Amazilia Travel

a fantastic trip arranged by Olman. Everything works perfect. Good hotels and very good guides

Hotel Reviews

Parque del Lago Boutique Hotel

San José

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Karahe Beach Hotel

Manuel Antonio

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Cipreses

Monteverde

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Hacienda Guachipelín

Liberia

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Montaña de Fuego Resort & Spa

La Fortuna

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Aninga Lodge

Limón, Tortuguero

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel & Suites Rincon del Valle

San José

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Monteverde Hanging Bridges & Zip Lining

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Hike Rincon de la Vieja National Park Hike - Las Pailas Trail

Rincon de la Vieja

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coffee & Chocolate Tour

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

El Silencio Hike & Visit to Ecotermales Hot Springs

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Enjoy the Beauty of Tortuguero National Park

Tortuguero

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

San Jose - Tortuguero

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We had an amazing honeymoon and absolutely fell in love with Costa Rica! The tour guides were so knowledgeable and passionate about their country. The hotels we stayed at were lovely and staff always went above and beyond to make sure we had a special experience. We plan to make Costa Rica a yearly trip and can’t wait to go back.

From the start to the finish we have had an amazing and very easy experience with Olman as our advisor and trip finalizer. We wanted to see and do as much as possible all within a budget and this was facilitated brilliantly.
All our accommodations were as we asked - safe and not luxury (although to be fair it was more luxury than we are accustomed to so a great surprise). Every thing ran so smoothly, every pick up, every tour, everything! Mawamba lodge in Totrtuguero - boat to get there, experience there all fantastic (not even Olman could have predicted quite how the strom on our first day would be) and our programme shifted to accomodate as much as we could despite lightning curtailing some of this adventure. Food here was lovely and the night turtle watching tour was an add on that was brilliant. Car hire pick up really smooth - great vehicle (although Alamo hired us a car that later was stopped by traffic police for not legal registration - not our fault and not our fine just a few hours wasted - not Olman's fault and KimKim helped in the communication issues around this). Azania Lodge in Port Veijo Talamanca - fantastic with Green and Black poison Dart frogs on the doorstep - literally and also a resident Sloth! Great tour to Cahuita and also Ganduca Manzanilla - we booked our own guide having realised how much we miss in a forest without a guide - would recommend this. Eating out here was our favorite place as the Carribean vibe was awesome, chilled and very low key. On to La Fortuna which seemed a large complex - we try to avoid crowds, BUT our cabin was back left and Giant Crested Currasows, humming birds, frogs, toucans and more graced our balcony view that was uninterrupted. - Here we would recommend Bogarin trail as a brilliant wildlife hike - night hike here was stunning. Monteverde next and an adventure to drive here as the roads deteriorated but great lace and again great zip wires and hanging bridges - up close and personal with snuffling Coati. Manuel Antonio was fab - busy but our pre arranged guide was excellent in the park taking us away from crowds where possible for a good view without tripod war! We also Parascended, took a surf lesson and had a night mangrove tour here - all on our day off - it was a great day off ! Then the amazing Drake Bay Wilderness Resort - car drop off, river boat from Sierpe- and then arrival to this wonderful place we would love to return to - wow great staff, fabulous food and most of all expreiences - a walk in Corcovade Natural Park with Daniel and then also a brilliant day Snorkelling with an incidental Humpback Whale en route to the site. Our return flight to San Jose and all pick ups and transfers were prompt, in really clean vehicles and we just felt so safe at all points. A massive thanks to the team who listened to our requests, answered promptly and allowed us to have a bespoke self drive experience that has certainly filled our memories with sites, smells, sounds and emotions for years to come - especially the sound track of the oceans and Dink frogs. Thankyou so much for everything, we would not hesitate in recommending this brilliant company. We are in the UK and hesitant but a little research showed this company to have good reviews in the US - We are so happy we went with them and not a UK based company doing less for our time and costing more. Thnakyou so much - Pura Vida

Hotel Reviews

Drake Bay Wilderness Resort

Drake

Wow what a jewel, in our top 2 - BUT the top one for the all round package. We left the best to last. Great cabins - very clean, super views across Drakes Bay. Tours exceptional lead by brilliant staff - even the bar staff looked for wild life to show us in the evenings - Green frog snake eating a frog was a highlight of the in site non formal sitings. BUT Daniel and Mauricio were great on tours to Corvovado and Isle de Cano. Boat drivers were excellent in choppy conditions and also very respectful when we met Humpbacked whales. All food and drink was stunning and we could not have asked for anything more. Every thin is thought of without being upmarket if that makes sense. Even on our departure a boat to our taxi had a wet landing so they had a bottle to rinse our feet and a towel to dry them off before getting in the taxi. We would love to go back...

Authenticity & Character

This place was full of happiness, smiles, staff who were casual and really helpful and friendly, even down to taking some photos and then whatsapping them to us. It says basic lodges on the shore and this is it - but why do you need more than basic when the experience you get is fabulous.

Location

Amazing for views, for tours to Corcovado, for tour to Isle de Cano, for feeling chilled and away from the main groups of tourists....we loved it.

Staff

So helpful, so informative, so engaging and most of all super super friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything from start to finish was brilliant. All kit was clearly cleaned and cared for so snorkelling kit was washed pre use, rooms cleaned daily, we truely loved this place.

