Adventures in Luxury Travel

Mimi Lichtenstein 0:01
If you're a traveler that believes luxury and adventure are not mutually exclusive, then you're in the right place. Every week, I take you to a new destination with one of my partners, sharing the hidden gems over the top experiences and active adventures to inspire your next family vacation. I'm Mimi Lichtenstein, an experienced Travel Advisor who has also traveled with my three teenagers and my husband around the world. Let's get started. Welcome to Episode 43 of adventures and luxury travel. Before we start to reminders, if you love the content of this podcast, then you'll love what we share in our weekly newsletter, hidden gems, epic hikes and the best new restaurants every Wednesday without fail. We send out inspiring travel ideas to help you have more enriching trips, go to tube a travel.com/subscribe to sign up. And if you'd like to see the photos we talked about on the show and a full video, go to true Bay travel.com. Today, Christina and I talk about Colombia, one of my absolute favorite Latin American countries. Colombia is known for its lively culture, incredible food and coffee, nightlife, art and fashion. It also has active adventures in the mountains, the Amazon, the cities and on the water. Today on Adventures in luxury travel I have on Christina Consuegra with me, we are going to talk all about Colombia, and I am so excited to be here with you today. Thank you for coming.

Cristina 1:31
Thank you very much, Mimi, for inviting us to join you on this exciting journey.

Mimi Lichtenstein 1:37
Well, I think it's obvious obviously, you represent Columbia, you're Colombian, you went to school in Canada, so I have very, very good English. And understand a little bit of the American Canadian perspective. I love every Latin country, but in particular Colombia, where I had two trips planned right before COVID Shut down the world. And we were just talking before the show that one of them is being rescheduled for the September. So I'm beyond excited to get to Carson Hina. And today we'll talk about that and all the other amazing places that people can go. Fantastic. Okay, well, let's start with as I usually do a map to give us a little bit of an overview of the country. I have a few pictures about most of these regions, but maybe you could just touch on, you know, what are the highlights of each of these different areas of Colombia?

Cristina 2:26
Of course. Thanks Mimi. So this is a great way to start off Colombia because this is the five main regions of Colombia shows how incredibly diverse Colombia it's it's the second most biodiverse country in the world. And this is thanks to the different regions. So Caribbean coast obviously as you can see here breaks just off the coast from Panama and Caribbean coast can go anywhere from like beautiful colonial towns to tropical jungles, bass beaches, deserts, mountains with snow peaks. And then you go down to the Andes Mountains, which basically takes you all the way into a beautiful cities like many Yean which we can see here which is very cool and trendy, they're green and lush and cosmopolitan cities this went from the most dangerous city in the world to the most innovative city in the world. And obviously in these cities you could find anything from art to culture incredible guests phenomic scenes at the end of scenes in general is is very diverse. You go from cities to smaller towns, such as buddy Chad at a coffee region NBA Liga which are really exciting towns, beautiful architecture, incredible culture a you know, the second largest canyon in the world is right beside Chico morcha it right beside buddy China, which is the town here that you can see it has beautiful preserve the architecture and culture of the towns. And then you can move on more to other regions such as those channels, which are the vast plates of a it's a wetland savannas, just on the east side of Columbia. And these plains. Really excited because technically as an extension of the Amazon, a it has an incredible diversity of wildlife and birdlife. Mimi, I'm not sure do you want to scroll forward so we can

Mimi Lichtenstein 4:16
well, so once we got the overview, I mean, we're gonna deep dive into each one of these places. Okay, perfect. The biggest problem you and I have is that we could talk about this for, you know, five, six hours at least. So this is going to be like the survey of Colombia. I have six pages of notes, you know, that I want to get through, but there's no way we'll get through them all. So we'll start with the highlights and see what happens. I think what's so fun about Colombia, as you mentioned, such rich culture, great gastronomy, lots of active experiences, lots of museums, lots of fashion, it sort of checks all the boxes for people who love to have, you know, incredible experiences in another culture. And all of my clients love to be active. So I always like to throw in information on that. And this first one I just love this picture because it looks so beautiful. And you probably remember my client who was here last fall went on an excursion here tell us a little bit about this area.

