Central Colombian Riding Adventure - Info | Colombia

The Central Colombian Trail Ride - Colombia

The ultimate trail ride for riders looking for a truly Latin American equestrian experience.

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Overview

Day by day

Practical information

Practical information:

Good to know before you go

Riding level

Suitable for intermediate to experienced riders. You should be confident on a horse at all paces. The pace is varied to include walk, trot and canter.

Group Size

Minimum 6 riders

Maximum 16 to 18 riders

Weight:

Riders weight limit: 120 Kg

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Horses: Colombian criollo/cruzado (on day 4 you will have the chance to ride a pure bred passo fino criollo horse).
The riding: Trailride, 6 days on horseback, riding from one place to the other, average of 6 hours per day in the saddle.
Saddles: comfortable Colombian trail saddles
Guides: professional and multilingual guides – Paul, Simon or Chalas. (see who is who).
Comfort: clean and comfortable ranch & hotel rooms.(single participants of the same sex share rooms).
International Passport: Required for most foreigners (still 6 months valid)
Visa: most European and Latin American citizens do not need a visa to travel to Colombia. Contact the Colombian Embassy in your country for more info.
Vaccinations: not required in the área where we ride (for other regions consult your physician).
Age: minimum age is 12 years, only allowed if accompanied by an adult.

Are you alone?

Do not worry, you can individually register/book and join in a group with other riders. Most participants are people who register individually and may just like you, not know the other riders in your group. Since everyone has the same points of interest (horseback riding, nature, travel, culture) there is always a good atmosphere and understanding among the participants. Participants come from all corners of the world, so you can be part of a group with riders from the United Kingdom, Belgium, Spain, France, Sweden, Canada, USA, Australia, Mexico and many others countries. Your friends are suddenly so much more international! A standard group consists of 6 to 16 riders. In general there are as many female as male participants.

Night before & Local Transfer
It is recommended to arrive in Bogota one night before the official start of the trail ride program. That way nobody has to wait long hours at the airport waiting for other guests to arrive. So we suggest you to stay one night in a hotel in Bogota (that we can book for you) and we meet all together the next day at breakfast in the hotel at 09:00. After breakfast we start the official program of the trail ride and go all together to the first Hacienda with our private bus. A double room is about € 75/room including breakfast. The hotel**** we will book for you is located in the Zona T,in the north of Bogota. A very nice and safe neighborhood with many restaurants, bars and shops.

Weather in Colombia and during the Trailride :

Colombia is a tropical country. Hot and humid all year long at the cost (Carribean and Pacific) and in all low lands. Though a big part of Colombia is moutainous territory with altitudes between 1000m and 5000m. During our trail ride, we will be riding in the Cordillera Oriental in the departments of Cundinamarca and Santander on an altitude between 1500m and 2500m where the temperature is about 23C during the day and about 14C at night all year long. The last 2 days of our trail ride we ride to e lower region in Santander where temperature goes up to about 28C during the day and about 20C at night.

Luggage:

The maximum allowable weight of your luggage depends from airline to airline. Check with the airline or travel agent how many kilograms and pieces of luggage you can take. Your personal luggage is transported during the trek to the various stopovers.

Health:

The highlands and Coffee Triangle in Colombia is a safe region in terms of health. You can easily eat and drink anything without being stomach bothered. Eating raw vegetables, salads and ice creams is no problem.
There are no vaccinations required and there is no malaria in this part of Colombia. In case of illness or an accident, there are good hospitals and doctors nearby.

Language:

No worries, local trip leader Paul is fluent in 6 languages and will help and translate with pleasure where needed.
Trips are always fun as we all speak the same equestrian language.

Safety:

Colombia has not always the best reputation for safety and crime. Tens of thousands of . European and North American citizens safely visit Colombia each year for tourism, business, university studies, and volunteer work. Security in Colombia has improved 200% . For the last 5 years Colombia is considered a safe country to travel to. The only risk now a days in Colombia, is that you will want to stay!
Our ride passes through the department Quindio where there is no need to worry at all!

travel gear...

Valid international passport
Travel Insurance
Pocket money (you can change EUR/£/USD in the airport)
A warm sweater and a jacket
4 or 5 T-shirts and minimum 1 a shirt with long sleeves
Jodhpurs or jeans to ride with
Riding shoes or boots / riding shoes with mini-chaps or long chaps
A second pair of shoes for the evening
Swimsuit Comfortable clothing + a Hat (a nice Colombian hat can be bought on location)
One towel
Toiletries
Sun Cream
Water canteen
Camera…

* we have raincoats and saddle bags available for you
* It is recommended to put your luggage in travel bag instead of a hard suitcase. 10 bags are easier to get in the backup vehicle than 10 suitcases. (thanks!)

TRAVEL insurance MANDATORY:

We request you take a travel Insurance. Ask your local insurance company or travel agent about it. You will not be allowed to participate at the “Entre Orejas” riding holiday program without having a Personal Travel & Medical Insurance. Your insurance details will be requested on arrival.

Trip Cancellation Insurance MANDATORY:
In order to protect yourself against unforeseen circumstances interfering with your “Entre Orejas” vacation, we demand that you purchase trip cancellation insurance. You can use any travel insurance company you are comfortable with.

Release Agreement:
The “Entre Orejas” guests are required to sign a release agreement at the time of check-in. This is mandatory and guests cannot participate in the tour without signing the release agreement (all moneys paid are non-refundable). Please feel free to read the release agreement prior to your arrival: please download the form here. Parents or legal guardians of minor children are required to sign the release agreement on their children’s behalf. Please direct all questions to the office.

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Currency:

The Colombian currency is the Colombian Peso or COP > $.
1 EURO = approx : 3.400 COP (August 2016)
1 USD = approx : 3.100 COP (August.2016)
Cash dispensers can be found in all towns and cities.
In the cities you can pay with credit cards. (Visa, Mastercard, Maestro, American Express, ...)

The Electricity and plugs: http://www.power-plugs-sockets.com/colombia/
Mobile phone: In towns and villages there is mobile phone coverage everywhere. During the riding trip full time coverage is not guaranteed.

Internet: In towns and villages there is everywhere Internet access. During the ridingtrip there is almost no internet access.
Time: http://www.worldtimeserver.com/
Rules: We are not so much into rules, but we reserve the right to refuse service to any individual who jeopardizes the health, safety and welfare of any of our guests, staff, family & community members, animals & livestock, or who refuses to follow the rules we have established for your safety and welfare during your visit with us.
General info about Colombia: