Wonderful 6 day vacation in Costa Rica.
Costa Rica | Aug 25 - Aug 31, 2024

Brittany
Brittany L.
Denver, CO | Reviewed on Sep 02, 2024

This was our first time in Costa Rica, and the entire experience was wonderful!

We’re grateful to have worked with kimkim, especially Olman, who made planning so much easier. From the start, Olman was responsive and attentive to our travel requests, and his insights were invaluable when planning our activities. Everything during our vacation went smoothly—our transportation was always on time, our accommodations had amazing rooms with stunning views, and our prepaid excursions made check-in easy. We appreciated Olman’s thoughtful itinerary, which included time to rest after travel and between activities. His planning helped us avoid fatigue and fully enjoy our trip. Graciela also reached out as a point of contact during our stay in Costa Rica, which provided a sense of reassurance even though we didn’t need any assistance.

Here are some specific highlights:

La Fortuna: It took about 2.5 hours to reach La Fortuna from San Jose airport. Our driver, Leo, was incredibly kind, pointing out sights and offering to stop along the way. We loved staying at Los Lagos. Our room was within walking distance of the hot springs with a view of Arenal Volcano. Our tour with North Adventures, led by Monica and Caylor, was exceptional. They even spotted a three-toed sloth on the way to an activity and stopped for photos. Monica seamlessly switched between Spanish and English for our small group and offered great food recommendations in La Fortuna. The included lunch at Restaurante Las Tablas provided incredible casado with fish and chilera.

Monteverde: The lake crossing from La Fortuna to Monteverde was stunning. We stayed at Hotel Ficus, and it was our favorite place during the vacation. The reception staff—Dylan, Aylin, and Anna—were extremely kind and helpful. The town was close enough to walk to and far enough to avoid traffic noise. We were also lucky with our tour guides at Don Juan, Treetopia (Jason, Sebastian, Greivin, Daniel), and the night tour with Cristian.

Gulf of Papagayo: Our hotel, Bosque Del Mar, had beautiful rooms and was just a short walk from the beach, which felt almost private due to the lack of crowds. It was farther away from stores so we needed to take a taxi but it wasn’t an issue. The reception staff was very helpful and assisted us in booking a last-minute catamaran excursion (Marlin Del Rey) on our final day. We saw whales and snorkeled, and it was the perfect way end to our vacation in Costa Rica.

Thank you to everyone who made this trip unforgettable. We look forward to visiting again!

Hotel Reviews
Hotel Los Lagos Spa & Resort
Fortuna

We loved staying at Los Lagos. Our room was within walking distance of the hot springs with a view of Arenal Volcano. The hotel restaurant had delicious food.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Access to hot springs, short driving distance to the town
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Ficus
Monteverde Costa Rica

Hotel Ficus was our favorite place during our vacation. The reception staff—Dylan, Aylin, and Anna—were extremely kind and helpful. The town was close enough to walk to, yet far enough to avoid traffic noise. It had incredible views of the clouds and was close to amazing restaurants and a delicious panadería.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Dylan, Aylin, and Anna went out of their way to provide us recommendations and to help us with activities.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Bosque del Mar
Playa Hermosa

The hotel had beautiful rooms and was just a short walk from the beach, which felt almost private due to the lack of crowds. The reception staff was very helpful, assisting us in booking a last-minute catamaran excursion (Marlin Del Rey).

Authenticity & Character
Location
We enjoyed how close it was to the beach but wished it had easier access to more restaurants, grocery store.
Staff
In addition to the reception staff, the restaurant staff were extremely kind.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
El Silencio Volcano Hike & Visit to La Fortuna Waterfall
El Silencio Volcano Hike & Visit to La Fortuna Waterfall
Arenal/La Fortuna
Quality of Experience
Food
The included lunch at Restaurante Las Tablas featured an incredible casado with fish and chilera.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Our tour with North Adventures, led by Monica and Caylor, was exceptional. They even spotted a three-toed sloth on the way to an activity and stopped for photos. Monica seamlessly switched between Spanish and English for our small group and offered great food recommendations in La Fortuna.
Transport
Coffee, Chocolate and Sugar Cane Experience
Coffee, Chocolate and Sugar Cane Experience
Monteverde
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Treetopia: Tram,  Zip Lines & Hanging Bridges
Treetopia: Tram, Zip Lines & Hanging Bridges
Monteverde
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
For the hanging bridge guided walk, Jason was very knowledgeable and pointed out birds we would have likely missed. We greatly enjoyed our time with Sebastian, Greivin, Daniel while ziplining.
Transport
Night Excursion at the Wildlife Refuge in Monteverde
Night Excursion at the Wildlife Refuge in Monteverde
Monteverde
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Cristian was very personable and knowledgeable. It was incredible how he could find insects, snakes, birds in the dark! He was very nice in helping all of us take pictures.
Transport
Local specialist: Olman Romero
Olman
Olman Romero
Local specialist in San Jose, Costa Rica | Replied on Sep 02, 2024

Hello Britanny,

Thanks for your detailed review!
My team is so happy to know you had a wonderful time in Costa Rica exploring some of the most incredible destinations and enjoying unique experiences!

I am glad to know the vacation went smoothly and I hope you can visit us once again to continue exploring new adventures!

Thanks for trusting in us!

Pura Vida,
Olman