Cartagena -The Afro-Colombia Experience

Cartagena, Cartagena Province, Bolivar, Colombia

GB
Green Book Travel, LLC.
  • Email address verified
16 reviews
May 6 - 12, 2023
Group size: 5 - 15
Cartagena -The Afro-Colombia Experience
Cartagena, Cartagena Province, Bolivar, Colombia

Green Book Travel, LLC.
  • Email address verified
16 reviews

May 6 - 12, 2023
Group size: 5 - 15

About this trip

The Afro- Colombia  Experience presents you with an opportunity to explore Cartagena Colombia-Caribbean pearl, a colonial gem and UNESCO world heritage site. On this 7day/6 night trip, we will immerse ourselves in a customized curated itinerary that combines Afro Colombia cultural exploration and fun.


We look forward to hosting your journey!

Activities & Included Tours

- Welcome Event

- Afro Colombia cultural exploration 

- City Highlights Tour 

- UNESCO World heritage site Palenque 

- Mud Volcano experience 

- Blanco Beach 

- Visit a Local village 

- Community Service Project

- Farewell Event 

- As well as a few surprises!


Trip details

Merging cultural experiences with important histories and stunning landscapes. Our journey through Colombia introduces you to a part of Africa that's seldom explored. Afro Colombia experience.


Trip Type: Cultural 

Take part in colorful festivals and lively traditions, explore bustling markets, and sample the local cuisine. Our culture trips include destination highlights, local experiences, featuring exploration designed around cultural immersion & ancestry, access, and I-can’t-believe-we-did-that moments -all at a great price.


Trip Size: Small Group
This is a small group experience; Max 20, Avg 10. This means you'll be traveling with people from all over the world- laughter and friendships always guaranteed.


Physical Rating:  Light Moderate
There will be some Light walking and hiking suitable for most fitness levels. Nothing too challenging. Daily activities may include walking tours, visits to sites.

We will be commuting via van, boats, 4x4 and walking.
 

Age requirement: 18+
All travelers under age 18 must be accompanied by an adult and approved by our team prior to booking.


Traveler Type: Good attitude 

Due to the regions the visit, travel can be unpredictable. Road can be bumpy, technology can be intermittent  or  the itinerary may call for a change of plan. We are exploring area where tourism isn't large and our Western standards aren't in place. Please pack patience, understanding and willingness to learn from it's people first hand.


By booking with Green Book Travel, you agree to our Travel Agreement.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about our trip offerings, please feel free to reach out to us.

Phone:  800 966-2021

Email: Info@greenbooktravel.com

What’s included

  • VIRTUAL CONCIERGE
    We provide extensive services throughout the trip planning process which includes: a pre-trip call, email, visa, travel insurance & immunization support. Digital trip guide
  • ACCOMMODATIONS
    Double occupancy accommodations are standard, Single Supplement Available. Hotel accommodation provided at 4-Star/standard properties
  • AIRPORT TRANSFERS
    Our package includes round trip airport transfer service.
  • TRANSPORTATION
    Private Transportation, bus, boats & walking
  • GUIDED TOURS
    All entrance and excursion fees are included in the total trip price for itinerary listed activities.
  • MEALS
    Daily breakfast is provided, Bottled Water during all tours. Welcome and Farewell Event Meals are included.

What’s not included

  • AIRFARE
    Airport (IATA: CTG) is the international airport in Colombia that you should arrive and depart from
  • PASSPORT
    Requirements: PASSPORT VALIDITY: 6 months BLANK PASSPORT PAGES: One page for stamp
  • VISA
    Colombia does not require a visa for U.S. citizens. Visit our VisaHQ site for the most current requirements and your visa processing. www.greenbooktravel.visahq.net
  • IMMUNIZATIONS/MEDICATION
    Yellow fever vaccination is required. Check www.CDC.gov for detailed recommendations and requirements
  • TRAVEL INSURANCE
    Travel Insurance is Required. We are licensed providers. The policy minimums will be included in your Client registration package. Policies can be purchased at http://bit.ly/Greenbooktravel
  • EXTENDED EXCURSIONS
    Are you looking to arrive early or stay later? Pre and Post Trip extensions are available. Please inquire via email info@greenbooktravel.com
  • SOFT & ALCOHOLIC DRINKS
  • YOUR LEISURE ACTIVITIES
  • GRATUITY FOR SERVICES

Available Packages

DOUBLE OCCUPANCY

Double occupancy accommodations suitable for Solo Travelers or Travel Companions. This booking is for 1 room with 2 beds or a Couple with 1 bed. Each occupant must book separately. 


No roommate, no problem. We can pair you or you have the option to designate your own roommate during the booking process. Please note, same sex pairing unless specified.


Your trip balance is paid over Installments. Payments are due on the 1 of each month and must be finalized by February 15th. A Late fee of 25.00 is assessed for payments received after the due date. There is no penalty to pay the balance in full prior to installment period end. 

$2,000
Deposit:$99
SINGLE OCCUPANCY

Single occupancy accommodations are suitable for a Solo Traveler or traveler seeking private lodging arrangements. This booking is for 1 room with 1 bed for 1 person.


Your trip balance is paid over Installments. Payments are due on the 15th of each month and must be finalized by April 15th. A Late fee of 25.00 is assessed for payments received after the due date. There is no penalty to pay the balance in full prior to installment period end.

$2,800
Deposit:$99


Itinerary

DAY 1
Bienvenidos a Cartagena

Welcome to Cartagena! 


Relax, unwind and take a take a breather. We are kicking off our stay with a welcome meet and greet. Upon your arrival at the Rafael Nunez Airport of Cartagena, there will be a driver awaiting you to bring you to your accommodations in the heart of the city. Cartagena de Indias is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful cities in America. It’s historic center, walled by the fortifications built in the colonial era, conserves its original architecture and is full of colors that reflect Caribbean life and joy. Meet new friends and say hello to familiar faces. 


When the sun goes down, Cartagena comes alive! 


Welcome to Colombia!



Your Organizer


GB
Green Book Travel, LLC.
16 reviews
We are a Forbes ranked full service travel company that specializes in hosting culturally immersive trips with an emphasis on the African Diaspora, while serving as online open source marketplace for travelers to connect with global black businesses. Our cultural curated trips provide you enriching and authentic experiences. Green Book Travel delivers innovative Ancestry & Heritage tours that explores the significance and diverse heritage contributing to Black culture & ancestral traditions. Join us retrace ancestral footprints.

