ZZZ_Colours of Colombia - Las Americas Small Group Journey, April 14 to May 1 2018 (price per guest in AUD, twin share. International Airfare not included)
- Duration: 18 Days
- Location: BOGOTA
Discover Colombia, an amazing land of contrasts. Let us explore its rich cultural history, amazing architecture, geographical diversity and the simple warmth and hospitality of its people with a twist of the extraordinary.
COLOURS OF COLOMBIA – LAS AMERICAS SMALL GROUP JOURNEY WITH A TWIST
18 DAYS OF AUTHENTIC EXPERIENCES THROUGH COLOMBIA INCLUDING BOGOTA, VILLA DE LLEYVA, CALI, ZONA DE CAFETERA, MEDELLIN & THE CARRIBEAN COAST FINISHING IN CARTAGENA.
We invite you to join Rich and like-minded travellers as we ignite your senses and minds on carefully curated, unique journey of a lifetime through Colombia, named as one the world’s next ‘IT’ destination.This is a unique program carefully offering a fusion of culture, history, architecture, wilderness and a twist of adventure!
TRIP SUMMARY:
Duration 17 night stay
Tour Focus: Culture, History, Architecture, Wilderness, Food with a twist of Adventure
Group Size:12 guests
This journey includes:
- Accommodation for 17 nights in boutique hotels including full breakfast at your leisure and wifi
- 4 lunches and 1 signature dinner.
- Airport transfers
- Internal flights as part of the journey
- Journey accompanied by Rich, Experiential Traveller Extrordinaire!
- English and Spanish speaking personal tour concierge
- Transport between
- Activity level: easy to moderate with options to sit back and relax or be more active and explore!
Experiential Inclusions:
- Private full day exploration of Bogota including La Candelaria with tasting in Paloquemao Market, Cable car up Montserrat, and visit to the Museo de Oro (Gold Museum)
- Visit to the famous salt cathedral of Zapaquira
- Private half day biking exploration through Villa de Lleyva, one of Colombia's best preserved, authentic colonial pueblas. (option of walking tour if preferred)
- Salsa class and city exploration in Cali
- Private & immersive café experience at local Café Finca
- Half day private exploration of Medellin
- Private full day’s exploration in Parque Tayrona
- Walking tour of Cartagena's old town plus visit to both the San Filipe Fort and La Popa convent.
Not Included:
- Some lunches & dinners indicated
- Drinks unless indicated
- Tips
Your Journey:
DAY 1 BOGOTA Saturday:
Arrival at the El Dorado International Airport and transfer to your hotel.
DAY 2 BOGOTA Sunday:
(Breakfast at hotel included).
In the morning, Full day exploration with a private guide in Bogotá including Paloquemao market, the hill top view point and monastery of Monserrate. La Candelaria, Bogota’s heart and soul, & Gold Museum Your lunch will be at the museum on a private salon.
DAY 3 BOGOTA Monday:
(Breakfast at hotel included).
Free day to explore. Bogota Colombia’s capital is a great place to spend a free day. There are a number of sites to visit, including the Donación Botero, the Police museum and military museums, a number or art galleries including the national gallery and modern art museum. However simply wandering around the traditional colonial Candelaria district or the exclusive north of the city, with its boutiques, restaurants, avenues and parks, will give you an insight in to life in the capital and the country as a whole.
DAY 4 ZAPAQUIRA & VILLA DE LLEYVA Tuesday:
(Breakfast at hotel included)
Leaving the city behind our first stop is at the impressive underground salt cathedral of Zapaquira. For some this is a religious monument, others a celebration of engineering or maybe even an artistic masterpiece. One of the marvels of Colombia, Afterwards continue to the colonial town of Villa de Leyva.
