Colombia
World's best for birding!

Sunday 14 - Saturday 27 August 2011 (14 days)

Colombia has more bird species than any other country in the world, and may well have the biodiversity record as well. With travel now much safer, and a good tourist infrastructure rapidly developing, we decided it was time for a recce, and now our first trip - join us!

Colombia is a treasure chest of unparalleled diversity of fauna and flora, such as orchids, amphibians and butterflies, and with almost 1,900 bird species, the country hosts more bird species than any other in the world.

Although the country has had a decidedly 'dodgy' reputation in the past, it has now very much cleaned up its act, and is now statistically as safe as anywhere in Latin America. The result is that tourists are returning, and a good tourist infrastructure is developing as a result.

Keith went out there to 'recce' in early 2009, and this tour is the result. We can only cover a small part of Colombia in a two week tour, but we think we have picked some superb locations, which combine easy walking with their own special, often endemic, bird species.

The tour co-leader is Carl Downing, who has been birdwatching since the age of seven and took his first foreign bird watching trip to the Alps in Austria at the age of 14.

Accommodation
 Comfortable hotels and lodges with all rooms en suite.

Walking
 Relatively short walks along trails, with frequent stops for birds and other wildlife. Some trails may be muddy and occasionally steep.

Leaders: Keith Grant & Carl Downing with local guides

Numbers: Max. 14 clients



Price: £ 3,995
Single supp.: £ 375
Deposit: £ 400 per person

The price is per person, and is fully inclusive of accommodation as detailed above, all meals in Colombia, return flight London - Bogota*, internal flights, airport taxes, surface transport as described, incidental tips, admissions and the services of the leaders.

The price excludes holiday insurance, drinks, optional tips to the local guides, and other personal expenses.

*For an ex-international flight cost (Bogota/Bogota), please deduct £ 645 from the tour cost.
**Singles at Tanganga/Santa Marta have no supplement, but will only be allocated if group size permits.

Colombia map

Outline Itinerary
Day 1We take a morning flight from London, via Madrid, arriving in Bogota during the evening for a three night stay. Overnight Bogota
Days 2-3Surrounding the city of Bogota are some large areas of cloud forest and some excellent lakes and marshes. We will also spend time exploring into the shade-grown coffee country. We stay in a comfortable three star hotel near to the American Embassy. Two nights Bogota
Day 4We drive north to Doradal for a three night stay. En route, we'll stop at La Vega and other places of interest. Overnight Doradal
Days 5-6During the next two days, we will be exploring the excellent Rio Clara area. Two nights Doradal
Day 7We drive to Medellin for a morning flight to Santa Marta on the Caribbean coast, and then drive directly to the El Dorado Reserve where we stay for the next three nights.
Days 8-9Two nights El Dorado
Day 10After a final morning birding around the lodge, we descend back to the coast and will stay for the next three nights in Taganga or Santa Marta. Overnight Tanganga/Santa Marta
Day 11We have an early start today, needing to be at SFF Los Flamencos soon after dawn. This Sanctuario de Fauna y Flora is one of 51 areas protected within the Sistema de Parques Nacionales Naturales de Colombia. Overnight Tanganga/Santa Marta
Day 12Close to Taganga is another National Park, Parque Tayrona, which we visit today. Overnight Tanganga/Santa Marta
Day 13We head for an early morning's birding at Isla Salamanca, another location within Colombia's PNN system. We then head directly to Barranquilla for our flight to Bogota, connecting with the overnight flight home, arriving at Heathrow on Day 14.

Click here for a full, printable itinerary