10 independent reviews for Colombia holiday, tailor made
Reviews for Colombia holiday, tailor made
Jo Bennett review 8 Dec 2024
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Visiting beautiful off the beaten path locations within Colombia. Getting to know the local people and their culture.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Colombia is a huge country, try to focus on a few areas rather than trying to do it all. We had a fantastic holiday but spent too much time in cars, planes and airports.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Definitely. We stayed in lodging run by local people or tribes for whom this is thei primary source of income, and an eco hotel where income from tourism allows them to re-wild a large area that was previously a cattle ranch.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
It was excellent. In hindsight we tried to do too much so if I went again I would try and be a bit more focused.Carsten Klein review 18 Mar 2024
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The wildlife at Hato La Aurora, the hike to Púlpito del Diablo in Cocuy National Park at more than 4800 m, the beaches in Tayrona National Park.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Colombia is a wonderful and very diverse country with for the most part extremely nice and welcoming people. I will definitely come back.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
My holiday definitely benefited the local people who worked for me as guides. I can't say anything about the other points.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
A very well organised trip that perfectly suited my interests in nature and hiking.Zsolt Balogh review 1 Feb 2024
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Nature2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Well ahead of time. Be flexible. Do not set goals.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
I do not know. I have no insight where my payment went. No idea about the itemised budget.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Top in all aspects.Read the operator's response here:
Our traveler had an excellent private guided expedition of 12 days in the mountains of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta so we are very happy about that that we received a 5 star review. Also as it has been a great effort by all of the different teams involved to make this journey happen.
Still we see that we have to address and explain about points 2 and 3. Also we need to clarify that this mountain is very sacred to the Kogui community, that therefore a high level of flexibility is needed on the side of the participant and the expedition team and that not everyone is allowed to hike into the mountains to higher levels. Apart from that special permissions need to be arranged to have access into the mountain.
From the director of the team in Bogota: Our traveler besides 2 tourguides, was mentored by 2 porters who supported him for 11 days. There was also a Kogui guide who accompanied us for 11 days. Furthermore, other Koguis were there as assistants. Our traveler was able to witness that there was a school in one of the Kogui villages. It was built and furnished with the help of income from these types of special trips to the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. There are also solar panels, half of which were installed by the state, but the other half by income from this type of expeditions. We pay a fee for a visit to the Kogui communities and for the permission to go into the mountains. That's not just for the participant of the expedition, but for every person coming from outside. Also for the tourguide, and also for the 2 porters from Palmor. This entry fee alone was almost 1000 euros. That fee does not go into the pocket of the leader of the Kogui village, but is available for projects such as keeping the paths clean, building bridges, or in the case of this particular village, for expenses for the school.
Our traveler indicated that he had no idea in advance how much logistics and manpower was needed to get one person up into the mountains. In this case the expedition was private guided but can also be organised for a small group after having first an initial live chat with the director of the team for being allowed to participate. To be sure that the all works out well within the expedition team and that the local culture and mountains are respected.
We worked very hard on this project. The director of the team came specially from Bogota to assist with this expedition, without charging his fee, time nor his travel expenses, just to make sure that this expedition could take place and would be a success. So that has been also a very remarkable input from his side.
Nicki Calcutt review 12 Dec 2023
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
There were five parts to our Colombia trip - the wetlands in the north east , Bogotá, the Amazon, Cartagena and the Caribbean coastal dry tropical forest region. They were all exciting and memorable in their own way.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
This type of trip is for the more adventurous traveller and anything can happen. Have a sense of fun (and humour) and be aware of your surroundings and considerate of the people you meet. You won’t always see masses of wildlife but it is enough to know that it is out there and watching you.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Excellent. A great trip put together by the operator who understood what we were looking for and anticipated our needs. Very good organisation from the local agent too.Anna Smith review 3 Apr 2023
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The trip to Nuqui (Guachalito) on the Pacific coast where we stayed in a cabin on the beach with the jungle behind us. We loved the fact that we had to travel there by a small plane and small boat. The manager was a great guide and the food was exquisite. We had some straightforward walks building up to a 6 and half hour jungle walk that was challenging for us, but exciting. We were also very impressed by our guide in Medellin and being guided around the Comuna 13 and the centre of Medellin on buses, the metro and cable car was not only informative but memorable. It is difficult to pick out only one place....We also were also very impressed with the Parque Arqueologico in San Agustin and would love to visit that area again and spend longer visiting the two other sites of interest. We visited 12 places, all very different, in a month and found that we would have loved to spend longer!2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Take an umbrella and covered shoes. Also expect that the prices of food in restaurants are much less than in Europe. Also I found it was a good idea to prepare for the culture in Colombia....books, films, Spanish etc.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Definitely yes in Medellin. I understand that the company supports a foundation for the young people of Comuna 13 in Medellin. A full explanation was given to us by our excellent guide Natali.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Excellent. Private transport, guides and varied accommodation made for a very memorable trip.Jackie Hulton review 23 Mar 2023
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
We very much enjoyed the serenity, magnificent and remoteness of the Amazon rainforest. The guides and volunteer interpreters were exceptional.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Colombia is a large country and to visit various locations involves a lot of travelling. Stay as long as you can at each stop. Try to spend some time in less tourist places such as Salamina3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
We employed several local guides. I think we should have tried to take more public transport instead of flying.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
We very much enjoyed Colombia. It is a beautiful country , so diverse. We loved the rural landscape of the coffee region and learning about the recent history and innovation of Medellin. Cartagena is a beautiful city but has many tourists. We felt safe at all times and found the Colombian people friendly and helpful. Accommodation was of a good standard. We were well supported by the travel company who answered all our questions very promptly and endeavoured to solve any problems in the best way they could.Stephanie Hernandez review 7 May 2023
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The best day was our full day with your guide Soledad. We had a full day with hiking, touring Salento, chocolate tasting2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Don’t select destinations that are tourist traps.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Three star, too much time in car.Read the operator's response here:
Our travellers shared with us that our services and of the local staff was excellent. Further they mention that most of the guides were very good, the accommodations were all very nice, a few had a couple issues, but overall great, and the private drivers were wonderful.
The average score is based that they felt they were too much time in the car and that some of the destinations were a little bit disappointing as they expected less tourism in Colombia. Besides that the excursion into the Nevado del Ruiz NP had to be cancelled due to a higher volcanic activity. Traveling over windy mountain or small country roads in Colombia can be indeed time consuming but it is part of the journey, to enjoy traveling through Colombia. Colombia has touristy places, but then usually they are also very special places to hang out, enjoy and learn. All our trips are fully tailormade, every travel request is a challenge to come up with the best possible itinerary.
From our side we will inform travellers better about the expected travel time so that the expectations do match better with the trip performance. Last but not least we also offer itineraries in Colombia to very remote places, off the beaten path, all private guided, deep into the Amazon, into the highs of Sierra Nevado, Santa Marta, into the wetlands of Los Llanos for wildlife or expeditions into La Guajira, but they all require traveling to the places, the interest to explore and staying at simple lodges.
