Hi Lynn, thank you so much for arranging everything on our trip to your
beautiful country Costa Rica.  Everything went smoothly, from the beginning
to the end.  When we arrived at the airport, our ride was already waiting
for us and they were courteous and friendly.  About the hotels that we
stayed at:

Hotel Alta-very nice and clean; it has an old feel to it.  The employees
were very friendly and our waiter at the restaurant was very professional.

Royal Corin-very luxurious, we loved it a lot.  We specially like the
complimentary pastries we had every afternoon.  We looked forward to it
everyday.  The buffet breakfast was delicious and bountiful.  We had rice
and beans, yogurt, fruits, cereal, fried plantains, eggs, sausage, bacon,
etc. everyday.  All the employees were very friendly, from the front desk to
the waiters.  We also loved the hot spring water in the pools and the view
of the volcano from our room.

Tulemar-we loved the fact that we had our own bungalow with a nice view of
the ocean, but it needed some renovations.  The roof was leaking in the
bedroom one day and then in the bathroom the next day.  The complimentary
breakfast was tasty and one of the waiters was very accommodating.

In regards to the tours, we got picked up on-time everyday and all the tour
guides were knowledgeable and some were funny, which made the tour more
enjoyable.

The water rafting tour was great-our tour guide, Ricky was funny and the
only complaint we have about it is that the lunch could have been better.
For lunch, we basically had ham and cheese sandwiches (either with flour
tortillas or bread) with chips and fruits.

The canopy tour was fantastic.  We also liked the visit to the Maleku
village, which was very informational.

Arenal Volcano Hike-we were able to learn about the different plants in the
forest.  We did not care so much about the Baldi Spring and dinner part of
the tour because it was very touristy.  We thought that we were going to
hike to the source of the spring and swim there.

Manuel Antonio Park-our guide was very good.  He was able to spy animals
that we did not know existed.  We saw so many varities of animals-3
different kinds of monkeys, crocodile, bats, sloths, crabs, ducks, herons,
iguanas, etc.

Catamaran-very relaxing, both the boat part and the snorkeling.  Too bad we
only saw a whale.

As a whole, we had a great trip.  Thank you again and pura vida.

 

Mary Jane and Ralf (August 18th-25, 2009 )

Thanks so much for a wonderful and memorable vacation. All the services, tours and hotels were really good.
The Arenal Springs Hotel was made extra special because of the excellent staff and their personal touch, especially Carlos on the Pool Bar and Diego the restaurant manager who both made us feel special. The Hotel gardens are quite beautiful. Josh loved fishing Talapia in their pond....great place.
 
The Canyoning was great fun and very professionally coordinated. I'm glad we did it with these folks as their tour felt natural without too much man-made adaptations to detract from the natural beauty of the surroundings.
 
The Canopy Tour was just as good and very exciting for Josh who made 3 new friends that we later bumped into at the Badi Springs. This tour was extra fun as we hooked up with these other folks to ride horses, visit the the Indian village and the Butterflys and Poisonous frogs. What a day for kids!
 
The Baldi Springs was great and would have liked to have had longer there as Volcano observation turns out to be a fizz for kids! Still, it was kinda funny.
 
Barcelo Langosta turned out to be the ideal hotel for the 2nd week with it's Kids club and never ending array of activities. Excellent Buffets and nightly shows and all of this in the setting of a National Park. Enjoyed very much.
 
I wasn't looking forward to the ATV tour but to my surprise it was just the 3 of us instead of 25 noisy, dusty machines in a row. What a relief! We enjoyed this tour as much as the others and took in the local sights and hidden jems of beaches.
 
Palo Verde fullfilled all my needs for enjoying my new camera and accessories! The crocs and wildlife are abundant and I got some cool pics. Also the local family who operate the tour were very nice and once again offered that personnal touch. Being met halfway down a dusty road with someone holding up a card with our name on it tickled me pink!
 
The Hotel Alta we were only at a few hours. It felt more like a business persons hotel. The restaurant, room and staff were all very nice though. They don't have a kids menu but will make whatever you would like.
 
And the best part of the trip was certainly My Costa Rica's personnal service. Lynn, thank you and your team for a great vacation. I have photos but am not sure about how to mail those to you. Will try later.
 

David and Josh Gozal (August 7-22nd, 2009 )

Our trip was fantastic! Costa Rica is an incredible country with some incredible people! When we got off the plane we were greeted almost immediately by a representative who told us everything we needed to do. Everything was well- planned and taken care of before we arrived. Each place we stayed at seemed like home, because the people there tried their best to make us feel that way. Each day when we walked in to Nayara while we were staying there they always wanted to know how the day had been, and showed a sincere interest in our trip. The hotel grounds were well manicured and the view of the volcano was beautiful. Tulemar had an incredible view and the private beach was phenomenal. It's location was good too--We found it easy to walk around town to find shops and places to eat. Most of all, the tours we did, and the time we spent touring the country was what we enjoyed more than anything. I'll attach some photos of views we had. Thanks again for a great trip!

Killough (August 10st-18th,2009)

Now that I am settled back home I thought I would drop you a line. The three hotels we stayed at were all different, but all beautiful. I didnt realize how big Costa Rica was and therefore the reason it took so much time to get from hotel to hotel but the scenery along the drives were beautiful. My favorite place we stayed at was Arenal Springs. There was something about waking up every mornig to the veiw of the volcano that was breathtaking. We didnt have one problem with anyone we had meet. All the tours guides were extremely helpful and knowledgeable. They all knew everthing about Costa Rica. I have been telling all my co-workers about the amazing trip you helped me plan. I think some of them may use your agency to plan a trip to Costa Rica.

Nancy Gandolfo (August 4st-14th,2009)

Thank you for helping us with our vacation after our Mission Trip to Costa Rica!!

we had a great time - it was just what we needed after a hard 2 weeks of working with HS youth!

we loved the paradisus - here is what we loved:
-the rooms (jr garden suites were WAY better than the royal service suits - royal service was just a regular hotel room
-the food - the options were great - menus with room service were limited - but the food was good
-the pools were great - tons of fun!
-the beach was beautiful
-the people were really great - many people to meet!
-the private bus to and from the airport was best - it was on our own time
-the location - the hotel was awesome!!

Here is what we would have liked to know before the trip:
-get reservations to the restaurants early - do not wait until the day of - they will be booked
-get reservations for excursions early - they book fast
-the beach is a public beach - you actually leave the resort to get on the beach - the vendors are really aggressive - but nice - they just want you to buy stuff
-don't leave your stuff unattended on the beach (we didn't get get anything stolen - we were warned)
-after about 6pm the resort starts to die down - there were a few people hanging around - but it would get pretty quiet


Thanks - we will probably be calling you again for next summer!! it was awesome!

Drew Seelman (August 1st-5th,2009)

Sorry for the delay in my response, but I have been swamped with work since we got back.  Everything went great for the most part.  Here's a quick summary:
 
Hotel Grano de Oro - Definitely a decent hotel and the food was really good at the restaurant.  I think the restaurant was what really stood out about the hotel.  I would recommend this place to anyone looking to crash for one night, but it isn't near any of the tourist attractions, bars, restaurants, etc., so I wouldn't go there if I was planning on exploring San Jose.

La Mansion Inn- Loved this place.  Would highly recommend it for couples.  Don't really think it would be an ideal spot for families or non-couples.  We got a free upgrade to the penthouse since it was our honeymoon (thanks for your help with that), and the room was amazing.  Breakfast was included and that was amazing as well.  The only thing that was really disappointing was the dinner.  The restaurant was very nice, but both my wife and I thought the food was very bland.  Also, drinks are expensive!
 
Arenal Nayara - Loved this place as well.  The place is beautiful, the service was fantastic and the rooms were great.  Would only recommend this place for couples as well.  Not much of a family place.  The food was just okay... not bad, but nothing specials.  Prices were more reasonable here.
 
Paradisus Playa Conchal - Great all-inclusive place, but after staying at La Mansion Inn and Arenal Nayara, I would have preferred to have stayed at more of a small boutique hotel.  This place is HUGE and I think I would have loved it under any other circumstances.  Definitely a good time though.
 
Lederer Honeymoon (July 29-Aug 13, 2009 )

The trip was awesome and you did an amazing job getting it all scheduled.  Our drivers were all friendly and helpful and did a nice job.  We enjoyed the Hotel Alta and saw two unforgetable sunsets.  We watched one from the restauraunt and one from the balcony of our room.  In fact, we ordered room service the last night just so we would not have to leave the balcony.  The Manual Antonio trip was great fun and we enjoyed the monkeys, the park tour and the katamaran.  The Issimo Suites hotel lacked privacy in the bathroom but otherwise it was a great place to stay with great views, a good restaurant, friendly and helpful staff.  The Royal Corin in Arenal is a fantastic hotel!  We loved the service, the amenities and the heated pools!  We are already planning our next trip.  We will definitely recommend "My Costa Rica" to our friends.

Yvonne (July 14th-21st, 2009)

Hotel Alta was nice and clean.  We went to Machu Piccu on your recommendation and it was great and inexpensive.  All the shuttle busses showed up on time or early.  We never waited more than 5 minutes for our transportation.  River rafting on the Pacurue was great and the guides were a lot of fun.  The Royal Corin was as a nice of a place as I had ever been.  The complimaentry breakfast buffet was awsome as were the rooms, pools and bars.  The ATV tour was a lot of fun, we ended up at a swimming hole with a rope swing, which was great.  The kayacking was supposed to be on a river with a little white water, instead we ended up on lake Arenal.  The guide was extremely good and pulled the bus over to see monkeys, sloths and coati.  The actual tour though was a lot of work and was a little boring for our taste.  We could have paddled aroung a flat lake at home, but and least we saw wildlife on the way to the lake.  The canyoning was a ton of fun.  The night hike was cool we got to see some wildlife and lava at Arenal.  Baldi hot springs afterward was not needed.  We had been at the Royal Corin with hot spring pools all week so we didn't care to spend twice as much on beer.  We just ate and then walked across the street to our hotel and swam and drank at the pools there.  Horseback riding was fun and the guides were really good.    The next hotel Establo was perfect.  The Zip lines were amazing.  We really like La Fortuna and Monte Verde.  Cool little places to eat and shop.  Every waiter, bellman, tour guide, driver and front desk person that we came in contact with was nice and very helpful.  We hads the best honeymoon that we could have imagined.  It was pretty much perfect.  I will send you some pictures next week once we download them on our computer.

Chris Tully (Jun 22th-30th, 2009)

We had a terrific time. The driver, Juan, provided us transportation to and from San Jose. He was awesome! I only wish that when I came back I could have the same guy. He did a great job.
The Hotel Royal Corin was exquisite. Very nicely decorated, comfortable and met my expectations in every possible way. The Sky-Tram was great fun. I ended up taking the cables, but Tammy “chicken’d” out at the last minute. I realize that I was not signed up for the cables, so I just paid the difference afterward…turned out to only be $6 bucks. It was a blast! I really enjoyed the cables. The tour, then Tabacon Hot Springs dinner was also very nice. We had a guide named Pablo, who did a fine job. I only wish I was coming back again, soon! I love the country. The people are much friendlier than other similar places that I have traveled. For example, we had lunch at Soda Serrano in downtown La Fortuna. The food was great, but the owner was so accommodating. Your probably wondering how we ended up here, but we met a couple on the Sky-Tram and ended up going with them…they were great fun, a dentist and real estate agent from Pensacola, Florida. Thanks again for everything! Maybe next time we can book the Volcano with the kids, then head to the beach for a few days, too. Do you think that if I had 7 days it would be possible to accomplish Arenal and the beach?

Ben Hutson (May 19th-22nd, 2009)

Sorry I took forever to get back to this email!!!  But we loved every part of our vacation!  Thanks so much for everything.  Hotel Escencia, the zip lines, transportation services, atv and lesson/rentals at Blue Sanctuary were all great!  Actually we made friends with people that live there (seasonally) who are good friends with Pia from Blue Sanctuary, so we hung out with her a few time... she is so nice.  We had an awesome time and definitely would go back.
 
Thanks so much for everything.  I know that it was tough putting our itinerary together.  We definitely appreciated it.

Jen Currier (May 2-10, 2009)

I just got back to reality (and my email connection). I will send pictures and more comments, but wanted you to know briefly what an absolutely fantastic trip it was. The ferry was a surprise but worked out well--Santa Teresa was beautiful. I can't wait to go back and have already given your name & travel group to friends, with the highest recommendations. I sincerely hope to work with you on another trip in the future.

Lori Broderick (May 15-23, 2009 )

I just want to let you know that Gary and I had the trip of a lifetime!  Costa Rica is like a summer garden.  Impatiences that I plant every year in my garden here grow wild in the ditches there...it is amazing! 

The tours we went on were thrilling and the tour guides could not have been more friendly and knowledgeable.  The zip lining was my favourite; it was like flying over the top of the rain forest and zipping by the most beautiful waterfall.  I've never done anything so fun!


  The hotels we stayed at knocked our socks off.  They were clean, beautifully appointed, the food was always top-notch.  The coffee was so delicious!  The service at each hotel was absolutely outstanding, far better than what you get in Canada.  We felt like royalty!  The view of the volcano from our bed at the Arenal Springs took my breath away when I first saw it in the early morning our first day there.  It was the same experience when we saw the view of Manuel Antonio park and beach from our room's balcony when we arrived at the Gran Hotel, sipping the champagne we were offered as we arrived...absolutely delightful!

We loved that we were able to travel around the country.  The geography is so diverse.  I would think it would be a shame to go to Costa Rica to just sit at one resort and not do the kind of tour we got to do.  The roads were a bit harrowing so I was very glad for the skilled drivers we always had.

Thank you so much for arranging this tour.  We spoke with other vacationers and it was clear that we had #1 experiences in comparison to some of the tours they were doing.

We cannot wait to return and the kids are already saving their money for the next trip!

Thanks again, Lynn, and please tell your tour and hotel operators that they are absolutely the best!

Susan and Gary (May 2-10, 2009)

I can't thank you enough for the fantastic vacation we had in Costa Rica.From the white water rafting through the most picturesque setting, the
thrill if repelling down waterfalls, flying through a cloud forest hanging from a wire, relaxing on a black sand beach to diving off of  beautiful
Manuel Antonio.  We couldn't of asked for a more wonderful time.  We especially liked the hotel in Monteverde with the cabins in the trees and
the iguanas and monkeys outside our hotel in Manuel Antonio.  Thank you somuch for arranging such a perfect trip!

Bernas Family (April 4-11, 2009)

 I want to thank-you for a wonderful trip we returned back home last night about 10:30pm after a few delays on flights and luggage that was not able to be taken off the plane which we came on from Costa Rica. The luggage compartment door was stuck, so we waited and waited for luggage and finally were told and allowed to proceed through customs without luggage. We also have snow on the ground, what a disappointment to see the snow instead of green plants, lots of birds and warm weather.

    Thank-you for the hotel selection they were are fabulous, especially Tulemar Bungalows.   We had a tremendous time canyoning, rapelling, zip-lining, nature walks, snorkeling etc,  Costa Rica is a beautiful country and we have many memories and pictures to help us remember the trip.  We truly enjoyed everything. The tours were all good and the drivers were on time and helpful.  We enjoyed the drives since we were able to see part of the countryside and towns that we drove through.  The only thing we didn't get to see was Arenal erupting during the night due to cloud cover.  Oh well, will have to come back... Just to let you know on the itinerary it was stated that breakfast not included at Sapo Dorado, it was included that was a nice surprise.   Our last night we had dinner at Tiquicia, what a view and there was a wedding going on with a carnival atmosphere.  So much fun!
 Again thank-you for organizing this memorable trip.

Dalia, Marty and Tomas Trakis (Mar 19-29, 2009)

Hi Lynn
Just a little note to express our satisfaction with your travel arrangements, everything worked out fine for us, pick up/ drop off, especially the Sunset Cruise, that was a favorite for us. The resort was lovely and the staff were extremely helpful and very friendly. Even though we did not see more of Costa Rica this time, we are sure to be back, and of course will use you again to arrange all our travel plans.
Once again, thanks for the wonderful service that you provided to us.
Clem and Hetty Valentine

Clement Valentine (Mar 19-24, 2009)

Using My Costa Rica was a great decision, though the credit should go to you and not us :) Not only did we enjoy our trip immensely, but the itinerary the you set up for us exceeded even our high expectations. The itinerary was tailored precisely to our specifications, wants, desires, price range, etc., and the trip itself went off without a hitch. Every transfer was on time, every reservation met ably, and every guide was knowledgeable and skillful. Erin and I had a wonderful trip, and we have already recommended using My Costa Rica to our friends. Thank you, Lynn. We greatly appreciate it.

Hotels:

The Sleep Inn - given the constraints of staying in the city of San Jose itself, we found that the Sleep Inn was good. They had friendly, helpful staff; they were even willing to work with us on a last second room change given the noise on the street late at night on the backside of the hotel. They went out of their way to help us, and it was much appreciated. Erin and I also liked the security of the hotel with the gated community-feel.

Arenal Springs - a fantastic hotel. Everything was awesome about this place, from the views of the Arenal Volcano, to the conditions and aesthetics of the rooms, to the grounds of the hotel, to the staff at the restaurant and the hotel. I could have stayed for weeks.

El Sapo Dorado - another great place. The staff was incredibly helpful. The food was amazing. The rooms made you feel like you were one with nature, all while concurrently afforded the amenities of a nice hotel; an unique blend of nature and amenities that Erin and I quite liked. We also bought the cook book per your recommendation!

Hampton Inn - nothing special, as it was an obviously needed stopover for a flight we would not have made on Sunday had we left from Monteverde early that morning. That said, the staff was very friendly, and the rooms clean, etc. No complaints.

Tours: We really liked the people you set us up with. The volcano tour was great. The night hike was great. The Sky Walk was great. I would continue using the same people / companies. We tipped all our guides merited by their exceptional service. Very tourist friendly.

Hope this helps, Lynn. Thanks so much for setting this up for us. Erin and I had a wonderful time.

~Matt PS - Nick and Tom stopped by at 5:56 am in the morning and surprised Erin and I! I was disoriented at first, but then we chatted before they left. Good times.

Matt Kuhn (Mar 16-22, march)

My son and I returned from Costa Rica last night. I want to tell you that we had a fantastic time and enjoyed every moment. I want to tell you my experiences so that you may be able to pass some to your clients.
 
As you know, I had changed my direct Houston to San Jose flight on Continental airlines to a cheaper option which took me from Houston to Honduras via Continental and after couple of hours wait there via Copa Airlines to San Jose. Because the flights to and from Honduras have few first class seats booked, my son and I were upgraded to first class on all flights !!! I had not heard of Copa Airlines before, but I must tell you that it is second to none and I will recommend it very highly to anyone.
 
Mauren who met us in San Jose was very helpful inspite of her limited English. Sleep Inn was good place and certainly recommend it.
 
Arenal Springs Resort was excellent. My son loved it. Fantastic view of the volcano while lying on the bed !! The grounds were immaculate and I took a lot of pictures of the plants and flowers. Free internet and international phone calls without a service fee !! Their attached restaurant was excellent. The nature treck and volcano tours were excellent. We did get to see the top of the volcano when the clouds lifted and at night did get a brief few glimpses of the red lava. I very highly recommend this resort and would love to some day stay here again.
 
Sapa Dorado in Monteverde was OK but needed some improvements. The wooden floor in some places had rotted out (in the open verandah) and there was some risk of our foot going thru the floor. Also, the place was quite drafty. Also, the grounds needed maintenence -- a lot of dead plants and unpaved , muddy areas. By the way, the night walk tour of the forest was great. Also I would advice people to be prepared for the cold weather here in Montverde, which is much colder than the other places. A light jacket would have been OK.
 
The ATV tour was excellent.
 
Finally Hotel California in Manual Antonio. The ocean view was not much of a view -- a small glimpse of the water. Maybe the view was better from the higher floor. But it is not worth paying extra for this "ocean view". I had asked for a wake up call which was not done. The hotel had frequent brief power failures which of course disabled the alarm that I had set on the small alarm radio in the room. Thank God I had the good fortune to set up a "back up" alarm on my cell phone. If not, I would have missed our morning outing. The road up to this place is unpaved, narrow and steep. Two cars cannot pass at the same time and it is so steep that our tour bus could not go up and we were dropped off on the main road. I would not want to stay at this palce again.  The park tour was excellent and our guide was tops. The horse riding tour was excellent and very highly recommend it.
 
Lastly, I want to send a special thanks to the taxi driver who took us from Manual Antonio to the San Jose airport. A very, very nice person who went out of his way to point out interesting things to us and even stopped for us to see the crocodiles at a bridge. I wonder if you could send me his name and address so I can write to him.
 
The best part of Costa Rica was ofcourse its people. We did not meet a single person who was not nice. I felt I was among good, friendly and honest people. Nobody tried to take advantage of "tourists" and I felt very safe everywhere.
 
Thanks again and PURA VIDA !!!!!!

Arvind and Arjun Pai (Mar 14-22, march)

thank you for your help booking our tours. after the first 2 days i could not have been happier. the drivers were great and had super personalities. the second driver fernando was the best i have never had so much fun. we all enjoyed him tremendously he told us he had written a song for his mother on mothers day and how much he enjoyed music. we convinced him to sing for for us and he was fanatastic, his knowledge of the area was also very good he pointed out many things to us. if you ever have the oppertunity to meet him do because he is truly one of the nicest we have ever meet. the last driver was also jose whom you had highly reccomed to me . you and i must have had a communication failure about what we wanted to do. he was going to take us shopping and see old houses and churches. we had wanted to drive thru the beach towns shop and have beers at the cantinas. jose was able to change what he had planned and try to accomidate us to the best of his ability. we enjoyed him very much also a very nice guy and tried his best. overall we really enjoyed our tours and i would not hesitate to use your company again thanks again lynn. but remember fernando he is the best.

Mike Henegan (Mar 14-21, march)

Lynn, Your agency was terrific!  As you may remember, I was a little hesitant about wiring our payment for just those reasons.  Being a Police Detective working side by side with Guys who investigate frauds and scams, I was familiar with how sme people are separated from their money by predators on the internet.  You guys checked out 100% before during and after our vacation.  Sam and I would be happy to be references.  I could mention you to local travel reps if you like, as I went to my local travel agent and she couldn't come close to the quality for value as your agency did.
I will attach a couple pictures from our trip.  I took hundreds!
  Thanks again!

Mike and Sam Shelby (Mar 10-21, 2009)

Hola Lynn, well, we're back and re-cooping from a glorious adventure. You can be proud of the job you did for us. It was very impressive to be met with a personal driver or guide along our journeys. Each was either exactly on time or even early and waiting for us. Your guide at the rain forest, Leo Laguna was a real joy and extremely well versed in his profession. He's a keeper for sure. You have a beautiful Country, we ate very well, met super folks from many foreign countries, and, without question, had a wonderful trip. Lynn, thanks for all you do, it is appreciated and we would recommend you to anybody, any time. Send them to us for a good word if needed. Our Best Regards

Milan & Linda Maravich (Mar 10-21, 2009)

We are having a marvelous time showing off our tan to all our coworkers now that we are back.  Your agency did a marvelous job with our trip.  All our transfers and tour pickups were prompt and efficient and overall, we had a great time in Costa Rica.

Arenal Springs
Very nice accomodations... Quite a walk from the reception area and restaurant to our room(three blocks) after a long day of hiking and rapelling, but we needed to get into better shape for the rest of our trip  anyway.   Food and drink at the one restaurant was gourmet pricing and mediocre quality at best.  Took a taxi in to Fortuna and we really enjoyed walking around the square in the town, and had a GREAT meal and drinks for about 1/3 the price!  We BOTH had a full body deep tissue massage the next morning and it really was a god send after the Canyon adventure.  ($60 dollars each for 75 minutes each) It got our tired muscles rejuvenated for the rest of the stay!

Canyoning Adventure                        
 THIS WAS THE BEST!!! We had a terrific time on this tour!  The climb back up the stairs was a killer. I was dead tired by the time I got back up to the starting point, but we had a nice lunch with our tour mates, and the VERY reasonably priced photographer ($25 for a CD with 75 HQ pictures!) had a slide show of the tour playing on a laptop for us to watch as we ate.                    

- Taxi/Boat/Taxi Transfer from Arenal to Monteverde
An adventure in itself!  A ride not for the faint hearted.   I can't imagine anyone renting a car and driving it themselves.  No paving and no street markings of anykind that I could see.  Rental car insurance must be a trip with all those potholes!        

-“Sendero Tranquilo” Night Walk
Walking throught the Cloud Forest, at night, was an awe inspiring adventure.  The guide did his best, and we really experienced the forest with our ears.  Even though the only wildlife we saw was sleeping birds, insects, and a fleeing armadillo, the starscape at altitude and the majesty of the forest was something neither of us will forget!  

- Stay at Sapo Dorado                                                
Great cabin with nice covered porch.  View was less than stellar as it looked out on the rooftops of the town mostly. It was more than a bit of exercise to climb the steep hill up to our room.  I thought the bellboy was going to drop from a heart attack.  He told us he would bring our bags up and then showed us to our room, then tried to renegotiate the climb with all our bags.  Wheelie bags weren't much help on that slope.  I went down and helped him when I looked out and saw him halfway up and taking a break!  No air or heat in the room.  None needed with the cool evenings and warm daytime sun.  No TV so Sam had some remote control withdrawal!

 Monteverde Zip Line Tour                                                       
 Great fun!! The area is set up to separate you from your money. The zipline tour was all finished by 10:45AM and transportation back to your hotel leaves the area every hour, but if you have to wait for the lunch to start.... They have a humingbird forest, a bridge walk and a butterfly habitat, all extra charges.  They are well run and know their business is tourism.  Good for them.

