Amazilia Travel

We appreciated the careful planning and arrangements for our trip to Costa Rica in January 2026. Arriving in Liberia - Guanacaste airport late because of flight delays, we found our driver after leaving the chaos of the airport and inefficient customs. Our driver brought us to Lomas Volcuna Hotel over twisty, bumpy roads late in the evening. Of all the arrangements, the only thing I would change was perhaps staying closer to the airport and taking the arduous trip the next morning. The hotel in Arenal surpassed all expectations. It was quiet, luxurious, and clean with the individual cottages. The landscaping lifted the senses and there was a trail in the woods for enjoyment. The North Fields chocolate and coffee experience informed us of all the complexity of these crops; the guide used excellent teaching methods to keep us engaged. The next day, our boat ride on the river found more wild life than any other adventure of the week. The guides spotted monkeys, sloths, caiman, iguana and several bird species. All week the guides had telescopes to see the animals and they outfitted our phone cameras for pictures. Our last day, we hiked up the side of Arenal; the climb was aduous for some of our party but the guide supported the members who needed help. The trip to Manuel Antonio was another long bumpy trip but the Mariposa Hotel destination was worth the drive. Great views, wonderful restaurant, infinity pool and capochin monkeys everywhere. Manuel Antonio park did not handle the crowds well, wildlife was distant, but the coast was beautiful. Back up the mountain to the cloud forest and Monteverde. The hotel, Fonda Vela, had a great pool, the best cooking of the trip and beautiful natural wood rooms. We traveled the hanging bridges which were very manageable even for our members who had difficulty hiking. Our night hike in the forest revealed the creature that come out after dark. Guides showed us toucans, other birds, a viper, and a frog. Seeing a frog made me realize that all the ecology and conservation in Costa Rica has at least saved this one little reptile. We just don't see frogs in the US like I did as a child. Kenny our driver brought us back down the mountain to Tamarindo bay. The resort had a gorgeous ocean front that we walks every morning at dawn to our extreme delight. The town and vendors could be overwhelming at times, but the evening shows with traveling Mariachi bands, jugglers and circus acts were entertaining. Photos of the week will be dear to us; a video of stills and video clips helps to recall the good times!

We had the most unbelievable trip! We love all of the diversity with animals and plants.

We had a great trip and everything went perfectly! We have traveled with Kim Kim before and I am so impressed with your attention to detail! Our pick up drivers were very professional (especially Kennie) , our adventures let us get a great feel for Costa Rica and it's beautiful and rich history and wonderful and welcoming people. Our hotels were perfect and allowed us to relax and still be close to everything.

Hotel Reviews

Lomas del Volcán

Fortuna

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel La Mariposa

Manuel Antonio

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fonda Vela Hotel

Monteverde

We all loved the family and staff!

Authenticity & Character

They went out of their way to make us comfortable. The authentic breakfasts were a real treat!

Location

Staff

Over the top great!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tamarindo Diria Beach Resort

Tamarindo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge Boat Safari

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Roads were very bad!

Guided Hanging Bridges Walk

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coffee, Chocolate & Sugar Cane Farm Experience

Arenal/La Fortuna

Very informative and fun!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Traditional Cooking Class - Dinner

Arenal/La Fortuna

Excellent and very hands on! Still waiting for our recipies!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

El Silencio Hike & Visit to Ecotermales Hot Springs

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Food

Food was a buffet style, but good.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Could give more time at the beach

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

An incredible trip full of fun and great memories . Olman was incredibly patient with my many calls and questions. Our favorite activities were the wildlife boat trip in Tortugero, zip lining in Monte Verde, the volcano hike in La Fortuna and the final night catamaran cruise in Tamarindo.

Hotel Review

Wyndham

Tamarindo

Hotel was quite run down and needs repairs. Great location and views but bedding was torn, sink had leaks and the water pressure on the shower was very low. There was a shortage of towels and issues with the dryers being broken. Breakfast was tasteless and bland. Tables not cleared at breakfast and dirty.

Authenticity & Character

big corporate hotel, very little charm

Location

great view

Staff

Not friendly and overworked, too much asking for tips

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bed linens ripped, sink leaks, shower pressure poor

Activity Reviews

San Jose - Tortuguero

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very knowledgable

Transport

Enjoy the Beauty of Tortuguero National Park

Tortuguero

Great wildlife and wonderful guide. We saw and learned a lot

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Catamaran Sailing Excursion

Costa Rica

Crew was so friendly and views were amazing

Quality of Experience

comfortable ,

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

crew was awesome

Transport

Long ride from our hotel

We enjoyed all the places we stayed, especially Lomas de Volcan. All the activities were well-chosen and worthwhile. All the transfers were seamless and easy. Great river rafting with Jesus, but really, all the Costa Rican naturalist guides were enthusiastic and knowledgeable. We learned a lot!

