Brightly-painted Salento is one of the oldest coffee-producing towns in Colombia and maintains a captivating mix of tradition and new world bustle.
Trekking-clad tourists brush shoulders with local farmers who stroll around in their ‘Aguandeñan’ hats (predecessor to the Panama hat), wellington boots, machetes, moustaches and customary poncho folded over their shoulders.
Then travel by ‘Willy’ jeep to Cocora and the Las Nevadas mountain range.
From Cocora, you can enjoy hikes through cloud forest, visit a traditional coffee plantation and gaze up at the Gigantic Wax Palm trees that grow here, thrusting up to 60m/197ft from earth to skyline.
Big and bustling, Medellín is becoming the city to visit in Colombia as it shakes off its Pablo Escobar past and emerges as a centre for art, culture and nightlife.
A visit to Plazoleta de las Esculturas to see 20 of Botero’s famous large bronze sculptures is essential, as is a look around the Museo d’Antioquia, showcasing his paintings and also fantastic Colombian modern art.
A good quality metro system makes Medellín very easy to move around, and telefericos can take you quickly up into the mountains for gorgeous views.
Ecuador’s cloud forest covers its rolling hillsides as they descend from the high Andean plateaus into the rain forest or down to the Pacific coast.
Most of this tropical forest lies between 1,200-2,700m/3,937-8,858ft above sea level, an evergreen, lush and moist forest, teeming with bird and insect life.
Much of the cloud forest is readily accessible from Quito making it perfect a 2 or 3-day stay.
There are many lodges with virgin forest, home to a dazzling variety of hummingbirds, refreshing waterfalls for swimming, zip lining and wildlife walks.
The humming birds, Cock of the Rock and the chance of spotting larger mammals such as the spectacled bears are just some of the attractions of spending some time in this amazing ecosystem.
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C. Cooper, UK. Chile and Bolivia, April 2025 We had a truly amazing experience. Chile and Bolivia are stunning. Our guides were professional, knowledgeable and friendly. All of the guides said we had a very well planned itinerary that gave us the best chance of acclimatising to the altitude properly (the hike in Atacama and the trek to the Hot Springs before departing for Bolivia). Our driver in Bolivia was fantastic. He was professional and very competent. Despite the condition of the roads and the amount of time we spent travelling we always felt completely safe. The hotels in Bolivia were basic but charming. Some of the facilities were a bit more rustic than we had expected (no heating and/ or no hot water in the mornings) but we managed. Food was simple but good. Overall, it was a very special trip and has given us a lot of amazing memories. If someone asks what the best part was, I couldn’t decide because there were so many best bits….Moon Valley, the flooded Solar de Uyuni, The Milky Way, Sunsets & Sunrises, the Flamingos at Laguna Colorado. It was exhausting and unforgettable - just how we like it :-) I will eventually get to reviewing my photos and will send you some. Many thanks for your help in organising everything.
C. Cooper » Bolivia Uyuni Salt Flats 4WD Tour
W. Kyle, USA. 4-day Inca Trail trek, Cusco and Sacred Valley, April 2025 Food was awesome, at our Cusco hotel and on the Inca trail. There were so many highlights: the way our guide explained in great detail about all the birds, plants (especially all the different orchids), in addition to his knowledge on all the ancient historical sites was quite amazing. It made the trail more like an adventure, instead of a hike. All of the people at the hotel in Cusco were very helpful, especially Kevin, who brought oxygen to my room Saturday morning when I was still having issues adjusting to the high altitude in Cusco. The other tour guides, Eddie on the walking tour of Cusco, and Mateo, who did the Sacred Valley tour were good. Andean Trails was recommended by Responsible Travel, my first contact for this adventure.
W. Kyle » 4-Day Inca Trail Hike To Machu Picchu, Peru