Why Colombia?

Because of its great diversity of ecosystems, landscapes, historic and archaeological sites, its people and their cultures.

Colombia has the second highest biodiversity in the world. It is home to over 3,500 types of orchids, 14,000 species of butterflies, 456 species of mammals, as well as the largest number of bird and frog species in the world.

It is the only South American country that has coastlines on both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. It has the highest coastal mountain range on the planet, which goes from sea level to 5,778 metres in just 42 km.

Colombia is the primary producer of emeralds, the biggest exporter of bananas, the second largest producer of flowers and the home to what is considered the best mild, mellow coffee in the world.

It has also suffered a decades-long war due to political polarisation, drugs production and corruption. As a result, Colombia was, for a long time, a segregated country without tourism, investment and development opportunities. Over the last decade or so a big change has taken place. Security has improved drastically, tourism is constantly increasing and the lifestyle for most Colombians is on an upward trend. Development is now a constant in this country of almost endless opportunities.

We see potential for improvement in every place we visit and aim to contribute to the country's growth by sharing our ideas and visions for change to visitors who like to be part of new development projects.

"The Only Risk is Wanting to Stay"

Insurance

All travellers must have comprehensive travel insurance cover while travelling with us. Without evidence of a valid policy you will not be allowed to start your trip with us until travel insurance is purchased without a refund. Please note that you should be insured for cancellation purposes immediately upon paying a deposit.

Why do I need travel insurance?

Travel insurance is an essential 'must-have' when you travel. It is to protect you against the unexpected such as unpredictable financial losses or injuries. You and your personal property, including baggage, are carried at your own risk and you are wholly responsible for arranging your own insurance.

How much cover do I need?

A suitable insurance policy should provide adequate cover for (recommended minimum levels of cover):

Medical (including repatriation): US$150,000 (or equivalent currency).
Personal liability: US$500,000.
Cancellation and curtailment: US$5,000 (or up to the amount of the cost of your trip).

In addition, we strongly recommend that policies include cover for loss of baggage, personal effects, money and other inclusions.

Please remember: No two travel insurance policies are alike. Make sure you read your policy thoroughly before your purchase. Whichever policy you choose, you must ensure it's suitable for adventure/overland travel, covering activities such as white water-rafting, trekking, and horse riding, mountain biking, windsurf, paragliding, quad biking, kayaking, snorkelling. You should ensure that there are no exclusion clauses limiting protection for the type of activities in your tour, including optional excursions. Many insurance companies will allow you to arrange extra cover for activities not covered by a particular policy.

Boogaloo Travel will not be held liable for any claim arising out of failure to take out sufficiently comprehensive insurance.

You must present the local leader with your insurance policy and provide 24-hour emergency contact number and the policy number, on arrival. Any traveller who does not have a policy or is unable to provide this information will be obliged to purchase one before they can join the trip. All travellers on our trips will be obliged to sign a waiver on arrival in the destination to absolve Boogaloo Travel of any responsibility in the case that the travel insurance policy is not sufficiently comprehensive.

We strongly recommend that you carry a copy of your full policy document with you at all times, together with any certificate showing the policy number and emergency contact details.

Will I be covered by my credit card?

The travel insurance cover included with your credit card usually does not provide adequate cover. Gold or platinum type credit card insurance included on those may be suitable. Please check the conditions and compare them with our requirements.

Visas

The government of Colombia does not require visas for 93 countries in the world. These are the lucky ones:

A - Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan
B - Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei-Darussalam, Bulgaria, Bhutan
C - Canada, Czech Republic, Chile, Cyprus, Costa Rica, Croatia
D - Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic
E - Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia
F - Fiji, Finland, France
G - Georgia, Germany, Granada, Greece, Guatemala, Guyana
H - Honduras, Hungary
I - Indonesia, Ireland, Iceland, Israel, Italy
J - Jamaica, Japan
K - Kazakhstan
L - Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg
M - Malaysia, Malta, Marshall Islands, México, Micronesia, Monaco
N - Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand
P - Palau, Panamá, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal
R - Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian Federation
S - Saint Kitts and Nevis, Solomon Islands, Samoa, San Marino, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Singapore, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Suriname
T - Trinidad & Tobago, Turkey
U - United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay
V - Venezuela

If you hold a passport from one of those countries and travel to Colombia for tourism purposes only, you can stay for up to 90 days from the date of entry. Proof of departure from Colombia within this period may be required at the point of entry.

Recommendations:
• Your passport needs to be valid for a minimum of 90 days. To avoid inconveniences we highly recommended to have at least six months of validity.
• Make sure your passport has at least three blank pages.
• Confirm whether you require a transit visa if your flight has a connection in a third country. There are daily direct flights from Canada, Costa Rica, France, Mexico, Panama, Portugal, Holland, Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States and most South American countries.

Other important documents to bring:
• Passport
• International driver's license
• Travel/medical insurance
• Vaccination certificate
• Recent passport size photographs
• Photocopies and digital copy of your passport, insurance, credit card, etc.
• Print a copy of your trip itinerary with the details of the hotel in Bogota. You will need to fill the immigration's form with the address when you are arrive at Bogotá International Airport.

We highly recommend that before your departure you check the specific travel requirements of your country of origin.

Vaccines For Your Trip To Colombia

If you are visiting the north of Colombia, it is indispensable that you obtain a yellow fever vaccination. In accordance with Colombian law, you may have to show your yellow fever certificate. This must be taken a minimum of 10 days before your arrival.

For any of our trips obtaining a Hepatitis A and Typhoid vaccination is highly recommended. While there are further recommended vaccines we urge you to visit your local doctor or a travel clinic at least four weeks before your departure to make sure you are physically prepared and have had all the vaccines you may require.

The following websites provide further health and vaccines information:

World Health Organization

National Travel Health Network And Center

Centers For Disease Control and Prevention

 

 

Flights

Connectivity

Voltage: 110-120 Volts. Same as U.S. and Canada.
Plugs: Type A or Type B

If you visit Colombia from outside the U.S or Canada it is very likely that you need an adaptor to charge your electronic devices.  Although you can buy the adaptor in Colombia we suggest you bring it from home so you can charge your devices right after your arrival.

Wi-Fi
All of the hotels, restaurants and coffee shops we go, provide free Wi-Fi. The signal quality varies, but getting connected is very easy except for the Tatacoa Desert and Tayrona Park where there is no wifi access. If you want to have mobile internet on your phone, you can buy a local pre-paid SIM card from US$4 and add this option for about US$6 per week.

Bag & Kit

Depending on the airline, your baggage allowance will be one or two pieces weighing from a minimum of 20 kg to a maximum of 32 kg.

Please note that some of our itineraries include regional flights with a limit of one checked bag with a maximum weight of 23 kg (50 pounds) and the dimensions should not exceed 158 centimeters (62 inches) in total (length + width + height).

Please try to travel as light as possible. Bare in mind that a large suitcase can cause problems when we move from place to place (which we do all the time). It's necessary that you bring a small daypack for short trips.

When you book with us we will send you a detailed packing list with all the things you will need during the trip.

Extra Budget On Your Trip To Colombia

Meals
Great value street food menus (starter, mains, drink) can be bought for US$4. A dinner at a fancy restaurant costs around US$30 per person.

Drinks
The price of a local beer at a bar ranges from US$1 to US$4. Long drinks usually cost three times that.

Activities
The charge for entertainment and sightseeing activities on our trips range from US$20 to US$100.

Scenario
The average expenses per person on a 14-day budget trip are US$250 in meals, US$100 in drinks US$300 in activities and US$50 in tips. This amounts to an average of US$700 of extra budget per person.

Departure Tax Exemption
The Colombian authorities require all foreign visitors to pay a departure tax of US$38 when their stay exceeds 60 days. If you haven't stayed more than 60 days you can claim your tax exemption at the tax booth opposite the airline check-in counter at Bogotá International Airport. In some instances airlines add the departure tax to the ticket price. If this is the case, you need to ask your airline for a reimbursement.

Money Exchange

Weather

Talking about the weather in Colombia is exciting: The country's southern part lies on the equator and the Colombian territory extends 1,400 kilometres to the Caribbean coast to the north. And because there is a tremendous difference in altitudes throughout the country we can assure you will experience a variety of climates. Colombia only has two seasons: rainy and dry.

What's the best time to visit?
Always! Because of Colombia's geography no weather condition is tied to a season. So be prepared for everything!

Vegetarians

South America is not among the most vegetarian-friendly regions of the world. Meat dishes are a core part of many Latin American cultures, which makes it harder to cater for vegetarian or vegan diets at all times. However, we have taken into account that some of our guests desire quality meat-free dishes for their diet. We will always do our best to select restaurants that offer the greatest variety of dishes.

Age & Fitness

Age

Your age is irrelevant for joining one of Boogaloo’s trips. Our guests are in general between 25 and 55 years old but we aim to cater for everybody.  Why not explore our tailor made for you trips and discover exactly what experience we can create for your visit to Colombia!

Fitness

With our Tailor Made Trips and some of our Adventure group trips, the extra activities are optional so depending on your fitness level you can decide what experiences to have. Be aware that all the trips includes a lot of walking and in some cases long hours in transportation between destinations. Most of the hotels don't offer elevators and you’ll be carrying your own bags.

With some of our Adventure trips like The Kitesurfing, Colombia Extreme and The Lost City Trek, you must have a good overall fitness level for your maximum enjoyment. We will be hiking, biking, rafting, paragliding, windsurfing, kayaking and much, much more.

Don't forget your spirit of adventure and 'can do' attitude!

Language

Being able to communicate with locals is an outstanding way to understand their culture and enrich your trip to Colombia!  Your local leader will help you with the translation and we will even give you basic Spanish lessons before and during the trip to help you make the very most of your guided tour of Colombia.

Here is your first lesson:

Buen día! which means Good day!
Hola: Hello
Por favor: Please
Gracias: Thank you
Sí: Yes