Cristina 5:10
So this is a great area it's only one and a half hours traveling from it again, it's a it's a lake that was a basically it's a manmade lake because it was flooded. So you have all these like islands, really beautiful sceneries only an hour and a half a million or 20 minutes by helicopter, we really recommend it for people who want to do kayaking paddleboard jetskiing. It's great for teenagers and also for adults. So we can do a day trip or recently actually spent three nights there. It was really exciting as a few little cool boutique hotels for you know, adventurous clients and also their beautiful private villa for those who want to stay a few nights. And

Mimi Lichtenstein 5:49
I think we did that for the day. So I think that the group of of ladies who are friends flew in on a helicopter spent the day on the lake, they said it was one of the most magical days of their life like a dream come true. That's how they felt about this place. And I think they went out on a pontoon boat. And then they climbed to the top of El Penuel. How many? How many steps is that I forget.

Cristina 6:12
Oh, god, it's I think it's around 600 steps.

Mimi Lichtenstein 6:14
So add a picture of that later, because we have a picture of one of the villas that you have over here. So again, just for being active in outdoorsy, it's such a great destination, and like you said not too far from Nadine. So it's a great combination of being in an urban environment and then a little bit more out in the country. And it seems like there's a lot of opportunities to go horseback riding in Colombia. Yeah.

Cristina 6:36
Yes. So horses are a huge part of Colombia culture for many years, you know, horses were the main mode of transportation, obviously, then he rail roads, you know, vehicles, a police, etc. But, you know, it's a big part of our culture and there's amazing experiences to go horseback riding in a jungles, mountains and in the savannas

Mimi Lichtenstein 7:00
also off of off of carta haina the Rosario islands is another place where there's a lot of active things to do on the water, you want to give us a little bit of an overview of that.

Cristina 7:09
Exactly. So thank you. There's our islands are basically it's an archipelago of about 30 islands and it's only 45 minutes on a boat from Gardena. So this can be done on a day trip or this can be done on a multi day trip. So ideally, your D trip you take off in the morning, you head out and you can go snorkeling. Scuba Diabate we have some amazing scuba instructors who you know speak great English and have worked all over the world. We can also organise kayaking expeditions and at Santa paddleboard, but it's a really excited instead of quarreling islands that you know, you can go explore on the way back, you could do this on a speedboat or a bigger yacht. So we work with a full range of boats, and on the vacuum, stopping at a lovely beach club, have some fun drinks, good, you know, seafood lunch, and then you head back into the city or the EP.

Mimi Lichtenstein 8:03
Okay, well, it sounds amazing. I know, part of my trip was supposed to be going out to the Rosario islands to go to one of the beach clubs, which is super fun. And I think that again, you're right in carta haina, you have this great urban scene and then you also can get out on the water and really enjoy yourself being out in the water. So all right, as I figure out the slides, we're just gonna keep going forward. khanyile Chris Dallas, tell us about that. Well, I find the picture kind of sad. This

Cristina 8:30
is a really exciting place. So this is it's called basically the liquid rainbow or the the the, the river of five colors. Some some people say it's five some people say it's seven. But basically it's very rare plant that during the month between it's basically between mid June to end of October, these these the bloom. And when they bloom, they turn into fuchsia, yellow green, orange, so you go trekking, it's a rather remote you have to fly over to the Macarena. I'm not gonna say You know, it's not super luxurious, but we have done it both ways. So people go and stay there. And these really cute little lodges are some people we've managed to do some day trips, we fly in and out on a private charter. The great thing is that once you get there you go trekking, as you can see by the photos and just showed beautiful waterfalls, you go trekking in these, like really stunning scenery, and it's really one of a kind place and blooming season is coming up soon. So if you want to get in there before it all gets booked up, you have to start working on it right away.

Mimi Lichtenstein 9:36
Okay, well, that's good to know. And I think it's so nice when people you know, they might have that on their bucket list once they see it, but knowing that you can't actually see that year round the importance obviously in terms of planning which months you're gonna go and what you want to do while you're there. So I love having insights from people like you about the best times to go see things because it does make a big difference when you're there on the ground. Oh, Okay, I'm gonna fast forward just so we could see the Kanye chrysalis because, as you said, the colors are so gorgeous. And there it is. Yeah. So beautiful right to be out trekking and you know, end up at this waterfall with these beautiful colors.

Cristina 10:15
And do you have like literally just long stretches of river just covered in fuchsia colored plants. So it's it really is a stunning scene, and it's something you can't really find in other places in the world. So yeah, they are unique to Columbia,

Mimi Lichtenstein 10:31
put it on your list. And then as far as mountain biking, you know, that's another great thing in many different areas of Colombia you could do.

