Colombia: Off the Beaten Track

On your second day in Bogota, you'll embark on a guided tour taking you through the city's most notable attractions. Witness a glimpse of 17th-century Bogota in the historic La Candelaria, renowned for the colourful houses that line quaint avenues, charming boutique shops, and collection of cultural hotspots, including the spectacular Gold Museum, home to South America's largest collection of pre-Colombian gold artefacts. Following your visit to La Candelaria, you'll walk through narrow streets adorned with enchanting mural artworks, demonstrating the city's artistic spirit, before viewing the magnificent facades of government buildings and visiting the iconic Plaza Boliver, Bogota's main square.

During your time in San Agustin, you'll embark on a tour through the San Agustin Archaeological Park, an archaeological site containing hundreds of intriguing carved structures dispersed across a 500 km² landscape of forest, hills, and waterfalls. Home to South America's largest collection of pre-Colombian religious monuments and megalithic sculptures, the park offers a vivid glimpse into the ancient practices of the mysterious Andean culture that once resided in the region. Following your tour, you'll travel down to the headwaters of the Magdelena River and visit the village of Obando to view eight ancient underground burial chambers before concluding your tour at the El Salto de Bordones waterfall, the second largest in South America.

The adventure begins your first night at the lodge with a guided nighttime trek through the lodge's reserve, a wonderful introduction to the lively atmosphere of the jungle, with a plethora of opportunities to spot nocturnal wildlife. The following morning, you'll visit the nearby village of the Mocaguas, an indigenous community that lives by rural practices that have been passed down for centuries, offering a rare glimpse into a way of life few encounter. In the afternoon, you'll embark on a captivating hike through the Calanoa Natural Reserve, home to a wide diversity of exotic flora and elusive wildlife. Along the way, you can anticipate sighting mischievous monkeys swinging through the canopies and various bird species, as well as smaller fauna. From the reserve, you'll travel to the river for an exciting evening of pink dolphin watching, the largest species of freshwater dolphin in the world. 

Begin the day with a serene boat ride along the palm-fringed river to Puerto Nario, a town only accessible by boat. The visit offers a fascinating insight into the culture of the Ticuna community, an indigenous tribe that has resided in the Amazon for hundreds of years, and how their daily lives centre around the Amazon River and rainforest. Following the village visit, you'll have more opportunities to spot pink dolphins on an excursion to Lago Tarapoto, a lake famed for its docile waters, massive water Lillies and small population of manatees. Once you're back on land, you'll enjoy a hike across Calanoa Reserve to Matamata Creek for an enthralling canoe excursion down the river back to the lodge, a once-in-a-lifetime experience.