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active 7 hours ago

Randall Jiménez

Phrases like “The trip was wonderful beyond my dreams”, “I came back home being a different person…I have grown physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually”, “A job well done my friend”, “Best time of my life” just reaffirm why I feel so passionate about my job.

Working in Tourism for more than 25 years has provided me an extensive knowledge of the country allowing me to assist many clients during all these years and to have quite a following of clients who return again and again as well as many who refer their friends and family.

What places and activities do you specialize in?

"Rainforest, cloud forest, volcanoes, rivers, small villages, all Costa Rican National Parks and its surroundings. As far as activities, we specialize in mountain biking trips, hikes, rafting but we do also arrange all the amazing activities our country offers, included: safari float, zip lining, waterfall rapelling, caving, surfing, kayaking, snorkeling, etc."

How did you get involved in travel?

"I have recognized after the years how more and more people opt for active and physical lifestyles, the attitudes towards vacations have changed. On the itineraries that I design, I concentrate on providing a variety of activities designed to introduce our guests to Costa Rica in the most interesting and unusual ways.

Attention to detail and commitment to quality is key and guarantee that your vacation will exactly meets your expectations. If you are considering to travel to Costa Rica, just let me know what you are looking for and I will make sure to design an itinerary and make your desires a reality. "

Please share a unique travel experience you will never forget.

"The overnight at El Nido del Tigre or The Tiger's Nest, which is the campsite that we have in the middle of the jungle, on the banks of the Pacuare River. This is quite a unique experience and one that nobody regrets, just to spend the night surrounded by the sounds of the rain forest and the river, it is an amazing experience."

Randall is part of the following groups: Costa Rica Travel Agents
Discover the lush rainforests and diverse wildlife of Arenal
Costa Rica Family Adventure: San José, Arenal & Manuel Antonio - 8 Days

Add a little adrenaline to your family vacation with this 8-day Costa Rica adventure. Starting in San José, you'll set out to experience the rainforest and its hidden treasures first-hand in Arenal Volcano National Park. Raft the rapids of the Sarapiquí River, zipline through the jungle canopy, and visit with monkeys and parrots at a local wildlife center. End your trip where the rainforest meets the ocean at Manuel Antonio National Park, where kids can swim and snorkel, relax on pristine white sand beaches, and go dolphin-spotting on a catamaran cruise.

Arenal
Discover Costa Rica: Arenal & Monteverde - 7 Days

Tour two of Costa Rica’s prized gems on this weeklong adventure. Begin in La Fortuna and embark on a floating safari, followed by a cultural experience day covering food, the arts, and education. Next, enjoy the rush of the hanging bridges and hike around Arenal Volcano, visit La Fortuna Waterfall and soak in the local hot springs. Then take a boat over to Monteverde to visit the Cloud Forest Reserve and join a local coffee tour to learn all about the crucial crop. The trip winds down back in San José to enjoy the sights of the capital city.

Volcan Arenal
Monteverde & Samara - 5 Days

This fun, five-day Costa Rica itinerary takes in many of the country's natural highlights, from wildlife reserves to beautiful beaches. Enjoy a combination of outdoor activity and relaxation, structured and free time, to ensure your quick trip to Monteverde and Samara is just what you want it to be. As this is a self-driving tour you can go at your own pace.

Arenal Volcano, an active stratovolcano in northwestern Costa Rica
Arenal Volcano & Playa Sámara Excursion - 5 Days

Embark on this five-day adventure that introduces you to the natural beauty of northwestern Costa Rica. You'll get to witness native animals during rainforest and sea tours, hike through Arenal Volcano National Park and stand on the active side of the volcano, and take up various activities at Sámara Beach, from snorkeling to horseback riding and laying on the golden sand.

costa rica
Costa Rica Mountain Biking & Rafting the Pacuare - 8 Days

Why go to the gym when you can exercise in paradise? This eight-day itinerary begins on Costa Rica's Pacific coast with a cycling journey over the Continental Divide then continues on a river raft to the Caribbean coast. Along the way, you'll pass through the most spectacular scenery in the country and make memories to last a lifetime.

costa rica
Costa Rica Mountain Biking & Pacuare River Trip - 8 Days

On this brisk eight-day jaunt, you'll visit one of the most beautiful areas of Costa Rica: the Arenal Volcano region. Here you'll explore rainforests on suspension bridges and soak in natural hot springs. Then it's time for more adventure as you brave the rapids of the wild Pacuare River on an unforgettable rafting trip.

Recent trip reviews for Randall

Overall not as good as expected
Costa Rica | Feb 4 - Feb 11, 2023

Leonid
Leonid N.
Lynn, MA | Reviewed on Feb 18, 2023

The great: rafting trip
The good: Hotel in San Jose; The pick -up
The marginal: everything else

Especially frustrating was that nobody talked with us the history, culture and traditions of Costa Rica. So we spend a week and learned nothing except for reading in Wikipedia read more

The great: rafting trip
The good: Hotel in San Jose; The pick -up
The marginal: everything else

Especially frustrating was that nobody talked with us the history, culture and traditions of Costa Rica. So we spend a week and learned nothing except for reading in Wikipedia

Hotel Reviews
Hotel Wagelia Turrialba
Turrialba
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
El Nido del Tigre Set-Campsite
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Terrazas del Caribe
Puerto Viejo
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Everything
Cleanliness & Comfort
Crowne Plaza Corobici
San José
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Irazu Volcano Tour
San José
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
There was no guide just driver
Transport
Overnight White-water Rafting into the campsite, meals included,
Río Pacuare
Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Overnight White-water Rafting Out of the Campsite
Río Pacuare
Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Randall Jiménez
Randall
Randall Jiménez
Local specialist in San José, Costa Rica | Reviewed on Mar 02, 2023

Hi Leonid,

Thank you for the information shared with us about your trip.

I am sorry to hear that you didn't receive as much information as you might be expected from some of the guides about the local history, culture and traditions, if we have known in advance that you were really interested in this, we would recommend different activities in some areas so you could know a little bit more about our traditions.

Fortunately, it looks like despite this, you enjoyed the trip that we organized for you and your friends.

Best regards,
Randall

Costa Rica made easy
Costa Rica | Jan 27 - Feb 3, 2023

Chandra
Chandra M.
Wilkinsburg, PA | Reviewed on Feb 05, 2023

We had a great trip to Costa Rica! kimkim set us up with hotels, guided activities, and transportation. Everything went very smoothly. All of the people we interacted with in Costa Rica (hotel and restaurant staff, guides, drivers, etc.) were very kind and welcoming. All of the guides were extremely knowledgeable and we learned so much more than we ever could have on our own. kimkim made trip planning easy and I wouldn't hesitate to use them for a future trip.

Local specialist: Randall Jiménez
Randall
Randall Jiménez
Local specialist in San José, Costa Rica | Reviewed on Feb 06, 2023

Hi Chandra,

Thank you for your review. The whole team at kimkim and the operations part in Costa Rica are thrilled you’re happy with your recent visit, we hope this is the first of many other times that we had the chance to welcome you to our country.

All the best and Pura Vida!

Randall

Amazing 17 Trip of Costa Rica
Costa Rica | Jan 18 - Feb 3, 2023

Lindsay
Lindsay H.
Canada | Reviewed on Feb 04, 2023

This trip was 3 years in the making as Covid restrictions delayed our plans. Working with Randall was a god send! I have never felt more comfortable with someone that I haven’t met personally and only conversed with through emails and texting. Randall took our requirements and put together a 17 day trip that we will remember forever. The details of the itinerary were extremely helpful particularly when going on the different tours which included equipment & clothing requirements, pick up... read more

This trip was 3 years in the making as Covid restrictions delayed our plans. Working with Randall was a god send! I have never felt more comfortable with someone that I haven’t met personally and only conversed with through emails and texting. Randall took our requirements and put together a 17 day trip that we will remember forever. The details of the itinerary were extremely helpful particularly when going on the different tours which included equipment & clothing requirements, pick up times, tour operators, and travel durations etc. We visited several national parks through guided tours and learned about the fauna and flora on both the Pacific, Caribbean and the inland mountains. Highly recommend going on guided hikes/walks and all the guides were amazing at spotting and learning about flora and fauna you wouldn’t pick up on your own. The trip was well balanced with excursions and down days were you could chill and relax when you wanted to. Also Randall and the Kim Kim were there if you needed them at all during the trip. Thanks so much Randall. Pura Vida!

Local specialist: Randall Jiménez
Randall
Randall Jiménez
Local specialist in San José, Costa Rica | Reviewed on Feb 06, 2023

Wow Lindsay, you really moved me and made my day with your comments. It is so important to me that my travelers have a great experience during their stay in Costa Rica and it is very comforting that you have enjoyed every single day of your trip, especially and as you said, after the last three difficult years that we have had.

Any other time in the future that you decide to come back to my country, just let me know, I will be happy to welcome you again.

Have a Pura Vida day!
Randall

Costa Rica is a beautiful country. Loved obse...
Costa Rica | Jan 14 - Jan 23, 2023

Dawn
Dawn V.
Westmont, IL | Reviewed on Jan 28, 2023

Costa Rica is a beautiful country. Loved observing the wildlife, the ocean and rainforest. Randall did an excellent job at arranging the trip to my liking. He even arranged some last minute requests for us in a timely fashion. Thank you for your prompt and professional service Randall! read more

Costa Rica is a beautiful country. Loved observing the wildlife, the ocean and rainforest. Randall did an excellent job at arranging the trip to my liking. He even arranged some last minute requests for us in a timely fashion. Thank you for your prompt and professional service Randall!

Hotel Reviews
Hotel Presidente San Jose City Center
San José

The staff is wonderful and the rooftop restaurant is fantastic!

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Montaña de Fuego Resort & Spa
La Fortuna

The room was roomy and clean and the staff very friendly.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Near a busy street. But nice grounds
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Si Como No Resort & Wildlife Refuge
Manuel Antonio

Loved this place the rooms have great views of the ocean. The room is a good size and very clean. The staff is very accommodating.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Coffee & Chocolate Experience
Arenal/La Fortuna

A great tour with and informative guide

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Nature Hike
Manuel Antonio

An easy hike, beautiful park and great guide. I would recommend a guide because they have the expertise to point out things you might never find on your own.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Randall Jiménez
Randall
Randall Jiménez
Local specialist in San José, Costa Rica | Reviewed on Feb 03, 2023

Thank you very much Dawn for your review, I really appreciate it and it makes me happy to confirm that you had a good time during the vacation in my country, it took you a while to make it happen but it was worth it.

We hope to see you again in the future on a new adventure!

Best,
Randall

Excellent Way to Customize Just For Us - Trip of a Lifetime
Costa Rica | Sep 9 - Sep 19, 2022

Brian
Brian S.
Horizon City, TX | Reviewed on Jan 07, 2023

We told Randall some vague ideas of what we had in mind and then he did an excellent job of suggesting an itinerary. He then was kind enough to customize and revise it several times for us as we played with the cost and travel schedule until it was just right.

The trip ended up being a perfect progression of seeing different types of wildlife for the first time and/or seeing wildlife more up close and personal. We also enjoyed the right amount of first time and beach time. read more

We told Randall some vague ideas of what we had in mind and then he did an excellent job of suggesting an itinerary. He then was kind enough to customize and revise it several times for us as we played with the cost and travel schedule until it was just right.

The trip ended up being a perfect progression of seeing different types of wildlife for the first time and/or seeing wildlife more up close and personal. We also enjoyed the right amount of first time and beach time.

Hotel Reviews
Sleep Inn Hotel Paseo Las Damas
San José

Not our favorite hotel of the trip, but it was ok for the budget we had. Not quite as spacious and nice as others we visited.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
San Bosco Inn
Fortuna

Great location and ambience. Rooms were pretty small and they aren't like your typical luxury hotel but that was part of the ambience and probably along the lines we asked for in our in our desired experience and budget. Great view of Arenal Volcano. Interacted with geckos and frogs while there. Quick walk to city center and restaurants.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Bambutel

Rooms were pretty small and they aren't like your typical luxury hotel, more hut-like, but that was part of the ambience and probably along the lines we asked for in our in our desired experience and budget. Kind of a long walk to anything but it's tucked away, so it'd be good if you're looking for that. Could hear howler monkeys often, but didn't see any. Staff sometimes hard to find but they were helpful when you could find them.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Make it easier to find staff for help
Crowne Plaza Corobici
San José

This was towards the end of our trip and we were basically headed home. Wasn't the same ambience and experience as some of our other hotels during our trip but definitely nicer and more luxurious.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Laguna Lodge
Tortuguero

Great location and ambience. Rooms were pretty small and they aren't like your typical luxury hotel but that was part of the ambience and probably along the lines we asked for in our in our desired experience and budget. Loved the wildlife we were able to see here including a baby turtle emerging from its nest and scrambling to the ocean. Also saw a couple mother turtles laying her eggs up close. Saw frogs, howler monkeys, white faced or capuchin monkeys, iguana, Jesus Christ lizards, alligators, sloth, golden orb spiders, turtles, king fishers, herons, macaws, other rare birds

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Transfer Hotel - Chocolate Rainforest Tour - Hotel
Arenal/La Fortuna
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Chocolate Farm Visit and Workshop
Arenal/La Fortuna
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Arenal Volcano Hike & La Fortuna Waterfall
Arenal/La Fortuna

Our first tour with Canoa Aventura was to hike Arenal 1968 then to the La Fortuna Waterfall including lunch in-between. Arenal 1968 are trails at the base of Volcano Arenal. We had a great tour guide and saw a good deal of plants and wildlife. Our guide would point things out that we would have otherwise overlooked like the Mimosa Fern (youtube it - so cool). The leaf ants were all over the place and fun to watch. La Fortuna waterfall was beautiful. Hard to see in the pictures but our kids had fun interacting with the fish in the swimming area. It was a great way to start our Costa Rica vacation.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Arenal Volcano - safari float on the Peñas Blancas River
Arenal/La Fortuna

This was our second tour with Canoa Aventura. It was a wonderful chance to see a ton of wildlife. Our guides were very helpful in pointing out animals that we would have otherwise missed. We saw several animals for the first time in the wild during our float including howler monkeys, alligators, spectacled owl, river otter, long nosed bats, snake birds (ahingas), Jesus Christ lizards, and sloth. Also saw many iguana (just not for the first time).

