Trip of a lifetime!
Costa Rica
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Dec 28 - Jan 10, 2025
We have just returned home from our 2 week trip to Costa Rica and we can't say enough positive things about our experiences as well as the expert planning and support from KimKim and Serendipity Adventures. KimKim and local specialists Serendipity Adventures helped plan, organize, and manage our trip every step of the way- Holden, Nancy, Wilman and Mariano among others, worked diligently to make sure everything ran smoothly to ensure we had the trip of a lifetime.
Holden's expertise and knowledge of his beautiful country was invaluable to us for maximizing everyday of our adventure. He planned out a trip for us that was a perfect mix of adventure and relaxation, customized an itinerary specially designed for our family of 4 (2 teenage kids) and used our input to curate an experience that we would all enjoy. Everything from the accommodations Holden chose (ecolodge, beach stay, rain forest bungalow and a treehouse) were perfect as well as all the adventure activities planned out for us (kayaking, hiking, hanging bridges, zip lining, chocolate making, waterfall swim etc). Every transfer from one location to the next was taken care of which meant zero headaches and stress from when we arrived in San José to when we left. A bit of unpredicted rainy weather meant a few of our activities were cancelled but Holden and Wilman were on it instantly to alter our day with new plans to ensure we didn't have any wasted time.
Trip Highlights: Tortuguero / Mawamba Lodge. This was our families favourite stop of the trip. So much wildlife to see and our experience kayaking though the rainforest canals (tons of monkeys and caimans) was a trip highlight. Mawamba Lodge was top notch in terms of service and amenities and the whole family really enjoyed rustic bungalow living. We all agreed this is a spot we would love to return to on a future visit to Costa Rica.
Best Food: Puerto Viejo de Talamanca. The bustling little surf town of Puerto Viejo has great food with a ton of Jamaican influence which made every meal super flavourful with just the right amount of spice. Loved the rice and beans down south!
A must do: chocolate making and waterfall swim outside Bribri with Tirza (of Life Culture & Travel). Our visit with an indigenous family to learn about how they grow and process cacao was super interesting followed by a dip in a beautiful waterfall.....great day that we all enjoyed.
Most unique stay: Treehouse @ Maquenque Ecolodge. It takes a lot to impress teenagers and this was it. Like something out of a dream, our treehouse stay will be talked about for years to come. We never thought we'd be sleeping up in the trees amongst the monkeys (very vocal howlers), our treehouse was incredible and even offered a 2 person jacuzzi....we never wanted to leave!
Best wildlife encounter: a sloth wandering though our resort at Puerto Viejo gave us an up close and personal greeting- beautiful (and very slow moving) creatures.
Best relaxation: The hot springs at Arenal Spring Resort and Spa in Arenal/La Fortuna. This portion of our trip ended up falling at the end of our 2 weeks (we were ready for some slower days) and the hot springs was just what we needed. We also got hit by a few days of heavy rain so again, the hot springs were exactly where we wanted to be. The swim up drinks/ sushi bar was well utilized during our last few days!
If we were to do it all again I don't think there would be anything we would change. We certainly wouldn't hesitate to call of KimKim and Serendipity Adventures to plan a future trip for us and we have been telling everyone back home of our incredibly positive experience. Thank-you so much to everyone involved for making this 2 week Costa Rica trip an experience of a lifetime for our family- it was one we won't forget!
Hotel Reviews
Loved our stay at Mawamba Lodge. This was our families favourite stop of the entire trip. So much wildlife to see and our experience kayaking though the rainforest canals (tons of monkeys and caimans) was a trip highlight. Mawamba Lodge was top notch in terms of service and amenities and the whole family really enjoyed rustic bungalow living. The staff were excellent and accommodating with anything we needed during our stay. We all agreed this is a spot we would love to return to on a future visit to Costa Rica.
The deluxe treehouse suite featuring a 2 person jacuzzi was unbelievable. Super well maintained and solidly build, we never wanted to leave this beautiful treehouse. More than enough space for a family of 4 (2 teenage kids). Don't expect super great sleeps however as the rain and howler monkeys on the metal roofs comes though in stereo at night (which we really didn't mind).
Activity Reviews
A top experience during our 2 weeks in Costa Rica. We especially loved our guided kayak though these canals where we saw more animals and birds than we could have ever imagined (so many caimans!).
Super fun day of snorkelling (even though the visibility was poor) and guided walk though Cahuita National Park. Our guide was great and we got to experience and interact with a ton of monkeys, racoons, and birds. Even saw an eyelash viper
So many Toucans!
