Brittany McNamara

We used KimKim to book our transport and tours - we took care of the lodging on our own. Brittany and Jessica were both wonderful - and their care really took the concern out the logistics - everything went smoothly and according to plan. Thanks ladies!

Fortuna/Arenal Area
Volcano Hike & The Springs Hot Springs & Meal
Jacamar Naturalist Tours
Giavone Villalobos was our guide for the volcano hike - it was just a low key walk but very, very informative - it wasn't only about the volcano... read more

We used KimKim to book our transport and tours - we took care of the lodging on our own. Brittany and Jessica were both wonderful - and their care really took the concern out the logistics - everything went smoothly and according to plan. Thanks ladies!

Fortuna/Arenal Area
Volcano Hike & The Springs Hot Springs & Meal
Jacamar Naturalist Tours
Giavone Villalobos was our guide for the volcano hike - it was just a low key walk but very, very informative - it wasn't only about the volcano but it was a holistic talk giving the background of how Costa Rica came to be, the social/economic/cultural influences - why the volcano eruption was so important to really kicking of the development of the country as a whole, beautiful hike and great informative background - great way to set the ground work for a trip around the country.

The Springs were nice - but we had to set our own pickup time after being dropped off by Jacamar - we didn't really know, we were picked up at 9:30pm - after arriving around 5pm. If I had a recommendation - it would be to start the hike earlier in the day, spend a couple of more hours at the Springs. Husband and daughter enjoyed the water slide a whole lot - I enjoyed just soaking in the water. But felt rushed to soak, have dinner (dining closes at 9pm) and get picked up. We were unsure how long we could have stayed - still not sure what time the pools close or if we could have stayed until midnight.

Private: Canyoning in the Lost Canyon
Desafio Adventure Company
Rafi and Josea were our guides - it was just the 3 of us plus the 2 guides , and it was wonderful. This was such a fun tour, rappelling down the waterfalls, hiking down the absolutely beautiful creek bed, jumping in the deep pools, Costa Rican tsunami (you have experience it to know what it is) - our 15 yr old daughter said that was a great way to start the trip and she didn't know how anything can beat that tour. There was a large group that went down before us - I cant imagine this would be fun with a large group, private was the way to go. You will be hiking down the Lost Canyon, and you will also have to hike back up - we are a very active family so it was no big deal, but note it is a steep climb out, but its not very long.

Nocturnal Frog Excursion & Traditional Costa Rican Dinner
EcoTerra Costa Rica
This was great, we saw a sloth and her baby, lots of different frogs and birds, and some crazy bullet ants. Our guide - I forgot to write his name - was very, very educated and he told us so much about each species and just the ecology in general, his is working on his thesis with amphibians and fish farming techniques to clean the water. It was a fascinating tour - and the family home the tour is held at is just beautiful and the homemade meal was wonderful. The family also has a gift shop on site with things they make/grow right there. I purchased some peppercorns that we also sampled touring thru the gardens.

Venado Cave Spelunking & Exploring
Desafio Adventure Company
We weren't sure what to expect on this one - but it was so FUN!!! Upon entering the cavern, you are on your hand and knees crawling thru the underground creek and cracks and crevices, climbing thru shafts and under waterfalls. There are some cool spiders (they are BIG) in the cave and lots of little bat families. We climbed thru a shoot, up a rock wall, and down the other side in the cave. We were soaked by the end of the tour - and it was worth it. I love geology - so it was fascinating to me to see the large fossil beds and all of the different calcium carbonate formations and deposits. It was warm in the cave - and they gave us rubber boots and headlamps to wear in the cave.

Monteverde Area
100% Aventura Zip Line
100% Aventura
Its ziplining - what can I say? It was fun - and the 2 really long runs across the canyon are great because you are going thru the mist and the rainbows - but if I had limited time - I would bypass this activity. It was a huge group - and it felt rushed and since you are zipping thru so fast you cant really appreciate much of the amazing scenery - that's just our opinion. If you have never been zipling before - this is worth it.

Self-Guided Hike - Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve
Took a taxi from town to reserve, maybe 10 minute drive $13
We loved this, we didn't know what time we would get back to down after the ziplining - but we were able to catch a cab from Santa Elena - we missed the shuttle that runs regularly. It was sooooo beautiful - we hiked out to the far point, back tracked across the hanging bridge, and then out to the waterfall before returning. We had limited time because of the ziplining - but we could have spent all day here. We also found out they do guided night hikes in the reserve - next time for sure we will do this. Like this reserve because its run by the vo-tech and community - next time we would take a guided walk thru the reserve both night and day - but the reserve closes at 4pm so didnt get to stay as long as we would have liked.

Kinkajou Night Walk Tour - we booked this after getting back to town because it was recommended, we did this outside of KimKim - but I would NOT RECOMMEND. This tour was way too many people, and the guide leading the hike was just pointing to things that they probably spotted before the sunset. I found more critters with my flashlight than the guide - because he was just going from point-to-point (seemed predetermined) instead of shining his light up into the trees or along the bottom of the leaves, especially when we were walking along the creeks. And then - when I would point stuff out, he would call on the walkie talkie to tell the other guides and then big crowds of people would come stomping thru. If there were any creatures there - the volume of people would have scared them away. Then he mis-identified a tree frog species - and jumbled all of his facts up contradicting himself. It was so disappointing - go the Santa Elena reserve and get a night tour there!

Sky Adventures Hanging Bridges
Sky Adventures
We were again, a little skeptical of this because of our ziplining experience and the Kinkajou night walk- nearly cancelled this, but so glad we didn't! Our guide was Elvis, again, he was so educated and we learned so much from him. We happened to go before the clouds blew in for the day, so we got to see the top of the canopy and walk across the hanging bridges and even see the Pacific Ocean from one of the bridges. Elvis was amazing - definitely background in ecology, he was been working here for 6 years and he was able to answer any and all questions - we all said we should have hired Elvis to do a night hike for us!

Manuel Antonio Area
Ocean Kayaking & Snorkeling
Tucanes Tours
This was fun, its an easy kayak trip across the bay - there was no wind or waves. Our guide was fun, and hilarious, the snorkeling was fun, it was a fun way to spend the AM. BUT - if you are looking for impressive snorkeling - this is not it. After snorkeling the reefs in Belize - where you have lots of plants and a large variety of fish species - this was a disappointment. But it was a beautiful day - and the lunch included was very good.

Visit the Indigenous Boruca Tribe
Tucanes Tours
We debated canceling this tour because of the long day of travel the next day, but let me just say - THIS WAS AMAZING - I wish more people would do this tour. Jesus and Douglas were our guide and driver - they were wonderful. It is an all day event - but the drive is beautiful - and you get to see some amazing scenery. If you have flexibility in your schedule, it is well worth it to spend a day learning about these wonderful people. You see the Boruca masks sold around Costa Rica - but going to up to the tribal village where they grow and harvest and hand carve each piece was great. When we arrived, and took a hike with a tribe member down to their sacred water falls, learned their legend of how they came to be, learned about their relationship with nature, their industry, medicinal herbs, how the Boruca masks came to be popular and a way to help sustain their way of life - including a demonstration of the carving and painting process - and then they let us paint masks too - it was fun. We then had a wonderful traditional lunch prepared for us, smoked in the palm leaves - with fresh salads - it was delicious. We then had a demonstration of the plants the tribe uses to die their textiles and weaving into different items. We then got a tour of the museum, set up by they matriarchs of the community and learned some of their legends. Its fun just to learn about and observe the way of life of this indigenous tribe - they were so kind and so welcoming and we learned so much. Bring some cash with you - we purchased the most beautiful mask directly from the craftsman who made it - far superior to the masks they sell across the country. They also have hand woven textiles - unique crafts made by the people and the funds go to them instead of the tourist trap gift shops - something unique and the funds benefit the tribe. We weren't sure our 15 yo daughter would enjoy it - but she said on the way back that it was a great way to end the trip. Plus we still got back with enough time to spend a couple of hours at the beach.

Activity Reviews

Visit the indigenous Boruca tribe

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Volcano Hike & The Springs Hot Springs & Meal

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private: Canyoning in the Lost Canyon

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Nocturnal Frog Excursion & Traditional Costa Rican Dinner

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Venado Cave Spelunking & Exploring

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

100% Aventura Zip Line Monteverde

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

Too many people for my liking

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sky Adventures Hanging Bridges

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ocean Kayaking & Snorkeling in Manuel Antonio

Manuel Antonio

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All of the tours and transportation that she scheduled were prompt and knowledgeable about the area read more

All of the tours and transportation that she scheduled were prompt and knowledgeable about the area

Activity Reviews

Private: Full-Day Guided Birdwatching

Monteverde

Our guide was amazing! Took his time and helped us see some amazing wildlife! He used our phones and spotting scope to get beautiful pictures

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private: Carara National Park Guided Tour

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Costa Rica and are grateful for the planning by KimKim. We had a 3 hour tour of Hanging Bridges and it was fantastic! Loved it! We learned so much and would've missed so much had we walked through by ourselves. Then they recommended the Arenal Whitewater rafting and that was amazing! My husband said it was his favorite thing in Costa Rica. Thank you for your help and especially for Hanging Bridges tour!! read more

We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Costa Rica and are grateful for the planning by KimKim. We had a 3 hour tour of Hanging Bridges and it was fantastic! Loved it! We learned so much and would've missed so much had we walked through by ourselves. Then they recommended the Arenal Whitewater rafting and that was amazing! My husband said it was his favorite thing in Costa Rica. Thank you for your help and especially for Hanging Bridges tour!!

Activity Review

Arenal Hanging Bridges Guided Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

Fantastic guide! Learned so much!! Beautiful!!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide, Cindy, at Bridges was knowledgeable and friendly. Excellent!

