Want to know more about Colombia? Let us tell you...
Why should you come to Colombia?
Colombia’s Current Reality… off the beaten track
Over the last few years Colombia political situation has dramatically improved not only making it a much safer country for nationals to travel around in but to comfortably open its doors to foreign travelers.
Although Colombia still has dangerous regions, these regions have been pushed into the far corners of the country, leaving a large expanse of Colombia that has began to boom in tourism, and that is only filled with warm inviting locals, and a wealth of natural and historical sites to visit. Many tourists who are initially very skeptical about visiting Colombia more than often decide to come from high praises from other tourists who have just left here, in fact throughout South America you will frequently hear that Colombia is one of the top destinations in the South American continent and how their pre perceptions of coming here were completely wrong.
As a well informed and experienced travel company we only offer a thoroughly enjoyable and safe experience in our incredible country which offers a surprisingly amount of contrasts of weather, culture, landscapes, and natural vegetations. With top comfort accommodation and incredibly warm hospitable locals it promises to be a more than satisfactory vacation for anyone fond of exciting adventure! Don’t be afraid to come because you will miss out on one of the most attractive, exotic and mysterious countries on the continent that is desperately waiting to show the world how wonderful it really is!
Why go this year?
More travel for your money…
The U.S. dollar and Euro stretches far and wide in this inexpensive metropolis; even getting here is relatively cheap, especially with low-cost carrier JetBlue, which started flying a new daily route to Bogotá via Orlando in January. Pay a bit more and you can go nonstop from New York’s JFK on Delta, which launched daily service in August.
Lonely Planet
San Andres & Providencia islands were chosen by Lonely Planet as the 8th Best Travel Destination for 2009.
The Guardian Newspaper
The Guardian newspaper selected the Tayrona National Park as the second best beach in the world.
CNBC and Frommers
Selected Cartagena Colombia as one of the top 2009 travel destinations in the world.
“After years of strife and violence owing to the drug cartel wars, Colombia has begun to emerge as a safe and vibrant travel destination. (Crime rates in major cities are now no higher than what you’d find in an average large American city like Philadelphia or Milwaukee.) Cartagena has a highly developed tourist infrastructure, making it easy to reach—only a 2.5-hour flight from Miami. With gorgeous 17th century colonial architecture, beautiful beaches, an emerging foodie scene, and a throbbing bar and club nightlife, there are things to do that suit a variety of interests” – CNBC
“If there’s a country poised to be the next big ecotourism destination, it’s Colombia. With an area equal to that of Spain, France, and Portugal combined, Colombia has coastlines on the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, thick Amazon jungle, immense flat lands evoking the American planes, scorching deserts, and snow-capped mountain peaks. All that plus 45 million residents mean that Colombia is second only to Brazil in ecological and human diversity among South American countries.” - Frommers
“Once considered dangerous, Colombia, having implemented security improvements over the last half-decade, is emerging to the tourism world.” Read more
Why should you choose Mantaraya for your Travel?
Expert Advice
For the advantage of our travel agent expertise and firsthand experience in the Colombian travel market. You receive unlimited travel consultation before and during your trip.
Personalized Itinerary Planning
Create Your Own Colombian Tour. Mantaraya offers a personalized itinerary planning and reservation service, where you receive a totally customized Colombian travel itinerary that meets your specific requirements. We count with our agents travel expertise and firsthand experience in the Colombian travel market.
Mantaraya™ 24-Hour Promise
24 hour guaranteed quotation. We guarantee that we will have the best travel quotation for your Colombia tour within 24 hours of your initial contact.
Working with the best with a single point of Contact
Access to a wide variety of established professional providers that include accommodation, transportation, activity and tour guides throughout the entire Colombian territory and with a single point of contact.
Quality of our tours
All Colombia tours are provided with experienced well-established Colombian tour companies from which we have handpicked the best tours from each making sure you get the best possible Colombian experience.
Our people
We work with highly experienced professional guides trained to North American standards for eco-tourism, hiking, first aid and food handling and cooking. All of our staff is bilingual (English/Spanish) and we also work with multilingual guides fluent in: English, German, Japanese, Chinese, French and Russian among others. Our guides are highly appreciated because they are smart, fun, safe, dedicated, responsible and respectful to the environment.
Less Hassle
By using our recommendations and expertise we save you time, hassle and money, as well as providing you with advice that only a Colombian based expert travel agent can.
Customer Service
We want to provide you with an awesome Colombia vacation, one you will never forget! Our entire staff is available to answer any questions or concerns you may have, however big or small. If we can be of any assistance with travel details, accommodations, etc., please ask us at anytime. There is usually someone available to answer any questions. If you can’t get a hold of us, you can leave a message by phone or email and we will get back to you as soon as we receive your message, usually within a couple of hours. When our guests are out on a tour, our guides have full office support 24 hours 7 days a week. No worries!
We are sustainable and responsible travelers.
We’re supportive of local economies
We ensure that 100% of the money you spend on your trip remains in Colombia by benefiting the local community rather than wealthy shareholders elsewhere. In every trip we have in Colombia, we hire local guides that understand local communities and cultures and run the trip in a manner that has almost no negative impact on the people or the environment.
We support the local economy by visiting local restaurants and markets.
Respectful and observant of local customs
The vast majority of Mantaraya staff and guides are locally employed, ensuring a more authentic experience for travelers, as well as sensitivity to local customs and culture. We also involve local communities in remote areas that we travel to.
Ecologically minded
Mantaraya Travel Guidelines
- We work closely with all our partners to be aware of our Ecotourism Operator Standards
- No use of suppliers that support exploitative practices
- We don’t condone selling endangered species products or harming threatened habitats
Giving back to the communities
While much of the focus is on ensuring travelers are provided with an enriching experience, the same goes for the communities we visit and the cities we work in. Sustainability is at the core of our type of travel both near and far. Some of our community-based initiatives ‘at home’ include: Volunteers Colombia.
Volunteers Colombia
Is a non-profit, non-governmental organization that designs and implements high-impact social programs based on the work of volunteers. The mission includes the recruitment and hosting of international volunteers in community-work projects in Colombia, as well as the placement of Colombian volunteers in projects abroad.
How can you help?
Mantaraya offers a tour that gives people the opportunity to discover new means of vacation and travelling in Colombia. In this tour your trip to Colombia is combined with a visit to the WorldTeach, Volunteers Colombia program on the island of Baru where Native speaking volunteers are providing English-language instruction to students at two schools on the Island.
The costs of the tour are divided into the actual costs for the holiday (accommodation, food, transport etc.) increased by the donation that is usually 10-15% of the actual price for the trip. The donor receives a donation report as well as a receipt of the donation from the organization. This way, travelers can change their normal holiday to something really special and meaningful.
This Tour is combined with sustainable tourism, meaning tourism that complies with all aspects of responsible tourism. One main aspect is the intercultural interaction between different cultures which creates a rising awareness within the participants. With the social and ecological problems in the world they will be positive ambassadors to act accordingly in the future.