Welcome, friends!

I’m Nikki Solano, 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 my Costa Rican husband, Ricky, I operate the original Costa Rica Travel Blog (established in 2007), created the online community DIY Costa Rica, built the Costa Rica Destination Tool, oversee the brand-new Costa Rica Travel Shop, and designed the Costa Rica Trip Planning 101 E-Course. Also, I 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.

My extensive knowledge and 17 years of Costa Rica travel and tourism experience can help you navigate the following Costa Rica travel topics:

Itinerary-building • Destinations • Beaches (blue-flag beaches, popular beaches, off-the-beaten-path beaches) • Travel/tourism seasons • Things to do (guided tours, unguided activities, popular activities, off-the-beaten-path activities, attractions, child-friendly options, entrance fees, etc.) • Transportation (shuttle services, private transfer services, car rentals, driving routes, road conditions, etc.) • Accommodations (hotels, hostels, lodges, resorts, etc.) • Foods and dining opportunities (meals, restaurants, etc.) • Culture (traditions, holidays, etiquette, Spanish, etc.) • Wildlife, wildlife-spotting opportunities, and ecosystems • Spending money and saving money • Safety and anxiety concerns • Sustainability and responsible (green) travel • LGBTQ travel • Volunteer opportunities and travel philanthropy • Packing

Here’s a look at some (yes, only some!) of the Costa Rica sights and attractions that I have experienced with my Costa Rican husband, Ricky:

Types of Consultation Appointments with Nikki

Do you want Nikki to answer your Costa Rica trip-planning questions or help you formulate an efficient travel itinerary for your Costa Rica trip? Nikki offers two types of paid consulting services: 60-Minute Online Live Chat (Typing) Appointments and 1-Email Appointments.

60-Minute Online Live Chat (Typing) Appointment

Online Live Chat Appointments provide an opportunity to chat privately with Nikki (via typing, not over the telephone or video chat) so you can get answers to your Costa Rica travel-related questions. This service type is booked per 60-minute block. With this option, you’ll meet Nikki on this webpage (no account or login required) at our scheduled appointment time and Nikki will devote the following 60 minutes to assisting you/your family. So, if you book a 10:00am appointment, you’ll be able to chat with Nikki until 11:00am.

Included with a 60-Minute Online Live Chat (Typing) Appointment with Nikki:

  • A full hour to ask Nikki questions of your choosing that pertain to Costa Rica travel
  • Nikki’s responses to your questions
  • a copy of the chat transcript, and, if applicable, a brief follow-up email from Nikki containing resources referenced during the chat and/or explanations that weren’t covered during the chat.

$75.00 USD / appointment

*High season pricing (beginning October 1, 2024)

1-Email Appointment

Email/Voice Message Appointments invite Nikki to answer your Costa Rica travel-related questions via email. This service type is booked per email. With this option, you’ll submit your Costa Rica questions/comments to Nikki at the time of booking the appointment and Nikki will formulate a lengthy email response, which will be sent to you by the scheduled appointment time. There is no need for you to be available during the scheduled appointment time; the appointment simply determines the time of day that Nikki will email you. So, if you book a 10:00am appointment, you can expect to receive Nikki’s email at 10:00am. (Emails may take a few minutes to send, so be aware that your email may arrive a few minutes after the scheduled appointment time.)

Included with a 1-Email/Voice Message Appointment with Nikki:

  • A lengthy email response (emails average between 4,000-7,000 words) from Nikki that provides thorough answers to your questions, recommendations, sample itineraries (if applicable), and/or additional resources, such as links to referenced businesses or services.

$100.00 USD / appointment

*High season pricing (beginning October 1, 2024)

Choosing between
Live Chat (Typing) Appointments and Email Appointments

Online live chat appointments provide an opportunity to correspond (via typing) with Nikki in live time. They tend to work best when travelers have already started planning their trip to Costa Rica and have a list of questions that can be answered with relatively short answers (e.g., What route is best to take when traveling between A and B, and why?, Which tour is better, C or D, and why?, If you were looking for E, would you visit F or G, and why?, How would you fill this free day on my itinerary?, etc.), allowing for a rapid-fire Q&A session.

Email appointments tend to be the better option for first-time Costa Rica visitors, travelers who have just embarked on the trip-planning journey, and/or travelers who are in need of in-depth help, including assistance with building an itinerary from scratch. Broad questions like How many days should I spend in Costa Rica?, Where should I go in Costa Rica?, How should I order the destinations of A, B, and C on my itinerary?, and How should I schedule D, E, and F activities during my trip? typically require lengthy responses, which are best answered over email because they can quickly eat up several minutes of live chat time.

The above said, I’m happy to accommodate your preference of appointment type regardless of the type of help you need and where you’re currently at with your vacation planning. If you’d feel more comfortable with either a live chat appointment or an email appointment, feel free to select that appointment type and we’ll make it work! 🙂

.

Ready to book an appointment with Nikki?

What clients are saying about Nikki’s Costa Rica Consultation Service

Thank you Nikki! We really appreciated your time and guidance. All of the information is very helpful. – client R.L.Hello Nikki. Just wanted to let you know how much we appreciated all of your help. We are all looking forward to an awesome trip and you had so much to do with that… All the very best!! – client D.M.Thank you so much for all your help in building our itinerary and making suggestions on the various things to do. We are so excited for our trip. I appreciate your services greatly! They have been invaluable in helping us plan our trip. – client E.C.
Wow Nikki, this is amazing and very comprehensive. I greatly appreciate your input and recommendations. – client M.B.Such great info, Nikki! Amazing support. Thank you. – client V.M.Nikki, thank you VERY much, this has been so helpful!! – client R.F.
Thank you so much! I was starting to get trip planning burn out and I appreciate all of your help so much! – client C.C.Hi Nikki, This has all been super helpful! Also by the way, very impressive that you turned your love for this country into a business! You’re newsletters, DIY info and blogs are very well done. – client D.P.Thank you again for your help. It was lovely meeting you and I’m so glad that we were able to connect! – client E.B.
This is fabulous! – client C.H.This has been extremely helpful! Thanks for focusing me in. – client L.G.It was a pleasure speaking with you. – client B.G.
It was a pleasure speaking with you. – client B.G.You’re the best. Thank you so much, I’m so glad I found you. – client J.T.This is so fantastic, thank you!! – client J.R.
This chat was super helpful! Thanks again! – client T.C.Nikki, that’s fantastic information. I really appreciate all the effort you’ve made to send this. – client. M.D.Thank you so much for all the great information Nikki. So glad I found your service. – client E.B.

Scroll to Top