Kimkim Trip Reviews for Costa Rica

The rooms were lovely. I appreciated its boutique feel. The only small issue was that the restaurant prepared the beef ultra rare and did not really fix the issue when asked to do so (another patron appeared to return her steak to the kitchen for the same reason).

The staff seemed a bit lackluster.

Absolutely amazing, our favorite place, especially the yoga and food!

Short but worthwhile, quite warm though.

Loved our private tour of this area, our guide was very knowledgable.

This was my favorite activity, loved getting out and hiking in the national park with a private gruide, who was quite knowledgable.

So much night life!

There was some confusion re: pick up, but the dive master was great even if the vis was limited (no one's fault obviously).

This hotel was conveniently located in LaFortuna. The rooms were clean and comfortable. The negatives were that the walls were pretty thin and we could hear the neighbors quite loudly. Also, the breakfast was kind of weak, not a lot of options.

Loved this hotel and we were lucky to get the honeymoon suite.

We were moved to the Poco a Poco Hotel by the Monteverde Country Lodge which turned out to be fine since we think the Poco a Poco turned out to be a nicer hotel.

Great restaurants there and loved the breakfast buffet!

This is a very basic hotel. It was clean and the outsides were beautiful and very close to nature. However, it is just off the main road and very loud. The property is dated. There was a very limited breakfast on offer that was poor! We ended up avoiding the associated restaurant.

This was an amazing hotel. Our entire family loved the overall experience and wished we had more time to spend here!

The ziplining part was truly breath taking. However, there was a very clear line of misunderstanding about what was happening and when. We were given a different itinerary from the travel agent and one at the front desk. I understand things may change. However, with small children a scheduling heads up might have helped in allowing us to better prepare what we should carry with us in terms of food and water.

Having never gone cliff diving, I completed one off the bucket list. The whole family would definitely do it again.

This activity was so close to nature! Everyone enjoyed the leisurely walking pace and the heights of the bridges. Would definitely recommend!

Excellent gym - comfortable beds / room and the breakfast was amazing. Very large hotel campus on steep mountain so you cannot get around unless you order a shuttle. It is open air - open windows as it’s very cool in Monteverde. Due to that you do hear other guests as they walk in the hall … Really enjoyed but it was a bit too big of a hotel campus for me.

Loved the complete disconnection. This is camping … no electricity, no wifi and no hot water which was all good but wish we knew this in advance to set our expectations. Best sleep listening to the river.

Nice hotel but only gave us two bath towels when booked for three people. Could not get anyone to answer the phone for an extra towel. Gym was really good.

Amazing experience and our guides were amazing cooks…. best food we ate during our vacation

we really enjoyed this hotel, lovely surroundings, friendly staff, good restaurant and bar, nice big room and shower in a natural and exotic setting.

Good for first night

Sorry but this was not our favourite. Room was dark, few powerpoints, no bedside lights, WC horrible. There were nicer rooms but ours was not one. Restaurant overpriced and bad food. Also it's too far from La Fortuna

We enjoyed staying here the room was lovely

It's a basic B&B

Good guide for early morning walk after downpour Christian 2. Best part about BT was the feeders which brought loads of birds

The link sent us to the wrong place; we eventually got there but it was pouring with rain. The bridge was very scary

Our first bird tour, very good. Loads of birds. Christian very knowledgeable

This was good and we saw loads. Minor problem was others on the boat had no binoculars so it slowed everything down. 2 good guides and nice lunch afterwards.

This was good after a rather scary drive to the park in the dark. Ronald very knowledgeable and pleasant. Nice selection of birds and good breakfast afterwards - appreciated after missing breakfast at the hotel

This was OK , butterfly enclosure a highlight. Not many birds

One of the best trips - Kendall was amazing. Took us outside the reserve to see toucanets - brilliant. Lots of people but we saw lots of things thanks to him. He would have liked to start earlier and I think it would be good if he could have contacted us directly.

This was not a 'birdwatching' tour but was OK. Our fellow guests were a strange lot and not very friendly. But we did see a quetzal so that was cool. It was quite crowded.

