References & Testimonials
We had a wonderful vacation in Costa Rica. The country is beautiful and people are amazing. They are very environmentally conscious and love their country and all it has to offer.
Our vacation to Costa Rica was filled with adventure, adrenaline pumping activities and beautiful scenery. The success of our vacation can be attributed to the wonderful planning and attention to detail that the Get To Costa Rica team and particularly Felipe displayed in arranging everything.
We were happy with all accommodation arrangements both at Arenal and Manual Antonio. The rooms were comfortable, and the location was ideal. At Arenal we woke up every morning to the volcano right outside our room and in Manual Antonio the hotel Costa Verde was located as if in the middle of the forest with wonderful scenery outside every single window.
Felipe made sure that every activity of ours was safe and successful. We greatly appreciate Get To Costa Rica for making sure that all their partner outfitters like Sky Trek (for amazing zipline experience) and Iguana Tours (National Park hike, mangrove tour, white water rafting in Manual Antonio) were the best the area had to offer. All our guides were extremely knowledgeable, and very professional.
One of our highlights of our trip was Get To Costa Rica's Felipe who went out of his way to make sure our vacation was memorable. His energy, enthusiasm and knowledge of Costa Rica would make even the dullest traveler want to explore and enjoy their vacation.
We have found a friend in Felipe and will definitely be using Get To Costa Rica for all our future vacations to Costa Rica. We'll book the dates and they will plan it for us.
Rajkumari Menon
June 2010
Hi Felipe:
I cannot express how memorable you had made my 40th birthday trip! From the moment we communicated via e-mail to you dropping us off at the airport, it was so smooth. You were extremely patient with all my inquiries and was able to accommodate all the specific needs I required for the trip. I felt reassured from your friendly, immediate replies. The detailed itinerary helped in packing & was very accurate to what was to be expected. I was felt very confident about the trip when we met you in person. You were very personable, extremely knowledgeable, & I sensed you had a strong passion for your job.
The tours you selected for us were perfect for what we were looking for. I was impressed by how punctual the drivers were to pick us up. Everything was enjoyable. The drivers who spoke English even provided educational information about the country during our long scenic drives.
The rooms were comfortable, clean, & fit our needs. All the hotel restaurants had very good food. Service was always friendly.
I have put up my pictures on Facebook & I already have quite a few friends inquiring about Costa Rica. I will definitely refer your tour company. There was not 1 moment I was disappointed. Only thing I would have changed....was to stay a few more days in your beautiful country.
Thank you again for being you!
Selina
February 2010
Dear Viviana,
I wanted to thank you for setting up such an amazing trip for us! We had a blast! All the tours were on time, very well-organized, had amazing tour guides, and the scenery was beautiful. Our hotels were perfectly located, very clean and comfortable, and had views of the volcano, beach and rainforest that couldn't be better. You did an amazing job at customizing our trip to exactly what we had hoped for while visiting Costa Rica.
Our most adventurous tour was the whitewater rafting, as you can see in our pictures. We loved it! I have told so many people about our trip and many of them plan to go in the future. I have provided them with your contact information and recommend you very highly. We posted our pictures on Facebook and continue to get more people interested in visiting your amazing country. Pura Vida!!
Sincerely,
Lisa and Brandon
February, 2010
We are so happy to recommend Get to Costa Rica to anyone who is considering a trip to this beautiful and varied country. We had never used a small or private tour company for our vacation needs, but GTCR met and exceeded all our expectations for a wonderful vacation.
Personal attention to the customer and attention to each and every detail of your vacation is what you can expect from Felipe and his staff. We told them how long we wanted to stay, our interests, our budget and we were given an itinerary which we could then review/change to our satisfaction.
It is so wonderful and relaxing to know that someone else is dealing with all the transportation problems (driving in Costa Rica can be challenging) and because a voucher system is used, you don't have to worry about changing lots of money in country and carrying a lot of cash. Felipe is 100% dependable and besides that, just a world of fun. We have learned in 3 trips so much of the Costa Rican culture that we have also grown to love the country.
Give yourself a treat and go to Costa Rica with Get to Costa Rica!!
Pura Vida!!
Carla and John Gerding (3 time visitors)
Hi Viviana,
Patty and I have had a WONDERFUL time in Costa Rica. All the arrangement you made have been PERFECT!! The Arenas del Mar was spectacular. Patty LOVED the beach and, although I generally hate the beach, I thought it was pretty good, too. The staff there was very friendly. We had a great time. The Arenal Nayara is spectacular. It's beautiful and so comfortable. We love it here. The best part was the two tours we did today. Horseback riding was more fun than I've had in a long time. The guides were so much fun and the horses were very good and very well trained. At La Fortuna, we hiked all the way down to the bottom of the waterfall and swam in the pool where the water falls. It was chilly and very refreshing. This afternoon we went on the zip line. Again, the guides were a lot of fun and very good. I especially appreciated that everyone is very safety-minded - providing safety equipment (helmets) and good instructions.
We recommended you to a couple of people whom we've met on this trip and I'll continue to recommend you to friends back home. I really, really appreciate all you've done to make this a wonderful, memorable trip. I hope to get back to your beautiful country again some day.
Terry Gustafson
February, 2010
We could not have been happier with our trip to Costa Rica arranged through Get To Costa Rica Tours. We had some hesitation about using an agency out of the U.S. but we thought we might get better guidance from an agency within Costa Rica. Through phone and email correspondence, our concerns diminished.
Felipe was our contact, providing us outstanding information, arrangements and services. We liked how we were able to customize our trip, and with Felipe's advice, we were able to get the most out of our six- day stay. We knew certain adventures we wanted to do, we wanted to have some relaxing beach time and we wanted someone to drive us. We had a certain price range in mind and Felipe was able to put it all together.
The correspondence we received prior to the trip was very detailed and reassuring. Upon arrival in San Jose we were promptly met and escorted to our driver and guide, who to our surprise was Felipe himself! Felipe took us to our htoel and met us the next morning to take us to the Pacure River for our white water rafting trip. The river, scenery and rafting company were fantastic. (Be sure to purchase the photo CD...their pictures are amazing!) Felipe was there for us afterwards to take us to our accommodations at Hotel Arenal Manoa, several hours away. We had a villa with a spectacular view of the volcano. While there we took a zip line adventure, tropical rain forest hike and went to Tabacon Hot Springs and Spa, all prearranged by Felipe.
Felipe met us two days later to take us to our beach accommodations, Xandari by the Pacific. It was one of the nicest resorts we have ever been to-a gorgeous villa, adorned with beautiful artwork, looking out onto a secluded beach fringed with coconut palm trees and hammocks. While there, we booked a tour to Manuel Antonio and saw white- faced monkeys, sloths and beautiful beaches.
After two days, Felipe met us again to return us to San Jose and our flight home. We felt Felipe was more than a driver and guide. He was genuinely friendly and accommodating to all of our needs. What was special was that, not only was he informative about what we were going to see, but also gave us insight into Costa Rican history, politics, social issues and family life. Hearing about Costa Rica from a native added so much more to our trip.
A final thought and recommendation - having a driver makes things so much easier. The roads are not the best and are not well marked. Undoubtedly, we saved much time and stress, while being able to see and learn much more than we could have if we were driving. As to Felipe - we would not have imagined having a better driver, guide and by the end of our vacation...a friend.
Rob Kriegshaber
January 2010
Hello Viviana,
THANK YOU SO MUCH!! We had the BEST trip and we cannot wait to come back to explore more of your beautiful country!! Seriously, you made our trip effortless and amazing. It was a true vacation!! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!
Erinn Danielle
December, 2009
Our first trip to Costa Rica Tours was an enchantment. We fell in love with the country and the people, enjoyed all our activities and the beauties this amazing land has to offer. Most of all, choosing Get to Costa Rica Tours to organize and plan our trip was the best decision. With only a few guidelines from us, Felipe was able to plan a trip and activity program, within our budget, our timeframe, and that perfectly fit our tastes and wishes . Working with him planning the trip was a breeze and once there, everything was perfectly organized. Felipe managed to put together a program that was organized enough to avoid headaches and unpleasant surprises yet left enough room for us to improvise: Just as we wanted. We are already dreaming about our next trip and there is no doubt that we will work with Felipe again
Sylvie & Jean-Michel Pelaprat
December 2009
Get-to-Costa Rica worked very hard to personalize an itinerary that was just for us when we were planning our first trip to Costa Rica. They had all the activities we wanted to do, all the places we wanted to see and stay, and during the trip, Felipe, our guide, always had excellent recommendations for places to eat and things to do. We stayed very active, and Felipe did all the activities with us and kept up the whole time. My family doesn't go on vacation to relax. If we wanted to do that we would stay home. We think we wore out Felipe, but he was in the greatest mood the whole time. You will not find a tour company that puts as much effort into making sure you get the trip that you want. This is not some cookie-cutter stuck-in-a-bus tour where you do what you're told. You get to do what you want when you want to do it, and Felipe makes sure it goes as smooth as silk. He takes all the stress out of traveling. You will look at the huge crowd of people getting off the tour bus and you will pity them.
The thing Felipe did that we will never forget is when we were hiking in Manuel Antonio National Park, my mother began to get heat stroke, Felipe quickly found a park ranger and got permission to drive his van into the park on the trail. He ran to get the van, cranked up the air conditioning, and came and picked my mother up in the park. I really believe that she would not have made it back to the van on her own, and that Felipe saved her.
My wife and I have since taken a second trip to Costa Rica, and again, everyone at Get-to-Costa Rica made sure we got exactly what we wanted, within our budget. It was great to see Felipe again, and everything went flawlessly. We couldn't recommend them enough, and we hope to return again.
Stephanie & Nick Hahn
December 2009
My wife and I wanted an 8 day private trip for us, our 40-something daughter and son-in-law, and their two 20-something sons. Get to Costa Rica worked up a reasonably priced all-inclusive package with exactly the activities we wanted – shopping, white-water rafting, hiking, mountain biking, zip-lining, and outrigger canoeing.
The lodging was first-class and the meals superb.
Felipe, our driver and guide, was on time each morning and always in the best of spirits. From the San Jose airport pick-up to drop-off, he was with us in all of our activities. In spite of the many scheduled events and the five separate lodgings, Felipe was always sensitive to our needs and ready to adapt to meet them.
I cannot imagine how we could have done as much and learned as much about life in Costa Rica in such a short time than to have had personable, knowledgeable Felipe as our guide.
Len Kochendorfer
Thank you again for being such a great host! Selina and I had a fabolous time.
I have been talking about it to all my friends and family NON STOP :)
I will definitely go back to Costa RIca.
I hope you're doing well.
Take care and stay cool!
Shienny
For our adventure tours we used Viviana at Get To Costa Rica Tours. We did the spa treatments (nice, but a little weird that the same person does the massage, body wrap and facial); the zip line was definitely beautiful and great pictures, loved the guides; whitewater rafting was tons of fun and you picked a great rafting company, very knowledgeable and read our group just right (we all ended up falling out of the raft), can't wait for the pictures; ATV Adventure was absolutely the BEST. I wasn't thrilled about doing ATV but had the time of my life. Viviana, I know we weren't the easiest group to work with but you really proved yourself to be flexible and the people you hooked us up with were truly out to show us a great time and they were all very successful!
Thank you both for giving us the adventure of a lifetime!
Best regards,
Mindy Prowler
August, 2009
Viviana –
Sorry for the delay in getting around to completing our tour feedback form! I decided to scan the completed form and have attached it to this email rather than use the postal mail.
From the feedback form, we obviously had a great time on vacation. The only other feedback suggestion that I could make is that, after the basic structure of the trip is established, it’s useful to understand where the additional options might be in the itinerary for additional upgrades, etc. For example, we felt like we really lucked into a great room at the Arenal Volcano Inn. This occurred at the last minute because the budget-priced rooms were no longer available when we booked. However, after having been there, the Standard Studio rooms just did not appear to be as good of a value as the Studio Plus rooms (which were higher on the hill) that we booked into. We would have probably booked these to start with had we known of the option and the differences among the room categories. This is really just minor comment, though; we ended up making notes as we went along on what we wanted to do “for the next trip”.
I’ve added 2-3 comments at your blog. I’ll also try to add some comments at Trip-Advisor’s over the next couple of days.
It’s hard to express what a great time we had on our (much too brief) trip. I appreciate all of the planning that you provided to help make this trip a success for our family. If it helps, feel free to use the snippet below (and pictures) as a testimonial. As noted on the feedback form, we have already recommended Get-To-Costa-Rica to two of our friends!
Regards,
- Russ
August, 2009
Dear Felipe
Thank you for a tremendous vacation-the best I've ever taken. Marsha and my sister Carol did a great job of planning it and Felipe was the ultimate guide. We chose to stay two nights in each region and when it was time to move on Felipe was always there to transport us to the next destination. He is so personable and just a wealth of knowledge regarding the history of Costa Rica. The hotels were great and activities fantastic. My two sisters had zip lined in Hawaii so I was determined to catch up with them even at the age of 70. My first experience was a thrill of a life time literally flying over the Arenal rain forest. When we were ready to move on Felipe was there with our next history lesson. We really appreciated his promptness and that he was so personable. He was so easy to talk to and always willing to make stops along the way for photo ops and ice cream breaks. We really appreciated the list of clothing and footwear required for each activity. It took all the guess work out of what to wear each day. Our ATVing through the river bed and up steep roads was a blast. My sisters both forgot the 10 foot rule and plowed into me twice with their ATV's. All along the way we had bilingual guides who were fluent in English and very knowledgeable in their area of expertise. We couldn't have asked for more and would return to Costa Rica only if we had Felipe as our tour guide.
Many Thanks for a wonderful experience.
Nancy, Barbara and Carol
May, 2009
Dear Felipe,
I want to thank you for all you did to make our trip unforgettable! It surpassed our expectations. We all agreed that it was the best trip we've had and can't wait to go again! The service that you and your company provided was excellent. The children had a fabulous time and I think they learned a lot in the process. Thank you for the pictures-they are great! Thank you for the wonderful memories.
I forgot to give you our survey, but we found out about your company from the Men's Health magazine. The staff, hotels, activities, and transportation services were all excellent. We really liked the bungalows in both places. The hotels were very clean and both had beautiful views. I think that the Sky Trek was my family's favorite adventure, but we liked everything! Also, we thought very highly of Christian and his driving. The bus was much nicer and more comfortable than I expected. The criteria that made us decide on your company was the fast response we got from you. The prices were reasonable and the service was very personal. For me, especially, I felt a personal connection from emailing with you and talking to Marsha that made it easy to trust your company, because not everything on the internet is what it says it is! I would rate our visit a 10 and I will certainly recommend you and your company to anyone I know that wants to visit Costa Rica. I will be happy to provide a reference for your company anytime.
Thank you again for all you did to make our trip safe, comfortable exciting and special. We feel very lucky that we were able to experience Costa Rica with you.
Sincerely,
Pam P.
Dear Felipe & Marsha,
The trip was absolutely amazing. Costa Rica is a beautiful country and the many, many details of the trip that you organized were very well done. Everything was well planned and any questions or needs were addressed immediately. Guido had a very laid-back approach, yet seemed to be working non-stop and constantly taking care of the next event. I understand that the transportation (Christian) is sub-contracted, but it too was very well done. I'm sure you're aware that some of the roads in Costa Rica can be a little scary, but Christian really did an excellent job.
Sincerely,
Cory G.
Hi Marsha!
We had such a fantastic time! That's probably the best family vacation we've ever taken. Thanks so much for putting up with me in the process of planning it. Haha. I think we sold a couple on the plane on you guys. They were complaining about their tour company and we were raving. Consider us your best form of advertising in Miami. We loved Felipe! I think my parents are under the impression that they adopted a new son. Thank you again for our wonderful vacation- Aileen and I are planning to go to Costa Rica again when I get into law school :) We're hooked! I think we have a family or two who will be contacting you guys sometime soon.
Many thanks!
Vanessa P.
Hola Marsha,
Well me and my friends are back from our trip and we wanted to express to
you how much we appreciated working with GetToCostaRica.com.
During our trip, my friends and I kept saying to each other, "This is the
best trip we've taken together so far." A large reason was because of you
guys at GetToCostaRica.com!
Transportation: Every driver/company that picked us up was very punctual.
We were on vacation so we obviously were bound to be late a few times so
we occasionally received calls in our room and the driver for Pure Trek
even found us in the restaurant at Arenal Paraiso! Despite our tardiness,
we always received excellent service.
Felipe!!: He drove us from San Jose to Arenal, took us on the Poas
Volcano Tour, drove us back from Tamarindo to San Jose, and took us to
the airport on our last day. He was very instrumental in setting the
positive tone for our trip. Me and my 3 friends are college-educated,
inquisitive, and fun, young women. We bombarded him with questions
ranging from Costa Rican economics, culture and education to where to go
out at night and what the best local beers are. He was very easy to talk
to, well spoken and answered all of our questions. My friends and I just
wanted to make special mention of him because he enhanced our vacation
with his friendly demeanor and all the interesting facts he had to share
with us about Costa Rica!
All the tour companies we did our activities through were excellent!
Sky Trek/Canyoning was especially exciting for us because Desitinos, CNN
en Espanol, was doing a feature on Canyoning and our friend Patricia was
interviewed and they took footage of us getting on the Tram as well as
our beginning lines! All the workers at Sky Trek were friendly and clear
about the instructions so we had a great time.
Pure Trek was also very enjoyable and the tourguides again were friendly,
worked well together and expeditiously to get us through the 5 rappels
safely.
Tabacon Hot Springs was perfect for us! We loved the beautiful resort and
the hot springs were phenomenal! We actually made friends with a family
from Miami (a couple and their 3 sons) earlier in the day during the
Canyoning and they happen to be on the same tour bus we took to Tabacon
later that night.
I would like to acknowledge the scuba company at El Diria. This was my
first time diving and it was scary! The instructor was excellent and even
though I thought I was too scared to go, he patiently waited for me, held
my hand and waited for me to become comfortable and it was one of the
best experiences I've ever had!
The hotels were all exceptional! We loved them all. Sleep Inn was very
clean, spacious, and had a great staff! Arenal Paraiso was beautiful and
the bungalos were so cute! El Diria was our favorite! The Sunset Rooms
walk out onto the garden and we all got massages there about 10 meters
outside of our patio. We couldn't have asked for better.
We all would gladly refer your company to our friends and family and as
we tell our vacation stories and show our pictures to people, they all
ask us about GTCR and we only say wonderful things about your company.
Pura Vida!
Thank you again,
Las Chinitas (Christine Almojuela, Winnie Corsa, Patricia Liu, & Tirareza
Ramin)
Dear Marsha and Felipe,
We wanted to thank you both for the fabulous vacation you arranged for us. Every detail was perfect! Marsha, thanks for all the personal phone calls and emails. You listened to our desires for our anniversary celebration vacation and took care of all of the arrangements for itinerary, activities, and accommodations just as we had asked. As I had said to you in the beginning, we usually plan all of our vacations ourselves to avoid nasty surprises or disappointment. Your company is an example of how it can be done the right way. Very personalized from the planning stages to the moment of arrival and throughout the whole vacation! We especially appreciated being able to contact Felipe locally and immediately (on a weekend!) when we had a little glitch. Thank you, Felipe, for your friendly and reassuring manner, and for promptly helping us straighten things out. We have highly recommended your company to friends who will be contacting you soon.
Warm regards,
Angela and Kevin Kirkpatrick
Hi Marsha,
We came back last night from a wonderful trip to Costa Rica and I thought to write to you and let you know how terrific it was and how pleased we were with everything.
First, the country itself is beautiful, the views and things to see and do are breathtaking, the people are so nice and the weather was excellent.
The private guides we had the pleasure of knowing from your company were wonderful, knowledgeable, friendly and very pleasant. We had a great time traveling this wonderful country with them. The service was always on time in every location, the meals were very tasty, the tours were fascinating and right at the physical level we wanted it for a family with kids and me being pregnant.
We would like to name Felippe Chacon, especially, as a wonderful and caring guide. He explained so many things and went above and beyond to make sure we are comfortable and enjoying ourselves.
The third party service was excellent as well, always on time and the guides were very knowledgeable and we learned a lot, laughed a lot and had a great time. We took a thousand pictures!!!
The hotels were very comfortable and located in beautiful locations. The Parador had a rough entry to it with over 2 KM of dirt bumpy road, but the hotel itself was wonderful.
We liked the Mountain Paradise Hotel the best - it offered a house (not a room) with 2 large beds for the 4 of us and a jacuzzi with the mountain view which was gorgeous.
The activities were very interesting and fun with lots of animals to see and changing views to enjoy.
Thank you for a wonderful wonderful planning and great arrangement of every detail. It was a success!!! We are very sad to be back and leave this beautiful country but are happy it all was so enjoyable. We will defiantly recommend your company to our friends and families and intend to post a very positive review on tripadvisor.com
Thanks again,
Merav
Hi Marsha,
We just got in late this afternoon. We had one of the best trips of our lives and everything planned went off without a single hitch. Thanks for arranging the great adventures for us, and also thanks to Felipe who we all loved. I don't know if you heard that we added on a visit to Manuel Antonio with Felipe on Tues---and saw a ton of wildlife. That really rounded out our visit.
The 2 day rafting trip was our biggest highlight (though it's hard to pick just one)...we loved the Pacuare Lodge and being in the middle of the jungle for a while. ChoLo was our river guide and he was fantastic as well.
It was a great trip, and it's a great country.
Many thanks!
Sherry P.
August, 2008
Marsha,
I just wanted to send a quick note to let you know how fantastic our vacation was. Every part of our trip went off as planned and we loved each of the activities as well as each of the hotels. I appreciate your planning and the hospitality of everyone with Get to Costa Rica. I have already been recommending you to all my friends (at least the ones who will listen to me brag about the trip!).
Thanks again,
Adrienne K.
September, 2008
"Here we are at the La Paz Waterfall Gardens with our awesome guide, Felipe. Here we visited butterfly and hummingbird gardens; and as the name implies, we hiked to some absolutely beautiful waterfalls. What a great way to start off our week!"
Jody Persino
June, 2007
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