Amazing vacation in Costa Rica! Serendipity is 5 Stars!
Costa Rica | Jan 19 - Jan 26, 2025

ann marie
ann marie t.
San Jose, CA | Reviewed on Jan 28, 2025

We just completed a trip and had such a wonderful experience! Elana and Wilman were tremendous and so pleasant to interact with. I definitely felt that they really cared about our experience. Elana put together an incredible itinerary and my dad and I had so much fun. Each activity was awesome and our schedule was thoughtfully put together so everything flowed. It always felt like we got the very best rooms at each property. The people working at the zip line at Selvetura Park were so awesome, as we’re the river rafting crew. We had a blast and also felt very safe. Our drivers were consistently kind, fun and informative. The only change I would make is to not stay at L Establo. The property was too large and spread out and the breakfast was a cattle call with tour bus attendees. I would absolutely tap into this entire team on a future trip and refer kim Kim and serendipity to any and all of my friends and family!

Hotel Reviews
Arenal Springs Resort & Spa
La Fortuna

Very friendly and wonderful service. Pristine property that has a lot of nice walking and animal viewing right from the property. Delicious food and amazing Hot Springs

Authenticity & Character
It is well laid out and thoughtfully designed
Location
The view of the mountain is so beautiful and the property is lush. There’s a lot of fun things to do for couples or families.
Staff
Amazing service
Cleanliness & Comfort
The rooms were pristine
El Establo Mountain Hotel
Monteverde

The design is very modern and clean and it is a huge and beautiful property. It is so steep and large that moving from place to place requires a shuttle even for people who love physical activity. We had to pay $20 each, just to take a walk on the trails above the property And this seems odd to me The breakfast was also chaotic and stressful with tons of people from tour buses. We did not find it, relaxing at all

Authenticity & Character
It’s very nature oriented with beautiful views
Location
The location is walkable to downtown and in a beautiful setting with tremendous views. It’s just such a steep and spread out footprint.
Staff
The front desk staff were wonderful and the shuttle drivers were very nice
Cleanliness & Comfort
The rooms were pristine
Holiday Inn Express San Jose Airport
San Jose

We were extremely surprised by how nice of a stay it was here. They had a beautiful hotel with lush environment. The rooms were very basic, but nice with comfortable bed and great shower and very clean. There is a Denny’s adjacent to the property and we were extremely close to the airport with a free shuttle. I would absolutely stay here again for proximity to the airport.

Authenticity & Character
It is what it is and it does practical well
Location
Close to airport! Beautiful sunset as well
Staff
Friendly and prompt
Cleanliness & Comfort
The bed and linens were very nice. The room was extremely clean. There was a comfortable chair in the room to lounge in.
La Mariposa Hotel
Manuel Antonio

I wish I could give it six stars. The hotel is in the most beautiful setting with incredible views There are lots of good restaurants that someone can walk to from the hotel. They make amazing food and drinks, and the breakfast was spectacular I loved that they had a resident cat! The air conditioners worked great, and the rooms were spacious and well designed. There were macaws flying around in the trees on the property! This was my favorite hotel

Authenticity & Character
It’s incredibly charming and beautiful
Location
The views! It’s also close to a lot of things and desirable places to walk to, including a mini grocery store and ATM.
Staff
Everyone we spoke to was wonderful
Cleanliness & Comfort
The rooms were very beautiful inside and outside, and the views were epic
Activity Reviews
Hanging Bridges, La Fortuna Waterfall, and Arenal Volcano
Hanging Bridges, La Fortuna Waterfall, and Arenal Volcano
Arenal/La Fortuna

This was an enjoyable day, but I wish we had only done two of the three activities. The hanging bridge tour took far far longer than was expected and went on too long. We did like our guide though. The waterfall was beautiful and I’m glad we saw it. I would pass on the hike because the visibility is often so poor and the hike was really just a steep short walk.

Quality of Experience
Food
The food was delicious and it was fun to talk to the other guest
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Night Walk in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve
Night Walk in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve
Monteverde

I really enjoyed this experience and the guide was very knowledgeable. It was fun to see a tarantula and scorpion and many other critters and learn about the background of the forest

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
I’m
Transport
All Day Adventure at Selvatura, including Zipline, Hanging Bridges, and Fauna Exhibitions
All Day Adventure at Selvatura, including Zipline, Hanging Bridges, and Fauna Exhibitions
Costa Rica

The zip line guides were incredible! They made us feel so safe and they were very attentive. I loved spending the time with them. The guy who took us around the butterfly reptile area was wonderful as well.

Quality of Experience
O
Food
Beautiful setting, nice service and delicious food!
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Catamaran Tour with Meal
Catamaran Tour with Meal
Costa Rica

We were pleasantly surprised by how nice of an experience this was. There weren’t a ton of the people on the boat and the people joining us were so fun to talk to. The team manning the ship played great music And yummy food. We saw a gorgeous sunset and snorkeling was a blast!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Nature Hike
Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Nature Hike
Manuel Antonio

Our guide was amazing and taught us so many things. We saw an incredible variety of plants, animals, and reptiles. Including a Ferdinand’s (sp?) snake! The activity was tailored to suit our time commitment, which was perfect.

Quality of Experience
It’s a national park for a reason. It’s stunningly, beautiful and not too large. You will see a huge variety of animals.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Savegre Whitewater Rafting
Savegre Whitewater Rafting
Costa Rica

We had such a good time. This was my dad’s favorite activity.. The river was so beautiful and our boat guide was super knowledgeable about the environment and birds. He handled the river with strong mastery of the currents and made us feel extremely safe. The other guys on the team were hilarious and so fun to be around. We saw the sunset from the river and it was gorgeous!

Quality of Experience
I wish that dinner was not included in this event. The meal afterwards was awkward because everyone just wanted to go home.
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
{{start_location}} to {{end_location}} - Visit La Paz Waterfall
{{start_location}} to {{end_location}} - Visit La Paz Waterfall
Costa Rica

This was better than I expected. The waterfall walk and walk around the animal habitats was really fun. We loved the hummingbirds so much. It’s very lush and beautiful. It can be really chilly with the strong mist so bring a good jacket and definitely a raincoat.

Quality of Experience
Food
It was nice that lunch was right there so we didn’t have to go somewhere else, but I would opt out of eating there next time.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
We were lucky to have this driver twice and he was so kind and knowledgeable. He took us to great stops along the way and made the drive fun. We really enjoyed the smoothie and such that he pulled over for us. He was a very safe driver.
Transport
Local specialist: Elena Mora
Elena
Elena Mora
Local specialist in Cartago, Turrialba | Replied on Jan 28, 2025
Hola Ann Marie, Thank you so much for your kind words and for taking the time to share your experience! It truly warms my heart to hear that you and your dad had such a wonderful trip. It was a pleasure creating your itinerary and ensuring that every moment was memorable for you both. I’m delighted to know that you enjoyed the activities, especially the zip lining at Selvatura Park and the river rafting adventure—those are such special experiences! I’ll be sure to pass along your kind... Read more

Hola Ann Marie,

Thank you so much for your kind words and for taking the time to share your experience! It truly warms my heart to hear that you and your dad had such a wonderful trip. It was a pleasure creating your itinerary and ensuring that every moment was memorable for you both.

I’m delighted to know that you enjoyed the activities, especially the zip lining at Selvatura Park and the river rafting adventure—those are such special experiences! I’ll be sure to pass along your kind words to Wilman and our amazing team of drivers, as well as to everyone who made your journey exceptional.

I appreciate your honest feedback about L’ Establo. It’s incredibly valuable to us as we strive to refine every detail of our trips. I’ll take this into account for future recommendations to ensure even better stays.

Thank you for your trust and for recommending KimKim and Serendipity Adventures to your friends and family. It means the world to us! Whenever you’re ready to plan another adventure, I’d be thrilled to assist you in creating another unforgettable experience.

Wishing you all the best, and I hope to hear from you again soon!

Pura Vida,

Elena Mora
Serendipity Adventures, Costa Rica 🦥