Reviews

This trip went a bit differently than expected. When I arrived, I discovered that the second bed in our "double room" was a mattress on a box spring on the floor. After looking at the hotel's website, I saw that the hotel did not offer rooms with two beds (which is what I booked). So, this was a makeshift arrangement. We were told that the bus would make several trips to & from the Afrofuture concert to pick up & drop off. The bus was nowhere to be found when we wanted to leave so we had to take Uber/Bolt to get back to the hotel. An apology was given the next day and refunds for our Uber/Bolt were promised but I have yet to receive it. The communication from the trip organizer was not good. Each day's itinerary was usually posted the night before. This meant we sometimes went to sleep not knowing the plans for the next day until we woke up in the middle of the night or the next morning. This caused delays in leaving out for the activities. We had a polo picnic event scheduled which we were told was cancelled late the night before. Trip group members inquired about a refund for this event & began posting things we might do in its place (in the group WhatsApp). The ability to comment was then restricted to Admin only. We were scheduled to have a New Year’s Eve celebration dinner. It was switched to a lunch at the beach and the staff at the chosen restaurant was overwhelmed by our group. I received my lunch hours later because it was somehow overlooked and didn't get a chance to eat it until after we returned to the hotel. The activities that we did get to experience were great. What was not so great was that not much time was set aside to eat on the days we did activities. I found myself scrambling to eat between events or having to wait until we finished the activities & were taken somewhere. There were also several instances where we were quoted a price for things by the trip organizer but when we went directly to the source to pay, the price was much less than what the organizer originally quoted. I would definitely go back to Ghana as the country is amazing, and I met many great people. I would not however do another trip with Green Book Travel.
By Cina L for GHANA: AFROCHELLA is AFROFUTURE & NYE 2024 in the MOTHERLAND! on Jan 24, 2024
Dear Cina, Thank you for taking the time to provide detailed feedback about your recent trip with Green Book Travel. We genuinely appreciate your insights, and we want to address each of your concerns to ensure a thorough understanding. Firstly, we sincerely apologize for the unexpected room situation at the hotel. Our team doesn't determine room configurations, and we rely on the information provided by the properties and what we observe during our site visit. While you didn't bring up this concern on-site, and Western standards aren't applicable in Ghana, we will follow up with the hotel to address this and prevent similar occurrences in the future. We regret the problem with our driver regarding transportation at Afrofuture. We announced the reimbursement process for Uber/Bolt fees on multiple occasions and sent reminders on WhatsApp after trip completion to provide your remittance details for CashApp or Zelle. We have not received that information from you. To expedite your refund, kindly email us the necessary details. Communication is paramount, and we are actively working to enhance the clarity of our itinerary postings. The trip itinerary was listed online in your trip booking platform, and a digital copy was provided in the WhatsApp group. At trip commencement, we copied the activities from the itinerary daily and supplemented it with departure times as a reminder. We also announced it verbally on the bus upon tour returns. We understand that last-minute changes or deviating from the routine can be challenging. The hospital donations required flexibility, and we regret any inconvenience this may have caused. As explained during the pre-trip call and on-site, the scheduling depended on the hospital unit's needs as it's a maternity unit. Our donations were to a hospital unit in an underrepresented and underserved community. The maternity ward schedule is based on the needs of the unit and the medical director of that day. Our impact on New Year's Day was felt as the donations reached the hands of people who needed them the most. We appreciate your understanding of this unique situation. In reference to the Polo Picnic, we understand your disappointment. We were excited to add this to your trip offering. Originally, upon booking your trip, this was a free day. We added this to your itinerary at no cost when it was approved at the end of October as a bonus to your Ghana experience. Unfortunately, for reasons beyond our control, the event was canceled the night before, as we stated in the announcement. WhatsApp is our official communication platform. We had to restrict messaging temporarily to disseminate important information, allowing the announcement to be seen by all attendees. This was also for the company to communicate alternative tour options and recommendations as your trip host. All travelers had access to our staff directly on-site or by direct message. We did open the group back up during the rest of the trip. We fully understand the disappointment the cancellation brought, as this was a day that collectively we were really excited about. We hope the tours we added to the itinerary the day of to Jamestown, Accra Mall, Art Center, and the other addition to Assin Manso were pleasurable. For the New Year festivities, we switched to a beach brunch and provided you with a nightlife experience to give you the best of both worlds. Unfortunately, while the restaurant was indeed prepared, we were met with service delays and mix-ups which put a cloud on the experience. We stress that you have to pack your patience as Ghana gets a surge in tourists during December. Your patience during such instances is invaluable. We're exploring ways to improve. Our daily itinerary