What an amazing trip!

Costa Rica | Dec 19 - Dec 28, 2021

We had a wonderful trip to Costa Rica planned by Olman (through KimKim). From start to finish the whole experience was easy and seamless. Olman was extremely responsive to our requests during our planning and made every modification that we requested. When we were on our trip, every reservation was waiting for us without any issues. KimKim and Olman made this trip absolutely stress-free for us.

First, our driver Roy. We decided to use a driver for our trip so that we didn't have to deal with renting a car and navigating from city to city (3, 4, 5 hour drives), so we hired Roy as our driver and that was a GREAT decision. Roy was professional, easy-going, and SO FUN. He has a great personality and just made our trip so fun and effortless. Roy drove us everywhere and accompanied us on many of our day trips. He was part of our family for 10 days and we truly loved having him. He definitely gave us space to do our own thing, so even though he was with us a lot it was a good balance. I cannot recommend Roy highly enough - such a gem.

Stop 1: Manuel Antonio. The Parador Resort/Hotel was wonderful. It was a luxurious resort - great food, lovely staff, beautiful property and great rooms. It was a sure treat. Manuel Antonio itself was just okay in my opinion. We went on a sunset catamaran cruise and it was also only ok. It was very crowded, very loud and very party-like (not what we wanted). Overall, we felt that Manual Antonio was very touristy and busy, and after going to Arenal and Monteverde I'd put it last on my list of favorites. Glad we went there first...

We then drove from Manuel Antonio to Arenal (5 hour drive - while long, it's a lovely drive)

Arenal: We stayed at Las Lomas de Volcan Hotel for 4 nights. This is also a lovely property. Our family had our own cabana/room and it was very nice. The property itself was lovely and the hotel restaurant was delicious. The cabanas themselves are comfortable. While in Arenal we did horseback riding to the waterfall and white water rafting - both were very fun. We also spent a day volunteering at Proyecto Asis. My family loves animals so this was really fun for us. We also took a cooking class one evening and that was really fun. We made tortillas and ceviche (and they'd already cooked the rest of the food) but it was a great experience. We really enjoyed Arenal overall. There's a lot to do and it was all really enjoyable.

Monteverde: We stayed at Koora Hotel, which was hands down the most wonderful hotel I've ever stayed at. It is a boutique hotel with only 14 rooms and it was AMAZING. The service, the accommodations, the food, the view... everything was absolutely top-notch. This is not a resort so there's not a pool or other amenities so I wouldn't necessarily recommend this for families with young children. My kids are 12 and 15 and they loved it. We had a two-level family unit so it was extremely spacious and comfortable. It was a splurge for sure, but it was worth it. This hotel was a total highlight for us.

Monteverde was top of our list overall. The surroundings are beautiful and we just really enjoyed being there. We did ziplining and went to a sloth sanctuary - both were family favorites for us.

Overall, it was an absolutely amazing trip. My blood pressure stayed at a constant low level for 10 days so there you have it :)

Hotel Review

Koora Hotel at Monteverde

Monteverde

This hotel was hands down the nicest hotel I have ever stayed at. This is not a resort (no pool, spa or other similar amenities). It's a boutique property with just 14 rooms and it is absolute paradise. From the second we walked in the door the staff was nothing short of amazing. They exude warmth and professionalism. The family unit we stayed in was so lovely. It had two levels (it's like a mini apartment) and it was just so comfortable, light-filled, and spacious. The food at the hotel was wonderful. The view was breathtaking. The service was impeccable. I cannot recommend this hotel enough.

Tips for future travelers

Do it! It's worth the extra money to stay here. It's a total treat.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Horseback Riding to the La Fortuna Waterfall

Arenal/La Fortuna

This was a really fun experience. The guides were excellent and really helped us out.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff