here - Florida Keys TREE Institute

Colombia Grandioso!
January 7-14-2015
8 days/ 7 nights
Cali, Salento, Manizales, Bogota
with optional 4 day/ 3 night
add-on to Cartagena
Guided by Dr. Stuart Pimm
Stuart is Doris Duke Chair of Conservation at Duke University who has led worldwide trips for National
Geographic. He has been working in Colombia for several years and has a great deal of experience and
passion for this magnificent country! Experience the ecosystems, fabulous cities, culture, food, art, music
and architecture. Colombia is a photographer’s paradise! (All photos in this brochure were taken by amateurs.)
Package Includes: hotels, transportation, baggage handling, local guides, national flights, entry
fees, meals, and tips as per the itinerary on pages 3-7. International flight not included, but we
can make arrangements if needed.
$3,199.00 per person double occupancy.
$3,599.00 for per person single occupancy
Credit cards accepted on line. Makes Checks payable to:
FK TREE Institute
To sign up, please fill out application instructions on page 2.
Optional Cartagena 4 day/ 3 night “add- on”
January 14-17, 2015
See itinerary page 7-9
(Includes: flight from Bogota to Cartagena, transfers, 3 night accommodations at the luxurious, 5 star
Cartagena des Indias Hotel inside the walled city, city tours and ala carte breakfast daily.)
$1,099.00 per person double occupancy
$1,499.00 per person single occupancy
Trip Application Form for Colombia trip January 7-14, 2015
Instructions: In order to make your reservation and hold a space, fill out the trip application below and send a nonbinding $500.00 deposit per person. (Checks only, please.) MARK YOUR CHECK MEMO: “COLOMBIA - JAN 2015 trip.” The
check is to be made to: Florida Keys TREE Institute (a 501 c-3 non-profit organization).
Mail your deposit check and the application form to:
FK TREE Institute- PO Box 450493, Miami, FL 33145.
Questions? Contact: [email protected]
866-355-8733 866-FLK-TREE
Name _____________________________________________________
Address ____________________________________________________
Cell Phone ________________________ email ______________________________________
Single_____
($500.00 deposit)
Double ______ rooming with _________________________________ ($1,000.00 deposit)
Roommate Name ______________________________________
Roommate cell phone ______________ email _______________________________________
Check box if you WANT TO RESERVE SPACE FOR Cartagena “ ADD ON” _____________________
*******************************************************************************************
Other notes:
We take care of getting your documentation and all reservations starting in Miami. You are responsible for getting to
Miami. The trip deposit is refundable up until September 1, 2014. We will confirm receipt of your deposit. On or about
August 1st, we will email you a registration packet and instructions which will be due with final payment by
September 1, 2014. It will also include information for optional trip cancellation/ interruption insurance. About one
month prior to the trip, we will have a required toll free conference call to go over all the information for traveling to
Colombia. No inoculations are required.
Itinerary
Day 1: January 7
Arrive in Cali at your leisure, (on your own) where transportation will be waiting to take you to the hotel. The
hotel has a restaurant and there are also places right across the street. Overnight at Hotel Obelisco, which has
spectacular views of this mountainous city.
Day 2: January 8
We set out early on our adventure and spend the
day visiting the beautiful cloud forest area in the
Andes Mountains, as well to the lower rainforests
of a small town surrounded by rainforests, rivers
and waterfalls to experience this unique area. Stop
for lunch. Then an afternoon visit to magical Cali.
Some free time before a surprise, then hit the
streets for Salsa dancing and delectable dinner.
Overnight at Hotel Obelisco. (B, D)
Day 3: January 9
We will start the day at the Cali Butterfly Conservatory and then venture to a wonderful finca preserve to see
hundreds of hummingbirds (over 20 species) and other rare species of birds, stop for lunch, and then on to visit
a spectacular privately owned botanical garden set on the side of a mountain in
the cloud forest, where Dr Pimm will give a lecture on the importance of the area
to include the hummingbirds and orchids of the region. Dinner will be served at
this private garden and hacienda. Meet artists and musicians for an evening of
exchange and maybe we will get lucky and see the monkeys come for a visit!
Overnight at Hotel Obelisco. (B, D)
Day 4: January 10
We set out early for our scenic trip to Manizales. On the way we will stop at Buga, a tiny town with a historic
apparition church, where it was reported that the Virgin Mary appeared to thousands of people. Our journey
will pass many local fruit stands and we will stop at a local’s
favorite market where we can try local delicacies. Our adventure
continues to the spectacular town of Salento that is set in a valley
that is a National Park surrounded by the Andes. This is a
photographer’s paradise. Spend time exploring the local streets and
arts and crafts vendors. Then go on to a local’s hideout for dinner,
before arriving at our hotel which is situated in a preserve
surrounded by 20 acres of grounds, water, forests and nature trails.
The hotel offers interesting sites, such as the butterfly observatory,
forest orchids and a bamboo pavilion. Overnight at Estelar Recinto
Del Pensamiento Hotel. (B, D)
Day 5: January 11
The morning has two options:
Venture very early to the magnificent preserve of Rio Blanco with Stuart and meet
the incredible “Bird Shaman”. Follow him into the cloud forest and see some of
the rarest birds in the world. There is a toucan that is known only to this region.
