Colombia 19 day tour, Epic Odyssey

Planet

We choose small, locally owned guesthouses and hotels that share our environmental policies for carbon reduction. One instance in this Colombia itinerary is the ecolodge stay in the rainforests of Bahia Solano. Also, the accommodation in Rio Claro is very minimalistic and in so being blends in with the natural surroundings,

One of the primary modes of getting around on this trip is hiking, as well as zip lining and kayaking to name but a few modes of human powered transport. The trip also makes use of public transport, for instance the cable car across the city of Medellin.

We encourage our customers to be responsible by championing our 'make it meaningful' policy that promotes animal welfare, 0 waste and a slower pace of travel to maximise enjoyment and immersion in the chosen destination.

Back home in Brighton, in a soon-to-be B-corp co-working space, we have an almost entirely paper free office where the team is committed to recycling, group beach cleans, local gardening ventures and are invested in sustainability in order to see how we can take our contribution to protecting the planet one step further as a business. We have blogs titled things like 'zero waste while travelling: our top tips' that give our customers a helpful guide about being responsible on their travels.

Because a lot of our trips feature animal interactions, or spotting trips and opportunities, such as the opportunity to spot whales on this Colombia trip, we are dedicated to a stringent animal welfare policy. One element of this is our partnership with Animondial, Their vision is to minimise tourism’s impact on animals, natural environments and the people that depend upon them. They’ve helped us to improve the welfare standards of our trips even further and create long-term plans to support animals in tourism. Best of all though, we’ve worked together to create an Animal Welfare in Tourism Starter Kit for small businesses, to help other travel companies improve their animal welfare standards too.

People

As our trips specialise in diverting from the usual tourist trail, this tends to support the economy in areas that are less frequented with tourist footfall.

One such stand out area on this itinerary is Rio Claro. This adventurous spot is known to locals but hasn't made it to the international market- so head here for a unique outdoorsy experience.

This itinerary centres lots of local markets, all of which have many hand made, local products on offer to sell. The opportunity to shop here is not only an exciting experience, but also supports small Colombian businesses.

One of the highlights of this trip is the hearty home cooked meal with a local family. Not only will you benefit from the company and knowledge of these friendly and hospitable people, you will also enjoy traditional food!

This trip really centres the beautiful and diverse culture of Colombia, from traditional market places to dance to artwork to name but a few. This uniquely immersive experience would not have been made possible without the expert local guides who will support your tours in situ, and are the backbone of many excursions on this trip. For instance, in the bustling townscape of Medellin you will be glad of the support of a local paisa (Medellin resident) to show you the ropes! This will also enable you to see some of the lesser known highlights of the city. Furthermore, all hikes and excursions are supported by locals who know the flora and fauna best. This works twofold, as providing the best, local service enables you to gain the richest understanding of Colombian nature and culture, but also, supports local people who's primary income is the tourist industry. By investing in the local tourist industry your trip supports the local economy, supporting the overall development of infrastructure in Colombia.

Furthermore, one of the key aspects of our itineraries is that we work with local partners who are based in Costa Rica in order to provide the most authentic insight into everyday life in the destination, and divert from the usual tourist trail (which is important when considering the mitigation of environmental degradation in tourist hotspots) but also supports the country's economy even before our customer has touched down as the local partner helps to develop their itinerary.