Emily Currier Bogota Columbia Pre-Trip Planning

Flight Details

Leave Bogota Columbia on October 16th flying to Buenos Aires Argentina. 

Leaves on Tuesday arrives on Wednesday

Leave Tuesday 10/16 flying Avianca airlines flight #85- Departs at 9:36 pm from BOG 

arrive at 5:31 am at GRU (Guarulhos international)

2hr 29 min layover at GRU

Fly GOL airline- GOL flight #7678 departs at 8:00 am arrives at 10:50 am at AEP (Jorge Newbery Airport)

This is an overnight flight 

Searched on Trip Advisor, Booked through Expedia

Total cost $835 pp - total $5,845 dollars. 

Total travel time would be 11 hours and 14 minutes.

Emily Currier

Transportation from the airport and around the city will be the Transmilenio (the red busses). This system is similar to the subway systems in NY. It is a great way to get everywhere in the city and very affordable at 1300 pesos- .55 cents per trip and we can buy a pass for the week. This will cost us approx. 10 dollars per person - equaling 70 dollars for the week.                 

                           For a complete overview of the Transmilenio go to http://www.gobrt.org/transmilenio.html   

                                                                                                                                                  $70.00

Our first accommodations in Bogota will be at the Masaya Intercultural Hostels and Events. This Hostel is in the center of Bogota and has alot of things to do such as dance classes, a bar, cooking classes, bbq area, pool table and rec room . We would split up into three rooms. Two of which have 3 double beds and one room with a double bed. Breakfast is complimentary as well as selected drinks included. This is a lively hostel and will be a fun way to start in Bogota. The total cost for Masaya would be 271.88 USD. We would stay here  Tuesday 10/9-Friday 10/13.

                                                                                                                $271.88 USD

Saturday morning we will be picked up from our hotel by Mantaraya Travel Tours. We will be going on a weekend overnight adventure !

Feel the Adrenaline on our Bogota Adventure Tour!

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During your stay in Bogotá you can take an exciting tour to Tobia, just 90 minutes away from Bogota and a fantastic place for adventure sports such as White Water Rafting in the Negro River, horse riding, rappelling down waterfalls and exploring canyons.

During this weekend trip you will leave from Bogota and head towards Tobia where you will set up tents provided by us for your weekend adventures accommodation.

You will over the two days embark on exciting activities such as horse riding, white water rafting down the Rio Negro, rappel down a 75 mt waterfall and go canyoning in the Tiger creek.

All activities will be with very experienced, professional and medically certified guides. Two lunches 1 breakfast and 1 dinner is also included. Dont miss this exciting trip where you will immerse yourself in some of Colombias exuberant nature!

            Information

                                            Starting from
$231 USD

                                            Availability
See Tour dates *

                                            Duration
2 days / 1 night

                                            * Price per person for the whole package

           

            


            Mantaraya Travel - Day Tours and Trips for Colombia




            More information

What is Included

                                            Horseriding

                                            White Water Rafting – Rio Negro.

                                            Meals: Lunch and dinner day 1, Breakfast and lunch day 2.

                                            Rapelling

                                            Canyoning

                                            Private transportation: Bogotá – Tobia – Bogotá. (Around 2 hours)

                                            Tour guide in Spanish or English.

                                            All tent equipment including bedding

                                            Accident coverage

            Not Included

                                            Gratuities

                        Drinking alcohol the night before this trip is not recommended nor supported by the trips guides as it is important to not drink before doing any of the trips extreme sport activities.!

As you can see this is going to be alot of fun. The trip gives us a chance to check out other parts of columbia and get our adrenaline fix in. Meals are included and we will be camping . 

   www.mantaraytravel.com/sightseeing-tours/bogota-2-day-rafting-tour    total for this adventure is 1617 +150 tip

The tour will drop us off at our last accommodations mid afternoon on Sunday. We will finish our trip off staying at the Anandamayi Hostel and Hotel. We will be staying in a 12 bed dorm. We will have 7 of the 12 beds. As of now we are the only ones in the dorm. The hostel offers free breakfast , cafe, communal kitchen, free wifi, lounge area, and television / entertainment room.

The cost for this hostel for Sunday 10/14-tuesday 10/16 will be $233.10 usd.                              $233.10 USD.

Accommodations for the hostels were found through Hostelbookers.com 

This will bring the cost of the trip so far to  $2,341.98. This is only for the trip costs thus far , excludes airflights.

