Colombia - one season for 375 days
Colombia | Feb 13 - Mar 5, 2025

M
Mary Arlene W.
Canada | Reviewed on Mar 06, 2025

Local guides/drivers were prompt, pleasant and anxious to please. Tourism and hospitality is recognized as essential to improve quality of life. Our program included Bogotá, Salento, Pereira, Medellin, Guatape and El Penol, ending in Cartagena. Enjoyed all of the activities and hotels with the exception of our room in Cartagena which was at the end of a long corridor, dark and musty...not a great image for a tourist given the rest of the hotel. Improvement with guide in Cartagena to better know the needs of their clients...very hot city and a walk about for 5hrs is not sensible nor was it fun...excessive details about the fort etc., was way too much. Other guides were knowledgeable, fun and genuinely cared about their jobs and their clients. The Colombian people are generous, pleasant, quick to smile and proud of their country. Language in hospitality needs to include more English for an easier rapport and better understanding of what is being requested. Our program provided me with a better understanding of this interesting country and am very happy to have visited.

Hotel Review
Sofitel Legend Santa Clara Cartagena
Cartagena

The hotel looks beautiful and has lovely food...unfortunately we did not have a nice room...at the end of a long corridor on main level , dark and musty.

Activity Reviews
Welcome to Colombia!
Welcome to Colombia!
Colombia
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Monserrate Hill with Transportation
Monserrate Hill with Transportation
Bogotá

Enjoyed the cable car ride up the hill and learning about how it was developed. The site at the top was beautiful and we carefully maneuvered the slippery paths...rainy day ..

City Tour of Cartagena with Food Tasting and Graffiti Tour
City Tour of Cartagena with Food Tasting and Graffiti Tour
Cartagena

Felt our guide was inexperienced, not well organized and didn't seem to know how to relate to the client. As senior clients walking about in 41 degree weather for 5 hours is not OK....we ended our walking tour before seeing the market or taste testing. Our introduction to Cartagena was not a positive lasting impression. Our hotel room was not up to the standard of the other places we had enjoyed. The overall impression of the hotel is most positive, beautiful grounds, pool dining areas but our room was at the end of a long corridor on the main floor and it was dark, dingy and needed refurbishing...the picture over the bed was a frame only. Our dining experiences were all positive.

Local Fruit Market and Street food Tour
Local Fruit Market and Street food Tour
Bogotá

Many fruits are new to the tourists and it is nice to be able to try them. The arepas made by a special lady were the best I ate compared to the many I tasted through out Colombia. The flower market was colourful and nice to see .... wasn't too sure the vendors were too happy with us walking through as they were getting ready to close....might we worth considering talking with a vendor to learn more about the business and even receive one flower as token....

City Tour of Bogota with Gold Museum!
City Tour of Bogota with Gold Museum!
Bogotá

The museum was delightful...our guide told us about a few key issues and then we took whatever time we wanted to look at the various exhibits.

Street Art, Tejo Game and Chocolate Activity in Bogota
Street Art, Tejo Game and Chocolate Activity in Bogota
Bogotá

Colourful, insightful and fun...enjoyed the street art. Most fun for us was playing tejo accompanied by a mulatto local beer...chocolate pairing made us feel like we were in a lab doing a very detailed taste tasting...far too much technical stuff for regular tourist...this program needs to be delivered in a more relaxed fun manner.

Aguardiente Tasting (Local Colombian drink)
Aguardiente Tasting (Local Colombian drink)
Colombia

Very generous manager and chef introduced us to your national drink. We had lots of laughs and can see why this is such a social beverage.

Dinner Reservation at Jardin Restaurant (Sofitel Santa Clara)
Dinner Reservation at Jardin Restaurant (Sofitel Santa Clara)
Cartagena

Many kind wishes were sent my way for my BD celebration....even the hotel dining staff had a lovely dessert for me and sang happy birthday. The meal was delicious, beautiful presented and we enjoyed. There seems to be the thought that if you remove a plate as soon as finished it is efficient...not so when you are eating with another person ... my question which never has been answered is why does Colombia mark up their price of wine so significantly? If tourism is the goal, expect wine drinking goes with that....we were able to find delicious wines in the local grocery for a reasonable amount.

Arepa Making Cooking Class
Arepa Making Cooking Class
Colombia

Enjoyed my time with the chef learning about the different corns and how they are treated. With the help of his kitchen staff, the final presentation was delightful.

Cocora Valley,  Salento, and Filandia Coffee Town
Cocora Valley, Salento, and Filandia Coffee Town
Colombia

Amazing valley and seeing these magnificent palms was awesome....our guide was very knowledgeable about the area and shared this with us in an easy to understand discussion. He was happy to accommodate a request to show me an avocado tree and took the time to explain the growth etc. Both Salento and Filandia were colourful and easily walkable locations.

