Itinerary |
There are two exciting program options.
The Jungle Adventure and Cali Comfort. Scroll down for details.
JUNGLE ISLAND ADVENTURE OPTION
- SGL - $1.840 per person
- DBL - $1.490 per person
We have focused on variety – striving to offer something appealing
for all tastes. This option allows you
to extend your time in the palm-rich jungle in Bahia Malaga by spending the
night in rustic accommodations on the island of Ladrilleros. In exchange for an evening of shared
accommodations and no AC or WiFi, these hardy explorers will have an extra day
to explore the Jungle and its 40+ palm species. Given limited availability of lodging, this Option is limited to the
first 90 participants to register.
Those seeking soft beds, air-conditioning and fine food should
consider the itinerary for the Cali
Comfort Option.
Day 1 (Saturday, May 26) - Arrival to Armenia
Check in at Hotel Campestre
Las Camelias – a beautiful, country inn featuring exposed bamboo beams on
the ceilings, a state-of-the-art health and fitness center, pool and two
restaurants serving Colombian and international cuisines.
Note: Meals are on your own.
Day 2 (Sunday, May 27) – Armenia: A Walk in a Garden
This will be a full day to explore the Quindio Botanical Garden. Located just outside of Armenia, Quindio
Botanical Garden is one of the finest botanical gardens in Colombia. Featuring
a wide variety of plant varieties, including examples of all palm species found in Colombia, the gardens are most famous for
the stunning mariposario – a
butterfly-shaped greenhouse featuring over 1,500 different species.
Participants will tour the garden in groups of approximately 20, and
will be accompanied by a bilingual guide. An included boxed lunch will be served in the
garden.
You will wrap up the day with a Welcome Dinner at Las Camelias
with a typical Colombian meal included.
IPS Member and renowned palm specialist Dr. Rodrigo Bernal will
present “The Palms of Colombia.”
Day 3 (Monday, May 28) – Tochecito: A Day of
Tall Palms
After a typical breakfast, we will board buses for the hour-long
trip to Salento – jumping-off point for Tochecito, home to the newly created
forest reserve and hundreds of thousands of Ceroxylon’s in habitat.
We will enjoy a brief stop in Salento, a typical coffee town
located in the heart of Colombia’s coffee producing region.
You will then hop aboard World War II era Willys Jeeps, on which you
will climb through the lush cloud forests of the steep Andean foothills to the heart
of the newly-created National Forest Reserve (so new, in fact, that the name
has not been finalized). The Forest Reserve is home to one of the largest
natural stands of Ceroxylon quindiuense
in the world, as well as Ceroxylon
alpinum.
An included box lunch will be served where you will enjoy the view overlooking
hundreds of thousands of wax palms.
From there you will travel a short distance to visit what is
thought to be the tallest palm in the world.
Following a day in the valley of wax palms, our jeeps will return
you to Salento where you will take a short break for coffee and restrooms
before boarding busses back to Las Camelias Hotel for dinner included.
Day 4 (Tuesday, May 29) - Valle de Cocora & Buenaventura: A Dramatic Change of Habitat
We will start the day experiencing
again Colombia’s majestic wax palms. Our
first stop is the Cocora Valley. This
cloud forest was designated as a National Park and Protected Area by the
Colombian government in 1985 to protect the wax palm from deforestation, cattle
grazing and urbanization. Beyond its
famed palms, Valle de Cocora is also home to numerous other interesting flora –
including the pino romeron,
puyas (bromeliads), frailejónes (espeletias),
and encenillos (Weinmannia tormentosa), as well as a host of endangered or rare animals, including
mountain tapirs, spectacled bears, and sloths. While the lower reaches of the
park have been affected by cattle grazing and deforestation of all species
other than the wax palms, it affords an up-close view of the palms in a
garden-like setting.
Following the visit to Valle de Cocora, you will travel to the
port city of Buenaventura by bus and receive an included boxed lunch. Like most
port cities, Buenaventura is not known for its picturesque views or spotless
streets. Rather, this bustling,
un-polished stop is the jumping-off point for the Day 5 exploration of the
Pacific lowlands at Bahia Malaga, located north of the port of Buenaventura.
You will enjoy a well-prepared included dinner followed by an IPS
presentation, with time for a swim in the hotel’s roof-top pool.
Day 5 (Wednesday, May 30) – Bahia Malaga: A Full day on Palm Islands
This palm-rich day will offer participants the opportunity to see
as many as 40 species native to Colombia. The day will begin with an early departure following breakfast at the
hotel. You will then enjoy a 90-minute boat ride to La Plata (see maps for more
detail). From La Plata we leave in four groups. This is a unique opportunity to experience a wide variety of palms while
travelling through the dense Colombian coastal rainforest via boats and on
foot.
The Pacific lowlands of Colombia are among the world’s rainiest
places. With annual rainfall of up to 12,000 mm (472 inches), this area is a
paradise for rainforest palms. This bay, recently established as the Uramba
Bahia Malaga National Park, is the breeding place of the humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), which swim
every year from Antarctica to the warm waters of the Pacific, where they remain
between July and October. The bay itself is surrounded by a pristine rain
forest, where 40 species of palms can be found. Among them we will see some
rare species, like the unusual Ammandra
decasperma, the endemic Chelyocarpus
dianeurus and the uncommon Aiphanes
tricuspidata. We might even bump into the extremely rare Socratea hecatonandra. (For full list
please visit the DOCUMENTS section of the website.)
The group will be divided into four routes. Each route will offer a wide variety of
species – some new and some unique on each route. And, each route will vary
according to level of fitness required. The
routes will include:
Group A: El Morro (boat and
hike)
Group B: Sendero de Las
Palmas (boat and hike)
Group C: Sierpe (boat and
hike)
Group D: Boat tour of the
Archipelago (no hiking)
In late afternoon, we board boats which will transport you to your
hotel. The Jungle Island Adventure Group will be divided between two hotels due
to limitation on space. Those in the Cali
Comfort group will return to Buenaventura where they will meet a bus that will
transport them to Cali.
Those in the Jungle Adventure Group will enjoy a typical “islander” evening, including a dinner prepared by local cooks. All rooms will be shared (no singles). To request a specific roommate please email us at colombia@esalatinamerica.com.
Day 6 (Thursday, May 31) – Bahia Malaga: Seeing
What You Missed the Day Before
Participants will be divided into three groups to visit the
portions of the Day 5 itinerary they did not visit the day before. (Note: Those choosing the Cali Comfort group have
already traveled to Cali the afternoon of Day 5)
Note - Each
person will receive an included boxed lunch upon departure.
We will depart in the late afternoon for Buenaventura where we
will board buses to head to Cali. Weary but having spent the day in a palm habitat,
you will check in and enjoy an included dinner.
Day 7 (Friday, June 1) – Cali: Optional Day
Activities, Board Meeting and Farewell Dinner
This is a day to enjoy Cali and optional activities (see
descriptions), do a little shopping, visit the local botanical garden or simply
rest.
Note: Lunch is on your own.
We will conclude the 2018 Biennial with a Farewell included Dinner for the
whole group including a few awards, and typical salsa dancing
for which Cali is so renown.
Day 8 (Saturday, June 2) – Scattered Departures
CALI COMFORT OPTION
- SGL - $1,850 per person
- DBL - $1,500 per person
We have focused on variety – striving to offer something appealing for all tastes. This option allows you to enjoy your comfort at an enchanting city and a 4 star hotel with soft beds, air-conditioning and fine food everything you need in the itinerary for the Cali Comfort Option. You will be given optional activities to and free time to explore and enjoy everything Cali has to offer.
Day 1 (Saturday, May 26) - Arrival to Armenia
Check in at Hotel Campestre
Las Camelias – a beautiful, country inn featuring exposed bamboo beams on
the ceilings, a state-of-the-art health and fitness center, pool and two
restaurants serving Colombian and international cuisines.
Note: Meals are on your own.
Day 2 (Sunday, May 27) – Armenia: A Walk in a Garden
This will be a full day to explore the Quindio Botanical Garden. Located just outside of Armenia, Quindio
Botanical Garden is one of the finest botanical gardens in Colombia. Featuring
a wide variety of plant varieties, including examples of all palm species found in Colombia, the gardens are most famous for
the stunning mariposario – a
butterfly-shaped greenhouse featuring over 1,500 different species.
Participants will tour the garden in groups of approximately 20,
and will be accompanied by a bilingual guide. An included boxed lunch will be served the
garden.
You will wrap up the day with a Welcome Dinner included at Las Camelias
with a typical Colombian meal.
IPS Member and renowned palm specialist Dr. Rodrigo Bernal will
present “The Palms of Colombia.”
Day 3 (Monday, May 28) – Tochecito: A Day of
Tall Palms
After a typical breakfast, we will board buses for the hour-long
trip to Salento – jumping-off point for Tochecitos, home to the newly created
forest reserve and hundreds of thousands of Ceroxylon’s in habitat.
We will enjoy a brief stop in Salento, a typical coffee town
located in the heart of Colombia’s coffee producing region.
