Undiscovered Costa Rica Eight-Day Adventure

Flawless planning and execution!  

From the beginning, the trip representative was eager to find out about and satisfy our wishes for this Costa Rican discovery.  First night was at a classy San Jose hotel with free breakfast in a beautiful outdoor dining room. The next two days where in a quiet retreat hotel in the rainforests  where is the rain stopped just enough to let us enjoy our excursions to waterfalls and the typical village closeby . We were supposed to stay in a suite but were upgraded to a large villa with our own Jacuzzi! Lovely welcomed surprise!

We were then taken by a travel company driver to our final beach destination by the Caribbean Sea. Hotel was to our liking as well . Food was marvellous and service pleasant. Hiking and snorkeling guides were most knowledgeable, on time and generous with information on the local fauna and flora.

I would definetely recommend the travel company to anyone considering visiting Costa Rica - especially for the first time.  Considering the quality of hotels and private drivers on four occasions, the cost was very reasonable.

Zicasso's travel partner planned a wonderful two-week trip to Costa Rica and Panama for my wife and me. All the hotels, food, transportation, and activities were first-rate. We loved the rain and cloud forests in Costa Rica, the Old Town in Panama City, and the amazing resort off the Caribbean coast of Panama.

Costa Rica is a nature lover’s paradise, where we saw beautiful waterfalls, the Arenal volcano, and a wide variety of wildlife, from crocodiles and sloths to monkeys and toucans. At the resort, we kayaked, snorkeled, paddle boarded, and swam to burn off calories from all the delicious food and drink you can order any time of the day or night.

Our travel agent also did a great job of rescheduling one of our flights after it was canceled due to an aircraft accident over Oregon. He was always reachable by phone or text during our trip to answer any questions we had.

My adult son and I had a fantastic time in Costa Rica with the travel company. It began with our travel agent in Boston. I explained to him the type of trip I wanted and he was able to come up with a 12 day itinerary for us. He sent us a detailed description of what we were to experience and he was able to accommodate some extra things that I wanted to do. Two days before the trip, I was sent an app so I could check my daily schedule on my phone. When we arrived at the airport in Costa Rica, someone was waiting for us and took us directly through our hotel. The entire trip felt very well scheduled. We went with a group of people to Tortuguero for three days and had a fantastic experience. All tours and food were included there. From there on, we had a private driver and he was very knowledgeable and flexible throughout our trip. We loved having a private driver. We then went to the Arenal Volcano area and had a wonderful time. The hotel was fantastic with an amazing view of the volcano from our room. We enjoyed this hotel! Every guest had a private casita and the grounds were quite beautiful. From then we traveled to Monteverde and had an exciting time in Selvatura which is a nature park with suspension bridges and ziplining. From there, we went to the Pacific coast and visited Manual Antonio National Park. We saw tons of animals and at the end of the tour, we went to one of the beaches in the park. From there we went ATV riding, catamaran, night hikes, etc.... Our contact was very welcoming to us and she was always available by phone if I had any questions. This is a great tour company and they took care of us very well.  I would love to go again!

When I first started my research for Costa Rica I did as I always do .. went online and started looking at all the beautiful places we could visit.. This was to be a very special trip for my husband and I because we had just had our first grandchild and both our daughters got married in 18 months.. Lots of planning for us and we knew life was not going to slow down.. sooooo... I pulled out my computer and dreamt of all the places we would see.. I started to get confused on where to start in the country and wanted to really see the entire country.  I read reviews and so forth and kept coming across the names of these travel agents... hmmm I wondered who they were?  I found them through Zicasso and had many conversations with them... ( they probably thought .. who is this woman?) I have always planned our trips without a travel agency... from Hawaii to Italy to Mexico and Many many places in california .  Costa Rica was different.. So Bio diverse and I did not want to rent a car with all I had read.  I put in my info with hesitation and I got a return email from the travel agency.  I was a bit confused at first because I thought I was working with Zicasso but then I understood it was a 3rd party.  To me that immediately meant more money. But, to my surprise for all they offered not much more. Working with these travel agents was a dream come true.. I told them all my quirks and likes and dislikes and they became quick friends and over the next 5 months put together the best itenerary for my Husband and I.. They kept saying dont worry it will be great.. They were right from start to finish the trip was perfect aside from our luggage never made it to San Jose Costa Rica but no fault of theirs.. I booked the airfare and the one thing you are always concerned about happened.... the luggage did not make the transfer from the first leg to the final destination.... I immediately called the airlines and found the luggage but never felt comfortable it was going to catch up with us.. We started in the Carribean which is 5 hours from the airport... our travel agents both helped me by making more calls and within 48 hours I did have luggage... All I can say is give them all your info.. likes and dislikes and let them take it from there...

