What to do with 7 days around Bogota? (1 Viewer)

[zacharydaiquiri]

Ok so I'm going on my first bird related trip outside NA.
I know there are more ideal cities in Colombia to fly into, but Bogota is by far the best deal.
Speaking of deals, as much as I would love to stay at the well-known birding lodges, I can't pay 200 CAD / night. My limit is like 120/night. I will likely need a guide as well, $40-70 is ok.

I'm looking into Rancho Camana (just N of Villavicencio) as it fits my budget, they offer vegan food, and I've heard good things. It seems like they have a variety of trips/tours which would be nice because I'm not a hardcore birder and would like to see the difference environments Colombia has to offer.

However, on that note, perhaps it would be more exciting to head west of Bogota towards the Andes? Then I can bird and also enjoy more natural beauty. Please share any info on affordable birding lodges west of Bogota (that are feasible for a 2-7 day trip).

Is 6 days at Rancho Camana too much?
Is there anywhere else nearby I could go to?
Should I spend a couple days in Bogota, go to Chicaque?
OR are there 1 or 2 other lodges/areas within driving distance of Bogota that I could do within 7 days?
Thanks a million.

 

[pandachris]

I'm in the middle of planning three weeks in Colombia in July/August. We have different budgets but I did find this that has me interested, especially if we end up having a couple of days in Bogotá before heading home.

Day Tours Bogota | Go Birding Colombia

If you are visiting Bogotá for a couple of days and want to discover the winged beauties around the capital, this set of spectacular birding tours is perfect for you.

www.gobirdingcolombia.com

I imagine the prices for guided tours will be outside your range but it might give you some ideas. For example Monserrate looks to be a location that is easy to DIY from the city without spending a lot of money.

 

[AveryBartels]

I would spend as little time in Bogota as possible. I think Rancho Camana is a good option for the time frame you have and with them you can visit several sites varying from llanos/gallery forest in the plains, Andean foothills and Andean middle elevations (Refugio Tororoi and Monterredondo). Ideally, you might be able to arrange for them to pick you up in Bogota and spend the morning at Sumapaz National Park before heading down to Villavicencio. The area around Villavicencio is really beautiful and I don't think you'll regret it. If you want to hit another area, you could also visit the new Harpy Eagle Reserve. Elvis Quintero who co-runs Rancho Camana is also a partner of this reserve so can give you more info and help arrange a visit which would require at least one overnight.

Birding around Bogota is a drag, you basically need a vehicle or vehicle/driver combo and getting basically anywhere "nearby" (Chingaza, Sumapaz etc.) from within the city takes 2hrs or more. And hiring a guide/driver is expensive for a lone person.

 

[kb57]

Monserrate is indeed very easy to do yourself from the city and you'll get a reasonable introduction to Andean birds at the top, including hummers like Sword-billed and Shining Sunbeam - although there's not a great deal of land you can access at the top, and walking up or down is not recommended for personal safety reasons. Botanical gardens are good too and easy to reach by taxi. I did the two sites in less than half a day, so would concur with Avery that you need to get out of the city pretty quickly!