Hotel Costa Verde

Manuel Antonio

Our room was fantastic with pacific views. Great AC. This was certainly more upmarket than we are used to. Phoning for a lift to a restaurant is not what we are accustomed to! Or to getting food delivered from the restaurant to our room after a late night tour. In a good location 10 minutes chilled walk from the beach. More monkeys than people was a logo and a truth, lots of wildlife in the area around our cabin - we had a fabulous time here. While the area is touristy - more so than anywhere else we had been, the hotel is great because all cabins are spread out.

Authenticity & Character

Lovely place to chill, watch the see and enjoy the wildlife - as long as it is not your shoes the capuchins throw off the balcony!

Location

Great views, great surrounding trees and the wildlife living in it. A drive to the local town - all good and the town is not that lovely anyway.

Staff

Very friendly and really great help in liaising and using phones to help an issue with our hire car.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and very comfortable.

Hotel Cipreses

Monteverde

Was a simple room and fine for what we needed. Nothing flash and on the ground floor a lot of noise in the morning BUT that was the tour group also staying there and not the fault of the property. Suit cases wheeled by the window at 6am seemed a little loud!

Authenticity & Character

It was a safe clean stop over - all we need for this. Very efficinet laundry service at this point needed in our holiday.

Location

Good for trip to the cloud forest etc.. as it was first drop off etc at the end. 10 minute walk to town and a little longer back due to the hill. But all good.

Staff

Lovely and friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

No improvement but nothing special, safe, clean and fine.

Arenal Paraiso Resort & Spa

La Fortuna

This was a much bigger complex than we would have chosen complete with wrist band! BUT our cabin was in a great position and really enhanced our experience here - we had a lovely view from the back that had no cabins in....had we been in another area this would not have been the case. BUT we all gained a little digestive issue - so rather than finding a SODA in La Fortuna we ate in and the food was very nice and just what those who ate needed. Good hot tube - shame some people don't have the social skills to not have loud speakers in the pools but that is the fault of the tourist and not the venue. great position for a view of the volcano and also to get to the tour site.

Authenticity & Character

Our cabin was in a great situation and as such we had a great time and when in our cabin had great views from the back . Not sure how we would have felt not in the back row though.

Location

Good views of the volcano, 10 minute drive from La Fortuna, 15 minute drive from the Arenal Volcano park and hike.

Staff

Not really anything to improve, all good but no extra special feel.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and comfortable.

Azania Bungalows

Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

Our favorite place - well in the top 2- the situation, the vibe of the area, the wild life on site - Poison Dart Frogs, 3 Toed Sloth, Green Macaws, Agouti.... Despite heavy warnings of security for the area, it is clear that if you do not go out as a rich tourist, you do not court unwanted attention. Lovely cocktails changed daily for happy hour, fantastic tours of 2ereserves close by. In a way a shame it was so close to the start of out tour as we loved the area and the feel of this place.

Authenticity & Character

We just loved it all - the grounds, the room, the mezanine for 1 daughter, the animals....we loved it.

Location

400m from the surf....5 minutes drive from a very chilled and relaxed town with lots of food options - Chill and Cheese a great low key place.

Staff

Really helpful in all aspects.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beautifully clean and really comfortable. Even the pool was spotless.

Mawamba Lodge

Tortuguero

Fantastic place with great facilities, food, tours on offer and staff. Only thing - if being incredibly picky was the very dark lighting in our room BUT that was a minute thing and really is of no consequence. Very clean, great pick up, as with all places great boat men and the turtle tour and lagoon tours were both really well managed and very much enjoyed. Food delicious and whilst off the same menu each day it was still hard to choose from what we had already eaten or trying a new dish. Location brilliant. Loved it.

Authenticity & Character

The sights and sounds of the wildlife everywhere, a dining room that you saw lots from, rooms with hammocks to swing in as the frogs and birds added to the ambience. Wow.

Location

Caribbean beach on one side, lagoon on the other what else would you ask for ?

Staff

Nothing too much trouble, all bilingual and so super friendly without being in your face.

Cleanliness & Comfort

I am sure some people would find something wrong but we asked for safe and this was safe, clean and we loved it. Fan worked well to lower the temperature, there were so many places to sit, chill, walk, wander, gaze, have a drink or just zone out.

Parque del Lago Boutique Hotel

San José

Very good place to be for the first and last night. A walk around the area was OK - the other end of Sabina Park would probably be better as behind this hotel were a lot of garages and opposite a very deserted building with broken glass etc.. The hotel itself lovely, good breakfast just situation could perhaps be better. BUT as we were hardly in San Jose we did not have the chance to get a good feel for the area really.

Authenticity & Character

Good over night, no more really.

Location

As per review - it didn't seem totally great area to walk around at dark - however we were not here for long at all and as such were not able to grasp a real feel for the area.

Staff

Nice and friendly and help ful as they semed to be everywhere.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nice clean room

Activity Reviews

Isla del Caño Snorkeling Tour

Costa Rica

As with all aspects of Drake Bay Wilderness resort, this was a brilliant trip - well guided and stunning in our experience of turtle and a fabulous Humpback Whale siting - 10 minutes of mother and calf. The fish were mesmerising and very varied. Despite a big storm we were able to enjoy this experience a lot and visibility was good. Daniel, Mauricio and team were really helpful through out and all equipment super clean.

