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FOR YOU, FOR FREE: 17 years' worth of firsthand Costa Rica trip planning and travel advice compiled into hundreds of articles, plus exclusive discounts. Created by a Costa Rican and a four-time published Costa Rica guidebook author. Welcome, amigos, and as we say in Costa Rica, pura vida!

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The Buzz: Client Testimonials And Reviews

The Buzz: Client Testimonials And Reviews

Last updated on June 25th, 2019 at 08:13 pm GMT-6 (Costa Rica time)


Written by Nikki Solano

Nikki is the CEO of Pura Vida! eh? Inc. (Costa Rica Discounts), and the author of the guidebooks Moon Costa Rica (2019, 2021, 2023, and 2025 editions) and Moon Best of Costa Rica (2022 edition) from Moon Travel Guides. Together with her Costa Rican husband, Ricky, she operates the Costa Rica Travel Blog, created the online community DIY Costa Rica, built the Costa Rica Destination Tool, oversees the brand-new (summer 2023) Costa Rica Travel Shop, and designed the Costa Rica Trip Planning 101 E-Course. Also, Nikki wrote the Costa Rica cover feature for Wanderlust Magazine's sustainability-focused Travel Green List issue, showcased Costa Rica destinations and experiences on Rick Steves' Monday Night Travel show and podcast/radio show, and served as the Costa Rica Destination Editor for Essentialist, a luxury travel brand. Want to show your appreciation for her free article below? Thank Nikki here. ❤️️

Costa Rica Travel Consulting Nikki Solano


28,728 WORDS OF AWESOMENESS AND COUNTING…

“Pura Vida! eh? was amazing to work with, from the quick response to my initial emails to booking activities through them.  Their informative blog was so useful in our trip planning.  I would definitely recommend all travelers to Costa Rica to use their services!”

KG, ROCKYFORD, ALBERTA, CANADA

“The Costa Rica Travel Blog was super helpful and comprehensive. And if I had additional questions (though you can find virtually everything on the blog!), Nikki was quick to respond. And it’s completely reliable. I used one of their discounts for white water rafting and it was a really simple, safe process. Highly recommend them!”

LW, SEAFORD, VIRGINIA, USA

“Great company to work with for any tours in CR. They offer great discounts and we have no issues working with them. They also provide quick responses to all your questions.”

MN, STEVENSON RANCH, CALIFORNIA, USA

“I am so excited to have found your website. Thank you so much for booking our family’s amazing ziplining tour.  At first I wasn’t sure about a random website I found online, but I was pleasantly surprised by how professional you were and appreciate the cash back. Thank you, I would recommend you to my friends!”

CB, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA

“We had an amazing trip in Costa Rica and are thankful for all of the assistance that Pura Vida! Eh? has given us! Nikki was very friendly, helpful, and prompt with replies. We really liked the simplicity and flexibility when booking and changing the tours. It truly felt as if she was working with us to create our ideal vacation! It is awesome how Pura Vida! Eh? is also donating money on our behalf for great causes. We very highly recommend Pura Vida! Eh? for anyone who is interested in visiting Costa Rica. What could be better than having a customized and affordable vacation while knowing that you are supporting a valuable philanthropy project? Pura Vida!”

KO, FLUSHING, NEW YORK, USA

“I just wanted to say thanks for helping us book a river rafting trip. It was one of the highlights of our trip to Costa Rica. Your website was so helpful in our trip planning and the booking process for the rafting trip was easy! We had a wonderful vacation and I’m sure we’ll be back someday! Thanks!”

RM, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, USA

“Thank you Nikki for having such a great blog. First, it is chock full of helpful tips and information for anyone traveling to Costa Rica. Also, you helped us schedule a tour while in Tamarindo that went seamlessly. Thank you for your responsiveness and your great pricing. Will use you in the future for sure.”

SH, TEGA CAY, SOUTH CAROLINA, USA

“Thank you pura vida eh for the great online information provided on all the different adventure tours in Costa Rica. The great service saved us money and helped us plan our amazing holiday. Thank you!!”

JL, EMBRUN, ONTARIO, CANADA

“I am so glad we came across your website and I cannot say enough about how easy it was to work with you, especially given the late notice. My only regret is that we didn’t find your site earlier and didn’t book as many aspects of our vacation with you as we could. We will definitely not make that mistake again for our next trip to Costa Rica! You are so helpful and friendly and working with you really exceeded our expectations. We cannot thank you enough!”

RW, PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, USA

“Without PV! Eh? I would not have known where to start in planning our first trip to Costa Rica. Their site is a wealth of information and is perfect for helping on to narrow down the myriad choices and if you have any questions- I mean any- they can certainly answer them with aplomb. Being able to book our tours through them saved us a lot of hassle and potential heart ache. We got better deals than folks we encountered on similar tours. I can recommend this service for anyone planning a trip regardless of whether you need suggestions and guidance or full-on hand holding. Pura Vida!”

JS, BRONX, NEW YORK, USA

“We really appreciated the time you put into creating thoughtful and useful blog content. Your transparent business model made us feel very comfortable in dealing with you, which allowed us to save a lot of effort compared to booking things on our own. We know that travel doesn’t always go exactly to plan, and your willingness and ability to deal with issues on the fly proved very helpful. We would certainly recommend you to anyone who asks. Keep up the good work! Pura vida!”

TS, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, USA

“Thank you for all your help! I was recommended to this site by a friend who had recently gone to Costa Rica, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone going in the future. Your site has tons of useful information and you made the process of booking shuttles and activities easy. Any changes that we wanted to make to our itinerary, you would do on our behalf, and that made it much easier! Thanks again for everything!”

SW, TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA

“Pura Vida! eh? Incorporated was a very convenient and friendly service to book our tour for the Arenal Volcano, hanging bridges and Baldi Hot Springs. Nikki was very responsive, prompt and extremely helpful with all my questions. The tour also was an excellent experience and our guide was attentive and entertaining.”

AC, NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, USA

“I just returned from the beautiful Costa Rica yesterday and am already missing it! I was very happy with the services provided by Pura Vida! eh? and would certainly use them again and recommend them to family and friends. The tours reserved through Pura Vida! eh? were great and very well-organised. Knowing that the tours were planned and reserved allowed me to go to Costa Rica with greater peace of mind and enjoy my holiday even more. Initially I was not sure whether to book my tours online or decide once I got there, but I made the right choice deciding to reserve them through Pura Vida! eh? I am also very happy that Pura Vida! eh? will be donating to one of its Philanthropy Projects and this makes it even more worth it! Thank you very much for all your help!! Pura Vida!!”

GA, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM

“We had an amazing time on our rafting trip! I cannot even explain how awesome our guide was. I fell out of the boat but the operation is very safety conscious and had me back in in no time! Thank you again for handling our car rental mix-up — you saved us a huge headache. Thank you again!!!”

RM, NEWBURYPORT, MASSACHUSETTS, USA

“Our trip to Costa Rica was a success.  The vehicle you arranged was exactly as represented — we got the specific vehicle at the price agreed without any hassles.  In fact, the vehicle was relatively new (3k miles), in good shape, and impeccably clean.  Thanks again for all your support in steering us through the vehicle rental morass in Costa Rica.”

PL, FRISCO, COLORADO, USA

“My family of 4 just took an 8 day trip to Costa Rica, staying in Arenal, Monteverde and Manuel Antonio.  I booked ALL of our activities through Pura Vida Eh? – seven trips including rafting, zipline and rainforest and coffee tours. Everything was perfect: not one glitch in any activity – and we did an activity every day.  Often the prices were less than booking directly through the tour companies – and you pay the tour companies directly which helps relieve any “too good to be true” anxiety. For the cash back discounts (where you pay full price upfront), I got the cash back without asking.  Nikki also provided a lot of usual information when I was planning, including explaining the differences between trips.“

JG, PLAINVIEW, NEW YORK, USA

“Hi Nikki, it was nice meeting you today, what a wonderful surprise! We had a great time, thanks again for the service you provided! Pura vida!!!”

AW, ROWLAND HEIGHTS, CALIFORNIA, USA

“It was both of our first times in Costa Rica and we loved it! Your blog was an invaluable resource I used in trip planning from figuring out where we even wanted to go in the first place all the way through reserving our last night’s hotel. That’s great that you donate to charities, we’d like our donation to go to the “Save the Turtles” charity as seeing the arribada in Playa Ostional was one of the highlights of our trip! Thanks again for all your help, until next time, Pura Vida!”

BH, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA

“We have returned and our stay was wonderful. Thank you so much for your assistance and advice in helping plan out our itinerary in Arenal. You were very informative and I appreciate your patience and willingness to help. Our itinerary was seamless and couldn’t have worked out better… And since I’m now in love with your beautiful country, I’ll surely use your services even more when I visit again!”

DN, NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, USA

“Thanks so much for your great service. I’m not kidding when I say that my vacation in Costa Rica was the most planned out and well organized of all my life! I am a savvy planner and thanks to your website I could learn a lot about CR (which I knew only the name, not even its location) I was able to find out what were the activities offered and also to book them for the cheapest prices on the market. This is the first time that I use only one provider to book all my activities and I am super pleased of the outcome. I am really tempted to share my trip itinerary with other people because it worked very very well for us! You do a great job. [donation organization selection omitted] I wish you were in each country! Best and pura vida!”

LF, LONG ISLAND CITY, NEW YORK, USA

“The trip was our best vacation ever! One of the highlights was the ziplining we did through the rainforest and over the waterfalls with the Arenal Mundo company. They were professional and courteous. We booked our adventure through the website puravidaeh.ca. Along with making reservations easy, this website offers a huge amount of information which was invaluable to me as I planned the trip from 2000 miles away. Nikki and her team give a personal view of the numerous activities and beautiful places found in Costa Rica, and will take the time to answer questions you may have. This website was one of my main resources in planning our great adventure. Thank you!”

CG, SPRINGVILLE, NEW YORK, USA

“We did enjoy our CR vacation very much and we certainly expect to return in the future. Thanks to your help, everything went well. Particularly, we really enjoyed staying at the La Mansion Inn as the view is incredible. We did not realize that it’s one of the favorite places of celebrities too.”

DN, BELLEVUE, WASHINGTON, USA

“Just got back from our week in Costa Rica and everything went smoothly. Thank you for all the help in planning this trip- we would not have done as much as we did in Arenal without the Pura Vida eh Inc website. We had an awesome Costa Rican adventure! We already want to go back. ? Thanks so much.”

MC, SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, USA

“Nikki from Pura Vida eh! was very helpful in organizing our rental car for our trip to Costa Rica in November. Renting a car can be a daunting and complicated task but Nikki did all the hard work for us and everything worked out as planned. Nikki sent us very detailed emails about everything I needed to know and helped arrange for a late drop off with the car which was perfect. I would highly recommend booking through them! Thanks again Nikki and everyone at Pura vida eh!”

VM & MS, KAMLOOPS, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA

“Pura Vida! eh? is simply the best! Their multiple informative blogs really made my Costa Rica vacation much easier to plan. Based on their online recommendations, I was able to settle on a Pacuare whitewater rafting tour. The reservation process was very easy (w/ their online vouchers) and we were able to score a $28 discount! They also went above and beyond by answering all the questions I had. Pura Vida! eh? is a one-of-a-kind tourist/traveler company. They made me feel appreciated throughout the whole process and even give back to the community! Pura vida!”

MF, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA

“Our trip was fabulous!! We enjoyed everything about it- the food, the hotel, the activities, esp the people. Everyone was nice and accommodating. Thank you so much for your assistance and recommendations. We really enjoyed ourselves. Thank you.”

SC, NEW CITY, NEW YORK, USA

“I had a pleasant experience with this company on my short stay in Costa Rica. It was difficult finding activities that were fun and adrenaline-packed but that fit our schedule and times. What I loved the most was the transportation-inclusive activities and how well coordinated they were. Our water rafting experience was superb and I would totally recommend this company to anyone planning their time in Costa Rica.”

KA, SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, USA

“Thanks for all of the great info on your website! You were the best resource in planning our trip– everything from tours, in country transportation and wonderful no-cost/low-cost options. We had a great week and you’re my “go-to” site for future trips.”

VB, WHEATON, ILLINOIS, USA

“Thank you for all your help and support. Since this was my first time to Costa Rica, I really did not have any ideas for our adventures and used your websites for recommendations. After deciding on the best rafting trip for us I contacted you. You contacted me several times answering questions and making me feel at ease! You were so helpful and the rafting trip was truly the best! Thank you! I will recommend you to everyone that travels to Costa Rica! Pura Vida.”

SO, SAN DIEGO, CAIFORNIA, USA

“Thank you very much. It was such a pleasure to work with you and we really enjoyed the activities you helped us book. Thanks again!”

NM, LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, USA

“Costa Rica is one of my favorite destinations, which is why I decided to take my three 10 & 11 year old daughters with me this year. Pura Vida! eh? Helped me book an awesome zip lining adventure on short notice, and it really made the trip for my family. All we had to do was show up, and they were already expecting us. Thank you so much for your quick responding, friendly attitude, and helping us save some cash along the way.”

RB, SATELLITE BEACH, FLORIDA, USA

“I just discovered your blog and it is so so awesome! I think I’ve read almost every post in the last couple of hours. Thanks! You guys rock!”

RF, BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, USA

“I just wanted to thank you and your team for arranging an amazing trip for us. We had a wonderful time in beautiful Costa Rica and cannot wait to go back. Thank you for your advice and help, we truly appreciated it. All of our activities, shuttle transfers and stay was seamless and perfect. We will definitely recommend you if any of our friends/family are planning a trip to Costa Rica.”

KB, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM

“Hi there Nikki, I just want to thank you for all of your help in making the reservations and for all of your input over the past couple of months!  My friend and I had an absolutely fantastic time in Costa Rica.  Everything worked out beautifully and smoothly! pura vida!!

SR, BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, USA

”Pura Vida eh? is the REAL DEAL!  I cannot believe we were able to pull off a vacation for 30 of my family members after I just finished planning a wedding!  None of this would have happened if it weren’t for Nikki and company.  They were so incredibly easy to work with and they were always available when I had questions or needed to change up the reservations.  I really thought that the company was either going to be #1 a scam or #2 they wouldn’t deliver what they had offered.  Like really, a company that helps plan your vacation, connects you to the right people for reservations, gets you HUGE DISCOUNTS on lodging and activities, doesn’t take any money from you and donate money back to philanthropic projects???  Doesn’t make any sense but IT IS REAL AND IT IS AWESOME!!!!  They have first hand experience with the country and they know where to go and where not to go!  Every place we stayed at was safe and clean and every activity we did was so much fun!  We were able to visit Rincon de la Vieja, Arenal and Monteverde and the whole time I did not have any worry or stress and that is because of Pura Vida eh?  Thank you so much for everything you have done for us!  You guys are the best and we are definitely going to contact you when we come back to Costa Rica!  Pura Vida!”

KC & CV, CALIFORNIA, USA

“My husband, mom, cousin and I had a great trip in Costa Rica!  A big contributor to the success of our travels was Pura Vida! eh? Incorporated.  We had an exciting Sky Trek zip-line adventure in the La Fortuna area overlooking the Arenal volcano and Lake Arenal.  Quite an adrenaline rush, while at the same time saving money that we spent on other parts of our trip.  We relaxed in the hot springs at The Springs Resort & Spa; which we wouldn’t even have known existed if not for the informative blog written by Nicole and her husband.  The hot springs were amazing and beautiful.  We had never before experienced such luxury in natural surroundings!  We greatly enjoyed the delicious meal that was included in our two day package.  Nicole was kind enough to make special arrangements for us to enjoy our meal the second day, rather than the first, because of our travel dates.  Overall we could not have been happier with Pura Vida! eh? Incorporated.  Thank you for a great vacation!”

JW, OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN, USA

“Thank You for saving extra money during our March trip to Costa Rica. We were very pleased with all services provided by your company and also quick responses to my emails. Planning the trip was a little nerve wracking-  you read about all scams and then You have to trust somebody. We decided to go with your company and it was excellent choice. We were not disappointed. My only complain is that we couldn’t use your services for purchasing more activities, just because our time was really limited.. But we used bunch of advice from your website, what a great source! Thank you again for providing us a lot of useful info and saving money for our family of four. Looking forward to coming back to Costa Rica as soon as we can. What a beautiful country!“

KG, SILVER SPRING, MARYLAND, USA

“I wanted to take this opportunity to say how much my family and I (hubby and 11 1/2 y/o son) enjoyed our jaunt to Costa Rica over Spring break, March 9-14, 2015. We were able to experience thrilling river rafting on the Rio Pacuare, zipline over the gorgeous native flora and waterfall and horseback ride through a nature preserve and enjoy a lovely nature hike at the base of the Arenal volcano. We topped off this fantastic journey with a trip to the geothermal springs at Baldi Resort and Spa. All of this was made possible by great offers from Pura Vida! eh? Incorporated. Thank you so very much for all of your help and insight; it went a long way in ensuring a wonderful trip we’ll remember for years to come! :)”

SK, ALLEN, TEXAS, USA

“Do not hesitate to book your vacation through Pura Vida, Eh! After many years of hearing us dream about vacationing in Costa Rica, last spring as a combined Mother’s/Father’s Day gift, our children gave us a week-long trip there.  Yes, we know we are very fortunate.  Thanks kids!  Along with the gift they included two terrific travel guides, which we poured through for several months.  Never having been to Costa Rica, we found it daunting to sift through the sheer volume of information.  There are so many fabulous sites to see, activities to engage in, ways to get from here-to-there, types of accommodation from which to select, we felt lost.  One day our daughter told us about a friend who had visited Costa Rica and had planned their trip through a company, Pura Vida,Eh!  That evening, we sat down and explored their website and were totally impressed.  We loved the wide range of options offered, the fact that you can pick-and-choose what you do and don’t wish to do, their informative blog postings, as well as their business focus on giving something back to this wonderful country.  And once we contacted them, we were sure that we were on the right track, at last.  From that moment on, every step of the way, Nikki was right there for us, answering questions, making suggestions, patiently waiting for us to render decisions, guiding us.  Always energetic, up-beat, enthusiastic and professional, we couldn’t have asked for a better assistant.  And the end result was beyond our imaginings.  Truly a trip of a lifetime.  Traveling from place to place was a breeze.  Each accommodation was better than the last.  Our adventure tours were engaging, informative, varied and FUN!  We are so thankful for the assistance of Pura Vida, Eh! in making our dream vacation come true.”

WJ & KB, TENNESSEE, USA

“Just wanted to thank you again for your assistance with our trip planning and reservations.  We had a wonderful time and wished we had stayed there longer.  Guess it gives us more reason to go back for another visit.”

AW, NEW YORK, USA

“My wife and I recently spent a month in Costa Rica, partly on an organized birding trip but mostly visiting areas of interest such as Monteverde and Manuel Antonio.  We elected not to rent a car, which meant of course that we needed to rely on bus service to get around the country.  It can be quite daunting, even for season international travelers such as ourselves, to sort out the most efficient and cost effective transportation from hotel to hotel.  We turned to Pura Vida Eh Inc to help us sort this out.  Nikki was absolutely fantastic! She was professional, efficient, and tremendously responsive to our needs.  I was astounded at the amount of personal time that she spent guiding us through the complicated transportation process.  Perhaps now that we have been there we might be able to figure it out ourselves but I doubt it – we would definitely turn to Nikki in the future for ALL of our travel needs in Costa Rica.  I highly recommend Pura Vida Eh – they are awesome!”

MS & LS, NEWBURYPORT, MASSACHUSETTS, USA

“We had so much fun in Costa Rica! Thank you so much for helping us! Everything went very smoothly while we were there. We hope to visit Costa Rica again some day, and will definitely enlist your help again? For the donations, I was wondering if we could give half to Kids Saving The Rainforest and the other half to Escuela de Futbol Tres Equis? Thank you again so much for all your help and advice. We will be referring you Pura Vida! eh? to our friends and family! Pura Vida!”

LH & CC, USA

“We’ve been taking the shuttle plus Pacuare river Rafting tour and it’s has been perfectly organized and a great tour. Especially the booking process was very good and your staff has been very helpful to get in contact with the tour operator- Big thanks and PURA VIDA!”

SH, MUNICH, GERMANY

“Thanks so much. We really enjoyed the services and hotels you recommended. They were among the highlights of our trip.”

GH, EDMONTON, ALBERTA, CANADA

“Thanks Nikki for recommending some great hotels and activities and booking them for us.  We enjoyed our stay at both Conchal Hotel in Brasilito and at Hotel la Pradera in La Fortuna, as well as the Desafio Tenorio River Float and airport transportation.  I like that you promote the activities that include transportation between destinations – this worked well for us. Your services were invaluable to us and we enjoyed the discounted rates too! Pura vida!”

RL, CANADA

“Thank you so much for all of you help, our trip was amazing!  Everything worked out so smoothly, and everyone was very nice. We can’t wait to go back again! Thank you again for putting together such a wonderful trip for us!”

JM, IDAHO FALLS, IDAHO USA

“Thank you for arranging such a wonderful trip for us.”

KJ, PLYMOUTH, MINNESOTA, USA

“Hi Nikki, I have no understanding for what Pura Vida! eh?’s business strategy is and cannot figure out how you’re able to charge less than every other tour company. Because of that I was kind of skeptical of the company, but everything that PVE arranged for us worked out perfectly. Thanks for helping with some of the highlights of our vacation!”

YF, CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, USA

“Pura Vida! Eh? provided some excellent advice and was very responsive throughout our trip planning stage. Even though we ended up only using them for half of our bookings because of a change of plans, they still offered their help and support without fail. Their insight was invaluable.”

AC, VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA

“Nikki of Pura Vida! eh? did a fantastic job planning our Costa Rican adventure.  Our entire communication was via email which made it very easy to send our thoughts back and forth and tweak our itinerary until we were satisfied.  We provided Nikki with an idea of the things we wanted to do (e.g., suspension bridges, ziplining, whitewater rafting, ATV, nature hikes) and she came back with a couple suggested itineraries.  The tour groups that Nikki chose for us were uniformly excellent—on time, fun, and safe.  In fact, I checked them all on TripAdvisor after Nikki recommended them and all had received high marks.  What made working with Pura Vida! eh? particularly nice is that we were not part of an organized group tour.  All of our arrangements were made by Nikki, individually, with the tour operators.  Nikki also arranged all our transportation between the three regions where we stayed.  Our family had an amazing time in Costa Rica and I can confidently say that Nikki and Pura Vida! Eh? played a huge role.”

MM & EM, PENNSYLVANIA, USA

“Recently, we travelled to Costa Rica and used Nikki’s PuraVidah blog to look for important activities and planning. We also contacted her to reserve for boat reservations near Manuel Antonio. She not only got us a discount but paid attention to details in my request and patiently helped thru my change in plans as well. Her email was prompt, informative and courteous. I would blown away with her philanthropic efforts as well. I would strongly recommend using her help for planning and reserving Costa Rica Vacation. Thanks Nikki!!”

VV, SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA, USA

“Thank you again for all you did for us. You were fantastic and I read some of your travel tips yesterday and they were very helpful. You do an amazing job and are so thorough. Well done.”

CD, TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA

“The trip was amazing!!! and everything went so smoothly, no problems whatsover and we had a blast. I will recommend your services if anybody asks about my experience. It was Pura Vida indeed :)”

NE, USA

“We had the most wonderful vacation in Costa Rica thanks in large part to your help planning the vacation! It was an unforgettable experience. Our favorite place was Manual Antonio and La Masion Inn. You were absolutely right in booking LMI for us – what a wonderful, unique boutique hotel! The view from the Sky Lounge was stunning! I hung out there for an entire afternoon and could not get enough of it! Now I also understand why Manual Antonio is one of the top ten national parks in the world. How can you beat swimming in crystal clear blue warm water next to the abundant wild life! By the way, it was hilarious to us that the raccoons and monkeys would “patrol” the beach for food. In one instance, we were even warned that the bags would not be safe! I would definitely recommend you to all our family and friends who are going to Costa Rica. We fell in love with the country (and totally understood why you moved there!). We would love to keep you as a resource. This will not be the only time we visit :)”

CR, SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, USA

“Thank you so much for all of your assistance in making our trip to Costa Rica easier. We were very happy with your help and had a great time during our trip there. I commend you on your charitable initiatives – after reviewing the list of potential recipients, I would like to choose [organization name omitted]. Thank you! We will be sure to encourage the use of your site for our friends and family who are sure to be traveling to Costa Rica soon, especially after hearing our stories and seeing our photos!”

AS, USA

“Many thanks for your help with the whole trip. It was twice as good a trip as it would have been had I planned it alone. I greatly appreciated your advice at every step.”

DM, USA

“I have only great things to say about Pura Vida! eh?  Nikki and the website were incredibly helpful.  So very thorough and great insight.  I wish I could find a site and company like this for all areas of travel.  I was so very please with Pura Vida! eh? that I have recommended them and the site to several friends.  Thank you for all of the help in making our trip to Costa Rica a great success!”

LC, AUSTIN, TEXAS, USA

“Thanks to your help, we had the BEST time in Costa Rica. It was truly an unforgettable experience. I am so grateful to you and your company for helping me chose the right tours, as well as your spot on travel blog. We will have the memories and pictures of the perfect trip for years to come. (My boyfriend and I even got engaged while there!). Thank you so much for the $[amount removed] transfer of funds through PayPal, that makes it very easy for me. I love that just by booking with your help, $[amount removed] will be going to an organization in need. That is an awesome way to run a business. I will definitely be recommending your services to anyone I know traveling to Costa Rica. Thank you again for all your help!”

AB, USA

“We had a wonderful time in Costa Rica and we appreciate you guys for helping us plan our vacation. Thank you so much for arranging tours for us. We will surely recommend Pura Vida! eh? to our friends.”

SK & VD, LOS ANGELES, CA, USA

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank you again for the wonderful service you provided us during our trip in Costa Rica. The Pacuare rafting tour was absolutely amazing! My partner is an experienced rafter and he said that this was his second best rafting experience (after Uganda – a class IV-V) ever! We really appreciate a lot how you accommodated our needs with the pre-payment for the tour. Wish you all the best and greetings to beautiful Costa Rica from Slovakia :)”

VS, SLOVAKIA

“I found the Pura Vida! eh? from Costa Rica travel blog, which gave me extensive knowledge and tips for my trip to CR at the planning phase. I decided to reserve tours through Pura Vida! eh? since it helped me so much with my planning, and it saved me money also. The tours I booked through Pura Vida! eh? went through smoothly, I did not have any issues with them at all. The many emails I exchanged  with Nikki were always replied promptly, and any issues involved were taken care of. I am happy that at the end, after the trip, I was contacted by Nikki to help me donate some fund she promised to the charity I was able to choose. I am very glad I chose Pura Vida! eh? to guide me through the incredible trip our family had in CR. Pura Vida! eh? is indeed a very trustworthy resource a traveler can rely on when planning a trip to CR.  Thank you Nikki for all your help! We enjoyed CR tremendously!”

MY, SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, USA

“We loved Costa Rica and are already talking about another trip in the future. The excursions booked through Pura Vida not only met, but exceeded, our expectations and I really appreciate the assistance from Nikki with explaining the differences between different tour options so we were able to pick the right tour for us. Thanks for helping make our trip so memorable!”

AC, USA

“Not knowing anything about Costa Rica, I was overwhelmed with the task of planning how best to see the sites. I stumbled upon the Pura Vida website and   was impressed by both the amount of valuable information and the testimonials. I sent a query and Niki responded the next day with detailed answers to all of my questions. There were several additional clarifications I requested and she continued to provide a high level of service with quick and thorough replies. Niki was an absolute pleasure to work with. She assisted with booking the tour that matched our needs and simplified the process by coordinating all aspects with the tour guides. I would highly recommend Pura Vida!”

AS, USA

“We spent 8 weeks in Costa Rica this summer with our family of 8. No easy feat. The easiest and most enjoyable weekend was the one Nikki helped us plan. Nikki helped me narrow down our myriad of choices to those that would actually work for our large family. Her recommendations were perfect for our needs and desires. She sent timely and detailed emails that took the stress of planning, booking, and worrying right off my shoulders. I only wish I had gone to her sooner in our trip! I highly recommend Pura Vida! eh? Incorporated and Nikki if you ever find yourself traveling to Costa Rica. Pura vida!”

OP, USA

“Our vacation in Costa Rica would not have been possible without Pura Vida! Eh? Inc. You made it SO easy for us by setting up all of our activities, meals, and transportation. Our most memorable times there were soaking in the natural hot springs in La Fortuna and beach-bumming it at Montezuma Beach. Pura Vida! Eh? is no doubt thee BEST Costa Rican vacation travel agency. We look forward to returning to CR in the future. Thank you for your amazing service!”

CV, USA

“I worked with Nikki at Pura Vida to help us plan our vacation. Initially I was skeptical because I found them over internet search. But I must say that this is the best thing I did to make my vacation smooth and well planned. She worked with me in planning and suggesting and booking out tours. Service level was extraordinary. Nikki was very detailed and thorough. I couldn’t have expected a better customer service from them. Very accommodation to all my requests and last minute changes. I was traveling with a 7yr old. So they suggested what tours would work best for that age group and were able to accommodate us on rafting and zip lining tours with that age group. I would strongly recommend to go with Pura Vida [eh] Inc. Ofcourse, Costa Rica has amazing food, people and service. One of the best vacations we have had. Thanks all.”

KJ, USA

“We write two reviews a year if that, but simply have to recommend Pura Vida! Eh? We booked flights just a week before our trip so we were stressed – but Pura Vida! Eh? instantly felt like working with a good friend we can trust in Costa Rica, rather than a for-profit company trying to sell us anything. They helped us with a tour, a car, and even advice about things they didn’t book for us, like what hotel choices best met our needs. They spent an incredible amount of time immediately answering every question we had in great detail, so by the time we arrived we had everything covered. Our trip was amazing, and thanks to Pura Vida! Eh? there was not a single glitch. We highly recommend that anyone visiting Costa Rica make friends with Pura Vida! Eh? early in their planning – even it that is only a week before your flight!”

AZ & KZ, USA

“Our amazing Costa Rican trip thanks to Pura Vida! eh? Inc. I was absolutely confused about how to approach the planning for our first family Costa Rica trip until I ran across the Pura Vida! eh? Incorporated! website. Nikki was awesome in that I emailed her relatively last minute regarding car rental, tours, and general travel questions and she answered EVERY question. Her recommendations and advice regarding our car rental were spot on and she replied quickly (which helped so much in our last minute planning). I highly recommend their services AND reading their blogs.”

JH, USA

“Many, many thanks for your invaluable assistance in planning and making reservations for our trip to Costa Rica in May 2014. It was extremely helpful having you contact hotels, tour companies, and booking transportation for us, especially since we don’t speak Spanish and don’t have a clue about where to stay, what to do, and who to use. It also saved us from making expensive international calls. Most important are the connections you have and the information you provide as a result of your experience and actually living in Costa Rica. It’s very disturbing to have to deal with someone making your reservations when they have never been to that particular area. You were always quick to reply and answer the endless and detailed questions I had. Communicating via email worked really well. I had a complete record of our conversations that I could refer to. Your website is the best I’ve ever seen for Costa Rica. Anything I wanted to know about Costa Rica was easily found, as well as information I didn’t even know I needed! Your tips were invaluable and the descriptions of actual experiences you and your husband had were very informative and entertaining. Everything you planned for us went very smoothly without any hitches. Costa Rica was one of the best vacations our family ever had and a lot of this is a direct result of your expertise and competency. We will not hesitate to use your services again on our next vacation to Costa Rica!?Thanks again!”

CT, CLEARWATER, FLORIDA, USA

“Just wanted to take a minute to thank you guys for all your help and trip planning. Our trip was amazing and everything we booked through pura vida eh was a success. Highly recommend the Pacuare river rafting tour and Monteverde Villa lodge. Only wish we would have booked our entire trip through pura vida eh, but we plan to return and will definantly use your services again. Great discounts, hotels, tours, and transportation. Thanks again.”

JB, SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, USA

“Working with Nikki to plan our 10 day trip to Costa Rica proved to provide time savings, peace of mind, and a fabulous, unforgettable trip. We packed many activities into those 10 days. Nikki helped us in choosing our tours, hotels, and transfers from one city to the other. She was spot on in her depiction of the hotels and tours. She was quick to return our emails and to answer questions. The tour operators she suggested were timely, courteous, and exceeded our expectations. The hotels where we stayed were clean and well located.  They were also family owned, ant the families were very friendly and helpful. When I begin planning my next trip to Costa Rica, Nikki will be the first person I contact. Pura vida!”

SW, TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA, USA

“I am SO glad I found your blog through Pinterest. My husband and I are coming to Costa Rica in three weeks and are extremely excited. We’ve never been to a foreign country before and are a bit nervous and your blog has helped ease many of those nerves. Thanks!”

TC, CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA, USA

“I really like your site and the information I can get to plan my trip! Thank you!”

GCL, MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA

“First of all, thank you so much for all your assistance — everything went quite smoothly and the accommodations and tours were all top notch. There was really nothing that we didn’t enjoy immensely, though I’ll commend in particular the accommodations at both Fonda Vela and Silencio del Campo, the people and service at Silencio, the Balsa River rafting trip, and our driver Pablo (De Safio) who brought us from Arenal to the airport. I’d also like to note, for your reference, that we were also extremely pleased with Esteban, the private guide we hired for Monteverde — a font of knowledge, great spotter, and simply a class act!”

BH & AH, MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, USA

“I tend to review hotels on Tripadvisor, but can’t often be bothered for tours etc; however due to some of the previous comments I have seen on TA about Pura Vida Eh, I feel it would be nice to express my gratitude to Nikki for her prompt and helpful service whilst I organised a trip to the region, and I can strongly recommend to other travellers thinking of using them. I booked 5 activities through them: Puerto Viejo to Fortuna with rafting in Rio Pacuare, Canyoneering in Fortuna, bus-boat-bus to Santa Elena, Selvetura near Monteverde and the onward travel to Quepos. For all except the bus-boat-bus, Pura Vida Eh provided the lowest cost, however I still booked the bus-boat-bus with them as it made my planning simpler and Nikki had been so helpful (plus we were only talking about 3$ extra, as opposed to the 15$ plus savings I made elsewhere). If I had booked the tours direct I would have paid more, plus not received the invaluable assistance Nikki provided which prevented me booking too many activities in one day, and making sure that we caught transport back at appropriate times. The booking process was quite simple, and online links were provided for the individual companies we booked with. It would have been easier just to pay the full amount to Pura Vida Eh and let them sort it out, but you cant have everything! We were also provided with some money off coupons which included places like Soda Viquez in Fortuna (highly recommended even without a discount (we ate there twice). Some discounts are cashback for a few dollars, and I am pleased to say that we received this via Paypal a few days after arriving back home. Very impressed as I was half expecting to have to chase this.”

TW, BRIGHTON, UNITED KINGDOM

“We had a great trip in Costa Rica! Thank you for your expertise on our hotel reservations, they all worked out very well! Thanks again, it was a pleasure planning with you! Your prompt emails and detailed explanations were extremely helpful!”

NY, CANADA

“My wife and I had wanted to go to Costa Rica for quite some time, and when the opportunity came along to go, we realized we actually knew very little about what to do and where to go. After extensively searching the internet for suggestions and itineraries from various travel websites and tour operators, we were just as overwhelmed with the options as when we started. I compared many different tour companies’ itineraries, but none seemed to fit our style of travel or our budget. Then, I came across Pura Vida, Eh? Inc. Their website had exactly the information I needed to decide where we wanted to go and their suggested travel itinerary sounded awesome – but still not an exact fit. That’s where Nikki, the travel angel of Costa Rica, came in. After many back and forth chats, she was able create a custom trip that fit exactly what my wife and I wanted to see and do on our vacation. Her knowledge of each tour option and the best hotels really helped narrow down the many options for each area. I’ve never worked with a more helpful or knowledgeable travel agent in all my years of traveling! Thank you Nikki and Ricky for all you do to make visiting your country the best possible experience! As an added bonus, they even donate a portion of the proceeds to charity. Now that’s Pura Vida!”

RE, SAN MARCOS, TEXAS, USA

“Thank you so much for your help in reserving these excursions for me at a discounted price. The experience has been straightforward, simple, and easy! We are looking forward to Costa Rica! Pura Vida!!”

EC, USA

“Hi! We loved Costa Rica! We had an amazing time! All the adventures planned were awesome and the people running them were friendly and professional. We felt safe knowing that you had recommended and reserved all of our transportation, activities, and accommodations. It was very reassuring traveling to a foreign country having a residents advice and perspective – much better than any travel agent! We met other tourists along the way and when we told them all of our activities, they were jealous – they didn’t even know about some of them! We mentioned your company every time and would highly recommend your company. It was a great experience! Thank you very much!”

MN, USA

“Sorry it’s taken me a couple of weeks to send this note. Just wanted to say THANK YOU SO MUCH for helping us with our vacation plans! We had an absolutely perfect week in Arenal. All our tours were tremendously enjoyable and the weather was extremely cooperative. Our itinerary was really fantastic. In addition to the tours you helped us book (which kept us busy for a large fraction of the week), we managed to also do the chocolate tour, swim at the La Fortuna waterfall, attend Spanish mass on Palm Sunday, shop for souvenirs in downtown La Fortuna, relax in the hot springs at our hotel, etc. And thanks for your restaurant suggestions! We went to Soda Viquez, La Parada, Nene’s and Anchio, and had terrific meals at all of them. We have many many amazing memories of Costa Rica, and we definitely want to visit other parts of the country at some point in the next few years. So you may hear from me again in 2016 or thereabouts…? Thanks again! Pura vida!”

MT, NEW YORK, USA

“My friend and I want to thank you for all your assistance in the planning and coordination of our trip to Costa Rica. We had a wonderful time!  Nearly everything went smoothly with all our hotel reservations, transport, and tours. My favorite day turned out to be our horseback trip to Monteverde… we found it amusing that the horse ride in the morning to Monteverde was far easier than the car ride back to La Fortuna!  We ended up having a private horse ride as we were the only two. The day went so smoothly, from car pickup on time, an exhilarating boat ride across the lake, a comfortable horse ride around the lake, a nice hike through the cloud forest reserve, a great dinner in town, some shopping, then the crazy car ride back. We recommend this option! It did not feel rushed and we felt we saw enough to feel satisfied with experiencing the higher elevation forest. We especially appreciated your hotel recommendation of Buena Vista on our last night…we had a nice suite with balcony, and that was a perfect place to sit and soak in the last bits of our journey while looking out over San Jose as the lights came on at dusk.  Far better than any old airport hotel! We thought the guide on our Arenal Hanging Bridges tour, Jairo, was exceptionally knowledgeable and gave the best tour of our trip. We will recommend your services to anyone we know who wants to have an organized, smooth travel experience in Costa Rica!”

SG, CARY, NORTH CAROLINA, USA

“Pura Vida! We had an amazing trip to Costa Rica and we appreciate all the help and guidance you provided. Hotel in Alajuela was good, Desafio services were professional and Skytour activity was awesome. We liked the fresh fruits, eco friendly lifestyle of Costa Ricans and just the feeling that people are nice. We will definitely visit again for a longer period and have recommended our friends/colleagues to visit your beautiful country.”

SG, MIAMI, FLORIDA, USA

“I just wanted to say thank you for the wonderful dinner that was planned for us at the Springs Resort!  The “royal” treatment we received was beyond anything we could have imagined, and I can’t say enough good things about the staff at the Springs who took care of us. It was a very special night that was the highlight of our trip, and one that we will remember for many anniversaries to come! Once again, thank you.”

SB & HB, USA

“After doing extensive online research, and contacting various travel agencies in both Costa Rica and Canada, we decided on Pura Vida Eh! to plan our Costa Rican adventure. Nikki offers a level of professional, honest service that other organizations simply cannot match (and great discounts too!). She always went above and beyond in providing detailed information about our options, was very patient as we put together an itinerary, and simply wonderful even as we made last minute changes. We’d like to thank Nikki for helping make our trip to Costa Rica an amazing, unforgettable adventure that surpassed all our expectations. I highly recommend Pura Vida Eh! for anyone traveling to Costa Rica – whether you are a newbie traveler who has never put together a trip on your own, or an expert globe-trotter. Your experience in Costa Rica can only be enhanced by the “insider advice” that is Pura Vida Eh!’s advantage – they are a local, Costa Rican based company with great knowledge of the country’s tourism industry.”

SK, TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA

“We got back to LA from Costa Rica. It was a wonderful trip with some great memories to cherish. Everything went as planned and that was so much of relief. Weather was really hot and humid and hiking drained our energy a bit. All tours went really well and I must tell you that you have a great name among tour operators. They spoke very high of your company and it was nice to hear. It was a great pleasure working with you and without you, I wouldnt have planned such a surprise trip for my wife for our honeymoon. I really wish you help me plan visit other countries as well like Costa Rica?? Thanks again for all the efforts and I really appreciate your time and help. You are SUPER SWEET.”

VA, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA

“Thank you for giving us a welcoming experience to Costa Rica. Highly recommended tour group to work with and will definitely refer you guys to all my friends. All the tours were amazing and fun. Nikki is amazing and helped us book the tours smooth and quick. Thank you!”

YC, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, USA

“Pura Vida! We LOVED our trip to Costa Rica. It was such a fantastic time and is quite probably one of the most beautiful places on earth. Everything that you set up for us was in perfect order and was first class. Mono Azul was our first hotel which we enjoyed very much. While in Manuel Antonio we ate at La Luna Restaurant in the Gaia hotel which was beyond outstanding and with remarkable service. The chef came out to ask how the food was and took a picture with us! We really enjoyed our tour of the MA park and the mangroves. My wife really got into the monkey business! Pablo was fantastic, he invited us and the others he had picked up for the mangrove tour into his home for lunch which was very kind of him. Aguila Tours was a top notch outfit and we would strongly recommend them to anyone. From Arenal we did the Pacuare river rafting tour with Exploradores Outdoors, which was a blast. The service was outstanding and the river was breathtaking. We also did the Cerro Chato Hike which was exhausting but great fun. The lagoon is beautiful. The La Pradera hotel was very nice and we enjoyed the staff there very much. From Monteverde we did a night hike which was so-so, we didn’t really see much but it wasnt that expensive for a spur of the moment thing. We then hiked the cloud forest the following morning which was a nice hike, there weren’t any clouds and we didn’t see much wild life, but i suppose that happens sometimes. We also enjoyed the monteverde country lodge and had a very nice experience there. In Conchal we stayed at the conchal hotel which was a very nice place and they greeted us with fresh smoothies! Here we spent all of our time on the beach, which was a fun beach with vendors, restaurants, horses, dogs, and a nice sunset. The summary of our trip is to say that we had a wonderful time, we only wish we were able to stay longer! Working with Pura Vida Eh? made arranging a great trip possible. While trying to plan this trip I was working 90 hours a week on the Orthopedic Trauma service and Nikki took care of everything for me making it such a breeze, and we are so very thankful! Thank you so so much for facilitating such an amazing vacation for us we truly had the time of our lives and it was made possible by your diligent efforts to plan this for us.”

DL, DAYTON, OHIO, USA

“Just wanted to let you know we had a wonderful trip thanks to you. Each trip worked out great. Hotels were good. Costa Rica is beautiful and the people are so courteous, happy and helpful. It was a pleasure working with your company.”

JN, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, USA

“Just wanted to say thank you so much for all your help with this trip. I was so stressed trying to plan everything but I found your blog and it helped so much. You guys have been so nice and helpful, really appreciate it. :)”

YD, USA

“We had a fabulous trip and although we didn’t book everything through you I feel our trip went as smoothly as it did primarily because of you!! I don’t even remember how I stumbled across your website one day, but I am so happy that I did. I was more than impressed with the knowledge and service you provided and with how many great blog posts you have to refer to. I knew once I emailed you that I would get a quick response and was always blown away by not only the quantity of information that would come back, but also the quality. You know your stuff!! You were a pleasure to work with, and I felt confident going on our trip knowing everything was already setup ahead of time and also knowing that if we hit any snags along the way you were only a short email away. It really seemed once people noticed we booked our hotels/activities through you they instantly had a bigger smile on their face and seemed confident that you had already figured out all the details ahead of time. Everyone who is associated with you really seems to enjoy you and appreciate you as well. I can’t say enough about you and Pura Vida! eh? I have already recommended you to someone else heading to Costa Rica and I will definitely be in contact with you again when we return to Costa Rica in the future. Thank you, thank you, thank you for all you do!”

CH, MANITOBA, CANADA

“I did a lot of trip planning before I stumbled on your website and within a few hours of reading your blogs many of my questions were answered. Being locals, your advice has so much more weight than the “popular tours” offered by the other agencies. Even though your selection of pre-planned trips is narrow, I find them to be exactly the kind of trip I’m looking for at the price I’m looking for.  After hours of planning, I haven’t been able to balance the right itinerary with the right budget until I found you. So thank you!”

RE, AUSTIN, TEXAS, USA

“We had a great time and loved Costa Rica, thanks very much for all your input. I will be recommending you to family / friends / colleagues looking to travel there. I think my parents may be contacting you soon! Thanks very much :-)))”

MG & RM, TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA

“My wife and I worked with Nikki to plan a 10 day trip to Costa Rica (Arenal, Monteverde and Tamarindo). I never realized how much of a benefit it was to work with someone with Pura Vida! Our trip was seamlessly and meticulously planned, I enjoyed every minute of it and I believe that a lot of it had to with how personalized they make the trip for you. Our itinerary wasn’t canned, they took the time to figure out what we actually wanted to do and made everything work based on that. The best part of working with them is they aren’t pushing a particularly place, or service. If you don’t want to use and want to book the hotel on your own, no problem, they’ll still help you. I wasn’t expecting that type of service at all. Cheers to you guys at Pura Vida, thanks for helping us create a magical trip.”

AK, ORANGE, CALIFORNIA, USA

“We were very pleased with Pura Vida’s help and guidance. They were excellent in listening to our issues that had to be factored into the planning & set us up with activities that worked well for our family. Our trust in them was rewarded bythe excellent service and hotels they recommended. I would recommend using them to anyone visiting Costa Rica.”

YJ, RICHMOND, KENTUCKY, USA

“Hi Nikki. You were so helpful with every aspect of our wonderful trip.  You answered every question with thoughtful details and kindness and helped to create a perfect itinerary that every member of my family enjoyed (me, my husband, my 21 year old son and 16 year old daughter. All the tours and guides were spectacular and gave us individual attention. Costa Rica was so, so beautiful- so green, so calm, amazing views, and animals.  We can’t wait to go back!”

DC, NEW YORK, USA

“Our trip to Costa Rica was simply amazing and probably one of the best vacations we have had, Thanks in no small part to the excellent advice and support you gave us throughout our trip, Your blog entries helped immensely in deciding on which activities we should partake in, You have been very patient and thoroughly detailed in all your communication in trying to accomodate all our requests and preferences no matter how last minute they may have been, Our trip would definitely not have been as smooth and enjoyable as it was had it not been for your help. The great discounts were just the perfect icing on the cake. I would whole heartedly recommend you first hand to all friends and acquaintainces who plan to visit Costa Rica. Pura Vida!”

SM, USA

“From my initial contact through the Pura Vida! Eh? website throughout my trip and after my return Nikki was attentive, friendly, and provided generously detailed suggestions! We are a twenty-something couple who were looking for a trip to Costa Rica to celebrate a recent accomplishment. Although I (the planner in this pair) am well-versed in Trip Advisor and can plan a fab trip based on my Google searches, Nikki and Pura Vida! Eh? offered a level of personal experience that is hard to find in a simple web search. Nikki helped me craft a vacation perfectly tailored to our wants and expectations. When she offered options, I requested pros&cons and was able to really determine which activity or lodging was likely to suit our travel style. The blog was also amazingly helpful at giving me ideas of where, when, and how to travel within Costa Rica. We booked one hotel, three transfers, and multiple activities in Manuel Antonio and Arenal through Pura Vida! Eh? and consistently noted better rates than those that we were offered upon arrival to CR. The highlights included the Cano Negro Boat Tour, the Arenal Combo Tour with Tabacon, and the lodging at Hotel Silencio del Campo. We also followed the recommendation to stay at Hotel Buena Vista, which we will pass along! When, not if, we return to Costa Rica, I will be happy to book again with Pura Vida! Eh?!!”

KJ, CALIFORNIA, USA

“My wife and I LOVED our trip to Costa Rica and we are so grateful to Pura Vida! eh? for all the awesome help they provided in planning the whole thing. Nikki was our guiding light, so responsive and helpful with recommendations and detailed information every step of the way. I would say the experience was once-in-a-lifetime, but it was so amazing that we will be going back!”

GL, WINTER PARK, FLORIDA, USA

“Thank you so much for making our Costa Rica safe, fun, and memorable. We couldn’t have done it without your help. Every tour we booked through Pura Vida! eh? Inc. was worth the value and time. We highly enjoyed the Mangrove and Manuel Antonio tour because it was all day and we got to see parts of Manuel Antonio we couldn’t have found on our own. Nikki, you did such an amazing job finding us the right tours and worked with me so closely to find the right times as well. The vouchers you sent back were all I needed when I arrived. Every little detail was included and it worked out perfectly. You really went above and beyond to help me. It was great having you as a trip consultant and Costa Rica expert. I also really liked your blog and being able to read good articles on how to tip and the different hanging bridges to explore. Thank you for introducing us to so many wonderful tour guides and places in Costa Rica. We will cherish our vacation memories forever! Pura Vida indeed!!”

VW, USA

“We cannot say enough about how much we credit Nikki at Pura Vida! Eh? for making our first trip to Costa Rica the most amazing trip we have ever been on!!! We, admittedly, threw a very tall order with a mediocre budget at Nikki and she didn’t flinch! We wanted an action packed two and a half week vacation (with about an average of 1 activity a day, and sometimes 2) completely planned for us as we didn’t have the time or energy to do all the research and booking of activities, transportation and accommodation ourselves (staying in 5 different places with transport required to and from each). Nikki was always in touch with us and we never had to wait more than a day for a response to any of our questions or requested changes to the itinerary. The information she provided us with and suggestions she made in terms of locations, activities and hotels were fantastic and we cannot thank her enough. While we were on the vacation, we actually spoke about how amazing Nikki is and what an absolutely phenomenal job she did to make our trip just perfect for us! We were 100% stress-free the entire time! Nikki went above and beyond when, after we had been in Costa Rica for over a week, and normally you would assume that her work with us is done at this point but… we contacted her as we had discovered an activity that we desperately wanted to do but, as we don’t speak Spanish and had no idea how to contact this particular centre while we were travelling, we immediately e-mailed Nikki and not only did she manage to get us booked in (including transportation to and from, of course!) but because we had other activities scheduled each day, she also contacted the other tours and was able to shift everything around in order for us to be able to squeeze this new activity into our already jam-packed itinerary!!! We can truly gush on and on about our genuinely wonderful experience in dealing with Nikki… “Thank you” doesn’t seem to be enough for our little dream you created. I wish we could use Pura Vida! Eh? for ALL of our travels, not just Costa Rica? P.S. – since our return we have recommended Pura Vida to anyone we know that is planning a trip to Costa Rica!? Thank you again, Nikki!”

