Holden Ketchum

Family adventure:Arenal/La Fortuna, Golf of Papagayo. This was relatively last minute trip with one adult (me) & 2 kids. It was a week filled with zip lining , nature walks, snorkeling and good ol ‘beach time. First time for all 3 of us in Costa Rica and I think we all are a little bit in love. Wilman picked us up from our hotel in San Jose in his nice clean car & drove us to Arenal. Wow what a beautiful place. Hotel room is on the foot of the volcano with our private hot spring. Mistico Park hike: so many hanging bridges through pristine jungle: it’s hot, loud and beaming with life: toucans, sloths, all kids of insects. Mundo Aventura zip lining was combination of adrenaline rush and amazement of zipping thought forest canopy. Staff were all so nice to my 9 and 14 yo sons. Night hike at wild frog sanctuary did not disappoint either, but we were really tired at this point:so many tiny frogs, huge spiders, sloth, and snakes. Next day we were picked up by Alex who drive us to Golf of Papagayo with a stop at Danaus eco park and butterfly garden. We saw crocodiles and more rainforest frogs. We arrived late in evening at our beachfront hotel just in time for quick swim before sunset: sun sets at 6: then pitch dark night.(which was amazing to us, boom, lights out) Next day Snorkeling with Pacific coast dive center was probably the top highlight in an action packed week. This was really unforgettable. Last day we enjoyed the beach and pool at Bahia del Sol, which was perfect. Transfer to Liberia airport was with Genaro who took different route:main road was flooded (rainy season). Big thank you, he knows how to navigate those muddy hills. When we could, we tried to eat at Sodas: family run restaurants serving Costa Rican dishes. I can’t really describe how beautiful Costa Rica is without mentioning the immense kindness and warmth of all the people we met during our trip. I feel very grateful I was able to experience this with my two kids. Thanks so much🙏I sincerely hope to be back and see more

We recently had the pleasure of working with Holden and his team to plan a trip to Costa Rica, and we cannot speak highly enough of the experience. From start to finish, Holden provided exceptional service, attention to detail, and a deep knowledge of the destination that made our trip truly unforgettable.

First and foremost, Holden took the time to understand our interests and preferences, ensuring that every aspect of our itinerary was tailored to our needs. We had a good idea of where we wanted to visit and what we wanted to do. However it was Holden’s recommendations of lodging accommodations and activities we had not even thought of that made the trip extra amazing.

Holden and his team’s expertise was evident in the seamless coordination of all our trip arrangements, from accommodations and excursions, to even arranging the rental car to be dropped off and picked up from our hotel. Throughout the planning process, Holden was always available to answer our questions, provide valuable insights, and make adjustments to our itinerary as needed. We had several changes in our itinerary over the few months prior to finalizing our trip, and each time the charges were made without hesitation.

Whether it was recommending the best lodge for hot springs near the volcano, arranging thrilling adventure activities like zip-lining and ocean kayaking, or suggesting serene beaches for relaxation, Holden had us covered. Our group of five included two almost-adult kids and Holden found the perfect accommodations that provided us just the right amount of privacy and togetherness.

We were particularly impressed with the local guides and tour operators they connected us with, who were not only knowledgeable but also passionate about sharing the beauty and culture of Costa Rica.

One highlight of our trip was the personalized wildlife Safari Float tour in La Fortuna, where we had the chance to see an incredible array of animals, including sloths, monkeys, crocodiles, a porcupine and tropical birds. Thanks to Holden’s recommendation, we also enjoyed a top notch hike through the Monteverde Cloudforest and were lucky enough to see not one but two of the elusive Quetzal birds.

While we were in Costa Rica, Holden checked in with us a few times to make sure everything was going well and his colleague, Wellman, reached out multiple times to prepare us for the next day’s adventure.

I wholeheartedly recommend Holden to anyone looking to plan a trip to Costa Rica or any other destination. His personalized service, extensive knowledge, and genuine passion for travel made our adventure extraordinary.

Thank you Holden and the rest of the gang from Serendipity Adventures! Me, my wife, my 8 year old, and especially my wildlife loving 10 year old all had an awesome time!

First, during the months before finalizing the trip, I appreciated being able to continually customize my itinerary. I sent a lot of messages, questions, late night thoughts, etc, and Holden would immediately answer every message.

My goals were to have a week that was half jungle, half beach with a variety of activities along the way. I chose La Fortuna and Manuel Antonio, and they worked in all kinds of excursions from hanging bridges, zip lining, a chocolate and coffee making tour, beach time, and lots of wildlife viewing opportunities. They arranged all of the transportation, and everything was spot on punctual.

The two hotels they recommended worked out great. In a single evening at Volcano Lodge I could watch steam rising out of Arenal Volcano, keep an eye on my kids in the pool, soak in thermal springs, and have a fancy dinner all in one comfortable spot. And my stay at Costa Verde included a room and multiple restaurants with beach views, as well as a fun airplane atmosphere that the kids enjoyed.

Also want to give a shout out to Alex from Serendipity Adventures, who picked us up from the airport and drove us all the way to La Fortuna. And several days later he met us again and drove us the five hours to Manuel Antonio. We spent a lot of hours chatting and learning about his country!

Overall, the personal touch made the difference. They even provided their contact info and kept in touch with us for the duration of the trip. I highly recommend them for a family with young kids!

The trip was seamless from start to finish with Holden and Wilman’s help. They did a great job listening to my needs traveling as a mom with two little girls and each of our accommodations were outstanding, as were those of any local sights / restaurants to visit. Our tours were exceptional - Mariano was a great guide and very personable. We truly enjoyed the time with him tremendously as well as the pace he set for us, even stopping additionally for ice cream, lunch etc. Alex was also helpful and our guides in Manuel Antonio were fabulous helping us see the wildlife and taking exceptional photos / videos to take with us! Additionally each transfer/driver was punctual and got us to our destination on time.

Hotel Reviews

Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs

Fortuna

Wonderful facility. Staff was warm and welcoming and went out of their way to help us - a staff member even stopped us one morning to show us an injured hummingbird! We enjoyed the low key nature of the resort and lounging in the hot springs each evening before bed.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Great location for tours - only drawback is not within walking distance to offsite restaurants.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Some bug issues but worked them out :) It is Costa Rica after all!

La Mariposa Hotel

Manuel Antonio

Beautiful facility and great location, but the service was sometimes lacking.

Authenticity & Character

Beautifully renovated, incorporating lots of local feel.

Location

Beautiful views, walking distance to beaches, restaurants and markets.

Staff

Mixed experience. The evening restaurant service was amazing, and certain attendants at pool/bar were great. Front desk service was cold and transactional; we also struggled to get the attention of wait staff to order lunch at pool or at bar.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Was beautiful! Would be helpful to have a couple more patio chairs so that a family of more than 2 can sit at once to enjoy the patio. Also needed a few more drawers/hangers.

Activity Reviews

Arenal Mundo Aventura Ride- Zipline + Horseback Ride

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Nature Walk in Danaus Eco-Center

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Catamaran Planet Dolphin

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Hike at the Arenal Hanging Bridges

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Hike in Arenal Volcano Park 1968

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We used kimkim to book a trip to Costa Rica (on a recommendation from a neighbor) and from the start to finish, it has been a wonderful experience! Holden was the local specialist from Serendipity Adventures who worked with us to come up with a high level itinerary and activities to do based on our interests, kids’ ages and his recommendations. I appreciate how flexible he was to make changes and adjust the itinerary/exercises when we changed our mind :) He was always around to answer any questions/concerns around the trip (for example: self drive vs. using private pickup/drop-offs), giving us all the options and impacts on time, cost, etc. Once we had confirmed the itinerary and the place tickets and made the payments, we were introduced to the Operations team of Wilman and Nancy from Serendipity Adventures. I was really impressed on how they were always accessible and available to answer questions, to give us gentle reminders, offer preparation tips and be the go-to support for the trip.

Our trip started with a hiccup when our flights had to be changed the day-of travel but just letting Wilman know the new flight details was all it took to ensure that our arrival in Costa Rica was smooth, without any more bumps. He and his team also helped to work with one of the hotels when we had some room issues and made the whole situation so smooth and less stressful. Wilman used to check in often to ensure that things were on track, communicate if a pick up was running late, gave reminders about upcoming activities or to request early breakfast! Really thankful to him and his team!

The hike guides (Mariano, Alex, Andres) and car drivers (Mariano, Alex) - were just great and really fun to talk with! We learned so much about the new country, its ways, the food and the amazing biodiversity with each of these individuals who enriched our experience, and ensured that we were safe, comfortable and had fun! All the activities that were organized with Holden’s help - the zip-lining, forest night tours, kayaking were great and thankfully the weather cooperated all along!

Thanks so much kimkim and Serendipity Adventures for this wonderful trip! Pura vida!

Hotel Reviews

Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs

Fortuna

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

El Establo Mountain Hotel

Monteverde

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Costa Verde

Manuel Antonio

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The bathroom of our room looked like in need of an upgrade because of a broken toilet.

Activity Reviews

Guided Hike at the Arenal Hanging Bridges

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Big Arenal Mundo Aventura Zipline + Tractor

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rio Celeste & Tenorio Volcano Private Hike

Bijagua / Rio Celeste

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Manuel Antonio

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Introduction to La Fortuna and Arenal Volcano

Costa Rica

Sukia Nighttime Nature Walk

Manuel Antonio

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Monteverde Cloud Forest Guided Hike

Monteverde

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ocean Kayaking & Snorkeling

Manuel Antonio

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I was a skeptic in the beginning, but Holden nailed it. We had an amazing trip. Resorts and activities were exactly what I was looking for. Spent 5 days on the beach and 4 day in the rain forest. Both were spectacular. Can't say enough about Holden and his team of advisors. Never felt alone or confused. Serendipity Adventures was the local specialist that helped plan, organize, and manage our trip. Holden, Nancy, and Wilman were awesome! Thank you!!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Bosque del Mar

Playa Hermosa

Everyone was so helpful and friendly. Super clean and accommodating.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful beach and secluded rooms.

Location

Close to the airport, but never felt busy or full of people.

Staff

Super helpful and friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and well maintained property. Good food and drink selection on property.

Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs

Fortuna

I loved this place! It was quiet and easy to feel relaxed and comfortable. Close to all the activities. The views were so amazing. So many birds, animals and beautiful flowers right outside my door.

Authenticity & Character

Hidden away from the business of the cities. Felt like I was in paradise.

Location

So easy to come and go. Parked right outside my room. The drive from Libera was incredible, so much fun.

Staff

Everyone was super nice and took pride in there work and the resort.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Super clean and well maintained resort.

Activity Reviews

Tropical Sunset Sailing Adventure

Costa Rica

We had a great time. The weather was just okay, but it was so nice to see the sites and swim in a private bay. Unfortunately no sunset to view that day. Crew was great, always there for questions and conversation.

Introduction to La Fortuna and Arenal Volcano

Costa Rica

Guided Hike in Arenal Volcano Park 1968

Arenal/La Fortuna

It was a great introduction to the area. Our guide was great.

Big Arenal Mundo Aventura Zipline + Tractor

Arenal/La Fortuna

This was a great activity. The views were exceptional. The staff was great and full of fun and information.

The Serendipity team of Holden, Nancy and Wilman provided excellent advice and support for our trip to Costa Rica, both before and during our three weeks in CR. They were knowledgeable, friendly and always responsive. The Kimkim website made it easy to plan our visit and communicate. We had to make a few changes ‘in real time’; these were done promptly and professionally. Thanks for helping us have a great experience in Costa Rica!

Hotel Reviews

Rio Celeste Hideaway Resort

Bijagua

Beautiful room, great hotel staff, excellent food, very nice pool, pretty grounds with hiking trails. Saw a sloth when we arrived and colorful birds every day at breakfast!

Authenticity & Character

Design, rooms, staff, common areas, wildlife on grounds

Location

Lots to do and see. Rio Celeste river.

Staff

Very friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything!

Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs

Fortuna

Nice room. Friendly, helpful staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Off the main road. Pretty grounds.

Staff

Very attentive. Helpful during a temporary illness.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Monteverde Lodge & Gardens

Monteverde

Nice room. Pretty grounds with trails. Comfortable restaurant and pool area.

Authenticity & Character

Natural setting with birds and some small mammals.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Issimo Suites Boutique Hotel & Spa—Adults Only

Manuel Antonio

Very nice hotel. Beautiful views to the ocean.

Authenticity & Character

Layout of hotel restaurant, pool area and our room.

Location

Staff

Randall in the restaurant was great!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hampton Inn & Suites San Jose Airport

Alajuela

Very comfortable, clean. Excellent staff. Easy in and out.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Near the airport. A little tricky to find on googlemaps.

Staff

Very helpful and friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grano de Oro Hotel

San José

Very nice hotel. Excellent staff and restaurant.

Authenticity & Character

Charm

Location

Easy to get to; near other restaurants.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Ecocentro Danaus Guided Rainforest Walk (without Transportation)

Arenal/La Fortuna

Excellent guide. Interesting place. Rained all morning!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tapir Valley Nature Reserve Night Walk

Bijagua / Rio Celeste

Very cool night hike! Saw tapir and her baby.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rio Celeste & Tenorio Volcano Private Hike

Bijagua / Rio Celeste

A strenuous hike of 3+ hours. Go early!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide helped us with trail challenges, shared cultural info., , not much re: flora and fauna.

Transport

Cloud Forest Reserve Privately Guided Hike

Monteverde

Excellent hike with lots to see and learn.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide Andres was great!

Transport

Day at Selvatura including Hanging Bridges and Fauna Exhibitions

Costa Rica

Excellent variety of plants and animals. Awesome butterfly area. Very good lunch, too.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Well-organized trip. Having the transport arranged for us let us focus on family and CR, not navigating how to get around. Serendipity Adventures, the on-the-ground subcontractor for KimKim, was superb. KimKim found the perfect place for a family of 7 to stay for a week in Manuel Antonio.

Hotel Reviews

Gran Hotel Costa Rica

San José

Just a Hilton from the Curio Collection. Everything was spectacularly nice (to be expected from a 5 Star hotel), but also quite divorced from a Costa Rican Experience; once inside the hotel, we could have been in almost any country anywhere. Great breakfast. Great location. Interestingly, less-than stellar restaurant staff, some of whom were slow and indifferent. If you value the luxury hotel experience, change this rating to 5 stars.

Authenticity & Character

A luxury hotel that could be transplanted to anywhere in the world. Devoid of authenticity except the building is a bit historic.

Location

Staff

Good front desk, great porters, great room service, and a full sized crib for our toddler, not just a pack-n-play. Restaurant staff a bit indifferent.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Costa Verde

Manuel Antonio

A wonderful place for families. We were 7 and KimKim found us the perfect house (Casa Quinta) on the property. Multiple great pools. Monkeys everywhere, which we all loved.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It is indeed built on the side of a hill. Plan on uphill hiking or plan on multiple taxi rides (totally worth the extra expense).

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The cleaning staff even washed our dishes!

Activity Reviews

Private Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Costa Rica

Not suited for young children. Mostly we saw small sleeping sloths only viewable through binoculars, which little kids can't easily negotiate. Defiinitely go early in the morning, before the heat sets in. Nice tour with a naturalist for older children and adults, with lots of teaching and explaining that bores the little ones and is great for others.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Damas Island Boat Tour

Manuel Antonio

Mangroves are cool for those of us with little experience with them.

Quality of Experience

Food

Simple and authentic dinner at an outdoor cafe afterwards.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

One of us left a phone on the bus and they brought it back to us almost before we even discovered it missing. Above and beyond service.

Just back from a 9 day trip to Costa Rica (Arenal/La Fortuna, Monteverde, and Manuel Antonio). Loved the guidance that Serendipity Adventures provided us both before our travels (thanks Holden and Nancy )a we trip planned, and appreciated the support locally from Wilman while we were there. The entire experience was both spectacular and seamless, from the rental car agent meeting us at our hotel, to the various guides that met us as planned on the different parts and locations of our amazing adventures (wildlife, ziplines, thermal baths, coffee plantations, and Pacific beach time to name a few). We appreciated having the peace of mind of a local contact for the trip as questions arose, as well as an after hours emergency contact number as well (which thankfully we did not have to use). The trip itinerary was detailed, and very easy to follow, and allowed us flexibility as we self drove from various parts of the country. Pure Vida ! Thank you!

Our trip was amazing! Every guide and transport was ready for us. Our trip was well planned. It went very smooth. One incident on our way to airport was resolved by Holden and Nancy immediately.

It was a trip of a lifetime!!!

Hotel Reviews

Arenal Manoa & Hot Springs

Fortuna

Absolutely amazing! The buffet was wonderful. Rooms were clean. Beds and pillows were too hard for my liking. Food was delicious. Beautiful volcano views. Seen a lot of wildlife, including a sloth on our resort.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Monteverde Lodge & Gardens

Monteverde

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful grounds and hotel. Clean.

Location

Very peaceful.

Staff

Friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and comfortable beds and pillows.

Gaia Hotel & Reserve—Adults Only

Manuel Antonio

Hotel was a little dated and not as well taken care of as the first 2 hotels we stayed at. Beds and pillows were comfortable. Too hot to enjoy the roof top patio. The resort was laid out a little funky. Not enough staff to take care of things the way I expected. Nice place, but not exceptional. I did like that we had a 2 bedroom villa.

Authenticity & Character

Weird layout of resort and pools.

Location

A little far from beach and towns.

Staff

Very friendly. Private concierge was amazing!!!!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Need more staff. Pools needed to be cleaned more often. Villa was clean and comfortable. In need of updating.

Gran Hotel Costa Rica

San José

I did not like hotel. It was clean but no outdoor spaces to enjoy. Food was subpar compared to other hotels we stayed at. No privacy when using bathroom or shower from other guests in my room.

Authenticity & Character

Contemporary. Did not feel like authentic Costa Rica.

Location

Right downtown. Good for walking and sightseeing.

Staff

Language barrier. Did not talk to anyone really.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean. Beds and pillows were very nice.

Activity Reviews

Private Hike in Arenal Volcano Park 1968

Arenal/La Fortuna

This was amazing. Our guide was knowledgeable. The hike was more difficult than expected. Very hard for my mom.

Quality of Experience

The view was amazing.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Patient. Went at our own pace.

Transport

Private Safari Float at the Penas Blancas River

Arenal/La Fortuna

This was one of our best experiences!!! Wildlife was amazing. Our guide was beyond amazing!! I would do this again with our guide! Surpassed every expectation!!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Night Walk: Children's Eternal Forest

Monteverde

I would not choose this again. We did not see wildlife.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day at Selvatura, Hanging Bridges and Fauna Exhibitions

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Savegre Whitewater Rafting

Costa Rica

Loved this activity!!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Not great compared to food we had in other places.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was very excited. Made us smile just seeing his excitement.

Transport