This resort is pretty. We had our own cabin which was very quiet and nice overall. We greatly enjoyed the hot springs, grounds, pool, and pool bar. We liked the fact that we could eat by the pool after visiting the hot springs instead of having to go to the restaurant. The included breakfast was fantastic, lots of options. The staff was very friendly and helpful. We note that the cabin we had could use a little TLC, especially the bathroom. Also, the resort did have a water issue the 2nd night and we were without water for several hours.

This 4-star resort was spectacular! Our cabin was absolutely beautiful. It was big and spacious with a private deck and outdoor shower! We greatly enjoyed brewing coffee and enjoying it on the patio each morning. Patio is covered so let it rain! The resort grounds are so nice, with paths and walking trails! We took hikes on the well-marked resort trails from our room down to the blue river and through the rain forest. Around the hotel were all kinds of birds and animals, we spotted Coatis and even an Agouti, so cool. We greatly enjoyed the beautiful pool and we hung out some at the swim up bar. The restaurant was terrific and the service staff were superb throughout! Our only caveat with this resort is that if you don't have a rental car, it's not easy to leave it to explore the surrounding area on your own (no Ubers or taxi's are around we were told). Of course we got picked up twice for our tour/hikes.

Staying at this resort was a nice way to end out trip. We enjoyed the beach, the pool, the bar (happy hour!) and the restaurant. We were able to walk down the beach one night to a local restaurant where we heard live music during our dinner. The monkeys playing in the trees around the pool was a nice touch! The included breakfast was great, food was tasty and service great.

We loved our guide Roy, he was so nice and shared his amazing knowledge and took his time to tell us all about the Volcanic area, animals, plants, and interesting things. The hike was a highlight of our time in Arenal and we greatly enjoyed it. It was a beautiful day and the views we encountered were amazing.

This hike/walk is right through the rain forest at night, some of the footing was slippery and muddy, but the boots and headlamps they provided were a great help. We saw lots of frogs, snakes, spiders, and birds. Then our guide Anthony got word that there was a Tapir nearby so we hightailed it to go see it. That was fabulous! The funny thing was, on the way back to the Hideaway we also saw a Tapir on the side of the road, which our driver slowed for us to view.

This hike was conducted by Oscar who was a nice guy, very knowledgeable (told us so many facts about the area and blue river) and guided us well. We saw snakes, then the blue river, the spectacular waterfall, and then the joining of the two rivers that cause the water to be blue. Oscar explained everything in great detail. On our hike back out of the park, we had a Tapir sighting!

We enjoyed the beach, the pool, the bar (Happy Hour!) and the restaurant. We were able to walk down the beach one night to a local restaurant where we had live music to our dinner. The monkeys playing in the trees around the pool was a nice touch!

We had a lovely time riding the 40 foot sailboat, with drinks on the way to snorkeling (lots of cool fish to see), and snacks and drinks on the way back. The crew was terrific and attentive, the views from the boat were superb.

The hot springs in the back of the hotel were amazing. Lots of fun and the resort makes it very convenient to hop in a resort shuttle to travel to the springs, which is a very short ride away. The room is nice, though hotel renovations are needed. The restaurants for dinner at Ave and Tucanes were great. The complimentary breakfast was fair, wishing there was more variety.

This was rated as a 4 star hotel, though the simple accommodations (no TV, room needing more modern renovations) would rate is more like a 3.5 star hotel. The complimentary breakfast was great, the dinner was fair. The staff was accommodating and mostly friendly. The grounds were very pretty, though the green lake did not look swimmable.

The views of this hotel are amazing! The hotel, I would rate as 3 stars. The showers are nice, the corner room again with an amazing view. The previous two hotels had friendly, accomodating staff, so we expected the same. Unfortunately, we found the staff to be indifferent, though we were friendly towards them. We thought they did the minimal, answered questions quickly without much feeling, and didn't seem to want to be there. I think this is more of a reflection on management. The dinner took two hours, as the server seemed preoccupied. The swimming pool was nice.