Costa Verde
Very Nice facility!! One restaurant centrally locatedwhere meals can be charged to your room, and two other affiliated bar/restaurants within comfortable walking distance.  Monkeys playing in the trees right outside our veranda on two of the four mornings!


- Manuel Antonio National Park Tour            
A beautiful area!  We really enjoyed the tour and the guide was VERY knowledgable, but the tourist accessible area is small and overcrowded, and tour groups are tripping over each other.  The local paper at the hotel said that the Park was in danger of being closed in February because of sanitation concerns, and that they were granted an extension of the deadline to clean things up until later this year.  I hope they can get it figured out, as the area between Quepos and the Park seems to have a lot of new developement, which will certainly not help with the overcrowding.

 
- Catamaran Island Adventure                                          
A perfect final adventure topped off with a beautiful Pacific Sunset.

Mike & Sam Shelby (Mar 10-20, 2009)

Thank you so much for all your help planning our first trip to Costa Rica. It truly was an "adventure" and left us feeling humbled and grateful for all that we have. Although the rafting and zip lines were exciting, the tours we had in the rainforest and at El Trapiche were our favorite moments. The guides were all so passionate about their heritage and their country. It was inspiring.

Karen Thorsen (Mar 7-14, 2009)

Thank you so much for organizing our trip to Costa Rica! The lodging was incredible, the tours amazing, and the transportation seamless. Around every corner our expectations were exceeded. "Pura vida" quickly became our new favorite catch phrase and was used often to describe the incredible atmosphere and people of Costa Rica. Thanks again for all your help!

Hans and Hayden Hill (Mar 10-17, 2009)

Everything turned out great. All three hotels offered something a little different. In Monteverde's the weather was windy and rainy but not cold . The zip line tour with the bridges gave you a great view of the cloud forest. The town was small but very friendly we ate at the tree house too expensive for bad pizza. We found another restaurant down the block for lunch very good food half the price. We learned it pays to look around a bit before you stop. The drivers were all very friendly. The taxi drivers they all had a different price for the same trip. My daughter said to pay what was on the meters only. In Arenal we did the horse back ride that took you to La Fortuna water falls breath taking views. We did the Baldi springs and wished we could have spent a lot more time there it was part of the volcano tour it was to rushed so that would have been something to do separately. The last night we went to Cafe Mundo with Jessica's friends party of six the food was delicious and the prices were to good to be true i picked up the check so thank you for your suggestion there. We both had a great trip and we thank you for all your help.Pude Vida!

Kellie Schumacher (Mar 6-12, 2009)

Hi Lynn, The accommodations set up for us from My Costa Rica were wonderful.  We stayed at the El Sapo Dorado in MonteVerde.  The location was great with an balcony that we could hang our hammocks on.  The room was large and very clean.  It also contained a refrigerator and a large bathroom.  There is computer access at the reception area (room upstairs), but its very very slow and not worth the bother. Of course most people do the zip lines there.  We also get a tour of Frog World (fun) and a night walk.  That was also fun.  We drove to Monte Verde from Liberia, but got lost on a dirt road. A four wheel drive really was necessary.  The roads we took there was bad, but the way we left was much better.  We also stayed at Hotel Esencia in Playa Santa Teresa.  We really loved this place and it was great having a swimming pool.  The cabina was large, clean, and had a small kitchen area and a nice porch.  There was a hammock also, but when it was cool out the ants took it over.  If your not a couple you may have to flip a coin to see who gets the big bed (its really big).  The only transportation we utilzed was the Grayline from Quepos to San Jose.  I would include there phone number in case you want to change the schedule, but the driver was friendly and stopped a couple of times along the way. My friend left earlier and they stopped and had a beer.  I'm not sure if they stop at all the hotels people are going to, but they do stop at the airport and at the hotel we stayed at.  One guy had to take a taxi from the airport to his hotel. Having the transportation arranged was nice because I didn't have to worry about getting to my destination on time...always worry about missing my flight.  We also stayed at The Adventure Inn.  The room was large and clean.  There's not much in the location, but it’s a quick hop to the airport and the hotel pays for the taxi ride there (on-way).  The staff were quite friendly, there's a gym, and computer access.  There's also a nice hot tub to relax in after completing a trip.  The only thing I would have liked there is a comfortable courtyard to hang out in outside.  In Santa Teresa, which is a surfer hangout, may not be the greatest spot for older people, but we rented ATV's and had great fun on them.  You do need a four wheel drive to get around and driving there is an adventure.  Well, that's about it.  Thanks for the help.  We did love the places we stayed.

Jacki Cook (February 24-Mar 8th, 2009 )

Thank you for everything, the Costa Rica trip was AMAZING and everything you did for us worked out splendid. I have a few friends going to CR this year and will be certain to recommend them to you. Thanks again, couldn't have done it without you!

Tyler Masterson (Jan 17th-24th, 2009)

In a word -- wonderful! From the well planned out itineraries, to the gracious guides conducting the tours, and the tours themselves, everything was absolutely wonderful. This was our first organized tour as a family and it simply could not have been done any better. The zip lines, the rafting, canyoning and night walks, we had a great time. The hotels were great; we couldn't have found these absolutely beautiful accommodations on our own. Thanks, My Costa Rica for making this a most memorable trip -- "Pura Vida" indeed.

Jim Davidson (Jan 1-12,2009)

Overall, the arrangements made by “My Costa Rica” were great! My Costa Rica reps were just a phone call away when we wanted to confirm or change any of our plans. All the activities were fulfilled as described, (e.g. white water rafting, zip lining, snorkeling, etc.), and we had very memorable experiences. Our drivers met us on time for pick-up to our destinations. Despite their limited English, they were very friendly and tried to point out special sites, vegetation, and animals as we drove along. The vans were roomy and fairly comfortable. A/C was available.

One of our stays was in a more “rustic” hotel called El Sapo Dorado. It required a 5 minute hike uphill to our room. The views were breathtaking; however, coming in late at night was difficult due to lack of lighting on the trail to our room. The hotel staff was very friendly though. Overall, our stay at the more out of the way hotels were more pleasant because the staff was more helpful and accommodating. Compare this to our stay at the glitzy Costa Verde where they wouldn’t even allow us a late-check out (1 hour later) on our last day as we had our ATV excursion planned for the morning. They argued for 5 minutes about giving us an extra towel, even though they had only given us 2 sets for a room with 3 people. Plus they charged for everything including phone calls, internet access, etc.

Arenal Lodge was also a very nice hotel, with friendly, helpful staff. However, the hotel is too far away from everything. Even from the front gate at the bottom of the hill, it was another 10 minute drive to the lobby and rooms. And the hotel as a whole was 20-30 minutes away from the main downtown area. It probably would have saved a lot more time to stay in a hotel closer to downtown.

Rafting at the Pacuare River was an awesome experience, but it was pretty far away from Arenal. I didn't realize it was about a 3 hour drive. It was well worth it, but I don't know if it might have been closer if we had stayed in a different city.

All in all, the vacation was a blast! We just wanted to point out a couple of things to keep in mind for future visitors. Costa Rica is a beautiful destination and its native people are warm and friendly! Thanks to Jason and the rest of the team for everything!

Justin Wong (Dec 30 – Jan 8, 2009)

We're back from our journey and raving about Costa Rica and how much fun we had. It's been rather difficult to get my head back into things here! The pura vida lifestyle down there certainly has much to be desired.

In any event, I just want to say that all went well. We really enjoyed all of our destinations. I think Arenal was our least favorite - Tom has made a new rule for our family's travels that if it's not down a dirt road, we don't want to stay there! However the Paraiso was beautiful and we really enjoyed the hot springs there. We also went horseback riding and that was a highlight of our trip. The Sky Adventure zip lines were exhilarating and a wonderful way to take in the sights. The volcano even put on a little show for us that morning, rumbling and spewing smoke!

Monteverde was my favorite. The Mirador Lodge was rustic and laid back with trails right out our front door down to a series of waterfalls! The views from up there of the lake and volcano were amazing. The weather was a wee bit chilly, but no worries there as we were prepared for the chill of the cloud forest and the little fireplaces in our room made it cozy when the generator turned off around 10 p.m. They even gave us little oil lamps and candles, and we played cards late into the evening by candlelight . . .a fun family memory we can always cherish!

Sugar Beach was my daughter's favorite, beach bum that she is. We did a lot of swimming there, plus walked into Flamingo one afternoon (whew, that was an adventure!) We loved the resident howler monkeys and iguanas! Also the tide pools were fun to explore at low tide. We befriended our waiter, Francisco, who took us to Potrero and introduced us to his whole family. He proudly showed us the house he is in the process of building on his family lot. We spent one of our best New Years Eves there - dinner, dancing, champagne and fireworks made it romantic and special .

