This was our first time to Costa Rica and we wanted to bring family from several places to join including in-country and from three spots in the US. After some reasearch, we chose KimKim as the company to help us have an all-inclusive trip through the highlights of Costa Rica. Olman was assigned as our travel advisor and, in short, he did a bang-up job arranging our trip and getting everyone gathered into one spot smoothly. We gave KimKim a budget, a wishlist of activities, quality of hotels and asked for private transfers between places as it was the rainy season and the driving sounded iffy. Olman listened carefully and was very patient in revising our itinerary many times before it was set. It became increasingly apparent that who you know is important. Olman connected us with local services, guides, tours, restaurants and hotels that enabled us to not worry about the details and just enjoy ourselves. Any issues we did have, Olman and his team were fairly responsive and got back to us within hours, if not sooner. We never tried the emergency number, so have no info on that service.
Itinerary (8 days): San Jose - La Fortuna and the Arenal volcano. - Monteverde (cloud forest) - Manuel Antonio (beach)
Travel: Private driver (Leo). Olman arranged transport from the San Jose airport to each of our hotels and back again. It went perfectly. I want to put in a kind word for our driver Leo, who stayed with us almost the whole trip and was fantastic. He was unerringly on time, careful, thoughtful, courteous and friendly. He would stop when he saw wildlife he thought we'd like to see, he planned stops and suggested restaurants and was generally flexible and helpful for the whole trip. Leo made going from place to place seamless and stress free (and there is a lot of driving). If you do use a private transport, be prepared to tip your driver $10 - $20 per person, per day depending on your experience.
Hotels & Places:
> La Fortuna and Arenal volcano. We stayed at the Arenal Montechiari hotel, which had bungalows which blended with the landscape and had a terrific view of the Arenal volcano. We took a tour of the volcano area and local waterfall led by the local tour guide Franklin (as recommended by KimKim). Franklin was a character - full of knowledge and stories. We highly recommend him, especially for those who want to know about the local plants and wildlife. This was one of the highlights of our trip.
> Monteverde. We stayed at the El Establo Mountain Hotel. Beautiful hotel with unbeatable views of the clouds and countryside. It has extensive wildlife paths on the property. In the area we enjoyed a tour of the local coffee, chocolate and sugar cane farm as hosted by Don Juan Monteverde - again, the local and deep knowledge of the process was really interesting. We also went to the zip line adventure park including cloud forest canopy bridges and gondola ride. This was another fantastic day. You really get a sense of how naturally diverse the area is. Finally, we also did an amazing night hike at the Monteverde Wildlife Refuge which you MUST have a guide for. Our guide, Mario, did an incredible job spotting snakes, spiders, birds, owls and bats. This was a longer hike with lots of ups and downs - a poncho, flashlight and binoculars come in handy.
> Manuel Antonio. Our last location was at the Kahari Beach Hotel. The hotel is a beach hotel and was a little plainer in it's amenities than our other hotels, however Olman told us to give it a chance and he was right. The staff, food, access to the beach and views were terrific and we would come back again. Beach is a wide swath of volcanic sand n which you can walk into the waves a good distance. They also had beach life guards which we were glad of. Hotel is surrounded by wildlife with sloths, monkeys, iguanas and more hanging around the property. Drinks and lunch on the beach was very relaxing and staff was attentive. We also took a day hike in the nearby Manuel Antonio preserve. Olman had said we did not need a guide for this one, and again, he was right. Paths are clear, wide and well mapped. It's a circle, so you won't get lost.
We ended our trip with a ride back to San Jose and the Hampton Inn by the airport which has shuttles to the airport every 15 min or so. Good hotel, comfortable rooms and a good choice for our last night.
Bottom line was this was a memorable family trip that went amazingly smoothly given all the moving parts. Thank you, Olman and KimKim!
Hotel Reviews
Hampton by Hilton San José Airport
Alajuela
Good place to stay by the airport. Very comfortable rooms and dining was fairly good. Shuttle to airport runs 24/7 every 15 minutes. Great place to start or end a trip.
Authenticity & Character
It's a Hampton.
Location
10 minutes to airport.
Staff
Very attentive and friendly.
Karahé Beach Hotel
Manuel Antonio
Hotel is adequate, but amenities, grounds, and staff upgrade the whole experience. Higher floor rooms seem nicer than lower rooms. Rooms are basic, but clean and comfortable. Restaurant, staff and beach are terrific. Food was good, standard Costa Rica fare, drinks were good and staff went the extra mile. Direct beach access is a big bonus and the beach itself is lovely. There are life guards, which we liked, and you can go out a long way because it is shallow. Playing in the waves was terrific and you can rent surf boards and boogie boards right there. There are roaming beach vendors, but they were always nice and backed off immediately if you said no. There is lots of wildlife right on the grounds with sloths, monkeys and birds. Would definitely stay again.
Location
Direct beach access and only 1.5 miles from entrance to Manuel Antonio Park entrance.
Staff
They did a great job taking care of us.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Rooms are very clean. Beds are comfortable. Furniture is basic. Remember that it is a beach hotel and salt eats everything.
El Establo Mountain Hotel
Monteverde
We loved our stay here. While very spread out, the views were wonderful. There are walking paths on the grounds, a nice pool with a bar and a decent restaurant.
Authenticity & Character
Loved the stone facade and integrated nature.
Location
Up on the hill side, views were beautiful and often dramatic.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Very nicely appointed rooms. Could use screens on windows to enjoy the views but keep insects out.
Hotel Arenal Montechiari
La Fortuna
Authenticity & Character
Bungalow style was fun an made you feel integrated into the surrounding nature.
Location
Within walking distance of La Fortuna with a good view of Arenal volcano.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Rooms are bungalow style. AC is each, which was nice. Bathrooms are open air vented. Room was clean and comfortable.
Activity Reviews
Damas Island Boat Tour
Costa Rica
This was at the tail end of our vacation and we’d already taken several nature walks, so we were looking for a different experience. Going through the mangroves by boat gave us an entirely different cut at Costa Rica’s nature. The guides were very knowledgeable and went out of their way to make sure that we saw plenty of birds, iguanas, and snakes, as well as gave us detailed information about the ecosystem. The boat ride was very pleasurable and a great way to take in the nature around at a slower pace. Be sure to bring binoculars for the best experience.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
TreeTram, Self Hanging Bridges & Zipline Adventure
Monteverde
We almost skipped this but turned out to be one of the favorite things we did as a family while in Costa Rica. Wonderful guides, terrific views, and it really gave us a chance to feel part of nature. Zip lines were high above the forest, were fast and a long distance so you had time to look around as you went. Suspension bridges were right at tree top level and we spent time with butterflies, monkeys and birds. Walking paths were great to meander along and take time to look around. There is a cafe at the end for a quick lunch, if interested.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Night Excursion at the Wildlife Refuge in Monteverde
Monteverde
One of the best excursions we had. You really feel a part of the nature and night time is when you can see the animal and insect world in full swing. The walk is about 2 hours and is up and down, so be ready for a good walk. Our guide, Mario, was excellent and we saw far more than I expected.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Coffee, Chocolate & Sugar Cane Experience
Monteverde
We didn't know what to expect at Don Juans, but turned out great. Our guide was entertaining and was very knowledgeable about the process, uses and market of the chocolate, coffee and sugar cane farms. Lots of opportunity to smell, touch and taste.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Arenal 1968 Hike & Visit to La Fortuna Waterfall
Arenal/La Fortuna
Rustic and outdoorsy. Our guide, Franklin, really made the difference as he knew an amazing amount of info about the volcano, plants, insects and animals. Amazing views and well worth it.
Food
A very nice coffee shop by the entrance. Wonderful views from the roof terrace.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Our guide, Franklin, was excellent. Took his job very seriously and had a great amount of knowledge of the area and the natural surroundings.