Hundreds of hummingbirds are easy to photograph here. Then back to the hotel
for late breakfast.
OR
Remain at the hotel for a leisurely breakfast and stroll the magnificent gardens at
the hotel. (B, D)
Late morning, we will have another surprise before we venture to
a working coffee plantation that is also home to over 100
species of birds, many orchids and really is its own preserve.
Taste some of the best Colombian coffee in the region. We will
stop for lunch and then continue on to a “one of a kind” Thermal
Waterfalls and
Pools, where you
can spend time
luxuriating in the
thermal water
before heading back to our hotel for some free time and a
surprise. Dinner and lecture at the hotel. Overnight at Estelar
Recinto Del Pensamiento Hotel.
Day 6: January 12
After breakfast, we will head to the airport for a very short flight to the capital city of
Bogota. Upon arrival we will board our transportation for a stop at Iglesia de San
Francisco, the oldest surviving church in Bogota built in 1556, a stop at the Botero
Museum and then head to the world famous Gold Museum for an extensive guided tour.
The Museum is situated within the UNESCO old city where there are great shops and
cafes to try empanadas and other local treats. Then our adventure continues to the area
known as Monserrate. Visit the historic church and marvel at the panoramic views before
having dinner to watch the sunset and transformation to the twinkling lights of Bogota.
Check in at the hotel where your bags will be waiting in your rooms. Overnight at Hotel Estelar Windsor House.
(B, D)
Day 7: January 13
After a leisurely breakfast, we head to the famous Salt Cathedral. The Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá (Spanish: Catedral de
Sal de Zipaquirá) is an underground Roman Catholic church built within the tunnels of a salt
mine 200 meters underground in a Halite mountain near the town of Zipaquirá, in
Cundinamarca, Colombia. It is a very popular tourist destination and place of pilgrimage in
the country. The name "Salt Cathedral" is mostly to attract tourists - while a functioning
church that receives as many as 3,000 visitors on Sundays, it has no bishop and therefore no
official status as a cathedral in Catholicism. The temple at the bottom has three sections,
representing the birth, life, and death of Jesus. The icons, ornaments and architectural
details are hand carved in the halite rock. Some marble sculptures are included. The Salt
Cathedral is considered one of the most notable achievements of Colombian architecture.
Also it has been nominated as a "Jewel of Modern Architecture". The cathedral represents
for the Colombian people a valuable cultural, environmental and religious patrimony. The
cathedral is part of a larger complex including "Parque de la Sal" (Salt Park), and a Museum
of mining, mineralogy, Geology and natural resources.
Along the way, we will visit a working flower/ orchid nursery. Colombia is one of the
top exporters of flowers and orchids to the United States. After lunch, we will head to
the magnificent Botanical Garden of Bogota. Jardin Botanico Jose Celestino Mutis is a
massive and well-maintained botanical garden with a variety of different areas,
including an exhibit of 5,000 indigenous orchids. Farewell Dinner. Overnight at the Hotel
Estelar Windsor House. (B, L, D)
Day 8: January 14
After breakfast, depart hotel to catch your flight home. (B)
For those doing add-on to Cartagena, see below.
Optional “Add On” trip to Cartagena
Day 8: January 14
After breakfast, we will check in for our early flight to Cartagena. Upon arrival, we will traverse a high point of
where you have breathtaking views of surrounding ocean and city. The Convento de la Popa is a 400-year-old
monastery built on the foundations of a razed Indian temple.
The monastery which sits on a 500-ft/150-m hill contains a
statue of the Virgin of Candelaria who is credited with
delivering the city from the ravages of disease and pirates.
We then have a bus tour of the outer area and finish up at the
Emerald Museum before
entering the walled city.
Check into our hotel. Some
free time before heading for a
surprise before dinner on your own. Enjoy the many musical venues. Overnight
at Cartagena des Indias Hotel.
( B,)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
(World’s largest emerald)
Day 9: January 15
After breakfast, we will have a morning tour of all the key sites within the UNESCO Heritage City of
Cartagena. The afternoon and evening is free to explore
the city on your own, but we will recommend places. (B)
Day 10: January 16
After breakfast, choose to spend the day shopping and sightseeing on
your own in the walled city.
OrOPTIONAL: full day excursion to Rosario Island by boat
OROPTIONAL: visit to the EL Tultumo Mud Volcano. Only five mud volcanoes in the world are accessible for a mud
bath adventure. Climb up the 50-foot (15-meter) volcano, accessible by a
staircase, and jump inside the crater to relax in the natural mud that the
volcano produces. Inside the mud volcano, enjoy beautiful views of the Santa
Catalina region. The mud itself is not only relaxing, but its minerals are
known to help rejuvenate the skin. You'll also have the option to receive a
personal massage from one of the attendants. Afterwards, take a swim in
the nearby lake, be cleaned by locals before returning back to your
Cartagena hotel. This natural spa experience is truly a fun and unique way to
spend an “out of the Box” afternoon in Colombia! Overnight at Cartagena
des Indias Hotel. (B)
Day 11: January 17
After breakfast, transfer to airport for return flight home. (B)