Q: You’ve decided to launch your first-ever tour of Colombia next year. Why now?
A: We have had our eye on Colombia for many years and felt the time was right to offer this wonderful new itinerary for our company’s 100th anniversary in 2025!
Colombia has always had an intriguing culture, rich history and amazing cuisine, and with the very positive changes that have occurred there over the past decade, it made sense to add the country to the portfolio of destinations we offer to our guests.
Q: What will guests get to experience on this tour?
A: Our guests will visit three of Colombia’s major cities, providing a wonderful array of authentic “insider” experiences!
Guests will learn about Colombia’s history during city tours and visits to several museums chronicling the country’s past from Colonial times to the Republican era.
Guests will also learn about the impact the general Simon Bolivar had on the country and his role in freeing it from Spanish rule. We’ll also explore the life and legacy of author Gabriel Garcia Marquez, known for his “magical realism” genre and his world renowned book, One Hundred Years of Solitude.
Guests will also discover the painter and sculptor Fernando Botero, and the impact his vision and works of art had on the culture and lives of locals during a dark period in Colombia’s history.
Additionally, our guests will have the opportunity to learn about the various musical rhythms and instruments of Colombia, and the many flavours and tastes of its culinary traditions.
Finally, we’ll also explore Colombia’s very recent history, including the 2016 peace treaty that introduced a new era and has brought hope and prosperity to its people, its economy and to the country at large.
Q: What will the accommodation be like?
A: Guests will be staying at three different properties in the cities we will visit – the Four Seasons Bogota in the capital, the Medellin Marriott Hotel and the Sofitel Legend Santa Clara in Cartagena.
These upscale properties offer our guests great comfort as well as central locations for dining and other activities they may wish to partake in during the time we’ve set aside in each city for independent exploration.
Q: Interaction with locals and their culture is paramount to any tour these days. Will guests be immersed in the traditions and culinary ways of Colombia?
A: Our guests will enjoy immersive school visits where they’ll interact with students and have exposure to the music, culture and history of Colombia.
These schools have a positive impact on the communities they serve, which our guests will also learn about.
They will also have the opportunity to try local foods from the different regions they visit, ranging from traditional Colombian specialties to exotic local fruits, which Colombia has no shortage of.
Q: The country has featured on the news in the past for all the wrong reasons. Can you assure travellers that it is safe to visit Colombia?
A: Our guests know that their safety and wellbeing are always Tauck’s very highest priorities. Our team has travelled to Colombia multiple times in recent years and we’ve always felt incredibly safe there.
As in any foreign country, people should be vigilant, self-aware and take the normal precautions one would in any large city.
During the tour, our guests will learn about Colombia’s past and the transformation it has undergone in the last decade – a transformation that makes Colombia the bucket-list destination it is today and has enabled it to open its doors to curious travellers.
Q: What is it about the country that you love?
A: The country itself is beautiful – Colombia is a country of contrasts for me. Each city looks different from the next.
Bogota and Medellin are in the Andes Mountains, Cartagena is on the Caribbean coast and everything about each one varies vastly, from the history to the weather, the food and the landscape.
However, they are all very vibrant and colourful, full of street food and music, with well-preserved architecture that tells a wonderful story of its past.
But with all of these great components that make up the fabric and culture of Colombia, what brings it all to life are the people. They are kind, warm, gregarious, engaging and so very eager to show travellers this beautiful country they are so proud of.
Q: Do the local people know much about Australia?
A: In all honesty, more than likely not a significant amount, as it really is a growing destination, but as above the local people and business’ we have worked with have shown so much warmth to us as a company and can’t wait to welcome all Tauck guests into their communities.
Q: Do you think tours like this will encourage more Aussies to consider Colombia for their next holiday?
A: I hope so! Colombia is certainly a destination worth experiencing and it can easily be paired with some other wonderful destinations in North America.
New York City, for example, is just a six-hour flight from Bogota and Miami is less than four hours. Colombia is also just a two-hour flight from Guayaquil, Ecuador, the jumping-off point for an exploration of the Galapagos Islands.