Tortuguero was certainly the most exotic destination. The transportation arrangement there was also the most confusing for us as we joined up with a group in Guapiles - we didn't realize that we were joining a group to travel out there. Given the isolation and distance of the lodge, however, it was understandable (we just didn't know it at the time). Luckily, they were a really fun group of Canadians who wre fun to hang out with. When they left 2 days later we had the entire Turtle Lodge to ourselves! No kidding, my family of 4 and a couple from Spain. That was it! Needless to say it was very hard to leave Turtle Lodge. I was very impressed with their operation and all the nice touches - hammocks, cozy spaces to linger in, mud boots to tromp around in, umbrellas - it poured the whole time we were there with slight breaks in between, ponchos, and canoes (my personal favorite)! Also they had guitars and percussion instruments in the lobby which my son and my husband enjoyed playing one evening on the beach by a roaring bonfire!

We are definitely planning to return to Costa Rica to take in some of the sites we missed to the south - Quepos and the coast south to Osa are high on my list. We were really pleased with the transportation arrangements - the shuttles were always on time and the drivers were informative. The only part of the trip that was "sketchy" was the drive back to San Jose from Guapiles on Thurs. Jan 8. We were curving around on the roads through Braulio Carillo NP when the earthquake occurred - our driver didn't miss a beat as he dodged the rocks that had fallen in the road and bumped along at top speed in the fog, no less!!! We had no idea that there had been an earthquake until we arrived an hour later at the Hampton Inn near the airport and were informed by the staff.

Thanks again for all of your help with these arrangements. We really appreciate your taking so much time to make it right for us. Pura vida!

Elaine & Tom Pike Family (Dec 25-Jan 9, 2009)

Hi Lynn, we were very pleased with the Hotel Alta you choose for us. The driver who picked us up at the airport was prompt and very courteous. The hotel and staff (especially Nancy) were very knowledgeable and accommodating. The facility was great and the view of fireworks from the top floor hotel deck on new years eve was an unexpected treat. Fireworks ...city wide. WOW. Great Job..and thanks for everything,

Sam and Leslie Marcus (Dec 31,2008)

Thank you again for all the services you arranged and provided. We were very pleased with it all. It was nice to just make one phone call when our plans became disrupted because of weather and know that everything was taken care of. Hotel Alta was a nice finish to our trip, as well. And the road from Quepos Airport to Dominical was in good shape. It took us 45 minutes.

Patty Unger (Dec 23-Jan 1, 2009)

Hope you are well and Happy New Year. Sorry about the delay in responding to you. Kish, my husband, and I agree Arenal was the best vacation we have had since we have been together. The outdoor activities were so much. The people are so warm, friendly and beautiful. Tabacon Springs has the best food. We enjoyed the springs tremendously and even managed to make new friends while on our trip. The White Water company (can't remember the name) and Desafio are great companies and would definitely use them again. I have told all of my friends about our trip and will be passing on your information to them. You are fabulous and very available which made our trip even better. It meant a lot to me that you were there answering all the questions even on Christmas day. You are priceless! We will be coming back. Thank you again for all your help.

Nita Patel (Dec 24-28,2008)

Thank you SO much for planning wonderful adventures for us through MyCostaRica.com!!! We were so impressed with our excursions and delighted that we were picked up every day right on time! We loved the Crocodile Safari, Kayaking, Horseback Riding, Catamaran/Snorkeling, ATVs, Ziplining, and White Water Rafting. The guides were so professional and friendly. Everyone is so proud of your beautiful country!! Our heartfelt thanks to you for planning such a fun week for us and using such great companies. We all appreciate all of your hard work - it was WONDERFUL!!!

Joyce Glaser (Dec 19-27,2008)

It had seemed a little scary planning the whole trip in advance with Jason over the internet, but I am so happy to report that MY COSTA RICA planned the most perfect family vacation we've ever had. I know it wasn't easy dealing with both me and my cousin and our two family's needs, but you made everything work out perfectly. From the moment we arrived and you were waiting for us until the very last departure, everything was planned out, everything was exactly on schedule. the tours you set up for us were excellent (zip lines, ATVs, sailing/snorkeling, horseback riding and river rafting!) - I know that there are probably many different tour groups you could have chosen, and I want you to know that each and every one of the tour groups you selected was excellent - their people picked us up at our private home we rented (not as easy to find as a hotel i know!) always right on time, the tour guides were SO nice and genuinely interested in their tours and in making sure we were having fun and even the food was great! It was just an amazing week and we didn't have to worry about anything - you made it all happen effortlessly for us. I really can't thank you enough for helping us have the most wonderful family time, I know we'll always remember it. we had 4 boys, ages 9 to 18 between the 2 families, and each one of them told me that this was the best trip of their lives. Thank you again so much, and please feel free to include us on your list of references.

Lori Guggenheim & Family (Dec 9-27,2008)

Let me start off by saying what a beautiful country it is you live in. My parents had recommended Costa Rica to me as a great vacation spot so I had high expectations going into the trip. From the volcanoes and cloud forest at Arenal to the beaches and rain forests of Manuel Antonio, I can't count the number of time we just had to stop and try and take it all in. In addition to the breathtaking scenery, the people of Costa Rica were some of the most courteous and helpful I've ever met. I must say I was a little worried going in because I just found your website while searching online, but you surpassed all expectations we had. Every hotel was perfectly situated and exactly what we were looking for. The staff went out of their way to ensure our stay was everything was perfect. We were picked up on time for every day trip/transfer and the drivers actually took the time to point out landmarks and wildlife, something we're not accustomed to here in the States. What we enjoyed most about our trip was the huge variety of activities and scenery. The rafting was one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life, followed closely by the canopy tour. The hikes through the national parks and the volcano were extremely interesting, thanks largely to our tour guides. Thank you so much for everything. I will most definitely be recommending you to friends and can almost guarantee I'll be back down soon

Jameson Wunsch (Dec 6-17th, 2008)

Thank you for a truly wonderful vacation. We had a great time. We wish the weather could have been better but it was still fun and beautiful. Just wanted to let you know that we had a great experience. Everything went smoothly and on schedule, everyone showed up on time, and everybody was very nice and helpful, we had no problems whatsoever. We were happy with all of the accommodations as well. Our favorite place I believe was Manuel Antonio. We wish that we could have stayed longer to enjoy it. We really only had 1 day and 1/2 at each location but it was a great way to see most of the country. We would really like to go back to Manuel Antonio for our anniversary in May and just stay there for 5 days or so. We will see how this upcoming year goes. Thank you again for such a memorable and incredible trip. I will definitely refer everybody to you!! It was a pleasure to work with you and your company. Only wish we could have met in Costa Rica-always nice to put a face with a name. Anyway, have a wonder holiday season and I hope to book with you again!! Monique :)

Monigue & David Juedes (Dec 2-12,2008)

we had such a great time. thank you for all of your help. I would definitely go back to costa rica! the hotel Mountain Paradise was awesome. i loved the room, showers, outdoor jacuzzi, and the staff members were very helpful. the restaraunt was nice and the breakfast was included. all tours were great. the guides were very knowledgable and they taught us many things. we even learned a little spanish. thank you so much.

Nicolette Musarra (Nov 19-22,2008)

The Hampton Inn is perfect and reliable. The people are nice and the place is clean. A+ all the way around for that place. The next day we were picked up by Frankie Chicas. That guy is good!! He also drove us from PV to San Jose and from the Hampton Inn to the airport the last day. He gets you wherever you're going in the least amount of time without ever scaring the hell out of you. I'm sure it's hard to do both! He pays attention to his driving but he is also attentive and friendly to the passengers. That guy could drive us anywhere!! I'm not sure how or how much he gets paid but we tipped him well. He really seemed to appreciate it.

The Nature Air flight was perfect. I would fly them again. It was a no hassle check in, the Twin Otter is an awesome bird and the flight was quite enjoyable. We could have done without the long and obligatory stop in Sierpe on the way to Drake Bay. It might just have been because the Drake boat was broken down and they had to get someone else.

The Drake Bay resort is nice. We were about the only ones there. Herbert is a cool old dude and his wife and the rest of the staff is very nice too. The rooms were clean, the food was good and the tours offered were very reasonable, if not included. It's a bit treacherous getting up their "dock", but I guess there is nothing they can do about that. Victor, the boat driver, is a top notch boatman and very good fisherman as well. If you have anyone who wants to fish there, send them to Victor. (he is on staff at the resort) We fished in some seas that I never dreamt possible. Since we were wet all the time, the FREE laundry and boot drying service was very nice. We look forward to staying there again.

The rafting trip was fun and the crew from Exploradores is fantastic. They wear so many hats and do it quite well. They have fun joking with each other and the customers and really make it an enjoyable experience. The beach lunch they made for us atop one of the rafts was excellent. I would do that again with that group for sure. They were also very safety conscious and we never felt in danger. Their transportation/drivers were very good too.

