Costa Rica Travel Review: Arenal Volcano, Manuel Antonio National Park, One-Week Tour

We had an amazing time in Costa Rica over the Thanksgiving holiday. We only had one week, but Zicasso’s travel partner put together an itinerary that allowed us to see much of Costa Rica in that short time. We started in Arenal, then ended in Manuel Antonio, both offering very different experiences.

Our tour operator was outstanding. He met us at the airport, the first time one of our Zicasso travel companies ever had in person, took our bags, and ensured we were set up with our driver. Throughout the trip, he checked in with us, but was still respectful of our time and privacy. We had to reach out to him a few times with issues or questions, and he was always quick to answer and help. Zicasso’s agents truly picked a great itinerary and ensured everything went perfectly.

We did experience an issue at one of the national parks, where the ranger would not accept our tour guide’s tickets, delaying our hike, but our travel agent and the guide not only resolved it, but ensured we were taken care of after. Our travel team also went out of their way to set up special accommodations for my daughter's sports training, which was above and beyond their job.

The first hotel was amazing, from the design to the atmosphere and, of course, the hot springs. Our room was truly amazing and my family could not believe it. The breakfast buffet was really great. Our second hotel was totally different, but we really loved it. The staff were very friendly and the room was very nice. They had construction going on throughout the resort, but the hotel offered great discounts to make up for it.

The activities were great. We really enjoyed each one, from the hikes to the crocodile river tour (where we saw over 40 of them, with a few coming right up to the boat) and the day at the beach. All of them were great, even with the ticket issues on our one tour. The only negative was that the tours at Arenal all involved pretty long drives from the hotel, so it was disappointing that there were no closer, more solid options, but again, it was all great.

We definitely will be returning to beautiful Costa Rica, with its amazing people. And we will definitely be using our travel company again. Five stars for them.