It was an ADVENTURE of a lifetime.... hope to plan more trips with this travel agency or Zicasso....

Great Value!

We trusted Zicasso and this travel agency with 7 precious days away from work/school and they delivered a lifetime of memories for our family in Costa Rica.  We simply told our travel agent what type of experience we were looking for as well as a couple of "must-do" items.  She took it from there and planned an amazing itinerary that exceeded our expectations.  She was exceptionally responsive to our questions and itinerary changes.  She even made it a point to follow-up with our guides during the trip to ensure everything was going smoothly.  We spent a few days in encountering wildlife (e.g. monkeys, sloths, iguanas) in Tortuguero and then went on to relax at the beach in Puerto Viejo (very laid back beach town with Caribbean influence). The experiences, logistics, and professionalism of everyone we encountered (including our travel agency's partner companies) were top-notch.  Highly recommend Zicasso, this travel agency, and their networks.  Thanks to all but special shout-outs to:  our travel agent, our hosts at the Tortuga lodge, and especially our guide who took care of us for three days in Puerto Viejo.  

I could not have planned this trip alone, and our agent far exceeded all my needs wants and expectations. From a thoughtful arrival gift that was clearly chosen especially for a chef to the surprise after a wonderful meal… birthday cake! Our agent asked all the right questions and did not stop until I had a perfect itinerary. I will be ready to plan for Christmas 2017 this coming January. I am so confidant in this agent's ability to connect me with another perfect, affordable vacation that I probably will let her do it all with no input from myself…. Well I would like to request the South Caribbean again:) It’s hard to put into words except PERFECT. THANK YOU!!!!!

San Jose-

KC Hotel was a beautiful hotel! I love a boutique style hotel and you nailed my taste exactly. The food at the restaurant was DIVINE! Though we didn't explore outside the hotel, we took full advantage of all the amenities- pool, restaurant, room service, which was perfect for settling in. The staff was so accommodating and when my mom had an upset stomach they were quick to respond with relief. The room was so clean and cozy, in particular, my mom loved the fluffy towels. The greeting each time upon arrival by our drivers was enhanced by the delicious passion fruit juice and each departure a breakfast was packed early for us to go.

Caribbean Puerto Viejo

This was my first time flying in such a small plane and I loved the experience. The flights all felt very safe, I’m so glad we didn’t drive to each destination because we loved having more time to explore the area, however when I visit again, I will take at least one long drive to see the beautiful country sides. Our hotel, Blue Conga was a very natural easy place to relax. I was able to spend hours in the hammock. Breakfast was very good and friendly service all around.

Our first outing was changed due to renovations and I was offered a new experience of snorkeling with our hike. My mother and I had the NICEST , knowledgeable most professional tour guide. The driver and captain were confidant safe navigators. The day was everything I wanted and so much more.

The vibe on the Caribbean side is very relaxed and mellow with sweet considerate people. I also noticed how happy even the dogs were! Three days was not enough,  but adventure called for me to continue the trip. We had our last meal at a cute hostel that served bar food and cheap drinks without a rowdy crowd but good music.

Pacific Manuel Antonio

WOW! This place is paradise! The photos do not do this place justice. We stayed at Villas Mymosa condominiums and our apartment was larger than some one bedrooms in NYC. We had a perfect room. Again full of adventure, we parasailed, zip lined and spent much time at all the restaurants.

During my birthday dinner, the climax was having a cake delivered to the table from our vacation planner. What a kind gesture and above any of my expectations! The cake was a perfect balance of sweet, light, healthful and indulgente. Topped with a fresh light cream and juicy blackberries, sprigs of fresh mint. Underneath a rich, but airy chocolate cake with a hint of spice.

Private transfers- All of the drivers were prompt and even waiting for flight changes and delays. Safe and friendly to say the least. They told us about our surroundings and the rich Costa Rican culture and environment. The only thing I would have changed in this area would not to have private transfer. I thought we would be in a car but we were in vans, and larger busses made for tours, so I felt like I was wasting a great deal of resources to shuttle just two people around, I really enjoy meeting new people, so I will choose to share rides next time around. That was completely my ignorance of not asking what the mode of private transport would be; car or bus.