Very enjoyable trip.
Colombia | Feb 13 - Mar 5, 2025

T
Terence C.
Canada | Reviewed on Mar 06, 2025

Very enjoyable trip, except for the excessive heat in Cartagena. All guides, except one were great and that one needs some maturing when dealing with people.

Hotel Reviews
The Artisan D.C. Hotel, Autograph Collection
Bogotá

Top notch.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Reserva Natural Sazagua Valle del Cocora

Rustic, situated in aforested and hilly area.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
El Cielo Hotel
Medellin

Great hotel and menu, on-the-ball staff.

Authenticity & Character
Only odd thing about it was that the reception was on the 5th Floor!!!! Not something I like.
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Sofitel Legend Santa Clara Cartagena
Cartagena
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Went out of their way to accommodate. Even celebrated my wife's Birthday
Cleanliness & Comfort
The room we ended up with was at the further point away from the centre of the hotel. Dungy, noisy and musty. An old part?? Needs renewal.
Hotel Boutique Sazagua
Pereira

Once upon a time this would have been quite the spot; but it's worn and not kept well.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Cobwebs hanging from high ceilings, Worn wall paper. Needs a total renewal
Activity Reviews
Authentic Coffee Farm Visit and Meeting a Local Family
Authentic Coffee Farm Visit and Meeting a Local Family
Colombia

Quite the experience and more so by meeting with the family and learning about their small business

Quality of Experience
Food
Thorougly enjoyed the excessive meal cooking by the owner's wife
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Private Cooking Class and Dinner
Private Cooking Class and Dinner
Colombia
Quality of Experience
Food
Guatape and El Peñol
Guatape and El Peñol
Colombia
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Street Art, Tejo Game and Chocolate Activity in Bogota
Street Art, Tejo Game and Chocolate Activity in Bogota
Bogotá
Quality of Experience
Enjoyed playing Tejo. Chocolate experience was interesting but more appropriate for a professional blind taste test. Rather than do the test; just a tasting with explanations is more appropriate
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Thermal Waters Santa Rosa de Cabal
Thermal Waters Santa Rosa de Cabal
Colombia
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local Fruit Market and Street food Tour
Local Fruit Market and Street food Tour
Bogotá
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Rum Tasting with Chocolate Pairing
Rum Tasting with Chocolate Pairing
Cartagena
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Welcome to Colombia!
Welcome to Colombia!
Colombia
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Colombian Drinks and Cocktail Tasting Experience
Colombian Drinks and Cocktail Tasting Experience
Colombia
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Monserrate Hill with Transportation
Monserrate Hill with Transportation
Bogotá
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
City Tour of Bogota with Gold Museum!
City Tour of Bogota with Gold Museum!
Bogotá
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Private Cooking Class and Lunch
Private Cooking Class and Lunch
Cartagena
Quality of Experience
Food
Great instruction via translator by the chef. Work tables could be more solid/stable.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Arepa Making Cooking Class
Arepa Making Cooking Class
Colombia
Quality of Experience
Kind of a hodgepodge of grinding and making varioos arepas
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Aguardiente Tasting (Local Colombian drink)
Aguardiente Tasting (Local Colombian drink)
Colombia
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
The general manager of the hotel did the experience. Quite a funny and off-the-wall person
Transport
City Tour of Medellín (with Local Market)
City Tour of Medellín (with Local Market)
Medellín
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Cocora Valley,  Salento, and Filandia Coffee Town
Cocora Valley, Salento, and Filandia Coffee Town
Colombia
Quality of Experience
Colourful and entertaing.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Depart Colombia
Depart Colombia
Colombia
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Overall great co-ordination on all our flights and getting us there.
Music and Colombian Afro Flow Tour - Cultural Immersion at a Comuna
Music and Colombian Afro Flow Tour - Cultural Immersion at a Comuna
Medellín
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
City Tour of Cartagena with Food Tasting and Graffiti Tour
City Tour of Cartagena with Food Tasting and Graffiti Tour
Cartagena
Quality of Experience
Too long, too Hot for 5 hours
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Alvaro is young ,energetic and friendly. But Alvaro was like a robot having to get through all his memorized items and descriptions. Had to tell him twice that 5 hours in the heat was too much and let's cut it off and head back. He'd be a great guide with the proper tutelage.
Transport
Dinner Reservation at Jardin Restaurant (Sofitel Santa Clara)
Dinner Reservation at Jardin Restaurant (Sofitel Santa Clara)
Cartagena
Quality of Experience
Good food.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Great young waiter.
Local specialist: Margoth Rico
Margoth
Margoth Rico
Local specialist in Bogota | Replied on Mar 06, 2025
Dear Terence, Thank you very much for taking the time to write a review and share your detailed and valuable feedback with us. We are truly passionate about what we do and care deeply about our travelers and our country. Your comments help us improve and ensure we continue offering memorable, unique, and outstanding experiences in Colombia. They also motivate us to keep showing how incredible and unique Colombia is, while recognizing that there is room for growth and improvement. We’re so... Read more

Dear Terence,

Thank you very much for taking the time to write a review and share your detailed and valuable feedback with us. We are truly passionate about what we do and care deeply about our travelers and our country. Your comments help us improve and ensure we continue offering memorable, unique, and outstanding experiences in Colombia. They also motivate us to keep showing how incredible and unique Colombia is, while recognizing that there is room for growth and improvement.

We’re so glad to hear that you had a wonderful time overall and enjoyed your travels throughout Colombia. We really appreciate the positive feedback you shared, particularly about the Artisan DC Hotel in Bogotá and El Cielo Hotel in Medellín—both of which aim to excel at providing fantastic experiences for their guests. We’re also thrilled to hear how much you enjoyed the authentic coffee farm experience in the Coffee Region, especially the chance to meet the local family and learn about their small business.

It is great to hear you had fun with activities like playing Tejo, the cooking class in Cartagena, the Aguardiente tasting and the City Tour in Medellín. We’re especially happy to hear that your dinner at the Jardin Restaurant at the Sofitel was a memorable experience! We’re also pleased to hear that your time in Cocora Valley was great, and that the transportation arrangements worked smoothly throughout your trip.

That said, we sincerely apologize for the issues you encountered in Cartagena. The heat can certainly be intense, and we understand how that impacted your experience. We are constantly working to advise our travelers on how to stay comfortable and manage the weather while enjoying their time in the city.

Regarding your experience with the guide in Cartagena, we truly appreciate your constructive feedback and will work with the guide to ensure they continue to develop in their approach and interactions with travelers. Our goal is always to provide professional and engaging guides, and we’re sorry that this was not the case on this occasion.

As for the hotel in Cartagena and Sazagua in the Coffee Region, we are sorry to hear that they did not meet your expectations. We take your feedback seriously and will review the services and facilities with both properties to ensure they align with the high standards we strive to maintain.

Thank you once again for trusting us with your journey in Colombia. It was a pleasure meeting you and Mary Arlene, and we truly appreciate you both for sharing your feedback with us. We’re also grateful for the time you spent immersing yourselves in our local culture and exploring Colombia’s unique experiences!

Kind regards,
Margoth and the Aracanto Colombia Team