Quality of Experience

Just great from start to finish.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Really good and Daniel and Mauricio were supportive of all and really looked for the best sightings whilst seemingly having infinite lung capacity.

Transport

Great boatman in what was choppy at times. Always felt safe and boat was clean, comfortable and cheerful.

Hike to San Pedrillo Station

Costa Rica

When you see an anteater while drying your feet from getting off the transport it is a good omen! This was a great walk and we were actually taken to Sirena station deeper into the park which was fantastic. So much to see and hear. Daniel our guide was excellent and seeing Tapir was excellent near the end of our walk. All aspects were really enjoyed and standing and listenning to the sound of frogs mingling with howler monkey was magical. Peccaries foraging, primates, reptiles, birds all added to a day not to be forgotten. Even Humpback whales on the way and on the return.

Quality of Experience

Brilliant - from start to finish.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Excellent in all aspects

Transport

Boat transfers stunning.

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Costa Rica

Really busy compared to all other sites we were on. The guide we had was great and despite the numbers of groups managed to evade much of the tripod wars going on for best sightings. Saw a number of new species, enjoyed lovely views and had a quick cool off in the sea half way around. Certainly a huge amount of people here compared to else where made this feel a little over crowded having enjoyed much quieter tours in the Caribbean area.

Quality of Experience

Good guide who acknowledged busy nature of area and tried to move out of this when we could.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

great knowledge and ability to spot even the smallest of creatures where others walked past.

Transport

Clean, safe and punctual.

Monteverde Hanging Bridges & Zip Lining

Monteverde

Whilst a real honey pot, this activity was so smooth and well run. All instructors at all points super efficient and friendly. Experience through the canopy was brilliant and we all loved it. Tarzan Swing fab, tandem zip lines great and then our daughters loved the superman. All in a fantastic location. Followed by a more serene but much enjoyed hanging bridge tour. With a guide we may have seen more but we had a magical Coati encounter on a path and actually it was great taking in the views we saw having been guided quite a lot already.

Quality of Experience

Just so well organised and run with no wasted waiting time

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Happy, fun, enthusiastic and super efficient / safe

Transport

Clean, safe and punctual.

Night Tour at the Wildlife Refuge in Monteverde

Monteverde

Really god tour - heart sank as loads of people were waiting but all sorted into small groups and as luck would have it ours was just the 4 of us. Great guide and despite similarities of species seen we heard now things about them. Also saw fire flies, a snail eating snake and a kinkajou which caused much excitement as it raced across the canopy. What was great was our guide also took us to a dark area, we switched off all lights and then witnesses phosphorescent fungi on tree roots. Guides worked together to share sightings, side striped viper, sloth all hidden high up but all shared and seen.

Quality of Experience

Great and much enjoyed.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very good guide, went a little off the beaten track for quieter sightings where he had experienced animals the previous day as well.

Transport

Loved our hire car

Nature Walk at Ecological Park & Butterfly Garden Danaus

Arenal/La Fortuna

The butterfly garden was really good as were sightings of frog - our first ones. BUT this garden seemed a little over managed really - compared to others, water features etc.. are not natural.. We had a good guide but it certainly was not a 3 hour trip - well it was when we re walked it on our own. Possibly the least impressive of all our activities.

Quality of Experience

It was really not the best of experiences, great frog sitings and butterfly garden good but it did feel more managed than natural.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Good guide- very infromative.

Transport

Self driven

Guided Hike in Arenal Volcano Park 1968

Arenal/La Fortuna

What a walk, what views and a great guide. "Mummy Nature is amazing" was the mantra of franklin. This was a great walk through the volcanic area where we were taught about the geology - pictures drawn on the floor by Franklin that the photos of will be used in our lessons in the UK. Great botanical knowledge and we smelt so many leaves and fruits and heard what they were for. Really was a great and well informed walk.

Quality of Experience

All round a great walk, great guide, great area and great experience.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Franklin the guide was like a favorite uncle! Really informative, fun and full of knowledge about the area. Also great for the right place to take the right photo. Smelling natural citrionella among a myriad of plant aromats was great and Franklin made this walk really very much more than just a walk.

Transport

Good, clean and safe.

Guided Hike in Cahuita National Park

Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

Great guide and we saw so much and realised how much you need a guide to maximise what you see. Sloth, various snake species, many reptiles, primates all seen and explained really well by our guide. Great walk, lovely cool of in the sea half way around. Really good experience.

Quality of Experience

Lots of great sightings and not over busy.

Food

We had a pineapple - as always seems to be the case but this was eaten rather like tequila and as such was sprinkled with salt and lime juice - lovely.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very good guide - not in a rush and had an amazing eye for spotting both the great and the small.

Transport

Good comfortable pick up on time and clean.

Enjoy the Beauty of Tortuguero National Park

Tortuguero

Really loved this place. Great night tour to see turtles - saw 6 which was really special - 1 was awesome. This was an exciting night of moving through bush and beach fast, following red lights and seeing an incredible event all in highly regulated circumstances.

