The Insider's Club: August

AUGUST 2018 ISSUE

INSIDERS CLUB YOUR GUIDE TO THE INSIDE

TABLE OF CONTENTS p 3-6

DISCOVER: COLOMBIA

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STAY: HOTELS 7. FOUR SEASONS HOTEL CASA MEDINA BOGOTA 8. CASA SUN AGUSTIN 9. SOFITEL LEGEND SANTA CLARA CARTAGENA 10. W BOGODA HOTEL

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EXCLUSIVE VIRTUOSO EXPERIENCES 11. BULGARI HOTEL SHANGHAI, CHINA 13. ROUND HILL HOTEL & VILLAS MONTEGO BAY, JAMAICA 15. THE MILESTONE HOTEL LONDON

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HELLO TRAVELERS Colombia has come a long way in a short time from its drug- and crime-riddled past and is an example of how emerging destinations can develop tourism infrastructures sustainably so that the country and visitors gain a mutually beneficial relationship.

Colombia has a wide range of attractions for travelers, including UNESCO World Heritage sites, coasts on the Caribbean and Pacific and a fivecolored river. Big Five Tours & Expeditions has been in Colombia for more than a decade and is opening new inroads in the western part of the country. In this issue, Big Five president Ashish Sanghrajka delivers his insights into a destination near and dear to his heart.

DISCOVER COLOMBIA

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It wasn’t long ago that taking a trip to Colombia meant taking your life in your hands. For decades, war and drug cartel-related violence devastated the country. Over the last decade, things have changed a great deal. Peace treaties have been signed, violent crime is way down and tourism has skyrocketed.

This year, about 4 million travelers will visit Colombia, finding a country full of colonial history, pre-Columbian artifacts and the beauty of Pacific and Caribbean coasts, Andean peaks and Amazonian jungle. Count the president of Big Five Tours & Expeditions, Ashish Sanghrajka, among those Colombia has won over. “I first visited Colombia more than a decade ago, and wondered then what would make me want to stay longer,” Sanghrajka said. “The answer came as I sat in a 600-year-old water well inside Cartagena’s walled city, which I discovered purely by accident. When I returned from that first trip, I eagerly told everyone that this was a sleeping giant in Latin America, and we should eagerly await her awakening.”

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Big Five has been operating in Colombia for 10+ years, blazing a new trail for travelers in Colombia as the first North American tour operator with the first group of Virtuoso travelers including 2 Largay Travel advisors in western Colombia. “Only two or three years ago some of these places opened up as tourism has taken shape,” Sanghrajka said. One such place is San Agustin in Colombia’s southwestern Andean region. “Our local handler, Ivan, talked about living under guerilla control,” Sanghrajka said. “He had to ask the generals for permission for his family to pass along the road.”

Now, visitors can enter San Agustin Archaeological Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is considered the world’s largest necropolis. One of the highlights of Big Five’s 13-day Crystal Canyons of Colombia journey, the park houses megalithic funerary monuments, statues and the Fuente de Lavapatas, a religious monument carved in the stone bed of a stream. They are the work of a culture that thrived between the first and eighth centuries.

No less impressive is the natural wonder of Caño Cristales, known as the “river of five colors” and the “liquid rainbow” because of the spectacular hues of yellow, green, blue, black and red from 5

underwater plants that bloom after the rainy season. Because there are no fish in the river, the water is especially clear, allowing the radiant colors to burst forth.

Completing the trifecta of unique sites is the Zipaquira salt cathedral outside the capital of Bogota. A combination of human-made and natural wonder, the church is built within the tunnels of a salt mine and regularly seats 3,000 people for Mass hundreds of feet underground.

Several devotional items are carved from solid rock salt. On either end of the journey, you’ll get a taste of city life in Bogota and Cartagena. In Bogota, Colombia’s capital with a population

bian and colonial history to sift through at the Museo del Oro and Palacio de la Inquisicion. Outside Cartagena lies the town of San Basilio de Palenque.

Founded by escaped slaves in the 17th century, it retains unique aspects of the Palenquera culture with heavy African influences.

For this, it’s considered a masterpiece of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity by UNESCO and a wonderful final stop on this mind-opening Colombian odyssey.

By embracing all of its past, focusing on service and showcasing what makes it unique, Colombia has transformed itself into a destination for the 21st century around 8 million and an elevation of as well as a benchmark for how an almost 9,000 feet, you’ll find an emerging destination can embrace eclectic mix of colonial heritage and sustainable tourism as a key layer in street art with bustling boutiques, the country’s foundation. “Today I use restaurants and art galleries. Mt. Colombia as a model to use for other Monserrate offers panoramic views of countries that haven’t emerged yet,” the city and surrounding mountains.

Sanghrajka said. “In fact, Colombia is the best example of how a country can Cartagena, in contrast, sits at sea come together and stabilize, under the level and is a key Caribbean port. There, umbrella of sustainable tourism. Before you’ll explore the fortress of San Felipe, tourism, Colombia’s economy was hiding underground tunnels and shrinking at a scary pace. Today passageways behind its sturdy walls, Colombia’s economy is growing among and peruse the artisan area of Las the fastest in the region with tourism the Bovedas, arches built into the city walls, second largest export, even ahead which previously served as an armory of coffee.” and a prison but now houses boutique shops. There is also a rich pre-Colum6

STAY

INSIDERS CLUB Four Seasons Hotel Casa Medina Bogota Well-heeled foodies zone in on Bogotá’s Zona G and the Four Seasons Hotel Casa Medina. This district north of downtown hosts the capital’s finest restaurants (the “G” is for gastronomy), including the 62-room hotel’s Castanyoles tapas bar with Spanish-tiled floors, street-side terrace and striking glass atrium. The building itself is worth devouring; declared a cultural monument, its stoned columns, brick walls, beamed ceilings and contemporary furnishings make for a polished reprieve. Skin gets a healthy glow from green coffee wraps, coconut scrubs and other locally inspired spa treatments.

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Casa San Agustin This elegant boutique hotel, comprised of 30 rooms set within the Walled City of Cartagena, is spread across three exquisitely restored, whitewashed 17th-century colonial-era homes with thoughtful details that evoke the Spanish stronghold: Original frescoes in the Library, hand-wrought iron sconces, wood-beamed ceilings, elegant tile accents and a central pool set against an ancient aqueduct. Accommodations are stylish, blending the hotel’s colonial past and contemporary Colombian energy. The acclaimed Alma Restaurant offers traditional Colombian flavors, presented with global refinement in an atmospheric indoor-outdoor setting.

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Sofitel Legend Santa Clara Cartagena Originally built as a convent in 1621, the Sofitel Legend Santa Clara Cartagena is a landmark hotel in the heart of the walled city. Unique in style, the hotel combines the allure of history with local hospitality and the art of French savoir faire. Enjoy city, sea or courtyard views from tastefully decorated guestrooms and suites, including three iconic suites.

Mixing colonial- and Republic-style architecture with modern comforts, the hotel features award-winning cuisine and service, a world-class spa, meeting facilities and state-of-the-art technology for events, conventions and weddings.

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W Bogota Hotel W Bogota Hotel adds a vibrant vibe to Colombia’s always-bustling capital.

Choose from 168 guestrooms with LCD smart HDTVs, rainforest showers and other sharp features. Enjoy access to the W brand’s modern gym concept and Away Spa — both are retreats for detoxing and refueling. Market Kitchen restaurant features a farm-to-table menu of world-class dishes accompanied by local fruits and vegetables. Delectable cocktails and live DJ sets keep the party going into the wee hours at the W Lounge.

Anything is possible with the alwaysaccommodating W talent, including the W Insider, who can provide exclusive access into Bogota.

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EXCLUSIVE VIRTUOSO EXPERIENCES

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Guaranteed Upgrade At The Time Of Booking Bulgari Hotel Shanghai Shanghai, China Valid for Travel now Through 31 Dec 2018 Experience Includes: Opened in June, Bulgari Hotel Shanghai soars above the Bund, offering panoramic views of Shanghai’s dramatic skyline from every window. With just 82 rooms and suites, there is an intimate ambience, complemented by eight restaurants and bars, a breathtaking lobby and a welcoming gathering space with private gardens. Complimentary Maserati sports cars bring guests to the city center. Enjoy the 21,000-square-foot Bulgari Spa. Il Ristorante, serving Niko Romito’s three-Michelin-stars cuisine and sumptuous views of the Bund from every table, is slated to become one of the city’s most fashionable spots.

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EXCLUSIVE VIRTUOSO EXPERIENCES

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One Love Honeymoon Package Round Hill Hotel & Villas Montego Bay, Jamaica Valid for Travel Now Through 31 Oct 2018 Book A minimum stay of 3 nights and receive: Daily breakfast (breakfast in bed on first morning) One 50-minute couples massage at the Spa at Round Hill Welcome amenity of chocolate covered fruits Private round-trip airport transfer Complimentary Wi-Fi Afternoon tea daily Non-motorized water sports and daily scheduled glass-bottom boat ride Daily shopping shuttle to Montego Bay Daily shuttle to Tryall Golf Club

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EXCLUSIVE VIRTUOSO EXPERIENCES

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3 Nights for the price of 2 The Milestone Hotel London Valid for Travel Now Through 31 Dec 2018 Experience Includes: Stay a little longer with us in one of our unique Suites, offering as much unrestrained luxury as you need. For every three nights booked you’ll receive the third night absolutely free! Allow yourself to be reminded what magnificence really feels like with an extended break at The Milestone Hotel and Residences.

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INSIDERS CLUB YOUR GUIDE TO THE INSIDE