Make Your Next Trip Extraordinary

Anna Kuo and family white water rafting on Pacuare River in Costa Rica.

Staying afloat! “We were celebrating a couple of birthdays and a retirement, and it was such a thoughtful surprise.”

Irene planned an 8 day adventure-filled vacation for our group of 9 adults for the end of March 2025. We knew we wanted to white-water raft on the Pacuare River, followed by a few days on the beach. Irene suggested a few beach destinations and we decided on the Manuel Antonio area.

After an overnight stay in San Jose we were transported to the Pacuare River put-in, about a 2.5 hours drive from San Jose. When we arrived at the river we were greeted by the river guides who showed us how to gear up, and then handed us our helmets that were all decorated with balloons—even the rafts were decorated with balloons! We were celebrating a couple of birthdays and a retirement, and it was such a thoughtful surprise. We rafted on class 11-111 rapids for about 90 minutes and arrived at the incredible Pacuare Lodge, where we stayed for two nights. The lodge was luxurious, well maintained, and the food was delicious.

We signed up to do zip lining and rappelling, which we originally thought would be a bit tame but ended up being another highlight of the trip. The guides took our safety seriously but also made it really fun to step off a platform 30 feet in the air! To depart the Pacuare Lodge we had to also raft out, and that particular leg of the trip had some class 111-1v rapids. There is a section of the river where the water is calm and flows between a high walled canyon—we were allowed to jump out of the rafts and float downstream in this magical place. After enjoying lunch riverside, we rafted to the take-out where we able to shower and then shuttle to the local airstrip for our chartered flight to Manuel Antonio Park.

We stayed three nights at the incredible Arenas del Mar resort. We were immediately greeted by iguanas, sloths and monkeys. The beach was beautiful, as well as the pool overlooking the ocean. The guys spent one day fishing sailfish and also came back with a mahi that the chef served as ceviche that night for dinner. We also took surfing lessons and toured Manuel Antonio Park. The staff at the hotel were incredibly attentive and gracious. On our last night Irene arranged for our whole group to have a cocktail making lesson, followed by a ceviche making lesson, followed by a Latin dance lesson, all on the beach!

The transportation and arrangements throughout the trip were flawless, and Irene’s attention to detail was much appreciated. All of us agreed this was one of the best trips the family ever had, and we are grateful to Irene for helping us create many lasting memories.

We had yet another amazing trip to Costa Rica. It was our third trip there planned by Irene. This was a shorter trip than we usually take but wonderful nonetheless. We were fortunate enough to have Edgar as our guide again. He had been our guide throughout our last trip as well and he is incredibly knowledgeable, intelligent, and fun to be with. The activities planned for us were amazing and we had an incredible WOW Moment that was perfect from beginning to end. We can’t recommend Irene and her team highly enough!

My husband and I have traveled a great deal, almost always doing all the planning ourselves, but we could not have organized a trip this ideal without our planner, Irene. We selected one of Wendy Perrin’s WOW List experts who could customize our trip to Costa Rica, a trip we called our “Orchid Safari.” Specifically, we wanted to attend one of the national orchid shows as well as explore both orchid gardens and orchids in the wild. Our dates were flexible as long as we could see orchids blooming (my husband is an amateur enthusiast).

Irene organized our trip around the National Orchid Show in Lankester Gardens in Cartago. We traveled from March 14 through March 22, staying just outside of San Jose, then traveling to the Monteverde Cloud Forest, and finally Manuel Antonio National Park. Not necessarily the typical itinerary but one which suited us perfectly.

Additionally, she found the PERFECT driver and the BEST orchid expert to accompany us on our explorations. Our driver Jonathan could not have been more polite, more helpful, or more accommodating—and navigated some wicked roads! Our orchid expert Randall accompanied us from the orchid show to his own orchid garden to the gardens and forests of Monteverde. His expertise was astounding, and we learned so much. Irene also arranged for us to stay in three smaller, more eco-friendly lodges, all of which were delightful—from the accommodations and the service, to the restaurants and activities. Additionally, she booked a tour of a coffee/cacao/sugar plantation where the guide there went above and beyond.

We also had an excellent guide to the Manuel Antonio National Park, who, though not an expert, immediately picked up on my husband’s interest in orchids and helped us identify several in the park, including one that is endemic only to that specific park. We had beach time, a hanging bridge/tree canopy lunch, and a fishing expedition where we caught jack, mackerel and even a rooster fish. We were able to bring the mackerel back to the lodge where the chef made two separate dishes from the filets: ceviche and grilled mackerel.

We think the orchids of Costa Rica should become a “bucket list” item for those who share some enthusiasm for the flower. Irene made sure however that we experienced some of the other charms of Costa Rica, making several suggestions for activities that we absolutely agreed to. Again, I do not believe we could have managed this on our own, and I don’t think we would have met as many Costa Ricans as we did as a result of the arrangements Irene made on our behalf.

Jay Folberg tasting coffee on a farm in Espiritu Santo, Costa Rica.

Traveler Jay Folberg tasting coffee on a farm in Espiritu Santo, Costa Rica.

As an experienced world traveler, I have always created my own itineraries and made reservations directly. Now over 80 and traveling with three fussy friends, I reluctantly agreed to rely upon our trip planner Irene. She spent a lot of time collecting information from us about our interests, preferences, and needs, before proposing agendas and making multiple adjustments. Every detail of our trip was taken care of and each of the four properties she selected for our stays exceeded expectations. I anticipate using Irene’s team again and will enthusiastically recommend them to friends and family.

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