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COLOMBIA
Heart of the Andes


Picture

Main Tour: November 27 - December 8, 2017
12 Days / 11 Nights
$4995
Single Supplement $400


Extension: December 8 - 15, 2017
8 Days / 7 Nights
$2495
Single Supplement $370

Combined Tour: November 27 - December 15, 2017
19 Days / 18 Nights
$7390
Single Supplement $740

Colombia is the second most biodiverse country in the world and the one with the most birds. This paradise for birders and naturalists encompasses more than 1,800 species of birds including 78 endemics, 163 hummingbird species, almost 260 flycatcher species, plus a myriad of tanagers, quetzals, trogons and many more. Passing from the western side of the Andes to fertile valley of Río Magdalena, we will bird the Colombian Andes between elevations of 1,600 feet and 13,000 feet to embrace the great diversity that this iconic birding area holds.  Among the different places we will be visiting, the Río Blanco area stands out as one of the best places for birdwatching in the world. This particular area holds a great gradient of altitudinal ecosystems, making it a delightful place to see endemic species like Brown-banded, Bicolored, Chestnut-crowned, Chestnut-naped, and Slate-crowned Antpittas as well as another eight endemic or near-endemic species.  Besides the Andean Forests, other types of ecosystem such as wetlands, coffee plantations, the páramo and many others will make this trip an astounding and unforgettable birding experience.

Our 8-day extension will take you to some of the iconic Colombian birding spots like the Chocó Highlands in the Montezuma Hills and Otún Quimbaya, where species like Red-ruffed Fruitcrow, Andean Cock-of-the Rock, Cauca Guan, Torrent Duck and many of the Pacific slope hummingbirds can be found. It is a perfect destination to combine with the Main Tour as it will provide an opportunity to see species unique to this area, thus increasing the number of species seen. The sought-after Orinoco Goose and the beautiful Scarlet Ibis should be among the species we can observe on this extension. The Tatama National Park will give us a chance to find eleven of the endemic Colombian bird species as we explore the coffee plantations of the Neblina forests.
ITINERARY IN A NUTSHELL

Day 1: Arrive in Bogotá and transfer to Jardín Encantado
Day 2: Full day birding in the Río Magdalena Valley IBA
Day 3: Victoria to Líbano birding enroute at Chacra de Guarinocito and other habitats
Day 4: Líbano to Río Blanco birding enroute
Day 5: Río Blanco IBA
Day 6: Río Blanco IBA
Day 7: Páramo at Parque Nacional Natural Los Nevados
Day 8: Villa María area
Day 9: Río Blanco area
Day 10: Río Blanco to Chinchina
Day 11: Chinchina
Day 12:Transfer to Manizales for flight to Bogotá if not continuing on the extension
Day 12: Day 1 of extension:  Chinchina to Otún Quimbaya
Day 13: Otún Quimbaya Flora & Fuana Sanctuary
Day 14: Otun Quimbaya to Apía
Day 15: Parque Natural Cuchilla del San Juan
Day 16: Montezuma Hill area
Day 17: Montezuma Hill
Day 18: Montezuma Hill to Buga
Day 19: Finca Alejandría. Tour ends late evening at the Cali airport
 

The price INCLUDES:                                                                                     The price does NOT include:        
        -  All meals from lunch on Day 1 through lunch on Day 19                  - International and internal airfare
        -  Lodging                                                                                                   - Personal travel and medical insurance
        -  All entry fees to national parks and reserves                                    - Drinks other than bottled water
        -  Expert bilingual bird guide during the entire trip                             - Tips
        -  Bottled Water                                                                                        - Items of a personal nature, such as snacks, laundry, souvenirs
        -  Cheepers! tour leaders, Jim and Cindy Beckman                               
        -  Private transportation for all transfers and excursions               
        -  Pretrip gift package, including customized checklist 

        -  Post-trip electronic checklist and photo dvd

Click on the links below for a detailed itinerary and registration form:
colombia_itinerary_2017.pdf
File Size: 485 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

colombia_registration_form_novdec_2017.pdf
File Size: 509 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

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