Well, it's a Hilton. So nice to see carpeting!!

I think we wanted more activity other than sitting on a boat and squinting up at trees. There weren't enough animals to make it exciting enough for us, and perhaps we aren't great bird watchers. The monkeys were fun! But soooooo far away!

A nice, professional and friendly tour guide gave us the volcano's history. I appreciated her enthusiasm.

This was fun even if it was raining. The tour guide was very informative, the group only consisted of six people, and the animals were motionless mainly, which made them easier to spot and photograph.

My husband's high point was the ziplining. This is the second time I ziplined, and I felt much safer because we are harnassed to the cables after landing. The tour guide gave me the harness used by workers when I shared my health history, which made me feel more secure. I think the photos were on the expensive side though.

Finally! I got to see the white-faced monkeys. I also saw bats, a snake, iguanas, and birds. This was more exciting as I finally can see a lot more animals without squinting all the time. This tour is why I came to Costa Rica, and it did not disappoint.

Very convenient for arrival and departure nights so close to airport. Kind and courteous staff.

Very nice hotel. Small individual cabins were great. We spent a lot of time at the pool.

Great hotel. Many restaurants and boutiques around but not much other shopping. Long drive to get to activities.

A true tropical paradise with immaculate grounds, hot springs, pool and restaurants. Super staff, great ambiance at La Saca Restaurant. Pizza by the pool was excellent. Will stay there again if we return to Arenal/LaFortuna!

Delightful room, conveniently located, super staff, nice setting with immaculately maintained grounds, and a very nice restaurant.

Enjoyed the location, staff very accommodating but the rooms could stand some upgrades. Transfers to downtown were good.

We liked the convenience to the airport and nice selection on the restaurant menu.

Guide very knowledgeable and used his scope to zoom in on birds and monkeys. He took pictures through his scope with our cell phones. Hike to the volcano was a little bit taxing in stretches but the guide and fellow hikers let us catch our breath and take our time

Felt a big suburban and too commercial

Great guide! Excellent English! Very knowledgeable!

First rate! Great captain (Gabriel) and crew!

Good place for us to start our trip. The restaurant made a good sandwich.

Great location and wonderful staff! One way to improve the room would be to provide indirect and/or lamp lighting. There was only overhead lighting.

Very helpful staff and good location for restaurants, park, and museums. Good ending for our trip.

Lots of fun and very educational! Our guide, Jorge, was outstanding.

Excellent accommodations centrally located. Good food but expensive.

The guide was very knowledgeable. We enjoyed the tour.

Guide was in a hurry and really did not have much to say. I loved the rain forest walk. What a magical place.

We found this to be disappointing.

Fun place. Caesar was a great presenter. He made it fun with his energy and command of the subject.

The hotel was beautifully situated, designed and maintained!

Even in the rain, the hot spring pools were gorgeous.

The boat was clean. The crew were wonderful. We saw whales. What could be better?

Our guide was wonderful. We had children with us and the guide made it especially fun for them! The chocolate was delicious.

We saw very little in the way of animals.

Our guide showed us a variety of animals that we would never have spotted, with lots of information about each animal and its habits.

Wonderful, clean rooms and nicely spaced out bungalows. The breakfast was excellent. The all inclusive dinners were good but not great.

Our room was great, a bit removed from the lobby, but there were some less desirable rooms, two stories and near the street, which would be noisy. Our room was like a thatched roof hut, very private and quiet. It would’ve been nice to have a coffee machine, but there was a small refrigerator in the room.

Beautiful surroundings and atmosphere! Lovely breakfast. Wonderful hostess and staff. The room could use lamps or lower level lighting around the bed for reading. Also, better lighting in the bathroom for applying makeup, shaving, etc.

This is a lovely hotel away from the center of San Jose. There gardens are fantastic. If you are a birdwatcher, this is the place to stay, as the gardens attract many local birds. The rooms are comfortable, and the restaurant and bar were good. The owner must love rocks, because the lobby has many cases of rocks collected from all over Costa Rica. It was quite interesting.