Quality of Experience

Simply awesome

Food

the hotel had great food - the turtle tour had none.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Great guide - we just need to learn a little more Spanish but that is our fault.

Transport

More great boatmanship

San Jose - Tortuguero

Costa Rica

Good coach pick up and excelent transfer to boat and boat trip to Mawamba Lodge. Breakfast en route also lovely. All good

Quality of Experience

All smooth and boat transfer was really good with added wildlife spots on the way,.

Food

A first lovely breakfast.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Excellent drivers of all sorts and the staff wild life spotting en route excellent.

Transport

All great, clean and safe.

Before starting the planning of this trip I knew the destinations we wanted to cover. I was able to provide kimkim the general itinerary and booked them to help with the logistics and transportation. Parts of the booking went very smoothly and parts were somewhat bumpy. In more than one case I was told that they couldn’t do what I was asking (although I was able to do it on my own). I was very happy with, and very much enjoyed, the excursions that I booked through kimkim. Most of the drivers we had throughout our trip were excellent. I would particularly like to praise Leo, our driver from Amanzillo Travel. He was extremely knowledgeable, professional, & personable. Our biggest fiasco during our trip was when a driver (I can’t recall his name or company) left us at the ferry, “went to park,” and didn’t return. (I’m still not certain that we were refunded all we were due as a result of this.) Yuliana and kimkim were definitely helpful in planning this trip but I think that next time I will try doing it on my own.

My daughter discovered KimKim. Initially I was very nervous and skeptical using KimKim an unfamiliar online service. I wanted to stick with the big box travel service that I always used in the past. However, my daughter convinced me to use KimKim. I did have several discussions to convey what I wanted out of this vacation and I can unequivocally say this was the best vacation I have ever had! All seven of my family members said the same thing, BEST VACATION EVER! The authentic experiences we enjoyed would not have happened with a big box travel company. The entire experience was unforgettable and amazing. Olman our KimKim travel agent found great local vendors, hotels and private drivers for every city that we visited. I requested luxurious accommodations after our hiking, horseback riding, zip lining and white water rafting and we stayed in absolutely breathtaking accommodations in Monte Verde, La Fortuna and Tamarindo! Cala Luna Boutique Hotel was the perfect place to end a glorious vacation, relaxing doing morning yoga, swimming in our private pool and having complimentary cocktails served at sunset on the private beach. Fantastic job Olman —listening and deliver on all our must haves for a vacation of a lifetime!

Hotel Reviews

Parque del Lago Boutique Hotel

San José

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

El Establo Mountain Hotel

Monteverde

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cala Luna Boutique Hotel & Villas

Guanacaste

This hotel is spectacular! The setting is beautiful and amazing. The aroma therapy, the sound therapy the staff, the classes, the food — are all absolutely amazing! I look forward to returning.

Authenticity & Character

Everything about this hotel is special and spectacular! Upon arriving on a very hot day we were greeted by staff with cold hand towels with refreshing lemon grass aromas coming from the towels. The calm, beautiful sounds playing in the exquisite open air lobby made us feel like we had been transported to some magical carefree world! Everyone instantly, instinctively relaxed. Our family stay was exquisite in a 3 bedroom Villa that was absolutely breathtakingly beautiful. It was appointed with everything we needed to relax and enjoy the most amazing family time. We got to see lots and lots of monkeys in the trees including baby monkeys being carried by their mothers. We got to hear alpha male monkeys loudly roaring claiming their territory from an opposing alpha male. This was sooooo cool and interesting for our 10 year old as well as for the rest of the family. We enjoyed a family game night in the beautiful family room. The entire villa had high vaulted wood beamed ceilings that added to the beauty and charm of our Villa. We did not want to leave at the end of our stay. Everyone was so relaxed and renewed by the ambiance of the Cala Luna Hotel. The bedroom rooms had superior quality bedding and you felt like you were sleeping on a rainforest cloud! I’m not easily impressed and I love and appreciate excellence. The Cala Luna did not disappoint or fall short in any area.

Location

This hotel’s location was perfect for us. It has a beautiful private beach away from the crowds where you get to enjoy delicious nightly complimentary cocktails at sunset. Cala Luna is a short walk from the beautiful public beach if you want to catch bigger waves or get surf lessons. You can walk to an amazing family owned restaurant 4 minutes away, Fish and Cheeses! Yummmmm!!! or enjoy a 15 minute walk and you’ll find lots of shops and tons of restaurants. I loved the quiet location of the Cala Luna away from the crowded strip yet easy access to the popular tourist areas.

Staff

Everyone on the staff, from the front desk to the yoga and fitness instructors to the room cleaners to the restaurant staff were gracious and wonderful! They all displayed such lovely kindness and a desire to make our stay extraordinary. I have not experienced this level of customer service in years. Kudos to the owner of this amazing hotel for assembling such an amazing team of employees.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything detail about this hotel exceeded my expectations! It was indeed amazing, no exaggeration.

Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs

Fortuna

We loved this hotel, it was beautiful. We had great nights sleep on comfortable beds and a delicious breakfast every morning. The staff was friendly, kind and helpful. I would definitely stay here again.

Authenticity & Character

The view of the volcano, mountains and landscape made the character of this hotel very special.

Location

The view of the volcano was breathtaking!

