Undiscovered Costa Rica Eight-Day Adventure

The trip was great. The hotels were particularly amazing and I have stayed at many hotels around the world. Tabacón was so unique, it could be my favorite part of the trip. My husband and son absolutely loved the resort and the gorgeous private beach (and monkeys). 

All of the excursions were amazing, except one. The horseback riding was on such a unique and wide open trail, we felt like we were alone in paradise on horseback (and the boys both expected to hate it!). Except for the fishing, the guides on every single tour were truly incredible and enhanced every experience. I would think twice before recommending that particular fishing charter. They were barely friendly and very unhelpful. 

Other than that, everything was perfect. Somehow, they even made the long ride from Arenal to Manuel Antonio pleasant. Zicasso's travel agent put together a wonderful experience.

We celebrated my daughter's high school graduation with a 12-day trip to Costa Rica. I interviewed several local travel agencies and fell in love with Zicasso's tour company from the very first phone conversation. The owner was fantastic to work with, helping me craft the perfect adventure-filled, action-packed vacation for my family. He was honest and took the time to listen to our preferences. He provided great feedback and suggestions.

Prior to our trip, I felt very confident that I was in good hands and knew that every detail was taken care of. During our trip, the company owner checked in with me several times to make sure everything was ok. Unfortunately, someone in my family had to go home early and he was so helpful in coordinating an extra trip to the airport to accommodate our family needs (it required an extra nine hours of driving and a hotel stay for the driver).

The company owner and our agent were generous enough to not charge me for this extra trip. They even canceled all the hotel and activity reservations for that family member, and I received a refund at the end of my trip! It truly was a trip of a lifetime. I found myself thinking, I wish there was a travel company like this for every country because I would use them again to plan my next vacation, wherever it may be!

I also want to give a special shoutout to my driver, who drove my family on several long road trips during our vacation. During our drives, he would spot many interesting animals and birds, and stop on the side of the road so we could get out and get great pictures. Some of my best close-up opportunities to look at animals occurred while in the car. He talked about the agriculture, the school system, and the different rainforests. He even bought plantain chips from the side of the road and shared them with my family. Even though his job was to drive us from point A to point B, I felt his knowledge and his ability to spot animals was better than many of the tour guides we had on the trip. He really cared about Costa Rica and was excited to show us all it had to offer.

I highly recommend this travel company. And ask for our driver to drive you around; you won't be disappointed.

We had a great trip and highly recommend others visit Costa Rica. Zicasso’s travel agent recommended great hotels and activities, and found outstanding local guides. We were amazed by the local wildlife that infused each element of our trip. The travel agent was responsive throughout the trip, including when we needed to change transportation arrangements because of a delayed flight.

We booked late and were impressed with what Zicasso’s travel company was able to put together on short notice.

We stayed at two totally different hotels, both wonderful. Our hotel near Drake Bay was in an amazing location, with breathtaking views. The staff was fantastic and the home-cooked meals were wonderful. The room was comfortable, but small, all you needed, nothing more. More spacious rooms were available; we just booked too late and wanted to stick to a budget. Getting to Drake Bay certainly required some effort, but it was well worth it. One day, we did not go on an excursion and had the entire beach to ourselves, how amazing.

From Drake Bay, we traveled to Puerto Jiménez, which was also a journey, but again, well worth it. The travel company booked us at our hotel in Puerto Jiménez, a hidden gem. We had great excursions, saw lots of wildlife, and met some wonderful people. Here too, the staff was great. We had an amazing time, when can we go back?

Thank you to the travel company for putting a great trip together.

Costa Rica was an interesting country and Manuel Antonio had a lot to offer. We booked late (August) for a vacation for 11 (including our five grandchildren aged 11 to 16). Zicasso's travel agent came through with many connections for housing and activities. She was quick to respond to questions and always very pleasant. You could tell she loved Costa Rica and knew the country. She was detailed, until she wasn't. We were disappointed that the final schedule had many pick-up errors, as well as miscommunications. It felt as though she had passed the work off to someone else. 

Although it had been mentioned in previous reviews that a sloth lived in the tree above our pool at our villa, we never saw one. Everyone did enjoy interacting with the friendly monkeys and birds. Instead of swimming, the patio became a gathering spot for the forest animals. 

The consensus was that our private catamaran tour was our favorite, even though it rained during most of our trip. The crew was very hospitable, always on the lookout for our safety, and professional. They prepped food as we watched and it was extremely delicious! Our grandkids loved swimming off the boat, jumping into the water, and sitting on the netting as we sailed. 

We also enjoyed the private ATV tour (in spite of smelly, wet helmets). The staff, snack, and lunch were excellent, and the excursion was exciting. The staff were attentive to our safety. Unfortunately, two ATVs "died" during our trip. 

Our final outing was a rainforest waterfall excursion. We feel this was a "last-minute" fill-in for our scheduled tour. We were picked up in a vehicle that was too small for our group and we scrunched 13 people into a van that seated 11. The tour guide was pleasant and guided us to various waterfall sights, but there was little talk or explanation during the trip. The fresh pineapple was delicious and the favorite stop was at Window Beach, where everyone enjoyed jumping the warm waves of the Pacific. Communication was lacking as we never knew how long we had at each stop. The food back at the business was just okay. 

The villa was very nice and had some beautiful features. It was nice to have private bathrooms in the bedrooms, but we should have been alerted that we needed to bring our own shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. We've never traveled anywhere that required us to do so and purchasing six of each at any of their stores was extremely pricey. It could have easily been handled with a "heads-up" mention. Also, the foosball table handle was broken, as was the dishwasher. It took a day for us to get enough towels for our needs since housekeeping didn't leave enough out. We lost time communicating with our host due to internet connections.

Manuel Antonio is an expensive town. There were many nice restaurants and one-of-a-kind, "homemade" shops, and the locals were very welcoming and accommodating. 

Hilly, windy, narrow roads made it nearly impossible to get around without a car. So, as a result, parking was difficult as well.

Zicasso’s travel specialists pulled off the impossible! They took all of our, admittedly unreasonable, requests and fashioned a fantastic winter getaway vacation. We did not spend too much time in the car, it was not too hot or too humid, and we got a mix of mountains and beach, all at lovely, tranquil, spacious hotels. Both venues had the right mix of activities and downtime, all at the right price point.