The location of this hotel near Arenal Volcano is fantastic. We had our own little "house", and it was well furnished. The bathrooms were modern, and the property beautifully landscaped and maintained. The restaurant here is excellent, but they have a nice bar with original cocktails. Their breakfast is first-rate. They had many hot and cold options, including an omelet station and waffle maker. The location is great if you are interested in the area around Arenal National Park. We had a flat tire, and the staff was amazingly helpful in putting in enough air and then recommending a great place to get the tire fixed in the nearby town. I highly recommend this lovely hotel. There is a great view of Arenal Volano when it is not socked in by clouds!

I think people don't often head up this way on a visit to Costa Rica, but it is a mistake. This area is fantastic, and the National Cano Nego Lodge is great!! The staff was sensational, and the food at their restaurant quite good. Great bartenders too!! The owners are quite gracious. They arranged our birding trip down the river, and it was excellent. They have a bird feeding station that you can look out on while eating breakfast or other meal, and it makes it all the more fun! The Refugio de Vida Silvestre Cano Negro is amazing, and it is definitely worth heading up to this region. The beds are very comfortable, and the bathroom was modern! I highly recommend this lodge as well as visiting this part of Costa Rica. The roads in are a bit rough, so be prepared to bounce around a bit.

This may be the most famous rain forest area of Costa Rica. It is well known because it is amazing. We drove up through the clouds to get here. While it was windy and rainy while we were there, it did not keep us from heading to Curi Cancha and Monteverde Reserves. The guide the hotel arranged was fantastic. I don't think you can understand a rain forest until you hiked through one! This lodge is perfectly positioned to visit both these reserves. Our room was quite spacious, the bed very comfortable, and the bathroom modern. The restaurant is good, and they do a very nice breakfast.

This is a fine hotel in an Italianate style. The staff were excellent and very helpful. Our room was comfortable, and the place has a lot of old-fashioned charm. My only complaint is that there are a lot of stairs. If you have any mobility issues, this is NOT the place for you. They were kind enough to change our room, because to get to our original room was quite a trek up and down multiple stair cases. From the restaurant area, you have a great view looking out over the Pacific Ocean, and watching the sunset from there was amazing.

This part of Costa Rica is hot and humid. You are in essentially a cabin with only screens. The showerhead actually heats the water for your shower. The place lost power during a torrential rainstorm - so no shower that day. However, the beds were comfortable, and the meals (you really have to eat here) were very good. They used local fruits to make pitchers of juice they served at the meals. I found this quite fun. The staff is great, and our bird-watching guide was excellent.

This is a Hilton, and Hiltons have a certain level of dependability. It is located downtown, so it nicely placed if you want to go to the gold museum or the central market. Our room was on the small side. The bed was very comfortable, and the bathroom fixtures modern. You have to valet park your car, which was $27. This quite a hefty charge. You are also a bit of drive from the San Jose airport, so give yourself plenty of time to get there.

This is the place to go if you are interested in seeing a resplendent quetzal. The guide the hotel arranged was stellar!! The room was spacious, and including a porch where you could look out over the gardens or the stream that runs nearby. The bathrooms were very modern, and the place was modern and comfortable. The breakfast here was excellent, but we did not have the best of luck with having supper there.

This is a fantastic area to bird. Our lodge provided us with a great guide, and we went down the river seeing iguanas in trees, caiman, and a fantastic assortment of birds. FANTASTIC!

By far, the best birding experience in Costa Rica. It is a beautiful place, with a number of different habitats. Our guide David was fantastic! We were even lucky enough to see a resplendent quetzal! This is a "DON"T MISS THIS" type of place!

The park is not worth the visit. It is a transitional forest, and we saw very few birds or wildlife. Plus the cicadas were so loud and there were so many of them it was kind of gross.

Our quetzal quest was successful, plus there are so many other places to birdwatcher. We went out with our sensational guide twice - amazing!! What a beautiful place.

We had a great guide, and the area is really diverse biologically. It is quite worth visiting this part of Costa Rica!