1st time with KimKim
Planning the trip with KimKim was a pleasure. We were a bit overwhelmed with what CR has to offer and having someone help us make the most of two weeks there was a life saver.
Selection of activities was excellent - both in terms of number and variety of things to do. Both guides were very responsive and helpful.
Highlights of the trip: Rafting and chocolate tour in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca
Unexpected highlight: Kayaking up the river in PVdT
Can skip: We booked 3... read more

1st time with KimKim
Planning the trip with KimKim was a pleasure. We were a bit overwhelmed with what CR has to offer and having someone help us make the most of two weeks there was a life saver.
Selection of activities was excellent - both in terms of number and variety of things to do. Both guides were very responsive and helpful.
Highlights of the trip: Rafting and chocolate tour in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca
Unexpected highlight: Kayaking up the river in PVdT
Can skip: We booked 3 wildlife tours. Unless you are a big wildlife fan, 1-2 tours is enough

Activity Reviews

Cahuita National Park Excursion

Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

A great kayaking trip up the river. Lot of wildlife, gets very quite after a while (once you are past the howler monkeys)

Quality of Experience

Lot of wildlife in a short time

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guy was often more interested in taking pictures on his own vs letting us get closer to the animals

Transport

on time

Whitewater Rafting on the Balsa River

Arenal/La Fortuna

Excellent! Nice class 3 river with a lot of excitement (but still doable with the kids)

Quality of Experience

Thrill, great guide, great fruits, beautiful nature

Food

delicious fruits!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

David (aka Jesus) was a great captain and guide

Transport

on time

Río Celeste & Tenorio Volcano National Park Guided Rainforest Hike

Arenal/La Fortuna

Beautiful nature, helpful guide. The waterfall is pretty scenic

Quality of Experience

A bit far from La Fortuna (1.5h drive)

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Knowledgeable and helpful

Transport

on time. Be ready for 1.5h drive from La Fortuna

We visited Costa Rica for the first time and spent 9 days in the country. We spent our first night in San Jose and then 2 nights each in Manuel Antonio, Monteverde, La Fortuna and Tamarindo. We wanted to see as much as possible on this trip and we feel like we got to see a lot of different places. Getting to these different places wasn't easy. My wife gets car sick and she really had a rough time on the roads. If I could do it again I would have considered flying from place to place when... read more

We visited Costa Rica for the first time and spent 9 days in the country. We spent our first night in San Jose and then 2 nights each in Manuel Antonio, Monteverde, La Fortuna and Tamarindo. We wanted to see as much as possible on this trip and we feel like we got to see a lot of different places. Getting to these different places wasn't easy. My wife gets car sick and she really had a rough time on the roads. If I could do it again I would have considered flying from place to place when possible. The drive times were all longer than we expected. Most roads were paved but not all. And some roads had many potholes. Even when paved the winding roads made the drives feel extra long. Fortunately our drivers were one of the highlights of our trip. They were all personable and professional. They were excellent drivers and handled the challenging road conditions like true pro's. They were very hospitable. They answered our questions and let us practice our bad Spanish.
All of our guides were wonderful. They were all very knowledgeable and professional and friendly. You can tell they enjoy what they do.

Hotel Reviews

Holiday Inn San Jose Aurola

San José

This hotel wasn't "amazing" but it was fine and served it's purpose. We checked in at 10 at night and were gone the next day by 2. The rooms were dated and drab but everything worked. Great water pressure in the shower. We were hungry when we got in but didn't know where to find food at such a late hour. The person at the front desk let us know that we could order via Uber Eats. 45 minutes later we were eating Chinese food in our room. If he hadn't mentioned it, I'm not sure we would have thought of delivery. The breakfast in the morning was a good mix of hot foods and fruits. The waiter helped us when my wife overcooked her waffle in the waffle maker. The location of the hotel is very convenient to downtown San Jose. They held our bags as we went out to explore the city. Overall a solid choice for 1 night.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Karahe Beach Hotel

Manuel Antonio

We didn't have any hot water on our first night. Of course when the hotel sent someone to check on it the next morning the hot water was working. We had intermittent hot water for the rest of our stay. Besides the hot water, I don't have any complaints about the hotel. The room is simple and comfortable. Our 3rd floor room had a balcony overlooking the gardens. The restaurant served a yummy buffet breakfast. My favorite part of the property was the proximity to the beach. The beach is beautiful and only a few minutes from our room. We saw a sloth perched in the trees at the beach on our last day.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Beach access. 15 minute walk to Manuel Antonio park.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel & Spa Poco a Poco

Monteverde Costa Rica

This is a beautiful property. The landscaping is beautiful with a garden and walking trail. Didn't get to use the heated pool or hot tub but it looked like the perfect way to finish a long day. The rooms were modern and comfortable. Great shower water pressure. The front desk staff, especially Lilly, was very helpful and hospitable. The restaurant had a yummy ala carte style breakfast in the morning. My only complaint is that with high winds during our stay, the branches from the trees kept hitting the roof above our room making it very difficult to sleep. We should have said something after the first night. If you're on the 4th floor make sure the tree branches are clear of the roof.

Authenticity & Character

Simple and stylish

Location

Right across the street from a shopping plaza that includes a supermarket and several restaurants

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Paradise Hot Springs Resort

La Fortuna

Fantastic hotel. The combination of the various hot spring pools, surrounding vegetation and the view of the mountains made this property really impressive. I think there was 7 or 8 different pools/hot tubs to enjoy. My favorite part was the view of the pasture and mountain from the coffee shop. The property feels luxurious and natural at the same time. The breakfast buffet at the restaurant was my favorite breakfast of all the hotels we stayed at. Good selection of hot breakfast food and all the fruits you could want. The rooms were modern, spacious and comfortable. Staff was friendly. Kenneth helped us schedule a taxi and make a dinner reservation on our first night.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Beautiful location but not very walkable. Must taxi or drive to town or restaurants.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Pasatiempo

Tamarindo

We got to stay in the Villa. It was basically a one bedroom house with a full kitchen and living room and nice covered patio section. When we were escorted to the villa the sofa bed in the living room looked like it had been used and not cleaned and a coffee cup was in the sink. The hotel employee assisting us had somebody come and makeup the sofa while we were out at lunch. Not a huge deal but not a great first impression either. The shower water pressure was weak. The property is full of trees and animals. We saw an Iguana, monkeys, squirrels, lizards and cats. The breakfast was served a la carte and was delicious. The restaurant staff was very friendly. The pool was simple but very relaxing. Live music sounded good too.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walking distance to beach and all you need in Tamarindo. Right across the street from a supermarket and ATM. Many restaurants within walking distance.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Damas Island Kayaking

Manuel Antonio

This was a very peaceful and relaxing activity. Albi, our guide was very friendly and did a good job explaining the ecosystem. We saw a monkey, a tiger heron, a kingfisher and a Black Iguana. We kayaked for about 90 minutes. The kayaking was easy and we saw a few other guides doing tours at the same time. We then were taken to a restaurant for a small breakfast and then transported back to the hotel. We had hoped to see more animals but we still enjoyed our experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Night Walk: Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve

Monteverde

We were in a group of 6. Our guide Andre was very knowledgeable and showed us many things we would never have seen on our. We saw a tarantula, glowing mushroom, several sleeping birds, lizards and opossums. I thought we would see bigger animals but I was wrong.

Quality of Experience

Our guide was great.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Backroad Mountain Biking Around Lake Arenal

Arenal/La Fortuna

Our guide, Otto was fantastic. We were the only 2 on the tour. Otto had great energy and was so nice. The bike ride lasted about 90 minutes. You bike the road around Lake Arenal. We saw birds, cows, horses. Lots of farmland and great views of the lake. Otto even stopped on the way out of town to show us a sloth. Biking was a fun way to experience the area and get some exercise. After the ride Otto cut up a pineapple for us to snack on. And on the way back to the hotel Otto serenaded us with romantic ballad in Spanish.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tamarindo Turtle Nesting Tour (Seasonal)

Costa Rica

There were 21 of us on this tour, by far our most crowded tour of the trip. The ride to the beach took an hour and then it was a 20 minute walk to the beach. We waited for over an hour while our guide scouted the beach for turtles. There was only one turtle on the beach that night. We were able to observe the turtle nesting and laying it s eggs.

Quality of Experience

It felt a little unorganized when we got to the beach but really we were just sitting and waiting for turtles. The group also felt too big for one single guide.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Where do I begin! It was such a wonderful experience from start to finish, and our specialists were extremely helpful along the way. We changed our mind on the itinerary a couple of times, but were met with patience and professionalism at all times. I actually ended up booking a different hotel through my work after booking, so we were able to book a different tour instead which was great! Okay, so down to the nitty gritty:

Days 1-5: La Fortuna

We were picked up by our lovely drivers,... read more

Where do I begin! It was such a wonderful experience from start to finish, and our specialists were extremely helpful along the way. We changed our mind on the itinerary a couple of times, but were met with patience and professionalism at all times. I actually ended up booking a different hotel through my work after booking, so we were able to book a different tour instead which was great! Okay, so down to the nitty gritty:

Days 1-5: La Fortuna

We were picked up by our lovely drivers, who I wish I could remember the names of as we met so many amazing people - I really should have written it all down! They made great conversation for the long drive from Liberia, and got us there safely. Our hotel, Brisas Arenal, was unreal. Our room was clean, the beds comfortable, but the best part was the outdoor patio with hammock overlooking the volcano and surrounded by jungle. We booked the Arenal Hanging Bridges and Tabacon Hot Springs & Dinner tour. Alonso was our tour guide and it was so fun! Tabacon is an absolute must and the dinner was delicious. This might have been my favourite tour of the trip. We also did the Sloth and Bird walk, which was the only time we saw sloths thanks to Jose! We saw 4 and he was apologetic that we didn't see more, but he didn't need to be. We were so happy - and we even saw some poison dart frogs that we definitely would not have seen without a guide!

Day 5-8: Monteverde

This was where we switched up the hotel, so we actually didn't book it through Kimkim, but they arranged the transportation from La Fortuna and it was an exhilarating experience! The boat ride across Lake Arenal was lovely. It was my least favourite bus ride (very terrible road conditions and uncomfortable seats), but I would not have travelled there any other way. The scenery through the mountains was incredible! I could not keep my eyes away from the window as those views - wow. Our first day was spent doing the chocolate, coffee and sugar cane tour and it was very informative! You can tell the guide truly enjoys what he does and it was great to learn all the process of how these things are made and produced, along with the rich history.