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Tortuguero National Park - Boating
Tortuguero

We headed out early in the morning and it was so peaceful being out in nature and on the water. We got great views of sloth, saw one of the few macaw couples and other rare birds, Jesus Christ lizards, , howler monkeys, and white-faced or capuchin monkeys. At one point our guide took us to a place where a capuchin troop was climbing and playing all around us and very near us.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Snorkeling & Hiking in Cahuita National Park
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

Saw some amazing animals and fish including puffer fish, stingrays, very colorful fish, very large schools of fish, coral, white-face or capuchin monkeys (actually touched one), howler monkeys, sloth, yellow viper, golden orb spiders

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Jaguar Rescue Center
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

Not quire as amazing as seeing animals in the wild but at the same time we got to see some animals much closer than ever before and a few we had yet to see. Great guide and overall wonderful experience.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Puerto Viejo - Zip lining
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

At first nerve racking and then exhilarating.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Tortuguero Village Guided Visit
Tortuguero

We enjoyed our time at the village. Saw several cool frogs during a nocturnal walk. Were able to see a turtle emerging from its nest and scramble to the sea.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Randall Jiménez
Randall
Randall Jiménez
Local specialist in San José, Costa Rica | Reviewed on Jan 13, 2023

Hi Brian,

It is so nice to hear from you after your trip to my country last September.

I appreciate the review of your experience with us and it makes me happy that you have felt comfortable along the whole process pre/during the trip and the most important thing, that you have enjoyed your vacation here, we hope the chance to welcome you again in the future.

All the best,
Randall

Excellent experience working with Randall and KimKim ! A wonderful family trip in Dec 2022.
Costa Rica | Dec 10 - Dec 20, 2022

R
Roveen B.
Berkeley, CA | Reviewed on Jan 04, 2023

I worked with Randall to organize this trip and give him an A+ for his work! I would highly recommend him to anyone planning a trip to Costa Rica.

There were many moving parts in the planning process, starting from our original plan to do this trip in the summer to ultimately doing this in the winter. Also, we went from a smaller 4 person group to start with to a larger multi-generational 8-person family trip. Randall was extremely responsive, patient and very helpful with all the changes... read more

I worked with Randall to organize this trip and give him an A+ for his work! I would highly recommend him to anyone planning a trip to Costa Rica.

There were many moving parts in the planning process, starting from our original plan to do this trip in the summer to ultimately doing this in the winter. Also, we went from a smaller 4 person group to start with to a larger multi-generational 8-person family trip. Randall was extremely responsive, patient and very helpful with all the changes that we had to iterate on. Also, kudos to Chris, the emergency contact assigned to us for support while we were on the trip itself - turns out that due to flight delays, we missed a flight connection, and had to enlist him to make some last minute modifications to our plans. Very handy to have this support.

Now on to the trip itself -
It was 10 day trip with bookends in San Jose. It was a fabulous trip enjoyed immensely by everyone in our party. Costa Rica is a fantastic combination of nature, wildlife, activities, and some interesting cultural experiences - something for everyone in our party. We ended up splitting our time between the Arenal volcano area and the Caribbean Coast. We had originally planned to go to the Pacific Coast (and Manuel Antonio Park) which is more on the beaten path but ended up switching the plans to go to the more chill Caribbean Coast. And glad we did, as it fit our travel interest and style really well, and its Afro-Carib vibe is certainly different from the rest of Costa Rica. Thanks to Randall to enable this switch to happen during the planning process and for his recommendation on the activities in the area.

Some details:

Accommodations:
Arenal Manoa and Hot Springs Resort in La Fortuna - Absolutely fantastic place to stay with beautiful grounds, multiple pools (including a hot springs), amazing breakfast buffet, and plenty of drinking/dining options on site, including a sushi place, a pizza place, and a main dining room with gorgeous views. The service was awesome, and each of our rooms had fantastic views of the Arenal volcano to wake up to! We also got super lucky as we had clear views every day during our stay (which I am told was a bit unusual).

Cariblue Beach and Jungle Resort in Puerto Viejo - Nice, rustic set-up, right across from a beach with nice grounds. A good dining room with a varied menu, and a pleasant lounge area. We ended up enjoying the nail-biting World Cup Finals while there! The breakfast buffet was unexciting. There is a pool with a swim-up bar, which we ended up not using due to the proximity to the beach itself. The service at the resort was a bit uneven, e.g., they only give you one key per room (regardless of number of guests in the room), and they didn't seem to have the front desk manned after hours in case of any issues like getting locked out. One of the people at the front-desk (Alberto) was downright rude. Also, one of our rooms had a leaking AC unit, and the staff did not (or were not able to) fix it and we ended up not using it. The location of the resort is great though with easy access to Puerto Viejo dining and night life.

Transportation - Excellent set-up for our point-to-point movement. Nice, comfortable vans, with good air-conditioning to make some of the 4-5 hour drives very pleasant.

Activities:
The highlights of our trip to the Arenal Volcano area were:
- The Penas Blanco safari float excursion was a very enjoyable experience for the older folks in our group (who wanted to skip the mountain biking some of the others did). It was a short drive from our hotel, so it gave us plenty of time on the water and sighting of some good wildlife.
- The Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge tour was fun, gave us a glimpse of the countryside heading up north to the park near the Nigaragucan border. We were lucky enough to see plenty of wildlife (caiman, monkeys, sloths, toucans, etc.) both on the boat and when we got off the boat when our guide sighted something. The chocolate tour at Don Domingo's farm nearby at the end was a nice touch.
- The white water rafting class II/III excursion on the Blasa river that the younger folks in our group did with Wave Expedition was exciting, perhaps a bit too exciting. Two of them were thrown off the raft very early on in the ride, and were not fully ready/prepared for it - the class category are definitely to be taken seriously!
- Mistico Hanging Bridges & La Fortuna Waterfall - really nice for the entire group. Great perspective crossing the bridges over the forest canopy and biodiversity and wildlife sighting along the walk. The La Fortuna Waterfall is a definite must do for those that can brave the multiple steps down - the swimming in the watering hole below was a highlight.
- The mountain biking tour was nothing too exciting. It's pleasant enough, but most of it was along a paved road - we were expecting it be more on dirt roads or trail riding. It did allow for us to stretch our legs during the trip. The highlight was a coati along the roadside and the views at the end of the ride overlooking Lake Arenal and the volcano in the background.
- Enjoyed the downtime in the town of La Fortuna more than we had anticipated. Some good local dining options - our find was Choza del Laurel - authentic, traditional plates and amazing freshly ground and brewed coffee at the end!

The Maleku Tribal Village visit was very disappointing. It didn't seem to match the description for it at all: We didn't see any village on the tour, neither did we get served a traditional lunch, nor observe any of the sights mentioned in the write-up. If seemed that those of us who did the zip-lining tour got to do the same experience as well, so not sure what one got for doing the Maleku tour. I would suggest that KimKim review this offering.

The highlights of our trip on the Caribbean Coast were:
- Bribri Tribal and Waterfall visit on the Caribbean Coast along with the chocolate making part. A must-do! Our guide Gloria was awesome
- Jaguar Rescue Center tour - despite the fact that there are no jaguars there - the work they are putting into rescuing and rehabbing the various animals is impressive and worth supporting
- Enjoying the night life and dining in the town of Puerto Viejo including an impromptu music festival one of the nights we were there!
- Beach time at the various beaches in the area, including the one across the street from our hotel
- Some dining finds were Chile Rojo and Lidia's Place in PV and El Refugio in a garden setting down the road near Playa Punta Uva.

The not so good experience was the Cahuita Park Hike & Snorkel tour - mostly because the weather resulted in the snorkeling part being cancelled. We learnt that this is not uncommon for this time of the year - so obviously this is hard to control for and part of nature being in the tropical part of the country - but the guests need to be told about it more explicitly, and if the snorkeling part is being cancelled, they should give the guests the option to opt out of the tour altogether as snorkeling is a big part of the reason we had signed up for it. The Cahuita Park hike is something that one can easily do on your own.

Overall, a great trip. Thanks to Randall and team for their outstanding work in getting everything organized for us!

Hotel Reviews
Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs
Fortuna

Arenal Manoa and Hot Springs Resort in La Fortuna - Absolutely fantastic place to stay with beautiful grounds, multiple pools (including a hot springs), amazing breakfast buffet, and plenty of drinking/dining options on site, including a sushi place, a pizza place, and a main dining room with gorgeous views. The service was awesome, and each of our rooms had fantastic views of the Arenal volcano to wake up to! We also got super lucky as we had clear views every day during our stay (which I am told was a bit unusual).

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Attentive and service oriented. They even flagged us down as we were departing as some of us had left stuff like charging cords behind in our rooms!
Cariblue Beach and Jungle Resort
South Puerto Viejo

Nice, rustic set-up, right across from a beach with nice grounds. A good dining room with a varied menu, and a pleasant lounge area. We ended up enjoying the nail-biting World Cup Finals while there! The breakfast buffet was unexciting. There is a pool with a swim-up bar, which we ended up not using due to the proximity to the beach itself. The service at the resort was a bit uneven, e.g., they only give you one key per room (regardless of number of guests in the room), and they didn't seem to have the front desk manned after hours in case of any issues like getting locked out. Also, one of our rooms had a leaking AC unit, and the staff did not (or were not able to) fix it and we ended up not using it. The location of the resort is great though with easy access to Puerto Viejo dining and night life.

Authenticity & Character
Good grounds, nice lounge area and bar.
Location
Access to town, access to Cocles beach
Staff
Uneven service and staff didn't seems fully trained for customer service for a place like this. Some people were friendly and nice and some not so. One of the people at the front-desk (Alberto) was downright rude and condescending including berating one of the older folks in our group for taking off her wrist tag :(
Cleanliness & Comfort
AC in one room was leaking and did not get fixed. Have multiple keys to the room if there are more than one guest.
Holiday Inn San Jose Aurola
San José

Location, location, location. Our room overlooking the park was nice and light.

Crowne Plaza Corobici
San José

Location is a bit removed from downtown, although proximity to the airport and the park next door is nice. The breakfast Buffett was good.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Arenal Volcano Hike & Baldi Hot Springs & Dinner
Arenal/La Fortuna

Arenal Volcano Hike was a really nice introduction to the area. Having just taken a long van ride from San Jose, it was nice to get out and stretch and walk with the volcano in the vicinity. Baldi - nice way to finish the evening! Worth visiting once - quite a spot with multiple pools and various areas to hang out.

Quality of Experience
Food
Pre included Baldi dinner is not too exciting but can't complain as it is pre-paid!
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Our guide Juan was exceptionally knowledgable and really passionate about what he was doing!
Transport
Arenal Volcano - Mistico Hanging Bridges and La Fortuna Waterfall
Arenal/La Fortuna
Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
They stopped along the way when they'd sight wildlife. The 2-toed sloth sighting up close was special.
Transport
Arenal Volcano - Unique Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge Boat Trip
Arenal/La Fortuna
Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Exceptional guide - she made our long drive to the activity very fun and informational with loads of information about the region, the country, and the flora/fauna. She had amazing tips for us regarding dinner spots in town.
Transport
Arenal Volcano - Mountain Biking
Arenal/La Fortuna
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Arenal Volcano - safari float on the Peñas Blancas River
Arenal/La Fortuna

This was way better than we had expected! Great experience overall, with lots of wildlife sighting and nicely paced.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Zip-Lining Tour
Arenal/La Fortuna
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Maleku Tribe Village Visit
Arenal/La Fortuna

The experience did NOT fit the description. There was no village, no feast, no sights mentioned. It seems that they just jammed something at the last minute. Maybe it wa because we picked an afternoon session as we were doing another activity in the morning??

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Sloth Sanctuary - Buttercup Tour
Costa Rica

You're supporting a good cause!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Jaguar Rescue Center
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

Awesome experience, and a really worthy cause. We had an excellent guide (a Canadian volunteering) who made everything really fun and enjoyable, in addition to being super informational.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
We used rental banana bikes from our hotel to get to the tour. It was soaking rain, but part of the experience!
Bribri Indigenous Territory, Chocolate Process and Waterfall
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

Amazing experience. One of the highlight of our trip. The chocolate making process if very organic, very insightful. The village tour is very informational and you get a good sense of the Bribri culture!

Quality of Experience
Food
Home cooked meal was delicious
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Learnt a lot from our guide Gloria
Snorkeling & Hiking in Cahuita National Park
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

The tour was first re-scheduled to another day and then the snorkeling part was cancelled due to bad weather. The Cahuita Park hike part was very nice despite the pouring down rain. We got to see the white capuchin monkey floricking up close, howler monkeys creating a racket, lots of iguanas, and also various other flora/fauna. Beautiful setting along the sea.

Quality of Experience
Check if this is good time of the year for snorkeling
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Randall Jiménez
Randall
Randall Jiménez
Local specialist in San José, Costa Rica | Reviewed on Jan 05, 2023

Dear Ro,

First of all, Happy New Year, I hope you and your family had a good time during the holidays.

We are grateful that you took the time to leave us a review. Your feedback helps us to improve service for everyone.

We will share these comments with the local tour operators and with the hotels, including the one on the coast, I apologize for any inconvenience it may cause you.