is jam-packed to give you an opportunity to cover a lot of things in the country. On most days, we set start times past breakfast and encouraged you to bring snacks since fast food/service is not readily available. We will consider breaking up the scheduled tours to accommodate your feedback. Regarding pricing discrepancies, the only instance that we provided an add-on and requested payment during the trip commencement was for Afrofuture VIP upgrade, as your trip included everything except VIP upgrades. Afrofuture's pricing structure differs for locals and diasporians, ensuring equitable access due to the wage gap of the locals. While in Ghana, if you access the site, you will show the local rate based on your IP address. Also note, prices that people charge under the table are not a reflection of what we are quoted from company representatives, as we do business on a corporate level. Green Book Travel maintains transparency and fair practices. We do not change prices or gouge. Even in the height of inflation, we have kept our trip pricing below standard. We don't engage in cost-prohibitive antics that restrict people from attending our trips - let alone events. It's against our ethos. As you traverse the rich tapestry of Ghana during the most festive time of the year, it's crucial to embrace a spirit of flexibility to avoid disappointment, as unique challenges may present. We rated this trip in the booking link for a flexible traveler type, due to the regions that we visit, combined with the festive time of the year; travel can be unpredictable. Roads can be bumpy, technology can be intermittent, or the itinerary may call for a change of plan. We are exploring areas where tourism isn't large, and our Western standards aren't the standard. We ask to please pack patience, understanding, and a willingness to learn from its people firsthand and adjust. If you have a good attitude, your trip will be amazing! It's wonderful to hear that you enjoyed the activities we provided and the beauty of Ghana. We appreciate your feedback, which helps us identify areas for improvement. We're exploring how to improve the clarity of our itinerary postings, communication, managing expectations, and expounding on our pre-trip cultural expectation education during our pre-trip calls. Again, please don't forget to email us for your reimbursement. If you have any further concerns or if there's anything specific you'd like us to address, please don't hesitate to reach out. We are committed to learning from your experience and making necessary improvements. We're glad that your positive impressions of Ghana inspire your return.
By Green Book Travel, LLC. on Jan 27, 2024
GB
BW
We had a fantastic time. Queen Kennedy is well respected throughout Ghana and she provided an total cultural , spiritual and historical experience to last a lifetime. And for that, I'm an eternally grateful.
By Byron W for GHANA: Sankofa Experience on Jan 20, 2024
Let me start by saying we felt the trip overall was Epic! We were so happy we made it to Ghana and that we had the experience with each other & most of the people in the group. We gonna make the best of the situation! We know nothing is perfect & issues will arise. Still, we don’t regret this trip or the experience in the least. Here are some of our issues with the trip. Our main thing is communication needs to be better. they need to overcommunicate and repeat A LOT, especially for the slow ones ( 1st times to Africa or international travel). People probably were so focused on the visa, vax, and insurance req's they probably didn't pay attention to the other things mentioned. 1. they need to over-communicate and set expectations for the type of trip this is. they should explain the amount of independence you may need to have. it might be good to state it's not 100% a fully guided tour. and it's NOT luxury. Advertising that Ghana's party Nightlife will be part of the experience. Indicate this is a trip for 21 & older not families & young children. 2. There were too many last-minute updates for things they could control. ie the donation situation, seamstress arrival, etc. We were told the seamstress was arriving last minute ( we had just returned from an excursion & were trying to get ready for the evening party. The donation time was announced late at night when most people were sleeping and missed the donation drop-off time. Some people also wanted to attend the donation event as well) 3. Do not provide the next day's agenda in the middle of the night when ppl are sleeping and can't read it, or 1 hour before the departure. ( provide the next day's agenda before we depart the bus so everyone hears it early & today.... not in delayed text or word of mouth from other guests) * Provide the next agenda and times while we are all together ( on the bus or event) before we depart and go our separate ways for the evening Update the add-on amenities better Ordering a video and photographer doesn't mean a personal one. Explain the photographer will capture group activities on top of those who paid for the service will get additional personalized video & photo shoots. The photographer should be made aware in advance of those who paid extra and provide that personal photo experience at each excursion to them The social fabric add-on was also not well explained. The $50 only covers a class in fabric. Not purchasing the fabric or paying the seamstress. I felt that the educational fabric portion wasn't beneficial and not worth $50. Honestly, Kennedy should provide that session for free to better educate those who plan to by fabric and get an outfit made. We purchased fabric on our 1st full day, yet we didn't meet our seamstress and took measurements until 3-4 days later. Then we left for Cape Coast. Upon our return from a sweaty excursion, the seamstress was back for a fitting. We had to rush, clean up, and try on. I know the seamstress travels far. However, the customer needs more time for sizing and adjusting. We should at least have our 1st fitting before we leave for Cape Coast. Maybe Kennedy needs to work we a seamstress that's closer?? Also regarding VIP at Afro Future.... We were under the impression that liquor was included. 