DAY 5 VILLA DE LLEYVA Wednesday:
(Breakfast at hotel included)
Start with a bike ride through to the enormous plaza, undulating across its cobbled expanse of 14,000 sq. m, and said to be the largest in Colombia maybe even in all South America! The plaza is home to the main church that dominates the square. From the Plaza you will visit some of the interesting buildings including the house of Antonio Nariño, where you will learn all about the stories of this very important figure in the history of Villa de Leyva and Colombia. You will then make your way to other interesting buildings in the centre such as the Monastery of “Las Carmelitas de los pies descalzos”, which is still occupied by a secretive sect of nuns, and the Casa del primer congress. Your guide will be on hand to explain about the area and how rural Colombian life affects the local inhabitants.
DAY 6 CALI Thursday:
(Breakfast at hotel included)
Early morning departure as we drive back to Bogota’s El Dorado airport for a short flight south to the city of Cali. Caleños (people from Cali) consider their passion for music and their beautiful woman a source of great pride. Cali is Salsa, and every road way, building and pore throbs with the Latin beat. Cali is home to a number of Salsa World Champions who are invited all over the world to show off their incredible talent. For this reason you will find that the city of Cali is the self appointed capital of Salsa. Late afternoon A tour of the most recognized culture of salsa in Cali. We will visit a workshop building handcrafted percussion instruments; there will be a tour of the Barrio Obrero, then we will visit two of the most important dance schools in the city, where the best dancers are formed since childhood and some salsa classes will be taken.
DAY 7 CALI Friday:
(Breakfast at hotel included)
This morning we will visit the main museums of the city with a professional guide. The tour includes the Monument "the cat" Master Hernando Tejada, Museum of Contemporary Art "La Tertulia" Architectural Complex "La Merced" First City Building in the Archaeological Museum of the Calima culture, Museum of Religious, Art Museum Gold and the departmental library.
DAY 8 ZONA DE CAFETERA Saturday:
(Breakfast at hotel included)
Enjoy a leisurely mid-morning drive north towards Colombia’s Coffee Region.
The coffee region for many people is the heart and soul of Colombia, its cultural epicenter. With every turn, a spectacular panorama changes your perspective, from the rolling hillsides of fertile coffee plantations to plunging valleys and bold elevations. Campesino or rural life continues as it has done for centuries harvesting coffee, plantains (a type of Banana) and many other fruits in this lush and fertile land. A visit to the coffee region permits you to experience the tranquility of the region. It also offers the opportunity for adventure or for friendly encounters with locals going about their daily lives.Staying in one of the many fincas or haciendas provides an opportunity to get a feel for the areas ambiance and harmony and a great place to rest after a day exploring.
DAY 9 ZONA DE CAFETERA Sunday:
(Breakfast at hotel included)
Coffee makes this region tick; it’s the heart and soul of the region and its culture. This journey will take you through some stunning scenery, carpeted rolling hills of lush green coffee, plantain and yucca. Today is time to see the plant that keeps the world energised up close and personal.With a tour of one of the regions coffee plantations we see the whole process from seedling to coffee cup and every part in between. We learn about the trials and tribulations that face the regions coffee growers and how their whole way of life is affected by this simple bean. From the planting to the picking to the toasting and the tasting your life as a coffee drinker will never be the same, once you have tasted the elixir of life from Colombia.
DAY 10 ZONE DE CAFETERA Monday:
(Breakfast at hotel included)
A day at leisure in the Hotel can be one of total relaxation, by the pool, reading under the shade of one of the balconies, watching humming birds flit from one sweet feeder to the other or enjoying the services of the restaurant or spa.
Optional: Full day tour of Filandia, Salento and Cocora valley.
DAY 11 MEDELLIN Monday:
(Breakfast at hotel included)
Morning departure as we continue our overland travel to Medellin. Forget everything you have heard about Medellin as it is probably old news. It was the headquarters of one of the country’s most notorious drug cartels, but what the international media forgot to report was the cities remarkable turnaround. Medellin is now regarded as one of the safest cities in South America
Upon arrival we will take time to then explore this cities colourful history; from the cities valiant founding fathers trekking across the Andes, through to the dark days of drug cartels and the city’s more recent rebirth as one of South Americas most vibrant & progressive. A tour of the central part of Medellin can really help to bring the city to life and to help you understand why Medellin is so important to Colombia in terms of both commerce and culture.
