Travel & Tourism in Colombia

Colombia Travel Report by: Joebert Opulencia and Alejandro Garrido

Colombia is a transcontinental country spanning South America and an insular region in North America. It is known for having the best coffee, emeralds, bananas and roses in the world.

DAY 04 – Starting with a panoramic tour of the modern area of Bocagrande and Castillogrande.

Then a walk through the streets and squares of the Getsemaní neighborhood, steeped in history, culture, and local traditions that are alle reflected in its architecture, murals and inhabitants.

Toured the Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas, the most amazing fortress of Spanish engineering in America built in 1657 with the purpose of defending the city from constant pirate attacks. Here, one gets to see the beauty of Bogota from above.

Lunch was special @ the famous Restaurante Celele in the hip neighborhood of Getsemaní, a restaurant that is leading the way for contemporary Colombian cuisine. Celele is the result of chefs Jaime Rodríguez and Sebastián Pinzón’s investigative project, Proyecto Caribe Lab, which seeks to highlight the rich gastronomy of Colombia’s Caribbean coast. Rodríguez and Pinzón spent years exploring the colorful cuisine of the region and its indigenous communities. The collaboration and research has resulted in a restaurant that provides diners with a well-thought-out, beautifully presented menu using local ingredients in a casual, welcoming ambiance. Tasting lunch with drink pairing was sure an experience.

Visited the Santa Clara Sofitel Hotel, again, the hotel I used for the Sony Incentive Group in 2015. It was great remembering the different functions we had at the hotel

Dinner was at the Vedana Restaurant of the Ananda, a beautiful 5star boutique hotel. Food was yummy.

DAY 05 – Cartagena Cooking Experience at Cafe Lunatico. Here we discovered their coastal culinary identity and the origin of each dish.

Upon your arrival, we were greeted by Chef Maria Delgado and with a refreshing drink of Panela, the Colombian

Redbull. She then introduced us to the local ingredients and the dishes that will be cooked…. its was an experience to eat the food you helped cook.

Last night dinner in Cartagena was at the Amacagua Lounge & Grill of the Hyatt Regency Cartagena.

Hyatt Regency Cartagena is located in Bocagrande district, in 20 minutes’ walk of Bocagrande beaches, features views of the bay. Boasting setting next to Maria Mulata, this modern venue offers a swimming pool onsite as well as a special menu and a children’s club for children. The accommodation is set in the historic part of Cartagena, a few minutes away from Museo Historico de Cartagena de Indias. Guests will be 18 minutes’ walk from the grand 16th-century church “Sanctuary of Saint Peter Claver”. Carulla Bocagrande is a few minutes’ walk away.

It was one great fam tour I had with nine (9) other Travel Advisers and Tour Operators. Five (5) nights in Cartagena was a “wow” for me. I did things I never have done and saw other parts of Cartagena that I never visited before.

Thank you GEMA TOUR and its representative, AMIRA RODRIGUEZ, and PROCOLOMBIA and its representative CAMILA CUADROS … they both took care of us and were always there when we needed something. BOTH WERE THE “PERFECT HOST”

Flight tomorrow for Bogota for the COLOMBIA TRAVEL MART 2022

By Joebert Opulencia