WILDLIFE TRAVEL COLOMBIA NEW ITINERARY FOR Endemic wildlife, mountains and Caribbean. Wildlife and culture holidays

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1 Wildlife and culture holidays WILDLIFE TRAVEL 14th to 30th November 2019 (17 days) COLOMBIA Endemic wildlife, mountains and Caribbean With an opportunity to visit the Andes and Santa Marta Mountains, along with the Caribbean coast, this holiday provides a fantastic introduction to Colombia s diverse landscapes and rich biodiversity. NEW ITINERARY FOR 2019 Colombia is home to more bird species than any other country in the world. It also encompasses a variety of habitats stretching from the lowlands of the Pacific coast in the west, the Andes encompassing the Cauca and Magdalena valleys, vast swathes of llanos savannah grassland, mangroves and dry tropical forests in the north, and Amazon rainforest. We will pass through several of these areas during our time in Colombia. Our visit begins in Bogotá with a chance to acclimatise to the altitude, before a trip to Chingaza National Park to explore the interesting alpine paramo grassland found here. Striking out westwards towards the Magdalena Valley we will spend several days in this area, visiting cloud forests and wetlands, as well as taking opportunities to learn a little about the colonial history of the area. After our time amid the Andes, we will take an internal flight to Colombia s north coast, lapped by the Caribbean Sea. Travelling in four-wheel-drive vehicles we head upwards to 1,900m and the El Dorado Ecolodge in the Santa Marta Mountains. Santa Marta is well known for its biodiversity, including a wealth of endemic species and the El Dorado Bird Reserve is a fantastic place to get a flavour of the wildlife here. We will then have time to explore the dry tropical forest, semi-desert and lagoon habitats of northern Colombia s lowlands, before a visit to the historic city of Cartagena and our flights back to Bogotá and onwards to the UK. Price 4,965 Single Room Supplement 350 Full board Day 1 UK to Bogotá Day 2 Bogotá Day 3 Chingaza NP Day 4 La Florida Park Day 5 Magdaelna Valley Day 6-8 Central Andes Day 9-12 Santa Marta Day Caribbean coast Day 16 Return to UK (arrive UK Day 17) Leaders Laurie Jackson and local guides birds, amphibians, cloud forest, mangroves, tropical dry forest, Caribbean coast Our profits are donated to the Wildlife Trusts

2 Focus of Interest This is one of our easy birding and wildlife trips, which means the itinerary is based mainly on birds and/or other animals (rather than plants or general wildlife), and this also reflects the knowledge of the leaders and guides. However, as with all of our trips, the pace is comfortable with time to enjoy other aspeces of the natural history, rather than rushing from one place to another for specific species. Our itinerary is planned to provide a range of wildlife experiences, particularly for seeing birds and other animals but, as we pass through the different regions, we will see much of the native vegetation and enjoy some wonderful tropical plants. As we travel, we will see something of the country s interesting culture and history as well as its wildlife. Although we cannot always guarantee the wildlife on our trips, in Colombia we can certainly say that you will see plenty - frogs, butterflies, birds and more are everywhere! Itinerary Please note that we may change the itinerary to suit local weather and road conditions or for other practical reasons, at the leader and guide s discretion Day 1 Thursday 14th Nov We fly to Bogotá arriving early morning on Day 2. Day 2 Friday 15th Nov A day in Bogotá to acclimatise to the altitude (2,600m) with the opportunity to visit attractions such as the Gold Museum and Monserrate (optional). o/n Bogotá. Day 3 Saturday 16th Nov We will visit Chingaza National Park in the Eastern Andes to explore the alpine paramo grassland of the high slopes here (3,600m), where the unusual tall frailejones Espeletia grow. The park is home to an array of birds including the endemic Green-bearded Helmetcrest, Silvery-throated Spinetail and Brown-breasted Parakeet, and high altitude specialists such as White-chinned Thistletail and Black-chested Buzzard-eagle. We hope to see White-tailed Deer and if we are very lucky perhaps Spectacled Bear. o/n Bogotá Day 4 Sunday 17th Nov This morning we set out west towards Honda, on the banks of the Magdalena River (c. 5 hours). We will make stops along the way to explore the wetlands of La Florida Park, where we hope to see interesting water birds such as Pied-

3 billed Grebe, Wattle Jacana and Purple Gallinule, along with a chance to see Spot-flanked Gallinule, at its northernmost site. We will also pay a visit to San Francisco to enjoy the variety of hummingbirds visiting the feeders of a local hotel, before a stop at La Laguna el Tabacal. Here we hope to see mixed flocks of tanagers, including Crimsonbacked, Blue-necked, Blue-gray, Bay-headed, Scrub, and Lemon-rumped. o/n Honda Day 5 Monday 18th Nov Today we will explore the Magdalena Valley and have some opportunity to visit some of the sites of the town of Honda with its colonial history. We then continue west to Manizales in the Central Andes (c. 4 hours). o/n Manizales Day 6 Tuesday 19th Nov We spend the day exploring trails within the cloud forest of the Rio Blanco Reserve, which has a different mix of species to the lower elevations. The reserve is home to many brightly coloured parakeets, tanagers, hummingbirds, and no less than nine species of antpitta. Species we hope to find include Bluewinged Mountain-tanager, Collared Inca, Long-tailed Sylph, Black-billed Mountain-toucan and Green-and-black Fruiteater. o/n Manizales Day 7/8 Wednesday/Thursday 20th/21st Nov We move onwards to the Otún Quimbaya Flora and Fauna Sanctuary (c. 2 hours), which is connected to Los Nevados National Park, where we have two days to explore the cloud forests. Endemic birds to be found here include Cauca Guan and Multicoloured Tanager, alongside Redruffed Fruitcrow and Torrent Duck. Our time in this area will also include a tour of the Hacienda Venecia Coffee Farm. Coffee farms can be rich in wildlife, especially where the crop is low intensity shade-grown under the tree canopy. o/n Otún Quimbaya. Day 9 Friday 22nd Nov After breakfast we head to Pereira Airport to take our flight to Santa Marta on Colombia s north coast. Here we transfer into four-wheeldrive vehicles for the journey to El Dorado Bird Reserve (c. 3 hours) high in the Santa Marta Mountains (1,900m), making stops along the way as we climb. o/n El Dorado Bird Lodge. Day 10/11 Saturday/Sunday 23rd/24th Nov We have two days to explore different elevations within the El Dorado Reserve; soaking up the breath-taking panoramas over the Santa Marta mountains and Caribbean, and its magnificent sunrises and sunsets.

4 The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta National Park was named the world s most irreplaceable nature reserve, due to its exceptional levels of endemism, which include many birds and amphibians. We can hope to find many of the endemic birds here including the shy Santa Marta Parakeet and White-tailed Starfrontlet, Rusty-headed Spinetail, Santa Marta Bush Tyrant, Santa Marta Mountain Tanager and Yellow-crowned Whitestart. The amphibians too deserve attention, and the evening chorus of frogs also includes species found nowhere else. Our mammal encounters could include Olinguito or Colombian Night Monkeys high in the trees, and Crab-eating Fox. We will be sure to find time to enjoy the hummingbird feeders at the Lodge with other likely visitors including White-sided Flower-piercer and Blue-naped Chlorophonia. o/n El Dorado Bird Lodge. Day 12 Monday 25th Nov We take our return journey down from the mountain (c. 3 hours); again stopping along the way to enjoy the views and wildlife. Our destination is Palomino on the Caribbean coast, but we will first pay a visit to Tayrona National Park, where sandy beaches meet tropical forest, and we hope to find Lancetailed Manakin, Barred Antshrike, White-necked Puffbird and Red-legged Honeycreepers among many others. With luck we will spot Cotton-top Tamarin among the trees, and perhaps White-fronted Capuchin. o/n Palomino Day 13 Tuesday 26th Nov This morning we travel east along the coast to Los Flamencos National Reserve. The climate is warmer here and the reserve includes dry tropical forest, semi-desert and lagoon habitats. We hope to see species such as Crested Bobwhite, Vermillion Cardinal, Chestnut Piculet and Green-rumped Parrotlet here as we enjoy a very different landscape to the previous days. We will also have an opportunity to find out more about the indigenous Wayuu communities of this area. o/n Palomino. Day 14 Wednesday 27th Nov Today we head west along the coast, stopping to visit Salamanca National Park, where a trail takes us through the mangroves and dry forest, as we explore yet another habitat type. o/n Barranquilla.

5 Day 15 Thursday 28th Nov We will have time to explore the area around Barranquilla before continuing on to the historic city of Cartagena (c. 2 hours), one of Colombia s major ports that was founded during the 16th Century and site of an interesting walled city and fortress. o/n Cartagena. Day 16 Friday 29th Nov We will have a relaxing start to the day with some further time to explore Cartagena before our flight back to Bogotá and onwards to the UK (arriving Day 17 Saturday 30th Nov) Leaders Laurie Jackson is an excellent all round naturalist and experienced Wildlife Travel leader, who joined our team in She has led many of our trips in recent years, from Morocco and Bulgaria, to Svalbard and the Isles of Scilly, Lesvos and Chile. Laurie visited Colombia in 2018, where she was blown away by the wealth of wildlife; she is looking forward to introducing this wonderful country to our travellers. Our Colombian local guide is biologist Roger Rodriguez from our partners at Nature Colombia. Roger has worked on research projects on birds in the Central Andes and Pacific Coast of Colombia, and has been working as a guide in the area since Passports and Visas You must have a valid passport for this trip (valid for at least six months from the date of entry to Colombia). Visas are not currently required for holders of UK/EU passports. British nationals can enter Colombia for up to 90 days without a visa, although you may be asked to show evidence of return/onward travel. For holders of other passports please check with your embassy. Weather and Seasons A range of weather is expected. We will be travelling at the end of the wet season, so rain showers are likely. Bogotá has little seasonal variation in weather; it is likely to be relatively mild (15-20 ) with rain a distinct possibility. In Honda, Otún Quimbaya, Palomino, Barranquilla and Cartagena it is likely to be hot and humid (25-35 ) with rain very possible. We can expect cooler temperatures in Manizales, El Dorado (15-20 ). At higher altitudes the nights can be chilly.