You will then hop aboard World War II era Willys Jeeps, on which
you will climb through the lush cloud forests of the steep Andean foothills to
the heart of the newly-created National Forest Reserve (so new, in fact, that
the name has not been finalized). The Forest Reserve is home to one of the
largest natural stands of Ceroxylon
quindiuense in the world, as well as Ceroxylon
alpinum.
An included box lunch will be served where you will enjoy the view
overlooking hundreds of thousands of wax palms.
From there you will travel a short distance to visit what is
thought to be the tallest palm in the world.
Following a day in the valley of wax palms, our jeeps will return
you to Salento where you will take a short break for coffee and restrooms
before boarding busses back to Las Camelias Hotel for an included dinner.
Day 4 (Tuesday, May 29) - Valle de Cocora to Buenaventura: A Dramatic Change of Habitat
We will start the day experiencing
again Colombia’s majestic wax palms. Our
first stop is the Cocora Valley. This
cloud forest was designated as a National Park and Protected Area by the
Colombian government in 1985 to protect the wax palm from deforestation, cattle
grazing and urbanization. Beyond its
famed palms, Valle de Cocora is also home to numerous other interesting flora –
including the pino romerón,
puyas (bromeliads), frailejónes (espeletias),
and encenillos (Weinmannia tormentosa), as well as a host of endangered or rare animals, including
mountain tapirs, spectacled bears, and sloths. While the lower reaches of the
park have been affected by cattle grazing and deforestation of all species
other than the wax palms, it affords an up-close view of the palms in a
garden-like setting.
Following the visit to Valle de Cocora, you will travel to the
port city of Buenaventura. Like most
port cities, Buenaventura is not known for its picturesque views or spotless
streets. Rather, this bustling,
un-polished stop is the jumping-off point for the Day 5 exploration of the
Pacific lowlands at Bahia Malaga, located north of the port of Buenaventura.
You will enjoy a well-prepared included dinner followed by an IPS
presentation, with time for a swim in the hotel’s roof-top pool.
Day 5 (Wednesday, May 30) – Bahia Malaga: A Full day on Palm Islands
This palm-rich day will offer participants the opportunity to see
as many as 40 species native to Colombia. The day will begin with an early departure following breakfast at the
hotel. You will then enjoy a 90-minute boat ride to La Plata (see maps for more
detail). From La Plata we leave in four groups.
This is a unique opportunity to experience a wide variety of palms while
travelling through the dense Colombian coastal rainforest via boats and on
foot.
The Pacific lowlands of Colombia are among the world’s rainiest
places. With annual rainfall of up to 12,000 mm (472 inches), this area is a
paradise for rainforest palms. This bay, recently established as the Uramba
Bahia Malaga National Park, is the breeding place of the humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), which swim
every year from Antarctica to the warm waters of the Pacific, where they remain
between July and October. The bay itself is surrounded by a pristine rain
forest, where 40 species of palms can be found. Among them we will see some
rare species, like the unusual Ammandra
decasperma, the endemic Chelyocarpus
dianeurus and the uncommon Aiphanes
tricuspidata. We might even bump into the extremely rare Socratea hecatonandra. (For full list
please visit the DOCUMENTS section of the website.)
The group will be divided into four routes. Each route will offer a wide variety of
species – some new and some unique on each route. And, each route will vary
according to level of fitness required. The routes will include:
Group A: El Morro (boat and
hike)
Group B: Sendero de Las
Palmas (boat and hike)
Group C: Sierpe (boat and
hike)
Group D: Boat tour of the
Archipelago (no hiking)
In late afternoon, we board boats which will transport you to your hotel.The Jungle Island Adventure Group will be divided between two hotels due to limitation on space. Those in the Cali Comfort group will return to Buenaventura where they will meet a bus that will transport them to Cali and have a wonderful included dinner at the Spiwak Hotel.
Day 6 (Thursday, May 31) – Cali: Rest, Relax,
Explore
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel.
Spend the day on your own exploring the city. Or, choose one or several of the Optional
Activities offered by our tour operator (See Optional Activities Tab on this
website).
Note: Lunch is on your own.
Enjoy an included dinner at the hotel.
Day 7 ( Friday, June 1) – Cali:
Optional Activities, Board Meeting and Farewell Dinner
This is a day to enjoy Cali
and optional activities (see descriptions), do a little shopping, visit the
local botanical garden or simply rest. Board of Directors will meet at 9:00AM.
Note: Lunch is on
your own.
We will conclude the 2018 Biennial with an included Farewell Dinner for the
whole group including a few awards, and typical salsa dancing
for which Cali is so renown.
Day 8 (Saturday, June 2) – Scattered
Departures
To register click here below!