What to Know Before You Book

No.

Quite the opposite actually – the vast majority of our travellers come solo (and meeting other like-minded solo travellers is often the highlight of the trip)

Sometimes people bring a friend, sometimes there are couples, but if you are travelling solo you will definitely be in the majority.

Yes.

The more the merrier!

Yes.

There will always be at least one of us (and sometimes both) hosting the trip.

When Marcela is not on the trip, Steve will co-host with another Colombian guide (i.e. there will always be a local Colombian on the trip).

Our trips are very much designed for this age group and we’re big believers in bringing together groups of similar age.

Therefore the vast majority of our travellers will be between 25-45.

However, if you are close to this age range and feel like you’d fit in well with the group, you are more than welcome!

We like to have groups large enough to generate a fun, social atmosphere yet small enough so that we can fly under the radar.

Therefore our groups sizes are always between 4 – 12, with an average of 10 guests.

We know this is something that many people worry about in advance, but we can tell you from experience that it is very rarely an issue.

Quite the opposite actually.

We find that most often roommates tend to form some of the strongest bonds within the group.

However, if you do have an issue with a roommate during the trip, let us know and we’ll move you to a different room.

Go check some of the videos on this page and tell us if you still need convincing!

We could talk about this subject all day long, but, for the sake of brevity…

YOU WILL:

• Meet a ready made group of travel buddies, your age, sharing a similar philosophy on travel

• Experience Colombia in a way most visitors never will

• Travel safely, with experts, who know the country inside-out

• Have a positive impact on Colombia and help support local communities

• Stay in some of the coolest hotels, enjoy awesome food and hang out in the hippest local bars

• Enjoy a hassle-free trip where you don’t have to worry about planning, logistics, transport, bookings, language barrier etc…

Yes.

Our standard prices are based on sharing a twin with a fellow (same sex) traveller but if you prefer a private room then this is possible at an extra cost.

It is roughly £40 / €50 / $60 extra per night.

If you’re interested, ask us for a formal quote.

At the top of all of our itinerary pages you will find listed specifically what is and what isn’t included in the price for that trip.

Generally speaking:

PRIOR TO LANDING IN COLOMBIA

International flights and travel insurance are not included in our ticket price, you will have to organise and pay for these separately.

WHILE IN COLOMBIA

We try to include almost everything from the point you land in Colombia so that you can simply focus on enjoying your trip. Your ticket price covers the majority of what you will need while here.

Two exceptions are

• some meals
• activities during free time

This is done so that you can have flexibility during your trip to go off and explore your own personal interests (if you wish to do so).

See “how much spending money” question to understand expected costs.

Our trips really do include just about everything.

They were designed so that while you’re in Colombia all you need to do is focus on enjoying yourself.

With that said you will need a little spending money which we estimate as follows:

8 DAY TRIPS:

• £150 – £250 (UK)
• €175 –  €300 (Europe)
• $200 – $325 (US)

15 DAY TRIPS:

• £300 – £500 (UK)
• €350 –  €600 (Europe)
• $400 – $650 (US)

These estimates include lunches and dinners not included within the itinerary; snacks and water; a couple of alcoholic drinks each day; and optional activities during free time.

(In general, in Colombia you can expect to pay around half of what you would back home for food, snacks and alcohol).

We’re all about travelling in style and a big part of that is staying in awesome hotels.

You will stay in some of the nicest hotels in Colombia, typically 4-star, boutique, and bursting with Colombian charm (we avoid corporate hotels like the plague).

If you would like to know the specific hotels we use, please get in touch.

It varies.

• Internal Colombia flights – we will typically fly with Avianca or LATAM (the 2 best airlines in Colombia)
• Day trips / moving between towns – we will have our own private minivan.
• Sailing the Rosario Islands – our own private speedboat.
• Within cities – we will sometimes use metro, buses, taxis for shorter trips as they are usually easier and make for a more authentic local experience.

No.

Everything on the itinerary is comletely optional.

Got two left feet and don’t want to join the dance class?  No problem at all.

Prefer to skip the hike and chill by the pool? Go ahead, you’re on holiday after all!

Yes.

We will send a pre-trip information pack a few months prior to departure which will includes various options for free time activities.

If you can’t wait, just get in touch and we’ll give you the run down!

Free time is specifically built into the itinerary to

a) give you some downtime from what is a fairly busy schedule and

b) give you flexibility to pursue your own personal interests.

Therefore if you want to go explore alone this is your opportunity!

But, most often, members of the group will plan some fun activities together.

And your hosts (that’s us) will always be available if you’re looking for some company during these periods.

Even on days when there is not a formal meal as part of the itinerary, most members of the group will typically still eat together.

We will always recommend restaurant (and bar for later) on these days (which you may choose to try our or you can also go discover somewhere else completely different).

Yes.

We (Steve & Marcela) are vegetarian ourselves and so know exactly where to find the best veg / vegan food in Colombia.

The good news is that the number of options in Colombia is increasing rapidly and we often have vegetarians and vegans on our trips.

You can arrive into Colombia at any time on the first day of the trip and leave at any point on the last day.

Airports are as follows:-

• Medellin (MED): Jose Maria Cordova
• Bogota (BOG): El Dorado
• Cartagena (CTG): Rafael Núñez

Flight prices can vary depending on time of year.

Get in touch and tell us where you’re based, we can then help you select the best flight options (even if you are justing costing up at this point).

Absolutely yes.

Just get in touch with us and we’ll help you coordinate.

Firstly, you should only book your flights after we have confirmed your place is reserved on a tour.

After booking flights, if at any point we (Other Way Round) cancel the tour, we will refund your full ticket price and also reimburse you for anything you lose on flight tickets.

(note that we’ve never had to do this so far – our tours book up fast)!

It’s easy.

1. You contact us to tell us you’d like to book and for which dates
2. We check availability. If there’s places remaining then…
3. We email you an invoice
4. You pay 20% at the time of booking (via debit / credit card)
5. You pay the remainder 2 months prior to the trip date.

It’s that simple.

Every traveller must have their own private travel insurance (which is a fairly standard process for tour companies).

You will not be allowed on the trip with our it.

There are many different options available, here are two which we recommend:

World Nomads: https://www.worldnomads.com/

Allianz: https://www.allianztravelinsurance.com/

A few months prior to your trip, we will send you a detailed ‘pre-trip information pack’ which includes everything you could ever need to know about travelling Colombia (including visas, vaccinations, and packing lists)