Vaya Adventures Announces New-for-2015 Bespoke Vacations to Colombia

Vaya Adventures (http://www.vayaadventures.com/), the experts in designing premier bespoke vacations in South America, announces new-for-2015, Vaya-branded itineraries for private travel to Colombia.

“Politically there are very few countries in the world that have been able to turn their nation around as quickly as Colombia has. The same goes for ramping up services and facilities for visitors so that they can begin to enjoy, among others, a biodiversity unrivaled in the world, stunning and intact vestiges of a colonial past and the energy behind a world-class coffee production,” Vaya Adventures founder Jim Lutz says.

Newly-designed guided programs starting at just $2,517 per person (double) for nine days offer what Lutz calls “unparalleled value” for a South American destination. All accommodations and transfers, some meals, guiding, excursions and entrance fees are included in a base rate for diverse tours that offered year-round. Travel dates are flexible to accommodate client requests.

For more details, trip ideas and suggested itineraries please see: http://www.vayaadventures.com/destinations/colombia/

According to Lutz, Colombia holds a unique position and allure in the expanding world of adventure travel.

Colombia is listed (by the United Nations’ Convention on Biological Diversity) as one of the world’s “mega diverse” countries, hosting close to 10% of the planet’s biodiversity. Worldwide, it ranks first in bird and orchid species diversity and second in plants, butterflies, freshwater fishes and amphibians. With 314 types of ecosystems, Colombia possesses a rich complexity of ecological, climatic, biological and ecosystem components. Colombia was ranked as one of the world’s richest countries in aquatic resources, which is explained in part by the fact that the country’s large watersheds feed into the four massive sub-continental basins of the Amazon, Orinoco, Caribbean, Magdalena-Cauca and the Pacific.

Among Colombia tour highlights are:

• Bogota, with cobblestone streets below a panoramic view of this Andean plateau from atop Mount Monserrate (10,341 feet), Botero Museum (founded in 2000 when perhaps South America’s most recognizable artist, Fernando Botero, donated 208 pieces of his art) and the Gold Museum (the world’s most important collection of pre-Colombian gold).
• The pirate history that imbues Cartagena’s stone walls and location on the Caribbean.
• The Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia, dedicated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011, viewed afoot and from an open-top jeep so guests can brush shoulders with the hard-working, real-life Juan Valdez’s of the world.
• Villa de Leyva, a charming colonial city in the Andes with excellent, off the beaten path hiking options.
• Tayrona National Park, one of the untrammeled gems of the country, on a gorgeous stretch of the Caribbean coast east of Cartagena, where guests can also explore the pre-Hispanic ruins at El Pueblito. 

An itinerary can be as culturally or actively (think hiking and horseback riding) focused as a client prefers, Lutz adds.  Visits here can also be combined with trips to Ecuador for snorkeling with sea lions and to the Incan ruins at Machu Picchu.

Jim Lutz on Colombia
“Colombia is a destination that is still well enough off the beaten path to feel like a real adventure. A lot of things help make travel in this country captivating, and those who have gone describe it as one of the highlights of their personal travels. Perhaps it’s that it feels like stepping back in time, experiencing what travel to South America was like decades ago, before major destinations gained widespread popularity. Colombia missed out on most of the rapid growth in tourism that many other parts of the continent have experienced. That will change, because the country’s troubles have receded far enough into the background that people now feel comfortable traveling here. Now is the right time to visit!”

For more information, trip planning, availability and reservations please visit:http://www.vayaadventures.com or call 800-342-1796.

About Vaya Adventures
Jim Lutz founded Vaya Adventures in 2004 out of a desire to share his passion for South America with others. This private custom-travel company leaves no stone unturned when it comes to understanding the history and culture of the regions its guests visit, thanks to extensive first-hand research and an expansive network of contacts in each destination, including the finest private guides. Vaya Adventures emphasizes accommodations, restaurants, and neighborhoods that reflect the best of the local culture, studiously avoiding the generic, the touristy, and the corporate.  Through low-impact tourism and a sustainable supply chain, Vaya Adventures strives to create a strong positive incentive for the preservation of both historic and natural environments in South America.  Lutz is also President of the International Galapagos Tour Operators Association, an organization of over 40 companies working to promote conservation and sustainable tourism in the Galapagos Islands.  

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5 Ideas for Adventure Travelers In 2014

Adrenaline-loving travelers looking to push the boundaries in 2014 have plenty of enticing destinations to choose from next year. Whether it’s the time-warped villages of Burma, or the far-flung shores of Antarctica (which, as it happens, will be in the spotlight for the 100th anniversary of Sir Ernest Shackleton‘s epic adventure), 2014 is sure to be filled with inspiration, adventure, and plenty of good photo ops.

Antarctica: In recent years, this frigid continent has drawn more and more adventure travelers who come to see awe-inspiring winter landscapes of icebergs, glaciers, and whales – and, of course, for the bragging rights of venturing to such distant horizons.

And 2014 could usher in a new crop of visitors, with the 100^th anniversary of legendary explorer Ernest Shackleton’s historic (although ultimately failed) expedition to make the first land crossing of Antarctica. In late 1914, Shackleton’s team was less than 100 miles from the continent’s Vahsel Bay when his ship went down in ice-filled waters, preceding Shackleton’s eventual rescue of his 27 crew members – an excursion widely regarded as the greatest adventure in history.

Follow in Shackleton’s footsteps on a trip with modern-day explorer Tim Jarvis and Intrepid Travel, which sponsored Jarvis’s 2013 recreation of Shackleton’s excursions, and which offers several other Antarctic journeys for travelers looking for a little more comfort.

Ecuador: Sure, this coastal country boasts the Galapagos – an epic destination for outdoorsy travelers since Charles Darwin put the biodiverse islands on the map more than 100 years ago as the inspiration for his theory of evolution. But Ecuador’s mainland has also been generating buzz as of late as one of South America’s under-the-radar gems, with an inviting blend of cosmopolitan appeal, colonial charm, and adventurous offerings like the 19,347-foot Cotopaxi, an active volcano that towers over the capital of Quito.

Burma: Yes, Burma, also known as Myanmar, is expensive. No, it’s not easy to reach or get around. But savvy travelers who want to experience Asia’s time-warped, last frontier should still make the trek despite all that. In recent years, developments such as more foreign exchange centers, ATMs, and Internet are evidence of a steady increase in tourism that’s expected to continue.

In June, the country unveiled a new master plan for tourism that projects more than 3 million visitors in 2015 and initiatives such as a new airport and other infrastructure improvements. Go there now, and you’ll still have Burma’s remote villages, welcoming locals, and vastly different customs and culture, almost to yourself.

East Africa: Seeing some of East Africa’s most exotic wildlife – gorillas along with the Big 5 – on the same trip will become much easier for travelers beginning in 2014, when changes to visa regulations in Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda take effect.

The new joint visa will go into effect in January 2014, costing $100, which promises a much cheaper, and far less complicated process for travelers moving between the three countries than the previous scheme. For those hoping to see the gorillas of Uganda along with the Big 5 in Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth National Park, tour operators such as Africa Adventure Consultants have already introduced new offerings taking advantage of the joint visa.

Outer Space: In August 2014, Sir Richard Branson’s suborbital commercial flights will launch for the first time, with Branson and his two children as the first passengers. But if the quarter-mil ticket on one of Virgin Galactic‘s flights isn’t in your travel budget (ours either) for a trip of your own, you can experience the last frontier from Earth via a live broadcast of the inaugural journey on NBC’s The Today Show.

Contributed by Blane Bachelor,  http://blog.shermanstravel.com