I will include costs of food and other activities as I find them -Chao                Total thus far: $2,341.98

Emily Currier

There are many things to explore in and around Bogota Columbia. Here are a few things we would like to fit into our seven days there:

A Football match, (soccer ). Most games are offered on Sundays and would be attended right after our return from our overnight adventure. The match is held at Nemesio stadium.

Bullfighting is a part of culture in Bogota . We are definetly going to experience this while on our trip.

One of the main things people think of when they hear Columbia is coffee. They offer a half day long coffee school where we will get hands on experience and some of the freshest coffe on the planet.

This is the Fenicular. It will take us to the top of Monserrate Hill. From there we will go on a hike to La Chorrera.

La Chorrera

 Chorrera: Colombia's tallest waterfall

La Chorrera is Colombia’s tallest waterfall and for keen hikers and adventurers, it’s well worth a visit. The journey itself is for the most part on foot, and in total takes roughly 1 hour and 15 minutes. You’ll need to have a lift arranged for you to navigate the journey through cloud forests to the other side of Bogotá’s mountains, but once you’re there you begin a 45 minute trek to the first stop off point. Here you’ll find a helpfully located restaurant where you can get a good meal for around $13000 pesos. Once you’re sufficiently rested, you’ll take another half an hour to reach the waterfalls. The views here are magnificent and you can even walk through the waterfalls to discover what lies behind them. For the brave it’s also possible to swim but be warned, it’s very cold! If you arrange the trip with See Colombia Travel, it’s also possible to pre-order a delicious meal of local trout for your return, the perfect end to a memorable hike.

A short distance outside of Bogota  is a town called Zipaquira. This is where the Salt mines and cathedral are. This is a historical site exclusive to Columbia and a must see while there. 

Along with finding amazing places to eat , these are some of the things we will experience while visiting Columbia.

Emily

Copper Canyon

Copper Canyon Mexico has many attractions to explore, and many activities to offer. Being that we will not be able to see and do everything that Copper Canyon Mexico has to offer I have a few things in mind that we could check out while we are there. 

·         Peña del Gigante - Balancing Rock 

This stone monolith stands out on a national and international level for having a totally vertical face and its sheer magnitude, with a free fall of 885 meters 2,290 feet. Peña del gigante has now become recognized for its climbing potential.

·         The Indians of northern Mexico’s are among the largest and most traditional Native American societies in all of North America. They are currently confronted by the rapid loss of their language and cultural traditions and severe degradation of their environment. We can go here and learn about the culture in Copper Canyon and tradition.

·         Rafting in Copper Canyon

for the adventure, Copper Canyon offers white water rafting tours down several different river with plenty of class III and IV rapids. Most of the rafting that is offered is located at the base of the rivers, some a located deep in the Canyons. 

Here are a few places that I thought we should check out. As it gets closer to our time to go to mexico I will have everything for our trip ready to go. Here are some web link that you can check out, and maybe give me feed back on what you all will like to see and do when we go to Copper Canyon.   

http://www.coppercanyoninsider.com/copper-canyon-activities.asp

http://www.mexbound.com/copper-canyon-attractions.php

Attractions and Things to do in Quito, Ecuador

While in Quito, Ecuador, we plan to visit a number of different places to get an idea of what the local culture is like. We will first go visit the Company of Jesus Church, which is a masterpiece of baroque and Quiteno-colonial art with lavish golden altars and gilded columns, making it one of the most ornate structures in Ecuador.

Next, we will visit the world famous, Alegria Farm. The Alegria Farm was Built in 1911, historic Hacienda and 135-hectare Alegria Farm are in the verdant heart of the Avenida de los Volcanoes. These beautiful pasturelands are home to more than 200 cows and calves, 48 horses and foals, dozens of llamas and alpacas, and more. It’s the perfect place to learn about hacienda life, which includes milking cows, riding horses, animal care, and taking carriage and hay rides.

We also plan to visit Old Town while in Quito. Old Town is a historic district was the first city named a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is noted for its narrow streets, Spanish colonial architecture and historic attractions.

