Travelling Colombia with Other Way Round Travel – Tom, London

In this post Tom Bostock (from London, UK) tells us about his experience while travelling Colombia on one of our group tours.

My Experience Travelling Colombia

Simply put my experience travelling Colombia with Other Way Round Travel was incredible.

I had been on a few travels with organisations like this by myself, but they were all to English speaking nations, namely Canada and the US, and I was keen to step a bit further out and experience an entirely different culture.

Unfortunately, like so many other people, me and my family were concerned about the prospect of Colombia (particularly just after seeing Narcos) but the big calming factor was this company.

Their website/tours looked incredible and I truly had the feeling that I would be looked after from the second I got off the plane, throughout the trip and till I was ready to board my return flight.

This was proven to be the case as unfortunately there were many delays to my flight from London (an unavoidable risk with travelling), but Steve and Paula were constantly in communication with me, letting me know where/when they would be to pick me up and any backup plans in case of further delays.

The tour was incredible but a huge point I want to get across which makes this company special is how much they care about all their guests, which is particularly vital for a foreign speaking nation on the other side of the world and to this day I am still so thankful for how at ease they made me.

(See also: Solo Travel vs Group Travel)

The other key point that was evidently clear through every part of this company was their love for Colombia, its culture and its people.

The first stop was the port city of Cartagena and the walled Old Town, breath-taking with its cobbled streets, and colourful colonial buildings with stunning street art throughout, it was incredible to just walk through this town in the morning, taking in the beauty.

Another testament to how great the tour leaders are, my first morning after my stressful journey of delays and adjusting to jetlag, Steve knowing I was a runner offered to take me out for a morning run along the wall of the outskirts of the city, just one of many examples of how they all go above and beyond to ensure you are enjoying the trip.

I will talk about the great itinerary that the tour has, but there are many tours with great itinerary, what really makes this company special for me is how the lengths they go to in order to make sure that everyone is getting the most out of the tour.

(See also: Group Travel In Your 30s & 40s)

As well as taking in the beauty of the town we obviously partook in activities of the town, most notably a dance class unleashing our inner Shakira hips to the Champeta.

The instructor was incredible taking it step by step and very well judging the competence of the class, she could clearly have pushed us further but was able to judge well and accommodate to the level we were willing to go to and just let us have fun trying (and often messing up) the basics.

Accompanied with many drinks this makes for a great night of enjoying culture.

(See also: Swapping Solo Travel for a Group Tour)

We were also able to explore more of the natural beauty of Colombia, trekking through the jungles of Tayrona national park and emerging onto stunning Caribbean coastline beaches, encountering many indigenous wildlife through the jungle with an optional horse ride back for those tired of trekking.

It was also a highlight to see the indigenous locals living off the land of the forest, selling fresh fruit juices and coconuts.

The fruits were another wonder, the variety of colours, flavours and textures make our own varieties so bland by comparison.

Our final stop was the bustling capital city of Bogota, and what better way to see it than a bike tour of the city.

Our leader was another example of a Colombian who was so proud and passionate about his city and country, showing us various murals throughout the city, cafes and their specialties and the influences behind the city’s design in different regions.

Even being in such a busy and densely populated city as Bogota, you always felt safe.

(See also: 23 Things to Expect on OWR Trip to Colombia)