Bryan Leon

We had a wonderful trip to Costa Rica! Serendipity did a great job with all our logistics and our contact Wilman kept on top of everything. It felt like we had a team supporting us throughout the trip. All our hotels were fantastic, the staff were so accommodating, and our trips were exactly what we wanted. We especially loved our tour of Manuel Antonio National Park, and our guide Andres Chaves Rojas was amazing. Overall we had a spectacular trip.

The trip went well, way beyond expectations. We thoroughly enjoyed every moment of the trip. I was a little apprehensive about going there due to concerns about possible safety issues in Latin America. Still, my daughter researched and found that Costa Rica is indeed very safe, like any European country. From the day we landed to the day we departed, the Serendipty tour was extremely well organized. The pick was smooth. All excursions started on time. All drivers were courteous and spoke fluent English. We went to Arenal, Fortuna area, followed by Monteverde, and back to the Papagayo area. All the guides were excellent. The hotels were way beyond our expectations with excellent breakfast. Two lunches and two dinners were included. Bryan, Nancy, and the Wilman team were in constant touch with me. Response to any of my texts was instant! Highly recommended

We travelled to Costa Rica from the UK with our two children aged 11 and 8.

Bryan (and Nancy) did a fantastic job of recommending and organizing a range of hotels and activities for us over the two-week trip. Everywhere we stayed was brilliant in its own way -- Laguna Lodge in Tortuguero was rustic and remote, Las Lagos in Fortuna was family-friendly and fun, Costa Verde in Manuel Antonio was uniquely quirky, and La Mariposa was sleek and stylish with incredible views.

All of our trips were pitched perfectly for us & the kids. We absolutely loved the white water rafting and seeing all the amazing wildlife Costa Rica has to offer. All of our guides were friendly and knowledgeable. Shout out to Mariano and Alex for their hospitality on our drives, even stopping to show us the local crocodiles and buy us fruit.

Wilman was a great help as a point of contact while we were there and kept us on track with all of the details.

A special mention also for our guide in Manuel Antonio National Park who kept us all engaged with his infectious passion for the local flora and fauna!

It was a truly special trip which will stay with us for many years.

Our trip to Costa Rica was so seamless, thanks to the collective efforts of the KimKim and Serendipity team. We had all of our needs met and then some, both with the hotels we stayed at and the activities that they coordinated for us. We couldn't have had the trip we did without their help. Ending our trip in Guanacaste was an incredible recommendation that made our stay so relaxing.

I was especially impressed by the quick responsiveness on the ground during our week in Costa Rica, as we encountered a few questions along the way that were all immediately addressed. I look forward to planning our next trip, wherever that may be!

Hotel Reviews

Casa Conde Beach Front Hotel

Playa Hermosa

Amazing views, food, drink, and pools. Everything we needed and more.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Volcano Lodge, Hotel & Thermal Experience

San Carlos, Alajuela

The rooms themselves were pretty average but the hot springs were the standout! We spent a ton of time outside and enjoying the proximity to Fortuna.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Be prepared for insects and lizards invading your space!

Senda Monteverde Hotel

Monteverde

So peaceful and attentive. Loved it.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Morning Sailing Tour

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Coffee & Chocolate Tour

Costa Rica

This was our family's favorite activity!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private: Guided Sloth & Bird Hike

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Guided Nature Walk at Ecological Park & Butterfly Garden Danaus

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Less animals than anticipated given the hot weather

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day at Selvatura, Hanging Bridges and Fauna Exhibitions

Costa Rica

The sloth exhibit was so impressive, as they were very active and right next to us. This was our daughter's favorite part of the trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private: Night Walk in Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve

Monteverde

So many wonderful surprises on this first night for us, especially the mother sloth carrying her baby across a power line in the dark. What great luck!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Palo Verde National Park Boat Exploration

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sky Tram, Sky Trek & Sky Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

The hike was very hot and pretty strenuous but the zip lining was unreal.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The local specialist at Serendipity Tours made our first trip to Costa Rica so memorable.
Not having to worry about all the planning details took such a load off my mind as I was busy working up until the minute we got on the plane!
They created an itinerary that was well balanced with adventurous activities, learning and downtime.
We were able to see different areas of the country without feeling like we were running ourselves ragged.
The guides and our drivers were so friendly, knowledgeable and kind.
Our main driver, Alex, was awesome and made us feel so comfortable.
River rafting on the Balsa river was the highlight.
There were no issues with reservations or logistics.
Wilman helped arrange last minute changes in our activities and was very attentive, checking in to make sure our trip was going smoothly.
Thanks for a wonderful trip.

Hotel Reviews

Cloud Forest Lodge

Monteverde

The room was so spacious, modern and clean. We overlooked the parking and the registration so that wasn't ideal, but the overall property was so lovely, it didn't matter. The lodge is tucked up in the mountains and has several paths to hike. The restaurant has beautiful views and delicious food. Saw a lot of birds and some other wildlife. Very relaxing stay in the cloud forest.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Falls at Manuel Antonio

Manuel Antonio

Food and service were great. We did not have a very nice room though. There was no privacy as the room was right above the restaurant. The door was a big sliding glass door and anyone walking by can see into the room. So we had to keep the curtains closed. There was only a tiny window so there was minimal light with the curtains closed. The bathroom could use an update. There are other more private rooms that would have been much nicer.

Hotel Magic Mountain

Fortuna

Great views of Arenal volcano. The pool area is nice. Easy walk to some tasty restaurants. Breakfast buffet was nice. The room was clean.

Activity Reviews

Sky Tram, Sky Trek & Sky Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

The walk was just ok. Nice views and learned a bit about the rain forest. The real highlight is the zip lining of course.

Private Guided Nature Walk at Ecological Park & Butterfly Garden Danaus

Arenal/La Fortuna

Not much to see here. Could have done without this.

Ecotermales Hotsprings

Costa Rica

Whitewater Rafting on the Balsa River

Arenal/La Fortuna

So much fun and the guides are terrific. Great for kids. The rapids are fun but not super scary. The class 2 section is gorgeous.

Coffee & Chocolate Tour

Costa Rica

Fun learning about coffee and chocolate. Good for kids. We did the night walk as well and it was fun searching for wildlife.

Private Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Hike

Costa Rica

You definitely need a guide to see the animals. Don't expect a relaxing time though until you get to the beach. We were running from one place to the next trying to spot the birds and other wildlife. Our guide was very good at making opportunities for use to see animals, but there are so many guides and groups it feels like a competition. We saw a mother and baby sloth very close up which was awesome. The beach is lovely. Despite the crowds, this is definitely a must see place.

Local Flavors Cooking Class

Manuel Antonio

This was really fun. Our guide, Karla, from Toucanes tours was so funny and friendly! The food we helped cook was delicious and I am inspired to try making the dish at home. My son enjoyed cooking as well. It was just my son and I so we got all the attention.

Everything was great. Bryan was most helpful. The itinerary you planned for us was very good. All focused on nature, which is what we wanted. We could have used a guide or a nature specialist on all the hikes.
The drivers were all good, especially Alex who is a real gentleman. He was very helpful and very knowledgeable. The river tour was exceptional. I wish it had been longer. The hotels were great, especially the second one.
One thing that was not planned well was the day we drove from papagayo to the hike where there is a waterfall. Almost three hours one way! Moreover the guide in that hike could barely speak English. He gave us all a headache. That was crazy. Was too long for a hike that was not really worth it.
Otherwise all good. We loved Costa Rica. People were incredible. We saw amazing animals. Saw the beautiful quetzal three times.
We loved the trip. Pura Vida.

Hotel Reviews

Arenal Paraiso Resort & Spa

La Fortuna

Authenticity & Character

Location

Grounds were beautiful. Loved the cabins.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Koora Hotel at Monteverde

Monteverde

Authenticity & Character

In the trees

Location

Fabulous place

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were fabulous.

Bahia del Sol Hotel

Guanacaste

Location was amazing. Best beach.

Authenticity & Character

Could be modernized a bit

Location

Excellent

Staff

All kind and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private: Arenal Volcano & 1968 Reserve Guided Hike

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

No

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sky Tram, Sky Trek & Sky Walk

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cultural Experience

Arenal/La Fortuna

Wonderful people. Excellent meal.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private: Night Walk at Children's Eternal Forest

Monteverde

Did not see many animals

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Palo Verde National Park Boat Exploration

Costa Rica

Fabulous. Many animals. Too short. Should be st least 2 hours.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hike to Las Pailas, Rincon de la Vieja National Park and La Oropendola Waterfall

Costa Rica

Nothing exceptional. Too many hours to get there. Terrible guide who spoke bad English.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Alex was terrific. Drove safely.

Private Chocolate Farm Visit & Workshop

Arenal/La Fortuna

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day at Selvatura, Hanging Bridges and Fauna Exhibitions

Costa Rica

Amazing scenery

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve Guided Hike

Costa Rica

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We spent 16 days in Costa Rica and Kim Kim was invaluable, helping us plan our trip, booking accommodations, car and tour guides. Thank you, Bryan ! We started our trip in San Jose and had a day to acclimate to the time change after a late evening arrival the prior day. Stayed at the El Presidente hotel, which has a very nice breakfast room and a wonderful little restaurant upstairs which we’d recommend. The gem museum and Stiffel pub would be our two recommendations in San Jose. Up early the next morning for our long bus trip and boat trip to the Mwamba Lodge in Torteguero. Highly recommend the Mwamba Lodge , the guides and scenery of Torteguero. Back to the mainland to rent a car and off to Arenal. Three nights at the Los Lagos resort enjoying the grounds and the natural Hot Springs, recommend . Alberto and Mao top flight guides on the Arenal,hanging bridges tour, recommend.
Off to Rio Celeste to stay 1 night at Casita Tenorio (highly recommend) and wonderful waterfall hike with Mariano. Next 2 beach days out on the Guancaste peninsula, which we planned on our own. Up next two nights in Monteverde to tour the cloud forest with Jorge who is very knowledgeable and fun to spend time with. Recommend Hotel Ficus for accommodations, wonderful staff and location. Walk to the Morphus restaurant for dinner. Tip- the road we took up to Monteverde was challenging for the last hour, gravel road and lots of potholes, but manageable. However, coming back down two days later different road, which was paved and in great condition. So something to talk to KimKim about if you have options and that’s a concern. If you’re a good, confident and respectful driver, then renting a car is a good way to go, as it gives you a chance to enjoy a lot of the back roads and view life in Costa Rica away from the tourist spots. Just need a good copilot. Google maps or something similar and avoid driving at night and in bad weather.
Next up was Manuel Antonio Park , and a wonderful wildlife tour with Andres Sosio. We chose an 11 o’clock tour time to sleep in a bit and it worked out great as Andres already had one tour under his belt that day and knew where all the animals were and also much less crowded late morning. Something to consider.
We stayed at Hotel La Mariposa- incredible views sitting on top of the highest point in town, beautiful dining area and pool area, and the majority of the rooms have great views. Cannot recommend this place enough. In fact, we cut our Uvita stop one day short to spend another day at La Mariposa. Finally back to San Jose with a 1:30 AM flight to LA the next day. Highly recommend the Marriott Hacienda Belen in San Jose, coming or going, if you have the better part of a day to enjoy their property .
We want to acknowledge how helpful Wilman at Serendipity is when you’re in country when any issue comes up, he’s a pro. Lastly want to say how welcoming the people of Costa Rica are, without exception, and how much they appreciate visitors after a couple of lean Covid years. Please tip well and often.
Peter and Sandra
Seattle WA

Great trip thanks to KimKim and Serendipity Adventures. Everything was very well planned and hotels were all as, or better than expected. They did a great job arranging all the private/shared transfers between all six destinations so all we had to do was show up on time and be ready to move. Wilman was our main contact in CR and he did a great job checking in periodically. He also arranged a tour for us with little notice and accommodated our request to change the itinerary and stay an extra night in one spot in record time. Couldn’t recommend KimKim and Serendipity enough.