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Safari in Colombia!!
“…Bajo la gloria del alba hendieron el aire los patos chillones, las garzas morosas, como copos flotantes, los loros esmeraldinos de tembloroso vuelo, las guacamayas multicolores…”
LA VORÁGINE – José Eustasio Rivera
Location and characteristics
The Hato La Aurora is a natural reservation, with 16.000 Hectareas of territory, managed by a private foundation which goal is to promote the preservation of the environment through the observation of the natural wildlife of the place. The infrastructure of the Ecolodge Juan Solito tries to be in accordance with nature, maintaining a rustic structure, still providing a nice comfort for visitors.
The Hato La Aurora is located in Colombia, Casanare department, between the Paz de Ariporo and Hato Corozal municipalities.
It is located between the rivers Ariporo and Chire, 180 Km from Yopal.
Coordinates N 06 01 58.9 y W 71 22 35.1
Temperature varies between 25 and 35 Celsius degrees.
New York Times Article About the Hato.
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Working at the Eastern Llanos!
About accommodation
The Ecolodge Juan Solito counts with 2 types of accommodation.
For neither of them you will have Air conditioner service or hot water. Electric light is available, but not 100% reliable, so take extra batteries with you and power bank (if solar, is better)
Private rooms with private bathroom
There are 8 rooms in the main casona and 6 more rooms closer to the river.
For 1 person per night $80 USD
For 2 persons $70 USD per person
For 3 to 7 persons $60 USD per person
Note: For single travelers or couples, they can be accomodate in a multiple room (costo $45 USD during low season (May to Octuber)
Hammocks accommodation under roof, open space, shared bathrooms
The cost per night per person is $50 USD
Children from 5 to 12 have 50% off. Children younger than 5 stay free at the Hato.
The cost includes the specified accommodation and 3 main meals per day. It also includes consume taxes applied to all visitors. It does not include snacks
Travel policy per day: $2 USD per person.
What to do at the Hato. Itineraries and activities
You can make short hikes around the Ecolodge and watch the videos of the jaguars observed in the wild by your own. But there are also pretty nice activities at the Hato, which you will need a guide for. Based on the activities you choose, we will organize a customized itinerary for the day.
The main activity at the Hato are:
The Safari
You can make it by 4x4, hiking, horseback riding, and by boat. You can repeat this activity as many times as you want, since every day you can take a different trail or transportation media
“Hunting” the Anaconda
Fishing in the river
The day of activities costs $56 USD per person, $28 USD half day.
Children younger than 5 years old does not pay for the activity. Children older than 5 years old have to pay full price.
Cost includes
4x4, boat, horse to do the safari (the option you choose), local guides, snacks and typical Llanos serenade at night.
Jaguar Mariposo
Photos taken by the camera traps installed in the reserve. Jorge Barragan.
How to arrive to the Hato
Considering transportation to the Hato, it is necessary to arrive in a 4x4 or plane, since the last kilometers towards the Hato are a cross country drive. You can arrange the transportation service or we can provide it. These are 5 different forms you can use to arrive to the Hato:
Plane transportation from Bogota to the Hato
You can take a private, charter plane from Bogota or from Yopal, which will take you to the small, private landing line in the Hato in a short time.
Costs vary depending on people amount.
From Yopal
For 1 to 5 persons $700 USD each way
From Bogota
For 1 to 5 persons $1,300 USD each way
For 6 persons $1,500 USD each way
Allowed luggage weight can not exceed 80 kg for the entire group.
Private, land transportation provided by the Hato:
We can arrange a private transportation that will pick you up in Yopal, the nearest city to the Hato, and take you to the Hato, and it will take you back to Yopal, to a hotel or to the airport, wherever you need to. The private transportation will fit your personal schedules, but you can also share it with other guests of the Hato
The cost of that transport is $250 USD
Yopal- Hato- Yopal ($125 USD each way), for a group of 1 to 4 persons fitting in each 4x4 vehicle. This costs will be split between the number of passengers.
Public transportation:
From Yopal to the Hato La Aurora you can take public transportation to the Hato.
You will need to make several buses transferences to arrive close to the Hato, so be ready for the adventure. You need to arrive to Paz de Ariporo, a little town 1.5 hours east from Yopal. From Paz de Ariporo you can take a bus to San Luis de Ariporo (leaving just at 6 am, noon, and 3 pm), ask the driver to let in a spot called Montañas del Totumo, where the crossway to Hato La Aurora is ($25.000 COP per person each way). At that spot the staff of the Hato can pick you up in a motorcycle, and drive you to the Hato ($30.000 COP per person each way).
In your own vehicle
From Yopal it can take around 4.5 hours to arrive to the Hato. Take the jungle´s marginal road towards Paz de Ariporo, from there take the road towards the Montañas del Totumo county, where you find a deviation road to the San Luis del Ariporo county. Once you arrive to the Vigia Farm, take your left. You can pay for a guide in town to help you arriving to the Hato.
By river navigation
From Paz de Ariporo you can take a boat in the “La Chapa” county and navigate for around 3 hours to the Hato, enjoying all the aquiatic wildlife.
Dates to visit
All year round, whenever you want to visit.
Please book in advance.
You can visit the Hato all year round. However, there are 2 season.
High season, during summer months: November to April. Winter o rainy months are handled as low season.
During summer you can observe all the wildlife living at the Hato, there are really high possibilities of watching jaguars and anacondas.
Since the animals get together around the lakes and ponds, they offer an unique show of multiple species looking for water.
Winter season goes from May to October, with June, July, September and October as the most rainy months. There is a dry weather window for 20 days in August.
During winter there is a lot of mud and mosquitos, but the activities are developed as usual. Travelers can do the activities with a poncho or impermeable clothes and rain boots.
Possibility of watching jaguars and anacondas is lower, but the rest of the wildlife can be watched normally.
The Ariporo river is navigable in most its extension, so it offers an additional attraction to the visitors.
It is important to know that during winter season the weather is still warm and sunny, you will not feel cold. You must use always sunscreen and bugs repellant.
Book with us whenever you want to visit this paradise
reservas@colombiaoculta.org
About additional services:
translator or specialized guides
If you want to practice your spanish, you are more than welcome to do it. Our staff is going to help you with that task.
But if you want to have a translator for you during the trip, we will provide one for you for and additional cost.
Cost per day $70 USD from Yopal.
If at the moment of your booking there are not translators available in Yopal, we can send one from Bogota, with the additional charges it requires.
If you are a birds lover, Hato La Aurora is a paradise for you. Colombia is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, the first one in birds diversity.
Bird watching specialized guide : $100 USD per day.
It does not include transportation from Bogota, which will vary depending on plane tickets costs at the time.
About travelers insurance
We will provide a medical insurance in case of any illness or accident produced during your visit.
The cost of this insurance is $2 USD per day.
Recommendations
Long sleeve shirts, pants, extra clothes, specially if you go closer to the river.
Sunscreen and mosquito bite repellent,
Sunglasses, hat.
Conformable and closed shoes (for the safaris, since the mosquitos will destroy your feet if you just have open shoes),
Sandals.
Don't take jewelry with you, if possible.
Carry enough batteries for your camera.
if you have binoculars it would be ideal for the safaris.
Please take all the medicines you take with you.
Since the meals are prepared by locals with local products, they are pretty traditional. If you feel cravings for something special like candies or special food, it is better if you take it with you.
Take a water bottle to refill water and other beverages that will be provided by the Hato staff. Help us to reduce the one-use plastic impact in the environments.
If you take your own vehicle, it has to be 4x4
Attend all the time the guide´s recommendations and advertisements to avoid any accident or incident for you, your team and the animals at the Hato.
No show and cancellation politics
● After the payment is made, a charge of 20% of the total value is made of the reservation regardless of the reason for cancellation up to 15 days before the arrival date.
● Cancellation between 15 to 5 days of arrival is charged 50% of the total value of the reservation.
● Cancellation between 5 days to the day of arrival is charged 100% of the total reservation.
● Without payment but with blocking or reservation confirmed in writing and there is
cancellation within the aforementioned dates will be charged the penalty correspondent.
Booking and payment process
Book at least 5 days prior the trip
Contact us to start the booking process at reservas@colombiaoculta.org
Send us information about destination, dates, number of travelers and expectations.
Let us know if you need help with plane tickets
Once confirmed the booking details, please select a payment method
Deposit or transference to bank account: Deposit the amount at Banco de Bogotá. Cuenta corriente # 083347807 - Colombia Oculta SAS. Send the deposit form confirmation to reservas@colombiaoculta.org with all the passengers information (full names, id numbers, nationality). If you make an international transference we will send you the bank details via email. The transference will charge an extra 5% of the deposited amount.
Pay via Credit Card: We will generate a PayU link for you to deposit. It will arrive to your e-mail with the total amount previously arrange with the Agency, including an extra 8% fee charged by the transference company.
Travelers comments!
Marie-France Grenouillet - Wildlife Photographer:
Que bien este lugar !recuerdo a los llanos como si fuera ayer…He pasado unos días de sueños en el Ecologe Juan Solito que no puedo olvidar! A la salida del sol, los fuertes gritos de los monos aulladores nos despertaban y corríamos para tocar fotos de estos animales insólitos…Al retorno el desayuno era listo afuera cerca del rio Chire . Para nosotros había pan con mantequilla , frutas… y para los aves, bananas en los arboles donde muchas especies con brillantes colores venían acompañarnos. Que regalo tomar fotos! El día se pasaba en la reserva a buscar animales o alrededor del sitio, andando tranquilo, es así que he podido ver de cerca un hormiguero muy bonito en un árbol… Una mañana de repente hemos oído una excitación grande viniendo del rio, había una anaconda muy larga escondida en el bosque. Todos los empleados estaban “corriendo” para recogerla. Era peligroso para ella quedarse afuera de la reserva y hemos podido asistir a su salvamento y su traslado en barco y caro a una laguna de la reserva, fue inolvidable! A la cena, el dueño Nelson, con sus empleados, empezaba tocar arpa y cantar, el ambiente estaba mágico y la fiesta se prolongaba tarde en la noche…
"Hola Iván,,,, Me agrada saber que una hermana y su grupo viajarán con Colombia Oculta a Caño Cristales. Espero tengan tan buena experiencia como la tuvimos nosotros en Hato la Aurora y Sierra Nevada del Cocuy. Esperamos en un futuro viajar con Uds a Caño Cristales. Espero tus retoños estén muy bien. Un abrazo. Silvia Bravo"
"Buenas tardes Iván... Quería agradecerle por los días que pasamos en el Casanare con la Familia Barragán y su equipo. Pasamos unos días realmente fantásticos y estamos muy contentos de haberle podido mostrar ese pedacito de Colombia a los niños. Caroline Peters"
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