Staff

All our staff interactions were wonderful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The cleanliness was excellent but our mattress was not that comfortable, it sank in the center. We wanted to remain next to our family members rooms so we didn’t ask to change rooms. The cleanliness gets an excellent rating though.

Activity Reviews

Coffee & Chocolate Tour

Arenal/La Fortuna

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

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Great hotels! First hike in Puerto Viejo wasn’t the greatest. There was a lack of communication with how much time it would take. We were under the impression that it would be 3 hours, ended up being closer to 7 hours.
-sky adventures was amazing! So structured and well planned out.
-Olman did a great job changing our itinerary after we had to shorten our trip due to flight cancellations. I do feel that we ended up paying more for less. Originally we were going for 7 days. Ended up going for 5 and paid more, 1 less activity, no airport transfer between cities, and we paid more.

This was my family’s first time working with a travel agent and it was definitely worth it. Our trip went very smoothly, allowing everybody to relax and enjoy more. Olman, our travel agent, was very patient with us in the planning process and booked accommodations and excursions that the whole family ended up enjoying. We probably would not have booked so many excursions or explored the country as much if we didn’t work with a travel agent who knows the country well and was able to give us the best experience.

Wonderful trip, Olman found us the best guides for all our experiences. Mariso who was our guide on the volcano walk was fantastic. All the children gave him a “20 out of 10” and still talk of how much they learned from him. Transport provided was always on time and very curtious.
I will use KimKim again and recommend them to everyone

Hotel Review

Hampton Inn & Suites San Jose Airport

Alajuela

Excellent service, food and location

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to airport

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided Hike in Arenal Volcano Park 1968

Arenal/La Fortuna

Mauricio was exceptional. Best guide ever. Wonderful with children and kept them entertained the entire time. Educational and fun!

Quality of Experience

Mauricio best guide ever

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Gave us plenty of time, stopped for bird sightings

Transport

Zip Lining in Arenal Volcano

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Great guides, understanding the needs of children and made it a fantastic experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Helpful and fun. Everything felt very safe

Transport

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

Costa Rica

Amazing animals, butterfly pavillon was like being in another world. Waterfalls were incredible. Lunch fantastic

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Olman was very informative and always available to answer our questions. Each part of the trip took place without any issues and the itinerary was great. Our guide for the Arenal Volcano Park hike, Mauricio, through Amazilia was AMAZING! He knows so much and the children learned many things about the plants, wild life, and history of the area. Fun was had by all!

Hotel Review

Hampton Inn & Suites San Jose Airport

Alajuela

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Zip Lining in Arenal Volcano

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Hike in Arenal Volcano Park 1968

Arenal/La Fortuna

Our guide for the Arenal volcano hike, Mauricio, through Amazonia, was AMAZING! He knows so much and the children learned many things about the plants, wild life, and history of the area. He was patient and took the time to show all of us the different plants and how they can be used in everyday life. He was really great and we highly recommend getting him for the guided tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Mauricio was Amazing and the driver was great!

Transport

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

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

First time working with kimkim and I loved it! Yuliana was my local specialist in Costa Rica who worked on all the details of my itinerary until I was happy with it. Answered all of my questions and concerns immediately. She booked the hotels, transportation and excursions and supplied me with confirmation numbers and all the specific details I needed so I didn’t worry about anything during the trip. The drivers were punctual, helpful and friendly, with A/C and clean vehicles. Hotels were great and we had the best time on all the activities/excursions. Definitely recommend.

Hotel Review

Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs

Fortuna

Our family of four really enjoyed our stay here. Clean and spacious room with strong A/C and amazing view of the volcano. 2 main pools were really nice, although not as numerous as other nearby hotels, as only one pool was hot spring. Breakfast is amazing, we also ate lunch/dinner poolside and in the restaurant which has breathtaking views. Depending on your room location, you need to be prepared to walk a bit or call for shuttle service around the property.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful property, rooms are spread out

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Comfortable mattresses!

Activity Review

Night Tour at the Wildlife Refuge in Monteverde

Monteverde

We did this tour in the rain but it still turned out great! We didn’t have flashlights so the guide provided us with some. A bit scary walking into the forest in the dark but we had our trusty guide who led the way and found us some amazing wildlife.

Quality of Experience

Saw things we never thought we’d see!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Drivers arrived on time.

Transport

Our trip to Costa Rica was even dreamier than I imagined. Our specialist provided a great itenerary, including several adjustments I requested and he also answered all my questions about logistics, the culture, expectations, etc. The lodging options we ultimately landed on were wonderful, really unique spaces with decent amenties, great food and high quality service. He provided a couple of different options for the hot springs near Arenal volcano and we opted for the more luxurious option for our anniversary, sooooo glad we did! He also recommended great sites to see like the Fortuna waterfall, and suggested a bike company to rent our own bikes since we didn't want to do any group tours and be on our own schedule. He was very patient and understanding through the planning process and we had absolutely no hiccups on our travels. The wildlife park in Manuel Antonio was also really cool, and the beaches there as spectacular as he described. It was truly a trip in paradise!

Hotel Reviews

Hampton Inn & Suites San Jose Airport

Alajuela

pretty standard for a hampton.

