Uncharted Colombia | The Way We Travel

Travel Style

Low profile, low impact, local, authentic. We believe this is the best way to travel and the best way to give our guests an exceptional experience. The places that we go to are special and we want to preserve their nature and local culture as best we can. Bringing a busload of thirty people, with sixty feet stomping on small trails during the day and thirty mouths chatting and deafening the local village at night is definitely NOT how we roll. We leave no trace on the places that we visit; it's the places that leave a trace on us.

We travel in very small groups – most often 3 including the trip leader. Our maximum for group tours is 7, and we often do one-on-one trips with solo travelers. Occasionally, upon request, we take private groups of 10 to 15 to places where that number of people won't disrupt the natural order of things.

We travel incognito. You’ll never see us riding a vehicle with an Uncharted Colombia logo or wearing Uncharted Colombia t-shirts during a trip. Our guides have tons of knowledge to share but they will tell you everything in a natural and conversational way, not like a speaker in front of an audience. We try to blend in everywhere we go and make an effort not to look like tourists. Of course, some places that we go to get so few visitors that it's impossible not to attract attention, but we are friends with the locals and are treated as guests.

We use whatever local transport is available. This means using public transport when convenient and riding interesting vehicles such as chivas and dugout canoes. Some places we go to have no public transport so we charter small private vehicles. We never use tour buses.

We stay in rustic, in-nature accommodations as much as possible. We go out of our way to find pristine places, so we want to stay in inns and lodges that respect their surroundings. We value atmosphere over amenities and think showering with cold water is a small price to pay for a spectacular view. On our fanciest trips, we sleep in a tent, a farmer's house, or a hammock under the stars.

Whenever possible and if our guests are so inclined, we join the locals in their day-to-day activities. This means trying our hand at making arepas or helping churn milk for butter. We like giving people a feel for the local life and our participation is always appreciated.

We strive to give our guests authentic, non-touristy adventures. If you've never vacationed this way before, give it a try. You'll probably never want to travel any other way again.

Physical Challenge

Physical exertion is an integral part of every Uncharted adventure. Getting to the most spectacular spots almost always requires some work, and we also believe that the best way to commune with earth and water is to mix some of your sweat with it. That said, our trips are designed to be taken by everyone with an adventurous spirit, and you don't need to be especially athletic or fit to be able to enjoy them. Even our most physically demanding adventures can be accomplished by any non-handicapped individual who is in reasonably good health. Attitude is definitely more important than physical fitness on all of our adventures.

Each trip description has a Physical Challenge meter that indicates its level of difficulty, as well as the one of the following descriptors:

Low: Hikes will last for no more than two (2) hours on any given day. Terrain will be mostly flat or rolling with very short steep areas. Special activities (described in the next section) will take no more than two (2) hours. There will be days of leisurely sightseeing with very minimal physical activity. If you can walk around the mall all day carrying shopping bags, then you can do this trip.

Moderate: Hikes and special activities will last from two (2) to four (4) hours per day, and all days will involve some amount of physical exertion. You will need to carry a small daypack with water, snacks, rain jacket, and swimsuit. Terrain will be rolling and may have several steep inclines. If you engage in a sport or vigorous activity for at least two (2) hours every week, then you can do this trip.

High: Hikes and special activities will take at least three (3) hours per day for consecutive days. You may be required to carry an overnight backpack on at least one of the hikes (estimated pack weight around 20 pounds). Most of the trails will be winding up and down mountains. If you can run 5 kilometers in under 40 minutes, then you can do this trip.

Intense: You will be carrying your accommodations on your back (estimated pack weight around 35 pounds) while trekking all day over mountainous terrain. Intense adventures are mountain climbing trips, and there are usually no special activities other than rewarding your exhausted body at the end of the day with tons of food and some well deserved drinks. If you are accustomed to backpacking trips, then you should have no problem. We do recommend that you go on a regular exercise program a month before your trip.

Accommodations

We strive to give you an authentic, non-touristy experience and thus try our best to avoid highly developed areas. Hotels, therefore, are not on our regular menu. We spend most of our nights at small inns and quaint cottages for rent. At times, we also stay in the homes of villagers, in tents, and under the stars in hammocks. Accommodations are detailed in the trip itineraries, and every adventure description has an icon that tells you at a glance what to expect.

Comfort: As cushy as it gets on an Uncharted adventure. You will sleep at an inn or cottage. Your room will have its own bathroom. If you are doing a private tour you will have your own room and if you are on a group tour you will have the option of getting your own room at additional cost.

Standard: You will stay at an inn, homestay or hostel with common bathrooms.

Roughing It: You will sleep in a tent or hammock under the stars. Bathrooms will probably not be available. Yes, this is as awesome as it gets!

Activities

Uncharted adventures focus on the appreciation of places rather than on doing thrill activities. The purpose of all our special activities is to let you experience our destinations to the fullest; the pounding of your heart is only a bonus. Our activities, therefore, are integral to our adventures and the cost of doing them is already included in the total trip price.

Here is a legend of the things we do:

: 4x4 off-roading
: mountain biking
: camping
: caving / spelunking
: hiking / trekking
: kayaking / rafting
: rock climbing
: scuba diving
: snorkeling

Linking Up Adventures

Each of our trips takes 1 to 7 days, with the majority taking 4 to 6 days. We realize that you may have other travel plans within the region, and these short, area-specific adventures are easy to fit into your larger itinerary. However, should you wish to experience more of Colombia the Uncharted way, each of our adventures is easily combined with the others. You can link up two, three or even four Uncharted adventures for an awesome Colombian vacation.