Private Cooking Class and Lunch
Private Cooking Class and Lunch
Cartagena

A very well spoken knowledgeable chef taught us lots about the cuisine and how to actual tackle some items that were new for us. We enjoyed all of the dishes that we made and have a much better understanding of the work and effort that goes into some of the Caribbean dishes. Loved the aprons that were easy for me to get home...great memory jogger of a fun time.

Private Cooking Class and Dinner
Private Cooking Class and Dinner
Colombia

Well organized with an interpreter and set up efficient for us to easily manage the steps. Enjoyed the class, the chef, the gift of columbian pots and the experience.

Colombian Drinks and Cocktail Tasting Experience
Colombian Drinks and Cocktail Tasting Experience
Colombia

Relaxed, fun and playful experience.

City Tour of Medellín (with Local Market)
City Tour of Medellín (with Local Market)
Medellín

Enjoyed the exhibition of sculptures by Botero. Our guide shared comical information which kept the history fun and memorable.. the wonderful metro cable up to Santo Domingo was enjoyable and knowledgeable and an amazing method to move people through this massive city in a cost efficient manner.

Quality of Experience
Authentic Coffee Farm Visit and Meeting a Local Family
Authentic Coffee Farm Visit and Meeting a Local Family
Colombia

One of the best activities and learning experiences in Colombia. From costume setting, to picking the beans and walking through the fields and learning about the many steps that are taken to produce this bean was amazing. The lady of the manor prepared drinks and snacks and then a sizeable lunch for all of us to enjoy. Language wasn't difficult with a fluent guide and gestures and smiles all added to the enjoy,ent.

Thermal Waters Santa Rosa de Cabal
Thermal Waters Santa Rosa de Cabal
Colombia

We enjoyed taking the path with our guide at a leisurely pace to see the thermal waters. Quite a stunning area of natural beauty.

Guatape and El Peñol
Guatape and El Peñol
Colombia

Other than the rain, we enjoyed getting to the area as well as learning about La Piedra rock. No pressure to climb and didn't.

Music and Colombian Afro Flow Tour - Cultural Immersion at a Comuna
Music and Colombian Afro Flow Tour - Cultural Immersion at a Comuna
Medellín

Essential to experience this neighborhood in order to better understand the massive changes that have taken place by those living in very poor dangerous conditions.

Depart Colombia
Depart Colombia
Colombia

A tour guide arrived at our VBRO, same young chap we had met before......he waited with us until the driver arrived...we were not aware a guide was to accompany us...and off we went to the airport where we were dropped off outside....every other guide that we had accompanied us inside the terminal to ensure a smooth transition, and that's when we tipped....without meaningful service, no tipping. The driver was new to us and the seat belts were non workable in the rear and when we pointed this out we were advised that the car had been cleaned and they hadn't pulled the clips back through....whatever the reason, the client should not be put in that position.

Rum Tasting with Chocolate Pairing
Rum Tasting with Chocolate Pairing
Cartagena

Cartagena takes a little time to get oriented ... our guide walked us to this event which was essential for us as it was an evening event. The owner and presenter of the event was friendly and fun and enjoyed his job. We enjoyed learning about the different flavour profiles and how they were created and the little tapas to aid with the palette were delicious. On our walk back to the hotel we were able to see the party buses and how night life lives in this city.

Local specialist: Margoth Rico
Margoth
Margoth Rico
Local specialist in Bogota | Replied on Mar 06, 2025
Dear Mary Arlene, Thank you very much for taking the time to share your detailed feedback with us. We really appreciate it. We are very happy to hear that you had an overall positive experience with our local guides and drivers, and that you enjoyed the various destinations and activities on your itinerary. We appreciate your kind words about the Colombian people and your recognition of the importance of tourism and hospitality in improving the quality of life. Your comments about the room... Read more

Dear Mary Arlene,

Thank you very much for taking the time to share your detailed feedback with us. We really appreciate it. We are very happy to hear that you had an overall positive experience with our local guides and drivers, and that you enjoyed the various destinations and activities on your itinerary.

We appreciate your kind words about the Colombian people and your recognition of the importance of tourism and hospitality in improving the quality of life. Your comments about the room in Cartagena and the guide's approach are noted, and thank you for bringing this to our attention. We apologize for the inconvenience and will speak with the Sofitel Santa Clara hotel to address these areas for improvement. Your suggestion regarding the inclusion of more English in hospitality for better communication is very valuable as well, and we are working with other companies and local communities to address this.

Thank you very much for your valuable feedback and for helping us enhance our services. And thank you for visiting Colombia! It has been a pleasure having you and Terence in Colombia!

Kind regards,
Margoth