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Testimonials from our Clients

We love to make our clients happy...

Here's what they have had to say about our services:

A Trip to Heaven - the Rozenberg Family (December 2012)

The journey began by lots of back and foth mails and talks and a lot of time that Rayna spend to fit the trip to our needs and wants.

When we arrived to Costa Rica everything was organized perfectly. The rides came on time, the hotel were great, and the places we saw were just like heaven.

The guided tours were chosen well and we learned a lot. We enjoyed every minute of the trip.

We recommend everybody who wants to see Costa Rica to use Rayna services (and to bring a rain coat – there is always rain in the rain forest).

Thank you very much ~ The Rozenberg Family

Madeline Li ~ 2012

Title: MuchaCostaRica - best travel agent in Costa Rica

I found the TripAdvisor article on Top Costa Rica Travel Agency Advice really helpful, and found Rayna, at MuchaCostaRica, through them. I shopped around and got itineraries from 4 different agencies, but by far found Rayna's service to be the easiest to work with, most personal, most flexible and most knowledgeable.

Rayna is a foreigner (American) now living in Costa Rica - so she's truly been there and understands what foreigners need to know about travelling there. Her personal phone calls, willingness to integrate itineraries with accommodations which do not provide her commissions, and constant availability during our trip was rare and invaluable.

I was travelling with my husband and two children (10 and 12), had a very ambitious and packed agenda, and Rayna booked everything and triple confirmed everything so our trip was perfect. I highly recommend MuchaCostaRica for vacation planning in Costa Rica.

Tim Stevens ~ 2012

Trust MuchaCostaRica to plan your next trip!
My wife and I didn't know where to start when we decided to travel to Costa Rica.  What cities would we visit?  How long would we stay at each destination? Which hotels? Which tours? Who was reputable? What would we do?  Typically, I like to do my own research, but realized researching a vacation in Costa Rica, having never been there before, was more than I had time or energy to do right.
 
Fortunately, we found Rayna Levin / Mucha Costa Rica.  They were extremely helpful, informative, patient, and DILIGENT.  We cannot say enough positive about the quality of service we were given by Mucha Costa Rica. They took the time to help us build our first vacation to Costa Rica - tailored to our interests.  The trip was completely customized for us.  Although Mucha Costa Rica offers travel packages, they will work with you to completely custom-build a trip for you.  Not only that, they will take care of all the details, and it does not cost you a dime extra.  Sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.  You can trust Mucha Costa Rica to take care of your next vacation to Costa Rica. 
~ Tim Stevens

Elsbeth Martindale ~ 2012

We were in great hands in Costa Rica with Rayna. She knew her way around and had knowledge of the variety of places we could explore. We were looking for an out of the way vacation, free from crowds and touristy shops. We got just what we wanted.

Rayna set up our trip, arranged for drivers, and even took us shopping for essentials at our secluded beach house. Our trip was anxiety free as a result of her support and guidance. I'd highly recommend her services. ~ Elsbeth 

Erik Nelsestuen ~ 2012 Day tour Client

Just wanted to pass along a quick blurb.

Rayna is a wealth of information. Her travel planning services are extremely professional, offering reassurance and easy of communication.  She is extremely responsive via email and made it possible to plan our full day snorkling trip to Cano Island, all via the pool-side wifi. She provides the services of a full blown travel agency at a fraction of the cost.  Many thanks, Rayna!

Thanks again for your help. ~ Erik

Isaac Silber & Edna Shefer ~ 2012

Dear Rayna,
We appreciate  very much the work you have done for us, especially the almost intimate contact with you (sorry we could not meet you personally). Everything worked perfectly like a Swiss clock and the hotels were in a standard that we required - except one hotel - the Brilla Sol hotel in San Jose. If there is no dinner according to the menu because the chef is sick, and for shampoo they send me to buy it in a store outside - it is not a 3* hotel. ~ Edna Shefer

Meir & Shoshana Yaniv ~ 2012

Title: MuchaCostaRica - excellent trip planning agency

We had this fall a great trip in Costa Rica - incredible nature. Our trip was planned by Rayna Levin from MuchaCostaRica. Rayna took into consideration our wishes and preferences and planned a trip that met all our expectations - over and above. Both in terms of itinerary, facilities and cost. And everything that was planned worked like a charm.
If you plan a trip to Costa Rica, we highly recommend Rayna and MuchaCostaRica. You will receive a carefully crafted plan to meet your preferences at a reasonable cost and an excellent personal service. ~ Shoshana and Meir Yaniv

Trevor Cole ~ 2012

After doing a lot of research on Costa Rica and having been given a number of itineraries and quotes, MuchaCostaRica came up with a formula which was inimitable! I am a photographer (www.coleimages.com) and I wanted an itinerary which enabled me to see and do some of the best sights in the country. Rayna was exceptional. She organised car hire, Eco-lodges and locations to put on anyone's bucket list! From the Caribbean coast to the central rainforests and volcanoes and the onwards from the red eyed tree frogs to giant leatherback turtles on the pacific coast - it was magical! MuchaCosta Rica took the stress out of the travel and hand picked hotels along the way to suit my budget and taste. I enjoy independent travel and Rayna made it a travel gem. I recommend her and her company unreservedly.

Robinson Family ~ 2011

Rayna, we had an incredible trip!  The transportation was a godsend—they were prompt, careful, and personable.  We would probably be still looking for Monteverde had it not been for them—and we probably would have killed each other if we had been driving!

The highlights of our trip must have been the Hidden Canopy TreeHouses (Jennifer was so personable and she and the staff made us feel like old friends); Tambarindo and the Diria Hotel; and the Trapp Country Inn.  Excursions would have to be the Safari float, snorkeling (this was the first time Joyce and her daughter snorkeled  and we saw two tiger reef sharks); and the hanging bridges.  We also liked the guided tour at MA National Park.  We saw the most animals there. We didn’t get to see the volcanoes because of the clouds, but at least  they didn’t “blow” while we were there!!!

Costa Rica is beautiful and I can see why you choose to move there.  We met lots of nice people and look forward to sharing our experiences when we see you in Virginia!

Thank you for planning our trip—you did an excellent job and we will be forever grateful for the memories. ~  Janet Robinson and crew

The Roderick Family ~ Summer 2010

"OK – where do we start?  It was a FANTASTIC vacation, and we’re just going to try to summarize how it went.

First off, it was SO COOL to have somebody at the airport with our name!  I’ve never had that before, and it was comforting to come into a new country and feel that we were welcome and someone was looking out for us.  And that feeling was echoed throughout the entire vacation – it was wonderful to have people say “are you the Rodericks?”  Especially when we were wondering if we were in the right place!

Let’s start with the first night – the Grand Oro was beautiful, and  we loved the layout – very different from the standard “hotel/motel” in the states – do they have straight hallways in  Costa Rica?  I hope NOT!  Mike mentioned that  we could probably have stayed somewhere a little less pricey because we weren’t there to enjoy it (and he has a point – we were there less than 12 hours), but it was beautiful and gave us a taste of what was to come.

I can’t say enough about the trip to Tortuguero – I would have never planned the trip by bus/boat to Manatus – I probably would have set up a flight via Nature Air – and what we would have missed!  The trip through the mountains (banana and pineapple plantations – gotta admit – I thought pineapples grew on trees!) and the boat trip (saw a big croc 2 minutes into the trip and he was eyeing a cow – yikes!) were one of the highlights. 

The guides from Manatus were awesome – and very patient with our Spanish (or lack thereof)  The arrival at Manatus was incredible – I remember you mentioning a “complimentary fruit drink” – OK that sounded nice, but the whole atmosphere was just so warm and inviting!  The tours there were awesome – boat tours – lots of incredible wildlife and how Chito spotted them, I don’t know.  We had monkeys that peed on us and spiders that could jump!  And the turtles – the night we went out to watch the turtles we saw one coming in, one laying and one returning to the sea – WOW!  When we were leaving one of the sites and the guide whispered for us to move on once we were ready, Sam almost stepped into another nest – no lack of turtles there!  The village itself was very gracious – no pushy shop owners – a surprise!  And the flight out was cool – I really like the airport and the air traffic controllers (guy in shorts standing at the end of the “runway” with a clip board).

Renting the vehicle – make sure that people thoroughly investigate insurance options.  Hertz made us call American Express to verify that we had coverage.  If we had not set it up ahead of time, we would have been charged extra.  You let us know that (thank you!), but you might want to emphasize it!  And the GPS  is a MUST.  You know, you guys should think about marking the roads with some road numbers:)  The GPS won’t get you everywhere, but it will help.  And your directions were a big help!

Mike here-I loved driving in CR! Intense, but organized. The lines in the middle of the road mean nothing to these people; however, we never witnessed a single collision during our 10 day stay. Lots of cool, twisting, turning mountain roads that provided a visual feast to all of us. Such a clean country. Just wish we could figure out the school schedules. Saw kids in school uniforms walking the roads all through the day.

Tropical Bungee will be one of my most memorable experiences. It should go on everyone’s Bucket List! The guys were cool, I felt safe, I got a cool DVD and most importantly, Sam Sarah and I lived!

Leaves n'Lizards ...what can I say?  Must admit we never thought we would get there, and our poor little BeGo sounded like it was gonna fall apart – but it made it!  And it was well worth the trip.  The cabins were beautiful and the views were incredible!  Love those front porches and those rocking chairs!  The cabins were constructed of native hardwoods (bamboo and teak – I think), and the view – well what can I say?  We loved the atmosphere – very laid back – and very GREEN.  Mike loved looking out at the cattle grazing on the hillside, toucans perched in the trees. Steve and Debbie (the owners) were very gracious and they are doing wonderful things with that piece of land.  We hiked trails . . . .milked cows . . . .ate wonderful food and all with an incredible view!

Rapelling with Pure Trek was cool – pretty touristy, but we still enjoyed it!  Had to deal with one diabetic lady who collapsed on the trail – an exciting afternoon!

Now let’s talk hot springs – we really had no idea what to expect, so we picked the middle of the road – Baldi.  This was the only “touristy” place that we visited, and gotta admit – we could have done without it.  We did hike the trail up the north side (I think) of the volcano – near the Observatory Lodge – this was a treat!  Think you should mention it to folks visiting Arenal.

On to the canopy tours and superman zip lines!  This was very cool, and the kids and Mike are glad they did it . . . . .and I tried.  I really did!  However, once I reached the platform, I realized that my fear of heights was not going to be conquered on this trip!  I politely excused myself and headed to get my book.  The also provided some very cool pictures and the gift shop was pretty cool.

Now to the beach and the night of the twilight zone.  We left Turu Ba Ri and headed for Timarai Resort.  We made it to Parrita fine, but the directions from there were sketchy to say the least.  We got to the beach road and took a left, and then it said “follow the signs” – there were none – and after 4 Km in the rain, it was getting dark.  Then we ran out of road . . . .it ended . . . .washed out – despair set in – then Mike spotted tire tracks to the left.   We followed them . . . . .around the back side of three properties.  All of the sudden it turned and we saw lights!  Could we have found civilization??  We were very happy to see lights and Mike got out to ask directions to Timarai – a man offered his umbrella and asked “are you the Rodericks?”  It was Xavier and he loaded up our luggage and led us to our room . . .cottage . . . . our cabin . . . .Swiss Family Robinson’s treehouse – VERY cool.

Our first night there was a little ifffffffy.  Part of it was the dark and the rain.  Part of it was that Sarah was sick.  The waitress (after bringing a menu to our cabin), ended up ordering for us (bamboooozled as Mike put it) and ordered the seafood platter for all of us – one of the worst meals that we have ever eaten!  We had no hot water and asked about it – next thing we know we have HOT (like peel the flesh from your body HOT) water.  It was Friday night and well into the evening the bar was open with the music loud (admittedly, if Sarah had not been sick, this might not have been a problem).  But by the end of the night, we were not sure we had made the right decision.

Sam and Mike went on the Manual Antonio National Park tour (Sarah wasn’t feeling up to it.)  At first they felt a little like cattle as they were herded into the area, but they saw sloths and white-faced monkeys!  So it was worth it!

And then we woke up the next morning and went to the beach – I don’t know how to describe it!  It was beautiful and deserted.  As far as you could see in any direction . . . there was no one!  At low tide, the beach extends out hundreds (yes hundreds) of yards – incredible!  And the sand dollars!  I have never found a sand dollar on the beach IN MY LIFE – and here we saw over 60 – WOW!  The 2nd night we decided to order in – nothing extravagant – but the food was good.  The breakfasts were OK (compared to other spots), but there was something different about Timarai.  The other places we stayed were very gracious – took very good care of us.  Here, we were a sideline to their own little world.  I now understand what the reviews were trying to say – but we don’t regret staying there.  The cabins were really cool and the beach was incredible.  You did have to put up with erratic showers – water pressure and flow was inadequate to non-existent; however, it is a beautiful spot, and I’m glad we got a chance to see it!

And then to Adventure Inn – very nice – hard to comment much because we weren’t there for very long.  We did have dinner there and it was very good – comfy beds – the rooms were noisy and you couldn’t shut out all of the “people” sounds. Perhaps offer a less expensive option?

Thanks for all your help. This was definitely the trip of a lifetime!"

~   Mike, Jenelle, Sam and Sarah Roderick

Steve Nicodemus

"Hi Rayna,

I had the pleasure of passing thru Sierpe about a month ago, and booking some tours through your company. I just wanted to say thanks for all your great work.

I went to Sierpe specifically just to take some tours, especially to see the spheres. I was extremely impressed with the two tours you set up for me, and really appreciated the extra kayak time you threw in.

Thanks for such great professionalism! I'll certainly recommend you to any of my friends who head down to CR." ~ Steve Nicodemus

Emily & Chris:

"Rayna at MuchaCostaRica went to every possible length to ensure that we had a great honeymoon in Costa Rica.  From activities, to services, to meals-- she made great recommendations and made all arrangements.  She worked with us every step of the way, from initial planning stages months before the trip to the moment we left to return home.  She even provided transportation between San Jose and the Peace Lodge herself!  If you are planning to visit this beautiful country, I highly recommend that you work with Rayna and her staff at MuchaCostaRica." ~ Emily Beutel & Chris Hoskins

Barbara Wunder:

"I am sending one huge "hug" your way.  You made our trip not only enjoyable, but extremely memorable.  Simply said ~ thanks.  We will definitely send along pictures...
Again, thanks for sharing Costa Rica's hospitality.  I so look forward to a future return."  ~ Barbara Wunder

Marisa & Ryan:

"I just wanted to thank you for the most AMAZING honeymoon!!  Ryan and I had a great time and enjoyed every place we went to.  The people were so friendly and went out of their way to help us out, and it really helped when we were stuck due to that earthquake.  The hotels that you recommended to us were awesome and it was all worth the money.  I'm glad that we had the pleasure of meeting you.  It is always nice to place a face with a person that we've been working with for the last several months.  I will write something on your website here in the next couple of days." ~ Marisa and Ryan

James Tennis:

"Thanks for setting me up with my trip to Costa Rica. The Trapp Family Hotel was really nice and they gave me a birthday cake. They Also sang me Happy Birthday! I was very surprised and about fell out of my chair when they came out and brought me a cake with candles. Thanks for thinking of me! I was absolutely stunned with how nice they treated their guests!

The boating/hiking trip to Corcovado was really cool too. I met a lot of different characters and enjoyed everything.

Hopefully I can make it back sometime soon. Take Care!"  ~ James Tennis

Parasher Family of 4:

"We had a wonderful time and all the arrangements you made worked out great!  All the reservations were made as you said and we had no problems anywhere.  The hotels and resorts you picked out for us were great.  We really liked Mawamba Lodge and Montana de Fuego.  It was definitely worthwhile going to Tortuguero National Park, not just for the park itself but also for the scenic ride there.

Our room at the lodge in Tortuguero was quite comfortable (though the kids complained there was no TV).  The pool and bar area at the lodge was really nice too and we enjoyed sitting there and having drinks in the evening before dinner.  By the way, the food at the lodge was very good.  There was always a lot of variety and we enjoyed every meal there. My only issue with the lodge was the numerous lizards around, not to mention the huge iguanas!  But I suppose there is no getting around that when you are in that part of the world……

Thank you also for patiently answering all our questions and putting together an itinerary that met our needs.  We really appreciate the effort you put into making our trip as hassle-free as possible.  Your suggestion about taking a plane back to San Jose from Tortuguero to save time was great!

Thanks again for all your help!  We will definitely recommend you to anyone traveling to Costa Rica!" ~ The Parashers

Amy & Lorien:

"We used Rayna’s services to help plan our two-week trip to Costa Rica in Nov-Dec 2009.  Rayna was very knowledgeable about all the parts of the country that we were interested in, and about every aspect of the trip – hotels, transportation, tourist sites, tour guides, and activities.  Her valuable assistance saved us a great deal of time both before and during the trip, and made it much easier to plan things that lacked information online.  She was courteous and professional, and truly cared that we had the best time possible.  Many thanks, Rayna!" - Amy Alexander