Holden and Serendipity were great!
Costa Rica | Feb 25 - Mar 5, 2025

J
Julie K.
San Jose, CA | Reviewed on Mar 09, 2025

Holden, from Serendipity, was extremely helpful in planning our trip to Costa Rica. He had many good suggestions where to go and arranging guides to take us on amazing hikes. Holden was very good about answering all our questions very promptly. His attention to detail was outstanding.

Wilman, our local contact for Serendipity, was amazing. We contacted him several times during our trip, and he was very responsive, usually within minutes! We were impressed with his service.

Hotel Reviews
Casa Corcovado Jungle Lodge

The Casa Corcovado Jungle Lodge was outstanding. The location was perfect, right in the middle of nature, making the experience truly unforgettable. The staff were wonderful and immediately made us feel welcome. The accommodations were just as we hoped they would be: clean, comfortable, and beautifully integrated with the surroundings. I have absolutely no complaints.

Cloud Forest Lodge
Monteverde

Our stay at the Cloud Forest Lodge in Monteverde was amazing. The highlight was the restaurant - every single meal from appetizers to dessert was incredible. The food was fresh, light, beautifully presented, and absolutely delicious. Even though we typically eat light while traveling, we couldn't resist indulging here. The quality of the meals would make me want to return to Monteverde just for the food. The hotel itself was also fantastic, truly a great experience.

Rio Celeste Hideaway Resort
Bijagua

Staying at the Rio Celeste Hideaway Resort was a fabulous experience. Everything about this place was great - from the accommodations to the staff, I felt well taken care of. It was a wonderful end to our trip, and I would highly recommend anyone visiting Bijagua/Rio Celeste to stay here.

Hotel Presidente
San José

Hotel Presidente in San José was a nice stay overall. The staff were great, and the hotel was clean and well-situated. However, we experienced significant noise from the water pipes in our guest room throughout the night, which disrupted our sleep. It's an older hotel, so I understand these things can happen, but it affected our comfort during the stay. Had it not been for the noise, it would have been a perfect stay.

Activity Reviews
Sirena Park Station Private Tour
Sirena Park Station Private Tour
Drake Bay

We had a great hike around the Sirena Park Station. Our guide, Maria, was outstanding. If she wasn't with us, we would not have seen any wildlife. It was amazing how she could spot all the animals high in the trees! Using her monocular allowed us to see the animals in detail. We saw a tapir, anteater, sloth, squirrel monkeys, and many birds.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Corcovado National Park Hike from San Pedrillo Ranger Station
Corcovado National Park Hike from San Pedrillo Ranger Station
Drake Bay

Our guide, Maria, was amazing. She made this a great hike. She is very knowledgeable. She could find animals high in the trees that we never would have seen on our own. We saw spider monkeys, a lot of colorful Macaws. a lot of other birds, and on our way back to our lodge, she found a puma!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Rio Celeste & Tenorio Volcano Private Hike
Rio Celeste & Tenorio Volcano Private Hike
Bijagua / Rio Celeste

The Rio Celeste river, Blue Lagoon and Waterfall were gorgeous. The blue color of the water was amazing, unlike anything else we have ever seen. Our guide, Mariano, was great! He was very knowledgeable and made this a very enjoyable hike.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Mariano was an outstanding guide.
Transport
Tapir Valley Nature Reserve Night Walk
Tapir Valley Nature Reserve Night Walk
Bijagua / Rio Celeste

This night tour was a great way to see tapirs. It also allowed us to see other animals that we hadn't seen elsewhere on our trip to Costa Rica, such as the red-eyed green tree frog, and a night owl. It was nice to see the wildlife up close. This was a unique experience.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Jess was a great guide.
Transport
Alex is the best driver!
Local specialist: Holden Ketchum
Holden
Holden Ketchum
Local specialist in Cartago, Costa Rica | Replied on Mar 10, 2025

Hello Julie,
Thank you for taking the time to write a thorough review. Thank you for mentioning your guides by name, I will be sure to pass on the information. They love to hear that they have done a good job!

How absolutely amazing that you got to see a puma in Corcovado, that is a rare occurrence.

I'm glad to hear that you had an amazing experience here in Costa Rica, all of our planning paid off!

Thank you
Holden Ketchum
Serendipity Adventures