Anni Shelton review 20 Feb 2022
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
We were pleasantly surprised with the Santander region. We wouldn’t have known to visit this area without the travel agency and we even had a canceled hike because the natural park was closed but we ended up having a day of random activities in Villa de Leyva area with our guide -including getting a souvenir made of palm nut made in front of us and playing Tejo- and it was really fun! We also had an exciting time when we rafted the beautiful Chicamocha river.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Make sure to read the ‘what to bring’ in the documents shared before the trip. We felt a bit overwhelmed with paperwork when we left and didn’t read everything and realized the agency had told us to bring a lightweight long sleeve shirt for the Amazon, which we didn’t do and regretted.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
We are always wary when trekking through natural sites with big groups. For La Ciudad Perdida, two of our guides were from the local indigenous community, Wiwa, and they were able to tell us about their culture and give us tips on what to do and not to do. For example we were asked not to take photos at one spot and in another we participated in a ceremony where we left food for ancestors.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
11 out of 10! Chévere! We didn’t know what to expect in Colombia and ended up having the best vacation of our lives. We felt supported by the travel agency every minute of the day and felt as if we had the secret inside scoop of where to go and what to see. We loved Colombia and would definitely use this travel agency again for future adventures!Federico Mingozzi review 7 May 2019
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The Amazon forest, simply amazing!2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Take your time, Colombia is a beautiful country absolutely worth visiting.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes as we worked with local guides who explained us a lot about the places we visited but also about the nature and the environment.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Really great.Andrew Sinton review 12 Mar 2019
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The UNESCO World Heritage site at the Archaeological Park in San Agustin. We had an excellent park guide, Miguel Angelo who was very knowledgeable, and our local guide (Jorge) spoke very good English,was very helpful and a pleasure to be with. Barichara and the walk to Guane was very enjoyable.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Bargain hard when buying stuff off the street, e.g football shirts Whilst the Hacienda Venezia was located in a pretty valley, we wasted a lot of time and fuel travelling to & from the hotel to see the Cocora Valley and we had insufficient time to appreciate fully the beauty of our surroundings near Manizales. We would have been much better off staying in Salento. Salento was also closer to the airport at Pereira, and the trip from Popayan would also have been far shorter.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Local people will have benefitted, But there were environmental downsides of not staying in Salento which could have and should have been pointed out to us. Conservation was supported.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Our transport from Santa Marta to Cartagena failed to appear and it took quite some time for us to contact the local agent to alert them as no-one was answering the emergency phone. Although many promises were made (e.g we were told on three separate occasions that the car will be with us in 20 minutes) we then had to wait almost 3 hours for an alternative to be arranged (luckily we were not going for a flight). The alternative was a pick-up truck which gave us a pretty bumpy ride, but did at least get us to our destination. The local agent could have shown us more consideration and contacted us to ensure that we had arrived safely. But we did get a free meal in an interesting restaurant which was of some consolation. We had to wait several more days to find out what had gone wrong. The excuse given by the car company was that they just plain forgot. As a result we can only award the holiday 4 stars.Read the operator's response here:
Happy to read that our travelers had a good holiday and in fact would have preferred to give a five star review. We agree that the Archaeological Park at San Agustin is a top location to visit together with another day tour through the area if time allows to add another day.
We normally have travelers with limited travel time stay overnight in Salento but in this particular case we were asked by our travelers to have a stay arranged at hacienda Venezia. It was not our original proposal. We realize now that it was too much traveling for them and that we should have advised differently, or that we should have added an extra day here to wander around and visit eventually a beautiful birdwatching park nearby Manizales. The mother hacienda of Venezia is a very interesting and beautiful wooden coffee farm from the colonial times with a modern swimming pool, great views, hammocks and sofas in abundance all round the veranda and abundant birdlife, all in the middle of the coffee fields with steep hills and an authentic small modern coffee factory at short walk. Many coffee farms have been turned into hotel pousadas only and the process of coffee production is invisible. Here you can see it all and you recieve a guided tour over the fields and at the factory of this middle sized farm that still processes the coffee.
We are very sorry that not all of the private taxi transfers functioned properly. We from our side have asked the staff in Bogota to build in some extra double control checks for the transfers and the rest of all the services. So that this experience is also turned into a learning experience for all involved to improve the performance.
Best regards, Marcel
Holiday Reviews
You can trust Responsible Travel reviews because, unlike many other schemes, reviews can ONLY be written by people who we have verified have been on the holidays. In addition, we don't run these holidays ourselves - our only interest is giving you the best independent advice.