I wish you all the best in this new year and we hope to have the chance to welcome you again to our country and explore new destinations.

Pura Vida!
Randall

The overall experience of planning and bookin...
Costa Rica | Dec 29 - Jan 2, 2023

Leo
Leo Z.
Flagami, FL | Reviewed on Jan 03, 2023

The overall experience of planning and booking was really smooth and easy. Randall provided lots of options and was patient when we wanted things to change or were unsure about certain things.
All of the tours were also great. Our tour guides were all very knowledgeable in the places we were going to and were helpful to take photos and answer questions as needed. read more

The overall experience of planning and booking was really smooth and easy. Randall provided lots of options and was patient when we wanted things to change or were unsure about certain things.
All of the tours were also great. Our tour guides were all very knowledgeable in the places we were going to and were helpful to take photos and answer questions as needed.

Hotel Review
Hotel Arenal Country Inn
Fortuna

The hotel was good, the staff were all super helpful, friendly and nice and the area is conveniently located near the town center of La Fortuna with easy access to restaurants and grocery stores. Only thing would be the door is super hard to figure out especially since you can potentially be locked in the room if the key leaves the room with someone. There aren't door handles on the inside, it was a scrolling mechanism that was difficult to figure out. I think a demonstration from staff at check in could be helpful.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Zip-Lining Tour
Arenal/La Fortuna

The zip-lining tour was great. It was a lot of fun and the guides were knowledgeable, skillful and helpful. Picture service was also included at an additional fee. The only complaint would be it did feel a little too rush but was still a great time.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Rio Celeste Day Trip
Arenal/La Fortuna

Great experience overall. The hike was not strenuous. It was easy and relaxing. The walk down to the waterfall was very enjoyable. Guide was knowledgeable. Food at the restaurant however had chicken that was undercooked and still pink.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Arenal Volcano - Mistico Hanging Bridges and La Fortuna Waterfall
Arenal/La Fortuna

The experience was great overall however our guide flipped the schedule around where we did the Volcano hike early in the morning, waterfall during mid day and Mistico hanging bridges in the afternoon so we were thrown off a little bit but overall both experiences were a lot of fun. The waterfall was a great view and fun place to hang out. The hanging bridges was great too, there were not a lot of people since we went much later in the day but wildlife spotting was more difficult.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Arenal Volcano Hike & Baldi Hot Springs & Dinner
Arenal/La Fortuna

This was great and probably one of my favorite activity most of all. The Arenal Volcano Hike was not strenuous and you get to see a great view of the volcano, take pictures and walk through hardened lava. The Baldi Hot Springs was also super enjoyable and very unique. The facility was relaxing and enjoyable. Wish we could stay longer.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Arenal Volcano - kayaking or canoeing on the Peñas Blancas River
Arenal/La Fortuna

All of guides during this safari tour of the Penas Blancas River were all super helpful and experienced. It was a little difficult trying to coordinate so many people on kayaks however and can get a little stressful since some people would miss some of the wildlife we were seeing and others will others depending on who is close. Because the group was so large, whenever we stopped to look at something, it was really difficult coordinating the stops. I think having a smaller group would be much more manageable as it was very hard for our 2 guide (1 in front and back) to manage around 16 kayakers.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Randall Jiménez
Randall
Randall Jiménez
Local specialist in San José, Costa Rica | Reviewed on Jan 05, 2023

Hi Leo,

Happy New Year!

I appreciate your comments and feedback about your trip to my country last week.

We will be checking with the local tour operators about the maximum number of participants so everybody can enjoy a pleasant experience and also checking with the hotel in Arenal for a more friendly method of keys in the rooms.

I wish you and Tyler all the best!

Regards,
Randall

Everything was exceptional - guides knowledge...
Costa Rica | Dec 10 - Dec 20, 2022

Edward
Edward G.
Gloucester, MA | Reviewed on Jan 02, 2023

Everything was exceptional - guides knowledgeable and well spoken. Drivers were on time. Lodging was great. Enjoyed the Arenal area more then the Caribbean location but both were fine.

EXCEPT The trip to the Maleku

After a one-hour drive through the northern plains, you'll arrive at the Indian community Palenque Tonjibe and be warmly received by their people. Following a brief presentation, you'll begin a hike through the village where you'll see many important cultural aspects of... read more

Everything was exceptional - guides knowledgeable and well spoken. Drivers were on time. Lodging was great. Enjoyed the Arenal area more then the Caribbean location but both were fine.

EXCEPT The trip to the Maleku

After a one-hour drive through the northern plains, you'll arrive at the Indian community Palenque Tonjibe and be warmly received by their people. Following a brief presentation, you'll begin a hike through the village where you'll see many important cultural aspects of this special place. The antique home structures, and their unique artwork and craftsmanship, the use of cocoa in their farming, and the creation of their clothing. Next, you'll take a trail through the forest to learn about medicinal plants and how they're used by the tribe. Here you'll also be able to observe antique huacas or indigenous tombs. Finally, you'll pass through a Palenque where you'll be treated to a dance presentation with dialogue in the native Maleku language and customary dress, followed by a traditional meal. You'll depart around 1:00 pm back to La Fortuna, where you have the rest of the day at leisure.

Meeting time: 12:50 pm
Confirmation # AMA-2463

There was no brief presentation. There was no hike through the village in fact there looked like 3 buildings from where we stood one of which was the bathroom. No antique home structures, and their unique artwork and craftsmanship. No explanation of the use of cocoa in their farming, and the creation of their clothing. No trail trail through the forest to learn about medicinal plants and how they're used by the tribe. No observation of antique huacas or indigenous tombs.

What did happen - Entered a Palenque where we were treated to a dance presentation with dialogue in the native Maleku language and customary dress. There was some discussion about life style and maybe the use of cocoa but it was hard to follow. His English was good, his descriptions were not. We were shown a dance around the fire and then danced with the man and his wife. The only 2 Maleku on site. The room was filled with "artworks and crafts" for sale. Some stuff okay but most was of lower quality seen in other sites.

Everything else we did was so top notch that this was a real disappointment.

Ro said you seemed to be reluctant about this excursion. You were right. Big difference in the advertisement and the reality maybe since Ed and Claire were the only two visitors????

Hotel Reviews
Crowne Plaza Corobici
San José

great entry into Costa Rica

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs
Fortuna

wonderful grounds - good morning views of Arenal

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
courteous and helpful
Cleanliness & Comfort
Cariblue Beach and Jungle Resort
South Puerto Viejo

step below the Arenal Monoa - If the Arenal Manoa had not been so good .....

Authenticity & Character
Location
Close to beach -
Staff
Guy (not gentleman) at the desk bordered on being rude with my wife
Cleanliness & Comfort
Holiday Inn San Jose Aurola
San José

just what I would expect in a downtown hotel. Clean, comfortable and well located.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Maleku Tribe Village Visit
Arenal/La Fortuna

covered in opening

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Arenal Volcano Hike & Baldi Hot Springs & Dinner
Arenal/La Fortuna

hot spring were warm - needed to ask for hotter water

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Arenal Volcano - Mistico Hanging Bridges and La Fortuna Waterfall
Arenal/La Fortuna

Mistico Hanging Bridges were great. Lots of animals and birds. Guide had good eyes. Claire and I being 80 did not hike down to the waterfall.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Arenal Volcano - Unique Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge Boat Trip
Arenal/La Fortuna

nice easy trip. Saw lots of neat flora and fauna. Good guide - good boat operator. Everything moves at the right speed to see everything.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Arenal Volcano - safari float on the Peñas Blancas River
Arenal/La Fortuna

liked the raft more than the boat. river was up so no getting out and dragging the raft. Flow was such that the trip was too short. Guess we can.t have everything. GOOD GUIDE. Had good eyes.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Sloth Sanctuary - Buttercup Tour
Costa Rica

interesting. Good info on sloths

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Jaguar Rescue Center
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

Ain't no jaguars here. Rescue center for others. mainly baby sloths. CCTV would have been appreciated, Understand the need to keep them isolated. Short trip and worthwhile

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Bribri Indigenous Territory, Chocolate Process and Waterfall
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

Good intro to Bribri. Enjoyed introduction initial presentation. Nice tour of medicinal plants. Understand thee chocolate process better. Will buy some beans stateside and try it. Good video of cracking the roasted cocoa beans.

Quality of Experience
Food
likes the banana leaf bowls
Guides, Drivers and Staff
excellent guide. second time we had her
Transport
Local specialist: Randall Jiménez
Randall
Randall Jiménez
Local specialist in San José, Costa Rica | Reviewed on Jan 05, 2023

Hi Edward,

Thank you so much for this 5-star review. We really appreciate your comments and feedback about the Maleku Indigenous Tour, we will be in touch with the local tour operator and make the adjustments necessary to guarantee a pleasant experience for future travelers.

Regards,
Randall

Such a great mix of relaxing & learning.
Costa Rica | Oct 1 - Oct 7, 2022

Katie
Katie H.
Nashville, TN | Reviewed on Oct 12, 2022

This trip was absolutely fantastic. Randall did such an amazing job planning it for us. We took our family of ten and did many touristy things, such as a catamaran tour with snorkeling and soaking at Baldi Hot Springs, but we also wanted to get immersed in the culture. We had the opportunity to hike through the rainforest and learn about volcanos, tour a farm and learn how to cook traditional Costa Rican food, volunteer at an animal rescue facility, and get up close and personal with... read more

This trip was absolutely fantastic. Randall did such an amazing job planning it for us. We took our family of ten and did many touristy things, such as a catamaran tour with snorkeling and soaking at Baldi Hot Springs, but we also wanted to get immersed in the culture. We had the opportunity to hike through the rainforest and learn about volcanos, tour a farm and learn how to cook traditional Costa Rican food, volunteer at an animal rescue facility, and get up close and personal with crocodiles and monkeys. It couldn't have been a better trip (unless we'd seen some sloths, but unfortunately they were shy on our hikes). The hotels were perfect, the people were kind, and the tour guides were informative and fun. I would highly recommend anyone visit this incredible country and use Randall to help them plan it!

Hotel Reviews
Montaña de Fuego Resort & Spa
La Fortuna

Beautiful, peaceful, quiet, and the staff couldn't have been nicer!

Authenticity & Character
Cute little huts instead of typical hotel rooms and the flowers were amazingly beautiful.
Location
Great location close to many activities
Staff
Just the nicest people who were willing to help with anything. Especially the restaurant staff!
Cleanliness & Comfort
Very clean and comfortable.
Tamarindo Diria Beach Resort
Tamarindo

Well secured, great location, lots of amenities.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Close to a lot of great places. Right on the beach!
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Hiking Waterfalls & River Swimming in La Fortuna
Arenal/La Fortuna

Gorgeous views!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Arenal Volcano Hike & Baldi Hot Springs & Dinner
Arenal/La Fortuna

Very educational hike with incredible views! Relaxing in the hot springs was a great way to end the day.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Transfer Hotel - Arenal Vida Campesina - Hotel
Arenal/La Fortuna
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Vida Campesina Cultural & Cooking Class
Arenal/La Fortuna

Really fun and educational experience.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Transfer Hotel - Proyecto Asis Wildlife Rescue Center - Hotel
Arenal/La Fortuna
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Proyecto Asis Rescue Center Wildlife Tour + Volunteer
Arenal/La Fortuna

This was a great place to visit and we highly recommend staying for the volunteer portion! It was my kids' favorite activity of the whole trip!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Sunset Catamaran Sailing & Snorkeling Tour
Costa Rica

Fantastic trip! Beautiful sunset, snorkeling, delicious meal. Couldn't have been better.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Palo Verde National Park Boat Tour
Costa Rica

Loved this adventure. The guides were great and helped us spot so many unique animals! The food was good and the pottery is beautiful.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Randall Jiménez
Randall
Randall Jiménez
Local specialist in San José, Costa Rica | Reviewed on Oct 14, 2022

Hi Katie,

Thank you so much for this 5-star review. We really appreciate your trust in traveling with us and for sharing your experience with other future travelers. We are here for you anytime you decide to return to our country and explore new and exotic destinations :)

Pura Vida!
Randall

Pura Vida - thanks Randall and team!
Costa Rica | Sep 14 - Sep 21, 2022

S
Sarah H.
United Kingdom | Reviewed on Sep 28, 2022

Thanks so much to Randall and team for designing our holiday to Costa Rica, and being so responsive to any requests or changes we had. It was our first time using Kimkim and they were very patient and understanding. They recommended a great mix of locations and activities for us and we managed to fit a lot into 2 weeks. All of the transfers went really smoothly and we felt really well supported throughout the whole trip. Pura Vida!! read more

Thanks so much to Randall and team for designing our holiday to Costa Rica, and being so responsive to any requests or changes we had. It was our first time using Kimkim and they were very patient and understanding. They recommended a great mix of locations and activities for us and we managed to fit a lot into 2 weeks. All of the transfers went really smoothly and we felt really well supported throughout the whole trip. Pura Vida!!

Hotel Reviews
Jaguarundi Lodge
Monteverde
Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs
Fortuna
Activity Reviews
Monteverde - Hanging Bridges Guided Hike & Zip-lining tour
Monteverde
Guided Hike in Arenal Volcano
Arenal/La Fortuna
Canyoning Tour
Arenal/La Fortuna
Local specialist: Randall Jiménez
Randall
Randall Jiménez
Local specialist in San José, Costa Rica | Reviewed on Sep 28, 2022

Hi Sarah,

Thank you so much for the positive rating and comments. We're happy that you and David are happy, and we're looking forward to your next visit to our country or to any other destination that Kimkim organizes around the world.

Pura Vida!
Randall

Pura Vida!
Costa Rica | Jul 4 - Jul 16, 2022

S
Sonya P.
Austin, TX | Reviewed on Jul 17, 2022

We loved Hotel Costa Verde in Manual Antonio. The guided tour in the park was top notch! We saw bats, sloths, hummingbirds, monkeys and different types of birds. Having a telescope to see the animals up close was the best! Our driver Kendall was very friendly and accommodating. We had him for 2 legs of the trip-San Jose to Manual Antonio and Manual Antonio to Arenal. Canyoning and whitewater rafting in La Fortuna was so much fun! We also enjoyed the zip lining in Monteverde. read more

We loved Hotel Costa Verde in Manual Antonio. The guided tour in the park was top notch! We saw bats, sloths, hummingbirds, monkeys and different types of birds. Having a telescope to see the animals up close was the best! Our driver Kendall was very friendly and accommodating. We had him for 2 legs of the trip-San Jose to Manual Antonio and Manual Antonio to Arenal. Canyoning and whitewater rafting in La Fortuna was so much fun! We also enjoyed the zip lining in Monteverde.

Hotel Reviews
Arenal Volcano Inn
Fortuna

The WiFi is terrible here. We couldn’t get a signal most of the time we were here. The pool and hot tub is nice. You have to make reservations to use the hot tub. The rooms are small and dated, but comfortable. The breakfast is a buffet and was the same each day. They would change out the protein, but everything else was the same. We loved the staff here! The restaurant serves delicious entrees for dinner. We didn’t have lunch there.

Authenticity & Character
Updating the rooms and restaurant.
Location
Closer to town. We had to take a taxi into the downtown area.
Staff
The young man working the buffet gave great customer service. He greeted everyone with a huge smile.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Costa Verde
Manuel Antonio

Gorgeous views of the coast! The staff is friendly and the property is beautiful. The walk to the beach was easy and we loved hanging out at the adults only pool with bar service. The free breakfast was very good! You ordered from a menu instead of eating off the buffet. Every morning we heard the howler monkeys and we saw a sloth and capuchin monkeys hanging out by the pool.

Authenticity & Character
The grounds were beautiful and well maintained. The lighting is unique! It was nice having a full size refrigerator, microwave and sink in the room.
Location
Staff
The restaurant staff and bartender at the adults only pool.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Monteverde Country Lodge
Monteverde

This lodge is charming. It isn’t close to town so it’s a hilly walk into the downtown area. Rooms lack air conditioning and it was quite stuffy and warm at night. We left the windows open but there wasn’t a cross breeze. I think ceiling fans would be a great addition. There’s no pool onsite, but we got to use the pool a Poco a Poco, which is very nice! I highly recommend going there to use their facilities. The room we were in was very small, but our kids were in a larger room. We were supposed to have a room with 3 beds for our 3 kids, but they gave us a room with only 2 beds. When we asked about correcting it, we were told our kids had to be in another building. We decided to keep them closer to us and the girls shared a bed. The food at their restaurant was the best we had on our trip. The breakfast buffet was ok but the food on their menu was delicious! The only other things was the water pressure in our shower was low. The water came out in a single steam and alternated between hot and cold temps. I would start the shower hot and while I was washing my hair, it would turn cold. Also you can’t flush toilet paper here. It’s a custom in many parts of the country, but I prefer to flush my toilet paper.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Best Western Tamarindo Vista Villas
Tamarindo

There’s no reception/lobby area. You check in at a tiny stand alone that looks like it was a security guard office at one time. After check-in, no one helped us with our luggage, which required us to go up an unpaved driveway. Upon entering our room we were hit with an extremely strong chemical odor. We went back down to the office, they told us they just finished working on the bathroom tile and paint, which explained the strong smell. They immediately switched our room to another which didn’t have an odor. We had a nice view of Tamarindo beach. The ac in our kids’ room never worked properly. It never cut the humidity or cooled the room down. We asked maintenance to fix it but it was never fixed properly. It was slightly cooler but still sticky and humid in the room. Breakfast orders need to be placed the day before and indicate when you want to eat. We never had the free breakfast because we didn’t want to plan what and when we wanted to eat the day before! The pool is very large and nice to swim in. There’s a hot tub, but the water isn’t warm at all! There’s also a pool bar. Fair warning: there’s a party every Friday night in which there’s an open bar for 2 hrs. It’s open to guests and they charge for the public to enter. The hotel provides earplugs to guests knowing that the loud music from the band and DJ go on until 2-3 am!!! It’s a great party if you plan to dance until the early morning. Not so great if you have an early flight out the next day.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Within walking distance to the center of town
Staff
Stop requiring guests to submit breakfast order the day before. We don’t know what we want or when we want to eat. We’re on vacation!
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike
Manuel Antonio

Saw lots of wildlife through a telescope.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Our guide was fantastic! Super knowledgeable and enthusiastic!
Transport
Canyoning Tour
Arenal/La Fortuna
Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Arenal Volcano Hiking Tour & EcoTermales Hot Springs & Meal
Arenal/La Fortuna

We didn’t care for the hike. It was boring and it rained on us.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Arenal - Whitewater Rafting on the Sarapiquí River
Arenal/La Fortuna

It was a thrilling experience! We loved it!! Not for those who aren’t physically fit. Requires strong paddling and the ability to keep your body inside the raft. The rapids are rough and we saw other rafts turn over and people fell out of the rafts. Not recommended for young children under 13 yo.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Monteverde - Hanging Bridges Guided Hike & Zip-lining tour
Monteverde

We enjoyed the zip lining, but would skip the guided hike on the hanging bridges.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Randall Jiménez
Randall
Randall Jiménez
Local specialist in San José, Costa Rica | Reviewed on Jul 19, 2022

Hi Sonya,

Thank you so much for your review and feedback about the properties! We will share this with the local tour operators to let them know to keep up the amazing work.

Best,
Randall

So many good and positive things to say about...
Costa Rica | Jun 15 - Jun 23, 2022

David
David G.
Greenville, SC | Reviewed on Jun 30, 2022

So many good and positive things to say about this excellent trip to Costa Rica. Working with Randall on our itinerary and all other planning details was very easy, straight-forward, informative and FUN. We had some issues getting there and with our luggage via the airlines, no fault of Kim Kim whatsoever, but once we arrived at the San Jose airport it was smooth sailing all the way.

Our trip ran like clockwork with all Tour companies being at the right place at the right time to pick... read more

So many good and positive things to say about this excellent trip to Costa Rica. Working with Randall on our itinerary and all other planning details was very easy, straight-forward, informative and FUN. We had some issues getting there and with our luggage via the airlines, no fault of Kim Kim whatsoever, but once we arrived at the San Jose airport it was smooth sailing all the way.

Our trip ran like clockwork with all Tour companies being at the right place at the right time to pick us up or drop us off for planned excursions & airport transfers. Very impressive! Everyone was so kind and helpful every step along the way. It was "Pura Vida", which I learned means so many things.

The excursions were amazing and exceeded our expectations. The lodgings were outstanding, our favorite is the Arenal Manoa with a fantastic view of the volcano right outside our floor to ceiling windows. Highly recommend this place as the whole site is filled with beauty everywhere you look, the staff is very nice and helpful, as well as patient with my "Spanglish" conversations. Just a short taxi ride away is the EkoThermales Hot Springs - a must see and do experience after morning excursions. And Manuel Antonio Park...WOW!...another superb lodging with view and excursions.

I could go on and on about this trip but the one thing everyone should know: Costa Rica is absolutely beautiful and should be on your list of places to visit. Highly recommend working with KimKim Travel as they have all the hooks in place for a safe, well-planned, flawless connections trip. I will work with them again in the future and hopefully with Randall - he was the best!

Thank You Randall & KimKim!

Hotel Reviews
Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs
Fortuna

Love, love, LOVE this place! We had the coolest and roomiest bungalo with a private patio and impressive view of the volcano from our huge floor to ceiling windows. The restaurant was a short 3-minute walk down the road for breakfast every morning and dinner every night. They will send a cab to your bungalo for free in minutes to take you anywhere on the property, which we did for the Hot Springs on the property as well as trips to the Reception to meet our Tour excursions.

Tips for future travelers

Def bring your swimsuit, camera & binos. Hike the property grounds and look for wildlife everywhere. The sun & birds woke us up every morning around 5AM....and we dug that! Speaking Spanish is a definite help, but not needed, as most everyone can speak Spanish and English quite well. Spanglish is totally acceptable manner in which to communicate.

Authenticity & Character
Loved the restaurant layout and its charm. Greco lizards hanging out and soaking up the rays, many species of birds flying around or perching.
Location
Close rides to nearby attractions such as Zip Lining
Staff
Super helpful and nice.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Very clean, comfy beds
Hotel Ficus
Monteverde Costa Rica

The room itself was nice & large with a private patio for viewing the scenery. We saw several species of animals on the property including the cute Coalti and not so cute "Raton Grande", as wll as many types of birds. The restaurant/office/bar area were nearby so making it for breakfast was a snap. The staff were very kind and helpful. We found it odd that barely anyone used the on-site restaurant & bar as we were usually the only ones in there when dining. Perhaps more people go into town for these features? Interesting note: Because of the type of santitation used in the area, when in the bathrooms after wiping, the toilet paper is NOT to be flushed but rather thrown into the trashcan. This was strange for us.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Short walk to downtown Santa Elena, but be prepared for some hilly hikes
Staff
Very kind and helpful. We were able to use the laundry facilities to get our shirts cleaned and pressed from the trip's activities.
Crowne Plaza Corobici
San José

What can I say? Stayed here one night, our last, before flying out. It was your standard business hotel. No frills, no character, just a nice clean place.

Authenticity & Character
Something to see and do on the property. Pretty business-bland.
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Costa Verde
Manuel Antonio

We LOVED this hotel! The room was large with 2 beds, had a fantastic view of Manuel Antonio beach from our private deck, and the grounds are beautiful and made for some excellent short hikes around the property and down to the beach. Will def try and stay in this hotel on our next visit!

Authenticity & Character
Very cool and interesting grounds with parts of planes serving as meeting areas and such. The Anaconda restaurant was only a few minutes walk from our room for daily breakfast and other meals.
Location
Near to town and the beaches. Short, but hilly walks. No problems for us as we both love to walk and hike but be prepared.
Staff
They were very helpful with getting us setup and additional hands-on help in using the room safe.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Fresh sheet service daily, clean comfy beds and the private deck with beautiful views. There was a kitchen area but we found it odd that there is no nearby Market on the property or in town to stock it up with any groceries. There are plenty of nearby restaurants though. We found a market about 20-min walk away, all UPHILL going there, and merely picked up a case of beer and hauled it in our backpack all the way DOWNHILL back to the room and enjoyed them on the balcony.
Local specialist: Randall Jiménez
Randall
Randall Jiménez
Local specialist in San José, Costa Rica | Reviewed on Jul 12, 2022

Hey David,

Seeing that you had a 5-Star experience is the best thing we could hope for! Your review means a lot to us. Thank you for choosing us for your vacation planning. We look forward to serving you again in the near future.

Regards and Pura Vida from your friends in Costa Rica!

Randall

Don't Waste Your Time With Anyone Else!
Costa Rica | Jun 15 - Jun 23, 2022

Paul
Paul G.
Chicago, IL | Reviewed on Jun 30, 2022

There is far too much to mention here in detail, so I'll summarize by saying that I can't recommend KimKim's services highly enough. It would be next to impossible to name a favorite day or activity, as everything was seamlessly organized and integrated into a perfect, once-in-a-lifetime experience. In short, it was the best introduction to the amazing beauty and culture that Costa Rica has to offer that I can possibly imagine. From hiking to adventurous activities and relaxation beyond any... read more

There is far too much to mention here in detail, so I'll summarize by saying that I can't recommend KimKim's services highly enough. It would be next to impossible to name a favorite day or activity, as everything was seamlessly organized and integrated into a perfect, once-in-a-lifetime experience. In short, it was the best introduction to the amazing beauty and culture that Costa Rica has to offer that I can possibly imagine. From hiking to adventurous activities and relaxation beyond any expectation, everything was top notch; locations, hotels, transportation, food, activities, guides, etc. There was nothing left out by our outstanding agent and the guides and drivers along the way, and plenty of room to keep things custom and personalized at every step. If you're considering the trip, don't hesitate another moment!

Hotel Reviews
Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs
Fortuna

Unreal. I won't waste my time trying to describe what should, without any question, be experienced in person. By the end of a two-night stay, I was compelled to begin worshipping volcanoes. One thing I will mention - do not miss the Ecotermales Fortuna hot spring. I would return for an extended stay just to go there again!

Tips for future travelers

You'd better book an extra night.

Authenticity & Character
Like most of the popular tourist accommodations in Costa Rica, the hotel has its own large, isolated grounds about a kilometer off the area's main road, but is also tangent to a small local town. A nice balance.
Location
The view - the springs - the grounds - the food - the staff - everything!
Staff
Considering the hotel's proximity to San José and general popularity, staff are confidently bilingual in Spanish and English in the very least, and are generally very engaging. The further away you travel from San José, the more I recommend brushing up on some Spanish.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Costa Verde
Manuel Antonio

It would not have been possible for me to accurately imagine how much of dream this room would be. We were in 4B, and our view of the Manuel Antonio beach area was utterly beyond belief. There's is certainly too much to describe here, but I can't recommend highly enough for those staying in the Manuel Antonio area. The grounds are fun and interesting, featuring some tasty restaurants, a nice little hike, multiple lounge areas (which you will share with friendly monkeys and iguanas), and of course, easy access to a beach straight out of your most indulgent tropical fantasies. Food is great, staff is friendly and helpful, and an entire week's worth of incredible activities is just the beginning of what's available nearby. Don't wait to book!!

