 In addition to traveling, making a positive impact is of course a very nice combination. This is no longer a utopia but has become a simple reality.  In collaboration with Positive Impact Tourims we have put together very special and impressive experiences. On these experiences, a more meaningful exchange takes place between you as a traveler and the location you are visiting. We do this in different ways with hands-on activities that are not only great fun to do, but also beneficial to your local hosts and the natural environment. |
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Your own Positive Impact Experiences? We have some unforgettable experiences for both Colombia and Ecuador. You can book this as a complete trip or as a (multi-day) day trip during your own trip.
COLOMBIA
Cariben culture Experience – Colombia – 9 days 1035 euro pp
A journey that starts in colourful Cartagena where we use produce from the biggest market in the region to support a local family with a delicious meal. At the coast, you will visit the Mangroves and join a fisherman in nature preservation. You will also try your hand at catching fresh fish for our BBQ with locals. In Santa Maria and Palomino, the beach welcomes you for some relaxation. Going more inland, you will meet the Kogui and Arhuaco indigenous peoples and will help out on a coffee- and banana plantation. The journey ends in Medellin.
Day 1. Arrival in Cartagena
Today, you arrive in Cartagena, a colourful city where you cannot escape the Caribbean vibes. We will pick you up from the airport and take you to your hotel. The rest of the day is yours to explore the city and its various facets. You will be staying in a beautiful hotel with a central location.
Meals included: none
Day 2. Real city vibes
After breakfast, a local guide will pick you up at the hotel to explore a less-visited part of Cartagena and experience a different aspect of the city’s colourful reality. First, we will visit the largest market in this area, where you’ll be overwhelmed by a variety of new products to taste.
We’ll purchase some fresh ingredients, which we’ll then take to the Real Cartagena project supporting the less fortunate in the city. Together, we’ll transform the fresh ingredients into a delicious meal that we’ll share with the family or families we are supporting today. We’ll learn about their daily lives and the challenges they face living in the big city. You’ll get a glimpse of the lives of these local residents, hearing more about their family backgrounds. These families are struggling financially, each with their own stories, and the specific family you visit will be determined on the spot to ensure that all supported families get a turn.
After the day tour, the guide will take you back to the hotel. The evening is free for your own leisure.
Meals included: breakfast and lunch
Day 3. Coastal preservation Cartagena is located on the coast where it meets the mangrove. Your English-speaking guide for today will pick you up after breakfast to take you to the mangrove to explore this beautiful and interesting natural area. We begin with a visit to a fishing village where we learn about the lives of the fishermen and, if possible, lend a helping hand with their daily activities.
We will have lunch with a local family, along with the fisherman who will be our guide in the afternoon. After lunch, we will explore the mangrove with him in a canoe and assist in planting new plants and cleaning up threats such as plastic and other debris that have found their way into the mangrove.
In the afternoon, we will try our hand at fishing for our own dinner; with the catch, we will have a delightful BBQ at one of the fishermen’s homes. The more you catch, the more local guests from the village we can invite to our BBQ, so you’ll naturally want to do your best. After dinner, your guide will bring you back to your hotel in Cartagena.
Please note: You may be exploring today in a group with other international guests. This day can also be booked separately as a one-day excursion (85 euro pp).
Meals included: breakfast, lunch and dinner (if you catch something 😉)
Day 4. A public journey
This day is a travel day to Santa Marta using public transportation. Your travel guide provides instructions on how to travel to Santa Marta by train or minibus. There are comfortable buses that will drop you off in this coastal town in less than 5 hours. Along the way, you will witness a beautiful yet realistic image of Colombia where not everyone can benefit from economic progress, and waste disposal is not yet a priority…both issues to which you contribute positively by undertaking this experience.
You will spend this day in a charming hotel by the beach near the harbor of the local fishermen. Your travel guide includes enjoyable suggestions for where to grab a bite to eat tonight.
Meals included: breakfast
Day 5-6 Nature and farming
Over the next two days, you will explore the unique inland areas of this part of Colombia.
