CLIENTS' TRAVELOGUE - COLOMBIA IN TIMES OF CORONA

Happy and content customers in Colombia – not only concerning the trip itself, but also the nationwide compliance with the infection control measures!
In the following we would like to share with you a travelogue by customers, whom we have recently organized a round trip through Colombia for, and who talk in detail about their travel experiences in times of Corona.

FIT Round Trip
February/March 2021
Stops: Bogotá, Llanos, Coffee Zone, Medellin, Santa Marta, Cartagena & San Andres

“We would like to share with you what traveling in Colombia in times of Corona can be like. The entry regulations of the country were that we are only allowed to enter with a negative PCR test, which must not be older than 72 hours.  Therefore, we had to get tested in Germany before departure. In addition, Colombia also requires the registration of the Check-Mig before departure. In only a few minutes we were able to fill out all the information about us & the trip, as well as our state of health. We then had to show the confirmation to the airline when boarding. During the flight we had to wear a medical mask. However, we were allowed to take this off when eating and drinking.

Once we arrived in Bogota, we had to disinfect our hands after leaving the plane. Before the immigration control, we were asked for our negative PCR test result which was checked against our travel documents. Afterwards we were picked up by our private driver and brought to the hotel. There, disinfectant was again on hand at the entrance. Throughout Colombia, people are asked to wear masks, and it is mandatory in restaurants, hotels and retail stores. We were able to experience the countrywide hygiene standards at all destinations. Uniform hygiene measures were implemented in all our hotels and at the airports. In addition to disinfectants, sinks for washing your hands were available in some cases, and your body temperature was measured. Before entering the airports, the travel documents were always checked and the temperature was measured.

Throughout the trip, we actually experienced hardly any restrictions. Restaurants were open for the most part, even without prior reservations. Our local guides always made sure that we regularly disinfected our hands. In addition, we always wore the mask. In the cabs there was usually a transparent partition to the driver.

Our trip was planned out in detail beforehand, so eerything went really smooth. However, if you didn't pre-book or have a private driver, traveling by yourself throughout the country also seemed to be manageable as usual. There are public buses that you can book tickets for. The frequency of domestic flights is reduced, but flights do take place. Some travelers we met were getting around in a rental car. There were basically few tourists on the road, but we saw that more as an advantage. The otherwise very crowded sights were thus empty. There were mainly locals on the road.

Our highlight was the trekking to Ciudad Perdida. Instead of the usually over 100 people per camp, we were only about 15 travelers per camp due to the situation. There were only three groups of 3-5 people per group who were at the sites at the same time. Therefore, we were able to keep our distance at all times. Because everyone had to present a negative test before the trekking, we could also move very freely among each other and exchange information. We only had to wear masks when we came into contact with the natives. Otherwise we could voluntarily leave the mask off. All camps were also equipped with disinfectants. Another advantage was that we were also with only 15 people in the Lost City and thus could enjoy the view.

During the period of our trip, Colombia was considered a high risk area. Despite the low 7-day incidence, this meant that travelers returning to Germany had to present a negative test result before departing Colombia and then go into domestic quarantine. A quarantine reduction was possible after 5 days.

All around it was a great trip and we always felt well protected due to the high hygiene standards.”