Colombia with three kids
Colombia | Mar 21 - Mar 30, 2025

Carl
Carl D.
Flagami, FL | Reviewed on Apr 05, 2025

Coordinating a family vacation with three kids throughout Colombia requires a level of expertise that is beyond even a well-seasoned traveller. My wife was a bit skeptical when I pitched the idea of taking our family of 5 to Colombia. Well, we loved booking through kimkim, but specifically, felt that we were so lucky to have Margoth assigned to our trip. She and all of Aracanto Travel were incredibly communicative and their recommendations were spot-on. Our guides Ana, Felipe, and Manuela were fun, flexible, kind, and able to connect with our children. I would highly recommend having Margoth and Aracanto plan your future family vacation!

Hotel Reviews
Sofitel Legend Santa Clara Cartagena
Cartagena

Few city hotels can blend relaxation, luxury, location, service, and beauty as well as this hotel. The history permeates throughout the hotel, and everywhere you turn, there is no doubt that you are in Cartagena. This is not a "copy-and-paste" Caribbean resort....if you're looking for a beach vacation in a forgettable place, go somewhere else. Our children felt very welcome from the moment we entered the property, and we were quite surprised to see so many families visiting Hotel Santa Clara, spending time swimming in their gorgeous pool. The buffet breakfast was spectacular and I got to try fruits I had never seen....I'm looking at you, guama! I would absolutely love to return to Hotel Santa Clara.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Campestre las Camelias

Super fun hotel for families with young children. The food was ok but nothing special. The rides at the hotel are fun for very young children, and a similar to rides you may see at your local county fair. The pool is huge with waterslides but the weather was not ideal for swimming when we visited.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Staff was super nice. My Spanish is pretty good, but not amazing. If we didn't know rudimentary Spanish, it would have been very difficult to communicate. We encountered only two staff members who spoke English. I would recommend more multi-lingual staff members to help guests who may not know any Spanish.
Cleanliness & Comfort
York Luxury Suites MedellĂ­n
El Poblado, Medellin

The location is perfect with a jaw-dropping rooftop pool and bar. The breakfast was lovely and overall, I would recommend this hotel, but only after they fix one MAJOR problem (and it's not the fault of Margoth or KimKim). My biggest problem with the hotel, which really was unfortunate, was the customer service. The front desk was super kind, but in the end, when I needed help, they were powerless. We had two rooms, and in the my kids room, the smoke alarm would beep off and on. I didn't hear it at first, and then like clockwork, would beep, beep, beep for 5-10 minutes, and then take a break, only restart beeping 30 minutes later. I called the front desk to see if this problem could be addressed. No luck. I called back again, and they asked if it was still beeping (as if Tinkerbell flew over to fix it). For the second time, they said someone would come and fix it. By this time it was 10 pm and my kids were asleep. By 10:40pm my wife and I were asleep. No one came. My 8 year-old daughter woke every up at 6 am complaining that the alarm kept beeping off and on throughout the night. I told the front desk at 6:30 am and they had no answers. We checked out of the hotel that morning as scheduled.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
The breakfast was wonderful. The maintenance staff is poor.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Tau House Hotel

Fantastic and beautiful hotel. Beautiful room and a nice restaurant.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Walking Tour of Cartagena Old City
Walking Tour of Cartagena Old City
Colombia

I just loved our walking tour of Cartagena. Our guide Ana, who is also a schoolteacher, was focused on making it fun for my kids. Boy did she succeed with a scavenger hunt through the old city and Getsemani. Ana was able to navigate the tourist traps while still being able to allow my family with some of the colorfully dressed ladies with fruit on their heads. Too often, my vacation photos are of my wife with the three kids. One of the biggest bonuses of having a guide, is that I no longer have to worry about that job!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Suggested Dinner at Crepes & Waffles
Suggested Dinner at Crepes & Waffles
Cartagena

This one was for the kids, and they loved it. Many of my Colombian friends love this restaurant, and they have locations throughout the country. The place was packed and I would go back with my family or for dessert if I were just with my wife.

Quality of Experience
Drums and Music Workshop
Drums and Music Workshop
Cartagena

This was a really fun experience for the entire family. I really tried to do things on this vacation that was different from our usual routine. The drum and music workshop really hit the mark! Though a bit tired, the kids really enjoyed it and our personalized instruction was quite fun! Kelele!!!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Margoth Rico
Margoth
Margoth Rico
Local specialist in Bogota | Replied on Apr 05, 2025
Dear Carl, Thank you so much for your review and for taking the time to leave your feedback. We are truly honored to have been part of your Colombian adventure. And we are delighted to hear that your family had such a wonderful experience and that we could help make the trip enjoyable for everyone. Your kind words about the team and Ana, Felipe, and Manuela, mean a lot to us. They will be delighted to know they left such a positive impression and connected so well with your children. We... Read more

Dear Carl,

Thank you so much for your review and for taking the time to leave your feedback.

We are truly honored to have been part of your Colombian adventure. And we are delighted to hear that your family had such a wonderful experience and that we could help make the trip enjoyable for everyone.

Your kind words about the team and Ana, Felipe, and Manuela, mean a lot to us. They will be delighted to know they left such a positive impression and connected so well with your children. We will pass on your comments to our local teams as well as hotels and everyone involved in your trip.

It was such a pleasure working with you to create this Colombian journey for your family, and we are beyond grateful for your recommendations and your detailed feedback. Muchas Gracias!

Sending you all my very Best wishes to you and your beautiful family!

Warm regards,
Margoth