In an airport on our way home last night, my 8 year-old grandson was reading posters for various travel options. "Where do you want to go next?" I asked. "Nowhere," he said. "I want to go back to Costa Rica.." That sums up our experience. When you work with an unfamiliar travel group, you never know if you can trust the literature. We could. Everything in our week-long trip went exactly as scheduled.
The hotel our family met up at, Buena Vista Chic Hotel, was beautifully situated. The staff was kind and the breakfast was delicious. The shuttle made it possible for us to arrive on three different flights.
Our personal driver, Cesar, accommodated all of our schedule requests and navigated challenging roads and traffic conditions carefully. He even brought a booster for our youngest traveler. Translation apps on our phones helped us out when we had plans to make that exceeded our language skills.
Our tour guides in Tirimbina (Ralph on the river trip and Valeria on the night walk at the Lodge) were fun to be with as well as very knowledgable about the wildlife at hand. The children overcame their initial fears about hanging bridges and became confident discoverers of monkeys, frogs and leaf-cutter ants.
The folks at Los Lagos let us swim before our afternoon excursion to the Mistico hanging bridges, even though check in wasn't until after 3. The adults loved soaking in the hot pools and the kids adored the water slides in the cool pools. We had lunch poolside and dinner in the dining room. Everything was delicious and beautifully presented. And breakfast the next morning was absolutely incredible. It was hard to tear the kids away after just one night.
The drive from La Fortuna to Quepos was challenging in its length and the hardest part of the trip. We arrived after dark and didn't know until the next morning how beautiful our beach location was at Karahé. Our rooms on the lower (beach) level were perfect both for the kids and the 2 grandmothers, giving us easy access to the water and restaurant. (I would NOT have wanted to need to cross the busy road dividing the property.) Breakfasts were very basic but dinner in the restaurant and lunches on the beach were great. We also took Ubers to 2 other restaurants.
The children skipped our excursion to Manuel Antonio Park in favor of playing on the beach. (The early start was too much for them although it put 4 of us at the front of the crowd at a very busy park). The easy walking and a good guide (Lisandro) with a telescopic lens made this visit comfortable for 2 of us with some vision and mobility issues, although I much preferred the quiet of Sarapiqui.
It was a pleasure to reconnect with "our" driver for the trip to the airport.
The trip was a total success for our family of folks ranging from 8 to 76. Thanks!

Hotel Reviews

Buena Vista Chic Hotel

Alajuela

This hotel far exceeded our expectations. Yes, it was close to the SJO airport and had a shuttle. But it also had a beautiful location over-looking the city, very kind staff and a great restaurant. It was a perfect start to our week n Costa Rica.

Authenticity & Character

Location

The skyline at night was beautiful.

Staff

Our group arrived on 3 different flights. All were met and the staff helped navigate the challenges of finding supper for the last ones in. (The first person to arrive mentioned the kindness of the bartender)

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Los Lagos Spa & Resort

La Fortuna

The children in our group would happily have lived here!

Authenticity & Character

The landscaping! The hot spring pools! The birds! The water slide! And the food!!! Breakfast was particularly lovely.

Location

Although clouds kept the volcano shrouded most of the time, it was lovely to be in its presence.

Staff

Check-in isn't until 3pm and we had an excursion scheduled for 1-3. The kids were eager to swim and the kind staff at reception had no problem with giving us early access to the water and restaurants.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Every inch of the property is beautifully landscaped. Staff was constantly keeping it all pristine.

Karahé Beach Hotel

Manuel Antonio

It was a pleasure to end our trip here with private beach access, the pool and the restaurant just steps away from our rooms. It was fun to have a sloth and her baby hanging in a tree by reception and a mischievous group of monkeys swinging past the restaurant.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

We were especially well cared for at the beach and in the beachside portion of the restaurant.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tirimbina Rainforest Lodge

Sarapiquí

I wanted to start my family's first trip to Costa Rica in this quiet location away from crowds.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Having constant access to trails meant the adults could talk short walks with the children without it being an "excursion."

Staff

Valeria was the guide on our night walk and she was so great with the kids!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Manuel Antonio

More than 3,000 people a day visit this park, so it was always busy. I much prefer quieter locations but the level paths and a guide with a telephoto lens on his scope made this a great final excursion for 2 of us with vision and mobility issues.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The driver met us on time. Our guide, Lisandro, and his nephew were informative.

Transport

Boat tour at Sarapiqui River

Sarapiquí

Our family had the boat to ourselves! Ralph was charming and informative. He and the boat captain spotted birds, reptiles and mammals that we certainly wouldn't have seen on our own. What a great lazy way to enjoy the area: motoring down the river. Ralph also shared some 3-D goggles that were a revelation to us all.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ralph had a relaxed style and tons of information. We all enjoyed spending time with him.

Transport

Night Walk at Tirimbina Rainforest Center

Sarapiquí

Our children were feeling a bit apprehensive about walking in the jungle at night. Valeria hit just the right tone to keep them engaged and comfortable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff