This is the very first time I have written any review, and we have travelled many places. I wanted to make sure I wrote one about Danny, because we had an awesome vacation, and a lot of that was because of Danny. First of all, I would like to say that we enjoyed Danny very much. He has a gentle, humble personality, and that is very refreshing, coming from the United States. He is honest, friendly and has a great sense of humor. We were able to leave him in charge of our things in the van, while we explored the beautiful parks and sights in Costa Rica, and didn't have to worry about it. We could also sit back and enjoy the scenery on the many drives that we took with him. We hired Danny for the entire 9 days we were in Costa Rica, and paid a daily flat rate (well worth it, and he has competitive rates too.) He took us wherever we wanted to go, and it was like having our own private tour guide, catered to what we wanted to do. He really became part of the family, and it was hard saying goodbye!

I believe we were able to see much more of Costa Rica because he took care of the driving. Not only did he drive, he communicated quite a bit for us, (he speaks very good English), translating and setting up some guides for us for Monteverde, Cano Negros, and Arenal National Parks. He also took us to some local restaurants, off the tourist beaten path. He took away a lot of the stress and hassle part of travelling, leaving just enjoyment and relaxation for us. We saw a lot of wildlife!

There were 5 of us travelling with him, my husband, two teenagers, and my husband's elderly aunt. There was one hike that he took with us, and it was particularly challenging for our aunt, and he was right there, helping her along the steep, muddy trail.

Danny is the best! He will not disappoint you - very safe driver and always on time. I think he deserves 5+++ stars! I noticed only one poor review on him and in my opinion, it did not warrant that poor rating. From what I read, that review was not fair, as a lot of it had to do with circumstances beyond his control. I saw it and hired him anyway because I went with my gut feeling.

The roads are very bad in some parts of Costa Rica, and we had considered renting a car. Yes, it will cost a little more to hire a driver, but after seeing the road conditions there, especially going to Monteverde, there is a strong possibility that we would have gotten lost. There are no signs saying which way to go on a fork in the road - you just have to know! Also, the road could bang up a rental car pretty badly if you hit a pothole unexpectedly. Coming back from Monteverde especially, it was dark and foggy and the visibility was very bad. Danny knows the country and knows the roads. We don't.

So that is my review. Danny, if you read this - THANK YOU! We really enjoyed our time with you and hope to come back to Costa Rica again!