Tips for future travelers

Book an extra beach day, and get some pizza from El Wagon! If you're looking for any guidance for local activities, Tucanes Tours are absolutely phenomenal.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Local specialist: Randall Jiménez
Randall
Randall Jiménez
Local specialist in San José, Costa Rica | Reviewed on Jul 01, 2022

Hi Paul, thank you so much for taking the time to provide feedback. We are so delighted that you rate our service as 5-star as we strive to provide just that for all our visitors.

We look forward to seeing you and David again soon.

Pura Vida!
Randall

Sorry it's taken sooooooooo long to reply to ...
Costa Rica | Dec 22 - Jan 3, 2019

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Mark A.
United Kingdom | Reviewed on Jun 13, 2022

Sorry it's taken sooooooooo long to reply to this however ive only just found this email in my junk folder while looking up the old trip details... Hope it's still good with Randal and all you guys ?

Local specialist: Randall Jiménez
Randall
Randall Jiménez
Local specialist in San José, Costa Rica | Reviewed on Jun 13, 2022

Hi Mark,

No problem at all, it is great to hear from you again after all the madness over the last couple of years. We all are doing well, welcoming more and more tourists every day in our country :)

We hope to have the chance to welcome you again in the future.

Pura Vida!
Randall

Costa Rica pacific coast + volcano (9 days)
Costa Rica | Apr 29 - May 7, 2022

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Audric T.
Canada | Reviewed on May 14, 2022

I’m usually very sceptical about booking vacation packages, but i have to say that i was really impressed with Randall and his service!

Whenever i go somewhere i’ll always look up top things to do, things to see, places to visit etc… Costa Rica seemed to have many top attractions depending on if you’re going to be staying on the Caribbean side vs the Pacific side. Randall helped us decide & pick hotspots that fit what we wanted to do.

We went right between the transition from the dry... read more

I’m usually very sceptical about booking vacation packages, but i have to say that i was really impressed with Randall and his service!

Whenever i go somewhere i’ll always look up top things to do, things to see, places to visit etc… Costa Rica seemed to have many top attractions depending on if you’re going to be staying on the Caribbean side vs the Pacific side. Randall helped us decide & pick hotspots that fit what we wanted to do.

We went right between the transition from the dry season to the rain season so we came prepared with raincoats and extra shoes (i suggest you bring a raincoat because weather is quite unpredictable, especially in the Pacific coast) . Weather was hot & humid. Usually starting off the morning with a bit of rain, some sun throughout the day, rain again in the afternoon, and a calm night.

As for the excursions, they were well planned and the guides were super friendly.

For those who have time to fully plan your trip, i would say you can easily look up pre-made travel itineraries (and tbh, i think this is what we’ll do if we ever go back to Costa Rica), but if you’re tight on time, or simply want an expert to plan your trip, Kimkim is amazing.

Tips if you’re travelling to CR:
- rent a car… just do it. The drive through the mountains and the forest itself is worth it
- pay in colones
- don’t know expect things to be “cheap”
- bring a raincoat
- go to eat where the locals eat… if you go to your typical tourist traps, food is 2x-3x the price, for literally the same food
- Visit Manuel Antonio

Hotel Review
Hotel Arenal Country Inn
Fortuna

Cozy bungalows with breakfast included. View of the volcano.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Review
Arenal Volcano Hike & Baldi Hot Springs & Dinner
Arenal/La Fortuna
Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Randall Jiménez
Randall
Randall Jiménez
Local specialist in San José, Costa Rica | Reviewed on May 18, 2022

Hi Audric,

I really appreciate your review about the trip that we organized for you and George in our country last month. It is great that my guidance has been useful for your vacation and that you have enjoyed all the activities suggested. I also bet that your tips will be really appreciated by future travelers.

All the best and Pura Vida!
Randall

Randall knows the country very well and the b...
Costa Rica | Apr 10 - Apr 21, 2022

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Joanna S.
Switzerland | Reviewed on May 04, 2022

Randall knows the country very well and the best things for tourists to visit. He takes into account budget and other constraints! He organiséd a fabulous trip for me and my daughter! Unforgettable ❤️

Local specialist: Randall Jiménez
Randall
Randall Jiménez
Local specialist in San José, Costa Rica | Reviewed on May 04, 2022

Thank you again Joanna for your kind comments. I enjoyed organizing the trip for you and Natasha and we hope to have the chance to assist you again in the future.

All the best and Pura Vida!

Randall

CR Family trip April 2022
Costa Rica | Apr 15 - Apr 28, 2022

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Dan J.
Canada | Reviewed on Apr 29, 2022

Over all a very good time for us, the Whitewater rafting with Desafio was really well done and lots of fun the guides where top notch. We loved La Fortuna and really enjoyed staying at "Arenal Springs" a really amazing hotel/resort and the hanging bridges. Good times ziplining at Monteverde and the Poco a Poco.
Beaches, Monkeys and wildlife in Manual Antonio where a highlight of the trip.

In hindsight we would not have done the night walk with Terra Travel and I might have tried to... read more

Over all a very good time for us, the Whitewater rafting with Desafio was really well done and lots of fun the guides where top notch. We loved La Fortuna and really enjoyed staying at "Arenal Springs" a really amazing hotel/resort and the hanging bridges. Good times ziplining at Monteverde and the Poco a Poco.
Beaches, Monkeys and wildlife in Manual Antonio where a highlight of the trip.

In hindsight we would not have done the night walk with Terra Travel and I might have tried to schedule the last days differently so there was less driving. (maybe a day in Jaco or somthing)

But thanks for the good times and well orchestrated adventures.

Hotel Reviews
Hotel Costa Verde
Manuel Antonio

Its very funky and rustic, lots of wildlife and monkeys, good options for restaurants, pools and beaches

Tips for future travelers

Its not a typical 4 star hotel, the service levels are lower than what you would expect, its very casual and slightly run down. Also long walks to beaches, restaurants and town etc.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Arenal Springs Resort & Spa
Fortuna

This is a great hotel, super easy to stay at and extremely well run, very enjoyable stay.

Tips for future travelers

Stay longer

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel & Spa Poco a Poco
Monteverde Costa Rica

Its a good hotel excellent location. Awesome amenities

Tips for future travelers

There is no gym but take advantage of the yoga matts and meditation area

Authenticity & Character
Great yoga type room I did a yoga work out daily with spectacular view
Location
close enough to walk to most things and restaurants
Staff
all friendly and helpful
Cleanliness & Comfort
Clean and tidy
Crowne Plaza Corobici
San José
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Local specialist: Randall Jiménez
Randall
Randall Jiménez
Local specialist in San José, Costa Rica | Reviewed on May 02, 2022

Hi Dan,

Thank you very much for your comments and feedback about the trip that we organized for you in our country. I am glad to hear that you enjoyed the activities that we arranged for you, no much the night walk in Manuel Antonio but you still have the chance to experience the amazing wildlife at the park.

We hope to have the opportunity to welcome you again in the future on a new adventure.

Best,
Randall

Absolutely Wonderful!
Costa Rica | Mar 26 - Mar 30, 2022

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Lori B.
Corona, CA | Reviewed on Apr 10, 2022

We had an amazing time in Costa Rica thanks to our local specialist Randall. He tailored our trip to exactly what we wanted in this trip. Communication/response time was excellent. Randall timed everything just right; the pace for all of our activities were spaced just right. Transportation was punctual, comfortable and pleasant. We had excellent guides at Monteverde Cloud Forest, Hanging Bridges, and Manuel Antonio National Park. They were all experts of the rain forest and at finding... read more

We had an amazing time in Costa Rica thanks to our local specialist Randall. He tailored our trip to exactly what we wanted in this trip. Communication/response time was excellent. Randall timed everything just right; the pace for all of our activities were spaced just right. Transportation was punctual, comfortable and pleasant. We had excellent guides at Monteverde Cloud Forest, Hanging Bridges, and Manuel Antonio National Park. They were all experts of the rain forest and at finding wildlife. Our guide even spotted the Resplendid Quetzal in Monteverde Cloud Forest! He took photos and video for us through his scope. Costa Rica is so full of wildlife. We even had a resident three-toed sloth at our hotel in Costa Verde! Our trip to Costa Rica will live forever in my memories. Thank you Randall for your amazing service. ¡Pura Vida! ☺

Hotel Review
Hotel Costa Verde
Manuel Antonio

Loved the view and the wildlife everywhere we looked!

Activity Review
Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve Hike
Monteverde

Our expert guide was wonderful and full of information about the rainforest.

Quality of Experience
It wasn't crowded.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Well-informed.
Transport
They were punctual.
Local specialist: Randall Jiménez
Randall
Randall Jiménez
Local specialist in San José, Costa Rica | Reviewed on Apr 12, 2022

Hi Lori,

I appreciate your kind comments, and it really makes me happy that you have enjoyed all the experiences that we organized for you. I know that we are blessed of having an amazing country with great wildlife and flora.

As soon as you are ready for a new adventure and explore new areas in my country, don't hesitate to let me know :)

Warm regards!
Randall

I cannot thank Randall enough for the amazing...
Costa Rica | Mar 6 - Mar 20, 2022

Lisa
Lisa P.
United Kingdom | Reviewed on Mar 21, 2022

I cannot thank Randall enough for the amazing itinerary he put together for us. He made suggestions and changes and nothing was too much for him. The trip was incredible and all to plan. Brilliant communication and choice of accommodations. read more

I cannot thank Randall enough for the amazing itinerary he put together for us. He made suggestions and changes and nothing was too much for him. The trip was incredible and all to plan. Brilliant communication and choice of accommodations.

Hotel Reviews
Sleep Inn Hotel Paseo Las Damas
San José

Great central location

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Azania Bungalows
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

My favourite place of the trip. Quiet and peaceful in an incredible setting. We saw amazing wildlife right around our bungalow!

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Local specialist: Randall Jiménez
Randall
Randall Jiménez
Local specialist in San José, Costa Rica | Reviewed on Mar 21, 2022

Dear Lisa,

Thank you so much for your review. I am glad to hear that you and Robin had a nice trip and enjoyed all the arrangements that we made for you.

Hoping to have the chance to elcome you to our country again in the future.

All the best!
Randall

Pura Vida
Costa Rica | Feb 17 - Feb 21, 2022

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Purnell J.
Margate, FL | Reviewed on Mar 02, 2022

Booking this trip was the right choice. The specialist were patient and helpful with any questions we had. It was the perfect way to celebrate a birthday. The schedule kept us busy but there were a few moments where we were able to explore on our own. Most of the guides spoke some english and most drove carefully. Only once was I ever concerned about being in the cars or transportation. Kimkim made it easy to enjoy the experience without the worry. Our lodging was great but not luxury, it fit... read more

Booking this trip was the right choice. The specialist were patient and helpful with any questions we had. It was the perfect way to celebrate a birthday. The schedule kept us busy but there were a few moments where we were able to explore on our own. Most of the guides spoke some english and most drove carefully. Only once was I ever concerned about being in the cars or transportation. Kimkim made it easy to enjoy the experience without the worry. Our lodging was great but not luxury, it fit our needs. Costa Rica was a great experience and I would definitely recommend to others.

Hotel Reviews
Hotel Arenal Country Inn
Fortuna

The welcome was great. The hostess and the rest of the staff were helpful and suggested ways to get around and places to eat. You get your own little villa with AC, tv, and a safe. The pool and dining hall areas were well kept and they were very environmentally focused. The mattresses were very hard.

Tips for future travelers

Take lots of pictures and enjoy your time. The place is lovely and homey.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Sleep Inn Hotel Paseo Las Damas
San José

The location of this hotel was perfect. Right in the middle of downtown, we were able to visit museums and take in some local life. The rooms were a bit dated and the beds hard but the staff was always nice and helpful. The second time we stayed on our way back the room was nicer and had a city view. Good experience overall

Tips for future travelers

Keep in mind that it is a 2 star. Its perfectly nice and clean but there is some dated and older fixtures there.

Authenticity & Character
good location
Location
its in the middle of everything
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
hard mattresses but clean overall. Older carpets and bathroom fixtures.
Activity Review
Arenal Volcano Hiking Tour & Tabacon Hot Springs
Arenal/La Fortuna

Very well planned day. The tour was very knowledgeable despite the trails being a little longer than expected. We saw many cool animals and even learn about costa rica conservation and history of Arena/Fortuna. Going to the hot springs after was a great plan as we were tired after the hiking. We got to the hot springs when it was dark so I do wish that we could have enjoyed some of it during the day light. They had well-lit paths and the pools were lovely. The resort was so well kept and felt very luxe.

Quality of Experience
Food
Good food but it is a set menu
Guides, Drivers and Staff
very knowledgeable and local
Transport
guides suggest local places to eat
Local specialist: Randall Jiménez

Great Experience working with KimKim and Randall
Costa Rica | Dec 26 - Jan 3, 2022

Ari
Ari Z.
Shaw, DC | Reviewed on Jan 14, 2022

We booked a trip to Costa Rica through KimKim using Randall. He was amazing, and the process of setting up and managing the trip was great. We made several changes to our group and our itinerary throughout the process - including while we were in Costa Rica - and Randall handled everything professionally and quickly.

We did a river nature tour on Cano Negro, which was amazing - although it helped that we were the only people on the tour. Our driver for the day, Daouren, was also a tour... read more

We booked a trip to Costa Rica through KimKim using Randall. He was amazing, and the process of setting up and managing the trip was great. We made several changes to our group and our itinerary throughout the process - including while we were in Costa Rica - and Randall handled everything professionally and quickly.

We did a river nature tour on Cano Negro, which was amazing - although it helped that we were the only people on the tour. Our driver for the day, Daouren, was also a tour guide and very knowledgeable.

We also loved our hanging bridges walk in Fortuna, our night jungle walk in Manuel Antonio and surfing lessons with MASS in Manuel Antonio.