Cristina 10:40
Exactly, exactly. So I don't know if those of you who follow biking you probably have noticed that Colombians now are amongst the top a bikers winning, you know, Tour de France and a few of the other big tournaments and biking has always been a big theme at Columbia and with having so many different terrains and landscapes. You know, the Andes Mountains is such an incredible setting to do these to the sport and it's not just like intense mountain biking Yes, we can do like crazy descend down like a volcano 2000 meters descending like different ecosystems like greasiness or we can do something much more family friendly and it's more like just off road biking or altering biking it's great for you know, we adapt the trains for different ages and and intensity levels and but it's just such so beautiful, it's great place to visit, you know, little ascendas and see the landscapes of the country.

Mimi Lichtenstein 11:36
Yeah, I love being able to get out on a bike because you can cover so much ground and you can be out in these more remote off the beaten path places that give you a little bit more of an authentic experience. You know, just naturally if you meet people in their you know, the little town or village who aren't used to seeing as many tourists as the people in Cartagena for example. Exactly, exactly. And then fishing that's something my 15 year old loves to do so we're always looking to go fishing at different places a lot of the fishing in Colombia is Is it focused in one particular areas or you know this is net fishing like in a river ocean fishing tell us a little bit about that. It's funny you

Cristina 12:11
know what each region has their own style of fishing and they have you know different types of ways to do their nets for example in those dinos you have like this artisanal fishing with like small digital me, you know, type of a in hooks, then in the Caribbean coast, you have different than the Pacific Coast. This is more artisanal versions. And then you have sports fishing, Colombia's theory exciting place for fly fishing and sports fishing, especially in more remote areas, which is more in the Los Janos region where you can find very unique like the peacock sea bass and stuff like that. But think for example, if your son came to got it by hand, now, we take him out to one of the little fishing villages just outside here, go out with some of the local fishermen learn how to do it the traditional way. It's something different than what he's done before. Right? Lord Fulcher?

Mimi Lichtenstein 13:00
Well, it's interesting. I once took them to Nicaragua, and we were on the West Coast. And we went out fishing with a local one day and then the next day, my son wanted to go out again, but my daughters didn't and my husband wasn't with us. And so I said, Okay, well, you can, you can go with him. And then after I let them go, I was like, Maybe I shouldn't have done that. But he was a very nice guy. They went down, went down the beach, caught tons of things, just doing you know, casting off of the beach, and he had the most magical day just him in this local fishermen. That's amazing. That's my story. Trucking. Obviously, there's a lot of places to track lots of mountains to go through a great way to be active in the coffee region in the Sierra Nevada is like all over the place, I imagine a exactly

Cristina 13:43
exactly tons of opportunities. Again, very mild tracks, we can do 30 minute nature walks one hour to two hour mile tracks, or for those people who want to do much more intensive, you know, 456 hours uphill, you know, we always adapt to what you know guests want to do. So it's it's a great place, so many different opportunities and landscapes, ecosystems to

Mimi Lichtenstein 14:07
explore. And a little bit later, we'll talk about some of the very unique and special accommodations in Colombia that are in some of these more remote places that will give you an opportunity to do it straight from where you're staying paddleboarding river kayaking, more opportunities to get out in the water, more horseback riding, and I love this shot because it's like an aerial picture looking down on people crossing a river on horseback. So if you have a teenager or you like to ride which some of my clients do, Colombia is such a great destination. And of course the wildlife the gorgeous, beautiful colorful wildlife I imagine a lot of these colorful birds are concentrated in the Amazon region.

Cristina 14:46
Well actually because I'm yet is has the highest diversity of birds in the world. You can find over 10% of the world of the world's bird population in Colombia, and we have a very high number of Demmick species. So these are species you can only find Colombia. So Colombia is probably like heaven for Twitchers, which are the very, you know, intense birdwatchers, and even just for people who are starting off as a hobby or just have an interest in wildlife, and yes, you can have so many different types of hummingbirds to Cannes, Sierra Nevada, as you mentioned, is a particular place where you can find the Amazon is very interesting. But there's tons of other places, you know, the Andes Mountains, the jhanas region is just mind blowing to see hundreds, hundreds, literally hundreds of herons nesting in the same tree. So the entire tree is covered in white. So it's a very exciting place for recording.

Mimi Lichtenstein 15:46
And I love having shows like this, because I bet most people who have maybe thought about going to Columbia before probably have never heard of low shadows before. And now even just listening today about all of the amazing experiences you can have there gives them an idea that maybe they'll put that on their trip, or we're going to talk about actually the remote destination, you can stay in to see little critters like this tell us about this guy.

Cristina 16:10
So this is the capybara. This is actually it's technically it's the largest rodents in the world. But they look more more like a bear than a rodent. And this are very particular to these types of ecosystems, which are the wetlands, which is you know, those jhanas Srijit. So this is one of the many species of wild leadless Genesis actually probably the best place in Colombia to see wildlife and there's, you know, more and more little lodges and properties coming up specialized in these types of experiences.

Mimi Lichtenstein 16:41
Well, it's fun. I know, we have another picture with him later. And then the whale migration, what's the best time to see the whale migration on the Pacific coast,

Cristina 16:49
the will migration the best time is going to be between July and end of September. So probably like August is going to be your prime time because all the whales have already right. Basically, these are humpback whales that come in from Patagonia Service of America to the coast, the Pacific coast of Colombia, because it's much warmer waters to meet and also to give birth. So this is a very special time to see and you can see you know, so many sightings and they're so close, so gentle. It's a very special experience.

Mimi Lichtenstein 17:25
I've taken my kids were watching off of Baja, California, and the first time that you're in a little boat and you see one of these whales breaching and you know, flying through the air is very exciting for an adult indefinitely for a kid. Yes, indeed. That's so beautiful. Okay, all of those are fun experiences but for some reason I titled this session section fun experiences but this is all fun experiences. Okay. beach clubs off of carta haina it's so fun you see some photos there's a lot of dancing music happy people enjoying life. In fact some of them when you go to their website to check them out. I think it might have been blue Apple said something like we are for everybody but we're not for everybody. So essentially the welcome everybody but they know that they're not the right scene for everybody. So no. Okay, so I have a couple of photos of blue apple and then one from another one. Tell us a little bit about the scene at these beach books.

Cristina 18:23
So you're totally right each Beach Club is going to be for different types of people and what they're looking for. So for example, when you want fun dancing music for example at Blue apple you know they say like if you want peace and quiet go to the Maldives. You know this is for prom people the food is amazing. The owners is you know incredible British girl and she used to live in Monaco is EntroPay and she's brought like that whole concept of GOOD Music Good food, good Rosae good cocktails Sunday's weekends are much likelier weekdays are actually calmer. So the half both and if you want to go with a family during the weekday, it's absolutely perfect. If you're perhaps looking for more for party you want to go during the weekend, at 3pm. There's always a dance class, and it's fun. It's like literally it's a family affair. It's for all ages. So it's a really, really fun place. And it's it's also as I said family friendly, but also for people who like to work for IBC

Mimi Lichtenstein 19:23
and I love this photo for those people who are listening there is a girl holding a umbrella walking across like a slackline slash rope over the pool or almost over the pool. So she must be rather confident.

Cristina 19:35
So every few weeks they have these performances so they have like themed parties, and you know, it's been great and every party has a different theme. It's really really cool. And then he's really cool little bungalows. So it's it's the hotel as well. You know, for example, we've had a number of families staying there and they absolutely loved it. We recommend for example, for people looking for peace and quiet to go there during the week. You know during the day people Come in to the restaurant and they have fun and there's music. I wrote 5pm Everyone leaves. And there's only about 10 to 15 people left because there's only I think, eight rooms. So it's great. Yeah, there's entire property yourself. The food's amazing. They have dinners in different parts of the hotel. So it's a very lovely boutique II scene. And they really, they really love their guests.

Mimi Lichtenstein 20:24
And the food is amazing. And what a fun way to end a trip to it right, just making it a little bit more like a vacation chillin out. And here's a few photos of makhani another one that I know you love more live music, you know, chairs on the beach, again, you know, dancing, and this one had photos of kids in it. So I wanted to show that too, because like you said, you can go there it sounds like perhaps you wouldn't want to go there with your young children, but particularly midweek great place. Yeah.

Cristina 20:50
During the week, definitely during the week, definitely. makhani is actually much quieter than level. So this one, for example, is going to be much more for like, it's it's, you know, slightly more upscale in terms of the decor in terms of the style. So we know what we've tried to look at is the you know, the profile of the client, or the younger, or the older that family or the more conservative and then you always, you know, allocate or recommend a beach club, depending on their size. And we'll ask them, you know, what do you want? Yeah. And we'll accommodate accordingly.

Mimi Lichtenstein 21:24
And that's the beauty of working with people like us, we you know, you find out the differences and you're able to match it a little bit better than just picking any random Beach Club. Exactly. Okay, a few adventurous experiences. So here's a picture of I think the canyon you're alluding to earlier where you can go whitewater rafting?

Cristina 21:40
Yes, yes, indeed, this is very, this is the Chico Moccia Canyon. It's the second largest canyon in the world, actually. And it's a really exciting place you have and actually here in this canyon, you have three different rivers, you know, joining, or actually two rivers joining at another one. So it's a very, you have anything from Level Two rapids to level five rapids. Obviously, we like to say we level three rapids unless you're really going on the pro side. It's beautiful, beautiful ride,

Mimi Lichtenstein 22:10
beautiful paragliding, I happen to have done this in South America in my early 30s. I think I absolutely loved it. So for the super adventurous you can do it where you are attached to an expert, you don't have to go off by yourself. But what a beautiful way to see right the canyons or you know, near the cities. It's just a stunning perspective.

Cristina 22:30
Yeah, and this one is amazing. So this is, for example, a great example of how many units very cosmopolitan city, but within 30 minutes out in the mountains, countryside, and doing experiences like this.

Mimi Lichtenstein 22:43
Yeah, love it. And as we talked about before, the culinary scene in Colombia is very strong. And whether you're eating at a fabulous restaurant, so Lele, I know is one of your favorites. I took a cooking class from them during the beginning of the pandemic, which was awesome, their food is amazing. And I can't wait to go myself. But in addition, having an experience with a chef, where you're walking through a market like this, and then going back with them to go make yourself you know, lunch in the afternoon would be a super fun experience.

Cristina 23:14
Exactly. And these are experiences that we can do in all cities, whether it's Bogota, Marina Garber, Hannah, and you can do them even in each city, because each place has such a unique type of market unique ingredients and fruits that you can find in those markets. And Each place has its own cuisine. Totally different things in each place.

Mimi Lichtenstein 23:37
And even so, the coffee we haven't really touched on the coffee yet, but obviously Colombia is known for having very good coffee. And for people who are interested in going to one of the coffee plantations or for learning more about how they work, that is an option, as is rum tasting. So here's a photo about rum tasting. So it's rum tasting, I think this one might have been Yes, from carta haina. Is it specific to a certain region? Or is it all over the country?

Cristina 24:04
So rum is more for I mean, there's different liquors from different parts of Colombia rum is going to be more of a for the Caribbean close. There's a lot of history around rum. So when we do and actually Colombia rooms are becoming award winning rooms around the world. So what we do in this room JC is is learning, it's not just drinking, it's learning about the history, but the culture, the story of each rum, right each each. Each brand has its own unique stories and meanings. So it's very interesting and you learn how the distillation works, and how to actually identify a good rap. So forget about you know, the classic Bacardi city premium or ketose. These are very, very premium, exquisite rums,

Mimi Lichtenstein 24:49
but we can also get a good Mojito somewhere if we want.

Cristina 24:51
Oh, yes, definitely. Actually yesterday, we're testing a new mixology course. Cool bartender. So

Mimi Lichtenstein 24:59
that sounds good. Rohit, those are one of my favorite things to make that and sangria. So I'm game. So the food. These are just a few photos from a couple of the accommodations we're going to talk about in a minute. But just to show people that it's a highly elevated, you can have street food that's delicious or eaten the markets, but you can also go out and have world class meals at restaurants with famous chefs. Okay, let's touch on again, culture. All of this is sort of encompassing of culture. But street art and graffiti art is something I'm fascinated by. I love seeing it in different cities. This is an example from carta haina, where they have street art and you tell us they have great art studios, they have great fashion boutiques, I mean, carta haina is sort of a blend and a mix of all of these things.

Cristina 25:43
Exactly. Exactly. And it's it's been that we, you know, we say that after the peace process was signed, and Columbia has been going through this kind of like artistic revolution before we would always be looking outwards, you know, European fashion, you know, North American, and we're Asian food, everything was kind of like what is happening elsewhere. Now, we're all focusing about what is Colombian, so Colombian fashion, Colombian design fluid art, Colombian gastronomy. So it's a very interesting time in our history.

Mimi Lichtenstein 26:15
Yeah. And lucky for all of us, okay, so this is an example of the coffee plantation area of Colombia. And, you know, going out there to have a little bit more again, rural experience in nature is a great complement to being in Cartagena and seeing the city. And tell us a little bit about the museums in Bogota or marine you can go see Botero sculptures and other things.

Cristina 26:41
Exactly. So, there's some really cool museums, particularly Bogota, Amity in Bogota, the you know, the three main ones are the gold Museum, that's the largest world's largest a collection of gold artifacts of pre Columbian gold artifacts. It's a fascinating place to learn about these a the communities inhabited not just Colombia, but you know, the northern South America, which is really interesting, and everyone absolutely loves it, we can do just a normal visit with a really cool expert. Or we can also do after our visits where we can organize cocktails and dinners. Then, for example, there's the Butera Museum, which is actually redundant with their personal collection. And it includes his own piece of art, but also piece of art from other artists like Dali, Monet, and a number of renowned international artists and Colombian artists. So it's a very cool place. And these you know, the cost is minimal to enter to these museums. So it's very open to the public. We have a national museum, which was a combination of everything but with that, and then the the again, if you can't do Botero in Bhutan made again, the Antioquia Museum has an incredible, A, we dedicated only to what they do, and you have access to some of his most renowned pieces of art there. So if you're a big material fan, this is the place to go.

Mimi Lichtenstein 28:07
I don't know why, but I love his work I love, you know, they happen to have voluptuous, chubby type forms to them, and they just seem very fit or no Tapi. Or, you know, it just seems like it's a unique look and style to it. That's for sure. Yes. Okay, a little bit about over the top ideas. We touched on this earlier, there's a variety of options to take helicopters around Colombia. And it's really nice, because you can see so much of the typography from the air in particular, like my client did, making the trip shorter to go from metazine to guitar Bay and spending the day there and then taking a helicopter back is a great option. Do you Oh, here's an example. So this is Alpine you'll in the distance, which is the 600 steps you were telling us about. And this is down by the lake with the villa close by that you know, you could have for the day and go out on the water and then go hike up Alpine y'all.

Cristina 29:04
Exactly, exactly. And the great thing about helicopters is not just it makes the time shorter, but it's there's some very special places where you can actually get incredible views. So imagine having that view from helicopter of the lake or going inside Chickamauga Canyon, which is previous slide. So going inside the Canyon helicopter or going on top of the Sierra Nevada to those seedy ancient harasses of a the last city which is it's like the Machu Picchu of Colombia was built 600 years before Machu Picchu takes three days walking to get there, but it takes 20 minutes, no 12 minutes on helicopter to get there from one of our lodges. So it's a very cool way to really explore a country and just get the most magnificent views of these landscapes. Mm hmm.

Mimi Lichtenstein 29:51
Beautiful before we get to accommodations, actually, I'd love to talk about a little bit a few of your favorite places. So I have a list here because I know we planned many of them for my client who was there last fall, and I was comparing notes with what we had on her itinerary. And what I had is the list of your favorites. And like pretty much we got her going to almost every single one of them, you know, lunch and dinner and after hours every day, so maybe let's start in carta haina Do you have a couple of favorite rooftops or restaurants that that are your favorite?

Cristina 30:22
Yes. So some of our favorite rooftops are definitely for example Kuniko This is a phenomenal place because it's actually was ranked one of the top 100 bars in the world. And the been working with really cool ingredients at the grow themselves. Their concept is all about Colombian mixology. So it's very exciting place. And then we also have another really fun rooftop called townhouse, which is just around the corner from our office conveniently, you know, it's all good music, good cocktails, good drinks, and it's today mixology in Colombia. It's not that you know, the sugary drinks. It's you know, really cool, conceptual, they all have cheeky meanings. It's a very fun thing to do.

Mimi Lichtenstein 31:02
And Aladdin silay is in carta haina. So that is something that should definitely go on your list if you're there. And then and by the way, yeah, my client went to I think every one of them you just mentioned. And what about in managing,

Cristina 31:16
manage eat? Well, maybe is it really fun place and but you know, the the dining scene there is just out of this world, you have, you know, a clo, we had a restaurant that just opened up a hotel. And it's an incredible place, just because it's basically like, you know, traveling through the different regions of Colombia through gastronomy. Then you have Carmen Carmen on Hill and her husband Rob pivots are, you know, two renowned Colombia chefs and they have basically been exploring different regions of Colombia bringing remote ingredients, and they have multiple restaurants. We just did this like really cool Chef's Table experience with them. It's like 16 courses. It's just the most incredible flavors and stories. So the dining scene Minnijean is definitely a must for foodies.

Mimi Lichtenstein 32:02
Okay, and remind me is there's a Carmen and Carmen EXO. Is that correct?

Cristina 32:07
Yes. So there's Carmen, which is the normal restaurant and Carmen, it's always like a bit of a private section, where you have a much more intimate experience with their chef. So it's their chef cooking. And you can sit out the Chef's Table, like at the bar or your own table, if it's a bigger group, and he's basically just serving you directly telling you exactly preparing things in front of you. Like it's a very cool experience. Very unique.

Mimi Lichtenstein 32:31
Yeah. Okay. All right. Well, we'll keep going. Because otherwise we'll run out of time again, LLC. Hello, you just mentioned so if we transition to accommodations, like you said, they have a restaurant and a hotel with a beautiful rooftop pool, obviously. And it's pretty small. Do you know off the top of your head, how many rooms they have

Cristina 32:48
28 rooms, so it's very boutique, it's very their personal lives, you know, you walk in and then everyone knows your name. It's very, very nice.