A lady at Azania was familiar with Aviarios del Caribe. That is the sloth rescue place. (Their address says it's in Cahuita but it's really in Penshurt.) We took a taxi there after we dropped our friends off at the National Park. The tour is $25 and includes a canoe ride around the grounds where we saw some wild sloths plus lots of other birds and reptiles. Once inside you see a video then go on a tour of adults and babies with a guide. The guides are very informative, and while I thought I knew a lot about sloths, I found out a lot of what I know isn't so. Even the guides at Corcovado gave us misinformation about them. One told us that over 200 species of insects live in their hair. Not true, only the Sloth Moth lives in their hair. They eat the moss that grows in their hair. None of the sloths at the rescue center had moss or bugs in their hair. I'm not sure what I expected but I was pleasantly surprised by the facility. It is BIG and very clean. You'd expect a stinky place, at least, but there was absolutely no odors anywhere. All the cages and enclosures are spotless and the sloths seem very content to be there. We were able to meet the owners, Luis and Judy Arroyo. They are incredibly pleasant and dedicated folks. They were very appreciative when we adopted a sloth. You'd think we gave them a million dollars. Three of their grandsons work there and it's really neat to see a family work together like that. There are quite a few volunteers but they employee 14 people full time. If you ever have a chance, you should visit the place. I know you would enjoy it and learn a lot too. It's SO cute when they take the babies out to poop. From what I understand, they have rooms available on the premises too.

Also while in PV, we went fishing on the Geronimo with a French guy who owns the boat. He isn't much of a fisherman but we did see some Dolphins and his boat is nice. I'm not sure that I'd go back to PV other than to visit "my" sloth but Mike and Rich seemed to have a good time on rented bicycles, stopping at the chocolate places, then swimming off the calories (yeah, right). They said the National Park in Cahuita was somewhat underwhelming and that the trails were closed.

Sue Kempf (Oct 6-18,2008)

Would like to thank My Costa Rica for helping us with this vacation. I have been to alot of places over the years and I must say this was the best. The hotels were excellent and the people were some of the best. Everywhere we stayed was clean and the personnel was were so friendly. In one of the hotels the personnel even went a little farther in helping us when are shoes got wet in the National Forest and they did not dry overnight. We had to take them back with us to San Jose wet and we were to fly the next day. The tours were what can I say ,but I tell everyone they must do these tours. I have never been horseback riding but the people made me feel like it was something I had done before. It was great!! Even my husband said he would do it again. The transportation to and from was great.

Jason ,I have giving your name and company name to many people who are planning their next trip to Costa Rica.
And I will be back again Thanks so much for everything.

Sherry Murray (Oct 8-18,2008)

Thank you so much for the great Honeymoon. I really appreciate you going out of your way to get us the Harley shirts. The Arenal Nayara Hotel was amazing. With all the fabulous flowers and vegetation it was like paradise. The food was a chance for us to try and enjoy the local favorites. The river safari was wonderful. Our guide Marcus was able to point out all sorts of animal and birds and really loved his job. Jose did an outstanding job transporting us to Arenal and to the Paradisus. He was a wealth of knowledge and was a perfect guide... Overall we had a great honeymoon and love Costa Rica and the Tico's. Thanks again for everything.

Gary Braveman (Sept 29th-Oct 7th, 2008)

I personally would like to thank you for the great travel experience to Costa Rica. Since returning from the trip all I can do is think about how great the experience was and how great of a country you represent. It was refreshing to receive world class service at all of the destinations we stayed, and we truly feel the value we received surpassed all of our expectations. While I tend to be a more "do-it-yourselves" kind of person, I was reluctant to use a travel service like My Costa Rica, but once I realized that your service was completely free to me, it seemed almost wrong to not allow you to assist us with the trip. I finally resolved to allowing you to handle all the details of the trip (something I rarely do) but I have to say that I am so glad I did. The knowledge you have of the country, locations, hotels, people, tour companies has to be among the top in the country. But what I really liked most about working with you was that it felt like I was working with one of my best friends.

My Costa Rica has adopted a business structure that is so uncommon in these "large corporation" times, but yet everything was handled as professionally and precisely as any large corporation would expect. The only difference was the personal contact with Jason and his team. I received phone calls and emails from him and knew exactly who I was working with the whole time. I was even able to "Skype" video chat with Jason personally so I could put a real face to his great personality! I never felt like I was just another client, and always felt like my trip was a top priority for perfection. I loved that I received a detailed itinerary before flying with all of the exact details, right down to the name of the people I would be meeting. When I first planned the trip I figured it would be a once in a lifetime sort of trip, but because it was handled so smoothly, I think we may plan another trip next year as well.

As far as the resorts go, we stayed at four beautiful places, all worthy of a positive review... our personal favorite though was the Macaws Ocean Club in Jaco. The place was immaculate! From the grounds to the condo itself, everything was five star. The best part though was that it was truly a "diamond in the rough" which is reflection of how hard My Costa Rica worked to find the best accommodations, while working within our request to stay away from large resorts.

We recommend a Costa Rica vacation to anyone, and were glad that My Costa Rica made this trip possible, easy, and perfect!

Zach Wear (July 10th-17th, 2008)
303.919.9140 www.revertimaging.com / www.revertphoto.com

PHOTO GALLERY

Costa Rica is beautiful and so are the people!

your company's arrangements were excellent and we were timely picked up and all the hotel reservations were made; no complications or hassles;

the arenal naraya is a gorgeous place, straight out of architectural digest!

a state of the art hotel with all the modern amenities;

the mariposa is lovely and the view is breathtaking;

really, no complaints about anything and we would definitely use your company again!

Aneeta Jamal & Family (July 31st – August 11th, 2008)
PHOTO GALLERY

Thanks so much for making our trip to Costa Rica a once-in-a-lifetime experience! The activities you planned for us made the trip one we will never forget. I really liked the time of the year that we booked with you. We went ziplining with only one other family, we had a tour of Manuel Antonio National Park with just one other couple, and we also went on a private horse-back ride along the beach. Villas Nicholas was an awesome place to stay! They went out of their way to make great recommendations to restaurants, sites, and much more.

The transportation people that you set us up with were excellent too. They were very punctual and very friendly. We left Costa Rica on Saturday with nothing but good to say about the people and area. We will also highly recommend to our friends to use "My Costa Rica" for all their travel plans. We have friends that our already talking about trips to Costa Rica...and we've told them to use our travel agency. Your organization was amazing! Thank you again for making our trip so incredible! We hope to get back soon!

Thank you again Jason for everything. I really appreciate your phone call to the hotel after the couple of mixups we had early on in our trip. I am happy to say the rest of our vacation ran perfectly.

I know you work with several other hotels (I'm not sure on how the whole travel agency thing works) but we would highly recommend Villas Nicholas. Also, we would highly recommend the horseback riding tour for any clients who would like a very personal horseback riding experience. turned out to be one of the best things we did on the trip.

Once again, Jason, thanks so much for everything! We will use your agency in the future and we will most definitely tell our friends about it.

Ralph & Neomi Wiley ( July 27th – August 2nd, 2008)

We had a fabulous time! All of our tours were perfect and we LOVED our drivers. Each driver brought their unique personality to the trip. We were so grateful that we had drivers and did not try to drive alone. I appreciated their patience while I practiced my spanish with them. How did you find those guys? They were really the greatest.

Our first Hotel at Arenal springs was absolutely perfect. We loved the little cottages and we had a perfect view of the volcano. The only thing that I would suggest is that people take advantage of the tour to the other side of the volcano to see the red lava. Apparently the volcano was active the night we were there but we did not realize we could take a shuttle to watch it. I guess that the observatory hotel is where the activity can be seen the best. I also suggest that people stay longer than just one night. we didn't get to enjoy the pool. Our zip line trip was great fun, even though they had to push me off the first water fall. The hot springs are a must.

We really enjoyed our hotel in Jaco and the beach area. It really was a great place to stay. The ocean had waves just right for boogie boarding and the pool area was very nice and the pool water and the ocean water was warm. The beach was just fine as we could lay out at the pool. Our rooms were very comfortable. The hotel was not too crowded and the food was good. The receptionist RoxAnne was fabulous as well as the other people there. They all seemed to know us and were so helpful. We really loved it there. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend that place to people not needing a luxury hotel. Besides they had the most precious kitten there that I paid to have spayed. I hope they were able to do it.

The guide to the National Park was outstanding. We had such a great time there. He was so knowledgeable and patient and went into great detail about the smallest creatures, (which we loved). With out him the park would have been nothing but a lot of trees.

If we were to do it again I would omit the Xandari unless we had more time to spend there. It was an incredible place, but we only had a few hours of day light and had to leave at 4am. I wish we would have stayed at Jaco all day (of course the sun was out), and then gone to San Jose just to sleep some where near the airport. But no matter every thing turned out perfectly.

I have already recommended your services to every one I talk with. I tell people that traveling with you is the only way to travel. You will always be number one on my list. It was a great gift to find you.

ThANK YOU for your time and efforts to make our short visit there a terrific visit. We will remember this trip and the people of Costa Rica always.

If you ever need help in Utah let us know.

Sincerely,

Lorrie Belcher ( July 23rd - 28th, 2008)

Hola Jason, I can't thank you enough for all the detail you put into our trip. I certainly know I was not the easiest client you've had. As I told you, this trip was very important to me and had to be extra special.
I don't know if you remember but this was a "Father & Daughter" trip.
Our trip was a total success because of your detail skills.
I must tell you I checked your reputation with the Costa Rica travel and you agency was on the top of the pile. I am cc my daughter and I am sure we will give you some feedback as well. Again thank you and we will be back to use your services again

Lee & Madison Accavallo ( June 17th – 24th, 2008)

Hi Jason,
Josh and I had a really great trip!! Thanks so much for your help planning everything.

We were really impressed by how well organized all of the transporation was - we quickly found our drivers at the airports and were always picked up on time at our hotels for our excursions. All the drivers were helpful and accomodating.

We were happy with all of your hotel recommendations - each was ideally located and offered spacious, nice accomodations. Also, having breakfast included at each hotel was a nice bonus. It saved us the hassle of having to find a place to eat each morning...especially considering how remote some of the locations are. La Mariposa in Manuel Antonio was our absolute favorite! The view was amazing and we really loved the style of the hotel/room.

We had such a blast on all of our excursions and even added a horseback ride that wasn't included. I'd highly recommend the horseback riding, waterfall rappelling, ATV tour and Zip Lining to any other adventurous and/or thrill seeking visitors. Our time in Arenal was great!.

thanks again for your assistance, we had a fabulous time in Costa Rica!!

Winne Beaton (April 1-13,2008)

Hi Jason,
Josh and I had a really great trip!! Thanks so much for your help planning everything.

We were really impressed by how well organized all of the transporation was - we quickly found our drivers at the airports and were always picked up on time at our hotels for our excursions. All the drivers were helpful and accomodating.

We were happy with all of your hotel recommendations - each was ideally located and offered spacious, nice accomodations. Also, having breakfast included at each hotel was a nice bonus. It saved us the hassle of having to find a place to eat each morning...especially considering how remote some of the locations are. La Mariposa in Manuel Antonio was our absolute favorite! The view was amazing and we really loved the style of the hotel/room.

We had such a blast on all of our excursions and even added a horseback ride that wasn't included. I'd highly recommend the horseback riding, waterfall rappelling, ATV tour and Zip Lining to any other adventurous and/or thrill seeking visitors. Our time in Arenal was great!.

thanks again for your assistance, we had a fabulous time in Costa Rica!!

Monica Ankenbrand ( July 5th – 12th, 2008)
PHOTO GALLERY

We were very satisfied with your professional service. I enjoyed our trip and I liked all your recommendations. I was specially satisfied with the Tabacon Resort. It was a truly first class resort. The view from the Hotel Alta was beautiful and Mariposa had the best view of all. The best tour was the La Paz waterfall and butterfly garden. If, I ever go back, I will like to spend a night there. Thanks again I will definitely recommend your services.

Ana & Antonino Milian (July 5th – 11th, 2008)

The trip went very well, we had a great time! We didn't know what to expect when we started out, but were pleasantly surprised at how smoothly things went for the most part.

The rafting was great. We had a great time. Overall, we had a great experience. The hotels were terrific, loved the views. The rafting and zip lines were exceptional. Our rain forest tour before the volcano viewing was in a downpour, so we didn't get to see any wildlife, but that's the time of season and I would opt out of that another time.

We will definitely recommend you to our friends (and already have), and will contact you for any future visits.

Thanks again

Pura Vida!

David & Linda Wenmark ( July 2nd – 10th, 2008)

Jason, WOW!! Despite the delay of our plane (which can never be predicted) and sleeping through our rafting, the trip was amazing.

Thank you so much for putting everything together the way I wanted it. The lodging was exceptional as was the scenery. The transfers and drivers were wonderful, it was a great time to unwind and enjoy the view and I had a good time chatting with the drivers and asking questions.

They were all very friendly. I loved using my tiny bit of spanish to help me communicate in the small towns. We all enjoyed walking around the towns and taking it all in. The activities were fun, fun, fun. All the boys jumped head first into the pool at the Bungee place and agreed that it was the most scary, ie.. the most fun. I and my husband liked the rocket launcher.

You should try it, it's really not that scary and a whole lot of fun. The repelling and zip lines were awesome too. The food was delicious, we usually went for the typical foods in the small Soda's. We got to see many animals in Manuel Antonio, including a sloth that had taken up residence it a small tree right next to the resturaunt at Tulemar Bungalows, so we had close up views and pictures of her. The beach was warm, the waves were good enough for body surfing and bogie boarding, and we ended up staying in the water for hours.

The topography is truly beautiful and exercise is automatically built into the vacation because of all the steep hills while walking. We all agree that this trip is at the top of our lists of trips we've taken. I will recommend you to anyone interested in going and your supporting staff is excellent too. I can't wait to print out all of our pictures and put them in an album for this year's family vacation. Thanks again, and if we do go back to catch that rafting trip sometime, I will definately go through you. Sincerely, Dorothy Evans
P.S. My husband had been looking forward to the Sansa flight all through the trip and was very excited. He loves small planes.

Dorothy, David, Austin, Jared, Ryan Evans ( July 8th – 15th, 2008)
PICTURE GALLERY

I wanted to drop you a email to let you and everyone at My Costa Rico know what a great job you did in putting together our trip to Costa Rica. Everything went off without a hitch and we had the time of our life. We will definitely use your services again. The Arenal Parasio was a wonder place to stay. The service and hospitality was wonderful and our rooms were great. The view of the volcano was amazing from our patio and from the restaurant while we enjoyed the wonderful food served there.

The tours you arranged, were great and my wife and children thoroughly enjoyed all of them. My kid's favorite was the Canyoning arranged through Pure Trek. The rapelling part of this adventure was amazing through the water falls. The Canopy tour arranged through Mondo Adventura was a wonderful experience that we won't soon forget. The 980 foot cable number 7, that was 400 feet above the Arenal River and beside the Arenal Falls, was a breathtaking ride through the tree top canopy. The rafting on the Balsa River was made both exciting and fun due to the experience and fun loving guides we had and the Costa Rican locally made lunch was amazing.

I can't say enough about the service from all the people we dealt with. Costa Rica is truly a very tourist friendly country. 
My family and I had a wonder time we will more then likely plan another trip in the future and use the services of My Costa Rica again.
Sincerely,

Rick & Renee Barrentine ( July 5th – 10th, 2008)
PICTURE GALLERY

Thanks for your help planning our honeymoon, overall, I'd say it was quite a success - I think we even got lucky with the weather for the most part.

My impressions of various aspects of the trip:

Hotel Bougainvilea: Absolutely gorgeous! If I would have realized how cool those gardens were, I'd of cut the San Jose tour in half and spent more time at the hotel believe it or not.

Doka Coffee Plantation: Pretty neat! A worthwhile trip, and I definitely walked out of that place with a caffeine buzz!.

Poas: Absolutely stunning, a must see for the first time visitor.

La Paz: Once again absolutely phenomenal, and a must see for the first time visitor, probably Thia's favorite part of the trip.

Arenal Springs Hotel: Just a tremendous hotel. Thia and agree that this was our favorite hotel during the trip. Highly recommended by the both of us.

Arenal Volcano: Way cool, we both wish we spent an extra day at Arenal just taking in the views and doing more activities in the area.

Tenorio/Rio Celeste: By far my favorite part of the trip, though I don't think my wife agrees. Hiking through the rain over rough terrain in a primary rain forest, with an absolutely unique river to boot... now THAT is my idea of a great time! I think I could have kept going longer then the tour guide. It was rough going, and it takes at least some level of physical fitness. The wife was exhausted by the end. Not recommended for those not willing to rough it, or in poor physical condition.

Costa Verde: Absolutely incomparable stunning views and huge rooms. No air conditioning though. That was not a big issue as far as temperature is concerned, but the room was constantly moist. Didn't bug me, but the wife was uncomfortable by the end of the three days. My suggestion for the future would be to verify if the room has A/C, and if not just make sure that is cool (pun intended) with your clients.