Another potential activity is backpacking the Maquipucuna Cloud Forest Reserve. This reserve measures more than 6,000 hectares (15,000 acres) containing more than 375 species of birds, 45 species of mammals, 250 species of butterflies, and 1000 species of moths - amongst other species... In addition to hosting more than 2,000 species of plants, Maquipucuna harbors 4% of the world's bird diversity. Visitors can experience a unique community-run in-vitro propagation lab and orchid tour, as well as the only shade-grown, bird-friendly, beyond organic coffee-tour, all in association with neighboring communities in the Alambi river watershed, and Choco-Andean conservation & sustainable development corridor.

While in Quito, we would also like to visit the Iglesia de San Francisco. The Iglesia de San Francisco is the oldest colonial building in Quito is home to a collection of paintings, art, and furniture from the Museo Franciscano (Franciscano museum). Built by the Franciscan priest in 1536, Iglesia de San Francisco is the first church built in America.

These are just a few ideas of activities we can do while visiting Quito, Ecuador. Stay tuned to the blog to find out information about our actual trip! We leave on October 2nd for Quito!

Kevin Burnet

Attractions/Entertainment (India)

Things to do in India: 

1. Taj Mahal: For $85 per person, we could take the "Same Day Taj Mahal Tour" in which we will not only get to see the Taj Mahal with an englih speaking tour guide, but also we would get to see Agra Fort, Tomb of It-mad-ud-Daula, Tonga ride, Battery Van ride and visit the local market and experience (first hand) culture. 

http://www.indiatour-packages.net/india-tour-packages/same-day-tajmahal-tour.html

2. Another very famous place to visit in India is right in the capital, New Delhi and is known as the "Lotus Temple". This Temple is originally called "Bahai's Temple" but is known as the Lotus Temple because it is shaped like a flower. Its architectural structure is truly amazing and worth seeing since we will be in New Delhi, why not? We could just drive our rental vehicle to the Temple and see it without having to pay for an entire tour that includes this temple in its route. (Those can be pricey.) 

3. Another interesting, more natural excursion to take part in would be a hike into the Himalayan Mountains of Northern India and make our way to the Ganges River, India's "holiest" waters. Many do this as a spiritual journey, however it is one of the hot spots to visit in India because of its beauty and its religious affiliation. 

Jaimie 

Accommodations- India

After arriving in New Delhi, we can take a rental van from the hotel to our hotel for approximately $95
http://www.indiarentacar.com/volkswagen_multivan_deltariff.php <--- this shows all of the details

I found The Connaught Hotel of New Delhi that seems to be a great place for us to stay! Accommodations include: Hotel The Connaught New Delhi offers 87 well furnished rooms in 7 floors including deluxe rooms and suites, centrally air-conditioned with attached bath, mini fridge, direct dialing, color TV with satellite channels, individual temperature control, channel music & tea coffee maker. 
Since there are several different room offers our rate would vary. By booking "standard" rooms for our stay, we would have a rate of 9000 indian rupees/night ($169 US) 

In the hotel, there is a multi-cuisine 24 hour restaurant, a 24 hour snack bar and a bar opened from 12 noon to midnight. 

Jaimie 

Accommodations Antananarivo Madagascar

Info through Booking.com and the Tana hotel website.

Tana Hotel is located in the center of the city. The accommodations include transportation to and from the airport upon request. Breakfast is included either a buffet or continental breakfast in your room are options. This is a hotel that has many ammenities . We would need 4 standard twin rooms . all with 2 twins so someone will luck out and get there own room.                         
                                                              Total cost $2317.44                  

Set in the business district in the centre of Antananarivo, this 3-star hotel is just a 5-minute walk from the Presidential Palace. You can relax in the hot tub or enjoy a cocktail in the on-site bar.

The rooms at TANA Hotel are contemporary in style and offer views of the surrounding city. Each one is air-conditioned and also has a seating area with an LCD TV and a minibar. 

A buffet breakfast is provided every morning in the breakfast room. You can also use the hotel’s room service and enjoy the breakfast continental-style from the comfort of your room.

Massages and free private parking are some of the other facilities at this hotel. You may also organise a shuttle service at the 24-hour reception to Ivat Airport, which is 8 km away.

Hotel Rooms: 31.

You will pay in the hotel's preferred currency (MGA) after your stay at the hotel. The exchange rate is subject to fluctuations.

Hotel Facilities

General

Bar, 24-Hour Front Desk, Newspapers, Non-smoking Rooms, Family Rooms, Safe, Baggage Storage, Air Conditioning.

Activities

Hot Tub.

Services

Airport Shuttle, Laundry, Breakfast in the Room.

Internet

Free! Wi-Fi is available in the entire hotel and is free of charge.