Day 8-12: Nosara

My favourite place and hotel of the whole trip! Another adventure on the road as the last hour or so is on dirt roads, and all the roads in Nosara are dirt roads which makes it an even more special place. We checked into the Hotel Guiones (formely the Gardens hotel), and was greeted by Specialle, who was lovely and recommended great restaurants and things to do. We did not book any excursions as we wanted to relax on the beach and just enjoy the end of our trip with no place we had to be. The hotel was a 6 minute walk to the beach, so you can surf every morning! We made use of their outdoor yoga pad. The rooms was surrounded by tropical plants and the sound of howler monkeys in the morning. While swaying on the hammock, you can hear the iguanas pitter pattering on the roof. The pool was an excellent addition on the hot afternoons, and the bar, El Local, made the best Chiliguaros that we enjoyed our last night! I will definitely be here again.

This truly was a trip of the lifetime, and I am so grateful to Brittany and those who made it so special. We could not have done it without them!

Hotel Reviews

Brisas del Arenal

Alajuela Province, La Fortuna

Our room was clean, the beds comfortable, but the best part was the outdoor patio with hammock overlooking the volcano and surrounded by jungle. Just a short taxi into the town for meals, but we did have a couple dinners at the restaurant on side, which we very much enjoyed.

Authenticity & Character

Location

amazing view of the volcano, even with cloud cover

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Senda Monteverde Boutique Hotel

Monteverde

Senda is a short 10 minute walk into town, however I should add that the way back is all uphill! They had wonderful activities on site, we took advantage of an afternoon yoga class after a long hike. Amazing breakfast and cocktails.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Guiones (Formerly The Gardens Hotel)

Nosara

My favourite place hotel of the whole trip! We were greeted by Specialle, who was lovely and recommended great restaurants and things to do. She recommended we book a paddling tour of the mangrove, which we did and so glad we did! We made use of their outdoor yoga pad which included all the mats and blocks. The rooms was surrounded by tropical plants and the sound of howler monkeys in the morning. While swaying on the hammock, you can hear the iguanas pitter pattering on the roof. The pool was an excellent addition on the hot afternoons, and the bar, El Local, made the best Chiliguaros that we enjoyed our last night! I will definitely be here again.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

I wanted to Surf for maybe an hour the very last morning, and Jorge helped with the board the night before. Thank you!!! And the restaurant staff - amazing.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Sloth & Bird Hike

Arenal/La Fortuna

This was the only time we saw sloths the whole thanks to Jose! We saw 4 and he was apologetic that we didn't see more, but he didn't need to be. We were so happy - and we even saw some poison dart frogs that we definitely would not have seen without a guide! He dropped us off in town after so we could explore the shops and restaurants.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coffee, Chocolate and Sugar Cane Experience

Monteverde

Our first day was spent doing the chocolate, coffee and sugar cane tour and it was very informative! You can tell the guide truly enjoys what he does and it was great to learn all the process of how these things are made and produced, along with the rich history.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Hanging Bridges Guided Walk & Tabacon Hot Springs & Meal

Arenal/La Fortuna

Alonso was our tour guide and it was so fun! Saw a lot of wild life and he was very knowledgeable about the area. Tabacon is an absolute must and the dinner was delicious. This might have been my favourite tour of the trip.

Quality of Experience

Food

The ceviche was unreal and beef tenderloin - amazing

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I had planned my trip to Costa Rica for February, but it had to be rescheduled for November. It was a great relief that the KimKim team assisted me and made all the changes easily and smoothly from the beginning until the end :).

My partner and I had an amazing time in Costa Rica! The whole trip was on-point, without any issues with the activities and transportation within the country (which was my biggest concern, since the roads are tricky to navigate). We arrived in San José and... read more

I had planned my trip to Costa Rica for February, but it had to be rescheduled for November. It was a great relief that the KimKim team assisted me and made all the changes easily and smoothly from the beginning until the end :).

My partner and I had an amazing time in Costa Rica! The whole trip was on-point, without any issues with the activities and transportation within the country (which was my biggest concern, since the roads are tricky to navigate). We arrived in San José and initiated the adventure in La Fortuna (which was one of my favorite places), then Monteverde, and finished in Manuel Antonio/Quepos.

Despite some rainy days, we had a fantastic time and all the activities were wonderful! I especially enjoyed La Fortuna Waterfall and Hanging Bridges Walk with Jacamar tours, in Monteverde the Cloud Forest Hike with Ocotea Tours was phenomenal <3. And if you're going to Quepos or Manuel Antonio, I'd recommend the Catamaran tour as well!
All the hotels that we booked were downtown so it was easy to walk to restaurants, shops, cafés, etc. But there are some great hotels in all towns if you're planning to have more chill and private time.

My only advice would be to check all locations in advance and maybe avoid traveling during the heavy rainy season since some roads get blocked and the distances are not that close between each town (ie. from La Fortuna - Monteverde there's a big hill to travel even if you're taking the shuttle).

Overall, it was a great experience because it made planning the trip a hundred times easier and we got great recommendations from drivers, tour guides, and locals. I'd definitely use KimKim in my next travel adventure! :)

Hotel Reviews

Arco Iris Lodge

Santa Elena

Great location in the downtown area. Easy access to restaurants, cafés, and shops. Super quiet and comfortable place. It feels like you're in the middle of the forest, but with an on-point location!

Authenticity & Character

Loved that is surrounded by nature and monkeys!

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Fortuna Downtown Boutique Hotel

La Fortuna San Carlos

Amazing location super close to all restaurants, cafés, and shops. Easy to walk around the area as well and found the best pizza nearby! The staff is super welcoming and helpful. The rooms are a bit small, but the bed is very comfortable and it's a great place to stay if you're planning on moving around the area.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Best Western Hotel & Casino Kamuk

Quepos

Rooms are big, comfortable and with much light! The staff is great and super helpful! Very close to the Marina and restaurants (also if you're into CrossFit there's a box nearby) ;) My only issue was the the wifi was a bit slow and not very powerful in the rooms, other than that it's a good place to stay!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Holiday Inn Express San Jose Airport

Alajuela

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve Guided Hike

Monteverde

Loved the tour! 10/10 recommended! Our guide was super knowledgeable and we learned a lot! <3

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coffee Experience and Nighttime Nature Walk

Monteverde

Would recommend the tour because the guide was super helpful and knowledgeable, but would check the weather if you're planning on taking the nature walk at night. Unfortunately, heavy rain doesn't let you see much. Other than that, I learned a lot about coffee :)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Hanging Bridges Guided Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

Loved it! Got to see monkeys, birds, and some other cool flora and fauna! 10/10 would recommend Jacamar tours. A must for taking great pictures ;)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Catamaran Adventure from Manuel Antonio with Meal

Manuel Antonio

Great tour and staff. The food was delicious as well. The whole tour took around 3 hours, but it was probably because of the weather conditions that didn't allow us to stay longer.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Timing

Thank you so much for making the trip a wonderful adventure!
Everything was simple and easy thanks to the efforts of Brittany and the KimKim team to arrange all the travel details and transport.

Thanks !!

Top notch!
We went to Costa Rica for 6 nights, no hiccups, everything was great. The local tour guides were aways helpful and friendly. Kimkim chose great companies to work with.
The activities we did always met and surpassed our expectations.

P.S. if you fly into Liberia, I would recommend using Adobe car rental, they are super friendly and have a shuttle from the airport to their HQ. When you walk out of the airport you will be greeted by your shuttle driver holding a Adobe... read more

Top notch!
We went to Costa Rica for 6 nights, no hiccups, everything was great. The local tour guides were aways helpful and friendly. Kimkim chose great companies to work with.
The activities we did always met and surpassed our expectations.

P.S. if you fly into Liberia, I would recommend using Adobe car rental, they are super friendly and have a shuttle from the airport to their HQ. When you walk out of the airport you will be greeted by your shuttle driver holding a Adobe sign.
Don't pay attention to any other companies there or anyone in the airport.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Kokoro Mineral Hot Springs

La Fortuna

Hotel Pasatiempo

Tamarindo

Activity Reviews

Coffee & Chocolate Experience

Arenal/La Fortuna

Sky Adventures Zip Lines & Hanging Bridges Guided Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

Sunset Cruise with Wine & Cheese on Lake Arenal

Arenal/La Fortuna

Sloth Observation - Day or Night Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

Catamaran Sailing Adventure

Costa Rica

Rincón de la Vieja Full Day with Hot Springs Visits

Costa Rica

Snorkeling at the Catalina Islands

Costa Rica

I had such an amazing trip! Tortuguero was beautiful. Staying in the rainforest and seeing all kinds of wildlife was so great. I saw so many sloths I lost count! Watching the sea turtles lay eggs on the beach was life changing. I could’ve stayed there for my entire trip, but I am also so glad I visited Puerto Viejo and San Jose. All of the tour guides and drivers arranged for my trip were knowledgeable and friendly. As a female solo traveler I was nervous for my first experience going alone,... read more

I had such an amazing trip! Tortuguero was beautiful. Staying in the rainforest and seeing all kinds of wildlife was so great. I saw so many sloths I lost count! Watching the sea turtles lay eggs on the beach was life changing. I could’ve stayed there for my entire trip, but I am also so glad I visited Puerto Viejo and San Jose. All of the tour guides and drivers arranged for my trip were knowledgeable and friendly. As a female solo traveler I was nervous for my first experience going alone, but Brittany and Ryan- my kimkim specialists were so helpful in the planning and coordination. Everything was seamless!

Hotel Reviews

Autentico Hotel

San Jose

Nice and clean, staff were great. Location is good but not quite close enough to walk to downtown area.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Banana Azul

Limón, Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

Great hotel. Clean and comfortable rooms, friendly staff, and great food. Some rooms are right above the dining area so they don’t feel very private. The beach is beautiful and they offer food and drinks from the beach. Location for me was perfect but it is not close to the town of Puerto Viejo, you would need a taxi or tuktuk to get there.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Balmoral

San José

Worked for what I needed but not worth the money. Location is great, right downtown. Not very clean or comfortable. Lots of people up making noise after the bars. Can hear everything from your room. Didn’t have the food.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Evergreen Lodge

Tortuguero

Amazing place to stay, right in the middle of the rainforest. Staff was super friendly. Activities were amazing, and coordinated well. Food was good, however you are forced to eat at specific times and found myself wanting to eat when food was not being served. Also, since you are secluded and can only get to places by boat, you can’t just go find a place to buy snacks.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Tour: Kayak Adventure & Rainforest Hike in Punta Uva

Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

Highly recommend, especially as a private tour. My guide Rodrigo was great. Super knowledgeable and shared a perceptive of how traveling impacts small communities.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Boat Tour Through the Tortuguero Canals

Tortuguero

I was part of a small group for this tour and couldn’t have been happier. Our tour guide, Noel, was amazing. He was pointing out so many animals on this trip that I could barely keep track. The area is absolutely beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tortuguero Village Visit

Tortuguero

I loved the town. I would’ve liked to have been able to travel here by myself to grab food or drinks, but unfortunately since it is part of your hotel stay you can’t just make arrangements and have to go when they arrange it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Costa Rican Culture & Cuisine – Nighttime Guided Walk in San José

San José

Had an amazing tour guide, Luc. She was really knowledgeable about the city, the history of Costa Rica, and even took me by some amazing art when I mentioned I had a teen son at home who loved graffiti, so that I could take pictures to send to him. I learned so much more than just talking about food, it was great!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Had a very good trip to Costa Rica. If you're interested in wildlife viewing above almost everything else, I would greatly recommend spending a lot of time in La Fortuna. I myself brought my 600mm telephoto lens and had a blast with the very colorful wildlife of the area!

I'm terrible with names–but the bird watching and night walk I had on the same day with the same guide from EcoTerra Costa Rica were stellar. For sloths, having a guide is a must–these things are almost invisible to the... read more

Had a very good trip to Costa Rica. If you're interested in wildlife viewing above almost everything else, I would greatly recommend spending a lot of time in La Fortuna. I myself brought my 600mm telephoto lens and had a blast with the very colorful wildlife of the area!

I'm terrible with names–but the bird watching and night walk I had on the same day with the same guide from EcoTerra Costa Rica were stellar. For sloths, having a guide is a must–these things are almost invisible to the untrained eye.

The Danaus Eco-Center in La Fortuna was one of my favorite places to go to. I could barely say a word of Spanish, but the person attending the butterflies was excited to show them to me anyway. The area is very well maintained and I probably spent upwards of 4 hours on the tiny trail! (I was going _very_ slowly, almost obsessively slowly, so YMMV if that's not your thing.)

For wildlife viewing, I found that the Los Lagos resort was an excellent place to stay at. The resort property is huge and there's trails and nature areas that you can walk to freely with quite decent animals to spot.

If I had to do this trip again, I would spend less time in Tamarindo and more time surfing there. The surf lesson with Kurt from Iguana Surf, my first, was very successful and I'd love to do it again!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Presidente San Jose City Center

San José

Stayed only one night. Hotel was perfectly decent, except that the drawers in my room would spontaneously open? A mere curiosity more than an annoyance.

Authenticity & Character

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Los Lagos Spa & Resort

Fortuna

Not incredibly expensive and very fun to stay at. Cool little wildlife installations around the main resort. Big plot of land that has a lot of exploration opportunities. Food at the resort restaurant is priced similarly to US restaurants, while food in La Fortuna proper is distinctly cheaper. If you go without a car, the resort restaurant ends up being cheaper because of transportation costs.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Don't leave doors open at night or a ton of bugs will get into your room.

Hotel Mahayana

Tamarindo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Tamarindo is fairly small, the Mahayana is a 10ish minute walk to the beach. Some hotels, including many of the more expensive ones, are more remote.

Staff

The two hotel tenders were extremely personable and eager to ensure that we had a good stay.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Whitewater Rafting on the Balsa River

Arenal/La Fortuna

The guide was fun and the river was refreshing. We got wet!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Roads are rough at the moment.

Palo Verde National Park Boat Tour

Costa Rica

We saw several cool animals, but in the end we missed several 'poster animals' (although I might have had my hopes a little too high). The second part with the artisanal village was a lot more interesting than I expected.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Given that this is a wildlife tour, it was fun that the bus was willing to stop on the route to point to various Costa Rican animals.

Sloth & Bird Hike

Arenal/La Fortuna

We were able to spot 5 or 6 sloths during our walk. I wouldn't have seen a single one on my own without a guide as these animals camouflage very well, so make sure that you go with one. The wooden area houses some number of toucans, although in terms of sheer diversity, the best spot is at the feeders at the start of the hike. Tons of various tanagers and honeycreepers and great Kiskadees and other birds.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Birdwatching in Arenal Mundo Aventura Park

Arenal/La Fortuna

Beautiful birds! My guide was knowledgeable with bird identification. The area, Mundo Aventura Park, was a good location for birds, especially as the tour is allowed to begin before the park normally opens for visitors.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ryan and Brittany were great, always in communication during both planning of trip, as it reached closer to dates of departure to Costa Rica and when I reached out during my visit to Costa Rica. We had a mix of beach, rainforests and volcanoes - I wouldn't of changed it a bit. I highly recommend KimKim, they are a A+ in my book. Thanks KimKim. read more

Ryan and Brittany were great, always in communication during both planning of trip, as it reached closer to dates of departure to Costa Rica and when I reached out during my visit to Costa Rica. We had a mix of beach, rainforests and volcanoes - I wouldn't of changed it a bit. I highly recommend KimKim, they are a A+ in my book. Thanks KimKim.

Hotel Reviews

Hampton Inn & Suites San Jose Airport

Alajuela

Hotel Arenal Country Inn

Fortuna

Not my favorite, very dated and rustic. Rooms were tiny.

Hotel & Spa Poco a Poco

Monteverde Costa Rica

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Karahe Beach Hotel

Manuel Antonio

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Arenal Hanging Bridges Guided Walk & EcoTermales Hot Springs & Meal

Arenal/La Fortuna

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Nature Hike

Manuel Antonio

Right from the start KimKim were just so amazing, Brittany really took the time to go back and forth and help us design our perfect holiday. She helped us with activities and with budgets, it made the process fun and easy. Once we were on holiday, we had delays and cancellations with our flights, KimKim were great here as well. Ryan called us on the phone and helped organise new transfers at our destination and kept in touch the whole time to help us out. It really went above and beyond. The... read more

Right from the start KimKim were just so amazing, Brittany really took the time to go back and forth and help us design our perfect holiday. She helped us with activities and with budgets, it made the process fun and easy. Once we were on holiday, we had delays and cancellations with our flights, KimKim were great here as well. Ryan called us on the phone and helped organise new transfers at our destination and kept in touch the whole time to help us out. It really went above and beyond. The level of care and consideration was beyond expectations and we will definitely be using KimKim again as we had such a fantastic time. We had some fantastic guides and met some great local people as a result of our activities and accommodations. La Baula Lodge was outstanding in its service, I would definitely recommend anyone stay there in Tortuguero. Charlie and Andrea felt like friends after our stay there. Shana Hotel in Manuel Antonio was brilliant as well, and the amount of sloths we saw at the national park was mindblowing. We loved every second of the trip and wish we had stayed another week. Thank you so much to the KimKim team for all your help!

Hotel Reviews

Lavas Tacotal

Fortuna, San Carlos

The grounds of the hotel are just gorgeous. The staff are really friendly and breakfast was good. We had a gorgeous room with a volcano view, very comfortable bed and a jacuzzi bath.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Great views of volcano, there's a shop and restaurant nearby. Uber works well to get around here.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Suites & Villas Calathea

Monteverde

The rooms had a musty smell, a lot of humidity and that affected our stay quite a bit. The staff were really nice but management present a long list of rules that are a bit over the top. I'd probably recommend finding a different hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Shana By the Beach Resort

Manuel Antonio

Fantastic hotel, great facilities and lovely atmosphere. I'd recommend an ocean view room. It was spectacular watching the sun go down from our balcony. There's a private beach that's great to spend the day on (just take cash). I'd really recommend staying here.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Baula Lodge

Tortuguero

The staff here are so lovely! The food served is amazing and the location is beautiful. This was such a great place to stay and I couldn't recommend it highly enough!

Authenticity & Character

Charming and authentic

Location

Sitting by the water on rocking chairs was so peaceful.

Staff

Charlie and Andrea became like friends, such wonderful people.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Always clean, but you do get what you pay for and it is not luxury, but it is comfortable!

Activity Reviews

Guided Night Hike

Tortuguero

Mau was a great guide. This was fun, informative and entertaining.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Canoeing the Tortuguero Canals

Tortuguero

Fantastic experience, we saw so much wildlife and our guide Mau was great!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Volcano Hike & Tabacon Hot Springs & Meal

Arenal/La Fortuna

The hike itself was a bit disappointing. The views were spectacular but our guide didn't show us any wildlife and we were hoping for more of that, he did not know a lot about the volcano itself which was interesting. The hot springs are amazing! They were a highlight of the trip!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sky Adventures: Tram, Zip Lines & Hanging Bridges

Monteverde

Fantastic! I was a bit scared but the staff know what they're doing and it was an experience of a lifetime!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Monteverde Cloud Forest Guided Hike

Monteverde

This was speculator. So beautiful and the guide was lovely!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Nature Hike

Manuel Antonio

The park is so beautiful and there are so many sloths!! The beaches are stunning! Our guide Danny was great, such a lovely man.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an incredible time traveling with our children to Costa Rica. The accommodations were incredible places we wouldn’t have been able to find in our own and the transport was so seamless. We are so thankful for our amazing time. read more

We had an incredible time traveling with our children to Costa Rica. The accommodations were incredible places we wouldn’t have been able to find in our own and the transport was so seamless. We are so thankful for our amazing time.

Wow! Back when we were younger, we used to put everything together ourselves when we traveled but this time we were traveling with another family and did not want to drive ourselves around. We also didn't have time to do all the research that we used to have before kids. Brittany and KimKim made this trip possible.

Brittany and her team was fantastic and patient when it came to answering our questions. The website interface was pretty good and intuitive, though there was a bug where... read more

Wow! Back when we were younger, we used to put everything together ourselves when we traveled but this time we were traveling with another family and did not want to drive ourselves around. We also didn't have time to do all the research that we used to have before kids. Brittany and KimKim made this trip possible.

Brittany and her team was fantastic and patient when it came to answering our questions. The website interface was pretty good and intuitive, though there was a bug where the changes I made to the schedule wouldn't "stick." Brittany found a workaround quickly. When we made scheduling choices that wouldn't work given the rain season, we got good advice for making better choices.