Manuel Antonio/ MA NP: I think the NP was the best place to see wildlife during the entire trip. I think this is also a must see for a first time visitor. The beach at Manuel Antonio was fantastic and we had a great time. Sunset Sailing cruise: Well, it poured like a monsoon, Thia got completely see sick, and the college kids on board partied like mad, using the snorkels as a beer bongs...oh well, can't win them all.

Turu-bari: Thumbs up! Really liked the zip lines. In retrospect, I wish I didn't wuss out and did the 1 km superman zip line as well.

Ama Tierra: This is a tough call for us. The owners were as nice as humanly possible, the views from the hotel were phenomenal, and the food was great. The hotel was very buggy though. I was afraid that a couple of the critters in the room were big enough to drag off my wife. OK, slight exaggeration of course. Once again, as long as you make sure that your future clients don't mind roughing it a bit, it's a great place. Over all, I don't think Thia would consider going back, I'd be a bit more amenable to it. I know I have friends who are more outdoorsy then Thia and I that would absolutely LOVE this place, so I think it just is a matter of getting the right people for the hotel. Once again, Bob and Jill were very nice people, and I wish them nothing but the best.

Overall, we loved the trip. Costa Rica is a wonderful country, and the Tico's were very nice fun loving and interesting people. Loved that Lizano salsa as well - I gotta see if I can find it in the states. I think we will both be back at some time in the future, but we have a few other places in the world we need to see first before we make a return trip, but don't be surprised if you hear from us in the future. I'll be recommended your agency to friends that plan on going to Costa Rica as well.

Take care, and very nice working with you.

Jess & Cynthia Endicter (June 24th – July 1st, 2008)

The transportation was excellent!  The drivers were courteous and punctual! This made the trip run very smoothly.  The tours were all great.  Nayara was wonderful!  The Arenal Nayara is beautiful and relaxing.  The staff there is very helpful.  I am not sure I would recommend the Barcelo to couples.  The atmosphere is better suited for families or college students on break.  
 
Overall we had a lovely vacation!

S. Sybblis (June 27th - July 1st, 2008)

It was a wonderful trip.  My husband usually handles all trips and was quite pleased with everything (that is saying a lot)!
We hope to take another trip, per the kids' request, and will definitely use your services again. the people were kind and the food was very good.
 
Thank you,

Obrien Family (March 25th – April 2nd, 2008)

The itenary was perfect and your arrangements were excellent without any flaws and we had a good time. All the tour guides, hotel staff and van drivers were very helpful and made the trip very enjoyable. I look forward to coming later and spending more time.

Thanks again

Kalyanam Subramanyam (May 22-26,2008)

Thank you for your hard work. The accommodations were great!! Everything went smoothly. From the time we arrived at the airport in Liberia until the time that we left. The taxi drivers were very friendly and informative. They did everything to ensure our comfort. The hotels were wonderful!! Beautiful rooms friendly staff and excellent food!! The Arenal volcano was spectacular!!! Just like you said!!! I hated to leave!! I will be back! Hopefully next year and I will be sure to call and book through you!! Thank you also for helping my friend to get intouch with me by phone. Gracias!

Tracy Y.Hutcherson (May 14th-21st, 2008)

Jason, Thanks for all the work you did to make our vacation a great experience.
All the tours went off without any problems and your tour guide Jose from Guancaste Travel was wonderful.

He and his crews were prompt, courteous, helpful and very knowledgeable. I have already passed your card along to some of my friends who will be calling you to set up their vacations.

Thanks again from me and my friends

Bert Brendlinger (April 24 & 25, 2008)

Hola, Jason, Just a note to say thank you for all the arrangements you made for our travel after the Caravan tour ended last Monday. Everything worked out perfectly.

We were as you said able to store our heavy suitcases with Nature Air, the flights to and from Playa Tambor were great, and our time at the Barcelo there was very enjoyable. We enjoyed Rancho Rio Perlas on the day following the Caravan bus tour -- gave us time to relax and unwind from a fairly structure time on the tour.

We are very impressed with your beautiful country and your intelligent, forward-looking, and hospitable people.

John Duff (April 21st-27th, 2008)

I would be very happy to serve as a reference for your company. I told my husband that you had requested our feedback, and couldn’t express enough how pleased he was with the way you handled all of the arrangements. We never encountered any problems, despite the numerous reservations with all of the hotels, transfers, tours, shuttles, etc. Everything was perfect. My husband was also very impressed that you took the initiative to call us at Sapo Dorado to us to let us know there would be a slight delay with our transportation from Monteverde to Manuel Antonio.

My husband also told me that he sent an email to Sunset Tours to let them know how wonderful our guide (Zender) and driver (Robert) were (in La Fortuna). They escorted the two of us for the entire day, and kept us entertained and laughing the whole time. Zender is very intelligent and his enthusiasm was infectious. Actually, all of the tours and guides were amazing. The rafting trip was exceptional. All of the guides were fun (David was the guide on our raft), and the food was really good! They prepared quite a spread for us out on the river. The Sky Trek guides (Antonio and Jairo) were so wonderful, which made the entire experience even more enjoyable.

The guides on the catamaran were also very helpful and very friendly, and we enjoyed hanging out with them. If I can be of any assistance, please feel free to have potential clients contact me. Email would be best, since personal calls at work are discouraged. If they want to speak with me personally, I’ll be happy to provide them with my home phone number. I understand exactly how it feels to put your trust in a travel agency in a foreign country. We had family and friends trying to tell us that we would be left stranded in Costa Rica. I was never worried.

From the first time we spoke on the phone, you were so professional and extremely helpful and reassuring, answering every question I had. I never had a doubt about having you handle all of our arrangements. From the time we landed in Costa Rica until the last shuttle dropped us off at the airport, every detail was taken care of.

Thanks again for everything; we couldn’t have been more pleased.

Felices Britt ( April 4th – 12th, 2008)

Everything went great and we enjoyed Costa Rica very much. The pickups were there every time they were suppose to be and the representative were wonderful.

The tours and excursions were top notch. We probably would not recommend
the San Jose tour again on the same day as traveling...to much...Danny made
it interesting though.

I will have others we know that are coming to Costa Rica go through your
company...

My Best Always

Marcus Antonius Jansen ( March 31st - April 11th, 2008)

Everything went great and we enjoyed Costa Rica very much. The pickups were
there every time they were suppose to be and the representative were
wonderful.
The tours and excursions were top notch. We probably would not recommend
the San Jose tour again on the same day as traveling...to much...Danny made
it interesting though.

I will have others we know that are coming to Costa Rica go through your
company...

My Best Always

Michael & Deborah Coons ( March 29th – April 5th, 2008)

I want to personally thank you for an outstanding trip. I had never been to Costa Rica, and now I know why so many of my friends who had been there were envious that I was going. You really did a great job of preparing our itinerary.

The people were great, and the food was outstanding. We even went to Mass on Sunday evening in Quepos.

Thanks again for your work on our behalf.

Lee Emory (March 27-April 1, 2008)

I wanted to let you know that the four of us had a wonderful time on our recent trip to Costa Rica. The part that your team planned for us was well done and I know they did a lot of work to assure that things were done well. Sunset Tours showed up on time every time and were ready for us.
The tour guides were personable, friendly, and knowledgeable. The drivers were courteous and accommodating. You and your guys did a great job and I will recommend you to others.

Take care.

Dr. Harlon Crimm (March 11-20,2008)

We had a great time in Costa Rica! The Paradisus Playa Conchal was great. The transportation you arranged was prompt and courteous.

I appreciated the way you followed up with the itinerary before the trip. The trip was hassle free, and I will definitely use My Costa Rica for any future Costa Rica vacations.

Thanks again for all your help.

Clay Peeples (March 15-20,2008)

Organizing our family vacation with My Costa Rica was like having a personal concierge. Every detail of our trip was developed with such care and patience—we are talking about 2 families, 9 people total, 5 kids ranging in age from 2, 6, 8,10 and 14 years— all with special interests, budget requirements, and ever changing ideas of how to have the perfect Costa Rica vacation.

The commitment to personal service was apparent from my first contact with Jason in September through March when the day finally arrived.

We were thankful for the many emails and phone calls (prompt updates and schedules of which there were many!).

But the unprecedented bonus of My Costa Rica was the
experience we had on the ground. From the instant we arrived we were greeted with such warmth and attentiveness. Our My Costa Rica drivers (we traveled for 2 weeks with 4 transfers of considerable duration) were wonderful, interesting people who exposed us and, in particular, our children to the culture and people that make a visit to this country so special.

Excursion selections were well worth it and our guides were wonderful.To top it off, Jason came through rearranging a final hotel booking and redeploying drivers at the very last minute (despite the fact that it was Easter vacation for all of Costa Rica)!

This is a dedicated and energetic group of people who love what they do and take pride in this remarkable place. Lucky us, and you, if you have the opportunity to work with them.

Sandra Vlock (March 8-20th, 2008)