Parking

Free! Free private parking is possible on site (reservation is needed).

Policies of TANA Hotel

Check in

07:00 - 23:30 hours

Check out

Until 12:00 hours                  Emily Currier

Kelly Hince - Buenos Aires Pre-trip planning

Carlos Calvo Escape is a rental house in Buenos Aires in the heart of San Telmo

It is 4 bedrooms and 3 baths and sleeps 8 comfortably 

There are many amenities including: Wifi, laundry, fully stocked gourmet kitchen, balconies and flat screen TVs with DVD players 

Reviewers online rave about the customer service of the owner and his recommended car service from the airport 

It is close to restaurants, bars, historical places, clubs and is just four blocks from the waterfront.

It will be $1,500 to rent for the week. 

Here is a link to more information: http://www.tripadvisor.com/VacationRentalReview-g312741-d1490912-Carlos_Calvo_Escape-Buenos_Aires_Capital_Federal_District.html#amenities

-- Kelly Hince

The Accommodation...

Alex Rathbun Indonesia- Pre Trip Planning

FLIGHT :

 I found a flight that leaves India at 11:10 pm on Tuesday, November 13, 2012 and we will arive in Bali on 11:45 am Wednesday, November 14th. The total price for 7 people is $3291.16. We have a connecting flight at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. I have attached all of the flight information on the bottom.

ACCOMMODATIONS: 

For the first two nights (Wednesday and Thursday) of our stay in Bali we are going in the heart of Bali's best hangout area. We are staying at the Kayun Hostel in Kuta. The hostel is a 10 minute walk to all the local bars and 15 minutes to the beach. The address is Kuta, Jalan Patih Jelantik 176, Kayun Hostel. We will be taking a taxi from the airport to the hostel. For two, four bedroom rooms this will cost us $320.16 for two nights. For food, we will be going out to eat both days. There are many restaurants near by so we will walk to local places for lunch and dinner.
http://www.travellerspoint.com/accommodation/73266-Kayun-Hostel/

Next, we will be traveling from Kuta to Ubud. Ubud is a traditional, beautiful place located in the mountains, north of Denpasar. I have read online it is one of the best places to see unspoiled old culture.  In Ubud, we will be staying at the Jati Home Stay and Gallery. I have booked two family size rooms and the total cost is $185.56 for two nights. 

Finally, we will travel from Ubud to Amlapura. Amlapura is on Balis North coast and is in the mountains. It is home of the former palace of the king of Karangasem. We will be staying at the Kubu Carik for two nights. For two nights and four bedrooms it is $574.56. There are a lot of restaurants near by so we will be eating at those. 
http://www.travellerspoint.com/accommodation/68352-Kubu-Carik-Bali/


ACTIVITIES/ATTRACTIONS:
Natural Site
Built monument or attraction
Cultural/historical event or site
Recreation/sports activity 

In Kuta, I was thinking for one day we can relax and hang out at Kuta Beach and party at night in Legian Street. They are both very close to our hostel.

I also want to see the Monument of Human Tragedy while in Kuta. This is where 202 people were massacred by two massive explosions.

In Ubud, we could go to Goa Gajah also known as the elephant cave. It is one of Bali's most historically significant sites and it served as a sanctuary in the 9th century.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g297701-d451059-Reviews-Elephant_Cave_Goa_Gajah-Ubud_Bali.html

 

In Amlapura, I want to visit the Puri Agung Karangasem which is a series of compounds that house the royal palace. It is 10,000 rupiah to enter the inner court which is called Maskerdam. 
http://www.travelfish.org/sight_profile/indonesia/bali/bali/amlapura/1047

I also want to visit Pura Luhur Lempuyang which is one of Bali's nine directional temples. We would be hiking to it and will get a guide when we get there. We would get there early in the morning because people say the heat is unbearable during the day.

http://www.travelfish.org/sight_profile/indonesia/bali/bali/amlapura/1050

-Alex

Tue 13 Nov 2012
 

Depart	Arrive	Flight	Price (INR)
11:10 PM DELDelhi ‑ Indira Gandhi International 6:50 AM(14 Nov) KULKuala Lumpur International Airport MH191(Boeing 777‑200) Non-stop INR 12825.00 8:45 AM KULKuala Lumpur International Airport 11:45 AM DPS Denpasar‑Bali MH715(Boeing 777‑200) Non-stop