6 Insurance Personal travel insurance providing good medical cover, including emergency rescue and repatriation is essential for this trip. Accommodation and local travel Our accommodation during this holiday will be at good lodges or hotels all with en-suite accommodation, some with very attractive settings. Some lodges may have a swimming pool available. The exact lodge or hotel used may be changed if any local conditions change or if we feel a different choice would suit our needs better. All the meals provided during the stay will be a mixture of local and International dishes. Requests for special diets can be accommodated. We will ensure our travelling is as comfortable as possible, using a small coach/minibus, however, some of the roads can be bumpy. There will be days when we are transferring from one area to another where the journey may take much of the day but we will take plenty of stops for comfort breaks and to enjoy interesting areas. The road to El Dorado Reserve is in poor condition and passable only with 4wd-vehicles; it is a long and bumpy drive, but worth it when you reach the top. We will take two domestic flights: Pereira to Santa Marta (via Bogotá) and Cartagena to Bogotá.

7 Fitness and Health You should consult your GP at least eight weeks before departure about travel inoculations, including typhoid and hepatitis. General inoculations for overseas travel are recommended. You must drink only purified drinking water at all times. Biting insects such as mosquitoes are likely to be present; particulalry in the lowlands. Dengue fever, malaria, yellow fever, zika virus and chikungunya fever are present in Colombia. The areas we visit are currently classified as low risk for malaria. A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required if arriving from a country with risk of yellow fever transmission (please check if you are not taking the group flight) and may be required for entry to some national parks in Colombia. No strenuous walking is involved but you need to have a reasonable level of general fitness to be able to participate in the holiday. The tour visits several locations and travelling in the tropics can be tiring if you are not used to it. However, the trip is designed to be relatively comfortable so please discuss any concerns with us. Although most of the walks are not long, we will sometimes be walking on rough or wet ground. Walking boots (lightweight ok) are essential for most areas. There are a few occasions when we walk uphill but this is not excessive. We will be visiting high altitudes in the Andes, up to around 3,600m in Chingaza National Park, although our accommodation is all lower than 3,000m. There is some risk of altitude sickness although rest and drinking plenty of water usually relieve any mild effects (headaches and tiredness). If you have suffered from altitude problems before or have any reason to believe that you will be adversely affected at these altitudes you should consult your doctor prior to booking. We will be taking it easy at these higher altitudes and none of the walking will be strenuous. As we are in the tropics, the sun is very strong, even when it appears overcast. Sun protection (hat, sunglasses and suncream) is essential. We avoid walking far in the hottest part of the day. It is essential that, PRIOR TO BOOKING, you ring us to discuss any potential fitness or health problems that may affect you

8 Flights The group flights are with Avianca from London Heathrow, Terminal 2. 14th November 29th November depart London Heathrow 21.40, arrive Bogotá (15th Nov) depart Bogotá 22.55, arrive London Heathrow (30th Nov) Colombia is five hours behind the UK It may be possible to fly from other airports, including Manchester, and you may wish to extend your time in Cartagena or Bogotá: we can discuss options. TO BOOK: Contact us to check availability and reserve a place. Then complete the Booking Form and send to Sunvil Holidays (CAA-ATOL Licence 808, ABTA V6218), our tour operator, with your deposit. All details about booking are given in the Booking Pack. DEPOSIT PER PERSON 1500, SECOND INSTALMENT ON CONFIRMATION OF HOLIDAY 1800 (to cover committed costs). BALANCE DUE BY 15/08/2019 INCLUDED: Return flight from London Heathrow to Bogotá. Local transport as specified in itinerary, including internal flights to northern Colombia. 14 nights accommodation, full board basis (breakfast, lunch and dinner). Entrance fees except during any optional sightseeing. Services of leader and guides. NOT INCLUDED: Refreshments. Gratuities. Travel insurance. WILDLIFE TRAVEL The Manor House, Broad Street, Great Cambourne, Cambridge CB23 6DH Tel: wildlifetravel@wildlifebcn.org Directors: Christine Donnelly, Brian Eversham, Philip Precey, Michael Russell, Tim Upson Wildlife Travel Ltd. Reg. No (for Registered Charity numbers, please contact us) Photos - Wildlife Travel and Nature Colombia