Mimi Lichtenstein 32:57
Yeah. And a great place to hang out on the rooftop or for your teenagers to hang out on the rooftop when they're tired from

Cristina 33:04
and the pool is heated so you can spend you know, enjoy a really nice sunset there.

Mimi Lichtenstein 33:09
Okay, we have more pictures of nice sunsets coming up to in carta haina Casa San Augustine, I think it's because it's an Augustine a really chateau.

Cristina 33:18
It is not related to but it is virtuoso meeting Hotels of the World. You know, it's also 32 bedroom property, very intimate, very cute. All the bedrooms are totally different because it's basically three colonial mansions that were joined together to create the hotel. And you know, every time we get a chance to see somewhere we always go

Mimi Lichtenstein 33:40
Yeah, and I think that was where I was going to say if we were coming in and I think when you compare contrast it with for example, there's also a Sophie towel in carta haina but it's bigger, has a bigger pool, a bigger spa and that sort of thing. So it really depends what you're looking for.

Cristina 33:54
Exactly. For example, this will be Destin, Florida. It's also a stunning historic building used to be a convent. The gardens are so amazing. However it's placed for example where we say it's great for kids to be able to run around for people who need a gym. So you know different hotels for different types of clients and different interests.

Mimi Lichtenstein 34:14
Yeah, in different types, you know, if they're coming with their spouse or significant other versus a group of friends, okay, so here pronounces for me Casa otter and Penola Otto Pendyala.

Cristina 34:25
Yes, or is a bird actually. Okay, the birds that build the nests and head

Mimi Lichtenstein 34:31
and it's beautiful and which region is this one and

Cristina 34:34
this is the Sierra Nuala isn't that this is a sunny mountain range on the Caribbean coast. And the house is basically located at 1500 meters above sea level. And you're surrounded by Cloudforest and coffee plantations. So we have our own coffee plantation. And you have a stunning view of the ocean below. So it's a very unique ecosystem place. That's the view. Yeah, thank you. And you know, it's a great place where people want to do birdwatching, because this is you have over 20 endemic species just in this mountain range. A great place with tracking lots of waterfalls and places people want to experience the coffee culture. And people just want to go up and relax to yoga read we had Susan Sarandon there for a week just doing yoga and relaxing. You know, interviewing, want to get away and just chill out. And yeah, Blue Book.

Mimi Lichtenstein 35:24
And for those of you who are listening and not looking at this picture, it's worth checking out, you know, go on YouTube and watch this part of it to see the stunning sunset from the terrace outside, where there's a very colorful hammock to lay in. There's a little fire pit going on, and someone enjoying some probably delicious red wine. So definitely a great way to end the day when you're on vacation. And this is also another remote place. Tell us a little bit about this.

Cristina 35:51
So this is called a quarter camp. It's a lovely place it's actually on hold right now but it's reopening soon. But this is one of the stunning properties in those Janice region and it's it was opened specifically for people who are interested in wildlife and having that you know, nature experience, see animals, birdwatching, what horseback riding with general cowboy. So it's a very special fun place for people who like adventure in nature and being in much more remote places.

Mimi Lichtenstein 36:20
And so here's an example of going horseback riding and seeing the copy burrows on your trip running through the the wetlands. Exactly. I can't imagine what that would be like, that'd be fun. And it's almost like you're in Africa where they have sundowners in the afternoon next to the lake while you're watching the sunset. Exactly. Very nice music. Yeah. So tell us about are these some of the Cowboys are these just musicians that came in

Cristina 36:45
these are some of you know that everyone, you know that detonators, it's, you know, that's how they call themselves if you're from the region. And everyone to an extent identifies themselves as being to an extent a cowboy, or cowgirl. And this in particular, it's a group of music. So it's the teacher and kids, or learning music and the music here. It's called for dopo. And it's very, it's very fun. They played very particularly with a heart maracas, and a small drum. So it's very unknown and a guitar, sorry. And it's very fun. When you dance. It's lots of twirling around. So we always invite guests to take part in the dancing and they loved interacting with the musicians. It's a very unique music and very fun dancing.

Mimi Lichtenstein 37:27
Very fun, and so stunning. So this last picture of the camp. And for those of you who again, who are listening, this is really like a mobile tented camp like you would have on Safari. So it's definitely a little bit more rustic accommodations, but the luxury is in the place. And looking up at the night sky with the you know, millions, billions of stars looking down on you, which would be so peaceful. Exactly. Yeah. And Casa del presidente de tell us a little bit about the history of this house.