On the downside, we didn't have a great time in the actual Manuel Antonio park. We were there on New Year's Eve day and it was packed. We saw very little wildlife and when we did it was often waiting with a group of 20 or 30 people to look through a spotting scope.

Our first hotel - Montana Del Fuego in Fortuna - was okay, except that our rooms were right off of the main road. It was very noisy and felt more like being in New York City than in Costa Rica.

All in all we'd recommend working with Randall if you are trying to book a trip to Costa Rica and need some help!

Local specialist: Randall Jiménez
Randall
Randall Jiménez
Local specialist in San José, Costa Rica | Reviewed on Jan 14, 2022

Dear Ari,

First of all, I want to appreciate your review about your family trip to my country. I am glad that you have enjoyed your trip which was organized with so much time in advance.

I certainly appreciate your feedback about Montaña de Fuego and your experience during the hiking tour to Manuel Antonio National Park, we will make sure to take these comments seriously into consideration on the planning for future trips.

I wish you and all your family, a successful 2022 and we hope to have the chance to welcome you again in the future.

Best,
Randall

Randall put together a trip tailored for our likes and dislikes!
Costa Rica | Dec 26 - Jan 8, 2022

Darion
Darion L.
Los Angeles, CA | Reviewed on Jan 11, 2022

Randall provided insider advice on Costa Rica, a country I struggled to piece together things online. He gave a great itinerary for my friends and I based on our likes and dislikes, including great lodging, in great locations, and with activities we got really excited about. It's like having a family friend create a perfect insider's trip FOR YOU. Recommended!

Local specialist: Randall Jiménez
Randall
Randall Jiménez
Local specialist in San José, Costa Rica | Reviewed on Jan 11, 2022

Thank you so much Darion for your kind comments, I really enjoyed working together with you to organize your lifetime vacation in my country and it makes me so happy that you all have enjoyed it, that was the main goal after all, right? :)

I wish you all the best in this new year and I will be happy to welcome you again in our country in the future.

All the best and Pura Vida!

Randall

Absolutely Worth It for a Stress Free Vacation!
Costa Rica | Sep 10 - Sep 19, 2021

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Adele M.
Hutto, TX | Reviewed on Sep 26, 2021

Randall went above and beyond with helping to plan our trip to Costa Rica. He responded quickly when we had questions, and customized our trip exactly how we wanted it. Once we arrived, everything was as planned and on-time. Airport pick-up, hotel pick-ups, tour guides were punctual, friendly and knowledgeable. The tour of La Fortuna volcano was informative and very enjoyable. The guide included the history and educational aspect of the area which we appreciated. The hot springs were an... read more

Randall went above and beyond with helping to plan our trip to Costa Rica. He responded quickly when we had questions, and customized our trip exactly how we wanted it. Once we arrived, everything was as planned and on-time. Airport pick-up, hotel pick-ups, tour guides were punctual, friendly and knowledgeable. The tour of La Fortuna volcano was informative and very enjoyable. The guide included the history and educational aspect of the area which we appreciated. The hot springs were an awesome experience to end the night. The white water rafting day trip was one of the best experiences. Our guide, Roberto was absolutely the best. He was very thorough with the safety precautions and made sure we were confident with the directions before we went out on the river. He was also great at navigating us through the river and even helped us to catch some surfing on the rapids! It was quite an impressive experience. Not to mention the food everywhere we went in Costa Rica was delicious. We most definitely recommend using the kimkim team to help book a trip to Costa Rica. Especially if you want to see and travel to different sites. Without Randall's assistance, it would have been tough to navigate on our own. Also, Christopher (the emergency contact) came through when we weren't sure about how to get our COVID test prior to departure. He immediately responded and helped us to get things taken care of in a timely manner. We are very grateful for the kimkim team.

Local specialist: Randall Jiménez
Randall
Randall Jiménez
Local specialist in San José, Costa Rica | Reviewed on Oct 01, 2021

Hi Adele,

Thank you for your comments, it is very kind of you.

We are very lucky to have so many dedicated people working with us and I am glad that you had the chance to meet some of them and that you have enjoyed the activities that we organized for you and also our local food :)

This is a small but diverse country, so we will be happy to welcome you again in the future and organize a new adventure where you can experience some other amazing areas in Costa Rica.

Pura Vida!
Randall

WOW! I usually am anti-have someone else plan...
Costa Rica | Sep 10 - Sep 21, 2021

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Taylor L.
Encinitas, CA | Reviewed on Sep 24, 2021

WOW! I usually am anti-have someone else plan your vacation, but Randall and KimKim really changed my mind on this. Myself and 3 friends were planning a trip to Costa Rica and after a couple weeks of self planning we realized how difficult it was with our busy schedules and the intricate logistics of seeing both coasts. Randall was able to fit in exactly everything we wanted and made all the right decisions when it came to travel days, transfer drives and hotel choice. No question I would use... read more

WOW! I usually am anti-have someone else plan your vacation, but Randall and KimKim really changed my mind on this. Myself and 3 friends were planning a trip to Costa Rica and after a couple weeks of self planning we realized how difficult it was with our busy schedules and the intricate logistics of seeing both coasts. Randall was able to fit in exactly everything we wanted and made all the right decisions when it came to travel days, transfer drives and hotel choice. No question I would use KimKim again, I think it made our experience so much better. It also took all of the stress out of weeks leading up to the trip and all at a very affordable price. Couldn't recommend them enough!

Local specialist: Randall Jiménez
Randall
Randall Jiménez
Local specialist in San José, Costa Rica | Reviewed on Oct 01, 2021

Hi Taylor,

Thank you so much for your review. It really makes me so happy that you have enjoyed every day of your trip to my country and that you have found useful the experience in working with us, I really enjoyed organizing your vacation and I hope we can have the chance to welcome you again in the future.

Warm regards!
Randall

Going through KimKim was a great idea. Everyt...
Costa Rica | Aug 21 - Aug 28, 2021

Hannah
Hannah S.
West Lake Stevens, WA | Reviewed on Aug 30, 2021

Going through KimKim was a great idea. Everything was seamless. The hotels were wonderful, especially Poco a Poco and Costa Verde. Randall (from KimKim) made himself available to us for anything that came but, but it all went perfectly so we didn’t need to reach out. I am really happy with how the trip worked out. He even made sure we had all our covid travel documents and testing in order. Made it much easier. :)

Local specialist: Randall Jiménez
Randall
Randall Jiménez
Local specialist in San José, Costa Rica | Reviewed on Aug 31, 2021

Dear Hanna,

I am glad that you are happy with the choice you made to use KimKim for your travel arrangements to my country. We were pleased to have you and Aaron in our country, organize your vacation and that you have had a relaxing trip.

I am sure we will welcome you again in the future :)

Best and pura vida!!
Randall

AMAZING TRIP!
Costa Rica | Aug 10 - Aug 18, 2021

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Alex V.
Seattle, WA | Reviewed on Aug 19, 2021

Randall created an amazing trip for us! COVID delayed our honeymoon last year, so this year was a make up honeymoon. I had a million questions and Randall was so kind, patient, and super quick at responses! We had a beautiful trip, the perfect combination of adventure and relaxation. We could not be more thankful to Randall and will definitely use Coast to Coast adventures again!

Local specialist: Randall Jiménez
Randall
Randall Jiménez
Local specialist in San José, Costa Rica | Reviewed on Aug 19, 2021

Thank you Alex for your review. It is great to read that you and Scott finally enjoyed the honeymoon that you have planned for 2020.

I really enjoyed the pictures that you shared and I want to thank you for giving us the opportunity to welcome you to our country during these difficult times and confirm that even with the Covid around, we offered you a safe but still genuine experience.

All the best and Pura Vida!!
Randall

Thanks Randall. Carlos, and Christopher
Costa Rica | Jul 24 - Jul 31, 2021

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Cesar V.
San Diego, CA | Reviewed on Aug 18, 2021

My daughter and I went on a trip to Costa Rica at the end of July. KimKim connected us with Randall, a local agent who works with Coast to Coast Adventures.
Randall was great from the time we first connected all the way to a couple of days after being back in the US when he checked up on us to see how everything went.
Randall was very good at communicationg and staying in touch throughout the whole proccess.
He made recommendations and made any changes I requested.
He is very propmpt to... read more

My daughter and I went on a trip to Costa Rica at the end of July. KimKim connected us with Randall, a local agent who works with Coast to Coast Adventures.
Randall was great from the time we first connected all the way to a couple of days after being back in the US when he checked up on us to see how everything went.
Randall was very good at communicationg and staying in touch throughout the whole proccess.
He made recommendations and made any changes I requested.
He is very propmpt to respond and he is very knowledgeable about what to do and where to go in CR.
He made our 8 day trip and unforgatable one and for bing our first time there, it could nt have been better!!!
Once we were in CR he put me in touch with Christopher, he was our point of contact while in CR. He, as Randall, is very respomsive and he made sure our trip went as planned. I requested a couple changes with time and transportation kind of last minute and he made things happen!
Our driver from Coast to Coast, Carlos Torres, who I would also like to mentioned in this review, was no different. He was very informative to let us know where to go on our down time when we arrived to La Fortuna, and gave me some tips on what to do on some of the places we were to visit.
He was also our driver on our way back to San Jose. He made our trip back and our visit to La Paz Waterfall and Gardens a very nice trip.
Overall, if you are visiting CR and you are doubtful about using KimKim, I wiuld say go for it and hopefully you get connected with Randall.

Local specialist: Randall Jiménez
Randall
Randall Jiménez
Local specialist in San José, Costa Rica | Reviewed on Aug 19, 2021

Hola César!!

I want to appreciate the feedback about the trip that you and your daughter took to my country a few weeks ago.

It was a pleasure for all of us to assist you before and during your first vacation in Costa Rica and we hope this has been the first of many trips to this small but very diverse country.

Hasta pronto!!
Randall

Wonderful experience!!
Costa Rica | Aug 5 - Aug 14, 2021

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Cici C.
Los Angeles, CA | Reviewed on Aug 16, 2021

Randall helped us plan a 9-day trip to Costa Rica. The itinerary he created met all our expectations and the trip went very smoothly. He came up with multiple itineraries before the trip to make sure it fit our specific needs. When we wanted to make last minute transportation changes, Randall was able to quickly accommodate us and find us a new transportation company. All activities took place as planned and all transportations were on time. We had a wonderful time in Costa Rica thanks to Randall and we highly recommend Randall for your travel planning!

Local specialist: Randall Jiménez
Randall
Randall Jiménez
Local specialist in San José, Costa Rica | Reviewed on Aug 16, 2021

Hi Cici,

I want to appreciate your comments and feedback about the trip to my country last week.

It was a pleasure for me to assist you not only with the planning of your vacation but also while you stay in our country with the change that you wanted to make at the end of the trip. I am glad to have been useful for you during the whole experience in Costa Rica and I will love to welcome you to our country again in the near future.

Best,
Randall

Costa Rica Trip Review - AMAZING
Costa Rica | Jul 21 - Jul 29, 2021

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Andrea W.
DeKalb, IL | Reviewed on Aug 05, 2021

Randall was amazing at planning our trip to Costa Rica! He was able to incorporate all of the activities we wanted and was very quick to make adjustments to our travel plans when needed. He also selected beautiful places throughout the country for us to visit, it was definitely a memorable trip! Highly recommend Randall and kimkim!

Local specialist: Randall Jiménez
Randall
Randall Jiménez
Local specialist in San José, Costa Rica | Reviewed on Aug 06, 2021

Dear Andrea,

It is very sweet of you. The most important thing to me is that the planning that we organize for all travellers finishes on a lifetime experience that will be remembered for many years and reading your comments, I think that we made it with you and your girlfriends, which makes me really happy.

We hope to have the chance to welcome you again in the future and create together great and new memories.

Best,
Randall

Unforgettable experience!!
Costa Rica | Jul 21 - Jul 29, 2021

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Gabriela A.
Carpentersville, IL | Reviewed on Aug 04, 2021

Overall GREAT experience, not only booking with Kimkim, but the beautiful places we were able to see! Randall did an excellent job working with our budget while still giving us the full experience of exploring Costa Rica! We visited the Hanging Bridges, hot springs, monte verde volcano, beautiful beaches, ziplining, ATV tours through Manuel Antonio, and more! The locals were the nicest people and treated everyone like family!

Local specialist: Randall Jiménez
Randall
Randall Jiménez
Local specialist in San José, Costa Rica | Reviewed on Aug 04, 2021

Hi Gabriela,

I really appreciate your feedback about the trip and it makes me happy that you have enjoyed every place you visited, the activities that we organized for you and your friends and the people you were in contact with.

I wish you all the best and we will be happy to welcome you in the future again for a new adventure.

Best,
Randall

Perfection!
Costa Rica | May 15 - May 23, 2021

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Ryan D.
College Station, TX | Reviewed on Jun 08, 2021

The trip was incredible and Randall was incredible as well. There were lots of complicated logistics involved in this trip and everything (seriously, EVERYTHING) went off without a hitch. Transportation was perfectly planned and executed, and everyone he worked with for tours and transport was extremely friendly. The trip itself was SO fun. We couldn't have asked for a better week.

Local specialist: Randall Jiménez
Randall
Randall Jiménez
Local specialist in San José, Costa Rica | Reviewed on Jun 08, 2021

Dear Ryan,

I want to thank you for your review of the trip and the great experience that you and Shannon had in our country in May. The main purpose of us is to create great experiences for all travellers and to read messages like yours and to confirm that the trip ran smooth, fills my heart of entire satisfaction.

You know, anytime you want to take another week full of fun and also relaxation, just let me know, there are so many beautiful areas in our country that you would love to visit ;)

Best,
Randall

Mom's Costa Rican Bday Celebration
Costa Rica | May 11 - May 16, 2021

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Nachelle A.
Bonita Springs, FL | Reviewed on May 27, 2021

Our local specialist, Randall, helped customize my mom's birthday celebration in Costa Rica. The only complaint is that we couldn't stay longer from our drivers picking us up from the airport to taking us on our adventures and other cities. We enjoyed our trip and will definitely be using KimKim again!

