23/05/2025
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The Kuo Family 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.
