Costa Rica Luxury Trip Family Review: Tortuguero, Arenal & Monteverde, Mistico Park, Volcano Hike, Horseback Riding, 9-Day Tour

Our family (with two kids) just came back from a 9 day trip to Costa Rica. We flew into SJO, had a one night stay at a hotel about 1 hour outside of San Jose, and then visited Tortuguero, Arenal, and Monteverde. 
First of all, I want to pay the highest compliment to our travel agency. They are the most dedicated, competent, and personable travel agency we've worked with. As advertised, their service is truly 24/7. They are super attentive and responsive before and during the trip until the very end. We were originally scheduled to arrive mid day at SJO and head over to the hotel. But our departure flight got canceled last minute, so we had to scramble to rebook another flight. I sent a Whatsapp message at midnight Costa Rica time to warn them that there was a change of plan. Alex (the owner) replied to me right away to reassure me that whatever flight we could get on, they would meet us at the airport. We rebooked a flight the next day that arrived at 1:30am. Alex and her daughter, along with the driver, showed up to greet us, with a gift bag and delightful energy that immediately made us feel not only welcomed, but at ease that we were in trusted hands. They were able to quickly rearrange logistics for the first day including various transportations and tours. So we didn't miss anything, and we did get to enjoy the hotel for half a day as well. What felt like a crisis was expertly dealt with by Alex and team. While we were in Arenal, I inquired about an activity that was not originally on the itinerary. I did not expect them to put together anything for us since it's quite late. But within an hour or so, Alex proposed a private adventure package with all logistics confirmed at a very reasonable price. I was very impressed and gladly took up the offer. Our trip involved quite a bit of logistics (land/water transportation plus guided adventures), and everything went flawlessly. I know how much work went in behind the scenes to deliver that kind of perfection. It's also apparent to me that the agency picks the best partners (drivers, guides). They are all very knowledgable and attentive. The people experience in Costa Rica is equally, if not more, memorable than the natural beauty. 
Now about the trip itself... we used private transportations and tours throughout the trip. It costs more but is definitely worth it in my opinion. It gave us all kinds of flexibility that allowed us to have a relaxing and enjoyable experience. Of the three places (Tortuguero, Arenal and Monteverde), we enjoyed Tortuguero the most. It is a remote area with very little tourist traffic. The tropical jungle is prestine and exotic. We had a terrific guide who took us to less traveled canals and spotted so many animals. The kids especially had a fantastic time and learned so much. We spent 2 days there which feels pretty reasonable. 
After that we spent four nights in Arenal. We did the hanging bridge walk at Mistico Park, volcano hike at the Arenal 1968 trail, horseback riding, and an evening at a family-owned ecofarm. We enjoyed everything. We weren't able to see the tip of the Arenal volcano the whole time because of the cloud. The best view we had of the volcano was actually on our way to Monteverde traversing lake Arenal. 
The drive to Monteverde from Arenal was bumpy (unpaved road for the most part) but beautiful. It's a charming mountain town. We did a nightwalk in the forest and then a hike in the Monteverde National Park. The nightwalk was interesting to me but the kids were a bit disappointed because we only saw some birds and insects. One of them got scared of the dark. The guide was terrific BTW. The cloud forest was beautiful and full of life. It was mostly clear on that day and we didn't see the iconic cloud-covered forest. One of the kids got stomachache and we had to cut it short...
Overall we experienced three very different natural environments. We spent a lot of time on the road and in the water. It offered another way of seeing extensive part of the country. It's beautiful everywhere and the people are genuinly nice and welcoming.