Local specialist: Randall Jiménez
Randall
Randall Jiménez
Local specialist in San José, Costa Rica | Reviewed on May 27, 2021

Hi Nachelle,

I want to appreciate your feedback about the trip that we organized for you to celebrate your Mom's Birthday, I really hope that she has also enjoyed the trip entirely and that we can have you again in the future.

All the best!
Randall

Family Trip to Costa Rica
Costa Rica | Mar 11 - Mar 18, 2021

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Cam B.
Navasota, TX | Reviewed on Apr 01, 2021

First trip to Costa Rica and it was everything we expected and more. Have wanted to go there for years!

Costa Rica itself is beautiful and bother tourist and Covid friendly.

Our family is well traveled through Asia, Europe, and N America, and rank Costa Rica right up at the top.

Randall from KimKIm was great and all of the arrangements were perfect and everything ran smoothly.

Normally we would book and work the details of a trip ourselves, but with this being our first trip there and... read more

First trip to Costa Rica and it was everything we expected and more. Have wanted to go there for years!

Costa Rica itself is beautiful and bother tourist and Covid friendly.

Our family is well traveled through Asia, Europe, and N America, and rank Costa Rica right up at the top.

Randall from KimKIm was great and all of the arrangements were perfect and everything ran smoothly.

Normally we would book and work the details of a trip ourselves, but with this being our first trip there and with Covid, decided to give KimKIm and Randall a shot.

We definitely paid more for the trip than we would have booking it ourselves, but there is a lot to be said about hassle free trip planning and execution.

I would definitely use them again!

Local specialist: Randall Jiménez
Randall
Randall Jiménez
Local specialist in San José, Costa Rica | Reviewed on Apr 05, 2021

Dear Cam,

I want to thank you for your review about your family vacation in my country and I am glad to read that your trip was all that you were expecting and more.

I understand and respect, that some people make a decision of doing their own arrangements directly taking all the risks that are involved with that. It may be that they believe they would be getting the trip for a cheaper price, but it is likely that in the end, it could cost them more. By booking with Kimkim and Coast to... read more

Dear Cam,

I want to thank you for your review about your family vacation in my country and I am glad to read that your trip was all that you were expecting and more.

I understand and respect, that some people make a decision of doing their own arrangements directly taking all the risks that are involved with that. It may be that they believe they would be getting the trip for a cheaper price, but it is likely that in the end, it could cost them more. By booking with Kimkim and Coast to Coast, you had the assurance that you were dealing with a well-established company within Costa Rica. You also noticed that you were given an emergency number to contact in the event of problems so to pay some extra is really worth it.

We hope to have the chance to welcome you and your family again in the future.

Pura Vida!
Randall

Randall was great and was available during th...
Costa Rica | Dec 27 - Jan 3, 2021

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Barry R.
Baton Rouge, LA | Reviewed on Apr 01, 2021

Randall was great and was available during the trip to help us plan as well. My friends decided to go as well last minute and he helped them plan their trip as well

Local specialist: Randall Jiménez
Randall
Randall Jiménez
Local specialist in San José, Costa Rica | Reviewed on Apr 03, 2021

Hey Barry!, thank you so much for your feedback. I really enjoyed organizing your vacation and also the ones for your friends and arrange that you could meet all together one night in Arenal.

We hope to have the chance to welcome you again in a near future.

Best,
Randall

We loved our trip that was arranged for us. R...
Costa Rica | Feb 20 - Feb 28, 2021

James
James M.
Tyler, TX | Reviewed on Mar 01, 2021

We loved our trip that was arranged for us. Randall did a great job. The top site seeing areas were seen plus they booked us in really nice rooms. That were unique except for first and last night which was in a typical 4 star American hotel the CROWN PLAZA. They gave us ample opportunity for free time as well. The guides were great. The vans the roads the restrooms were all cleaner than you typically see in the USA.

Local specialist: Randall Jiménez
Randall
Randall Jiménez
Local specialist in San José, Costa Rica | Reviewed on Mar 02, 2021

Hi James,

Thank you for the review after the trip to my country. I am glad to read that you and Donna enjoyed the trip that we organized for you and that you felt safe all the time, which is the most important thing to us.

I hope to have the chance to welcome you again in a near future here in Costa Rica and arrange a new adventure.

Best,
Randall

All we can say is WOW RANDALL!
Costa Rica | Dec 5 - Dec 13, 2020

Sandy
Sandy H.
Paradise, NV | Reviewed on Dec 18, 2020

Wow we can't say enough good things about Randall and the trip he created for us. From start to finish it was amazing. It was exactly what we wanted and he even arranged some things we didn't even know we wanted that were perfect additions. During the trip, we made a few modifications like extending our time at the beach and upgrading our rooms and he took care of all of those things efficiently and professionally with exceptional communication. I can't recommend his services enough. THANK YOU RANDALL!

Local specialist: Randall Jiménez
Randall
Randall Jiménez
Local specialist in San José, Costa Rica | Reviewed on Dec 18, 2020

Dear Sandy,

Thank you for your kind comments, I really enjoyed planning this trip for you and Tracy and it makes me really happy that you have enjoyed it from beginning to end and if we have to assist you with some last-minute changes to get that, it worths all the effort from our team to give you two at the end a nice memory from your trip to my country.

We hope to have the opportunity to assist you again on a new adventure.

All the best!
Randall

Randall was great
Costa Rica | Nov 14 - Nov 22, 2020

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Jordan H.
Manhattan, NY | Reviewed on Dec 04, 2020

Randall made a great itinerary we were both very pleased

Local specialist: Randall Jiménez
Randall
Randall Jiménez
Local specialist in San José, Costa Rica | Reviewed on Dec 04, 2020

Hey Jordan,

I am glad that you and Owen enjoyed the trip that we arranged for you at the very last minute and that you could take some time off to relax in our country. We hope to welcome you again in a near future.

Best,
Randall

It was very easy to plan our trip with the tr...
Costa Rica | Feb 28 - Mar 10, 2020

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Fran D.
Honolulu, HI | Reviewed on Jul 16, 2020

It was very easy to plan our trip with the trip planner. We were able to choose the types of things that we wanted to do like hiking & eliminate those that we weren’t interested in doing such as no shopping. We could also choose the areas that we wanted to visit. Randall coordinated everything so we didn’t have to worry about transportation or guides. It was all included. It’s a great way to explore such a beautiful country. Our hotels were all very nice. I would recommend KimKim to arrange a trip to Costa Rica.

Local specialist: Randall Jiménez
Randall
Randall Jiménez
Local specialist in San José, Costa Rica | Reviewed on Jul 20, 2020

Dear Fran,

What a nice surprise to hear from you after all these months. I hope you, Paul and your relatives are doing well.

I certainly want to thank your feedback for the trip that you took to our country last February and it makes me happy to read that you found the whole process very smooth, which is actually the main purpose of our service, to make the vacation arrangements to our clients an unstressful process.

We wish you all health and strength during these difficult times.

Best,
Randall

Wonderful Costa Rica
Costa Rica | Feb 29 - Mar 11, 2020

Erica
Erica D.
New Zealand | Reviewed on Mar 24, 2020

Our trip was wonderful. We saw heaps of fauna and flora and were well looked after by knowledgeable, friendly guides & drivers.
Randall's activity suggestions were appropriate for our group, we enjoyed all of them.
Thanks Randall.

Local specialist: Randall Jiménez
Randall
Randall Jiménez
Local specialist in San José, Costa Rica | Reviewed on Mar 24, 2020

Dear Erica,

Thank you for your comments, I am so glad that you and your party have enjoyed the trip that we organized for you and that you have had the chance to watch a lot of flora and fauna, which was the goal for you all since the very beginning.

We hope to have the chance to welcome you again any other time in the future,

Best,
Randall

Tasmanian’s in Costa rica
Costa Rica | Feb 29 - Mar 8, 2020

Sarah
Sarah L.
Australia | Reviewed on Mar 13, 2020

The guides were great. Getting to different locations was frantic.
We saw some great birds.

Local specialist: Randall Jiménez
Randall
Randall Jiménez
Local specialist in San José, Costa Rica | Reviewed on Mar 16, 2020

We are happy that you have enjoyed the trip Sarah and we hope to have you back again in the future on a new adventure.

Best,
Randall

Our Pura Vida guide in Arsenal, Christian was...
Costa Rica | Feb 28 - Mar 10, 2020

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Paul Z.
Honolulu, HI | Reviewed on Mar 12, 2020

Our Pura Vida guide in Arsenal, Christian was awesome and we were the only two people in our group that included hikes of Arenal and the hanging bridges.

Every aspect of our itinerary either met or exceeded our expectations. The one exception would be the night tour in Monteverde. We were not the only ones to say it was over-hyped. There were over 100 tourists in groups of 6-8 walking the same paths that reminded me of a “snipe” hunt.

Lodging at Arsenal was superb! Great complimentary breakfast and on-site hot spring.

Local specialist: Randall Jiménez
Randall
Randall Jiménez
Local specialist in San José, Costa Rica | Reviewed on Mar 12, 2020

Hi Paul,

Thank you for your review and feedback. I am glad that you and Fran had a good time during your vacation and I appreciate for sharing the information about the night walk tour in Monteverde, we will certainly contact the local tour operator to avoid the unpleasant experience you had, to future travelers.

Pura Vida!
Randall

Truly the best trip ever!! From planning to e...
Costa Rica | Feb 20 - Mar 1, 2020

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Isabelle J.
Canada | Reviewed on Mar 03, 2020

Truly the best trip ever!! From planning to execution everything was flawless. 10 days 2 teens and a single Mom not a single argument, PRICELESS!!. Every excursion was amazing. Waterfall rappelling was our adventure highlight. Relaxing in Manuel Antonio was the cherry on top. Between the high end accommodation, fabulous food, wildlife and beaches couldn’t have asked for anything better. Can’t wait to book our next trip.

Local specialist: Randall Jiménez
Randall
Randall Jiménez
Local specialist in San José, Costa Rica | Reviewed on Mar 03, 2020

Dear Isabelle,

So nice to read that you enjoyed the trip that we organized for you and your kids, I love all the pictures you took and I can see that you had the chance to see a sloth and not once but twice. I hope you, Owen and Aliya keep beautiful memories of this trip for many years.

Best,
Randall

Pura Vida indeed!
Costa Rica | Jan 30 - Feb 15, 2020

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Angela B.
United Kingdom | Reviewed on Feb 17, 2020

From start to finish - the initial enquiry, through the planning and amendments to delivery and experience - just brilliant. Randall responded to my every enquiry, request and for reassurance. The mix of activities, rest days, hotels and places was just perfect. Driving ourselves gave us added freedom to see more of the beautiful country that is Costa Rica. We met lovely, welcoming people, ate good food and enjoyed the stunning scenery along the Caribbean coast, interior and Pacific coast. We... read more

From start to finish - the initial enquiry, through the planning and amendments to delivery and experience - just brilliant. Randall responded to my every enquiry, request and for reassurance. The mix of activities, rest days, hotels and places was just perfect. Driving ourselves gave us added freedom to see more of the beautiful country that is Costa Rica. We met lovely, welcoming people, ate good food and enjoyed the stunning scenery along the Caribbean coast, interior and Pacific coast. We loved the laid back feel of the Caribbean, the spinal mountain range, the warm waters of the Pacific coast and the fabulous OSA peninsula with all its wildlife above ground and below the sea. All the guides who took us on our hikes and snorkelling were gracious, knowledgeable, considerate and professional. Thank you for making sure our holiday was everything we wanted it to be.

Local specialist: Randall Jiménez
Randall
Randall Jiménez
Local specialist in San José, Costa Rica | Reviewed on Feb 17, 2020

Dear Angela,

I have enjoyed so much watching all your pictures and comments about your vacation in my country, it is great that after all the work we did to guarantee a vacation of a lifetime for you and your friends, to read that you have a fantastic time here and everything run exactly as it was planned.

We hope to have the chance to welcome you again in the future in our country and explore some other areas.

Gracias,
Randall

Awesome Experience in Costa Rica!!!
Costa Rica | Jan 21 - Feb 4, 2020

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Annie G.
Canada | Reviewed on Feb 13, 2020

This was a fantastic trip! Our family was in Costa Rica for 15 days in January 2020. Our local guide was Randall Jiminez, and he was great.

The whole KimKim experience was really easy to deal with. We established how long we wanted to go for, as well as a preliminary budget. Randall gave us some ideas to start with, as it was our first time in CR.

We wound up doing what we later found to be (from other travelers) a pretty standard sampling of CR. We started in Arenal, staying in La Fortuna,... read more

This was a fantastic trip! Our family was in Costa Rica for 15 days in January 2020. Our local guide was Randall Jiminez, and he was great.

The whole KimKim experience was really easy to deal with. We established how long we wanted to go for, as well as a preliminary budget. Randall gave us some ideas to start with, as it was our first time in CR.

We wound up doing what we later found to be (from other travelers) a pretty standard sampling of CR. We started in Arenal, staying in La Fortuna, then moved to the Cloud Forest of Mote Verde, and finished up on the Pacific Coast, near Manuel Antonio National Park.

Almost all of our experiences were excellent. The highlights that we would recommend to others would be:
Arenal:
- Proyecto Asis rescue centre. This was one of the first things we did, and remained in our top 3 for the whole trip. If you do this, make sure that you do the volunteer feeding part - that was special. Carlos, our tour guide for this one, was nothing short of superb.
- Cano Negro: This is a must on any trip to CR. We took a bus up to the wildlife area at Cano Negro, and from there took a two hour boat tour along the river, very close to the border with Nicaragua. We saw sloths, monkeys, and more species of birds than I can count, including some very rare ones. Also saw Caimans, which were cool. Had one of the best Costa Rican meals on the way back (Cosado, which is typical. You have to try it).

Monte Verde:
- Don Juan coffee tour - amazing, very tasty all around. Coffee, chocolate, and cosado. Very informative!
- Zip line - super day, did bridges in the cloud forest and then ziplines through the trees.
- Monte Verde Park: This was not arranged by KimKim, but I highly recommend it anyway. Get a guide, either private or through the park. They know what to look for, and will help you immeasurably.

Manuel Antonio:
- a bit more tourist-y, but absolutely beautiful. We were in easy walking distance to the beach, and our hotel was great. We stayed at the Costa Verde hotel, which has several restaurants in easy walking distance. The collectivo bus is also easy and cheap, and I wish that we had used it more (the temps were 35+C every day we were there.
- a note of caution: The Catamaran Snorkling tour that we booked was really a booze cruise. Dance music and drinks were the focus, with very little time spent snorkling, and that required us to wear life vests (a number of passengers had indulged a bit). The cruise was well executed, for what it was, but it was not what we were looking for. In retrospect, we should have more clearly laid out expectations for this activity.

We will definitely visit CR again, and I would have no hesitation recommending KimKim, especially to first-timers. Pura Vida!

Thanks Randall!
Annie, Tom, and Joel

Local specialist: Randall Jiménez
Randall
Randall Jiménez
Local specialist in San José, Costa Rica | Reviewed on Feb 17, 2020

Dear Annie,

Thank you for your full feedback about your vacation in Costa Rica, it makes me so happy that you, Tom and Joel had a good time in our country and that you truly enjoyed all the areas that you visited.

I also appreciated the honest feedback about the catamaran tour in Manuel Antonio, we will make sure to provide more information about this activity to future clients to avoid any disappointments.

We will be happy expecting your next message to organize another great adventure in my country and explore the areas that you didn't have the chance to visit this time.

Best!
Randall

Costa Rica is a magical place
Costa Rica | Dec 26 - Jan 4, 2020

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Bill M.
Hopewell, VA | Reviewed on Jan 25, 2020

Our local specialist, Randall helped to plan an amazing visit to Costa Rica that was just the right combination of relaxation and adventure! The adventure started in Rincon de la Viejo National Park for a great hike with Andre. What an amazing combination of landscape, forest, volcanic pools and an abundance of wildlife. Andre was extremely knowledgeable and a lot of fun! The next several days were all about relaxation in Playa Hermosa with stops in Playa Coco and Tamarindo. We then... read more

Our local specialist, Randall helped to plan an amazing visit to Costa Rica that was just the right combination of relaxation and adventure! The adventure started in Rincon de la Viejo National Park for a great hike with Andre. What an amazing combination of landscape, forest, volcanic pools and an abundance of wildlife. Andre was extremely knowledgeable and a lot of fun! The next several days were all about relaxation in Playa Hermosa with stops in Playa Coco and Tamarindo. We then headed to Arenal for white water rafting, exploring the hanging bridges and lots of time in the hot springs. Magical is the best way to describe the experience and we had such a great time with Jairo and Koki from Wave Rafting and Christian on our tour through Mistico Park. It was our first trip to Costa Rica, but won't be the last. The Costa Rican people are so welcoming and friendly, many thanks to everyone for a memorable vacation!

Local specialist: Randall Jiménez
Randall
Randall Jiménez
Local specialist in San José, Costa Rica | Reviewed on Jan 27, 2020

Dear Bill,

It is so refreshing to return from my vacation and read your review about the trip. I am so happy that you, Michele and the kids have enjoyed your trip in my country and that you are considering to return someday, I will be more than happy to welcome you again and organize a new fun and relaxing adventure for your family in the future.

All the best!
Randall

Family vac in Costa Rica
Costa Rica | Jan 17 - Jan 24, 2020

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victoria m.
Quincy, IL | Reviewed on Jan 25, 2020

Kim Kim was amazing. Very prompt in responding to our request. The bookings and hotels were just what we wanted and perfect for our family vacation. The only challenge we encountered was several of the guides only spoke Spanish yet were very helpful to try and accommodate our needs. Costa Rica was beautiful! Great family place to vacation.

Local specialist: Randall Jiménez
Randall
Randall Jiménez
Local specialist in San José, Costa Rica | Reviewed on Jan 27, 2020

Hi Victoria,

I am glad you are satisfied with the service that you received from us during the planning of your trip.

Thank you also for your feedback about the trip and I will contact you directly to talk a little bit more about who were the guides who didn't speak English.

Pura Vida!
Randall

Randall did a fantastic job setting up this t...
Costa Rica | Jan 8 - Jan 17, 2020

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David G.
Wilmington, DE | Reviewed on Jan 23, 2020

Randall did a fantastic job setting up this trip for 2 couples. The hotels were top notch-Hotel Arenal resort- a very nice property with spacious rooms. Belmar Hotel-Monteverde great views, good food- an ecocentric property, very pleasant staff. La Mansion- Manuel Antonio- a nice property with great views. Staff are nice people but need significant training. The first room they wanted to give one of us had broken AC and a broken sliding door. It took some convincing to change rooms. Bar... read more

Randall did a fantastic job setting up this trip for 2 couples. The hotels were top notch-Hotel Arenal resort- a very nice property with spacious rooms. Belmar Hotel-Monteverde great views, good food- an ecocentric property, very pleasant staff. La Mansion- Manuel Antonio- a nice property with great views. Staff are nice people but need significant training. The first room they wanted to give one of us had broken AC and a broken sliding door. It took some convincing to change rooms. Bar service made mixed drinks with little alcohol. Hotel Grano de Oro -San Jose nice hotel, fantastic food.

Private and semi private rides between locations were fine. Some Costa Rican roads are better than others. Kim Kim arranged four events. Christian of Pur Vida led us on a hike through Hanging Bridges and La Fortuna waterfall. He was a little rushed at Hanging Bridges. Overall a B+. Oscar of Monteverde night tours led us on a night hike.Nice job- we actually saw wildlife - A. Carlos of Monteverde Experts led us on a tour of the cloud forrest was exactly that a well spoken expert- A+. Our last experience was a boat ride in a mangrove swamp led by a man from Tuscane tours. He was young and let one patron orchestrate the 2 hour tour. It was very frustrating- grade of C.

Everything that Kim Kim set up went off as planned. They deserve an A+.

Local specialist: Randall Jiménez
Randall
Randall Jiménez
Local specialist in San José, Costa Rica | Reviewed on Jan 27, 2020

Hi David,

Thank you for your review and comments. I am glad that you have enjoyed all the hotels that we arranged for you as well as the activities. I appreciate your feedback about the guides and I will make sure to pass your comments to the tour operators.

We hope to have the chance to welcome you again and organize a new trip in our country in the near future.

All the best,
Randall

My family is a very active bunch and we love ...
Costa Rica | Dec 29 - Jan 5, 2020

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Eve B.
Country Club, FL | Reviewed on Jan 17, 2020

My family is a very active bunch and we love adventure and keeping busy. We certainly had all of this on our vacation. Randall listened to what we wanted, and was easy to contact regarding changes in plans and what we wanted to do. We spent the first half of our trip at La Fortuna and the second half in Manuel Antonio. Our accommodations at Manuel Antonio were fabulous, with outrageous views, helpful staff, spacious for our family of 6. I usually like to plan my own trips, but having Randall took a lot of the load off and it was nice having someone to help out when issues arose.

Local specialist: Randall Jiménez
Randall
Randall Jiménez
Local specialist in San José, Costa Rica | Reviewed on Jan 17, 2020

Hi Eve,

Thank you for your review of the trip and the service that you received from me before and during your vacation. It makes me happy that you have enjoyed your vacation, especially your last nights at Los Altos Preserve in Manuel Antonio, I know it is a gorgeous place to stay.

We hope to have the chance to welcome you and your family again in our country.

Best,
Randall

Costa Rican Adventure
Costa Rica | Dec 31 - Jan 11, 2020

Deb
Deb S.
Anchorage, AK | Reviewed on Jan 16, 2020

I was hesitant about using an online travel agent but Randall was great; arranging and rearranging the schedule and activities as our plans evolved. The trip to Costa Rica was fantastic and is the best vacation I’ve had, ever! There is such a lush concentration of plants and every kind of living thing. Our accommodations were all first rate, we particularly enjoyed the El Establo Hotel at Monteverde. We traveled Jan 1-Jan 13 and enjoyed excellent weather, were never rained on in the... read more

I was hesitant about using an online travel agent but Randall was great; arranging and rearranging the schedule and activities as our plans evolved. The trip to Costa Rica was fantastic and is the best vacation I’ve had, ever! There is such a lush concentration of plants and every kind of living thing. Our accommodations were all first rate, we particularly enjoyed the El Establo Hotel at Monteverde. We traveled Jan 1-Jan 13 and enjoyed excellent weather, were never rained on in the daytime. We had several nature tours and a fab zip line excursion in Monteverde. Check out one of our guides Instagram sites: Jpablo_cruz226. We also visited the Mt Arenal area and a memorable highlight for us was the river cruise on the Rio Frío in the Cano Negro reserve with guide Joudan, who was especially knowledgeable. All the transfers and flights that Randall arranged for us went off without a hitch; we found two of the drivers, Jose and Jorge most helpful and professional. We also had a rented car and adventures driving the winding bumpy roads. If we had been choosing our own vehicle it would have been under powered and wrong for the terrain; but with a good travel agent to help we enjoyed the ride! We also had a cool domestic flight in a teensy plane to round out our transportation experience. It was great to see the ocean, jungle, crop lands, and mountains from a birds eye view. Sansa Air was excellent.

Local specialist: Randall Jiménez
Randall
Randall Jiménez
Local specialist in San José, Costa Rica | Reviewed on Jan 16, 2020

Hi Deb,

Thank you for your feedback, I am glad that we didn't disappoint you with your decision of using a travel agent for the arrangements of your vacation and that you found useful the suggestions that I gave you along the process.

I really enjoyed reading your feedback and the experiences that you had during the different activities that we coordinated and also about the service received from our drivers.

I wish you and your family all the best in this new year and we hope to have the chance to welcome you again in the future.

Best,
Randall

CR Trip
Costa Rica | Dec 29 - Jan 6, 2020

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Shiva J.
Roseville, CA | Reviewed on Jan 13, 2020

Randall, and the crew at KimKim did a great job in arranging a perfect trip to Costa Rica for our family. Randall was great in being flexible, and was accommodate all our requests in terms of the places and itinerary. He was very prompt in responding to the Emails, and providing the requested information.

I was amazed that they were able to pick the hotels that were just perfect for us for the location, for the most part. The hotels in Manuel Antonio (Karahe), MonteVerde (Ficus), and La... read more

Randall, and the crew at KimKim did a great job in arranging a perfect trip to Costa Rica for our family. Randall was great in being flexible, and was accommodate all our requests in terms of the places and itinerary. He was very prompt in responding to the Emails, and providing the requested information.

I was amazed that they were able to pick the hotels that were just perfect for us for the location, for the most part. The hotels in Manuel Antonio (Karahe), MonteVerde (Ficus), and La Fortuna (Montana del fuego) were excellent. The location of the hotel (Sleep Inn) in San Jose makes it a little less desirable for families (I think). Overall, the hotels were great, and their location made it possible to explore the place, find nice local establishments for food (and shopping) pretty easy.

The private transfers from the airport, and between the hotels were really nice. The drivers (Alex from Coast-to-Coast travels, Nelson and Diego from RideCR) were on-time, pointed out local wild-life along the way, and stopped at great fruit stalls, or coffee places when requested. one of the travel companies, RideCR, had Wi-Fi in their vehicles, so that was specially appreciated! Overall, there was a clock-work like quality for the travel arrangements, which was really nice. The car-boat-car transfer from MonteVerde to La Fortuna was a great experience, save the terrible condition of the roads in MonteVerde.

The guides in our tours were very passionate about their country, and what it stands for in the world (in terms of ecology, climate change etc.), and were very informative. Specially want to mention Aaron in Manuel Antonio night walk, Froy on boat trip to Cano Negro, and Horatio in hanging bridges tour in MonteVerde, as they were fantastic. I have to mention, the best meal we had in our entire trip was a home cooked meal on the Cano Negro trip!

The tours we have taken on the trip were ranging from very good to excellent, with a couple of exceptions. The hanging bridges, and canopy tour in MonteVerde was fantastic. Boat trip to Cano Negro was up there, as well as the trip from San Jose to Poas Volcano etc. Night walk in Manuel Antonio was great too. The Kayak trip to Isla Damas was a bit of a let down, and more adventurous (or risky) than imagined. And the night walk in MonteVerde was Okay as there were a lot of people, and not much luck with spotting wild-life on that night.

The early start times (pre-8:00AM) for some of the tours were a little difficult for the night owls of the family, and could have been managed better, in general. Usually, the tour guides pick-up people from various hotels before the tour started, and depending on the hotel, the pick-up time could be really early. It might be better to organize that differently to have a little bit extra time in the mornings for all, for example, by transporting the guests from their hotels to a central location where the tour started or something like that.

Overall, it was an excellent trip. Kudos to the KimKim team for their help and organization.

S.

Local specialist: Randall Jiménez
Randall
Randall Jiménez
Local specialist in San José, Costa Rica | Reviewed on Jan 13, 2020

Hi Shiva,

First of all, thank you for your comments and feedback, I am glad that you and your family had a good time in my country and that you have enjoyed the activities that we organized for you despite of the early pickups some days :)

We hope to have the chance to organize a new adventure for you in the future.

All the best and Pura Vida!

Randall