First time going to Colombia to bird! Questions about how much preplanning to do (1 Viewer)

[Nifer]

Hi there,

I'm planning to go to Colombia in mid November solo, and would like to hire guides as I go. I'm wondering if most the lodges or places that I stay at will be able to easily hook me up with a guide or if I need to plan that well in advance.

Anyone have experience with this? Basically I don't want to have my entire itinerary set in stone. I plan to be there for at least one to two months and can take my time.

Thank you!

 

[kb57]

I think if you have 1-2 months in Colombia you have a lot of flexibility in planning your itinerary and communicating with guides. I had only 9 days, and organised things pretty much last minute, but had a guide lined up for my first day in Bogota, and my third day based in Jardin, with the rest just travelling around by public transport and doing solo birding. I didn't stay anywhere where it was possible to hook up with a guide based at a lodge, so some pre-planning was necessary, but I think it's possible at some sites - just not where I went. I also tried to get a guide booked for my last half day in Bogota before my flight home, but it wasn't possible - in the end, I got around to the sites I wanted to see using taxis.

One top tip I would give is to get a Claro net SIM card at the airport (domestic arrivals area) - I didn't, and my contract SIM would only roam onto the other main network, Movistar, which has much poorer coverage in remote areas like mid-Magdalena valley. If you are organising things on the fly you'll be likely using WhatsApp a lot to communicate with guides, so this is relevant.

 

[temmie]

I'm wondering if most the lodges or places that I stay at will be able to easily hook me up with a guide or if I need to plan that well in advance.

This all depends on where you're going to.

ps: this belongs in either the information wanted, or the Colombia subforum.

 

[Montereyman]

If you make the reservations for lodging online it will be easier to make changes while in the country. The mentioned use of a phone is important as you can use whatsapp to communicate with pro guides and the people at the lodges.

Important to get vaccinations for yellow fever and other diseases mentioned at the U.S. CDC. With global warming and deforestation the mosquito populations are booming along with the diseases they spread, including dengue fever and malaria.

Important to buy and treat a sleeping mosquito net for your bed and to treat your outer clothing with permethrin and then use picaridin 20% insect repellent on your exposed skin. I even treat our hats and neck gaiters when traveling in Central and South America. Using a concentrated solution of permethrin and deluting it for a 2% solution it can be sprayed on shirts and pants and it lasts through dozens of wash cycles over a 12-month period. Good also for dealing with ticks and chigger and deer flies in other areas. Avoid products containing DEET as it melts plastics, including synthetic clothing.

 

[Nifer]

I think if you have 1-2 months in Colombia you have a lot of flexibility in planning your itinerary and communicating with guides. I had only 9 days, and organised things pretty much last minute, but had a guide lined up for my first day in Bogota, and my third day based in Jardin, with the rest just travelling around by public transport and doing solo birding. I didn't stay anywhere where it was possible to hook up with a guide based at a lodge, so some pre-planning was necessary, but I think it's possible at some sites - just not where I went. I also tried to get a guide booked for my last half day in Bogota before my flight home, but it wasn't possible - in the end, I got around to the sites I wanted to see using taxis.

One top tip I would give is to get a Claro net SIM card at the airport (domestic arrivals area) - I didn't, and my contract SIM would only roam onto the other main network, Movistar, which has much poorer coverage in remote areas like mid-Magdalena valley. If you are organising things on the fly you'll be likely using WhatsApp a lot to communicate with guides, so this is relevant.

Thank you so much! This is extremely helpful.

 

[Nifer]

This all depends on where you're going to.

ps: this belongs in either the information wanted, or the Colombia subforum.

THanks for letting me know! I wasn't sure where to post. I 'll repost in the other forums.