Casanare and its villages - We look at the department's five most charming little towns

Back in time - Colombia's villages are wonderfully delightful and nostalgic. While the Llanos' main attractions are cowboys and wildlife, they still have a few lovely villages to offer visitors. Mules parked outside the 'panadería', loaded with sacks of coffee, grains or bananas, vaqueros passing through on horses or on motorbikes, elderly villagers leaning on their cane, watching the world go by and smiling at strangers toothlessly, lovingly painted window shutters and walls and neat flower beds and banana plants and papaya trees towering from patios and front yards, pebbled streets and the main square with a church, where surely a bench or two invite to have a seat and watch the villagers go about their daily lives - that's a classic when traveling Colombia and must not be missing in the Llanos either.

On a trip around Colombia you want to see as much of its natural treasures as possible. You are spoilt with choices in a country that tops the diversity hit lists on all levels: people, wildlife, birds, ecosystems, culture. Where to begin? Well, that's up to you. All we say is that technically you can reach a place where you'll see hundreds of capybaras, caimans, deer, exotic birds and even more exotic fauna such as anacondas and pumas in their natural habitat within ONE DAY from Bogotá. A no-brainer if you are looking to organize a jam-packed itinerary across the country. Beware though, this isn't your usual tourist hotspot - it's an off-beat adventure to remember!

​Intrigued? Read on.

The Pipra Filicauda, more commonly known as the wire-tailed manakin, is a small stunner. Only about 25 km from Yopal we operate tours across a private gallery forest that has revealed itself to us as a "manakin hotspot" with guaranteed sightings of this colouful species. Whether you are into birdwatching or not, observing this little tricoloured "moonwalker" won't leave you indifferent.
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We are delighted to announce that we have been awarded for the LTG Americas Awards 2017 as

Eco-Friendly Tour Operator of the Year 2017

Each year readers of the Luxury Travel Guide (LTG) put forward their suggestions. "All Luxury Travel Guide Award programs represent the pinnacle of achievement, championing the best in their respective fields", says Donald Richardson, LTG awards coordinator.

Rugged and lush mountain ranges, wild rivers, waterfalls, lofty villages with great views and some fine hiking trails: the Andean foothills are a mystical world of its own. Temperatures are more moderate than in the plains, enabling the cultivation of those rich Arabica beans Colombia is famous for. For a day we rolled up our sleeves and lent a hand to a local coffee farming family, as they were short on workers. (The perfect excuse for us to try our hand at bean picking) 
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Birdwatching in Colombia is a diverse, colourful and interesting experience for birdwatchers and novices alike. Recently we came to love nocturnal birdwatching. When it gets dark, a different world opens its doors to the birdwatcher: owls, nighthawks, nightjars, potoos and night-herons along with grasshoppers and frogs cater for an impressive, mystical and fascinating soundscape. Here is our Nocturnal Birding List for a night out in Los Llanos!  ​