Because I had never used KimKim before, I did a bit of homework to check the KimKim prices vs. the prices offered by the tours on their own websites. In some cases, the tours were less expensive through KimKim, some the same price, and some about $10 more, but absolutely worth it to not have to do the coordinating ourselves. All in all, it would have cost us about the same to do it ourselves but it would have taken us a lot more time to do it ourselves.

KimKim offered many price points for accommodations except for the last location, since it was the most expensive area and not a fault of KimKim. Since we paid so little for accommodation earlier, we were able to splurge for this last location. Even with the lowest-priced accommodation, the splurge was luxurious and worth every penny. We never, ever would have booked a resort in the past but this was really great for families.

Every tour operator, driver, and guide that KimKim worked with were helpful, punctual, flexible, knowledgeable, and phenomenal. There was only one tour guide we didn't think was exceptional and that was the only tour guide that KimKim wasn't responsible for booking. I am looking forward to working with them again!

Hotel Reviews

Parador Resort and Spa

Manuel Antonio

We don't usually spring for resorts but it was the most reasonably priced option that we saw. I'm glad we did it! The rooms were immaculate and top-notch. Reception and guest services was super helpful for a huge variety of questions. Breakfast was great. Pool is great. Staff are great. Kids loved the pool table. It was generally very kid friendly. We saw a sloth on our first day!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Kokoro Mineral Hot Springs

La Fortuna

I was glad to be isolated from the busy town. The trees and view of the volcano are magnificent. Even on our first day, we saw so many different birds and wildlife! The pool and the springs were a hit with the kids. The delicious food in the restaurant was very reasonably priced and my kid won't stop talking about their fish fingers. The staff is super helpful and flexible, and was always helpful with tours and accommodations. They even made to-go breakfasts for us in the mornings we'd leave too early for the included breakfasts! I appreciated the opportunity to have laundry done for about $8. The rooms were spacious and simple, but we didn't need more than that. It was great!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arco Iris Lodge

Santa Elena

We saw lots of critters here! Monkeys, agouti, and the resident dogs and cat are a hoot. Great location right in town and close to restaurants (we liked Legado Monteverde, esp. the seafood plancha with Peruvian sauce). Breakfast buffet was delicious and varied. The rooms were clean and thoughtfully laid-out. Our suite was perfect for a family. Lots of hanging hammock chairs for the kids to mess around outside. Staff was helpful, especially Laura. Highly recommend!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Horseback Riding Costa Rica - All Day Cowboy Ride

Monteverde

Wow! We have done a bunch of riding tours in other places so I was expecting more of the same, but just for longer. We signed up for the whole day and I am so grateful! We learned a ton from Marvin about horses and it is so clear he loves them. They are so cared for and responsive, the easiest horse I have ever ridden—speaking as someone who only does 1-2 hour trail rides with a lifetime total of 10 rides and doesn’t consider themself a rider. Our kids have probably done 5 lifetime rides and they did great. I enjoyed the western style of riding (felt easier on my knees) and the horses didn’t have to wear bits. Marvin had lots of gentle and useful reminders for riding, and his English is much better than he gives himself credit for. The scenery was phenomenal and easier to absorb than on a zip line. The lunch was delicious and filling, nicely accounting for our pescatarian diets. We had time for the kids to scramble around and in a stream and the number of butterflies we saw verged on ridiculous. We were on the horses for almost 5 hours and we will be sore tomorrow for sure but everyone agrees it was worth it, even the kids. Advice? He will provide ponchos if you don’t have any (rain jackets are insufficient for keeping the saddles dry) and you don’t need to bring water because he will pack it. Bring stuff you can wear into the stream, or at least enough to stick your legs in. I probably should have worn jeans but I wanted to pack light, oops. I don’t wear contacts often but did for this trip and I am glad because some parts were very bumpy and my glasses would have fallen off. Definitely a highlight of our trip and we won’t ever forget this!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Venado Cave Spelunking & Exploring

Arenal/La Fortuna

We've been on lava tube tours and other limestone cave tours in the US but this one blew them all away! Part of this was the structure of the tour and the cave setting (no guided trails) but a huge part of this was our guide. Marcus knew so, so much about everything. Seriously, I don't know if he has an advanced biology or botany degree or what. We mentioned not having seen a sloth yet (we were only 2 days into our trip) and not 3 minutes after we mentioned this, he located a sloth in the trees on the way there! He stopped the van, got us all out to look with his monocular telescope, let us ask questions and take photos, loaded us back into the van, and then found another one! That was even before we got to the cave. Marcus was great with our varying ranges of ages, fitness, and confidence going into this amazing adventure. We learned so much about the critters and the geology. He was encouraging and friendly, patient and passionate. We did this early in the trip and we knew right afterwards that topping this experience would be hard!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I was honesty very skeptical about using KimKim because I simply discovered it while researching online but I could not have been more pleased! Everything worked out perfectly. All of our stays were amazing. The drivers were excellent and never late. I highly recommend them. read more

I was honesty very skeptical about using KimKim because I simply discovered it while researching online but I could not have been more pleased! Everything worked out perfectly. All of our stays were amazing. The drivers were excellent and never late. I highly recommend them.

KimKim.com made planning my trip to Costa Rica easy. The service was excellent. I received messages from Brittany and Ryan every step of the way. If I had a question, they had an answer for me within the day. In addition, the ability to select locations, activities, and hotels ala carte made planning more personal. Activities were a combination of group and individual choices. Hotel selections included three- to five-star aminities.

Thank you so much, Kimkim.com, for helping me create a wonderful trip!!!

We have always wanted to visit Costa Rica to see the amazing animals in their natural habitate. However, we just didn't have the time and energy to plan a big two-week trip. Reading endless reviews for many tours and deciding on which region/city to visit. So, we decided to use a travel agency for the trip planning. I found Kimkim from online searches and liked the fact that until the trip is finalized to my liking, we don't need to pay for anything. Brittany was amazing in getting exactly... read more

We have always wanted to visit Costa Rica to see the amazing animals in their natural habitate. However, we just didn't have the time and energy to plan a big two-week trip. Reading endless reviews for many tours and deciding on which region/city to visit. So, we decided to use a travel agency for the trip planning. I found Kimkim from online searches and liked the fact that until the trip is finalized to my liking, we don't need to pay for anything. Brittany was amazing in getting exactly what we were looking for. We only had to book our own flights, and the rest was handled by her. We were a little worried if a driver or tour guide wouldn't show up as we had scheduled before we went on the trip. As Brittany had told us that hasn't happened yet, they were all on time and even arrived earlier than us. We had 0 incidents of any issue with the drivers and tours. They were all very professional and knowledgable! We had a problem with one of the hotels mistakenly charged us at the checkout. I contacted Brittany and Kimkim's emergency phone number and got a response in 10 minutes! They even handled sorting out everything with the hotel after we left Costa Rica. I am really happy that we chose to work with Kimkim for this trip. Otherwise, we would have to spend so much time on our own to plan for the trip and still not know if things would work out. We would have definitely had a lot of hassle to have to deal with correcting the mistake of the hotel charges on our own. I would highly recommend Kimkim to anyone who is planning on a bigger trip to a country that they are not familiar with, or just don't have the time to plan the trip themselves, or don't want to risk having things go wrong on your trip.

Hotel Reviews

W Costa Rica - Reserva Conchal

Guanacaste

High-end hotel. The food is pretty good, but pricey. We had all inclusive packages, so we didn’t have to worry about the price. Their sushi is not that great though. Best of this hotel is that you get to see the howler monkeys and coatis and other creatures close up. We took several tours to see wildlife and actually saw the howler monkeys most close up right on the trails of this hotel. It also has a nice beach. You can check out kayaks, body boards. There are also local tour vendors on the beach by the hotel, so you could do horseback riding, ATV type of things on your own. I would recommend this hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

We didn't like the person at the checkout. Other people were great.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Baldi Hot Springs Resort & Spa

Fortuna

I like the hot spring pools and the location of the hotel. The staff is great here too. The rooms are very nice as well. The thing we don't like about this hotel is the food is not great. Breakfast was included and it was pretty good. Lunch and dinner here in their restaurants are not great. We especially didn't like their Italian restaurant food. The dinner buffet was ok ($20/person, kids has a discount) for up to two times there. Then it gets pretty boring.

Authenticity & Character

pools are pretty nice

Location

close to hotsprings

Staff

very friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

very clean

Activity Reviews

Sloth Observation - Day or Night Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

Great fun doing the night tour. Got to see creatures that are active at night. If you haven't done a night tour before, I would highly recommend it. Our tour guide was super knowledgeable and fun too.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Proyecto Asis Wildlife Rehabilitation Center - Volunteer Experience

Arenal/La Fortuna

Got to see animals close up and learned a lot. The guide was fun and had a lot of stories to tell. We also did hands-on food preparation (cutting veges) and making fun fodd containers, and then saw them enjoy our prepared food. Kids loved it especially.

Quality of Experience

Food

There was water, coffee and cookies served.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tamarindo Mangrove & Estuary Boat Tour

Gulf of Papagayo

The guide was nice, but there were hardly any animals we saw. I know there is a lot of luck envolved in these nature tours. It was fun seeing mangroves and monkeys though. We were able to see monkeys close up on our hotel's campus later. So if you want to see monkeys, I would still recommend this tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Venado Cave Spelunking & Exploring

Arenal/La Fortuna

Love this one! How often do you get to explore 15-million year old caves! I wrote a google review for this too. Highly recommend doing it at least once in your life.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Catamaran Sailing Adventure

Costa Rica

The water wasn't clear so we couldn't see any fish. It was fun being on the catamaran, but we've done it a number of times before. We saw one sea turtle on this tour. If you have done catamaran at other places, I would just skip this one.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Hanging Bridges Guided Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

A very easy walk in a well maintained park. Saw a lot of monkeys there. The guides were very knowledgeable. I would recommend this one!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chocolate Farm Visit & Workshop

Arenal/La Fortuna

I personally liked this low key tour. My kids also liked it. There is no factory here, just some trees. I think we just liked watching them making chocolate and us tasting chocolate. If you just want to do something less physically demanding, and your hotel is close to this farm, I would recommend it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to Costa Rica was absolutely inspiring and every destination was as breathtaking as the one before! Having Brittany to guide our planning through every step of the way eliminated so much of the stress and confusion of traveling to a place that I had only dreamt of visiting but in reality, didn't know much about and honestly, didn't even know where to begin. Her suggestions were right on point, almost as if she knew us personally. Every single booking from lodging to transportation... read more

Our trip to Costa Rica was absolutely inspiring and every destination was as breathtaking as the one before! Having Brittany to guide our planning through every step of the way eliminated so much of the stress and confusion of traveling to a place that I had only dreamt of visiting but in reality, didn't know much about and honestly, didn't even know where to begin. Her suggestions were right on point, almost as if she knew us personally. Every single booking from lodging to transportation was flawless. Even during an emergency evacuation, she took time to make rearrangements for us and communicated with me during the times of uncertainty and after the fact to ensure that our trip continued smoothly and safely. Having that peace of mind is simply priceless. Aside from that, we are blessed with added experiences and memories that my family will treasure for the rest of our lives. With all the different destination offerings and my family's love for travel, there is no doubt in my mind that we will book through kimkim.com again soon!

This family trip to Costa Rica had it all: adventure, learning, views, nature, rainforest, beach, ocean, river, hot springs, volcano, hikes, hanging bridges, zip lines, animals, waterfalls and FUN!!
We loved it!!
The program of activities each day was well balanced so we always had time to also explore a little more by ourselves and enjoy meeting locals and tasting delicious food. The weather was amazing in the sense that even though it was the rainy season we only had one rainy day and a couple of nights when it rained some, but this never held us back.

I tried planning our trip to Costa Rica on my own but then someone told me about kim kim.com and what a fantastic tip that was! Brittany did an incredible job listening to what I was hoping for in this trip and then planning every detail to make it worry-free and even better than I'd dreamed! She organized all of our transportation and the service was impeccable with courteous, friendly and informative drivers who were always on time. Although I changed my mind a time or two prior to the trip... read more

I tried planning our trip to Costa Rica on my own but then someone told me about kim kim.com and what a fantastic tip that was! Brittany did an incredible job listening to what I was hoping for in this trip and then planning every detail to make it worry-free and even better than I'd dreamed! She organized all of our transportation and the service was impeccable with courteous, friendly and informative drivers who were always on time. Although I changed my mind a time or two prior to the trip on timing or excursion ideas, Brittany was very responsive and accommodating making it such a pleasure to work with her. And the excursions were so much fun! We absolutely loved our trip to Costa Rica and I'll never plan another big trip without KimKim. The pricing was fair and so worth every penny for peace of mind and the most well-executed vacation we've ever had. Thank you Brittany for your incredible expertise. We made memories to last a lifetime!

Activity Review

Shuttle Transfer with Rafting on the Sarapiqui River En Route

Costa Rica

This might be the BEST excursion of all during our trip to Costa Rica! Gabriel was so much fun and so skilled at whitewater rafting that we immensely enjoyed our exciting, thrilling trip down the river and none of us fell out of the raft! John was our driver from the hotel to the meeting place on the river as well as taking us to our hotel after the whitewater rafting. He shared with us so much history and insights about Costa Rica that made it interesting and informative plus he was also friendly and fun.

Quality of Experience

Food

The pineapple and watermelon on our fruit stop on the river tasted delicious! And the Costa Rican lunch after the rafting was so good - we loved it!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wonderful experience planning and during the trip. Advisor was really responsive and accommodating! Loved the Bri Bri, cocoa and waterfall trip!! Breathless! The hotels were amazing! Xandari resort 9n outskirts of San Jose and Cariblue in Puerto Viejo, Caribbean side...really cool! Amazing food, places and people...and awesome animal experience at Jaguar Rescue Center! read more

Wonderful experience planning and during the trip. Advisor was really responsive and accommodating! Loved the Bri Bri, cocoa and waterfall trip!! Breathless! The hotels were amazing! Xandari resort 9n outskirts of San Jose and Cariblue in Puerto Viejo, Caribbean side...really cool! Amazing food, places and people...and awesome animal experience at Jaguar Rescue Center!

Brittany and the Kim Kim team were terrific!

Our 8 day itinerary was wonderful. The process was seamless; each hotel was prepared for our arrival and all of our drivers were on time! It was so nice to not have to worry about getting from one place to another and we could sit back and relax during our travels to each of our locations.

I will highly recommend your service to friends and family.

Special thank you to Brittany who helped move up our final pick up time. The local news... read more

Brittany and the Kim Kim team were terrific!

Our 8 day itinerary was wonderful. The process was seamless; each hotel was prepared for our arrival and all of our drivers were on time! It was so nice to not have to worry about getting from one place to another and we could sit back and relax during our travels to each of our locations.

I will highly recommend your service to friends and family.

Special thank you to Brittany who helped move up our final pick up time. The local news was reporting an incoming storm and we wanted to get closer to the airport to avoid any travel delays due to heavy rains.

Pura Vida!
Carol

Hotel Reviews

Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs

Fortuna

Beautiful grounds! Loved the hot springs!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Lush tropical environment!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel La Mariposa

Manuel Antonio

Our room was beautiful and the location was spectacular!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

El Establo Mountain Hotel

Monteverde

Top of the world location, views were breathtaking. Restaurant food was excellent. My only note would be to mention in your site that there are no elevators. We had to carry bags up three flights of stairs.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Arenal Hanging Bridges & Baldi Hot Springs & Lunch

Arenal/La Fortuna

Great time and our guide Ronald (Jimenez) was terrific!

Quality of Experience

Food

Nice to have a snack at the end!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Brittany was amazing coordinating our trip in Costa Rica! When one tour accidentally picked us up a day early so we missed our planned tour - she was able to quickly rearrange our bookings. She recommended an upgrade to Tabacon Thermal Spa and that was such a relaxing and romantic start to our honeymoon. In Arenal the sloth tour was cool (saw 8 sloths!) the volcano hike was challenging yet beautiful and informative. The boat transfer across lake arenal was unique and felt very “local”.... read more

Brittany was amazing coordinating our trip in Costa Rica! When one tour accidentally picked us up a day early so we missed our planned tour - she was able to quickly rearrange our bookings. She recommended an upgrade to Tabacon Thermal Spa and that was such a relaxing and romantic start to our honeymoon. In Arenal the sloth tour was cool (saw 8 sloths!) the volcano hike was challenging yet beautiful and informative. The boat transfer across lake arenal was unique and felt very “local”. The car trip transfers are an adventure in & of themselves
The Don Juan coffee chocolate and sugar cane tour ended up an unexpected highlight. Zip lining was also a fun adrenaline rush to see the beauty of the canopy
Quepos was wonderful the staff from Tucanes was above and beyond! Our cooking class was just us so we really got involved and learned so much about the culture and people. They took time to really share their lives with us - we felt as though we were being welcomed to their home. The horseback ride was fun with a gorgeous waterfall and then we rounded our the trip with a day on the water including snorkeling and relaxing in the water.
We saw so many wildlife (due to the skill & knowledge of the staff) sloth, all 4 types of monkeys, birds, bats, crocodile, deer, frogs, tarantulas, iguana, morpho butterflies and coati & agouti!
We will definitely use Kim Kim again it made for stress-free coordination of the trip. It allowed for enough down time matched with adventure.

My girlfriend and I work rather long days and by the time the night or weekends roll around, we don't want to be bothered with doing anything that requires effort. We made a few attempts at planning trips on our end (we both struggle to make decisions), kept going circles, months had passed, and finally we just decided to have someone else do all the work.

We found KimKim doing a quick google search, noticed that they wanted to ask you about what type of holiday you wanted, but then also... read more

My girlfriend and I work rather long days and by the time the night or weekends roll around, we don't want to be bothered with doing anything that requires effort. We made a few attempts at planning trips on our end (we both struggle to make decisions), kept going circles, months had passed, and finally we just decided to have someone else do all the work.

We found KimKim doing a quick google search, noticed that they wanted to ask you about what type of holiday you wanted, but then also had sample itineraries. We chose the first sample we saw for Costa Rica and was put in contact with Brittany. She reached out to us shortly after and was really responsive with any questions or concerns that we had.

She literally did everything for us including arranging our inbound transfer the day before our itinerary began and extending our stay one day beyond the planned itinerary.

I don't really remember any of the other guides names but I think Ride Costa Rica was the primary transportation provider that took us around. Each driver was punctual and chatty enough.

We would have missed quite a bit of the city of San Jose if we didn't choose to do the walking tour. The guy who took us around showed us several neighborhoods that we probably would not have found on our own.

All the hotels were nice. The hotel we chose in Arenal had individual hot tubs and a good restaurant on site. The hotel in Manuel Antonio had amazing views of the sea.

I can't really say I had a favorite place (each was as nice as the previous) but the ocean temperature was incredibly pleasant (I typically find most oceans to be too cold to swim in).

Overall, if you want someone else to do the legwork for you, consider booking with KimKim. We are already planning on booking another trip with them.

Thanks, Brittany!

Todd & Annie

I'm glad we used KimKim! The site was interesting to use since it takes your interests, timeline and and budget and makes suggestions to get you started, but also allows you to make selections and modifications. It was great not having to book each transfer, hotel, and tour on our own. When we needed to make changes, Brittany was great at getting back to us quickly and making things happen. read more

I'm glad we used KimKim! The site was interesting to use since it takes your interests, timeline and and budget and makes suggestions to get you started, but also allows you to make selections and modifications. It was great not having to book each transfer, hotel, and tour on our own. When we needed to make changes, Brittany was great at getting back to us quickly and making things happen.

Hotel Reviews

The Falls at Manuel Antonio

Manuel Antonio

It is unfortunate I cannot give 5 stars. The grounds are lovely with a nice pool and seating areas, and a great bar. The bar/restaurant staff were really great, and the food was excellent. The animals that came through the grounds in the afternoon were a real treat-Agouti, Iguana, and the squirrel monkeys. Most of the rooms in the back of the property seemed lovely, but we had a "front side" room. These rooms face the front of the building and the main road. The room was basic-not aesthetically pleasing or anywhere you'd want to spend any time. The lamps were broken. On our last night we came back to the room and found it flooded from a backup in the shower (we hadn't used the shower yet that day). Of course things happen sometimes, but the woman in charge did not know how to handle the situation. It took persistence on our part to get the management to set us up in another hotel for the night since they could not accommodate us with an equivalent room. They did end up moving us to another lovely hotel nearby for no charge and waived our food and beverage charges-which was nice. If we were in a better room, and had been taken care of promptly when the shower issue happened, then I would give 5 stars.

Tips for future travelers

do not pick the "front side" room

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Lomas del Volcán

Fortuna

This hotel was beautiful-online photos don't do it justice. Everyone was extremely friendly and helpful. The view of the volcano from our back patio couldn't be beat (room 503). The restaurant and bar had very good food and drinks. The pool area was very nice and relaxing. The covered jacuzzi was great to sit in during the evening rainstorms. The grounds were beautiful-it seemed the staff were tending to it throughout the day. The front desk staff were helpful with every question or need we had, and were very helpful in arranging transport into town. I would stay here again.

Tips for future travelers

If you want to be close to "the action" of town this is not the place for you-you'd need to take a taxi.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful grounds

Location

Everything

Staff

Everyone was friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was clean and beautiful

Activity Reviews

Arenal Volcano Hike & Tabacon Hot Springs & Meal

Arenal/La Fortuna

Nice hike around the 1968 lava field. The hot springs were nice, but the grounds were difficult to negotiate at night. The dinner provided was really good.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sloth Observation - Day or Night Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

I can't review this tour because it was cancelled due to a lightning storm. Brittany with Kimkim handled the refund process for us with no problem.

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Nature Hike

Manuel Antonio

Carla was a very nice naturalist guide. We were able to see several animals, and she was very informative and patient.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip was very last minute and Kimkim made it really easy to not miss out on any activities. Brittany was also so amazing, she was available at odd times and checked in on us when we needed her. read more

Our trip was very last minute and Kimkim made it really easy to not miss out on any activities. Brittany was also so amazing, she was available at odd times and checked in on us when we needed her.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Arenal Country Inn

Fortuna

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Igloo Beach Lodge

Manuel Antonio

The pictures were misleading about the hotel location. It is located by a main road. Units are way too small and they're not practical. the reception desk and the bar are the same. our room was lacking simple and necessary equipment, such as luggage table or closets or even a safe.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Monteverde Lodge & Gardens

Monteverde

Very clean, amazing food and beverages located in a lovely location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Arenal Hanging Bridges Guided Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal Volcano Hike & EcoTermales Hot Springs & Meal

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve Guided Hike

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coffee Experience and Nighttime Nature Walk

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Nature Hike

Manuel Antonio

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Scuba Diving or Snorkeling at Isla del Caño Biological Reserve

Manuel Antonio

One of the most organized PADI certified crew I've ever been with. everything from their side was amazing. everything was calculated and everyone had their own cups and water bottles with names and etc. Dive instructor and crew were also super professional and helpful.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip was fantastic! The trip started badly with one of the worst aircraft delays I have ever experienced (24 hour delay with 12 hours sitting on plane). We were worried about meeting our driver at 12am as the flight kept getting pushed, as well as missing our morning tours, and being too late for hotel check in. Our local specialist, Brittany, however, made the experience easy and she ensured our driver was waiting for us (even with the delay), that our hotel knew we would be very late,... read more

Our trip was fantastic! The trip started badly with one of the worst aircraft delays I have ever experienced (24 hour delay with 12 hours sitting on plane). We were worried about meeting our driver at 12am as the flight kept getting pushed, as well as missing our morning tours, and being too late for hotel check in. Our local specialist, Brittany, however, made the experience easy and she ensured our driver was waiting for us (even with the delay), that our hotel knew we would be very late, and cancelled our morning tour on our request. The rest of the trip was amazing-we are passionate about wildlife and Brittany's suggested tours were perfect! We saw sloths, toucans, monkeys, crabs, snakes, scorpions, tarantulas, dolphins, deer, and so much more all in the wild. My son really enjoyed the night sloth tour, the hike through the Cloud Forest, and snorkeling off the catamaran. We had a great time and will be definitely going back!

Hotel Review

Hotel Belmar

Monteverde

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Sloth Observation - Day or Night Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

Our guide was so outgoing and knowledgeable! She was great with my son and helped us spot so many creatures we wouldn't normally have seen. My family enjoyed learning about the animals, plants and insects and appreciated hearing about our guides childhood and life in Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hotel selection was perfect. Best hotel was Naraya Springs, Finca Rosa Blanca and Tulemar were a close second. The Belmar was just OK, but, not great. It would be good to suggest to travelers that distances are great and the ride between points is 3-4 hours in less than great vans. Bottom line-allow more time in each stop than we did. Hanging bridges was fantastic but rather arduous for a person with compromised knees or hips. It is not flat walking. Cloud forest would be better if... read more

Hotel selection was perfect. Best hotel was Naraya Springs, Finca Rosa Blanca and Tulemar were a close second. The Belmar was just OK, but, not great. It would be good to suggest to travelers that distances are great and the ride between points is 3-4 hours in less than great vans. Bottom line-allow more time in each stop than we did. Hanging bridges was fantastic but rather arduous for a person with compromised knees or hips. It is not flat walking. Cloud forest would be better if there were clouds, but, there were none on our trip. Tulemar was great with the private beach, very good experience. The sunset cruise was also very pleasant and a good option for a more relaxed excursion. Snorkeling not so great in this area.

Hotel Review

Nayara Springs

Fortuna

This hotel was fantastic. Everything about it was great. Beautiful setting. Very large room. Private plunge pool and outdoor shower were big plusses. Hotel also provides 24 hour turn free laundry. The included breakfasts were amazing, great food. All of the staff of this property are very customer focused and do a great job.

Tips for future travelers

Stay more than 2 days.

Authenticity & Character

Set in the jungle and you feel very private.

Location

Close to the Arenal attractions

Staff

Everyone pleasant.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and very comfortable.

Activity Review

Private: Sunset Cruise with Wine & Cheese on Lake Arenal

Arenal/La Fortuna

Very attentive crew that worked very hard at making this a nice leisurely trip.

Quality of Experience

As advertised exactly

Guides, Drivers and Staff

They worked really hard at pleasing everyone.

Transport

Bad AC on bus.

I can't say enough good things about the people of Costa Rica - they are friendly, happy, and proud of their country. Most spoke English, but were very patient with our Spanish, which my 2 high schoolers had fun practicing. The scenery and wildlife were great and the food was delicious.
Brittany helped us arrange a great trip to Costa Rica where we were able to visit Arenal, Monteverde and Manuel Antonio. In La Fortuna, we got a great view of the Arenal volcano and did a nocturnal walk... read more

I can't say enough good things about the people of Costa Rica - they are friendly, happy, and proud of their country. Most spoke English, but were very patient with our Spanish, which my 2 high schoolers had fun practicing. The scenery and wildlife were great and the food was delicious.
Brittany helped us arrange a great trip to Costa Rica where we were able to visit Arenal, Monteverde and Manuel Antonio. In La Fortuna, we got a great view of the Arenal volcano and did a nocturnal walk to see red eye tree frogs and poison dart frogs. Monteverde was probably a highlight for the family, even though it wasn't cloudy in the cloud forest that we were there. We had a great time on the ziplines. We had a very unique & special dinner for my daughter's birthday at San Lucas TreeTop Dining. It was delicious, yet pricey. My favorite hotel was our stay at La Mariposa in Manuel Antonio where there where monkeys and sloths at the hotel and the view over the water was beautiful. Brittany did a great job of arranging transportation and excursions and was easy to communicate with during the planning. We will definitely be using KimKim services to plan our next international trip.

Hotel Review

Hotel La Mariposa

Manuel Antonio

The hotel overlooks the ocean and has a great patio that is very relaxing. The staff were very friendly and the food was pretty good. The beds were a little hard for my taste, but the rooms were very nice.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Sky Adventures Zip Lines

Monteverde

Our family of 5 (ages 13, 15, 18) had a great time on the ziplines. The guides made you feel very safe and it was exhilarating. There are a few ziplines that you had to ride tandem, but it added to the fun. I definitely would recommend, it was my kids favorite experience of the trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an amazing trip to Costa Rica .We planned the trip with Brittany’s help and she did a wonderful job. The people are very nice in CR. We felt very safe. Our accommodations were top notch - clean and excellent service . read more

We had an amazing trip to Costa Rica .We planned the trip with Brittany’s help and she did a wonderful job. The people are very nice in CR. We felt very safe. Our accommodations were top notch - clean and excellent service .

Hotel Review

Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs

Fortuna

Absolute paradise

Tips for future travelers

Just enjoy the view and the ambience

Authenticity & Character

Privacy, facilities, fabulous breakfast and restaurant

Location

View is fantastic though a little far from the town. .

Staff

Very friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean

Activity Review

Shuttle Transfer with Rafting on the Sarapiqui River En Route

Costa Rica

Just do it though you better be a strong swimmer and in good health

Brittany was great to work with and was very accommodating while we asked for modifications. It was also great to have her support during the trip! read more

Brittany was great to work with and was very accommodating while we asked for modifications. It was also great to have her support during the trip!

Activity Review

Sloth Observation - Day or Night Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

Our guide, Gustavo, was incredible. I’ll never forget this.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Gustavo was one of the best guides I’ve ever had

Transport

We had an absolutely fantastic time in Costa Rica. My daughters (ages 7 and 9) loved everything about the trip. The Arenal, Monteverde, Manual Antonio itinerary was perfect -- we felt like we got to see a lot of biodiversity in a relatively short time. The visit to Proyecto Asis, the animal rehab center, was a highlight for our animal lovers!

It was an absolute pleasure working with Brittany. She crafted an itinerary that worked really well for our family, and once we were on the ground in Costa Rica, everything worked seamlessly.

We travelled to Costa Rica with Kimkim in February this year and it was a trip that will stay with us forever. This was our first international trip in 2 years since the pandemic hit us and we approached it with a fair bit of apprehension. My partner and I knew that we wanted to travel but did not have the bandwidth to research and build a trip of our own given our busy work schedules. Enter Kim Kim! Over the past few weeks....everytime our friends ask us how our trip was, we have one answer... read more

We travelled to Costa Rica with Kimkim in February this year and it was a trip that will stay with us forever. This was our first international trip in 2 years since the pandemic hit us and we approached it with a fair bit of apprehension. My partner and I knew that we wanted to travel but did not have the bandwidth to research and build a trip of our own given our busy work schedules. Enter Kim Kim! Over the past few weeks....everytime our friends ask us how our trip was, we have one answer - We just showed up and it was phenomenal!  I am someone who likes to research and ensure I have a heady mix of different activities combined with time to relax built into my trip. Yenyi and Brittany at KimKim made sure to listen to what I had in mind and worked with me to build a trip that was beautifully tailored to the experience we were seeking and at a budget that was conducive. Given the uncertainties with the pandemic, I will forever be thankful to a team that aims to have the customer at the center of everything they do - they not only helped us schedule and reschedule the trip but also were available for us every step of the way before and during our vacation. Imagine being in a foreign country but knowing you have a person you can reach out to, should you need anything at all - be it suggestions to eat if you are standing in a town square and are unable to make up your mind, or need someone to book you a last minute night hike that you decided to take. That was exactly how our experience was - we showed up and we knew the entire vacay was planned and taken care of. All while ensuring we get to enjoy the country with its local flavour. Right from travel, hotels, experiences, pre-travel covid tests et al. Over the past few weeks, I have been raving about our vacay and our wonderful experience with this team and realized it was only fair to share this review with all of you. Our highlights on the trip: - Hikes in La Fortuna & Monteverde where we saw a ton of wild animals. - The most perfect beach day in Manuel Antonio- Ziplining through the forest canopies in Monteverde - And the hot springs in the Arenal area in La Fortuna

Hotel Review

El Faro Beach Hotel

Manuel Antonio

They were fantastic and helped us book our pre-travel covid tests. The front desk was so helpful.

Tips for future travelers

It is a very basic hotel and is sufficient if you plan to stay out all day and just crash at night.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

100% Aventura Zip Line Monteverde

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Brittany made great suggestions on hotels and activities, was quick to make the changes we asked for, guided us through decisions, and went above and beyond to find alternatives when things were already booked due to a very busy travel season. Highlights were the zip line in Monteverde and the nighttime turtle experience with a licensed guide. read more

Brittany made great suggestions on hotels and activities, was quick to make the changes we asked for, guided us through decisions, and went above and beyond to find alternatives when things were already booked due to a very busy travel season. Highlights were the zip line in Monteverde and the nighttime turtle experience with a licensed guide.

Hotel Review

The Coast Beachfront Hotel

Tamarindo, Guanacaste Province

A lovely and serene hotel off a busy beach, very attentive staff. A highlight was breakfast delivered to the rooms.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Sky Adventures: Tram, Zip Lines & Hanging Bridges

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Brittany helped us to plan a great trip to Costa Rica! My friend lives there, but we wanted to make the trip extra special by going on some tours together. We were particularly impressed with our green turtle nesting tour and riverboat and rum experience. The guide (I didn't catch his name) for our turtle nesting tour was very knowledgeable and helped us to spot over 10 turtles! He also helped us to arrange a taxi after the tour.

Our Riverboat and Rum Experience at Hacienda Viejo was... read more

Brittany helped us to plan a great trip to Costa Rica! My friend lives there, but we wanted to make the trip extra special by going on some tours together. We were particularly impressed with our green turtle nesting tour and riverboat and rum experience. The guide (I didn't catch his name) for our turtle nesting tour was very knowledgeable and helped us to spot over 10 turtles! He also helped us to arrange a taxi after the tour.

Our Riverboat and Rum Experience at Hacienda Viejo was extraordinary. Brittany was able to get us last-minute transportation to the hacienda when something came up which was very helpful! Our guide, Minor picked us up and drove us to the Hacienda. Along the way, he pointed out various flora and fauna, and talked about the pura vida way of life. He was not only very knowledgeable but personable as well. It ended up being a private tour and we got to know Minor very well. The grounds of the Hacienda were well kept and all the staff were friendly. After a quick stop for fresh juice and fruit, we made our way to the river. This again was private and there was only one other boat on the river at the same time. We saw various types of birds, monkeys, bats, and crocodiles with the help of Minor.

We then went back to the Hacienda for a delicious and traditional Costa Rican lunch. After it was time for our Rum experience with Roberto, the Rummelier. He was very knowledgeable about the distillery process, and we got to sample sugar cane juice as well as rum. At the end, you can infuse your own rum with a variety of spices or fruits. If you like your infusion, you can infuse a bottle and buy it to bring home. They even create a special label for your bottle to include a name and the date, a nice personal touch.

Overall we were very impressed by our trip and Brittany's responsiveness. We definitely would recommend Minor as your guide for the river cruise. Can't wait to go back!

Activity Reviews

Nighttime Pacific Green Turtle Nesting Experience (Seasonal)

Costa Rica

Our guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. He helped us to find a taxi for the way back which was really great. We saw lots of turtles!

Quality of Experience

Seeing the turtles!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was knowledgeable!

Transport

Air Conditioned

Wetlands Boat Ride and Rum Tasting at Hacienda El Viejo

Costa Rica

This was our favorite experience of our trip. Our guide Minor was amazing, very knowledgeable as well as personable. He was able to point out all the wildlife and give us information about the ecosystem and interactions of the flora and fauna. The food at Hacienda was fresh and delicious. Before going to the river you can stop for fruit, coffee or juice. The lunch was great as well. All the staff was friendly. The rum experience was also great with Roberto. He was very knowledgeable and friendly. You get to see the process from the sugarcane, to the barrel. You can then infuse your own rum with a variety of spices and fruits. If you like your infusion you can even buy a small bottle to bring home with a personalized label. The Hacienda grounds were clean and beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Beautiful grounds, great guides, and staff, able to see wildlife, private, luxurious

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide Minor was the best! So knowledgeable, kind, and funny. He went out of his way to make our time great!

Transport

Air-conditioned, comfortable van, No issues with picking us up.

Normally I book trips myself, but this was our first time using a travel agent, and we had a fun week in Costa Rica. It is a beautiful country with lots to do and see. If anything, I wish that we had more time there. Brittany, our agent, was always friendly and reasonably responsible. She listened to our needs throughout the process. Most of the trip reservations ran smoothly. The only hiccup we had was on the first night. We arrived at 2 am from our flight, super tired. When we came to the... read more

Normally I book trips myself, but this was our first time using a travel agent, and we had a fun week in Costa Rica. It is a beautiful country with lots to do and see. If anything, I wish that we had more time there. Brittany, our agent, was always friendly and reasonably responsible. She listened to our needs throughout the process. Most of the trip reservations ran smoothly. The only hiccup we had was on the first night. We arrived at 2 am from our flight, super tired. When we came to the hotel, they could not find the reservation that KimKim booked through Expedia. They even tried calling Expedia and trying to find it but couldn't find anything. KimKim didn't give me any relevant info to find the reservation besides the unsuccessful confirmation number, and we couldn't get in touch with them since it was the night. Eventually, we had to end up paying for a night directly with the hotel at the counter (which was at a cheaper price than the KimKim booking). KimKim refunded their booking fee. In general, the agents were available to respond within 15-30 minutes of when we had a question or situation.

Besides this booking hiccup, all the other bookings ran smoothly. Everyone that KimKim booked us with were great companies and excellent service. We especially enjoyed Sky Adventures ziplining at Monteverde and the Catamaran Adventure with Tuscanes Tours in Manuel Antonio. Also, the shuttles that they booked us with RideCR between the different locations were always on time and very professional, which I very much appreciated. One note about the transfers, I feel that there could have been more attention to detail by Brittany for when the shuttle times were and when the hotel check-in/check-out were. There were multiple times when the two did not align and so we found ourselves having to figure out what to do in the interim time. Another way to work with this issue would have been to call the hotels for us in advance and let them know of these transportation timings.

One thing that I would have wished for is a breakdown of the costs for lodging and activities. As college students, we were hoping to keep the budget as low as possible. As such, Brittany kept some large blocks of time in the day free to do self-exploration so we didn't have to pay additional upfront costs. On the itinerary, she provided suggestions of what to do, but the transport and entrance fee to those activities were not included. If I had a cost breakdown, I could better understand where to spend and where to splurge. It is also possible that I could have found cheaper rates than the agent if I looked myself. It seems like most of the bookings were done through Expedia, at least for the hotels, which may or may not have been the cheapest rates.

Overall, we had a good experience, but not necessarily a great or excellent one based on the above factors. I appreciated that Brittany was able to connect us with the local companies, but now that we know the good companies to book with, I would book a trip by myself in the future.

Hotel Review

La Fortuna Downtown Boutique Hotel

La Fortuna San Carlos

Good, no-frills hotel. Good front desk service. I like that all the rooms face the pool. Breakfast in the morning was tasty. The location was great to be able to walk around town or get to La Arenal and the Hot Springs.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Catamaran Adventure from Manuel Antonio with Meal

Manuel Antonio

Staff was very attentive. We love boats so this was a really fun ride. It was great to interact with the other people on the boat as well. Had great food and drinks.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Brittany and the Kim Kim team put together a fantastic 9 day trip for me and my son over the New Year holiday with very short notice and reasonably priced. Our accommodations in La Fortunate, Monteverde and Manuel Antonio were beautiful and luxurious. Twice we opted to hang out in our room just to enjoy the beautiful views.

Brittany had set up multiple excursions and guided tours at each of the three destinations. The activities like the sky walk, kayaking and snorkeling were so much fun. We... read more

Brittany and the Kim Kim team put together a fantastic 9 day trip for me and my son over the New Year holiday with very short notice and reasonably priced. Our accommodations in La Fortunate, Monteverde and Manuel Antonio were beautiful and luxurious. Twice we opted to hang out in our room just to enjoy the beautiful views.

Brittany had set up multiple excursions and guided tours at each of the three destinations. The activities like the sky walk, kayaking and snorkeling were so much fun. We really loved everyone of them. The guides on our tours through the rainforest of various parks and on the ocean were so professional and the experience was very educational as well as entertaining. We got a ton of great wildlife photos.

Our entire experience with Kim Kim has been the best and we will definitely use their services in the future. We highly recommend them and we are very picky vacationers.

Thank you Brittany and your team.

Sincerely,

Ann