We begin with a visit to the Donama Stone, a mysterious rock adorned with engravings created by the Tayrona people. The journey continues by car to Pozo La Liza, where you can bathe and revel in nature. Following that, there’s lunch at Cruz Delina restaurant on the banks of the Piedra River. After lunch, you’ll head to Boquerón and embark on a walk through Kogui town, where all indigenous traditions are preserved. Finally, you’ll arrive at La Momposina Farm, where you can appreciate the natural beauty surrounding the farm and observe numerous birds. You’ll have dinner with the hosts, indulging in delicious, typical dishes, and share conversations about their lives in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.
You’ll have breakfast on the farm with delightful coffee and specialties. Subsequently, they will introduce you to the processes of organic coffee cultivation, and you can participate in daily activities, such as planting or caring for coffee plants and/or harvesting coffee beans, depending on the season. In the village itself, you can contribute to a Minga activity if one is taking place during your visit – for instance, participating in a collective clean-up of litter. Additionally, you can swim in a well near the farm. Finally, there’s lunch, and you’ll return to Santa Marta.
Meals included: breakfast & lunch on both days, dinner on day 5
Day 7. Banana galore
This day you will take local public transportation to Palomino (bus ticket not included, but you will receive information on busses and prices), the coastal town of Colombia. Here, you will experience delightful holiday feelings for the next two days and participate in amazing activities together with the community living around your ecological lodge and the inland areas. The afternoon starts with a banana tour; the impressive landscapes and mountain trails are the sensation. Sowing and planting bananas and plantains on the Finca bring various charms together. You’ll receive an instant banana crash course, covering the many varieties, including applications and local gastronomic culture. In the evening, you are invited into the kitchen to help cook our dinner tonight.
Meals included: breakfast and Dinner
Day 8. Tayrona culture
Today, we visit the Arhuaco Indigenous. During this day, you will learn a lot about nature and indigenous culture. They will directly introduce you to the ancestral customs of the Tayrona and the elaboration of their backpacks, symbols, clothing, way of life, and much more. The tour departs from the accommodation and is about a 30-minute walk. The environment in which the Arhuacos live is surrounded by crops of avocado, mango, yucca, banana, and others. To thank your hosts, today you will prepare lunch and enjoy it together with them. Sometimes, a little extra is added by us to the grocery list of a villager who needs something from the store but can’t afford it.
Meals included: breakfast and lunch and dinner
Dag 9. Back to Medellin
Time to say goodbye to your lovely stay after these impressive days in the Caribbean part of Colombia. Using public transportation, you’ll return to Santa Marta, where you’ll depart by plane in the afternoon to Medellin. If you wish, you can extend your stay from Medellin.
Meals included: breakfast
ECUADOR
North Ecuador Experience – 10 Days 1475 euro pp
Discover Quito in a very unique way. You will visit the historic centre and along the way do some shopping to make a meal for a childcare centre. We’ll visit an elderly people’s project in the surrounding area before moving on to the rain forest. Here, you will dive into the coffee and cacao plantations. We then move on to the famous market of Otavalo, stopping along the way at a rosary. The next two days are all about the jungle as you spend them with the indigenous community. We round up the journey at the Chimborazo volcano where you will meet the Iceman to gather blocks of ice for the market. The trip ends back in Quito.
This tour has private transport, the driver will pick you up at location, going to the next with activities when included and drive back once you are at the destination of the day
Day 1 Arrival Quito
Welcome to the smallest country in South America, Ecuador, in the capital Quito!
Our driver will be waiting for you at the airport, and during the ride to the hotel, you will already get a first impression of the country. Upon arrival at the Chakana Boutique Hotel, you will be immersed in the atmosphere of the Inca culture. In the restaurant, you can also introduce your taste buds to a delicious Ecuadorian meal.
Meals included: none.
Day 2 Quito city vibes
After breakfast, you will go for walk in the city through the streets of Quito, passing impressive monumental churches and buildings, and charming little markets where you must try one of the fresh fruit juices.
Along the way, we will buy ingredients from small local shops for lunch, which we will take to the cafeteria of the after-school care center we are going to visit today. The center provides homework assistance, sports, and games to children from low-income families. In the cafeteria of the center, we will prepare our lunch and the children’s lunch, followed by some time to participate in the children’s daily activities.
In the evening, it’s delightful to dine at one of the restaurants on Quito’s Plaza Grande.
Meals included: breakfast and lunch
Day 3 Food for thought
In the morning, we wake up early for a unique impact activity: we will help to prepare meals for some of the poorest elderly people living in and around Quito. The smiles on their faces when receiving the meals are priceless. The Abuelitos team will guide you and share information about their organization. There will also be some time to join the elderly in a daily activity, such as a game or exercise. To also support the team of Abuelitos in their wonderful work for the elderly of Quito, we will bring them a small token that we bought on our way yesterday.
After our visit, you can find a local lunch on your way north to the town of Mindo in the heart of the Itapoa rainforest. The overnight stay takes place in a beautiful cabin surrounded by nature.
Meals included: breakfast and dinner
Dag 4 Cacoa and coffee
When you wake up in the morning to the sound of the river or one of the many birds, after breakfast, it’s time to visit a chocolate and coffee plantation. Here, we will, of course, get our hands dirty to experience firsthand what it takes to make a delicious cup of coffee or piece of chocolate. You will learn everything about the process from plant to cup or candy bar; the specific activity we will do depends on what is needed on the farm during your visit.
Lunch takes place on the farm, and you will help to make it and enjoy it together with (some of) the workers, providing an opportunity to connect with them even more and learn about their daily lives on the farm.
In the afternoon, you can choose from various experiences available here. For example, you can visit the butterfly garden, spot various bird species, let hummingbirds eat from your hand, or, if you enjoy some action and adventure, go rafting on one of the rivers.
Meals included: breakfast and lunch for you and the workers
Day 5 Roses towards Otavalo
In the morning, after breakfast, we drive towards Otavalo, but not before making a stop at a large rose nursery. Did you know that Ecuador is one of the largest rose exporters in the world? However, many Ecuadorians cannot afford to buy the roses that are grown here, so we will take some with us to give away later today and tomorrow.
Now you’re in Otavalo, a truly indigenous town. You will be amazed. Stroll through the streets, share some roses with people to brighten their day, and, of course, visit the Los Ponchos market with its magnificent handmade souvenirs.
Tonight, you stay with a family in the village. Besides the roses you brought for them, you become part of their daily family life for the rest of the day and participate in activities such as cooking, tending to the vegetable garden, or bringing the cows in from the pasture. Then, we sit down together for dinner and play games with the children in the evening. The interaction between your culture and theirs is something you will never forget.
Meals included: breakfast and dinner.
Days 6 t/m 8 Otavalo community
Breakfast together, then say goodbye to the family.
You will visit an elderly center set up by the Red Cross or visit a school, depending on the specific day and your interests.
Afterward, the driver will pick you up to drive towards the jungle to Mishualli, and you will go by canoe on the Napo River to reach the community you will stay with for 2 nights. You really become part of community life here and see how the indigenous tribe lives every day. A unique experience that makes you even more special by participating in the daily activities.
It is a good idea to bring some fruits as a gift for your local hosts since there is no fruit growing in their area.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 9 Park National
Early in the morning, embark on a canoe heading towards the National Park, where you can take a beautiful hike and enjoy views of the famous Cotopaxi volcano.
You can have your lunch in the vicinity of the park. In the evening, you’ll arrive in Riobamba.
Meals included: breakfast
Dag 10 Ice harvest
In the morning, after breakfast, depart with private transportation from Riobamba to the indigenous community of Pulingui, where many people speak only the local Quicha language.
Here, you will encounter the phenomenon of the ice man and embark on a 12 km hike to an ice mine.
Gradually ascending from amis and potato fields, you’ll enjoy the majestic Chimborazo. The ice mine is located at 4600m, and here you can witness the incredible work that the ice man used to do to transport ice from this altitude to the market in Riobamba. In the afternoon, you return, and in the evening, head towards Guayllabamba for an overnight stay at a ranch.
Meals included: breakfast and lunch
Day 11 Back to Quito
The last morning, wake up peacefully on a beautiful ranch in the Andes with a view of the Pichincha volcano. In the afternoon, you will return to where this adventure began, the Quito airport, with many memories and photos, heading back home.
Meals included: breakfast
Yellow House nature experience – 3 days 249 euro pp
Pay a visit to the beautiful rain forest. Including a visit to a chocolate factory, a canopy tour and a participation to help preserve the Cloud Forest. Enjoy the spectacular nature, the birds and butterflies. This experience includes private transportation on the way there; your driver will pick you up (in Quito) and take you to Mindo. At the end of the experience, you can take public transportation from Mindo; tickets not included, but you will receive detailed information about the busses.
Day 1 Quito – Mindo
Today, you will travel from Quito to Mindo through the valley with a private driver.
Along the way, you will visit a museum to learn more about life around the equator and will see some tricks that can only be done at the equator. Optionally, you can visit the museum in Mindo or for instance a small chocolate factory. Tonight, you will stay at the Yellow House, a private natural paradise.
Meals included: dinner
Day 2 Yellow House
Today, you will observe and assist with maintenance of the cloud forest, the protected nature reserve of the Yellow House. You will also plant a tree to contribute to keeping the forest alive.
Optionally, in the morning, you can take a bird watching tour with a local expert or a canopy tour through the treetops of the Cloud Forest (both at an additional cost). Most birds are visible in the early morning.
You can have lunch at the Yellow House.
In the afternoon, you will visit the local chocolate factory, where you will learn everything about the chocolate-making process, from cocoa bean to chocolate bar. It’s a nice idea to take some chocolate from here and distribute it to your local hosts.
Day 3
After breakfast, you will depart from Mindo to your next destination in Ecuador, such as Otavalo, or back to Quito. You can choose to go by public transport or we can arrange a private driver for you (not included).
Meals included: breakfast
This 3-day experience can be perfectly combined with the 10-day North Ecuador experience if you wish to stay longer in Ecuador. Inquire with our partner Go Local Travel for the available options for your tailor-made Positive Impact Experience.
Los Tsachilas community experience – 3 days 165 euro pp
Stay for 2 nights with one of the most interesting indigenous peoples of Ecuador, the Los Tsachilas. They are a people who still live close to nature and is unique in their spiritual lives. You will get there by public transportation; tickets not included, but you will receive detailed information about the busses and prices.
Day 1 Santo Domingo
Today, you will depart from Quito or Mindo by public transportation to Santo Domingo (tickets not included). Here, you will stay for the next two days with the indigenous people Los Tsachilas, an impressive experience with a cultural group carrying a rich history and heritage. In the evening you will help with cooking the dinner that you will enjoy together with your hosts.
Meals included: dinner
Day 2 Nature’s grocery shop
After breakfast, you will venture into the forest with your local Los Tsachilas hosts to gather ‘groceries’ and visit the ‘pharmacy’ for natural medicines. You will notice that your guides have extensive knowledge and skills about the forest. Today, there is also time to take a refreshing dip in the river, and of course, we will prepare the most delicious local dishes together.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 3 Back to Quito
After breakfast, bid farewell to your Los Tsachilas hosts and travel by public transportation from Santo Domingo back to Quito (tickets not included).
Meals included: breakfast
This experience can be combined with the a visit to Cuenca, Cotopaxi, Quilatoa trekking, Riobamba, Inti Sisa and local projects of Guamote, a jungle tour or Galapagos. This 3-day experience can also be combined very well with the 10-day experience.
South Ecuador Experience – 8 days 555 euro pp
This experience starts in the colonial city of Cuenca, the pearl of Ecuador. You will learn the cities stories and visit an impressive village close by. You will also visit the countryside and help out your local host family with their daily activities. We will then move to the coast so you can relax at the beach. From April to September, you are invited to help take pictures of the whales for scientific research. Finally, you will venture into nature and participate in the planting of fruit trees. You will travel by public transport; tickets not included, but you will receive detailed information about the busses and prices.
Day 1 – Arrival Cuenca
Today, you arrive in Cuenca (for example by a 4h drive from Guayaquil), a city listed on the UNESCO World Heritage site with a magnificent historical center. Depending on the arrival time, you have the opportunity to explore the surroundings and enjoy one of the many restaurants in the city center.
