Colombia’s Colonial Jewels & The Coffee Triangle Review – Overseas Adventure Travel
Date of Travel: December 2019
This was our 10th trip with Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT). Tour dates December 2019. As you’ll see from the review (and tips) below, it was one of our favorite tours and we highly recommend it.
Watch a video of our tour (link below).
$100 FIRST TIME TRAVELER DISCOUNT
If you are considering the Colombia Tour with Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT), feel free to take advantage of this special savings. When making your reservation, simply say you were referred by Jesse Slome (Customer Number 932019) and they will deduct $100 off the lowest available price. This works just one time on any first OAT (or Grand Circle Travel) trip. No catch and it’s just for your first trip.
MY REVIEW
Let’s be honest. We were concerned about visiting Colombia (we binge watched Narcos) and many folks asked us what on earth made us choose Colombia. BUT, after 2 weeks, I can honestly say, that the greatest risk you’ll face is wanting to stay and see more.
We NEVER felt unsafe (we were cautious of course) but the people were friendly. We were even there during national protests and walked right through the demonstrations which were more like ‘peace ins’ of the ’60s.
WHY THIS IS THE RIGHT TIME TO GO TO COLOMBIA?
This is clearly a country undergoing transition and if you like being somewhere that’s NOT overrun by tourists (we saw 20 or fewer other Americans over our 2 weeks) … if you like really meeting with people before they get jaded by tourism … then NOW is the time to go. Because that’s what made this trip one of our favorites.
OAT always goes out of it’s way to combine visiting the tourist spots with interacting with locals. But, they really went above and beyond on this trip. Our trip director (Diego Parra) was excellent (one of the best we’ve had). In addition, OAT hired local guides in each city – young folks who were knowledgeable and passionate. The tour was perfectly paced – never slow or boring – and yet never felt rushed.
The day-in-the-life takes place in the coffee region and the folks you meet with are also real (still not jaded by hosting a tour every three days).
Food was decent to good (in one case, outstanding). I’m not a big lover of this type of food but there’s a lot of stuff to try from Colombian donuts to some excellent seafood. You will likely stay at Estrella del Monte Hotel in the coffee region and the chef there was incredible. If you like pancakes, have them for breakfast, you’ll thank me.
Bottom line: You will really get to understand Colombia’s past (it was not pretty), it’s present and I think you’ll leave as I did saying if they can stay peaceful, they have an incredible future. Oh, it’s also an incredibly pretty place. The hills are greener in the coffee region than they are in Ireland and Scotland.
Scroll down to read 6 TIPS for the Colombia Overseas Adventure Travel Tour.
Six Tips (OAT Colombia Trip):
1. We skipped the optional tour and went on our own up Monte Monserrate. Frankly, $95-per-person to visit a market and see street art … (I posted a link below to the tour video which shows much of the street are I suspect).
2. If you plan to go up Monte Monserrate go early (like at 9:00 AM) otherwise it gets very crowded and you’ll wait for a cable car. Take a taxi to the cable car (cheap, like 8000 pesos which is $3). You can walk back down from the cable car to the hotel.
3. Each of the hotels serves plain (carafe) coffee. But, if you ask, they’ll make you a cappuccino or latte (free as an OAT traveler). Took us a couple of days to figure that out.
4. You don’t need a ton of cash. There isn’t all that much to buy and the restaurants and shops all accepted credit cards. I think we brought $300 in cash.
5. Bring rain gear. We were fortunate in that we only got caught in the rain once. But chances are you’ll get wet (which is why it’s so green).
6. Frequent Flyer Numbers: You’ll take a couple of internal flights. Most likely Avianca which is part of One World (United Airlines). Bring your code so you can get miles.
GREAT VALUE FOR YOUR MONEY
I think everyone on our tour (we had 11 people) clearly felt that Overseas Adventure Travel provided great value for the money. So many things were included and offered. If you decide to go, I am confident you’ll enjoy Colombia. And don’t forget that if this is your first trip, use our referral discount code to save $100 per-person (simply say “referred by Jesse Slome, #932019”). Thanks for reading.
I wish you a wonderful trip.
Watch A Video of Our OAT Colombia Tour
Click this link to watch the 11 minute video shot by our tour director.
IF YOU DO USE MY REFERRAL CODE TO SAVE $100 – why not send me a quick note to say hello. I always like to hear from folks who love travel as much as we do. Or, feel free to write to me with any questions.
Email me: jslome @ aaltci.org
these candies. They are like caramels but the inside will open your airways. You’ll enjoy (at least I did).
The tour name said it all. Overseas Adventure Travel offered a very affordable tour of Costa Rica, a truly fascinating country. It really was a comprehensive tour – site seeing, adventure (Zip line ride), a ton of nature all lead by an excellent guide and providing an outstanding look at a country. On the last day, I asked the guide how many miles we covered and he commented that we had covered some 700 (it was well worth it).
WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THE COSTA RICA TOUR: A couple of things. First, this is a country of enormous natural beauty. From flora and fauna to waterfalls, incredibly warm oceans to coffee plantations and more. Every day was like visiting some new natural national park.
If you like fresh fruit, then this was the tour to take because I ate more incredibly fresh mango than I’ve had in a lifetime. Costa Rican food is simple and basic (lots of beans and rice) but I really enjoyed and the food was plentiful. In fact, when I came home and looked at my photos and stood on the scale, I went on a diet and have since lost 20 pounds.
Please feel free to write to me with any questions. Or, just to let me know that you’ve made a reservation and used my discount code. Thank you.
On the drive to one of the national parks we made a toilet stop and the guide said “whoever likes pie, follow me.” Turns out pie meant meat pie. But I have to say that the lamb with fresh mint meat pie was one of my favorite meals in New Zealand. If not my favorite one. I’m sure your guide will know the place and if you like great, simple local, fresh food … this is the place to stop.
Well, the scenery is incredibly varied and quite beautiful. I would call it a young country, vibrant and yet modern. The cities are small by U.S. standards but that makes them really nice to visit. And, then you have large expanses of small rural towns. Relaxing and fun to visit because it’s all still real. What I would say small town US cities were like in the 1950s. In fact, this was how the folks get their mail in one such village … looks like a bus stop but it’s actually the local post office pick-up.
I couldn’t imagine seeing China in any other way (than a guided tour). This is a huge country and to really see as much as you’d want to, you need a knowledgeable guide leader and this Overseas Adventure Tour really exceeded my expectations (with one exception, food … but that’s really easy to overlook).
MY TIP FOR TRAVELERS: Make the most of your free time. Maybe it was our tour travelers or the guide but many people didn’t explore on their own. But if you really want to experience a country, I believe you need to. So, when we had free time in Beijing, I said I wanted to ride the subway. Once the guide realized I was serious and a few others asked if they could join me … he agreed to guide us (which was helpful). It’s a great system by the way. We also went off to explore shopping malls and supermarkets. If you really want to experience the real China, don’t just hang out in the hotel. There was nothing like having young kids come up to touch my arms (they aren’t hairy by American standards … but apparently they are by Chinese standards).
WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THE CHINA AND TIBET TOUR: Pretty much everything. You really cover the country and this is a BIG country undergoing huge transformation. You see cities and rural countryside. I loved spending the evening in a farmer’s home watching TV (he didn’t speak a word of English and I don’t speak Mandarin). No worries, there is a universality among humans. And, watching my wife do Texas-style line dancing with Chinese farm wives was a real hoot. You will cover an enormous amount and while it seems overwhelming, it wasn’t. It was exciting and made the trip an incredible value.
And, Tibet … what a truly unique experience. I could write 1,000 words and not adequately cover how much I enjoyed Tibet. I would say this was really the highlight of our visit because it held so many unexpected surprises. And, it was especially great to meet the people who 
live under Chinese repression. Oh, by the way — this is a photo of the Potala Palace and be ready to climb up all the steps to gain access. BUT, this is a not-to-be missed experience!
You want an adventure? You want something different? Spend a night or two in the Sahara dessert. Lay out on the sand at night and see a starlit sky unlike any you have ever seen. Walk the bazaar in Fez (I actually liked Fez more than Marrakesh) and see a part of the world few will ever visit.
MY TIP FOR TRAVELERS: Go earlier in the year than we did (May 12-26). We were the last group to camp in the Sahara and these was good reason for that … the heat and the sun. There is no escaping it and while we clearly survived with great memories … BOY WAS IT HOT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY!
That said, what a great trip and what a unique adventure. I have camped overnight in the Sinai desert so I remember the night sky. I wanted a repeat performance and this did not disappoint. Neither did waking up early in the morning to see a lone camel walking just behind our tent. I guess that’s why they put camel crossing signs along the desert trails.
This tour really gives you a fair and balanced view of the country and it’s people. From large cities where we had dinner with a family to visiting Bedouins who live in tents. If you want to be a hit, bring a bag of lollipops and you’ll be a hero to dozens of youngsters,
And, in terms of shopping. We usually don’t buy items when we travel but we brought back a couple of great items from this trip, including a rug. TIP: Be prepared to bargain and bargain hard. If you travel as a couple, make sure you both agree on some coding so you know when you like an item but the merchant has no idea. Then bargain until they give in. It’s their national sport.
WHO AM I? My name is Jesse Slome and while I still work professionally, I travel more — having visited every continent (except Antarctica … that’s on the list). I have booked many tours but discovered OAT quite by accident … and have never found a better way to travel. As a result, my wife and I take at least one OAT trip a year.