Truly amazing, wonderful, unique and special trip
Colombia | Jun 24 - Jul 2, 2024

Clare
Clare T.
Menlo Park, CA | Reviewed on Jul 31, 2024

I absolutely loved my trip to Colombia this past June/July. I had the good fortune to have Michael as my trip planner. He did such a fantastic job listening to what I wanted to see and focus on while still staying within my budget. We went through several iterations of plans and ideas, and he was just patient and thoughtful and full of suggestions and recommendations. In the end I had just the perfect trip planned, and I got to see so many wonderful places. Another highlight of my trip was my guide, Camila, who has to be one of the most special, smart, caring, generous guides and people I've had the pleasure to meet. She went out of her way to explain things to me and show me things and encourage me to try things. She was always putting me first. Her English was excellent and she even let me practice my Spanish a bit. I had such an amazing trip that I am already committed to going back next summer, and hopefully Michael can work his magic and come up with another wonderful journey and Camila will be available to guide me. I loved all the hotels and special places Michael found for me. I did have some questions during my trip, and both Camila and Michael were immediately responsive and tried to fix and improve things to make sure I had the best trip ever...which I did. I could not be more grateful to both of them...and to my amazing driver, Wilson, as well! He was such a conscientious driver and friendly and outgoing and I hope he is free next summer as well as I can't way to go back and explore more of this beautiful country.

Hotel Reviews
Hotel Dann Monasterio
Popayan

Great hotel! After more than a week of staying in some random and small places, it felt like luxury to find a clean hotel with wifi (everywhere!) and hot water in the shower! It was very clean and the customer service was impeccable. I think I was nearly the only tourist there, but everyone attended to me and helped me. I am especially grateful to Nathalie who was working in the kitchen. I walked down and gave her my dinner order, and she went above and beyond to make it special and deliver it to me. She was so kind and sweet...totally made my stay. Would stay there again in a heartbeat.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Finca El Maco
San Agustin

This was my very favorite place to stay during my 9 day visit to Colombia. Granted, I think I stayed in the best room they had! But it was really remarkable and unique. The staff was very helpful, the breakfast was delicious, and the room I had was unbelievable. Probably the best place I have ever stayed. I agree with other comments about the barking dogs...they really need to do something about that! (Not chain them up at night??) But I still loved it and would stay there again in a heartbeat.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
POSADA TURISTICA DANTAYACO

What a lovely place! I was enchanted. So unique and special. Everyone there was so helpful and kind. Quiet and so cute! Lots os monkeys and you can hear the river nearby. I was the only tourist there but the staff was super friendly and helpful. Delicious food. It was really unique and I'd stay there again in a heartbeat.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel De La Opera
Bogotá

Really lovely hotel. I had a great stay here. The staff was super helpful, the breakfast was very tasty, and everything was more than I could have asked for. There was hot water in the showers and free wifi! Comfortable bed and quiet. I did get there early so could not check into my room but they watched my bag until the room was ready. I saw some other comments about the staff not speaking English and I just disagree. We are guests in their country and if you can't take the time to learn some basic Spanish then at least know you can use Google translate to communicate with them. I do not think the onus should be on the staff; it is on us as guests to be good visitors. I know rudimentary Spanish and I think they appreciated my attempt to be understood. The hotel is really well located and would totally stay there again.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Chalet Guamuez

This place is very cute and spacious. Each room has great views and some rooms have fireplaces. The breakfast was delicious and the staff was super friendly. I personally had problems as I found the rooms very cold (there is no central heat...just space heaters) but my guide swooped in to help me resolve this. Also, the wifi in the rooms is again not totally reliable, but the staff there did their best to help me solve this. There are not too many places to stay in this particular area, and it was very pretty.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Majestic Coffee Hotel And Restaurant

This was a very cute place to stay, and I have to stay that I had the best meal EVER at this particular place...for $6! :) The lady who runs it should be running a Michelin restaurant. The rooms are very simple but clean. Note there is no Wifi in any of the rooms, despite what their website says. Still..there are not a lot of options if you want to see Tierradentro, so I think this was totally the best option. It was very pretty and charming, and the lady and her family there were super friendly.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Explore the Town of San Agustín
Explore the Town of San Agustín
San Agustín

Camila gave me a personal tour of the city, and it was really fun and interesting.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Excursion in Tierradentro Archaeolgical Park
Excursion in Tierradentro Archaeolgical Park
Tierradentro

Loved my trip to the park. Learned a lot and the site was amazing.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Visit of the "Fin del Mundo"
Visit of the "Fin del Mundo"
Mocoa

Loved my hike to fin del mundo! It was much longer and more difficult than I first thought, but I am glad I did it. So beautiful.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Indigenous Market in Silvia
Indigenous Market in Silvia
Colombia

Really interesting visit to this market!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Bogotá Walking Tour
Bogotá Walking Tour
Bogotá

I loved my walking tour! I had a fantastic guide. Wish it were longer, but it was my first day after a long flight, and I was exhausted. Still, my guide was awesome.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Bus-Tour to Zipaquirá Salt Cathedral
Bus-Tour to Zipaquirá Salt Cathedral
Colombia

Loved seeing this cathedral! Totally unique. Worth a visit. My guide was awesome.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Visit to the Sanctuary of Las Lajas
Visit to the Sanctuary of Las Lajas
Colombia

Visiting Las Lajas was one of the highlights of my trip. Brought me to tears...it was so pretty.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Visit the La Cocha Lagoon
Visit the La Cocha Lagoon
La Cocha

Loved my boat trip on the lagoon. It was cold and windy, but so pretty!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Coffee Tour on a Local Farm
Coffee Tour on a Local Farm
San Agustín

Loved my trip to the coffee farm! I learned a lot and the coffee was very good.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Michael Gold
Michael
Michael Gold
Local specialist in San Agustín, Huila, Colombia | Replied on Jul 31, 2024
Dear Clare,
Thank you so much for your detailed and heartfelt review of your trip to Colombia. It means a lot to hear such positive feedback, and I’m glad you had such a wonderful experience.
Meeting you in person during your travels was truly a highlight for me. It’s always special to connect with our travelers, and I’m delighted that everything, from the itinerary to the accommodations, met your expectations. I’m also pleased to hear that Camila and Wilson contributed significantly to your...
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Dear Clare,
Thank you so much for your detailed and heartfelt review of your trip to Colombia. It means a lot to hear such positive feedback, and I’m glad you had such a wonderful experience.
Meeting you in person during your travels was truly a highlight for me. It’s always special to connect with our travelers, and I’m delighted that everything, from the itinerary to the accommodations, met your expectations. I’m also pleased to hear that Camila and Wilson contributed significantly to your journey; they are indeed exceptional at what they do.

I’m excited to start planning your next trip for next summer. We will make sure it’s another unforgettable experience, full of new adventures and discoveries. I’ll coordinate with Camila and Wilson to see if they can join us again.

Thank you once again for your kind words, and I look forward to working with you on another memorable journey!

Best regards,
Michael & The Chaska Tours Team