Authenticity & Character

Location

easy shuttles to the hotel, nearby resturants in walking distance.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Espadilla Ocean Club

Manuel Antonio

This place was really cool and unique. We had our own 2-story house, with AC, two bathrooms & bedrooms, outdoor shower and rinse areas to clean off after the beach, and full kitchen. There is a great covered patio in the back outdoor dining set, hammock and a fun, cool little splash pool with jets! Lovely local flora and well lendscaped yards in between the bulidings. Nice open, covered hangout pad with basket chairs, games, grill, and security. They even have onsite laundry machines for you to use. The trail leads right to the beach through a short forest path. We heard howler monkeys in the surrouding trees each morning.

Authenticity & Character

cool decor, very tropical feeling

Location

close to beach and restuarants, also walking distance to the national park

Staff

The host was amazing, giving us great dinner recommendations and ordering a taxi for us. Security greeted us every day, helped us park and made sure the gate was open/ closed when we needed it.

Cleanliness & Comfort

clean service daily, even did the dishes.

Hotel Lomas del Volcán

Fortuna

This place is VERY cool. It was slightly separated from the town La Fortuna, but only about 3 min. drive - wiht its own private road that leads you through the tropical forest and to a beautifull landscaped paradise. Each dwelling is a lovely mini house with 2 very comfy beds, tv, min fridge and coffee maker, many outlets including USB, good tv, big closet & drawers, AC, large bathroom with huge shower area and bidet. Best part is covered porches front and back with seating to observe the wildlife, view the volcano, eat and relax. There is also a nature trail at the end of the property into the forest, we saw toucans and heard the howler monkeys here! The pool with waterfall and big spa/jacuzzi is fantastic, the bar and restuarant was great with a tremendous breakfast buffet with both American and Costa Rican foods, pastries, custom chef bar, and fresh juices and fruits. Excellent service! We didn't have time to try the spa services but be sure you visit a hot springs at a neighboring hotel and also the Fortuna waterfall.

Authenticity & Character

submerged in local foliage that is well manicured

Location

secluded and lush surroundings, RIGHT at the base of the volcano with amazing views!

Staff

room was sparkling, front desk very nice, funny and great bartender

Cleanliness & Comfort

cozy beds, just enough amenities, private space

Parque del Lago Boutique Hotel

San José

I like the local, unique feel of this hotel. The room was basic but nice and clean. The typical Costa Rica breakfast was decent. The surrounding streets in the area were a bit rough and it is near a busy/loud road, though we didn't hear it at night and they have locking gates/fence all around so we felt safe. We had a view of the town and mountainous backdrop from our room. There was a causal and tasty restaurant within walking distance, also a bank to exchange local currnecy

Authenticity & Character

older hotel but nicely maintained.

Location

in the center of several activites, near a big park with art museum

Staff

very nice and helpful people

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Visit Club Rio Hot Springs

Costa Rica

This place is TOTAL WOW!!! We lived like kings, enjoyed every single unique, beautiful and relaxing pool. The luxurious faclilites and amenities were out of this world and unlike anything we have experienced. Comfy seating and chairs everywhere, wide open spaces. We had a day pass and opted for the dinner package, the food was delicious. - a 3 course menu including dessert with plenty of tasty options. We orderd two differnt dishes and tasted eachothers, both were fantasitc. The swim up bar had good drinks, not too outrageous in cost and there were tvs everywhere. They also gave us second day access and we were happy to return.

Quality of Experience

This is a very special place, a windy road through the forest leads you here and reveals a world of luxury with views of the volcano and surrounded by lush forest.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a fantastic trip to Costa Rica. All of the activities we reserved--white water rafting, hiking in Arenal, the cloud forest self-guided tour in Monteverde, and the sunset catamaran cruise with snorkeling--were so much fun and top-notch quality. Everything was very well-organized except for our arrival in San Jose. We had rented a car from the airport but we were sent information about meeting a driver upon arrival. There was no driver waiting for us and my father was extremely confused about where to go. Luckily we called the customer service number and they told us to go to the car rental desk. Any time we needed to call the customer service number they were very helpful.

Maurice our guide for hiking nearby La Fortuna / Arsenal was the high point of the trip., I recommend him highly bec his knowledge of the area flora and fauna was amazing. Now I know what really big Howlers (monkeys) sound like - not for the timid!
The La Fortuna Hotel was very nice but spartan (facial tissues?). Breakfast was very good, we chose the restaurants in town rather than than dinner at the resort. The weather was perfect all week and beautiful sunsets in Tamarindo and Monteverde. A little too warm in Monteverde but if you don’t mind bugs the night air is very cool with the huge sliding doors open. There are no screens on the doors so I recommend the hotels offer mosquito drapery around the bed to get a restful sleep.
Tamarindo was nice with the beaches and pools and we enjoyed the catamaran team that ran things - very friendly - I recommend folks use them. My daughter accompanied me and she had a great week.

It didn’t rain which was good and bad. Beautiful Weather. WAVE Adventures is a top-notch company with many guides who were very entertaining, I recommend them. But the whitewater rafting was disappointing from the low water flow, mostly class 1 with a couple class 2. I was also in Panama and whitewater rafting was much better.

PS: We rented a car as we used different airports and got to see more, driving off the beaten path had some beautiful sights but leave extra time as about 50% of the roads were paved. I personally enjoyed driving like the locals, you get around faster.

