This was one of the first things we did, and remained in our top 3 for the whole trip. If you do this, make sure that you do the volunteer feeding part - that was special. Carlos, our tour guide for this one, was nothing short of superb.
- Cano Negro: This is a must on any trip to CR. We took a bus up to the wildlife area at Cano Negro, and from there took a two hour boat tour along the river, very close to the border with Nicaragua. We saw sloths, monkeys, and more species of birds than I can count, including some very rare ones. Also saw Caimans, which were cool. Had one of the best Costa Rican meals on the way back (Cosado, which is typical. You have to try it).

Monte Verde:
- Don Juan coffee tour - amazing, very tasty all around. Coffee, chocolate, and cosado. Very informative!
- Zip line - super day, did bridges in the cloud forest and then ziplines through the trees.
- Monte Verde Park: This was not arranged by KimKim, but I highly recommend it anyway. Get a guide, either private or through the park. They know what to look for, and will help you immeasurably.

Manuel Antonio:
- a bit more tourist-y, but absolutely beautiful. We were in easy walking distance to the beach, and our hotel was great. We stayed at the Costa Verde hotel, which has several restaurants in easy walking distance. The collectivo bus is also easy and cheap, and I wish that we had used it more (the temps were 35+C every day we were there.
- a note of caution: The Catamaran Snorkling tour that we booked was really a booze cruise. Dance music and drinks were the focus, with very little time spent snorkling, and that required us to wear life vests (a number of passengers had indulged a bit). The cruise was well executed, for what it was, but it was not what we were looking for. In retrospect, we should have more clearly laid out expectations for this activity.

We will definitely visit CR again, and I would have no hesitation recommending KimKim, especially to first-timers. Pura Vida!

Thanks Randall!
Annie, Tom, and Joel

Our local specialist, Randall helped to plan an amazing visit to Costa Rica that was just the right combination of relaxation and adventure! The adventure started in Rincon de la Viejo National Park for a great hike with Andre. What an amazing combination of landscape, forest, volcanic pools and an abundance of wildlife. Andre was extremely knowledgeable and a lot of fun! The next several days were all about relaxation in Playa Hermosa with stops in Playa Coco and Tamarindo. We then... read more

Our local specialist, Randall helped to plan an amazing visit to Costa Rica that was just the right combination of relaxation and adventure! The adventure started in Rincon de la Viejo National Park for a great hike with Andre. What an amazing combination of landscape, forest, volcanic pools and an abundance of wildlife. Andre was extremely knowledgeable and a lot of fun! The next several days were all about relaxation in Playa Hermosa with stops in Playa Coco and Tamarindo. We then headed to Arenal for white water rafting, exploring the hanging bridges and lots of time in the hot springs. Magical is the best way to describe the experience and we had such a great time with Jairo and Koki from Wave Rafting and Christian on our tour through Mistico Park. It was our first trip to Costa Rica, but won't be the last. The Costa Rican people are so welcoming and friendly, many thanks to everyone for a memorable vacation!

Kim Kim was amazing. Very prompt in responding to our request. The bookings and hotels were just what we wanted and perfect for our family vacation. The only challenge we encountered was several of the guides only spoke Spanish yet were very helpful to try and accommodate our needs. Costa Rica was beautiful! Great family place to vacation.

Randall did a fantastic job setting up this trip for 2 couples. The hotels were top notch-Hotel Arenal resort- a very nice property with spacious rooms. Belmar Hotel-Monteverde great views, good food- an ecocentric property, very pleasant staff. La Mansion- Manuel Antonio- a nice property with great views. Staff are nice people but need significant training. The first room they wanted to give one of us had broken AC and a broken sliding door. It took some convincing to change rooms. Bar... read more

Randall did a fantastic job setting up this trip for 2 couples. The hotels were top notch-Hotel Arenal resort- a very nice property with spacious rooms. Belmar Hotel-Monteverde great views, good food- an ecocentric property, very pleasant staff. La Mansion- Manuel Antonio- a nice property with great views. Staff are nice people but need significant training. The first room they wanted to give one of us had broken AC and a broken sliding door. It took some convincing to change rooms. Bar service made mixed drinks with little alcohol. Hotel Grano de Oro -San Jose nice hotel, fantastic food.

Private and semi private rides between locations were fine. Some Costa Rican roads are better than others. Kim Kim arranged four events. Christian of Pur Vida led us on a hike through Hanging Bridges and La Fortuna waterfall. He was a little rushed at Hanging Bridges. Overall a B+. Oscar of Monteverde night tours led us on a night hike.Nice job- we actually saw wildlife - A. Carlos of Monteverde Experts led us on a tour of the cloud forrest was exactly that a well spoken expert- A+. Our last experience was a boat ride in a mangrove swamp led by a man from Tuscane tours. He was young and let one patron orchestrate the 2 hour tour. It was very frustrating- grade of C.

Everything that Kim Kim set up went off as planned. They deserve an A+.

My family is a very active bunch and we love adventure and keeping busy. We certainly had all of this on our vacation. Randall listened to what we wanted, and was easy to contact regarding changes in plans and what we wanted to do. We spent the first half of our trip at La Fortuna and the second half in Manuel Antonio. Our accommodations at Manuel Antonio were fabulous, with outrageous views, helpful staff, spacious for our family of 6. I usually like to plan my own trips, but having Randall took a lot of the load off and it was nice having someone to help out when issues arose.

I was hesitant about using an online travel agent but Randall was great; arranging and rearranging the schedule and activities as our plans evolved. The trip to Costa Rica was fantastic and is the best vacation I’ve had, ever! There is such a lush concentration of plants and every kind of living thing. Our accommodations were all first rate, we particularly enjoyed the El Establo Hotel at Monteverde. We traveled Jan 1-Jan 13 and enjoyed excellent weather, were never rained on in the... read more

I was hesitant about using an online travel agent but Randall was great; arranging and rearranging the schedule and activities as our plans evolved. The trip to Costa Rica was fantastic and is the best vacation I’ve had, ever! There is such a lush concentration of plants and every kind of living thing. Our accommodations were all first rate, we particularly enjoyed the El Establo Hotel at Monteverde. We traveled Jan 1-Jan 13 and enjoyed excellent weather, were never rained on in the daytime. We had several nature tours and a fab zip line excursion in Monteverde. Check out one of our guides Instagram sites: Jpablo_cruz226. We also visited the Mt Arenal area and a memorable highlight for us was the river cruise on the Rio Frío in the Cano Negro reserve with guide Joudan, who was especially knowledgeable. All the transfers and flights that Randall arranged for us went off without a hitch; we found two of the drivers, Jose and Jorge most helpful and professional. We also had a rented car and adventures driving the winding bumpy roads. If we had been choosing our own vehicle it would have been under powered and wrong for the terrain; but with a good travel agent to help we enjoyed the ride! We also had a cool domestic flight in a teensy plane to round out our transportation experience. It was great to see the ocean, jungle, crop lands, and mountains from a birds eye view. Sansa Air was excellent.

Randall, and the crew at KimKim did a great job in arranging a perfect trip to Costa Rica for our family. Randall was great in being flexible, and was accommodate all our requests in terms of the places and itinerary. He was very prompt in responding to the Emails, and providing the requested information.

I was amazed that they were able to pick the hotels that were just perfect for us for the location, for the most part. The hotels in Manuel Antonio (Karahe), MonteVerde (Ficus), and La... read more

Randall, and the crew at KimKim did a great job in arranging a perfect trip to Costa Rica for our family. Randall was great in being flexible, and was accommodate all our requests in terms of the places and itinerary. He was very prompt in responding to the Emails, and providing the requested information.

I was amazed that they were able to pick the hotels that were just perfect for us for the location, for the most part. The hotels in Manuel Antonio (Karahe), MonteVerde (Ficus), and La Fortuna (Montana del fuego) were excellent. The location of the hotel (Sleep Inn) in San Jose makes it a little less desirable for families (I think). Overall, the hotels were great, and their location made it possible to explore the place, find nice local establishments for food (and shopping) pretty easy.

The private transfers from the airport, and between the hotels were really nice. The drivers (Alex from Coast-to-Coast travels, Nelson and Diego from RideCR) were on-time, pointed out local wild-life along the way, and stopped at great fruit stalls, or coffee places when requested. one of the travel companies, RideCR, had Wi-Fi in their vehicles, so that was specially appreciated! Overall, there was a clock-work like quality for the travel arrangements, which was really nice. The car-boat-car transfer from MonteVerde to La Fortuna was a great experience, save the terrible condition of the roads in MonteVerde.

The guides in our tours were very passionate about their country, and what it stands for in the world (in terms of ecology, climate change etc.), and were very informative. Specially want to mention Aaron in Manuel Antonio night walk, Froy on boat trip to Cano Negro, and Horatio in hanging bridges tour in MonteVerde, as they were fantastic. I have to mention, the best meal we had in our entire trip was a home cooked meal on the Cano Negro trip!

The tours we have taken on the trip were ranging from very good to excellent, with a couple of exceptions. The hanging bridges, and canopy tour in MonteVerde was fantastic. Boat trip to Cano Negro was up there, as well as the trip from San Jose to Poas Volcano etc. Night walk in Manuel Antonio was great too. The Kayak trip to Isla Damas was a bit of a let down, and more adventurous (or risky) than imagined. And the night walk in MonteVerde was Okay as there were a lot of people, and not much luck with spotting wild-life on that night.

The early start times (pre-8:00AM) for some of the tours were a little difficult for the night owls of the family, and could have been managed better, in general. Usually, the tour guides pick-up people from various hotels before the tour started, and depending on the hotel, the pick-up time could be really early. It might be better to organize that differently to have a little bit extra time in the mornings for all, for example, by transporting the guests from their hotels to a central location where the tour started or something like that.

Overall, it was an excellent trip. Kudos to the KimKim team for their help and organization.

S.

Randall did an excellent job and listening to what we were looking to for for our vacation. He put together a great vacation for us! We did whitewater rafting, tubing, horseback rides, zip line and repelling, catamaran and hiking tour. These excursions were fun, breathtaking and outstanding. I would highly recommend him for anyone planning a trip to Costa Rica! Thank you Randall!!!

All the events were great and the accomodations were good. They planned the trip I wanted though it was a little too packed- almost stressful. That's on me though. The other thing was I had said that I didn't know how releastic it was for me to do all three things I wanted and was worried about logistics. I think they could have gotten me my itinerary a little sooner and if I knew that some days I would be in the car 5+ hours in a day I would say why don't we skip that. They did help me make... read more

All the events were great and the accomodations were good. They planned the trip I wanted though it was a little too packed- almost stressful. That's on me though. The other thing was I had said that I didn't know how releastic it was for me to do all three things I wanted and was worried about logistics. I think they could have gotten me my itinerary a little sooner and if I knew that some days I would be in the car 5+ hours in a day I would say why don't we skip that. They did help me make changes on the fly however. And I also should have told them that I didn't want to wake up at 5AM on vacation. I guess that's on me too but I would think they could have said- hey if you want to do this, you have to get up at 5. I would have said no thanks.

I am very happy with the service KimKim provided in planning & booking our trip to Costa Rica. Randall was very friendly & knowledgeable and he was able to customize our trip to fit our schedule & needs. We had out flights to San Jose Costa Rica booked but we had not planned or booked anything further. Randall at KimKim made it very easy for us & took care of all the bookings including hotel, transportation, and activities. I highly recommend KimKim & Randall.

Great job randall!!! Everything went without a problem. The shuttle service was superb and on time. Even had 2 excursions that were just my husband and I with the tour guide.

This was our second trip to Costa Rica and Randall did a great job of organizing exactly what we wanted this time around. There was only one glitch when a river rafting trip was cancelled at the last minute, but Jimmy Villegas immediately found and booked an alternative tour rappelling down waterwalls which turned out to be a real highlight of our vacation.

Our driver (Mau) and our guide (Julio) we’re very friendly, knowledgeable and responsive to our requests and needs . They really added to the success and enjoyment of the trip. We would highly recommend this trip-especially with Mau and Julio.

My specialist, Randal, planned me an amazing trip to Costa Rica! This was my first time traveling alone internationally, and I wanted a mix of outdoor activities + leisure. Randall worked with me and happily tolerated it when I changed my mind about things periodically until the plans were perfect! I had no questions or issues along the way -- everything was planned from top to bottom.

We are very disappointed with our experience with KimKim on what should have been a great trip. Randall was helpful in laying out an itinerary that suited our needs. The quoted price seem quite a bit higher relative to the experience of friends and family who have been to Costa Rica, which prompted us to ask about any included fees. Randall said that all contracts with tour operators were "confidential" and that "all benefits are passed along to you." He insisted that there were no added fees... read more

We are very disappointed with our experience with KimKim on what should have been a great trip. Randall was helpful in laying out an itinerary that suited our needs. The quoted price seem quite a bit higher relative to the experience of friends and family who have been to Costa Rica, which prompted us to ask about any included fees. Randall said that all contracts with tour operators were "confidential" and that "all benefits are passed along to you." He insisted that there were no added fees beyond what was shown at the end.

The tours and experiences that Randall had booked for us were actually prominently advertised with their prices in every hotel we visited. All the hotels themselves also had their rates prominently displayed. Once we added it all up, we realized that KimKim had charged us more than a 30% premium on every activity and hotel as well as added on the fee at the end. Given the price, the lack of unique experiences that we all readily bookable everywhere, we would never use this service again. If you like the convenience and are willing to pay the huge premium, this is a great service. However, be aware that there is no transparency with regards to this premium and you can probably do just as well booking with your local reputable hotel from one of the major sites.

Our whole experience couldn’t have been more seamless. Our transportation, our lodging, our activities...everything was perfect. We had an amazing time in Costa Rica, and Randall made it happen!

We had just 4 nights to explore outside of San Jose and no time to plan, so we took a chance on Kimkim and Randall after randomly finding Kimkim online. Randall put together a plan based on the info we gave him, tweaked a few things at our request and then put it into action via the local contractor Coast to Coast Adventures. Every activity on the pretty busy schedule went off without a hitch -- ALL drivers arrived on time (or early!), ALL activities were pretty much as described, ALL... read more

We had just 4 nights to explore outside of San Jose and no time to plan, so we took a chance on Kimkim and Randall after randomly finding Kimkim online. Randall put together a plan based on the info we gave him, tweaked a few things at our request and then put it into action via the local contractor Coast to Coast Adventures. Every activity on the pretty busy schedule went off without a hitch -- ALL drivers arrived on time (or early!), ALL activities were pretty much as described, ALL hoteliers were expecting us and the rooms were as described, and ALL the guides for the various activities were well-trained, knowledgeable and personable.

- Day 1 La Fortuna Arenal Volcano nature walk; Tabacon Hot Springs
> The nature walk was less of a hike than we were hoping for, but really beautiful scenery around the volcano and Nestor, the guide, was very knowledgeable and great at spotting birds/wildlife.
> Of all the experiences Kimkim/Randall/Coast to Coast Adventures arranged for us, we might have skipped Tabacon Hot Springs just because it was very expensive, crowded and super touristy (we live in Japan and the hot spring experience here is very, very different!), but it was good for a laugh just the same, with the wall of water and hidden nooks and crannies. Other visitors, beware -- the footing around some of the pools is very slippery and we really recommend water shoes or flipflops or something grippy to keep you on your feet. We were both fine, but we saw a visitor in bare feet slip and fall hard on some tiles, banging his head and tailbone pretty hard. A medic was called to tend to him.

- Day 2 La Fortuna Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge boat trip
> Hermann, the boat driver, didn't speak English but he was REALLY good at spotting wildlife even as he drove the boat, and Gustavo the guide was good at both spotting and explaining. This was a brilliant day -- we saw SO MANY birds/animals. Sloths, 3 different kinds of monkeys (we were actually treated to a big monkey drama as 2 troupes of white-faced monkeys shrieked at each other across the river), "Jesus Christ" lizards, snakes, tiny little bats, one caiman, and an incredible number and variety of birds. TAKE YOUR BINOCULARS if you do this trip. They were glued to my face the whole time. It was a rainy day but the boat had a roof and we were very comfortable. A tasty homemade lunch was also provided after the morning voyage.

- Day 3 La Fortuna & transfer to Santa Elena - Kayaking on Lake Arenal in the morning
> The kayaking was fun and easy, and the guide, Joseph/Jose was one of the nicest guys we encountered. Earnest, hardworking, friendly, knowledgeable, curious -- he was a great representative of Costa Rica. We really enjoyed spending the morning with him, while the views of the volcano towering over the placid lake were pretty spectacular.
> The bus/boat/bus trip to Santa Elena was a laugh -- the boat pulled up on a completely undeveloped shoreline and we were asked to get out with our bags. Without explanation, we were led down a dirt path, across a makeshift bridge and up to a dirt road were, magically, a bus appeared! Then off we went on the bumpy, mostly unpaved road to Santa Elena. Loved the green green green views of farms and jungle along the way. BEAUTIFUL Costa Rica...

- Day 4 Santa Elena / Monteverde Cloud Forest
> Morning hike in the reserve was great but here we did find our guide to be a bit ... what... jaded? Too used to tourists, maybe? Bored? All the same, he did spot some fantastic wildlife for us that we would never have seen on our own, including the Resplendent Quetzal (several, in fact...) WOW! On this hike, we found there was a lot of standing around -- we might have liked a smaller group that went a bit further afield.
> "Night walk" -- it POURED rain on us, but we were prepared with rain gear, etc. The animals were not so keen to be out in the rain, so it was harder to spot things, but we saw snakes, spiders, Costa Rican porcupines and sloths all the same...
> Our B&B -- Grace & Renzo B&B -- was excellent. We talked a lot with Grace and enjoyed their hospitality.

- Day 5 Aventura Ziplining and transfer back to San Jose
> Great thing for thrill seekers! Screaming through the canopy -- don't miss the Mega Tarzan Swing -- HEART STOPPING! Good fun for us and the weather cooperated. We enjoyed getting to know other travelers in our group.
> The Interbus transfer back to San Jose was punctual, comfortable, and uneventful.

SO, overall, we had a fabulous trip thanks to Randall, Kimkim, and all the local service providers. Randall arranged exactly what we asked for -- a taste of Costa Rica on a limited time budget -- so all in all, we are very satisfied.

Randall was fantastic from start to finish, his local knowledge and suggestions for tours and activities resulted in a fun filled 6 day itinerary as part of our family holiday to Costa Rica. The hotels, transfers and tours all went smoothly and communication throughout the booking process was clear and very easy.
Thank you Randall! We had a fantastic time and would recommend your services and KimKim to anyone looking to book a holiday to beautiful Costa Rica. Pura Vida!