Your Serendipity contact person goes over everything with the guide who runs the trip. ● The Guest Survey -- we collect this from our guests prior to the trip so we know about your medications, food allergies and preferences, any physical limitation which might require special equipment. ● Review activities which require special equipment. ● Check details like weather, road conditions, alternative routes and activities. ● Verify by phone or text message all reservations at hotels or tours-- even ones operated by Serendipity. ● Be sure the first aid kit is complete and contents are not expired. ● The ice chest needs drinks and snacks suitable for the group. ● The car has equipment for flat tires or burned fuses or headlights, plus flashlights, tire jack, and machete (you'll probably use this more than once on your adventures). ● Lists of phone numbers for hotels and restaurants, Serendipity staff, contacts for help with everything from car problems to a sick guest. ● Comfort: make sure Client Comfort Kit that's always in the car has bottled water, paper towels, toilet paper, dry towels for unplanned water immersion, sun block, bug spray, USB charger.

Serendipity In house Training

From driving and guiding at the same time to helping guests with meal choices. From first aid courses to search and rescue techniques. From conflict resolution to naturalist training. From handling snakes to understanding tectonic plates, volcanoes, and the geology of Costa Rica. From Costa Rica history to proper knot tying and changing a tire or lighting a campfire in the jungle. And detailed, hands-on instruction on getting people ready to climb our trees, or raft with us, or ride our horses.

The most important part of the training is to pick the right guides in the first place. Guides who are natural "observers", who see problems before they become problems. Guides who respect privacy and individualistic behavior, but won't allow an unhappy person to spoil the safety or comfort of the group. This is a talent that Serendipity guides develop during their training with senior guides.

Platform in top of Rain forest -- Abraham: Ricardo designed the platform in Abraham for strength and ease of maintenance. Bruce, Tucker's husband (and partner in balloon manufacturing), designed the lifting mechanism to take the platform to the top of the giant Ceiba tree. Tucker designed the systems for hoisting people and keeping them on top without worry. The whole system, from platform suspension to ascent systems to rappelling system, incorporates all the aviation principles of duplicate structures for suspension. Plus duplicate Serendipity guides to be certain no one person is responsible both on top the platform without a second below for operating the ascent and descent.

Ascending inside a hollow rain forest tree -- Joseph: Another Serendipity exclusive. The way up inside the tree is fairly simple for athletic people. Descending employs gravity and good equipment.

Ascending and descending rain forest giants requires at least two guides - one on top, another at the base. Two control lines pass through two separate anchor points. Guests are hooked into harnesses with two separate connectors. Helmets for everyone -- especially people on the ground. If something small falls from the platform and hits your head it can really ruin your day.

Float - with electric motor - in Nature-filled River. Serendipity's exclusive nature float is comfortable for 2 year olds to 90 year olds -- maybe older. But it is also on remote water, so we need to have everything to keep people comfortable -- like fresh food and drinks, paddle jackets for warmth if it rains. We know where it's safe for jumping into the water to play or where to hide in the event of a thunderstorm. Assembling the boats is important, and knowing the equipment and what to take along is imperative.

Ballooning. The pilot (Esteban) is in charge of everything. The crew chief is in charge of following Esteban around as he completes the pre-flight inspection -- lines attached, tanks connected, Velcro tabs closed, crown line straight. After inflation Esteban goes through his pre-flight checklist -- before anyone gets in the basket. Then he tells his passengers where to hold on, how to stand, and what to expect on landings. He then releases the line connected to the vehicle, and you are off.

If kids under 12, or anyone shorter than 4 ft. tall, are on board, we have an extra crew person whose job it is to form a safety block during the landing. We avoid injuries from landings where the basket tips on its side and the weight of an adult falls on a small person.

Balloon security started weeks or months ago, when the balloon itself undergoes an FAA Certified Inspection. Same FAA certified inspector, same inspection required in the United States. Costa Rica still has no regulations regarding balloon inspection, although the Civil Aviation authority has been talking about writing them for more than 20 years.

White water operations: Serendipity uses a minimum of three guides on a trip, even if there are only one or two people in your group. Some operators descend the river with several boats and no safety kayaker, even on the powerful Pacuare.

Canopy Tours/Zip Lines: The most famous, popular, and unregulated tour of Costa Rica -- our country has more than 150 zip line operations.

Serendipity does NOT own or operate a canopy tour. We do, however, inspect zip line operations, and have reduced the list we are willing to use to about 5, based on equipment and guide criteria we developed. Double cable lines. Well trained guides. Ability to rescue a person mid-cable. Type of harness. Type of brakes used as client approaches a platform. Maintenance of equipment. Care in transferring client from one cable to another (a big chance to do it wrong). Pre-tour instruction clarity.

On our favorite canopy tours we have the option of a private departure, so Serendipity guests are not herded in lines with up to 50 other people. Private use of the canopy tour adds cost to your trip, but it allows us to keep an eye on how the operators are providing service, and you spend less time waiting in lines.

Horseback Riding When riding Serendipity's horses, two guides are always along - one who sets the route, opens gates, makes sure the horses are OK, and one who is mainly there to be sure you are comfortable, in control, seated well. Your principal guide is usually the second guide on horseback adventures, and by this time he or she knows you well enough to read your comfort level and see how you handle your horse. We add guides when your private group or family is more than 5 people, or if you have novice riders mixed with experienced riders.

#1. Drugs. The newspapers no longer report drug overdose deaths.

#2. Driving. Not surprising, as Costa Rica has the highest highway mortality rate of any country in Central and South America. Tourists are less likely accident victims than local people because tourists generally are not driving at night.

#3. Falling Trees. From a tree falling on a hotel villa to a tree falling on a riverboat, another on a bicyclist, tree falls have risen to nearly the top of the list for accidental deaths of tourists in 2017.

#4. Surfing and ocean swimming -- Rip Tides.

#5. Hiking. People get lost, mainly in National Parks like Corcovado.

#6. Crocodiles. Tour boats feed crocodiles. Boat flips.

#7. Adventure Tours. Rafting: 218, 4 people on the Naranjo (Class III, light duty) river. Canopy tour: 6 years ago.

#8. E-bola, Dengue, Zika, Yellow Fever, Cholera, and Martian Captures. Diseases number zero fatalities for tourists. We have no accurate count on how many tourists have been uploaded by Martians.

#9. Serendipity life-threatening accidents. So far, since 1991, none. Since 1991 we've had 3 one night hospitalizations, for: 1 panic attack, not a heart attack. 1 fall off bike (stayed for head observation). 1 food poisoning (eating at famous Jaco Beach hotel).