Hotel Reviews

Tamarindo Diria Beach Resort

Tamarindo

On the ocean, great sunset views from the balcony patio

Authenticity & Character

Huge complex, we stayed in the older part close to the lobby and restaurant

Location

Staff

Just the nicest helpful people

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Ficus

Monteverde Costa Rica

Beautiful complex of suites along the hillside, we stayed in the sunset rooms at the top and the views were worth it. Rolling back the huge glass doors allows the cool night breezes to make the rooms great for sunsets and sleeping. As there are no window or door screens, I recommend the Ficus Inn install mosquito netting drapes over / around each bed so patrons can enjoy a restful sleep with the lights out. Unless you love flying bugs keeping you company! A nice eco-friendly hotel at the edge of town at a steep uphill road. Good parking, breakfast, and wi-fi. Pleasant staff.

Authenticity & Character

Eco-friendly

Location

Sunset views. Sound of big rigs struggling up the hill was distracting, I guess that’s what earbuds are for.

Staff

More knowledgeable staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Netting around/ over beds to keep flying bugs out of your ears.

Hotel Los Lagos Spa & Resort

Fortuna

Very good hotel and grounds for the middle-tier resort. You should walk everywhere and skip the shuttle - burn some calories as the resort is on a steep vertical hillside. The best feature is the landscaping and water features. Don’t expect rooms like a Marriott, it’s spartan so spend your time exploring the outdoors. Good breakfast every morning. The town is close by if you desire a dinner out.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided Hike in Arenal Volcano Park 1968

Arenal/La Fortuna

Maurice (guide) and Paloma (driver) were the high point of our trip

Quality of Experience

Small group, 4 people + guide was perfect size.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Knowledge imparted to us and seeing our guide show us so many plans and their uses.

Transport

Paloma the driver- and a very good singer!

Whitewater Rafting on the Balsa River Class II & III

Arenal/La Fortuna

Great bunch of guides. Unfortunately water level too low, mostly class 1 with a couple class 2

Quality of Experience

See above

Food

We were hungry! I liked the cookies and beer!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The guides

Olman did an excellent job planning a 10-day trip to Costa Rica that delivered the kind of experience my family of four (2 adults, 12 and 17 year olds) was looking for. We visited 3 locations (La Fortuna, Monteverde, Manuel Antonio) with a balance of nature-based adventure and relaxation. The recommended accomodations were great. The vendors for all tours were professional and experienced and the guides were top notch. Olman worked with me ahead of the trip to tweak the agenda to fit our needs. He was flexible and patient and provided so much information that I felt I knew exactly what we would be paying for prior to needing to send any money. I have never before worked with a travel provider to help plan my trips and I typically spend many hours over weaks and months putting together an itinerary. I was anxious about relying on someone else - but Olman made it easy, enjoyable and the delivered product was fantastic. For future travelers, my one recommendation is to start every day as early as possible. This will maximize your time enjoying what Costa Rica has to offer in the morning/early afternoon, avoid afternoon rainshowers and also allow late afternoon evenings for relaxing and meals (as well as early bed-times earned during adventurous mornings!). To that end, the only change I would have made to my schedule was that our zip-lining day in Monteverde did not commence until the vendor picked us up at 10:20 am- which kind of killed the whole day. I would highly recommend starting the day earlier - and driving yourself to the vendor's location so that you are not reliant upon their return transportation schedule.

Had an amazing trip to Costa Rica thanks to Olman. I would never have figured out the logostics myself with rental cars pick up and how to get around costa rica effectivly. Will recommend the white water rafting to everyone. That is an amazin 30 km trip down the pacuare river.

Terrific trip: Lake Arenal, Monteverde, Manuel Antonio
Olman planned the perfect trip for us. We had a wonderful time and visited La Fortuna/Lake Arenal, Monteverde, and Manuel Antonio. We got to see rainforest, jungle, the beaches, and everything in between. I was nervous about all of the driving, but we approached it as part of the adventure. Our trip was heavy on nature and animals, some adventure, and a little bit of relaxing, which is exactly what I asked for when reaching out to KimKim.
I was especially impressed with the Tabacon Resort and thermal springs and the Los Altos Resort. We also really enjoyed the bike ride around Lake Arenal and the ziplining/hanging bridges in Monteverde.

Thanks for a terrific trip!
Erica Z

Never would have been able to put this together myself. When I tried to determine where to go/what to do on my own I just got overwhelmed, but Yuliana put together an unforgettable trip. We had a great time with Mauricio (guide) and Fernando (transport). Really appreciate the expertise of all involved in planning and execution of this trip. Thanks so much!

Hotel Reviews

Parque del Lago Boutique Hotel

San José

Cute little hotel for an overnight stay. Didn't get the opportunity to explore the area, so unable to report anything outside of rooms, receptions, and restaurant. Rooms were a little small for the amount of furniture in the room, but not a significant negative, just an opinion. Dinner in the restaurant was REALLY GOOD!!

Authenticity & Character

Staff

kind and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Had a good night sleep and was clean

Parador Resort and Spa

Manuel Antonio

Was everything you wanted in a vacation stay -- food, drinks, pool, beach access, central to other places you might want to visit

Authenticity & Character

It was very comfortable even for a large "upscale" environment

Location

Central to area places to visit

Staff

Very kind and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and comfortable

Hotel Lomas del Volcán

Fortuna

Loved the atmosphere and the individual cabins. Walking the hills to the cabins was the only drawback, when you were already sore from hiking.

Authenticity & Character

Loved the atmosphere and the individual cabins

Location

seemed pretty centrally located to the activities that were planned

Staff

all were very kind and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

were very clean, beds creaked a little and the hills to walk to the cabins were a little steep when sore from hiking

Activity Reviews

Visit to Costa Rica Animal Rescue Center

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Although it is stated that drivers may not be bilingual, if the tour group is not bilingual, would be great to try to be sure there was a way to communicate. Makes it difficult to know what is going on when you can't converse with the person driving you to and from locations.

Transport

There was a mishap with the transport from the hotel where we were ready to go at the designated time and got picked up 45 minutes later. I had the hotel call to find out what was going on and had we known we could have stayed in the air conditioned room vs waiting in the open air (pretty warm) reception area. That transport took us to the Rescue, then we changed to another transport that was unmarked -- a little creepy when neither driver was biligual and we were not, so we really didn't know what was going on.

Catamaran Adventure with Snorkeling

Manuel Antonio

Always love these...so relaxing

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal 1968 Hike & Visit to Ecotermales Hot Springs

Arenal/La Fortuna

The hot springs were awesome and relaxing, especially after 2 days of hiking. Was less impressed with the Arenal 1968 Hike, if I had know what it was fully, I would not have opted to do it, but thought it was a "had to do" activity....spent most of the time watching my steps to make sure I didn't slip and fall so even if there was a lot to see (which I don't think there was) I wasn't seeing anything but my feet. One of the younger member of our group did fall

Quality of Experience

Hot Springs was fun; 1968 Hike, not so much

Food

Dinner was good, but wasn't fully ready for a 6pm dinner (we had not eaten since breakfast) and some items were not at a proper temperature.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Mauricio and Fernando were great!

Transport

Hike to La Fortuna Waterfall

Arenal/La Fortuna

This was my favorite feature although the steps to get there and return were intimidating, it was worth it!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The amount of knowledge of the area and the history....it was an educational experience

Transport

Fernando our driver

We visited 3 places whilst in Costa Rica; La Fortuna, Monteverde and finally Manuel Antonio.

Each of these three places had their unique charm as did the people that guided us through. Jason was amazing with his knowledge at Arenal. The hike was extremely informative and interesting. The hot springs were heavenly.

In Monteverde the hotel that Olman picked was incredible. The views were amazing and the hotel staff at El Establo we’re great. Very helpful. The zip lines were breathtaking as was seeing an actual tarantula just happily walking across my path in the forest. I did not scream.

Makanda at Manuel Antonio was the perfect end to our amazing stay in Costa Rica. Such an amazing place in such an amazing country. The wildlife we saw whilst at breakfast and lounging by the pool was incredible. The hotel staff were all so friendly and accommodating even when an iguana unexpectedly decided to join us for breakfast.

Thank you Olman for organising an unforgettable experience for us. It was a delayed 50 birthday present to my husband from the days of restriction so it was that much more special. Thank you thank you :)

The trip was overall amazing. The tours and guides were exceptional. From Keysii at Cahuita Tours to the Panache crew in Tamarindo. The van drivers (Fernando and others) were helpful and on point. We had a little hiccup with phone calls to Amazilla Travel in Tamarindo, but it did end well. Special shout out to Umami Hotel staff, Tony and others for being so hospitable, a lovely boutique Hotel. Royal Corin was very posh and the pools were very nice. Thank you Olman for a well planned vacay!

Hotel Review

Umami Hotel - Adults Only

Puerto Viejo

Great staff. Beautiful people, met some great folks. Easy walk in to town.

Authenticity & Character

Slow and easy

Location

Easy walk to town

Staff

Very accommodating

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fresh and clean

Activity Review

Guided Hike in Cahuita National Park

Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

Thanks to Keysii we had a great trek. Saw all the good stuff

Quality of Experience

Food

Chicken at Cocos was the bomb.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Great boat ride. A saving grace.

The Costa Rican adventure for our family of four was great. We started in San Jose where we hit the Children’s Museum, then hit a Crocodile tour before spending two nights in Manuel Antonio where we enjoyed a guided hike of the park. We loved our hotel - La Vela Boutique Hotel. Great staff, great pool / lounge area, lots of resident wildlife. We then went to Osa Península and stayed at the Aguila de Osa, which had excellent service, beautiful accommodations, and wonderful day trip options. A highlight was snorkeling at Isla del Cano. We ended with a final night and morning in San Jose where we visited the market before driving to the airport.

Kimkim made this trip so easy… the transportation was seamless and on time! I felt we were able to maximize our experience due to the detailed planning. I wouldn’t have been able to arrange everything they did. Our kids (ages 5 and 8) had a great time.

Hotel Reviews

Parque del Lago Boutique Hotel

San José

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Park Inn San Jose by Radisson

San José

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Aguila de Osa Rainforest & Marine Adventure Lodge

Drake

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Vela Boutique Hotel

Manuel Antonio

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jungle Crocodile Safari

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport