Costa Rica hot air ballooning
I think your mode of transportation is great with the Land Cruisers. Even though we had to split the family (of 9 people) into two vehicles, they were very comfortable and allowed us to go wherever we needed to. I am very glad we decided to choose Serendipity for our trip and would highly recommend your company to my friends looking for their next big adventure.
—Eric McG, Menlo Park, CA, June, 2007
Arenal lies ahead. The sun creates a circular rainbow around the balloon's shadow as the clouds form beneath us, rising as the morning warms up. The top of the volcano is now visible only to us in the balloon (and other airborne creatures).
Serendipity is Costa Rica's only ballooning operator since 1991
Serendipity Costa Rica: FORBES MAGAZINE WORLD'S TOP TEN BALLOON TRIPS
Costa Rica provides unquestionably the most fascinating ballooning in the world — low and slow drifting, over rain forests or mountain villages, caressing the tops of giants trees, dipping into white water rivers, and chasing monkeys in the tree-tops. With the right climactic conditions, we sometimes find ourselves ascending to watch awesome Arenal volcano erupting above its halo of clouds.
The distinctly different areas we've chosen to fly have special beauty, and each rewards us in very special ways.
Ballooning in San Carlos
We take off in the balloon approximately 20 miles east of Arenal Volcano. Sometimes we are blessed with breaks in the clouds so we can ascend above and sit atop a foamy sea of white, where our only company is the majestic (and often puffing) Arenal volcano. We don't fly close (there's real danger in approaching the volcano — we maintain at least 15 miles from the base) but sometimes we have a view that can only be seen from above the clouds.
Our real goal, however, is to fly low over nearby rivers, fields, and forests, to play with the clouds, to frolic with the birds, and to laugh with the animals. The forests of this area are filled with monkeys and iguanas, and sometimes we can get a full chorus calling up to us from the trees.
The joy of flying in the balloon is to experience the wonder of flight, open and free and in harmony with nature.
Flying in a balloon allows you to view the earth like you rarely do: high enough to see the crop patterns below, but low enough to watch and listen to the birds and monkeys chattering in the tops of the trees.
Well trained pilots — well maintained balloons
Serendipity's hot air balloons are expertly maintained by inspectors trained by the Ann Arbor, Michigan manufacturer of the balloons. Inspection and repairs are made in accordance with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and our pilots hold international (ICAO) pilot licenses for balloons, valid for balloon flight throughout the world.
After the flight you'll giggle like school kids as you try to figure out how to get the entire balloon to fit into its surprisingly small bag.
We have chosen to keep ballooning intimate, the way it should be for everyone who wants to fly — a pilot and at most 5 people in a traditional open wicker basket, with everyone joining in to help launch and pack up. Serendipity, by the way, has the only balloons in Costa Rica.
Prices
BALLOON CHARTER We offer an entire balloon for your self-formed group. Each balloon can carry the pilot plus up to 800 pounds of people and gear (maximum of 5 passengers, regardless of size), so you decide who will go with you. We will add people to the balloon flight (from our own staff, or friends) when necessary to assure the minimum controllable weight is met. $1200 for charter flight
BALLOON RIDE Per passenger $345, minimum of two passengers.
Children under 5 years, or under 4 feet of height, or any person who cannot climb over the edge of the basket (about 3 feet high) using only their own strength, or who lack arm strength to "hold on" during landings, should not participate in the flight, but are welcome to go in the chase vehicle, which is a big treat as well. To help children during landings, we add a Serendipity staff for each child under the age of 10. The staff person's weight is included in the total above.
ARENAL AREA Serendipity will pick up guests from Hotel Tilajari, near Meulle, about 30 minutes east of the town of Fortuna. Passengers need to meet Serendipity at the entrance of the hotel at about 5 AM (about 10-15 minutes before sunrise) as listed in the written confirmation.
Serendipity will arrange a transfer from the hotels at the base of Arenal Volcano and Tabacón Hot Springs as well as Fortuna area hotels to our launch site for $120 for round trip, for 1 to 5 passengers.
Driving directions to Tilajari from Fortuna (about 27 minutes)
Drive 5 miles towards Tanque/San Jose. Approaching Tanque, turn left (unreliably marked, but it is the only paved road just before town - if you reach the round bullring on right, you have gone about 200 yards too far), go 1 mile north, then right (east) after the bridge, onto paved road. Tilajari is 6 miles or 9 minutes down this road, on the left. If you reach the blinking light at intersection of Meulle, you've gone about 200 yards too far. Night telephone at Tilajari is 469-9091, so if you are delayed or get lost you can call your pilot, who is waiting at the entry gate of the hotel.
Serendipity's balloons often fly together, dancing with each other in the soft currents over the forest.
Clothing
We highly recommend long pants legs (landing in high grass) and strong shoes that can get wet, a hat to block sun, sun glasses. You will likely get wet during the voyage, so wear clothes that get wet and dry quickly. It is not cold at any time, even at altitude, so no jacket is required.
For examples of how hot air ballooning can be incorporated into your active Costa Rican vacation, have a look at our sample itineraries of private Costa Rica vacations.
The first step to enjoying a Serendipity adventure is to contact us.
