Holden Ketchum

Holden and the Serendipity Adventures team were great. Everything we asked for in the trip was included. Our trip included many transports of various kinds and we were amazed that it was so well coordinated.
We very much enjoyed the Arenal Moana and the Koora Hotel in Monteverde. The river rafting trip in La Fortuna was the favorite activity of all three generations in our group.
Thanks Holden and Serendipity!

Magical First Trip to Costa Rica!

My husband and I just returned from our first trip to Costa Rica and it was truly unforgettable! We visited La Fortuna, Monteverde, and Manuel Antonio, and every stop was filled with beauty, adventure, and incredible experiences.

In La Fortuna, we stayed at Amor Arenal, a stunning jungle hotel with private jacuzzis and breathtaking volcano views—pure luxury in nature. We loved our adventures there, including rafting, horseback riding, and spotting sloths in the wild.

Next, we headed to Monteverde, where we enjoyed a scenic road trip and a private tour of the Cloud Forest with Andy, whose passion for nature made the experience so memorable. Our night tour was equally exciting—we even saw tarantulas!

We ended our journey in Manuel Antonio at Arenas Del Mar, a beautiful beachfront resort with amazing food, service, and wildlife (hello hermit crabs!). We explored the national park and relaxed on the beach, soaking in every moment.

A heartfelt thank you to Holden and his team at Serendipity Tours, and to Kimkim.com for helping us plan such a well-organized, enriching, and fun trip. We’re so grateful and already dreaming of going back!

Pura Vida!

We had a great honeymoon in Costa Rica. Holden did a great job accommodating our requests and planning a trip that allowed us to see multiple locations during the week. Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin was a beautiful resort with plenty of activities, amazing food, and very friendly staff. Our snorkeling excursion with Yellowfin tours was great. We had a small boat to ourselves and got to see amazing marine life at multiple locations. Our guide was very knowledgeable and helpful and made it a great experience. Overall an amazing trip that was very well planned out. Serendipity Adventures was a pleasure to work with and were happy to work with us and accommodate any questions/concerns we had.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Hacienda Guachipelín

Liberia

It was a very nice resort up in the mountains of Costa Rica. The food at the restaurants there was amazing. All of the staff were very friendly and helpful. There are plenty of activities to do at the resort. We would definitely come back again.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bahia del Sol Hotel

Guanacaste

The hotel was very nice. Rooms were clean, new and modern. The food was good, but there is only one restaurant for lunch, and only two for dinner (one is a tapas bar with mostly just snacks and drinks). It is a nice smaller hotel. It was not busy when we were there, but if it was busy, the pool and lounge area could definitely begin to feel crowded quickly. It had amazing views of the sunset over the pacific.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Amazing sunset views

Staff

Rolando was a great waiter, very friendly, remembered allergies we had over the course of the week.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guanacaste Snorkel Adventure

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Introduction to Rincón de la Vieja

Rincón de la Vieja

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

One Day Nature Pass and Hot Springs at Hacienda Guachipelín

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Zip & Swing Through the Canyon

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was my first time to use a travel agency as I usually enjoy putting together a trip and think that I can get the best deal. This was a trip for me, my husband and our 19-year-old daughter. I was so impressed with the details of the questions of what we were looking for with our vacation and even more impressed with how quickly Holden responded and put together a fabulous itinerary. It was such a blessing to have all the reservations and details put together and all questions I asked Holden were quickly answered. I think that I am now sold on using a travel agency and Kimkim is my number 1 choice!

Activity Reviews

Private Organic Cooking Class

Arenal/La Fortuna

I would say this event on our Costa Rica trip stood out as one of the best adventures. We loved meeting with Huber and his family. The extent of knowledge Huber had of the vegetation, the wildlife and the growing patterns of the produce was impressive. We loved going through and tasting the different leaves and bark and guessing what each one was. It was also really fun to actually pick the produce that we would be using later for the cooking portion of the class. The cooking process was truly authentic being in Huber's family kitchen. It was such an amazing experience! The three of us (me, my husband and our 19yo daughter) prepped the food and I helped Huber's mom (Haidy?) with cooking the arroz con pollo and while husband and daughter put together the salad with fresh pickings from the yard. We also learned how to make fresh tortillas (I've already bought the ingredients back here at home!) and made those straight on the cooktop. I got to learn to make my favorite Central American side of fried Plantains and am so excited with that knowledge. The family was more than generous with sharing their knowledge, time and space with us. These kind of authentic experiences are what I enjoy best about visiting other cultures. Highly recommended!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kayak & Snorkel Tour in Tamarindo Bay

Tamarindo

I've been snorkeling before, but this was such a great experience. Jeffery was our guide and Nico, el jefe, picked us up and helped along the way. We felt accomplished taking the kayaks to the island. Then Jeffery spent the time walking us along the island teaching us about the wildlife. I find Costa Ricans just love their planet and everything that provides for them! We snorkeled in shallow water and while the sea life wasn't as bright or colorful as some places, I've been, it was still magnificent to see. When we got back we enjoyed a treat of fresh pineapple and mamon verde. I loved being introduced to a new food while on a snorkeling adventure! Jefferey and Nico were fabulous guides and we hope to run into them again on our next visit to Costa Rica!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Arenal Hanging Bridges Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

We very much enjoyed our private excursion with Mariano! We live in Arizona and love to hike and were enthralled with the chance to hike in a very different atmosphere with very different plants and critters. My head was on swivel as I was searching high in the trees for monkeys and sloths and low on the ground for frogs and snakes. Our group consisted of me, my husband and our 19yo daughter. The trails were great to follow and the end of May was a great time because there weren't too many others on the path. Now I'm scared of walking on things where I can see the ground, but the hanging bridges were fine as long as I didn't look down! What a great experience! Now our guide, Mariano, was so very knowledgeable and just as excited as us with each find. If there is a way to ask for a guide on this adventure, Mariano is your guy!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

KimKim did an amazing job of setting up a perfect vacation for my daughter and I. Everything went as planned, just as they promised. The hotels they picked were exquisite. The guides and transportation were not only timely, but extremely informative and courteous. The contact person was readily available and quick to respond. I will definitely use KimKim for all future travel!!

Wilman & Alex with serendipity travel were prompt and very informative. The springs hotel was relaxing and beautiful. Kayaking lake arenal was amazing, but could have been a longer tour, same for rain maker (hiking to waterfalls) - each was only an hour plus travel time. The kids favorite was the zipline, but we could have gone on the accompanying hike without the guide. Hiking up the volcano was fantastic- we took the res trail & are so glad we did!! Guide was amazing, so much to see and the view at the cafe after is well worth it all.

Hotel Reviews

The Springs Resort & Spa at Arenal

La Fortuna

Great food, beautiful room, hot springs & pool & monkey slide!!

Authenticity & Character

Hot springs are amazing

Location

Not in walking distance to anything

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Los Altos Resort

Manuel Antonio

Authenticity & Character

Pool is beautiful Private beach is lacking

Location

Walking distance to several shops & restaurants

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room is large with amazing views, but feels a bit empty & not cozy

Activity Reviews

Sky Tram, Sky Trek & Sky Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Staff & guides for zipping were amazing!! Guide for the hike was slow and spoke entirely too much - felt like she was trying to delay us.

Transport

Rainmaker Conservation Park Excursion

Manuel Antonio

Really pretty and a lot to see, but need more tyan one hour

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Guided Hike in Arenal Volcano Park 1968

Arenal/La Fortuna

Guide was amazing!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sloth Observation Tour - Morning or Afternoon

Arenal/La Fortuna

Cool to see sloths, not as awesome driving around to look for them

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kayaking on Lake Arenal

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a wonderful experience from planning and during the trip. The guides were the highlight of our experience as they had deep knowledge of how to think about and find natural wonders. We felt very taken care of and also able to do our own thing when we wanted to by renting a car and when we wondered if something was possible every question was entertained thoughtfully. Would definitely use Serendipity Adventures and Kimkim again !

Wilman and Serendipidy Adventures as well as Kimkim.com team were great from start to finish. My family and I are not planners but I wanted to have a well-planned and memorable springbreak vacation in Costa Rica. Kimkim.com's UI was very thorough in gathering all the preferences and bucket list of things to do in Costa Rica with the time we had. Once they gathered that info, Wilman and his team planned the perfect vacation. Sky Adventures and the white water rafting were the most memorable experiences for my family and I. To see the total fear in their faces at the start of each adventure to the feel and excitement once they have experienced the thrill of 700+ feet zip-lining above a rain forrest and facing the challenges of class 3+ raging rapids. Those memories will be in our hearts forever.

The accommodations were excellent. 3 days maximum at 3 different locations keep the experience fresh and new each time we arrived at a new Inn or luxury hotel. And the food wherever you are in Costa Rica is wonderful. Wilman made sure these locations had free breakfast included, which makes a difference both with the budget as well as planning for the day.

For my family to experience the true Costa Rican culture and food as well as their hospitality and adventures, to relaxing at the beautiful beaches has been a wonderful experience that my family and I will never forget. Thank you Wilman and Serendipity Adventures for a most memorable family vacation!!!!