1 of the ladies said you should before offering VIP anything to the group to do their research. Post the actual web page link on the WhatsApp Chat so everyone knows what they are purchasing. After attending the event & looking at the AfroFuture Official page under their event page to buy the actual tickets it does not mention anything about unlimited alcohol for VIP entrance. So not sure where free drinks came from. I went into the IG page too and none of the posts I looked at said the VIP entrance included the alcohol. All you needed to do was to go to the official page of the event and post the link or screenshot of the two ticket choices. With each misstep or miscommunication, you lost the trust of the people in the group. Regarding the polo picnic... the communication about it was poorly executed. There is no way an event of that caliber (venue, horses, jockeys, vendors, fashion show models, etc) could be surprisingly postponed or canceled the day before or the day of. Kennedy communicated the cancellation to our group too close to Go Time. That wasn’t a good look at all. While we were happy for the day of rest & enjoyed a turn up at the pool for Carmen's b'day we all had special outs just for the polo picnic and were very disappointed. I understand why people were upset and asking if they were getting a refund. People were under the impression that the cost to attend was in their $3000 price tag. Kennedy needs to communicate that better upfront. After 2 days of late-night partying at Afro future... u should provide a guess with an off day. A day of leisure. Especially with new Year eve around the corner. Down time between ( even half day) would be good. We aren't 20-something. Now while we enjoyed the party at the polo club Several guests did not like the loud music and party atmosphere ( this goes back to having an older mature group). Now me and crew had a ball. Not sure how to better communicate to the masses that this is a turn-up party. I understand the prompter and party vibe in Ghana is different. Some. of the older. women thought the music was too loud they didn't have a seat...etc The fact that it was on the beach..etc I don't know how this party could be explained. However, it goes back to setting a party expectation up front. I don't believe everyone likes to party on the same level. We suggest Kennedy needs an assistant... badly. not just a linguist. Her connections were all pretty good - Miss Edna was a great resource, the money men coming to us, the seamstress, etc. but Kennedy seems like she can get overwhelmed and understandably so. it is a lot for her to manage on her own. for example, someone who is solely tasked with communicating with the group. Someone that goes in advance and purchases bulk tkts or arranges seats at the beach restaurant. So when the group arrives it's all set up and we just walk in or sit down. It felt like these things were being done on the fly or when we arrived. * Size of the tour - I know in 2022 it was a smaller group of 10. However, the group tripled in size and I felt Kennedy was equipped to manage that large group. Maybe the green book should set a limit on the size to 10 or less .. So it remains manageable. Ok at the welcome dinner when we all 1st came together. An icebreaker game to allow everyone to introduce themselves. Tell Where they are from would have been nice. Most of us stayed in our clicks and accidentally started learning about each other. I felt we were always running late. This group was large and some women took a while to shower and get ready. We needed better and stricter time management. A little tough love, leave some one once they will learn he hard way.
By Lauren F for GHANA UNLEASHED: AFROCHELLA & NYE 2024 in the MOTHERLAND on Jan 20, 2024
Thank you Lauren for sharing your thoughts on your recent trip with Green Book Travel. We're thrilled to hear that you found the overall experience to be epic and that you enjoyed the journey with your fellow travelers! You played a key role in making it epic as well! We genuinely appreciate your constructive feedback, as it helps us identify areas for improvement. Communication is key, and we acknowledge your concerns regarding the need for overcommunication and additional measures outside of client calls, emails, and the trip dossier, especially for first-timers to Africa or international travelers. Your suggestion to set clear expectations about the nature of the trip, emphasizing that outside of the daily fully guided tours, the trip has movements of independence where you are not 100% guided and includes times where you can experience Ghana party nightlife, is duly noted. Also, our trip is listed in the booking link as an 18+ trip; however, all of our attendees were 25+. Regarding last-minute updates, we apologize for any inconvenience caused. The donations were one instance that required flexibility, as we addressed on the client call and during our announcement. The maternity unit changes day by day, therefore the unit could only provide the time on the day based on the medical director's assessment, as the hospital is underserved. We understand the importance of providing information in a timely manner and will work on ensuring that agendas are reiterated earlier, implementing additional measures in addition to bus announcements and WhatsApp posts while the group is still together. Your insights on the add-on amenities, for the videographer and Social Fabrik session, are valuable. We share your appreciation for better explanations and details upfront, so we've made it a standard practice to include this in our Social Fabrik description to avoid any misunderstandings. The description reads: "Custom clothes experience that consists of education, textile sourcing, design consultation