DAY 12 MEDELLIN Tuesday
(Breakfast at hotel included)
Enjoy a day at leisure to further explore this city or venture into one of the lush surrounding valleys and colourful pueblos.
DAY 13 TAYRONA NATIONAL PARK Wednesday:
(Breakfast at hotel included)
Transfer to the airport for our flight across impressive mountains to the Carribean city of Santa Marta. We then take a private transfer to your Carribean seaside paradise for the next 2 nights on the fringe of the Parque Tayrona.
DAY 14 TAYRONA NATIONAL PARK Thursday:
(Breakfast at hotel included).
Driving north east from the city of Santa Marta you will pass along the foothills of the famous Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta the highest coastal mountain range in the world. After passing through the main park entrance and check point you will continue for an additional 10 to 20 minutes along a rough gravel track to the end of the road trail. From here it’s time to get your walking boots on and get ready to hit the coastal paths, for those who prefer a more sedate pace horses can be arranged to carry you or your bags. Depending on your exact requirements the walk can be 30 minutes or so to one of the main beaches, where you can sit under hanging palms and watch the waves roll up the shore or a walk of a couple of hours or so to one of the main swimming beaches also located here are a number of great locally run restaurants for a nice lunch.
DAY 15 CARTAGENA Friday:
(Breakfast at hotel included)
Enjoy a coastal drive across to the iconic and beautiful port city of Cartagena. Founded in 1533 by Pedro de Heredia, Cartagena was formerly the Caribbean gateway port used by the Spanish. Here they would store the riches plundered from the interior before they were transported back to the old world. It is not surprising therefore that the city was a draw for buccaneers and pirates who attempted on many occasions to take the city, most notably by Sir Francis drake in 1586 who "mercifully" agreed not to level the city in return for 10 million pesos that he carted back to England. It was after the attack by Drake that plans were made to fortify the city and work on the defensive walls began. These walls still stand today and mark the boundary between the old and new parts of the city. The walls and fort took a total of 200 years to build and complete and the Spanish finished them just 25 years before Colombia gained Independence. Cartagena eventually won its Independence in 1821; a full 3 years after Bogota had been liberated.
DAY 16 CARTAGENA Saturday:
(Breakfast at hotel included)
Explore this magical city on foot then set off first to the Castillo San Felipe. This fort is the largest Spanish fortification in the Americas and dominates the old town. The first fortification on the site was started in 1536 and further extended over the following 200 years mostly by African slave labour.Underneath this amazing structure you will find a labyrinth of tunnels. The sun soaked fortification seeps tales of old for every traveller and the tunnels (some of which are lit and accessible to visitors) and ramparts are a living breathing history book. From the fort you will continue on in your private vehicle to the Convento La Popa. The hill is the highest point in the city and commands excellent views of the bay, old town and Caribbean Sea beyond. Started initially as a humble wooden chapel but later replaced by a more solid construction that was fortified two centuries later. Enjoy the flower filled patio and the views that stretch all over the city and wander through the cool patio and interior of the convent.
DAY 17 CARTAGENA Sunday:
(Breakfast at hotel included)
Enjoy a day of leisure. You will have plenty to keep you occupied with a free day in Cartagena. The streets are alive with life and people watching is an endless activity.
This can be done strolling the cobbled streets or from the comfort of a local restaurant with cool fruit juice in hand. Cartagena is an attraction in itself, but there are also plenty of local shops to occupy even the most ardent shopper. If you fancy a good walk (or taxi if you don’t) a trip down to the beaches of Boca Grande will let you soak up some sun and see how the locals enjoy their city beach.
Optional tour: Getaway to the Rosario Islands
DAY 18 DEPARTURE DAY Monday:
Private transfer to the airport in time for your onward travel.
FOR SOME A FOND FAREWELL AND FOR OTHERS PANAMA HERE WE COME!