Off the Beaten Path for Families: 8-Day Costa Rica Vacation

Everything was arranged thoughtfully, with time for "adventures" and downtime at terrific resorts to relax. All pick-ups, travel by limo, and drop-offs went as arranged. The drivers, guides, and hotel staff were all very pleasant and kind. Zicasso's tour operator did a great job planning our eight-day, family-of-10 trip to Costa Rica! We appreciated that most tours, hikes, and ocean experiences were small groups of just our group of 10. This made it a personal and annoyance-free experience all around. Thanks!

The Zicasso travel company was excellent. We found the areas we visited were too touristy. In retrospect, I would have preferred a trip that took us to one or two places instead of three, and one that visited places that were off the beaten path.

It rained every day that we were in Costa Rica. Sometimes, it poured. No one can do anything about the weather. Not the travel agency, Zicasso, or us. Despite the inclement weather, we made the best of the situation.

The driver who picked us up at the airport drove us safely to the hotel. Two of us had been in San Jose before. But not the other four. Some commentary about what we were seeking from the driver would have been nice rather than just a long silent drive.

The hotel was very nice. Maybe not Grano de Oro but no complaints about the hotel. The employees manning the desk were exceptional. And the hotels‘ restaurant excellent. (I had the freshest mojito ever from the bar). And next door to the hotel was a wonderful panaderia that seemed to be very conscious of those with nut allergies.

The next morning, while raining, we were picked up by our driver who first drove us to La Paz Waterfall Gardens. Despite the pouring rain or maybe because of it, this sanctuary is a must see. It was a perfect start to a trip to CR. It is lovely and so well maintained.

He was the best of all the drivers and guides that we had on our entire trip. He was engaging, amusing and informative. He loves his country and loves his job. Who does not like being around happy people?! He deserves a raise!

Too bad he dropped us off at the resort. The extended stay there was the low point of our stay. The accommodations are subpar. Small rooms, poorly constructed, no insulation and the common walls shared with other guests were as thin as paper mache’! One could hear everything that the other guests were saying. When they flushed the toilet, took a shower or slammed their door, we thought it was coming from our bathroom! The first night, there were 2 crying little kids next to us. It was horrible. The following night, I had to have a detente with the new guests about the noise. They were just as aware of the issue.

Arenal has no shuttle into town; intentionally. They know that the road is too dangerous to walk. Therefore, unless one wants to pay $20 each way for a 6 kilometer cab ride, they have a captive audience when it comes to meals. Their breakfasts were great. A wonderful variety. Their lunch and dinners were stupidly expensive and their wait staff like little robots. For example, we ordered over-priced pizzas one night. One of the pizzas was obviously burned. The person could not even chew. We mentioned it to our server. His response: “Glad you all liked your pizzas.” “Ready for dessert?” Remember, my daughter speaks Spanish. “No, his pizza was over-cooked.” “Well, I’m glad that you liked it.” ”How about some dessert?”

I was also double-charged for a meal that was not included in our package. I am trying to work that out with my credit card company.

The travel agency should not be recommending lodgings at places that they have never stayed! There is no way knowing the parameters that I set forth that you would have recommended this resort.

The trip to Corcovado was a crazy experience in and of itself. But staying there was the highlight of our trip. But first, I had to get an extra room because you had booked 3 teens staying in one room together. They do not have any rooms for 3 people. Fortunately, they had an extra room for my granddaughter. Unfortunately, it was far from the rest of us and another room with a shared wall!

The accommodations at the Corcovado lodge was well worth the price. The breakfasts were rather bland but the other meals were excellent. The service was excellent and the people who manned reception, the best!

The grounds were well maintained and the excursions well planned and fun.

Bizarrely, though we were in Costa Rica, we did not see a single sloth anywhere. We saw a few spider monkeys when on the hanging bridge tour. But only two when at Corcovado. We did see 2 pumas! And I saw a coati! But the night walk was a beat as was the “jungle walk” during the day. Maybe it was the rain? Or maybe it was because our guide was always talking loudly as we went along. I understand that she was trying to be informative about the native flora but if I am a wild animal and I hear someone coming down a well worn path loudly, why would I reveal myself? Ask anyone who hunts. people only talk in whispers.

I have more to say but this format does not allow one to return to a previous text which is frustrating.

We had a great trip and Zicasso’s travel agent did a very good job of organizing a variety of activities to enable us to see Costa Rica in a thorough way, but in a short time. 

My only disappointment was the resort in La Fortuna. It was a great place, but we were placed in rooms a mile away from the restaurant, hot springs, and swimming pools. We had to call for a shuttle bus each time we wanted to get out of our rooms and that was frustrating, as well as preventing any spontaneous strolls or time outdoors enjoying the beautiful weather and scenery. We enjoyed all the other planned places and activities. 

I would suggest to our travel company that they include how long each planned activity is expected to last when they publish the itemized itinerary so clients can plan for meals, unscheduled time, and rest periods.

I highly recommend the travel company to other families traveling to Costa Rica! Pura vida!

Our trip was very enjoyable. The resorts that were selected were top-notch in all aspects – nice rooms, great restaurants, and very nice locations. The tours we went on were very nice. Our favorite tour was the hanging bridge tour in La Fortuna. The hot springs at the La Fortuna resort were amazing. Our only criticism was the travel day between the resort in La Fortuna and the resort in Manuel Antonio. We were picked up at 8am and didn’t arrive until 4.15pm. We did zipline on the way, but the eight-hour travel day was very long. We would have preferred to travel straight from one resort to the other as quickly as possible, with no stops.

Overall, the trip was fantastic. Zicasso's travel agency did a great job of planning our itinerary and was very accessible during our trip. We loved Costa Rica.

Zicasso's travel company sent us on an epic trip to Costa Rica. The whole trip was so easy for us because we only had to show up at the time noted on the itinerary. The travel specialists were incredibly helpful during the planning and packing process, quickly answering any questions we had and giving advice.

The trip itself was incredible and I don’t think we can choose a favorite when it comes to the activities we did. We saw so much incredible flora and fauna while learning about the areas we visited. Ziplining, waterfall rappelling, and tubing were so much fun. We were part of a group of several families traveling together and this trip would not have been nearly as awesome without this travel company. I know it was challenging at times, but we are so thankful. We stayed in some beautiful and unique resorts. We appreciate that this company was available during our trip for any needs that popped up. This was such an unforgettable trip. Thank you.