and connecting to expert tailors/fashion talent." We've found that designing clothes can be very overwhelming and disappointing to people that have never designed clothes or had custom pieces made. As a established fashion brand, this service has proven to be very valuable. This comprehensive approach not only simplifies the design process but also enhances the overall satisfaction & value of the final product. We will be sure to note the fabric & garment is not included. Your dress looked stunning and hope that you find an amazing opportunity to wear it. For the Videography highlight reel an emphasis that the photographer is not your sole photographer will be added and we will also expound on the discription outside of this platform as there is a character count limit. . Concerning the AfroFuture VIP experience, we apologize for any confusion you experienced regarding the inclusion of unlimited alcohol. Green Book did not state alcohol as an inclusion for the event. That's not standard for the festival at all. Afrofuture's own website did not state what the VIP included - as we looked several times and that's what we stated in our announcement for the upgrade. Your feedback about posting the actual event page link in the WhatsApp chat for clarity is well-received, and we will incorporate this improvement in future events to reduce misunderstandings. The communication and cancellation of the Polo Picnic are regrettable, and we understand how you feel. We empathize with your disappointment. If we weren't privy to the same information, we might have felt that way too. What we've found is the expectation for how things are done, especially in different countries, can be very different. The event was absolutely canceled at the last minute, and you all were notified immediately. It would not benefit our company whatsoever to not notify you immediately, especially since this was a bonus event that you all were not charged for, and was included as an added gift. We definitely agree that we should have highlighted more that it was a bonus activity on your scheduled free day, in addition to your trip, and as the host I was gifting this to you all. However, since the event wasn't scheduled at the time you all booked the trip, we felt it would be understood in lieu of that. We appreciate your suggestion and will be sure to communicate better upfront when we're doing something special for our guests, so they won't feel the need to be refunded for something they were never charged for. Our goal is always to go above and beyond. Additionally, we're glad you enjoyed the downtime, and we hope you and your travel crew enjoyed our surprise birthday cake for Carmen! Your recommendation for an assistant is duly noted. As a company that is recovering from the pandemic, we are exploring options to rebuild our team and enhance our support structure. Regarding the group size last year, for clarification purposes, 10 is not accurate for our last year or standard for our client count. It was actually more than double that amount and our peak is 100 people. Even though we were fully prepared from a logistics standpoint on our end, we always stress flexibility- especially in December because you can never predict the unknown. However, improvements can always be made, and we certainly strive to do so. We value your understanding, feedback, and all of your constructive suggestions. If you have any further thoughts or concerns, please feel free to reach out to us directly. We are committed to learning and evolving to ensure our travelers have the best possible experience. Thank you for being a part of the Green Book Travel community!
By Green Book Travel, LLC. on Feb 01, 2024
GB
BJ
We thank Queen Zosimli for putting our birthright trip together; it was absolutely unforgettable. Her tips and guidance on how to obtain visas, what to pack, etc. were very helpful. We had a wonderful time visiting the Ebony Life Place. The live Jazz session with the Four Brothers brought back memories of the 50s, 60s and 70s. The African Shrine where we heard, for the first time, some of the popular Afrobeats. And relate to the political discourse. We had the privilege to exercise our bargaining skills at the local Arts and Craft market. The highlight was our welcome home ceremony at the Yoruba Palace of the Wawu of Badagry. Also, a big thank you to Neema, Jibola and Baba for their hard work pulling this trip off.
By Beryl J for Roots to Africa : Nigeria Ancestral Journey 2023 on Dec 20, 2023
I enjoyed the food, the beach and meeting new friends to travel with.
By Lat P for The Legacy of Africa & Afropunk - Bahia & Rio on Dec 07, 2022
Show More Reviews

References

TH
I took the Roots Heritage Tour in Gambia with Green Book Travel and it was an AMAZING experience. My main guide Assam was so knowledgeable. The tour was very well coordinated from my hotel pickup to every stop throughout the day to the highlight of meeting Alex Haley and Kunta Kinteh's real life descendants. They pay attention to the smallest details to ensure your comfort throughout the day. As a solo traveler this meant a lot to me. Communication was great and timely throughout the booking process. They even remembered and recognized my birthday. :) Do yourself a favor and seek them out for your travels. It was truly a quality experience.
By Toniqua H on 15 Feb, 2022
I had the absolute best time bringing in the New Year with Greenbook Travel in Ghana. I loved their attention to detail, quality itinerary and authentic cultural experiences. We were given ample time to connect with the locals, ask questions and participate in beautiful photoshoots to commemorate this incredible journey to the Continent.
By Kendall J on 17 Jun, 2021
LB
This was an epic experience hands down! I had so much fun and met some really cool people along the way! The staff was sweet and very accommodating! I will definitely travel with them again! Thanks for showing this Bmore girl some love GBT!
By Latonya B on 19 Jan, 2020