Costa Rica Naturalist Platform in Jungle

Serendipity's Tree Platform: Ascend for Lunch above the Rain Forest

Serendipity platform in primary forest in Costa Rica, as seen from Serendipity balloon

Where Are You?

Viewing the World from a rain forest giant

Serendipity Costa Rica - Sitting on platform in rain forest 120 feet above jungle floor

Life is teeming in the rain forest canopy

Serendipity Costa Rica Platform in Rain Forest ascending to platform

Look Up to the platform

Rappel from Abraham, Serendipity's rain forest giant tree

Leave your Nest in Abraham.....

To rappel back to the jungle floor

Meet Abraham - Come on Up

When you look down you can see how isolated we are - it's real jungle below

The jungle as Christopher Columbus encountered

Getting to Abraham is itself a remarkable experience. Only Serendipity has private access to this isolated primary forest, so no disturbance from tourists. We enter through several locked gates. No improved trail, just your Serendipity guide with machete in hand. You could easily get lost in this dense growth, and appreciate how difficult jungle exploration would have been for our forefathers.

We're all thanking the rugged 4x4 that navigates the primitive entry way

watching animals while aloft in Serendipity Costa Rica's platform 135 feet above the jungle floor

Once aloft, you forget where you are as nature around you grabs your attention

Ever Wanted to See the World from a Bird's Point of View?

Abraham is a tallest of the trees in this ancient primary forest. Indomitable, unassailable, this tree has stood for more than 150 years towering over one of the few remaining primary flatland forests in Costa Rica.

Primary Forest? means not brought down at the hands of man in recorded time. In the case of Abraham an important added reason is the flat terrain. Trees simply cannot grow this tall on sloped terrain. Excessive rain, erosion, and gravity are the enemy of tall trees. Flatlands which have extremes of dry and wet -- like the northwest and central coastal areas of Costa Rica (and most of South America away from the Amazon basin) -- cannot supply needed nourishment year round. Add wind and lightening strikes, and you'll begin to appreciate how rare this forest is.

Look at the nature all around you, below you . The primary forest abounds with animals and plants not seen in secondary forests, or mountain slope forest.

Climbing up inside Joseph, Serendipity's strangler fig

Lunch in Abraham, fresh fruits, hearty salad, plenty to drink.

Lunch in the tree tops

It's remarkably comfortable up on top... once you get there. There's plenty of fresh fruit and cold drinks, and hearty main dishes to keep you happy until dinner time.

It's a lot more than climbing steps. Equal to 13 floors of a skyscraper, it's a challenge for arms and legs.

Ascend Under Your Own Steam!

It looks simple while you are standing below watching. The first foot is the hardest. About 20 feet up it gets hard. At 40 feet you are exhausted. But, truthfully, no one has gotten that high without climbing the rest of the way.

What a sense of victory! The youngest so far has been 7 years old, the oldest CLIMBER was 78 (my brother in law, of course)

Ascend in comfort with Beto, above, doing all the work to get you up

Ascend and enjoy the ever-changing view around you

Not everyone wants to climb a rope. Many sensible people prefer being hoisted up in the chair - there's no shame in this! Our oldest tree-hugger is 94.

Abraham's platform is even accessible for people with a sense of adventure and a wheelchair. Serendipity has developed a sled to get through the jungle, and the "mule team" is an assortment of Serendipity guides.

Nature's Cathedral

Once you reach the platform it becomes a shrine. People stop talking. Eyes open. Ears wait.

It is almost a religious experience.

What we won't do is compromise on elements that create an unacceptable risk.

While we're at it, let's talk about Risk. It's one of the most important aspects of any adventure. We're proud of our record, and our commitment to setting the standard in Costa Rica for minimizing risk.

It's time to call us.

 

Abraham, Serendipity's rainforest giant, full height about 220 feet.
Look closely where the branches converge on the trunk and you'll see the platform, 120 feet above the jungle floor