Meals included: none
Day 2 – Cuenca souvenirs
After breakfast, your guide will pick you up for a unique city tour. In addition to visiting the main attractions this city boasts, you will also explore a small workshop where artisans still create the souvenirs and other useful items found in the city. We will also visit small shops to pick up ingredients for the evening meal. In the afternoon, you will depart by public transportation or a taxi (tickets not included) to a village near the city for a local stay. This stay will give you some insight into the impact of labor migration on a community. Together with your hosts, you will prepare and enjoy dinner in the evening.
Meals included: breakfast and dinner
Day 3 – Family farming
After breakfast, you will depart by taxi (appr. US$15 not included) to a fantastic project in the Andes near the town of Sucal, not far from Cuenca. Here, you will stay and participate in the daily activities of a farming family. You will take a tour of their fields, and, of course, together with them, you will prepare and enjoy delicious local dishes.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Day 4 – Puerto Lopez
It is time to discover the coast of Ecuador. After breakfast, you will depart by public transportation (tickets not included) to the coastal city of Puerto Lopez, where you will arrive late in the afternoon. You will stay in Mandala or Palo Santo. Tonight, you have some free time to explore this lovely coastal city on your own.
Meals included: breakfast
Day 5 – A day with the local kids
After breakfast, you have the opportunity to take a leisurely walk on the beach or explore the city a bit more. After lunch, we will visit a local school and play a soccer game with the children. This way, we get to know them in a fun way and break the ice to then head out together to clean up beach litter.
Meals included: breakfast
Dag 6 – Whale project
Today is dedicated to helping preserve the majesctic humpback whale. After breakfast, you will go to Palo Santo to assist the research and protection organisation. Depending on the season, you may go on a boat to spot and photograph whales, or it may involve sorting and working on the pictures; whichever assistance is needed at the time.
Meals included: breakfast and lunch
Day 7 – Jipijapi local
After breakfast, you will depart by public transport (tickets not included) to the local community of Jipijapi, where you will participate in their daily activities. The schedule includes a hike through the beautiful nature and the preparation of delicious empanadas. You will also plant a fruit tree for them to leave a nice souvenir of your visit to them behind.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 8 – Guayaquil
NAfter breakfast, bid farewell to your local hosts and depart by public transport or taxi (tickets not included) to Guayaquil.
Meals included: breakfast
This experience pairs well with the 10-day North Ecuador Experience if you want to explore the entire country.
South Ecuador coast Experience – 5 days 333 euro pp
A visit to the beach…but better. You will visit the beach city of Puerto Lopez where you visit a school and enjoy some time with the children, joining in a beach clean-up with them. In Palo Santo you help to preserve whales and in Jipijapi, you will participate in the daily life of the indigenous and learn to cook traditional meals. You travel with public transport; tickets not included, but you will receive detailed information about busses and prices.
Day 1 – Puerto Lopez
Today, you will arrive in Puerto Lopez and after check-in at your hotel, you will have free time to explore this lovely coastal city. Your overnight stay will be either in Mandala or Palo Santo.
Meals included: none
Day 2 – A day with the local kids
After breakfast, you will have some time to walk along the beach or explore the city some more. After lunch, you will visit a local school to play a game of soccer with the school children; this is our way of breaking the ice a little bit before you join them in cleaning trash from the beach to help preserve the natural environment.
Meals included: breakfast
Dag 3 – Whale project
Today is all about helping to preserve the majestic Humpback Whale. After breakfast, you will head to Palo Santo to join the research and preservation organisation and participate in whatever activities they have planned. Depending on the season, you may be invited on board to spot and photograph the whales or you may be asked to help out sorting pictures of the whales to identify them and other research activities.
Meals included: breakfast and lunch
Day 4 – Jipijapi local
After breakfast, you will take public transport (tickets not included) to the local community of Jipijapi, where you will partake in their daily life activities. Scheduled are a walk through the beautiful nature and backing of delicious empanadas. The community also governs a nature reserve where u are invited to plant a fruit tree for them as a souvenir of your visit.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch and dinner
Meals included: breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 5 – Guayaquil
After breakfast, you will say your farewells to your local hosts and depart for Guayaguil via public transport of taxi (tickets not included).
Meals included: breakfast