Serendipity Adventures

My college-age son and I had an incredible time!
La Paloma Lodge was a pearl -- accessible only by boat, it is nestled in the rain forest and the experience of staying there was both novel and comfortable. My leg was eaten by sand fleas at the local beach, but otherwise we had a wonderful tour of Corcovado National Park, and the Cano Island snorkeling was fun. The only thing I would comment on is that the snorkeling trip ends with lunch on a beach (we were at San Josecito Beach) but there is no bathroom available there (which was surprising). I was also stung by multiple jellyfish larvae while snorkeling, so that was a bit rough. I was itchy due to the sand fleas and larvae stings for a full week afterwards. I would have appreciated a heads up about these in advance, as I did not adequately protect myself.
Manuel Antonio was awesome, but in particular, our hotel (Hotel Mariposa) was spectacular. The resort is breathtakingly beautiful, and there are monkeys and macaws surrounding the property. I went for a daily swim in the pool because it was so beautiful and comfortable. The food at Le Papillon is a bit overpriced but it is delicious.
The Manuel Antonio hike with Andres (an ornithologist and naturalist) was incredible. He can spot a dragonfly from 100 feet away. It was a privilege to learn from him, and his powerful scope was instrumental in getting some incredible photos. We LOVED the whitewater rafting, even though water levels were low. In retrospect, I would have wanted to go in a full raft (not a raft for just the two of us and our guide), as the heavier raft leads to a bumpier ride. The guides at Amigos Del Rio were excellent.
The surf lesson with Sebastian (who works for Glen) was good, even if there was as much chatting as there was surfing. The Manuel Antonio beaches are perfect for learning to surf. The only unfortunate aspect was that our driver to and from the lesson never showed up so we had to rely on alternate mechanisms. Also our itinerary listed the lesson as "2 hours" in one place and "3 hours" in another place. Turns out it was only 2 hours, but that was plenty.
All in all, the team at Serendipity did a great job, and Adrian was accessible on WhatsApp at all times. That was hugely helpful.
Here are my suggestions:
1. More specificity on what to expect and where to be. It's great if a tour starts at 7:50am. Where should we be at 7:50am? Hotel reception? Security gate in front of hotel? Who should we look for? There are times when multiple tour guides approached us, but we were not the right clients. It would have helped for us to have a name/company to look for.
2. Lay out where we will and will not have access to internet. At La Paloma, there is no cell service, and the only WiFi provided is in the central restaurant.
3. Warn people of sand fleas and jellyfish (golden line) possibilities.
4. Recommend tours like the mangrove tours or the night tours. We did not book these in advance but word of mouth indicates that they were amazing.
All in all, we had a great time, and I appreciate Serendipity Travel very much for booking such excellent guides and experiences.

Serendipity gave me an itinerary that was responsive the needs for an intergenerational trip. I was planning for my children and their grandparents. I am used to doing everything on my own and it worked out great to work with pros in-country! the local advice was critical. When one is an outsider there is no way to distinguish who are the best service providers, guides, transfers, etc.

Serendipity booked us the most incredible MASTER guide in Monteverde who was greeted like a celebrity by the other guides. Without Bryan and his team's expertise we would have been rolling the dice. Serendipity also had access to hotels beyond the booking.com options which was critical when we were searching for lodging in peak Christmas season on the beach. Given that this is a once-in-a-lifetime trip, it is great to have a local who knows what is good and worth it, depending on the travelers' profile.

I know this when I play host in my favourite cities- guidebooks and reviews are not enough and the options are overwhelming.

in country we had available and super-responsive support via WhatsApp.

This was the first time in a long time I used a travel agent or Kim-Kim but it saved me hours of time and all of their recommendations and timings of the day were great recs and worked out well. When decisions you make from you laptop don't line up it can be a bummer on vacation. My parents were super impressed.

Hotel Review

Fonda Vela Hotel

Monteverde

The Fonda Vela Hotel in Monteverde had its ups and downs. Initially, we were placed in less desirable rooms overlooking the parking lot, which lacked privacy and had a less pleasant view. However, we were able to resolve it due to speaking the local language, and eventually, we were moved to better rooms. The location of the hotel was beautiful, and the grounds were well-maintained. Service was good though the restaurant was overpriced and service slow. The New Year's Eve dinner was a letdown due to poor organization and long waits, despite being complimentary.

Activity Reviews

Private: Guided Walk at Curi-Cancha Reserve

Monteverde

The private guided walk at Curi-Cancha Reserve was outstanding. Our guide was phenomenal, treating us with personal attention and engaging with our kids throughout the tour. He seemed like a celebrity, known by everyone at the site, and made the experience special. His ability to spot wildlife and engage us all made the tour unforgettable.

Treetopia: Tram, Zip Lines & Hanging Bridges

Monteverde

Treetopia adventure with zip lines and hanging bridges was exciting. Although my daughter felt the zip lines were too advanced, the hanging bridges were a great alternative, and we enjoyed the experience. The flexibility to change plans and enjoy different parts of the tour was appreciated, though I would have liked more specific guidance on choosing between this and other nearby attractions. Booking the first thing in the morning helped as we avoided the crowds.

Coffee & Chocolate Tour

Costa Rica

The Coffee & Chocolate Tour was one of the highlights of our trip. It lived up to its sterling reviews, offering informative and enjoyable experiences surrounding two of our favorite indulgences.

Palo Verde National Park Boat Trip

Costa Rica

The Palo Verde National Park Boat Trip was an enjoyable excursion. It was a refreshing change of pace and presented Costa Rica's natural beauty from the water in a unique way.

Morning Sailing and Snorkeling Adventure

Costa Rica

The morning sailing and snorkeling adventure was great. The crew was fantastic, making the whole experience smooth and entertaining.

We have just came back from our Costa Rica adventure. We have contacted kimkim because last year they helped us plan an amazing New Zealand trip. We love traveling but taking 2 little kids makes it hard for me to plan by myself and kimkim always comes through! We also had my dad join us for this trip
So we looked for something fun for all ages, literally.
We had our specialist Elena and the whole team at Serendipity Adventures make sure everything goes as smoothly as it possibly can.
Starting with planning, Elena was always available for questions or comments and made sure I’m happy every step of the way. She modified our itinerary 10 times until I felt it was the right one, location and budget combined. We also had Nancy in charge of booking our adventures and had Adria text us a few days before we left the US to introduce himself and let us know he will be available for anything we need and he was!
For the actual trip, every tour we booked came to pick us up on time, there were no hiccups.
We started at Arenal with volcanoe views and the nicest ppl. The hanging bridge was our favorite tour there, it was amazing and we all enjoyed it so so much.
We also did a sloth tour and a coffee tour (that was amazing as well)
Then we drove to the beach in Guanacaste stopping at La Leona on the way, this track was hard but the waterfall was worth it.
We arrived at Guanacaste for 4 days of resting by the pool in a beautiful resort. We had 2 scuba diving planned which was also really fun.
All in all, we all loved Costa Rica. Thank you, Serendipity Adventures for an unforgettable experience!

Via Kimkim, we booked our 9 day Costa Rica trip with Serendipity Adventures, a Costs Rica travel agency. Elena from Serendipity was super responsive in helping us customizing our trip and responding to all our questions. The trip was very well planned and fit our need. I would like to thank Adrien from Serendipity for her the assistance and support during our stay in Costa Rica. Her prompt responses were greatly appreciated when we encountered questions or issues. We felt we were in good hands with her help throughout the trip. Our local guide Sergio was awesome in providing helpful local information, including restaurants, local culture, etc. during the our ride/transportation between different destinations. We enjoyed this trip very much, and the journey definitely has become a beautiful memory that we will talk about for a long time. Both Costa Rica and Serendipity Adventures are highly recommended, and Kimkim made it possible!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel La Mariposa

