Costa Rica Travel Agents

Alex is an amazing driver! Long rides went fast due to his knowledge and experiences in life. Some other things need improvement though.

Accommodations were very good except at the Lapas Jungle Lodge. While the atmosphere was great, the rooms and meals were below average. Room had a hot water issue, hot tub was not hot and only 1 of 7 jets worked, ongoing construction, and staff morale seemed low. I would not use this hotel until the new ownership has finished refurbish.

Most excursions were awesome, but the descriptions could be better. Even their websites are pretty vague. The night walk was great but our guide was not engaging and seemed impatient. Same with the ATV guide. While nice people, it felt like they were just going through the motions.

The 2nd half of our itinerary was lacking in accurate (or at all) descriptions. We made it work, but wanted to bring it up for future guests.

Finally, Bryan's attention to detail needs improvement. He miscommunicated several times on, what I thought, were some pretty easy tasks. I'm sure it's a fast paced job, but this was the down season.

Overall we loved our trip but would not book through Serendipity again.

Hotel Reviews

Volcano Lodge, Hotel & Thermal Experience

San Carlos, Alajuela

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Villa Lapas Rainforest Eco-Resort

Tárcoles

They are in the middle of new ownership and they need to finish their construction before I would recommend. The grounds are great though!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Celeste Mountain Lodge

Bijagua

This is more like a B&B, but that is what's charming about it. Very clean and well maintained. The food is great, and an excellent value! We ate all but one of our meals there.

Authenticity & Character

Very relaxing atmosphere

Location

Don't miss out on their private hiking path, it was the highlight of our trip!

Staff

The staff seemed like family and all did a wonderful job.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Super clean and orderly. Quiet and relaxing, I recommend a fan if you are not used to an open air room without A/C, we did just fine with a 10" fan on the days without a breeze. And we slept really well enjoying the night sounds.

Activity Reviews

Safari Float on the Peñas Blancas River

Arenal/La Fortuna

Nice float and our raft guide was excellent.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arenal ATV Adventure

Arenal/La Fortuna

It was fun and we'd do it again with a different trail(s). We could have done without the "back 40" mud drive, it was not very big and not that interesting. Once in the mountains, the views were amazing, but not much of a chance to enjoy (eg slow down, pull over, etc. It was more about the ride than the scenery.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Staff was great, especially the young lady at reception, our guide was nice but could have been more attentive.

Transport

Driver was fun and engaging, in fact he was the one who noticed my phone/rain issue...well done!

Tapir Valley Nature Reserve Night Walk

Bijagua / Rio Celeste

Fantastic experience, the nature reserve has well maintained paths and structures.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide seemed overly focused on moving rather than enjoying. Not all tourists want to run at night, in a hot climate, to maybe see an animal. Many of us just want to be out there soaking up the atmosphere. Perhaps ask your group what they value.

Transport

Serendipity manager fumbled the transport. Many thanks to our hotel hosts for finding a alternate driver quickly. But this set off a chain reaction where our tour guide seemed annoyed and in a rush.

River Tubing, Río Celeste

Bijagua / Rio Celeste

Great guide, very patient and upbeat.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fun guys, went out of their way to give extra time and effort. Well done, gentlemen!

Jungle Crocodile Safari

Costa Rica

We can't review because our Serendipity manager was not very attentive, he seemed disengaged and not too effective at his job.

I had an incredible trip to Costa Rica, and I cannot recommend it enough! My coordinator, Olman, did an amazing job organizing everything. One of the most unforgettable highlights of the trip was witnessing the incredible diversity of wildlife throughout the country, especially in Monteverde and Manuel Antonio, which were absolutely breathtaking.

My driver, Alex, was exceptional. He shared fascinating insights about Costa Rican wildlife, culture, cuisine, and daily life, making the journey informative and engaging. His knowledge and friendliness added so much value to the experience.

Overall, this trip was a perfect blend of adventure and learning. I left Costa Rica with a deeper appreciation for its natural beauty and culture, thanks to the excellent coordination and guidance from Olman and Alex.

Olman was so patient and responsive to all my questions. He listened to our requests about a specific type of itinerary and made great suggestions. The activities he suggested were perfect for my 10 year old and myself. The accommodations in both Puerto Viejo and Arenal La Fortuna were just what we wanted!

Impeccable choices by our friend, Yuliana, starting from pick-up at the airport. Her planning and attention to detail allowed my family to enjoy a vacation free from arguing, uncertainty or poor planning. Thank YOU!

Costa Rica for a family of four to celebrate my husband’s 50th birthday. Our two sons (16 & 13)came along for their second international trip. We started in San Jose to acclimate and pick up a rental. Hotel was perfect for one night with teens. Service was excellent and super helpful with car rental communicators. Alamo provided a new Toyota Rav 4 for our journey.

We ventured to La Paz Waterfalls for a stop off on the way to Arenal / La Fortuna. Fantastic spot and worth the time to explore the waterfalls and zoo.

Next stop was Arenal Parasido Resort in La Fortuna. Stayed in a villa ( 2 bd/ bath house with micro kitchen). Private and spacious with beautiful grounds. Zipline, safari river tour, eco thermal springs are some of the amazing activities we enjoyed. All companies provided were top notch!

Next area we explored was Quepos and Manuel Antonio National Parc. We stayed at Los Altos Resort in Quepos which was pure luxury! Accommodations were stellar including our own elevator, balconies off all rooms, 3 bd 3 bth, concierge service! Wildlife on the property rivaled the national park! Sloths, monkeys, macaw, agouti, toucans, hummingbirds and much more all on the property. Some of our favorite moments were observing the natural beauty poolside and experiencing wildlife completely free. Stunning views across the property. Staff was legendary and a pleasure to get to know. Breakfast was another standout.