Colombia highlights tour
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This 17 day program, modules and all tailor made itineries are offered by Colombia’s best tailor made operator who are guides themselves on special nature trips and take care of Colombia’s natural reserves. When staying in nature we use eco-friendly hacienda’s and local families that respect nature. We stay for instance in an eco friendly beachhotel near the NP Tayrona. This ecohotel has been constructed in harmony with nature over a period of 40 years together with the Indigeneous communities of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. The owners lived more then half a lifetime in the mountains among the local communities and learned how to grow their own crops and cotton, how to make use of local medicinal plants and to construct according to the indigeneous architecture. When we visit National Parks or reserves a part of the income contributes to preserve wildlife and flora and gives income to local guides and families. We offer visits to the private reserve Hato la Aurora which is a reserve owned and preserved by a local family and which is an exception in Colombia. With your visit we make an example to other Colombian farmers and the government that ecotourism can provide a way of living together with preservation of wildlife and stimulate more local particular initiatives to be taken off from the ground. All local guides on your excursions are well trained to take care of you and the natural surroundings, besides giving you all information. Group trips will be guided by a Latin American expert on nature and culture with certification for Tourleaders on European level and University degree.
The Impacts of this Trip
All suppliers are small and local Colombian owners, meaning that the income remains within the country and creates a real economic contribution to its people and country that has started to make improvements in infrastructure and social reforms. We treat our suppliers fairly and with respect, they are an important key to a great holiday which is our success when we succeed. Working together with our Colombian partner is an ongoing relationship and our shared affection for this marvellous country benefits everyone involved. When local tribes are visited this all done with the highest respect for local traditions and the people in such way that all parties involved have a learning and inspirational experience. In this itinery we show two occasions in which you can learn about a social project with children at Medellin & Cartagena. If you are more interested this can be extended of course with more possibilities. In Cali for instance we organize on request a salsa show in the hotel with professional salsa dancers and children from poor neighborhoods who participate in salsa concours to try to create a better future (the money we pay for this salsa show is donated directly to these children and their families). Our Colombian partner offers also special programs for foreign parents who adopted children from Colombia (in former times) to bring the now grown up children in contact again with their Colombian roots and biological families if the children wish so. In some cases the families will have to be sought as all contact has been lost. At last but not at least we offer homestays / B&B throughout Colombia of Spanish speaking families, is an authentic Colombian experience in which you directly support these families. Traveling through Colombia will be an enriching experience and it won’t stay with only one travel.
This operator empowers a womens coffee cooperation and NGO in the Andes of Venezuela. Their vision is to provide solidarity to the entire coffee community in the area, striving to improve the quality of the life of children and families of the coffee communities. With this holiday and all our tailor made travels in Latin America you support local families on your destination of travel and you make it for us possible to support mothers and children in the Andes of Venezuela through this cooperation and NGO. Through their different programs the cooperative aspire to offer training technique in administration, management, accounting, among others and offer scholarships to students and subsidies to primary schools in rural coffee communities, as well as inspire to new forms of community economic organization.
This 17 day program, modules and all tailor made itineries are offered by Colombia’s best tailor made operator who are guides themselves on special nature trips and take care of Colombia’s natural reserves. When staying in nature we use eco-friendly hacienda’s and local families that respect nature. We stay for instance in an eco friendly beachhotel near the NP Tayrona. This ecohotel has been constructed in harmony with nature over a period of 40 years together with the Indigeneous communities of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. The owners lived more then half a lifetime in the mountains among the local communities and learned how to grow their own crops and cotton, how to make use of local medicinal plants and to construct according to the indigeneous architecture. When we visit National Parks or reserves a part of the income contributes to preserve wildlife and flora and gives income to local guides and families. We offer visits to the private reserve Hato la Aurora which is a reserve owned and preserved by a local family and which is an exception in Colombia. With your visit we make an example to other Colombian farmers and the government that ecotourism can provide a way of living together with preservation of wildlife and stimulate more local particular initiatives to be taken off from the ground. All local guides on your excursions are well trained to take care of you and the natural surroundings, besides giving you all information. Group trips will be guided by a Latin American expert on nature and culture with certification for Tourleaders on European level and University degree.
The Impacts of this Trip
All suppliers are small and local Colombian owners, meaning that the income remains within the country and creates a real economic contribution to its people and country that has started to make improvements in infrastructure and social reforms. We treat our suppliers fairly and with respect, they are an important key to a great holiday which is our success when we succeed. Working together with our Colombian partner is an ongoing relationship and our shared affection for this marvellous country benefits everyone involved. When local tribes are visited this all done with the highest respect for local traditions and the people in such way that all parties involved have a learning and inspirational experience. In this itinery we show two occasions in which you can learn about a social project with children at Medellin & Cartagena. If you are more interested this can be extended of course with more possibilities. In Cali for instance we organize on request a salsa show in the hotel with professional salsa dancers and children from poor neighborhoods who participate in salsa concours to try to create a better future (the money we pay for this salsa show is donated directly to these children and their families). Our Colombian partner offers also special programs for foreign parents who adopted children from Colombia (in former times) to bring the now grown up children in contact again with their Colombian roots and biological families if the children wish so. In some cases the families will have to be sought as all contact has been lost. At last but not at least we offer homestays / B&B throughout Colombia of Spanish speaking families, is an authentic Colombian experience in which you directly support these families. Traveling through Colombia will be an enriching experience and it won’t stay with only one travel.
This operator empowers a womens coffee cooperation and NGO in the Andes of Venezuela. Their vision is to provide solidarity to the entire coffee community in the area, striving to improve the quality of the life of children and families of the coffee communities. With this holiday and all our tailor made travels in Latin America you support local families on your destination of travel and you make it for us possible to support mothers and children in the Andes of Venezuela through this cooperation and NGO. Through their different programs the cooperative aspire to offer training technique in administration, management, accounting, among others and offer scholarships to students and subsidies to primary schools in rural coffee communities, as well as inspire to new forms of community economic organization.
1 Reviews of Colombia highlights tour
Reviewed on 13 Mar 2019 by Bridget Makinson
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
It is difficult to pick out one memorable part, but we enjoyed the archaeological park at San Agustín, Cartagena and the Salento in the coffee region most.
Barichara is also very nice for a visit.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
We were looking for a holiday that went somewhere other than the usual tourist route of Bogotá, the coffee region and Cartagena. Marcel put together a tour that included Villa de Leyva and Barichara (charming colonial towns north of Bogotá), the archaeological site at San
Agustín which predates Columbus, and the Tayrona National Park on the Caribbean Coast plus Bogotá, the coffee region and Cartagena. We travelled
alone, but had guides in each place we visited and were transported in cars/taxis when needed. We were in Colombia in total for 17 nights. Some spoken
Spanish is useful when travelling in this way as many taxi drivers and hotel staff have minimal English.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
At each town we visited, we stayed in small local hotels and had local guides to take us round. By virtue of the size of the country, some flights were necessary
to reach the far south and the Caribbean coast. We saw few other British people on our travels.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
It was an interesting holiday. Having several different guides gave us the opportunity to ask each one about the country today, giving us an insight into the
country that we may not have got in an organised group
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