Manuel Antonio

Great sunset view! Nice pool. Many good restaurants near by.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Arenal Paraíso Resort, Spa & Hot Springs

La Fortuna

Hot springs pools are fun to use. The hotel is directly facing the volcano ( although the clouds cover the volcano most of the time…) Great birding location! Room is outdated and felt cheap. About 10-15 minutes drive from the town. No other restaurants within walking distance.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Some staff are super nice but not all.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The air conditioner direct blow to the bed. Room design may be improved.

Koora Hotel

Monteverde

Awesome hotel with a superb restaurant! Outstanding services.

Authenticity & Character

cozy and nicely decorated room.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Whitewater Rafting on the Balsa River

Arenal/La Fortuna

The white water rafting experience is awesome and one of the highlights of our trip. Highly recommended

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Stevens was awesome

Transport

The drive to the rafting location is long 2 hours one way!

All Day Adventure at Selvatura, including Zipline, Hanging Bridges, and Fauna Exhibitions

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Food

The pre-purchase meal tickets have limited selection and seem the food quality and portion not as good as if one purchases at the restaurant

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Catamaran Tour with Meal

Costa Rica

Great staff. Very good fish bbq. Not sure the snorkel gears are properly cleaned between use.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a great time in Costa Rica.The Hotels that were booked were great and we had a great time at the hotels.The drivers for the first two legs of the journey were good drivers and the third one-Driver+Guide,Mr.Sergei was a wealth of information and very nice-much appreciated by the group.Adrian,our local contact was awesome with his quick responses and we felt comfortable kowing that some one was available for contact and information locally.I did not think that I would be conatcting him but I did have to do it a couple of times.It worked out perfect-Kusod to him.

I would like to mention a couple of things:
1.The itenerary needed a little more detail in term of description of activity or Hotels and duration of activity with actual times.For eg.The Selvatura tour is a whole day trip that can started anywhere between 8-12:30pm.
2.The Damas island boat tour started at 1:30pm and said Lunch was included but in practice the lunch was not served till after the tour at 5 pm.If we had details,we could have had lunch on our own and skipped their meal which was very very POOR.
3.We are new to rhe country,so exact times of pick up and drop off would have been helpful.

On the whole except for a few little twiks,the trip went well and we felt comfortable and safe with the drivers.Thanks,Elena for planning teh trip.

Hotel Reviews

Arenal Springs Resort

La Fortuna

The OT springs at the Hotel was nice added Bonus!We took full advantage of the spring

Authenticity & Character

Location

Beautiful view of Arenal

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hilton Garden Inn Guanacaste Airport

Liberia

Conveinent for an overnight stay

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel & Spa Poco a Poco

Monteverde

Beautiful location in Monte Verde

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ecotica

Manuel Antonio

Beautiful location and nice utilization of landscape

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Costa Rica Marriott Hotel Hacienda Belen

San José

Beautiful Premises-wished we had stayed longer

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

All Day Adventure at Selvatura, including Zipline, Hanging Bridges, and Fauna Exhibitions

Costa Rica

The safest Ziplining so far and the team of six who were with were awesome in watching for safety and helping the group move safely across teh 16 platforms.Wasa great Experience as I felt safe.

Quality of Experience

Food

We had a choice of the Menu and teh staff were curteous and attentive!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Zipling was the safest

Transport

Damas Island Boat Tour

Manuel Antonio

The tour was called Lunch tour but they did not Provide any food till after teh trip at %pm-food was cold and very poor quality-fish and chicken were dry and rubbery

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private San José City Tour

San José

I would have liked a planned tour of the most important places to see.He did a good job but it was a little chaotic as he requested what we wanted to see and took us around.However I think he did a great job given the traffic in San Jose!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport