Family Trip to Costa Rica in 7 Days

Our travel agency did a great job. We started planning our trip to Costa Rica fairly last minute (just three weeks prior to our departure date). They contacted us promptly after I put in the inquiry. One thing that I really loved is that the travel agent really listened to the type of vibe that I wanted for the vacation and was spot on in translating that into a perfect itinerary for us. When we arrived Albee gave us a welcome call and the day that we were leaving the called us again to wish us safe travels. 

The vendors that they worked with were fantastic!!! They were always on time (and most of the time they were early). They were all very knowledgeable about the country and the particular activity that we were engaging in. They were always friendly and willing to talk to you and answer all of your questions. We had only private tours, so it was usually just me, my boyfriend, the guide and a driver. The driver and guide were so flexible with us as a result. They never rushed us and allowed us to spend as much time as we wanted wherever we went and I really appreciated that.

I can't speak more highly of the accommodations that our agency set us up in. We traveled first to La Fortuna near the Arenal volcano and stayed at Heliconias Nature Lodge in a treehouse room! After a few days, we went to the Papagayo Peninsula and stayed at Casa Conde. The hotel we stayed in at each location was top notch. The service was lovely at both, the food was amazing and the rooms were very comfortable. 

During the trip we wanted to make a few changes to our itinerary and our agency was very responsive and able to help us do that. Overall I had a very positive experience with this company and I am going to recommend them to my friends and family. 

Our travel agency organized the perfect tour of Costa Rica. Our small group of 4 were treated as VIPs from the moment we arrived at San Jose airport, until the day we flew home. We even received a "welcome to Costa Rica" call and special "goodbye" call from our agency. Every transfer and guided tour was on time and the drivers were good. There were no worries or concerns, each day was perfectly organized and each hotel was informed of our itinerary. Our travel agency provided us with a free cell phone for local calls as well as walkie-talkies to stay in touch with each other. This added an even higher level of security to our trip.

We wanted to experience an environmental tour that would introduce us to the rain forest, the flora, fauna, birds, reptiles & animals of Costa Rica. We were amazed by the scenery and the knowledge of our guides on each of our tours. Costa Rica is truly magical. All of the hotels were interesting and clean, the staff friendly and efficient.  We stayed in bungalows & cabins in the heart of the rain forest! The food was very good and served in more than ample quantities. Our last few days were spent at the Belmar Hotel in Monteverde and the luxury of that small inn and stunning views of the Pacific Ocean, were a great way to end our stay.

Our only disappointment was that our internal flight with Nature Air from Tortuguero National Park turned out to have a connection at San Jose airport with a 3.5 hour wait for the second flight to Arenal. We were expecting a direct flight, and more time to explore the village of La Fortuna.

We would definitely recommend this travel company and will use Zicasso Handcrafted Travel to help us book holidays in the future.

We had a wonderful time in Costa Rica and spent our time in La Fortuna and Manuel Antonio.

We were welcomed at the airport by a driver and tour guide, and transferred to La Paz, where we had a great tour of the gardens, waterfall, and wonderful wildlife (including sloths), then continued our drive to the resort near La Fortuna. The hotel was beautiful, with magnificent rooms, volcano views, and a spectacular, expansive buffet each morning with an omelet station, fresh fruits, and an extended selection of local, delicious foods, including a smoothie station. The hotel staff were friendly and provided great service. On the first night, we ate at a restaurant at the hotel which had a limited menu for our family.

We had a wonderful guide on day two who brought us to the Arenal rainforest, with hanging bridges, an aerial tramway, and a zipline which was beyond a spectacular, adventurous experience that we will not forget. We enjoyed the hotel’s thermal pools and excellent dinner in La Fortuna (varied menu and open to substitutions).

On day three, we had another day of adventure on the Balsa River for whitewater rafting. Our family of six had a spectacular guide who kept us exhilarated and safe! It was a blast and perhaps the best family activity! We enjoyed dinner at a restaurant in La Fortuna (good food, but pricey).

We had another great guide for our hike in the Arenal Volcano National Park on our fourth day and dinner at a local place with a very limited atmosphere, but a spectacular meal brought out on grills to continue the cooking of steak, chicken, shrimp, and fresh fish, with delicious sauces on the side. It was plentiful, wonderfully displayed, and delicious.

Day five was supposed to be a five-hour transfer to Manuel Antonio to include a crocodile encounter and lunch. Due to the Easter holiday week, it took 10 hours, but our driver was kind and patient, and we enjoyed our time together. We learned a good deal of Spanish on the way. We arrived where rainforest and beach meet at the hotel. The hotel was beautiful, but rustic, overlooking the water, and we had dinner. The staff were all great and helpful, getting our luggage handled at 5am and transportation as needed for restaurants.

On day six, we enjoyed the morning at the adult pool. There were monkeys all around us in the canopies and trees. It was exciting to watch and take photos! We had lunch at the hotel and then the guide picked us up on time and took us for a fun adventure on Damas Island: an estuary and mangrove kayaking tour. We enjoyed the dinner provided with the kayak tour, then had a late-night BBQ at the hotel!

Day seven was action-packed, with a transfer and spectacular, passionate tour guide for our outing to Manual Antonio National Park. We had lunch at the hotel and then another very exciting ATV adventure! We had a fabulous dinner at a café with a beautiful atmosphere.

On our last day, we were transferred very early to the airport and said goodbye to an amazing, adventurous family vacation.

We want to thank Zicasso’s travel agents for all their help in planning this vacation. They were patient, attentive, and accommodating of our relentless changes to the plans and restaurants. They were with us all the way from planning to arrival, and always available for any questions or guidance. All the plans were executed seamlessly and on time, with quality recommendations and team support. Thank you for all the great moments and memories!

I cannot say enough good things about the team at Zicasso’s travel partner. It's not just that they arranged an amazing Costa Rican adventure for me and my family, but it's the service they provided that really made everything so seamless.

The amazing service began during the planning stages, when the team worked with us to build a travel itinerary that fit our timing and budget (not easy, given it was the Christmas holiday season and we got a late start in planning). Based on our interests, they provided a menu of options in each region of the country. When we had questions about excursions, they were quick to respond and happy to provide recommendations based on their intimate knowledge of the activities and providers. In the week leading up to the trip, they provided a detailed itinerary, as well as instructions on what to expect when we landed in San Jose.

The incredible service continued once we were on the ground in Costa Rica. Our travel agent and his daughter met us at the airport with a welcome gift of local chocolates. He introduced our driver and went over the itinerary with us. We exchanged WhatsApp information and he encouraged me to text/call at any time with any questions, issues, or feedback.

From the airport, we made our way to Manuel Antonio, with a stop for lunch and fresh fruit. We checked into the hotel and a lovely room with panoramic views of the ocean and a magnificent sunset. It was my birthday, and the travel team arranged for a lovely fresh fruit tray to be sent to the room, as well as restaurant reservations that evening.

After three days in Manuel Antonio, we were driven to La Fortuna/Arenal (a long drive) and checked into a large resort with excellent facilities and incredibly responsive service (we called to ask for a roll-away bed, and within two minutes three people showed up with the bed and sheets). While we were in Arenal, we messaged the travel team with questions about potential changes to the itinerary (including changing the time of a couple of activities, as well as adding an activity), and they responded within minutes, making all the changes!

After three days in La Fortuna/Arenal, we headed to Monteverde for a couple of days at a resort, a lovely property in a great location. We enjoyed a couple of days in Monteverde before heading back to San Jose for our flight back to the States. On the drive back, our travel agent called to thank us for entrusting our trip to them, but I had to stop him, as it was really us who needed to thank him for making the trip so enjoyable (and so seamless)!