Cristina 37:56
So this house, it's it's right place, because it was basically the home of one of the most renowned presidents of Colombian history. But he started with a coup, he was a poet, and basically, the new owners of the house have opened it, you know, as a prescient to welcome guests, you want something much more peaceful. There's only five rooms. So it's a private bill that will take over stunning gardens. And you know, as with everything that we like to promote incredible astronomy, and, you know, full service type of private villa.

Mimi Lichtenstein 38:29
And I think the last picture is one of my favorites up the whole show. And that is the view from the terrace at Casa del presidente. They looking out over the region, which is just magnificent.

Cristina 38:40
Exactly. That is breakfast that custom presumably,

Mimi Lichtenstein 38:43
I mean, no complaints, that's for sure. Would you say so let's just sort of talk about before we go some takeaway tips best times to be in Colombia, you know, does it vary a little bit by region? What would you recommend to people who are thinking about a trip?

Cristina 38:58
Okay, so I say try to come for at least 10 dates, you know, if you can more amazing but the great thing about Colombia is that it's so diverse so try to at least jump between three to four destinations. Each one is so unique pick a city maybe it's Bogota maybe it's me. Maybe it's both but do a city live that you know cosmopolitan art gastronomic, the market, like it's so exciting, and it's so cool and trendy, some people are surprised and you're like my in laws are French and they say How cool are restaurants you know, they're much cooler than in France and like I knew all right, so it's actually a very design. Cool place. Both cities. So pick a city then go to the countryside. I love promoting the Andes Mountains, whether it's the coffee region or by each other or one of these small towns, countryside mountains, so many cool experiences, and then head out to the Caribbean coast cut the heat as a must for everyone. It's just such a You know, funds, colonial town, you can walk everywhere, so much culture, and each place has such a different culture, you really feel like you're traveling to different countries within one. So definitely gonna do a day trip. Or maybe if you have time, spend a few days at the end at one of the beach hotels has a few cool little properties opening up. Or if you have extra time, head out to the jungles of Tyrone up. So the cool thing, again, is trying to make it diverse, you know, come in and try to experience that that really the contrasts of the country, because that's what makes Colombia so exciting.

Mimi Lichtenstein 40:38
And just out of curiosity around like Christmas time, a lot of Colombians go on vacation as well, I presume. And so does that make some of these destinations in, you know, the US December holidays, when many people might be thinking of coming to Colombia? Is it also the demand is very high because of Colombians going on vacation? Yeah.

Cristina 40:59
So Colombia, you know, it's a hot spot for New Years. It's warm all year round. Weather. New Year's is great. You know, it's dry. It's beautiful. It's green. So you definitely want to pick it early.

Mimi Lichtenstein 41:12
And then so would you say what are your highest seasons from when to when,

Cristina 41:18
so highest season is going to be like ultra high is going to be 26 to the second 26 of the summer to the second of January, then you're going to have like high it's going to be maybe 15 of December 215. You know that that kind of like those of shoulders to the 15th of January. But then for example, now March is basically all booked up. And August is getting quite busy already. So

Mimi Lichtenstein 41:42
coming in September. So I think you and I were talking before we came on today, we're both you know, every day have visibility into what seems like kind of the rebound from the lack of travel over the last couple of years. January, February, this year has gotten quite crazy. And things are booking up very far in advance. So for people who are thinking about Columbia or any trip, it's definitely something to think about earlier than perhaps you thought you needed to before.

Cristina 42:10
Exactly. I mean, yes, we know we kids, we know right now we're working on a request for like February 90. So we've managed to find some availabilities. But we do recommend to book in advance to make sure we can guarantee great properties, create experiences, and overall, you know, an amazing trip.

Mimi Lichtenstein 42:28
Okay, great. Well, Christina, thank you so much. This has been a delight for me. I love your country. I love your culture. And I cannot wait to be there in September. I'm eating it so Lele. I'm going to you know, the beach clubs. I'm gonna go on the water. I hope I get to go to WhatsApp Bay. So I'm excited for all of it. And I hope that some people who are listening today, who maybe even never thought of going to Colombia can see what a rich and diverse country it is. And it's an amazing destination for couples, friends, families. Anybody really,

Cristina 43:00
indeed. Thank you, me me so much for sharing the Columbia love with the rest of the world as we

Mimi Lichtenstein 43:05
flourish. You and I will be in touch. Thank you so much for joining me. Thank you.

Cristina 43:09
Thanks to everyone.

Mimi Lichtenstein 43:11
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