AH & JN, TEXAS, USA

“My visit to costa rica was wonderful. Nikki was great at making sure all my needs were taken care of prior to my arrival. All of my accomodations were wonderfull and I had no problems with any of the reservations I made. As soon as I returned to Chicago, I sent an email out to all my friends and co-works letting them know not only to visit Costa Rica, but to make theri arrangements through Pura Vida! Eh? Incoporated. Thanks so much for everything!!!”

RB, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, USA

“I wish I had found Pura Vida, eh? before planning my trip. I found them days before we left, and Most of our excursions were booked by the time I discovered them. also, due to technological issues, I wasn’t able to take full advantage of their resources because many of their emails from the Canada site went to my spam (watch out for that). They booked our ATV tour in Manuel Antonio, which saved us some $. When you have 4 ATV tour companies or 5 zipline companies, its really hard to know which one is right for you from just a website. They were timely and very informative in their responses, and I received some of the best Costa Rica travel advice from them. What I loved most is following them on Pinterest because you can see pictures of all the places they’ve been and things they’ve done. I will recommend them to anyone traveling to Costa Rica!”

BW, USA

“Pura Vida Eh Inc was such a huge help to my boyfriend and I while we were planning our first trip to Costa Rica. I found out about them through a friend who had met the owners of the company while she was visiting CR a year earlier and said they were great people and said we should get in touch with them to ask questions and find good hotels. I went to their website and began looking through the options and sent an email with many questions. I heard back from Nikki within 2 days with all the answers to my questions plus some extra information. Over the next few weeks while we were planning out trip we went back and forth with Nikki through email planning our 10 day trip, staying in 3 different places (and 4 hotels in total). Nikki was always very honest about costs and which tours were better for what we were looking for. We completed planning our trip, Nikki booked everything we needed and sent us all our forms as well as discounts that we could use in many of the areas which we were visiting which was a bonus. Everything worked out perfectly and I was so happy we had gone with Pura Vida Eh!’s suggestions for our trip, we couldn’t have planned it better ourselves. Even when we ran into an issue with one of our shuttles (not Pura Vida Eh Inc’s fault), Nikki was on top of it right away and got it all figured out instantly for us and we even ended up having our own private shuttle, as well she ensured that the hotel we were heading too gave us extra good service (upgraded our room) when we arrived. They also made a donation to a charity of our choice (from a list to select from), Kids Saving the Rainforest, and donated a tree on our behalf in CR. This was a really nice gesture.  The whole experience was very lovely and an all around good experience! Thank you!”

AL, TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA

“Nikki at Pura Vida eh? was a great help planning our wonderful Costa Rica vacation.  I asked a lot of questions and she always responded right back.  Seven of my family went and they loved every minute of it.  Nikki arranged hotels in three amazing places.  We decided not to drive and my husband said he got to relax and enjoy the scenery.  Nikki arranged the transportation between all of the locations and the airport.  She arranged tours on eight different days and all of those included transportation.  My family had no worries at all since it all worked out perfectly.  I liked that any deposits were paid directly to the hotel or tour and we got discounts.  I would love to visit Costa Rica again will be sure to use Nikki. Thanks so much!”

ES, DALLAS, TEXAS, USA

“We had a great experience working with Pura Vida! eh?  We reached out to several different companies at the beginning of our trip-planning, and Pura Vida! eh? was the quickest to respond and supply us with thorough answers to our questions and helpful tips and information.  Nikki, who responded personally to all our emails, seemed to answer promptly whenever we wrote an email, even if it was during non-working hours.  The vouchers were simple enough to use.  At first, I thought it might be annoying to have to pay each individual company directly rather than one payment, but it wasn’t too difficult or complicated.  Everything went according to plan while we were in Costa Rica.  It was a great experience, and I felt confident knowing Pura Vida! eh? was there to back me if anything unexpected happened.  I will definitely be recommending Pura Vida! eh? to friends and family, and using you again when we visit Costa Rica in the future.  Thank you for your time and assistance!”

EZ & NZ, NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, USA

“We just returned from our trip and I wanted to send you a big THANK YOU!  Everything you set up for us was perfect – great tours and hotels, fantastic people, everything was on time and on schedule.  I’ll give you more feedback in a few days after I dig out of backed up work…but wanted you to know that we really appreciate your efforts!”

CS, CARY, NORTH CAROLINA, USA

“Hi Nikki, cave spleunking was great fun! Thanks for all your help – you’ve been great! I’ll make sure to find you on TripAdvisor and give you some good comments?

SM, USA

“Dear Traveler, I’m writing this letter to those out there wanting to travel to the beautiful Cost Rica, and to give you the best tool that helped me. REFERENCES!! Around six months ago I started organizing, reading books, and searching the internet about a trip to Costa Rica for my family. It was intense work just because I’d like to know that I got the best for my money and having to work with a budget I had to do a lot of homework, and I did. I already put on hold reservation for several hotels, activities and transportation when I stumbled on to Pura Vida! eh? Incorporated and a really devoted Nikki. If before I thought I got great prices and good services I was up to a wonderful and so helpful surprise. I have to admit at first I was really suspicious and unsure about working with someone that I just found online while doing my research. We just returned a few days ago from an amazing trip to Costa Rica; what an incredible place, what a memorable vacation and I have to say it’s all thanks to Nikki and her experience and devotion to her clients. I already told Nikki we are planning to go back to Cost Rica and soon will start working with her again on our next adventure. Nikki, from the bottom of my heart thank you for all your help!”

GM, USA

“I just wanted to say thank you so much Nikki!!! We just got back from our trip to Costa RIca and it was absolutely amazing. We would have had no clue where to go or what to do or it would have really stressed me out to plan this trip so we really appreciate everything you did. All of our activities came through without a hitch and all the hotels were nice and clean. I wish there were more companies like yours! Thank you again for everything!! (obviously I would highly recommend Pura Vida! eh? Incorporated).”

AB, SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA, USA

“Puravideaeh was an AMAZINGLY helpful resource when we were planning our vacation.  They were super quick at replying to our many questions and went above and beyond answering questions, supplying information, and providing incredible discounts.  So glad we happened across them!  THANK YOU!!!!”

LK, MISSOURI, USA

“We were recommended to your services by a coworker who had just gotten back from Costa Rica. He had nothing but positive things to say about Pura Vida! eh? How professional it was dealing with you and the ease at which they booked their activities, even with a last minute changes to their itinerary. Everything went smoothly. So with that type of review we decided to contact you to assist with our travels. We were impressed with how quickly you responded to our emails and the suggestions on tweaking our itinerary. Costa Rica has so much to offer, do and see so having someone that knows the country and willing to give honest helpful advise was such a bonus. Nikki gave us wonderful suggestions for our 2 weeks in Costa Rica pack in a taste of the Jungle, Volcanos, 2 day River Rafting trip, canals of Tortuguero, transportation across the country even hotel bookings! Everything went so smoothly and on time! Eliminating worry and enabling us to enjoy our vacation. Every company they were affiliated with were professional, clean, friendly, courteous, and had great pride and knowledge in their country. We can’t say enough about how fantastic our vacation was. We would highly recommend the services of Pura Vida! eh? to anyone planning a trip to Costa Rica. Thanks to the wonderful advise and suggestions from Nikki it made our vacation something that will stay with us forever. Pura Vida”

SM & CM, USA

“Hi Nikki, Our shuttle from SJO to the Treehouses hotel was worth every penny.  As we exited the airport, we had a driver waiting for us and whisked us away quickly.  We got to our Treehouse ahead of schedule despite the rain and the dark.  The car we rented through you was also so easy.  They dropped off our car to us at the Treehouse on schedule and had everything ready for us to sign thanks to your correspondence with them.  It was much nicer than waiting in line at the rental agency.  We would definitely recommend you to all of our friends and family that travel to Costa Rica in the future.  We will definitely be back and we will be in touch to book services with you again.”

EOA, BARRIE, ONTARIO, CANADA

“First thing is a BIG thank you for all your help. The excursion was a blast everyone had a great time. Thanks again.”

BM, LONDON, ONTARIO, CANADA

“You guys are amazing! You have really helped us plan our trip and we are so thankful!”

AL, TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA

“We had a fantastic trip to Costa Rica. Hard to believe, but it exceeded our expectations. The beauty of your country is only exceeded by the graciousness of the Costa Rican people. Your service was impeccable. I appreciate your thorough correspondence. The two excursions we booked through you were both top notch, and went very smoothly. What else could we say, great service and we saved money. Keep up the good work, and the ;B’ family cannot wait to return. We will certainly seek out your services when we do.”

BB, USA

“Nikki, Thank you so much! I have been wanting to send you an email and refer your company puravidaeh! because without you, our family would never had such a great experience! Your patience, recommendation, expertise and the tours were amazing and your discounted prices for the hotels and tours was greatly appreciated. We all had a great time and enjoyed Costa Rica. What a beautiful country and nice people everywhere we went! We experienced the natural wonders of the rainforest, volcanoes, rivers and beaches. Thank you for your kind generosity and donating to PETA on our behalf. Pura Vida!”

SR, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA

“We had such a great time in Costa Rica. Your recommendations, advise, and experience with local companies made our trip truly a relaxing vacation. We will be recommending you highly to all of our family and friends, and are proud to sing your praises on the many travel sites we use. Our sincere thanks.”

GB & JG, NEW YORK, USA

“We are so happy we found Pura Vida Eh? Incorporated because they made planning our trip to Costa Rica very easy!  We were running short of time to plan all our activities in Costa Rica (across various areas) and we were more than happy to come across Nikki at Pura Vida Eh? Incorporated.  Nikki contacted all the tour operators and arranged transportation for us with a very quick turnaround time.  Nikki was very detail oriented and made sure that we understood everything we needed to know about the tours (what time we would be picked up, payment options, what to bring, etc).  Organization on the front end is great, but we also had a seamless trip – no confusion with tour operators, no missed connections or pick ups.  I think this is a testament to the great planning of Nikki and Pura Vida Eh? Incorporated.  We would definitely recommend using this company for any needs you have in planning your trip to Costa Rica. Thanks again for all your help!”

MM & JW, VIRGINIA, USA

“Even though our rafting adventure was cancelled due to weather conditions we were so happy you recommended we head to La Fortuna a day early and thanks for being so amazingly proactive by giving us options on how to get there and by making a reservation for us to arrive a night early at the Arenal Springs resort – we loved it!  All of the staff were so friendly there and it felt like an absolute oasis. Desafio is a great company and we enjoyed both the rafting, canyoneering and transit with them and really appreciated the discounted rates you were able to offer for us with both the hotels and tours we did.  The combo tour with Canoa adventures was fantastic and Edson’s passion for nature and birds was quite infectious. My husband became quite the bird lover after this tour! Arriving in Monteverde during a rain storm wasn’t overly exciting for us, but being welcomed at Monteverde Villa lodge like we were part of the family was a wonderful experience.  I will be sure to go online and share my recommendation for this warm, friendly and comfortable lodge. We loved the ziplining with Sky Trek and we even had an opportunity to see the beautiful scenery of Monteverde by horseback in the afternoon.  We were hoping for some sun when we got down to Manuel Antonio but unfortunately it rained a lot. Regardless, it’s a beautiful place and we would recommend the Falls hotel (and it’s restaurant) to other travellers. If we ever return to CR to visit the places we didn’t have time to go to on this trip, or if we have any friends/family heading there, I’ll be sure to contact you again!  Thanks for being such a great resource and I really enjoyed all of our correspondence as you are always so thorough and quick in your email responses!!”

LM, TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA

“We just got back from our vacation today. I wanted to thank you for planning such a wonderful time for us. We truly enjoyed ourselves. The itineraries and vouchers you provided were extremely helpful and convenient. I would without a doubt recommend your services to the next person I hear about going to Costa Rica. Thank you again. All the tours you planned were fabulous. I would not change anything about them. We loved the service providers and the overall experience. Nikki, again thanks again for all your efforts on this. This was my favourite vacation of all time. S and I had such a wonderful time and participated in activities (rafting, canyoning) that both of us experienced for the first time and absolutely loved. The service providers we came across were so warm and fun. Thank you again. Pura Vida!”

SZ, TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA

“Thank you for planning for us such a wonderful trip and vacation. We enormously enjoyed our tour to your country.  The choice of hotels, tours and guides was very successful. All our guides were very knowledgable and attentive. The tours  we have chosen – like Tortuga  Cruise –  were great as well as the choice of the companies (for example the company  in  Monteverde  that performed  the canopy.) We loved the hotels we were staying in, especially Manatus  and Corin Royal, the location of the Presidente and the hotel itself was great. But all these details (like  tours, activities, hotels, guides and chauffeurs) as lovely as they are, yet, in my opinion  secondary  detail  to the main attraction – the country itself and it’s lovely people. Very often people ask me, in Israel as well as in Costa Rica, if it’s worthwhile to fly half the world in order to visit Costa Rica and my response, without any hesitation, is always the same:  YESSSS! Nikki we had a great time in Costa Rica and enjoyed very much working with you and your company, I would certainly recommend it  to other people.”

RN, ISRAEL

“I am glad that I have the opportunity to once again share with you how much we enjoyed our trip. It was spectacular and the events that you helped us plan and coordinate were fantastic. In fact, all three of my girls are begging to go back next summer so you will likely hear from me again in March as I begin planning our return visit in August. I have told everyone that I know that our trip was such a success due to the help we had from you! It is still hard to believe that your services were entirely free.”

TC, TAMPA BAY, FLORIDA, USA

“Thanks again for all of your hard work on our behalf!  I could not have asked for a better experience in terms of you working with us to put our trip together.”

AS, USA

“Pura Vida! eh? – Highly Recommended for Travel to CR! I just returned from a fabulous 10 days in Costa Rica with my two kids (15/12) and used Pura Vida Eh? for much of my in-country travel planning. (The” Eh?” comes from the fact that one of the company’s owners is originally from Canada). I originally came across this company by accident and now, having dealt with them, I have no hesitation in giving Pura Vida Eh? my highest recommendation. Nikki Solano was a complete pleasure to deal with and provided me with an incredible amount of good, honest and accurate information throughout the process. She was always friendly and fast to respond to my numerous questions. When a brief hiccup occurred during the trip (that had nothing to do with Pura Vida, Eh?), Nikki was right on it and helped me during the trip. You don’t pay Pura Vida, Eh? directly. They simply issue vouchers that you can use with the providers of the lodging, tours, transportaion, etc. We used Pura Vida, Eh? to book lodging in Tortuguero and Manuel Antonio, in-country air travel, rental cars, lodging and tours. I booked some of the other things simply on my own. No problems or pressure whatsoever – everything was perfectly arranged – and we saved some money in the process. So will you. Pura Vida, Eh? – honestly – is like having a friend that lives locally in Costa Rica help you plan out your travels. If you are looking for some help – and you probably are or you wouldn’t be here :) – I highly recommend Pura Vida, Eh?!

JS, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, USA

“I just want to let all of you know, that if you are planning to travel to Costa Rica please use Pura Vida! eh? Incorporated! My wife and I planned our honeymoon through Pura Vida! eh? and we are extremely happy with the outcome of our trip. We provided Nikki with a rough idea of what type of activities we wanted to attend during our stay in Costa Rica. No only did Nikki create an itinerary for us, but also booked all of our reservations for hotels, tours, and activities. She answered all of our doubts and was very helpful along the whole trip. I must make it clear that PuraVida! eh? is absolutely FREE! There are no tricks and no extra charges. Like I said before, we had a blast in Costa Rica and we are very thankful to NIkki and Ricky for making our trip an unforgettable experience. So if you are planning your trip to Costa Rica, don’t waste any more time and contact PuraVida!eh?.. I promise you won’t regret it.”

AC, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, USA

“Pura Vida! eh? Incorporated – Incredible Service! Thanks to Nikki and all her help for making our honeymoon a dream come true! We contacted Pura Vida! Eh? in Jan 2012 for our honeymoon in July 2012 and they were with us every step of the way. Nikki was amazingly detailed, gracious and insightful – she even gave us the awesome idea of a “Honeymoon Registry” instead of a typical “Gift registry”, where our guests could purchase various aspects of our itinerary for us She created the website for us and everything. . All our guests loved it, said how easy it was, and commented on Nikki’s fantastic service. From the moment we landed in Costa Rica, things were just perfect. Everything Nikki booked for us was on time, fun, safe, had great staff, very hospitable and gave us an incredible experience. She even recommended fantastic restaurants, and local spots for us. She provided us with discounts to the best hotels, spas, restaurants and gift shops – which saved us quite a bit. And organized every detailed allowing us to have an adventurous, relaxing AND romantic honeymoon. Best of all, their service is Free…that’s right..Free! And they make a donation on your behalf to some great organizations at the end your trip. We had a blast working with them, and highly recommend. Definitely check them out before going to Costa Rica. Pura Vida!”

SJ, MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO, CANADA

“Pura Vida eh? This FREE organization is amazing. When planning our trip to Costa Rica, I emailed Nikki, one of the owners, my ideas and thoughts and she always replied with multiple options. Once I made my selections, Pura Vida eh? completed the bookings for us. It was so easy and having an actual Costa Rican resident like Nikki providing us with the inside track was so helpful. We will be returning to Costa Rica next summer and I will be contacting Pura Vida eh? for certain.”

TC, TAMPA BAY, FLORIDA, USA

“Pura Vida! eh? Incorporated. I recently returned from a trip to San Jose and Manuel Antonio. We had a great time and booked several tours through Pura Vida! eh? Incorporated and was very happy with the service and the speedy repsonse time from Nikki. The tours were just as advertised and they were even cheaper than had we booked through the hotel or property manager. They also donate a percentage of what we book back to a charity in Costa Rica. Thank you very much Nikki and staff at Pura Vida!”

CT, USA

“We just finished our trip. You have amazing country. We all felt in love with your country and the people. Thank you for great organization, selection of activities and accomodations.“

IE, ISRAEL

“We had an incredible time in Costa Rica and truly appreciate all the wonderful help from Pura Vida!  I would love to write a review on tripadvisor so that others are able to use your fantastic services and have a fabulous vacation the way we did.  Thanks for everything!”

BR, USA

“Using Pura Vida Eh? Incorporated to plan your trip! GREAT! I just wanted to throw out to those planning a trip to Costa Rica how amazing and helpful I found Pura Vida Eh? Incorporated! I somehow got it into my head that I was going to go on a solo trip to Costa Rica; I had no idea what I was doing or how to go about planning it. After a quick google search, I found Pura Vida Eh? Incorporated http://www.puravidaeh.ca/ and after one email from Nikki, I was confident that I had found the right place. Nikki arranged and booked an outstanding itinerary – I went to Arenal and Manuel Antonio and each day was packed with adventures – white water rafting, ziplining, tours, etc with great companies, with stays in beautiful and affordable rooms. And she was able to get me great deals on everything! What makes this company truly remarkable is the excellent customer service. You can expect detailed and quick responses to any question – no matter how silly. They seem to go above and beyond to make sure their clients are having the best time ever – for example, the airline lost my luggage and I was stressing on how I was going to go white water rafting my first day in the country. Nikki actually offered me her own clothes so I would be able to go! Just amazing. This company will offer you assistance, advice, and help you plan – whether it is one trip or your whole vacation! I highly recommend them.”

EH, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, USA

“Thank you for handling our zip wire canopy adventure in Arenal so efficiently. You were very responsive to all my emails and provided accurate and timely information whenever I had a question. Your service was much superior to most others. I would be happy to recommend you whenever I have the chance.”

IL, USA

“My wife and I just got back from our Costa Rican honeymoon a few days ago so I’m just getting around to writing reviews on our hotels, restaurants, and activities. For about half of our adventures I prebooked with Pura Vida! eh? Incorporated. I did my research ahead of time to make sure they were legit since they don’t charge any fees. On average I think I saved about 15% with them, which really helped. They were extremely helpful and quick to respond.”

JM, BILLINGS, MONTANA, USA

“Pura Vida! Eh? Best customer service!!!! Unfortunately I didn’t find out about Pura Vida! eh? Until 2 days before we left for Costa Rica. I contacted them and within an hour I heard back from Nikki and she was working on setting things up for me! It was truly amazing what she all did for me…I felt like she was my personal travel advisor because she would always get back to me within minutes with answers to all my questions. She got all our tours for the Arenal volcano area set up for me within 24 hours!!! Besides the best customer service, the tours she got us on were discounted!! I can’t remember having better customer service ever! I really appreciate all she did to make it work for us. We had an amazing time in Costa Rica! Thank you!!”

SO, APPLETON, WISCONSIN, USA

“Wonderful trip thanks to Pura Vida Eh! I went through Pura Vida Eh to book all of the tours during my Costa Rica trip. Nikki was a huge help in booking the tours and saving me a lot of money. We had a lot of fun and the trip went as planned. We booked a white water rafting tour, atv tour, hot springs with buffet, and rapelling tour. Each one was memorable, and we can’t wait to return. We would highly recommend Pura Vida Eh to assist in booking a trip to Costa Rica.”

CG, WOODLAND HILLS, CALIFORNIA, USA

“The greatest!!! These people are by far the greatest people to work and plan your Costa Rican vacation. Nikki really knew her stuff, my husband was really impressed by all her knowledge of Costa Rica and how detailed she was when we asked a question. Everything from start to finish was great and our trip was very affordable. We got to meet her husband Ricky “Shake-n-Bake” on our rafting tour and he took good care of us. If i could pay for their service I would have. An example of what we paid versus others were that we paid about $60 less than a couple who took the same tour as we did and we were told to not disclose this to them. When it came to transportation again we were told that we got a really cheap rate and to not disclose this to others on the shuttle, even the drivers were surprised about our special rate. All in all HANDS DOWN Pura Vida! eh? is awesome and great to work with.”

GA, CHULA VISTA, CALIFORNIA, USA

“Pura Vida Eh? Inc. really know their stuff! Nikki did a great job helping us pan our trip and providing great advice on what we should do in Costa Rica and who the great companies are that we should book our events through. We had no problems and everything went off without a hitch! I would recommend them and use them again, thanks Nikki!”

RJ, TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA

“Pura Vida eh! The single BEST TRAVEL FIND… EVER!!! Many, many hours went into planning this trip to Costa Rica and without any doubt, the BEST way to plan your trip is through Pura Vida eh!. Nikki is single handedly responsible for providing very knowledgable, entirely unbiased, completely honest advice. The service she provides is simply stated…OUTSTANDING!!! The travel experience was, by far, the BEST we have ever had!!! Nikki not only provided the best advice, but also arranged all tours and transfers with the best tour guides we have ever had the pleasure of… while offering discounts on virtually everything, saving us literally hundreds of dollars! EVERY DETAIL was looked after and outlined in the most concise package for our family of 5. My being disabled presented a series of additional challenges and I can only commend everyone involved for exceptional attention and service! As an example, one tour guide (Juan) stayed with me at the beach while another (Edgar) escorted the rest of our group through the National Park. You simply can’t beat that! NEVER, EVER A WORRY!!! Thanks in large part to Nikki, this trip went off without a hitch! NIKKI… Your help is invaluable and so very much appreciated. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!”

SD, TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA

“Without a doubt the best decision I made was utilizing there services. While planning my AWESOME vacation to Costa Rica I did a lot of research to try and get both the best pricing as well as the best excursions. Pura Vida! Eh? Just can’t be beat!!! They have the expertise as well as the personal contacts that get you the best pricing for exactly what you are looking for. Nikki was extremely knowledgeable in all the activities and super responsive to all my emails. Me and my girlfriend rented a 4×4 car, went caving, horseback riding, rappelling, whitewater rafting & zip lining all through Pura Vida! Eh? Not one hiccup on any of them and probably saved $300+ (at least $100 just on the car). Thanks Nikki!!!!!!!!!!!!”

DD, ALBERTSON, NEW YORK, USA

“Pura Vida! eh? The BEST place to Plan your Costa Rica Trip. I am so grateful to Nikki from Pura Vida that I would say that this is BEST place to plan for your Costa Rica Trip. Look No further. I had read very good reviews from Trip Advisor and I just went with Pura Vida and I am really amazed the services this company offers. Very Honest, Detailed and will not force you to select a particular option. Reason I Like Pura vida are:
1. Very trustworthy and honest company.
2. Provided me best guidance for selecting the right tours.
3. Got us the right tour guys who very knowledabale and the experince I had with them was simply amazing. For the Money charged it all well worth.
Nikki is very good and very helpfull. Thanks to Nikki for the right Guidance.”

AM, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, USA

“Thank you Puravida! Eh? I found Puravida! Eh? through Trip Advisor and I’m so glad I did. From the first moment I contact the company I can tell this is the right one ( I had been contact several tour companies before Purevida!eh). Nikki was very nice & friendly yet very professional. Her knowledge about the country is very good. She answered all my questions very fast, explain everything to me precisely and she saved me money too! I was so pleased with her and I’m very picky! Our trip went so smoothly and everything was perfect! We had a wonderful trip. Nikki was the best! If you want to plan a trip to Costa Rica and save times and money, PuraVida! Eh? is the perfect tour company for you. Highly recommended.”

GH, FLORIDA, USA

“If planning a trip to Costa Rica do it through Nikki! I cannot say enough about Nikki and Pura Vida Eh! She planned all of my excursions and rental car. She saved me over $100 on a car! She also coordinated all of my excursions for me. Her emails were precise and accurate and very informative. She really helped me to make decisions about about which excursions to do in the Arenal and Manuel Antonio areas. If you think if would be difficult to plan everything through email…think again! I used email to communicate with Nikki only. I was flawless! Not only did Nikki cooridinate everything for me she saved me money on each activity. I even had email contact with her while I was there to help with directions and so on. She always responded to me promptly. If I go to Costa Rica again, which I want to already, I will use Pura Vida Eh and you should too. You will have your own personal travel agent without being charged but instead saving money! Thank you Nikki!!”

DC, BUFFALO, NEW YORK, USA

“Just do it – contact them! I can’t say enough about how wonderful Nikki and Pura Vida! Eh? are. I had researched and planned and researched and planned. I thought I had things figured out, then came across Pura Vida! Eh? on Tripadvisor and thought I’d run my itinerary by them and see if they could get better prices for me. I wish I had contacted them sooner. I could have saved soooo much time. Nikki’s knowledge and insight into the country and all it has to offer were so helpful. We ended up changing our La Fortuna hotel based on her recommendations, and are very happy that we did. Nikki arranged for transfer from the airport for us, then arranged for us to do white water rafting during our transfer from La Fortuna to Jaco, which saved us time and money. She also arranged for transfer back to the airport from Jaco. Everything Nikki arranged for us went smoothly, and helped us be able to relax both before and during our trip. Don’t hesitate to contact Pura Vida, Eh? You’ll be thankful that you did.”

KG, LAFAYETTE HILL, PENNSYLVANIA, USA

“Everything you’ll ever need to plan your adventure vacation. We wanted to go to Costa Rica to get both adventure and a tropical getaway. Soon enough in our planning, we found ourselves overwhelmed because this vast country had so much to offer that we didn’t know where to start. Nikki provided us with everything we needed to know about what excursions were out there, transportation needed to get there, etc. Plus, she planned everything for us, gave us great suggestions on where to go and what to do, AND arranged for great discounts. The country’s attractions are simply too abundant and geographically dispersed, and that’s why so many tourists seek Nikki out to plan their adventures:) In a nutshell, we had an UNFORGETTABLE experience in Costa Rica and could NOT have done it without Nikki.”

PE, TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA

“Nikki is truly amazing! We booked our tours with Nikki before we left home. We booked Marlin Del Ray snorkeling sunset tour out of Coco Beach on March 20 and the Buena Vista Mega Tour on March 21. I did a lot of research before booking and Nikki was truly amazing!! SO patient with me and ALL my questions!!! Nikki was SO informative. There wasn’t a question she couldn’t answer. I hope more people find this site and use Pura Vida! Eh?!!!! We learned about them through Nikki’s cousin who is one of our best friend’s here at home. With that being said, we knew we could trust them and get the best prices!!! Thank you SO much Nikki for putting up with me!!! You ARE the best!! Pura Vida!!!”

AH, ST. JOACHIM, ONTARIO, CANADA

“Prompt and superb service for travel, accommodations and tours!!!! During an online search while preparing for our first trip to Costa Rica we stumbled upon Pura Vida! eh?. The prompt reply to our first inquiry gave us an initial sense of confidence which continued to grow as our plans for a personal itinerary evolved. Nikki provided detailed responses to our inquiries and offered many valuable suggestions for our consideration based on local knowledge. Our trip to San Jose, Sarapiqui, La Fortuna, Monteverde and Cartago was most enjoyable without any complications. Even as we made additions while already in Costa Rica, Nikki responded quickly to our e-mail inquiries. Her knowledge and clear information contributed to a memorable trip to a beautiful country! We were impressed by the tourism infrastructure in Costa Rica as presented through this small firm which does not charge the traveller for its service!!”

LH, WINNIPEG, MANITOBA, CANADA

“Excellent service. One word says it all Excellent, they saved me over $150 dollars and they dont charge you a dime. The only thing I regret is not having used them sooner for my hotel as well.”

AI, MIAMA, FLORIDA, USA

“Nikki and Ricky were truly amazing for helping book our honeymoon in Costa Rica. We booked tours, hotels, and transportation with her, all of which worked out 100% perfectly. We even got discounts on all of the stuff we booked with them. Kind of amazing to pay less for something and have someone plan it for you. Nikki was an absolute pleasure to deal with – enthusiastic, professional, perfect recommendations, and always quick to respond to our questions. Her emails were always so thorough, you can tell she really cares about what she does. La Fortuna / Arenal has a ton of tour companies, some of which have been known to take advantage of tourists. It’s so great to have a company there who do such an amazing job. USE THEM! You’ll thank yourself.”

MC, TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA

“Pura Vida! EH? MAZING! Costa Rica!! What an amazing country!! My wife and I recently returned from 8 days in Costa Rica, and what an amazing trip! Truth be told when we decided we were going to go away I was pretty much set on an all inclusive. Let’s face it when it comes to planning a fun in the sun getaway it doesn’t get much easier than that, and I’m a pretty simple person. Decide where you want to go, book the trip, and show up on your departure date… everything is taken care of. Besides I’ve never been a “touring” kind of person. My wife however was set on a tour in Costa Rica which we knew was going to require some planning… All I can say is thank God for Pura Vida! Eh? And thank God for Nikki!! Here is the thing. Most couples plan their trips well in advance. For us this was kind of a last minute thing, and we had a little less than 2 weeks to pull it all off. We’re talking everything from hotels, tours, transportation to and from the airport, and the list goes on. This would not have been possible in that timeframe without the help of Pura Vida! eh? They worked with us day and night to ensure our trip met all of our expectations and that everything was ready to go by our departure date. When all was said and done it was the best trip we’ve ever had!! The intinerary Pura Vida! eh? provided with all of our accomodations and tours was executed without a hitch!! In fact I’m not sure we could do another all inclusive… next trip I think we’ll be heading back to CR to see all the things we didn’t get to see, and you can bet we’ll be planning that through Pura Vida! eh? as well. I’d say to anyone, if you’re planning a trip to CR you have no business doing it any other way than the Pura Vida! eh? Way!!”

JH, LONDON, ONTARIO, CANADA

“Excellent service and detail This was our second visit to Costa Rica and from experience we knew how invaluable it is to have someone handle all your hotel, transportation and tour bookings. From our first contact with Nikki we knew we had the right company. Quick responses and patience with our changing requests were the order of the day. All the accomodations, transport and tours that Nikki suggested were super and we recieved discounts by using Pura Vida Eh!. With the detail that Nikki provides your job is to just show up and enjoy a special holiday. Pura Vida Eh! would definitely be our first contact on any future trips to Costa Rica.”

GK, SASKATCHEWAN, CANADA

“Made My Trip! My husband and I returned from our 11 day Costa Rica trip Jan 14th, 2012. I had been researching my trip for the better part of 2011 and had a few questions that really stopped the progression of my planning. I found a response by Nikki of Pura Vida! eh? on trip advisor that instantly drew me to contact her. That was my best decision ever. I needed answers that could best be answered by a local and she responded to my inquiries immediately. I am a seasoned traveler, independently planning the majority of our trips, but this trip would not have been as perfect as it was without the gracious, professional help of Pura Vida! eh? and Nikki and Ricky. My initial questions grew into a fully planned adventure of exactly what we wanted. Nikki and Ricky are the definition of costumer service. Nikki responded to every email quickly, professionally and with great detail and options to fit my desired experience. I cannot say enough! I wanted a particular atmosphere on our beach portion of our trip and Nikki helped me find just the right beach that totally exceeded my expectation. I had a particular hotel feel I wanted while we stayed in the Arenal area and again we finalized our hotel pick with Nikki’s knowledge. Absolutely the perfect match! The services were completely free and we received discounts on the very same adventure companies and hotels that other vacationers were using as well, but at regular price. Incredible deal and service and commitment. I have already recommended Pura Vida! eh? to a colleague and would highly recommend this company and Nikki and Ricky to anyone – whether you just have a question or two or desire a fully planned vacation, they are the best. Pura Vida!”

MG, COTTAGE GROVE, MINNESOTA, USA

“Nikki is great and booked us the best tour ever! We booked the full day tour and could not have been happier. We saw tons of wildlife! She helped us through a difficult flight issue and was in constant communication. A+ I highly recommend Pura Vida! Eh?”

MN, SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA, USA

“I’m so thankful I found Pura Vida! Eh? before going to Costa Rica!!! Anyone who is planning a trip to Costa Rica MUST get in touch with Pura Vida! Eh? They are extremely knowledgeable, helpful and friendly! And the best part is that their services are FREE! They make great recommendations for arranging your trip, hotels, transportation, activities, and more. They even offer discounts on almost everything–they saved us a lot of money. Not only so they save you money, but they also donate funds back to worthy causes–I truly admire that. Nikki was AMAZING! She always provided useful information and never made you feel pressured to book things through her (like other companies I’ve worked with). She also responds to your questions/emails very quickly. Our trip to Costa Rica wouldn’t have been as incredible without Nikki’s help. THANK YOU!!!!!!”

KP, GARDEN GROVE, CALIFORNIA, USA

“Great service! Thanks a lot! This company provided a lot of help during my last minute planning. they went very far trying to help and answering various questions. I also pleased that using them I was able to save on some tours such as Desafio and Sky advanture. I wish I knew about them earlier in the process when I booked hotels, so it could be more savings. Thanks! Great job!”

MK, NEW JERSEY, USA

“Nicki is great! I contacted Pura Vida Eh? Before coming to Costa Rica. I sent her my itinerary and she suggested better ordering of my journey, and gave me ideas of what to do. I then booked a few hotels through her, and all my transfers across Costa Rica. And it saved me money – no cost to me for her service. And nicki was lovely!”

NC, UNITED KINGDOM

‘Thank You! Nikki & Rikki, We owe this overdue thank you to both of you. To be honest, I have never written a review before but felt it’s only fair to let others know how wonderful you are. There’s too much good things to say about you and I can only sum it in a few words…thank you for being patience (I admit I have been painful but am amazes at how you were so patience with me), helpful and most importantly honest in helping me planning my vacation last year. With your help planning and having Rikki as our rafting guide was more than we asked for. We all had the best vacation of our lives!!! Cheerios to you both!!! Huggzzz. We miss you both.”

AN, CALGARY, ALBERTA, CANADA

“Pura Vida! eh? Inc is PURA AMAZING!!!!!!!! This was my first time traveling to Costa Rica–and first time flying solo–so I needed some help! After doing my research online I came across this company, “Pura Vida! eh? Inc.” I didn’t know much about them, but saw they were offering discounts so I figured, “Hey, let’s give em a try!” Well I am so happy and grateful I did. Thanks to Nikki (my booking agent) I had the time of my life in Costa Rica. To say the very least, my trip was amazing. She saved me so much money and only referred me to reputable companies that were guaranteed to be safe, reliable, and show me a good time. From zip lining to where to stay, to coupons, to shuttles, Nikki helped me with it all and my entire itinerary was a seamless plan.Then to make matters even better, once I/we were finished with planning my trip when I was actually IN Costa Rica, Nikki stayed in touch to make sure everything went well. I had a few hiccups with reservations and Nikki was right there with me to fix them in a jiffy! I was so thankful to Nikki and her husband “Ricky Bobby” (rafting operator w/ Exploradores Outdoors) for helping me plan a trip of a life time! Conclusion: If you are headed to Costa Rica BE SURE to contact Pura Vida before you go! This company will do nothing but serve as an immense help in making sure you have a great time. PURA VIDA! From the bottom of my heart, “Thank You Nikki!” P.S. I’ll be back *wink*; Costa Rica was beautiful and amazing.”

AS, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA

“Pura Vida! eh? Nikki and Ricky are fantastic! I can’t say enough about how wonderful an experience it was having Nikki and Ricky Solano organize our trip. From start to finish it was flawless. From the first email to Pura Vida! eh? requesting an itinerary to last minute questions or changes Nikki responded almost immediately. She is so professional, friendly and easy to work with and she will create a trip itinerary that will leave you happy and satisfied – even if it’s on short notice (as was our trip). We made a few changes in the itinerary during the course of setting this up and even well into it and she was so accommodating and flexible that I didn’t have to stress at all about our Costa Rican adventure. We are a family of three and our trip included canyoning, zip lining, hiking, several tours, lots of transportation to and from our various locals (San Jose, Arenal/La Fortuna. Monteverde, Manuel Antonio, San Jose, the airport) Everything went off without a hitch. I never worried about missing a tour or being late because the people and companies that Nikki and Ricky work with are top notch. They were on-time, the tours and guides were fantastic they got us back to our hotel tired and happy. My husband had the good fortune of having Ricky as his river guide on the Pacuare Rafting tour. He’s a great guide and a great guy. Nikki worked hard to ensure that we had great prices on everything. Any questions I had – no matter how lame they might be – Nikki responded with great answers and almost immediately. Don’t spend a lot of time looking for travel agents – stick with Nikki and Ricky Solano at Pura Vida! eh? I don’t know if they handle air to Costa Rica. My only regret is that we didn’t meet Nikki while we were in La Fortuna. She deserves a big hug!”

AL, CORTE MADERA, CALIFORNIA, USA

“Pura Vidah eh? like having your own personal tour guide! My wife and I took our two 17 year old daughters to Costa Rica as a graduation gift. We spent 5 days on the west coast (Jaco) and 5 days in the Rain Forest (near the volcano) and finished with a day of river rafting and two days in the capital city of San Jose’. Nikki and Rikki of Pura Vida eh? were available by e-mail every step of the way, We made a few mid course changes-no problem. Every tour selected was absolutely stuuuuuupendous! A day cruise to Tortuga Isle with snorkeling; the National Parks and wildlife spotting (birds,birds, birds!); Zip Lines; Horseback Riding; Kayaking near the Volcano; and the museums in the Capital City. The Marriott on the Coast and Volcano Lodge and Gardens were great choices with excellent food right on site (very good coffee). Our teen daughter duaughters now at Penn State and Bowdoin College still talk about the great vacation earlier this year. Pura Vida eh? gave great discounts and excellent advice. I would not go back to Costa Rica without them.”

DF, NEW HAMPSHIRE, USA

“A must use service when travelling to Costa Rica! I normally don’t write reviews, but this time I felt compelled to because of the wonderful experience with Nikki from Pura Vida! eh? It is very difficult to exceed my expectations, but Nikki did just that. We were a group of six (four adults and two young children) and spent two weeks in Costa Rica. Travelling with young children isn’t easy, so I wanted to plan out all the details before we left. I had a TON of questions while planning our trip. Over the course of over 50 emails, Nikki expertly (and patiently) answered questions about transportation, accommodations, attractions, tours, restaurants, driving distances/times, taxis, car rentals, cell phone rentals, weather, medical clinic locations, grocery store locations, car seat laws, etc. She did so promptly and with enough detail to satisfy a detail junkie like me. Nikki often went a step beyond and contacted vendors directly to find answers to my questions or request specialized tour services. As a result of Nikki’s help, I had everything planned out from beginning to end, and knew the exact cost for each item. It was a huge relief to not have to worry about arranging anything after we arrived. The tours and accommodation provided were very good quality and we had a great time. To make it even better, it didn’t cost a penny and even saved us money on all our bookings. I do not hesitated to recommend Pura Vida! eh? You won’t regret it!”

JZ, OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA

“Don’t leave home without checking in with them… We spent 2 weeks in CR in 12/11, staying in Alahuela, La Fortuna, Monteverde, and Manual Antonio. We found Pura Vida eh? through TripAdvisor and it is one of the best tips we’ve ever gotten. We had booked all of our hotels on our own before we learned abour Pura Vida, eh?. Nikki booked all our transfers and activities. Nikki’s thorough, reliable, and endlessly patient. Everything is exactly as she described and all the transfers/activities went off without a hitch. We had multiple last minute plan changes (in response to the very unpredicatable weather), Nikki accommodated all our needs. She is fast and responsive on the email. So despite the very rainy weather (la Nina induced weirness we’re told), the trip turned out to be wonderfully enjoyable.Here’s an example of Nikki’s wonderfulness: When we were planning our trip, I sent her a list of all the hot springs in Arenal I knew about through my research and asked her to tell us the pros and cons of each. She did that and then some! She advised us that of all the hot springs available in Arenal, the best one (one that we never even heard of) was at The Springs Resort. That was absolutely the best advise/tour we’ve had on our trip. It rained hard 2 out of the 3 days that we were in Arenal. Having a 2 day pass to The Springs was great as we were able to soak in gorgeous hot springs in a beautiful, uncroweded, protected setting even while it rained. So, instead of twiddling our thumbs in our hotel room as the rain made our other planned activites unattractive, we happily hung out at the hot springs. A side benefit: the prolonged soaking did wonders for my skin!!! Thanks so much Nikki! Your advise turned what could have been a dismal few days into a couple of the best days of our trip! We just showed our pictures from the trip to our family today. Everyone was amazed at how gorgeous Costa Rica is and asked us to plan a family trip. I’ll certainly be using Nikki for that trip! So, Nikki, until soon…”

VH, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, USA

“The best decision we made for our vacation. My husband and I had a wonderful holiday in Costa Rica. I would like to share our experience with a company I found named Pura Vida eh. Nikki was just fantastic from day one. She was so good and quick to answer ALL of my many questions. When our trip plans were set, we didn’t have to give her credit card information for any of the tours we booked and she just emailed us all of the confirmations which worked out well. We booked everything with her (transportation and tours) except our stay at an all-inclusive at the end of our vacation and we saved so much. She had the best prices for almost everything! Everything was so nice and easy. We went to Arenal, Monteverde, Manuel Antonio, and Puntarenas, and there is nothing we would have changed. We hope to return and if so we will certainly use Pura Vida eh again.”

LR, WINDSOR, ONTARIO, CANADA

“Exceptional! Nikki and Ricky at Pura Vida! eh? are the best traveler agents i have ever worked with! From the moment i emailed Nikki to the moment we arrived in Costa Rica they were the most responsive and helping agents. Nikki went above and beyond to help us setup the tours on our terms and our schedule. And the discounts she managed to arrange were better than anyone else. They would respond to my emails usually the same day and can really hold your hand if you need it. We ended up booking the Skytrek/Tram/Walk, Mambo Combo and 2-day The Springs day pass with dinner though them and recommended them to two other couple we met at the hotel. We couldn’t be happier. Also, my wife and I were visiting a small school in La Fortuna to donate the school supplies. Since we don’t speak English Ricky volunteered to be our interpreter. If you don’t know Ricky is rafting tour guide, so he took a day off just to accompany us to the school which we are forever grateful for. Don’t book any trips until you drop these guys a line. Pura Vida.”

BC, MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, USA

“Best travel agency I’ve ever used. Hands down. The level of detailed, thoughtful, and helpful customer service provided by Nikki and Ricky at Pura Vida! Eh? was incredible and a breath of fresh air. Nikki went well above and beyond to help me plan 5 components of a surprise trip to Costa Rica for my wife. She always responded quickly and with very long, yet concise, e-mail replies giving me great tips and insight into planning the trip. It was like she was a close friend of ours or something. Made me feel super comfortable and like I was truly working with someone who cared. She got us some great deals and answered all of the many questions I had. They are based out of La Fortuna (near Arenal), but their knowledge is definitely not restricted to just that area. After we left the Arenal area and enjoyed all the tours and lodging we booked through Pura Vida! Eh?, on Nikki’s advice, we took a rafting trip there as a means of transportation to Puerto Viejo through Exploradores Outdoors. Her husband Ricky was our rafting guide. It was absolutely awesome and that rafting is one of our best memories from the trip, primarily because of how fun and enjoyable Ricky made the rafting experience. Pura Vida! Eh? even donated money on our behalf to the Costa Rican Save the Turtles foundation as part of their “Travelers For” project! Pretty awesome to work with a company that goes the extra mile and has their values and priorities in the right place. VERY highly recommended.”

BM, HENDERSONVILLE, TENNESSEE, USA

“Great Customer service and discounted rates. I became aware of this company through a social networking site and then read positive reviews on trip advisor. We only booked one tour through them but saved money. Our other tour choices were not available through them unfortunately. Their was suffiecient information on the website to research the company providing the service and to get answers to specific tour questions. The voucher system was new to me but worked well. Pura Vida Eh? contacts the third party and makes your reservation but you pay the tour company directly. Pura Vida Eh? did follow up well on making sure we made our payment. Not too often to bug me but frequent enough to make sure payment was made so the reservation was finalized. (I needed a few days to contact banks to make sure foreign transactions would process ok). I would recommend this company and use them again.”

SJ, LEAGUE CITY, TEXAS, USA

“Pura vida! eh? super quick responses. great service. and above all – MUCH cheaper -we got the mambo combo and saved tons!! thanks nikki!”

JS, BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, USA

“Great experience with Pura Vida! eh? We found out about this company from TA and glad that we did. Nikki, the co-owner with her husband Ricky was great to work with. She arranged for our rafting and ziplining tours along with the private transfers during our stay in CR. She was informative and patient but most importantly very prompt with email communications. We saved money booking thru her than directly with the tour operators. We ended up booking the hotels directly with the hotel website since we got a better deal but Nikki was not unhappy about it. She provided the info and rates and allowed us to pick without any sale pressure. Everything she booked for us were as advertised without any problems. Her husband was actually our guide for the Pacuare rafting tour and was great and funny too.”

TL, TEXAS, USA

“Best family trip ever on a budget even kids enjoyed. I was recommended Pura Vida, Eh? by a fellow tripadvisor and I’m so glad I booked with them. Nikki is amazing! I booked my entire trip with them, based on their 10 Day packages advertised on their website for less than a $100 a day/person. (It ended up being less than $100/day/person and we even upgraded a couple things!!) I booked a 10 day tour for 4 kids and one adult (me) in May, and in about a week, the entire trip was finalized! She literally sends you everything you need to bring and know about the activities you book— how much it is, what type of payment is accepted, what items/clothes, pick up times, etc. I didn’t have to think whatsoever! Hassle free! The tours/activities were fantastic and we had no problems whatsoever. We were picked up on time, we had transportation to and from everywhere we went, and we had FUN. She also works fast! We had a free day in La Fortuna and my family wanted to do rappelling. She booked the tour for us immediately and the next day, there was a van waiting for us outside our hotel. (:

I took my younger brothers on this trip, who are 11, 13 and 16 and they definitely enjoyed themselves. They’re rowdy boys who get bored very easily, but this trip really held their attention.I told Nikki that I wanted adventurous activities and she definitely delivered. We might have done one tour too many for them to handle, but between rafting, ziplining, rappelling, etc. they don’t have much to complain about. Book with this company, you will not be disappointed. I’m a really nit-picky person, but for once, I have no complaints. It was a perfect trip.

Bottom line: If you’re looking for the vacation you’ve always wanted, but don’t have the money (or even if you do) book with Nikki. She gets you discounted prices for the activities you do, finds amazingly cheap but fantastic hotels so that you don’t have to, and sends you completed itineraries and price lists. On top of all that, Nikki is the nicest, most patient and caring lady I’ve ever come across. I don’t know what more anyone could want out of an agency. Have a fantastic trip. I know I did. PURA VIDA! “

VL, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA

“I only wish we knew about them before. Ricky is the most awesome person we met in Costa Rica. He is very knowledgeable about the entire country and every destination within it, not to mention hilarious and a lot of fun. I only wish we knew about them before the second to last day of our trip or we would have done everything through them. Ricky knows so much about Costa Rica and will make sure you have a great time and save you some money at the same time. Next time we come to Costa Rica will book everything through Pura Vida! eh?”

A, RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CALIFORNIA, USA

“Wonderful company. What a blessing it was to find Pura Vida! eh? Nikki was absolutely wonderful in helping me book tours and our hotel in San Jose. She was extremely helpful in offering advice, and the whole process was relatively easy. I kept changing my mind about times, tours, etc. and Nikki was really patient and always very friendly. She replies to email very quickly (which I really appreciated) and speaks perfect English being naturally Canadian! We ended up booking several tours through them and saved quite a bit, which as a young couple, we definitely appreciated! We even booked one extra tour last minute while in Costa Rica, and this wasn’t a problem at all. We also had the pleasure of having Ricky, Nikki’s husband, act as our guide while rafting the Pacuare and it was fantastic meeting him as well, as he is very funny, friendly and was a great guide! I cannot say enough good things about this company and would not hesitate to use them again or refer them to family and friends in the future.”

LL, TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA

“We wanted to share our appreciation to Pura Vida Eh Inc. for helping organize such an amazing once-in-a-lifetime trip for my wife and I! Every hotel accommodation, transportation, and activity was absolutely amazing! We felt they were all great value for our money and exceeded our expectations for experience! We ran into many travelers who had some bad experiences due to unplanned travel and we felt lucky to have the expertise of PVI Eh Inc. to make our trip smooth. PVI Eh, was always available to answer any questions and book, re-book, cancel, advise, or help in whatever way available. We especially want to thank them for going above and beyond during our difficult and unexpected change in plans to ensure the trip was revised to be as great as possible. We only wish our air travel agency was half as good as Pure Vida Eh Inc. was. We will definitely be recommending PVI! Eh? to all our friends and family who decide to come to CR. Do not hesitate to work with this fabulous organization to build and experience an unforgettable vacation.”

SP, TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA

“Great Help. Thanks to Nikki at Pura Vida for setting us up with a personal guided tour of the Arenal Volcano National Park. The kids loved it! She was quick to respond to any questions we had and worked hard to get us the best guide for the lowest price.”

JS, CALGARY, ALBERTA, CANADA

“I cannot speak highly enough of Nikki and the service that she provided us. Not only can she get you the best discounts and prices in the area, but she was a wealth of information. Although I had read about her on Trip Advisor before our trip, I did not want to make any reservations in advance. You just never know what you will want to do and when you want to do it or if the weather would cooperate. As a result, we waited until we arrived in Arenal to contact her. We ended up calling her every evening to book our tours for the following day. Every single time we spoke to her, she was friendly and helpful and efficient at providing us with information and options, as well as quickly booking with the tour companies and then calling us back to confirm that everything was set up. You never pay a penny to Pura Vida! Eh?. You pay the tour guides directly. We never had a problem with any of the reservations that she made for us, and she always checked with us that we had a fabulous time on our trips.”

K, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, USA

“Great Service, Easy Website Navigation, Fast Correspondence. One of the best travel information websites out there. Use them to your advantage and have a great vacation while saving some money!”

CD, DETROIT, MICHIGAN, USA

“Great service and very good information for planning. We travelled as a private group of 3 families. Finally made reservation for Canyoning, guided tours and Sky Trek at Arenal and Monteverde. Nikki was very fast to response, gave very good assistans with planning and schedule the activities, the prices were good and everything went perferct. We all had gread time, and recommended our friend to use their services.”

ER, HAIFA, ISRAEL

“Nikki and Ricky – Cheers and thank you. Shasta and I celebrated our 1st wedding anniversary in Costa Rica last year and y’all helped make it one of the most stress free vacations of our lives. Your trip planning services and advice were on the mark every time and Ricky’s tour was by far our most thrilling white water rafting adventure to date. It was great to meet you both and we look forward to another trip. Thank you also for the bottle of chilled Champaign. It was very unexpected and greatly appreciated just goes to show how dedicated you are to having and making happy clients. Pura Vida!”

RM, USA

“I used this company to book and save on hotel stay, private transportation to and from SJO and four tours (horseback riding, canyoneering, ziplining and Cano Negro). Specifically Nikki, at Pura Vida! eh? has been a dream to work with. She is very customer service oriented, highly organized, fast and efficient. She is also very resourceful and goes above and beyond to help you plan a great trip. The whole voucher system that they have worked out perfect. Every booking acknowledged the vouchers and the tours and transportation all showed up right on schedule. Everything was flawless. I have to admit I was skeptical when I first heard about this company because it sounded too good to be true, but rest assured they are legit. It is a no brainer that Pura Vida! eh? needs to be a part of everyone’s trip planning to Costa Rica!”

DK, NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, USA

“Amazing – Definitely makes you want to embody “Pura Vida!” We booked most of our transportation and activities through Pura Vida eh?. I must say they picked some of the best companies for our activities. We did 1-2 activity per day. Here’s the activities that we did that was booked through Pura Vida eh.

Transportation from airport to hotel: the driver will hold a sign with your name so you can’t miss them. Arenal Volcano Night Hike/Tabacon Hot Springs/Dinner: they make you a cocktails (virgin ones for the kiddies) after your hike. We were not able to finish the bottle. Hot springs were amazing, the scenery and water was perfect, dinner was a buffet at the resort. Transporation to and hotel is included. Water rafting on Pacuare River: known as one of the top 10 rivers to raft on in the world. definitely an experience you dont want to pass up. Breakfast and lunch is included. You eat breakfast before you raft. About 3/4 of the way through we stop at a picnic area where the guides makes us a healthy lunch. Transportation to and from hotel is included. Our guide Ricky was hilarious, he definitely made things entertaining. He’s also one of the owners of Pura Vida eh?. Horsebackriding to Waterfalls: Ive never been on a horse and I did just fine. The horses they had were very friendly and responsible. They walked most of the way but at times they liked to gallop a little. Its what horses do, LOL. When we reached a rest stop, we had to hike down to were the waterfalll was. My friend and I didnt want to swim in the waterfall because we couldn’t swim, so we didn’t hike all the way down. After a walk across a beautiful hanging bridge and a nice view of the waterfall, we went back to our horses. Transportation is included, but there were no meals with this.

They have many other activities but these were the ones we wanted to do. Definitely use them if you plan on going to Costa Rica, they literally have all services you can image!”

HC, SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, USA

“Outstanding service. We didnt know about Pura Vida!, eh? until we were already in Costa Rica. We had 3 extra days after completing a guided tour and contacted them for transportation, lodging and snorkeling suggestions. Nikki came up with a plan that was perfect for us! Our last 3 days were delightful and affordable thanks to Nikki’s knowledge. I was extremely impressed at her rapid responses to ALL of our questions. AMAZING. I would highly recommend Pura Vida! eh?
Thank you, Nikki and Ricky!!! “

PP, RIVER FALLS, WISCONSIN, USA

“When can we go back? My husband and I travelled to Costa Rica for a 9 day trip with his parents. The entire trip was booked through Pura Vida! eh? From accomodations to transportation to tours, Pura Vida! eh? took the guess work out of planning our trip. Nikki was an incredible resource whose advise made for a memorable trip to Costa Rica that we won’t soon forget. For those of you looking for something more than just your typical all-inclusive week away, Pura Vida! eh? can customize an itinerary that suits your travel needs.

Our trip itinerary was as follows: Arrive in San Jose, private transfer service to Arenal (La Fortuna)
Accomodations: Hotel Royal Corin. Our transfer service through Desafio was perfect. We were greeting promptly at the airport and our driver was fantastic, pointing out all of the major landmarks en route to Arenal. Royal Corin was wonderful. The hotel pools are all hot springs so there is no need to go off site. Although it was too foggy to see the volcano, the hotel would otherwise have had an unobstructed view. The accomodations were top notch and service was great. While in Arenal we did the white water rafting tour through Desafio. We had a great time. Our river guide was fantastic! We travelled by van-boat-van service from Royal Corin to Monteverde. This transportation service was sort of like a tour in and of itself. We got to see panoramic views of the country from the boat and during the hilly drive to Monteverde. Our accomodations in Monteverde were at El Establo. This was a sprawling resort with every ammenity that we needed. Our rooms were clean and comfortable. We did the Sky Walk (rainforest tour) and Sky Trek (canopy tour) through Sky Adventures. I highly recommend this tour. Our guide for the Sky Walk was incredibly knowledgeable. He pointed out things that we would never had appreciated if we toured on our own. A guided tour is essential. The canopy tour was amazing! The staff made us feel safe at all times. And the views were unbelievable! This is a must if you are looking for an activity in Monteverde. Our last stop was in Manuel Antonio. We stayed at La Mansion Inn. Again, the views from the hotel were panoramic. The hotel staff were courteous and helpful. While not located on the beach, the hotel provided a shuttle service to and from. The hotel itself was clean and comfortable, with very spacious rooms. A wonderful place to stay!

Every aspect of our trip was booked by Pura Vida! eh? and we have nothing but rave reviews. In addition from having seamless travel booked without a worry, we benefitted from the many discounts offered by Pura Vida! eh? We would recommend them to any traveller who is looking to see all that Costa Rica has to offer. Already dreaming of our trip back!!”

AR, TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA

“Excellent, accommodating and professional! We had heard about Pura Vida Eh! from tripadvisor and booked a whitewater rafting trip through them. Pura Vida Eh! was flexible with our payment plan and we were able to save a considerable amount of money on the tour. We would use them again and highly recommend them.”

CW, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTES, USA

“Travel with confidence and knowledge. Our trip to Costa Rica wouldn’t have been what it was without the help of Nikki and Pura Vida! eh? Her knowledge of the Country, hotels, sight seeing tours and transportation allowed travel without the anxiety! She planned everything without hesitation and always with a personal touch. You can trust you’ll get the best prices on your tours. She’ll never let you down!”

JD, RIVER FALLS, WISCONSIN, USA

Nikki, thank you for making our vacation in Costa Rica one of the best we have ever had. Your help was crucial to everything turning out as fantastic as it did. My biggest concern was the reliability of the transports, it was never an issue as all of the drivers were on time and on some occasions, even early! It was a pleasure working with you and we are so thankful to have found Pura Vida! eh? Mil gracias!

CP, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, USA

“Pura Vida! eh? offered an excellent level of customer service as well as some significant cost savings. If you need to book ANY trips/hotels/excursions in Costa Rica, be sure to involve Nikki with Pura Vida Eh as she will be your most valued resource while planning your trip. Pura Vida Eh offers many deals not mentioned on their site, contact Nikki for details, or simply send a copy of your proposed itinerary for suggestions. Be sure to engage Pura Vida Eh early in your travel plans so you take full advantage of all the savings possible Cheaper bookings for no cost to you, this is a no-brainer. Email or chat with Nikki worked great and she was extremely responsive.”

L, PHOENIX, ARIZONA, USA

“Helpful, friendly, and professional! Pura Vida! Eh? was recommended to us by a friend. We’re glad we went with them! Nikki was very helpful, friendly and professional. I would recommend Pura Vida Eh, especially if it’s your first time in Costa Rica.”

PG, TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA

“Excellent service and discounts. I had contacted Nikki almost a year before our vacation with a basic itinerary of places and tours I wanted to enjoy while visiting Costa Rica for the 3rd time. As others have said, she responded quickly and amicably with rates and discounts for hotels, lodges and B&B’s I had listed to stay at and with tours my husband and I wanted to take. As my plan of using interbus and private drivers unfolded she acquired a private driver for me for less than I could on my own. As some DE experts may say to book directly with tour companies or hotles as they may or may not give you the same discount, she did the leg work for us and provided excellent service and saved us time and money. (during high season). Puravidaeh does not pocket the savings either ( some call it commission) it goes directly to a charity IN Costa Rica of my choosing from a list she provides. We saved a lot of money between the tours and the lodges we selected, there is no reason not to use her services since they do not collect any monies and instead we receive vouchers and we make direct payments to the tour companies and lodges/hotels we book. Nikki went beyond just providing discounts, she helped me by contacting a hotel in CR which did not respond to my emails and had closed to the public, another time I wanted to book a hotel via points from Distancia credit card and she called directly for me to solve the problem. She also didn’t mind the last minute changes I made to a hotel she had acquired for me in Manuel Antonio. We had the honor of meeting Nikki in La Fortuna during our 3 day stay there and she is a wonderful young lady who even treated us to lunch and before had even sent a thank you gift of a beach cover up to our hotel. There is no reason not to involve PuraVidaeh in your plans for Costa Rica if you value your time and money. Pura Vida Nikki!”

IB, CANANDAIGUA, NEW YORK, USA

“Great discounts and friendly to deal with! Nikki always replied quickly to my email inquiries, always with a personal touch. She set up my tours and gave me tips about the tours, and offered them at a great discount, to boot! I didn’t pay full price for a single one of my tours! Can’t wait to come back to your beautiful country and deal with you again!”

TK, TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA

“Excellent customer service! The first couple things I noticed about this company were that the itinerary total was much lower than others I was receiving and their communication has a personal touch instead of a response produced for mass dissemination. Throughout the month and a half or so of emailing Nikki back and forth at all hours to plan our trip, I also came to appreciate her quick response time and details in her messages. She quickly responds to your every question as a local, not a salesperson. Honestly, she was the only person I trusted after searching through many online travel companies. One of our trips was canceled due to bad weather in Arenal, but Nikki quickly got on the phone and helped us plan something else. When we didn’t receive our refund in a timely manner, Nikki got on their butts and kept us in the loop even after we had been home for a month. Definitely do the white water rafting with Exploradores Outdoors, if you can. Her husband, who is also her partner in the company, is a guide and really hilarious! He really knows what he is doing and can make you laugh too. Cheers, Nikki and Ricky!!”

SF, MIAMA, FLORIDA, USA

“Great services and prices. Trust in them! We booked our whole trip through Pura Vida eh! and had an amazing time at Costa Rica at a very good price. Nikki was on top of every detail and tour we did. She replied to our emails so fast and with so many details that it was great booking our trip with them. Even during our trip we cancelled a tour and changed one and she took care of everything. If you are going to Costa Rica you can trust in Pura vida eh, they will help you out planning the trip you want no matter your budget, they give you all the options. It was great to work with them.”

CC, BARCELONA, SPAIN

“Made my trip so easy and unforgettable. Since I only had a short time in Costa Rica, I planned out things I wanted to see and do before heading there. I started emailing Nikki moths before and she was so quick to respond. I was indecisive with some things and Nikki gave me more details that I could ask for. I also changed my plans a few times and Nikki was quick to respond without any problems. Everything was so organized. I had my whole itinerary before heading to Costa RIca and was picked up at the times stated. I never had to reconfirm anything. I booked transportation and tours through them. The discount they get you is just one of the many perks- I mean if you know you want to go on a specific tour and booking through pure vida eh saves you money, why not? Its cheaper to book through them than to book through the companies themselves or through a hotel. The friendliness and continued updates/information is what makes this a great company. Also, as another bonus, a portion of the money you spend on booking tours through them goes to charity! I would recommend anyone even considering going to Costa RIca to book through Pura Vida Eh. And if you are unsure of whether you are going or not, they are so helpful in just answering general questions, its amazing.”

CL, NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, USA

“Great and reliable service. Recommend them. We had a pretty good idea of which itinerary we wanted, but it was still a big help to check things with this local expert. Nikki at Pura Vida! eh? was very service minded, and I can be a not so easy a customer (some would even call me demanding). Nikki booked Tortuguero, Arenal and transport. She also helped us with the tours in La Fortuna, which we vere very satisfied with. We really had a great time, and Pura Vida! eh? helped us make the right choices. Thanks for your help, Nikki!”

SW, STOCKHOLM, SWEEDEN

“Excellent service from the experts.Just returned from our 13 day trip. We were delighted with the expert advise and knowledge received by Nikki thru all the planning of our itinerary. Even after changing plans several times, everything was handled expertly and perfectly by Pura vidaeh. We received the itinerary clearly set out with all the vouchers prepared. When we needed to change plans during our stay, just an email away, Nikki made the necessary re-adjustments where necessary. We couldn’t have done it so successfully without their help and of course getting the discounts too. Certainly took the headache out of the planning. Great service from experts.”

ES, JORDAN VALLEY, ISRAEL

“We booked only one tour with Pura Vida! eh? They are a third party company who books tours and attractions with other companies at discounted rates. They do not run the tours and you do not pay them directly. Although we didn’t deal with them extensively they seemed nice and willing to help if we needed anything. Since the booking went smoothly I would highly recommend using them since it might be cheaper than booking directly with the attraction/tour company. Why pay more when it’s not necessary?”

GR, TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA

“I cannot say enough how fabulous my experience with Pura Vida! eh? was!! We were 9 people traveling together with a ton of complicated logistics and all kinds of different transportations and activities and everything went off without a hitch. All of their suggestions were top rate, every car, every plane flight and every activity was just perfect. I would use them again and again!!!”

MW, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA

“Friendly and excellent service in Costa Rica. My girlfriend and I visited Costa Rica in May of 2010. We used Nikki at Pura Vida, Eh? to book all of our activities from canyoneering and zip-lining in La Fortuna and snorkeling and hiking in Manuel Antonio. Nikki also helped us find a hotel in both locations, book travel and rent a car while in Costa Rica. Not only was the service friendly and fast, we were offered great prices on all of our activities. When first reaching out to Pura Vida, Eh? I didn’t know what to expect…Nikki made it easy to plan our trip in less than one week. She provided a plethora of information about each activity and what we could expect from start to finish. Overall, I’m very impressed with the service and discounts offered from Pura Vida, Eh?. I did not realize how much Nikki helped and made our trip easy until I began planning my next trip to Ecuador. I even reached out to Nikki at Pura Vida, Eh? to see if she had any contacts down there…which she spent 3 days trying to help! That’s impressive and first rate service in my opinion. Thanks!!!”

R & M, HOUSTON, TEXAS, USA

“Absolutely Awesome! My wife and I travelled to Costa Rica in December 2010 for our 1 year anniversary. I wanted to make this trip a special one, and chose Pura Vida Eh? Inc. as my agent for booking tours and excursions. Nikki was absolutely fabulous at responding to my emails and live chat, and in no time flat, all of my excursions were booked through her, with the provision of vouchers. Not only was it easy to work with Pura Vida Eh? Inc, but i also saved alot of money by the significant discounts on excursions. When adding up a handful of excursions, I managed to save a pretty penny, which we used on massage treatments at our hotel. =) Also to top it all off, on our anniversary day, Nikki from Pura Vida Eh? Inc. sent us a card to wish us a happy one year anniversary. What a pleasure it was that she remembered our special day and made it that much more memorable. I would HIGHLY recommend anyone reserving excursions or trips to go through Pura Vida Eh? Inc. You will NOT be sorry. Trust me – a fantastic service experience!!!!!”

M & M, TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA

“Pura Vida! eh? what else to say? GREAT! We just had a wonderful holiday in Costa Rica. Stayed 3 weeks and organised everything with Nikki. Hotels, transfers, day tours ecc. Nikki was really patient and answerd all my questions in such fast, we never had to wait long for her mails wich was fantastic!!! She is outstanding in customer service! She changed our tour so many times do get the most out of our time, even when tours got cancelled she was ready to organise another discounted tour. One of the best things we’ve ever done was the rafting with Nikki’s husband Ricky  It was such a memorable experience, thank you again!!! I’ll recommend the company 100% to all the people who plan to go to Costa Rica! Keep up the great work!”

BP, SOUTH TYROL, ITALY

“Pura Vida Eh? were knowledgeable, friendly and offered us discounts on our Adventure Tour in Rincon de la Vieja. Best part about them is how quickly they respond to your emails and that they are fluent in English. They seem to have your best interest at heart and I would recommend them to anyone. Cheers!”

DD, SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, USA

“I had the great pleasure of working with Nikki to plan our excursions while in Costa Rica. This young lady is so professional and engaging. She went above and beyond to ensure we had just the right thing planned. We sent many many e-mails back and forth. We pre booked everything before we left home. Nikki provided us with discount vouchers and there were no problems at all. If you plan to do any tours in the Arenal area give my new friend Nikki a call you will NOT be disappointed! She lives in the area and is an expert in my books. Pura Vida Nikki expect a call if we are ever in the area again. I would not dream of contacting anyone else!!!”

H, R, K, & D, WHITE ROCK, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA

“Nikki at Pura Vida was very helpful in assisting us in making decisions on activities for our family vacation. Using Tripadvisor for our research we heard of Pura Vida and decided to book through them. Nikki got us a good discount for a day pass at Guachepelin Adventure and it was probably our best day. From horseback riding to thrilling tubing rapids to the breathtaking canopy tour, it was a fun packed day! When we had to cancel an overnight to Monteverde, Nikki was very understanding and handled the cancellation for us. It is very hard to decide on tours many miles away but Nikki made it effortless answering many questions and giving us useful recommendations. Definitely use Pura Vida! Eh?”

BJ, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, USA

“I just wanted to say thank you very much!!! Our trip was absolutely amazing! We could not have done it without you. Everything went perfectly, and each and everyone of the tours were fantastic. Ricky is the best rafting guide you could hope for  I will recommend your service whenever I hear Costa Rica! Again, you are both great and thank you so much! Pura vida!”

RK, LONDON, ONTARIO, CANADA

“Our family just had the wonderful experience of organizing, planning and preparing our Costa Rican vacation with Nikki at Pura Vida Eh! She is outstanding in customer service excellence and the most patience person. She is not satisfied until you are satisfied. This is YOUR vacation. Nikki went over and beyond the call of duty to make our vacation in Costa Rica the most memorable. I will be using this company everytime we go back to Costa Rica. We had lots of fun and the kids loved it too! Job well done, Nikki. Pura Vida Eh exceeded our expectations. Until soon, Nikki!!!!! Keep up the great work!”

JBC, ORLANDO, FLORIDA, USA

“We just got back from a 10 day trip in Costa Rica which was entirely planned by Nikki at Pura Vida! eh ? She handled all the details, reservations, and answered my numerous questions. She came up with a customized itinerary that matched exactly what I had in mind. As if the service wasn’t great enough, they will even save you money on all yours tours and hotels !!!! There is no need to waste your time with other agencies!!! Put your trust in Pura Vida and you won’t be disappointed!!! Thanks again Nikki for a trip of a lifetime!”

CS, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA

“My wife and I just returned from our Honeymoon. Costa Rica was awesome. Nikki was very helpful in booking all of the tours that we wanted to go on. Every hotel that we reserved through them turned out to be great. The tour guides on our tours were very informative. We learned tons about animals and about the country as well.”

JM, FARMINGTON, UTAH, USA

“I just got back from my first trip to Costa Rica. Nikki helped set up all of my tours while in Manuel Antonio. Everything went off flawlessly. Pura Vida’s help made my trip effortless and made my first travel solo experience an amazing one. On my last free day in San Jose, she also helped get me on a tour to La Paz/Poas that was phenomenal way to end my business/leisure trip.”

SM, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, USA

“Me and my teenage daughter were travelling in Costa Rica on our own using local tour agencies. After a few days we met Ricky and then we started organizing our travel by the help of Pura Vida! eh? – and we stopped looking for other ones. Nikki was great – she helped with booking hotels, travels and outdoor activities arrangement (even being informed on”last minute”), and she was able to find good places at good price. And it was no need to pay in advance. I can recommend the company to everyone.”

IH, POLAND

“I used Pura Vida! eh? to book 4 separate tours and it could not have been easier! Nikki walked me through the entire process and was there to answer all of my questions about transportation and excursions. Because I booked everything through them, once I arrived in Costa Rica all I had to do was relax and enjoy my vacation. Pura Vida!”

GJ, NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, USA

“I can’t say enough great things about Nikki Solana at Pura Vida! eh? I highly recommend using her to reserve all your excursions in Costa Rica. We just returned from the Tamarindo area and used Nikki to reserve both the Marlin Del Ray snorkeling cruise and the Buena Vista mega tour. Nikki secured us dscounts on both tours along with very accurate directions, including GPS coordinates. I also highly recommend both of those tours. Captain Taca and his crew of the Marlin Del Ray were extremely hospitable. We even saw whales. Buena Vista was also a great time. If you have your own transportation, I highly recommend arriving no later than 8:30, as Nikki suggested. The tour busses begin arriving around 9:30, so you will become part of a group of 60 if you arrive at that time. We arrived at 8:15 and had our own personal guided tour. It was awesome. We even saw Howler Monkeys during our canopy tour. Send Nikki an e-mail. She’ll make your trip to Costa Rica an enjoyable experience. We will definitely use her again the next time we go.”

RB, FLORIDA, USA

“They were so helpful and nice! They had great recommendations and were very helpful. They recommend Hacienda Guacapelin and got us a great price. Even though we already had our hotel booked before I found them, they gave me recommendations on activities and other things, even if I didn’t get them through them.”

MM, CALIFORNIA, USA

“Hi Nikki! Thanks SO much for all of your help. We had an amazing time! S loved the Tico way of life and now she sees why I never want to leave.  I think our favourite things were white water rafting and ziplining, although we loved everything (I liked the safari float a lot too, especially with the Don Pedro visit). Everything went great, all the tours were on time and they were all great (guides, service, everything) It was really cool to have Ricky as our guide for the raft too, and to say hello to you on the phone! He was an awesome guide by the way, very professional and we always felt safe, plus super fun! I totally think our raft had the most fun. We also really liked Hotel El Volcan, thank you for the recommendation. It was the perfect location since I really wanted to be near the center of town. Anyways thank you again, SO much! I appreciate your help so much and we loved everything that we did (especially the rafting, I kind of wish we had done a 2 day rafting trip!).”

LB & SG, PENNSYLVANIA, USA

“Nikki really helped us out getting the ideal tour for us in La Fortuna and at a discount! She booked us at the last minute on the Desafio Canyoneering Tour and everything went perfectly! We had a group of 3 boys in their 20s and myself (age 50+). She recommended Desafio since we were looking for the most adventure. The trip up the mountain from La Fortuna to the base camp was fun in and of itself – a short ride through beautiful countryside. The tour guides met us at the base lodge and took us through the safety demonstration. The descent through the canyon was thrilling and fun, but not too scary. We did several repels down very deep canyons and climbed down other parts. The whole trip was amazing from start to finish including the buffet meal at the lodge at the end. The guides were great and we were totally satisfied with the booking and the trip itself. I would highly recommend reaching out to PuraVida when you decide the visit Costa Rica – they can help recommend the best tours for your group and get you the best price.”

S & M, USA

“I contacted Nikki at Puravida who was on top of everything and she made the trip possible. She is the best travel agent I?ve ever known and is honest, trustworthy and very reliable. I highly recommend her. I am glad we had a chance thank her and her husband, Ricky in person when we were in Arenal. They also donate a portion of their income from these arrangements to charitable organizations which is very generous of them.”

P & D, CALIFORNIA, USA

“Thank you very much for your help. As always, you are the best! We love wonderful and friendly Costa Rican people. Dealing with you was the best experience we had here. I am thinking to go to Asia, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, next year. I wish to find travel agent like you over there.”

I & A, USA

“We had a great time and we sincerely thank you for all the help in booking our excursions. Our favorite trip was definitely the white water rafting with Ricky. It really was an amazing experience.”

LA, USA

“We just wanted to let you know that we had an amazing time in Costa Rica! It is such a beautiful country and everyone we met was so nice. Especially Ricky. He really was awesome and took care of me on the rafting trip. I felt so safe and had such a great time. Thanks again for all of your help. We will def use your services again when we go back to Costa Rica in the future  “

In response to learning about the Pura Vida! eh? “Travelers’ For…” Donation Project…

“What a great idea! This really sets your company apart from the others and I think it is great to incorporate good deeds into personal travel. You will be sure to attract many more clients who realize what a nice thing this is to do. T and I are so happy that our trip led to the donation. Thanks again for everything. You and Ricky are awesome!”

D & T, NEW YORK, USA

“Nikki! Well we are back and we really enjoyed our visit. The hotels, tours and people were all great and we didn’t have anything go wrong. Everything was “as advertised” or better. Thanks again for all your help – the trip would not have been nearly as good w/out all your great advice!”

TB, USA

“I used Puravidaeh for our recent vacation to Costa Rica in March 2010. I had them book the one day adventure pass with Adventure Tours at Hacienda Guachipelin as well as a sunset catamaran tour with Blue Dolphin in Tamarindo. Nikki at Puravidaeh was great in answering my many questions regarding the details of the various tours. Nikki was very responsive and thorough in emailing the information requested to ensure that I got exactly the tours I was looking for. She also handled all the arrangements of booking the tour once I decided what I wanted with Puravidaeh. I have already recommended them to friends planning vacations in Costa Rica.”

NP, TEXAS, USA

“Thank you so much! I wish I knew about you earlier!”

RS, USA

“My boyfriend and I discovered Pura Vida eh near the beginning of our 3 week trip in Costa Rica. They made everything so much easier; getting the information we needed about tours (zip lining in Arenal was an amazing rush) and getting a discount to boot! Nikki was great about responding right away with all the information necessary to make our decisions, and then booking things for us. And Ricky is a crazy white water rafting guide – we had too much fun! Thanks to you both, and I highly recommend anyone heading to Costa Rica to check out Pura Vida eh before you go.”

S & D, VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA

“My husband and I used Pura Vida! eh? for our honeymoon in November 2009 and it was AMAZING!!!! Our trip wouldn’t have been what it was if not for Nikki and Ricky!”

H & M, ALBERTA, CANADA

“Excellent service. Definitely improved the quality of our trip.”

A, TEXAS, USA

“Pura Vida helped us with our dream honeymoon! From rafting to deep sea fishing… our tour experiences were awesome! The response to our needs was prompt and friendly and tailored to our budget. We know if we ever go back to Costa Rica we can trust Pura Vida eh? to help us with our trip! Thanks for everything.”

M & K, USA

“It was a pleasure to work with Nikki.”

B, FLORIDA, USA

“We were very pleased with the professional care given to us by the team at Pura Vida! eh? We had a wonderful time and loved the guidance and suggestions before we booking anything. You certainly know the best and easiest way around the beautiful country. A job well done to Nikki and Ricky. Thanks. We will call on your expertise in the fall of 2010 when we return to Costa Rica.”

S & J, ONTARIO, CANADA

“Thanks for all of the great info on your website! You were the best resource in planning our trip– everything from tours, in country transportation and wonderful no-cost/low-cost options. We had a great week and you’re my “go-to” site for future trips.”

VB – WHEATON, ILLINOIS, USA

“Great Help. Thanks to Nikki at Pura Vida for setting us up with a personal guided tour of the Arenal Volcano National Park. The kids loved it! She was quick to respond to any questions we had and worked hard to get us the best guide for the lowest price.”

JS – CALGARY, ALBERTA, CANADA


Viewing 88 reply threads
  • Author
    Posts
  • #195674
    Jamie
    Guest

    What an awesome blog! I’ve even to Costa Rica and would have loved reading a blog like this. Thanks for visiting my blog. Wishing you much success!

  • #195675
    chinaheather
    Guest

    Thanks for following my new blog! I love your blog! Pura Vida eh? Great name 🙂 I have been to Costa Rica twice and LOVE it. Spent 6 months living and traveling around Central America with a boyfriend a few years ago, we had an apartment in San Jose – yuck – but loved traveling around the country. Love the life you are creating! Going to enjoy traveling within your blog as my travel days are few and far between in reality right now 🙂

  • #195676
    healthandfitnessoc
    Guest

    I would love to visit Costa Rica one day. Heard many great things!!!

  • #195677
    ,Nikki Solano
    Keymaster

    healthandfitnessoc –
    Costa Rica would love to have you! 🙂 Should you ever decide to visit, let us know as we have number of great yoga recommendations for you!
    Pura vida!

    Owner of the Costa Rica Travel Blog • CEO of Pura Vida! eh? Inc. (Costa Rica Discounts) • Creator of DIY Costa Rica, the Costa Rica Destination Tool, the Costa Rica Recommendations Map and the Costa Rica Trip Planning 101 E-Course • Author of the guidebooks Moon Costa Rica (2019, 2021, and 2023) and Moon Best of Costa Rica (2022) • “Travel Blogger of the Year 2020 – Costa Rica” (LUX Life Magazine) • Happy wife of a proud Costa Rican ❤️️
    Want custom, private, one-on-one Costa Rica trip-planning help? Book an appointment with Nikki here.
  • #195678
    Parky Brawler
    Guest

    Thank you for checking out my blog, I appreciate that. It’s funny that this particular type of company saw my blog. I have a family member who has talking about Costa Rica for years. This maybe our hint. Thanks again.

  • #195679
    hotcrossbungay
    Guest

    Reblogged this on Mighty Mikey's Mega Blog.

  • #195680
    hotcrossbungay
    Guest

    Ah, this blog is working, now I can see the full article and boy is it looking good!

  • #195681
    ,Nikki Solano
    Keymaster

    Jamie –
    That is great to hear! Whereabouts did you visit in Costa Rica? I hope you enjoyed your visit and that you will make it back again someday. In response to the question you asked in your recent post “I’d say that the friends we make at work are the glue that helps us to manage to be fine… really. What would you say?”, I’d say that at Pura Vida! eh? Incorporated, our work friends (our hotel, tour operator, and transportation service operator partners, as well as our tourist clients) are those who allow us to give and entitle us to receive. We work as the middlemen between international travellers planning vacations to Costa Rica and the operators who provide vacation services, so without a solid give-and-take relationship between each, it would be impossible for us to do our job as well as we do it. 🙂
    Pura vida!

    Owner of the Costa Rica Travel Blog • CEO of Pura Vida! eh? Inc. (Costa Rica Discounts) • Creator of DIY Costa Rica, the Costa Rica Destination Tool, the Costa Rica Recommendations Map and the Costa Rica Trip Planning 101 E-Course • Author of the guidebooks Moon Costa Rica (2019, 2021, and 2023) and Moon Best of Costa Rica (2022) • “Travel Blogger of the Year 2020 – Costa Rica” (LUX Life Magazine) • Happy wife of a proud Costa Rican ❤️️
    Want custom, private, one-on-one Costa Rica trip-planning help? Book an appointment with Nikki here.
  • #195682
    ,Nikki Solano
    Keymaster

    chinaheather –
    Thank you so much for the LOVE! 🙂 I am so glad to hear that you have had the pleasure of travelling throughout Costa Rica (and all of Central America). Apart from what was likely a sketchy apartment in a San Jose suburb, I am sure you had a blast. Costa Rica would love to have you back one day – perhaps there is a market for acupuncture and/or Chinese medicine in CR?
    Pura vida!

    Owner of the Costa Rica Travel Blog • CEO of Pura Vida! eh? Inc. (Costa Rica Discounts) • Creator of DIY Costa Rica, the Costa Rica Destination Tool, the Costa Rica Recommendations Map and the Costa Rica Trip Planning 101 E-Course • Author of the guidebooks Moon Costa Rica (2019, 2021, and 2023) and Moon Best of Costa Rica (2022) • “Travel Blogger of the Year 2020 – Costa Rica” (LUX Life Magazine) • Happy wife of a proud Costa Rican ❤️️
    Want custom, private, one-on-one Costa Rica trip-planning help? Book an appointment with Nikki here.
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