Coffee with hosts¶
Not booked for you yet — soft invite from the wedding hosts (WhatsApp, 7–8 Aug 2026) to join their post-wedding coffee-region block. Aligns well with your Bogotá checkout Sun 23 Aug (Final plan). Decide and book your own flight / Salento nights / finca spot; keep them updated.
Trip decisions (Aug 2026)¶
- Hosts’ coffee block — 23–26 Aug (~3 nights) together; then either go to Cali or add 1–2 solo Salento nights first (see below).
- Skip Medellín — don’t insert it between coffee and Cali. Page kept for reference: Medellín.
- Do not return BOG with hosts on Wed 26 — onward toward Cali (own ticket / bus), or linger in Salento; not their AXM→BOG unless you need Bogotá that day.
- Next stop after coffee: Cali (salsa) — not Pacific near Cali, not Medellín. After Cali: home via BOG — WIP Plan.
- Family time: join selectively — not both long days glued to the group.
- Cocora vs Finca El Ocaso: Cocora is more “worth it” once (unique wax-palm landscape). The brewing tour is pleasant but replaceable; best as a short family join (Mon 09:00–11:45), then free afternoon. Skip doing both only out of politeness.
- Los Nevados: skip on this Salento block unless you rebase to Manizales — Brisas is a regulated car circuit (not free hiking); Santa Isabel is a separate mountain trek. Detail: Manizales → Los Nevados.
If Cali feels like “too many nights”¶
Default United spine has ~4 Cali nights (26→30). If that feels heavy:
| Prefer | Do this | Cali left |
|---|---|---|
| Extend coffee (recommended) | Stay in Salento alone after hosts leave Wed 26 — bus to Cali Thu or Fri | ~2–3 nights (still enough for classes + Sat social) |
| Invent a stop “between” | Skip — no good filler (Medellín skipped; Pacific skipped; Popayán wrong way / transit tax) | — |
Why Salento over a third city: cooler and walkable; you’ll probably like being there. A bus day to somewhere mediocre burns the night you were trying to save. Keep Cali purposeful (San Antonio + salsa), not long city tourism.
Invite snapshot¶
| When | Sun 23 → Wed 26 Aug 2026 |
| Where | Sleep in Salento; fly via Armenia (AXM) |
| Hosts’ stay | Hotel La Floresta — Cra. 5 #10-11 (laflorestahotel.com.co). Town is small — any nearby stay works; this is theirs. |
| Tone | Chill tourism + dancing when it fits; parents in the party → easier activities |
Note
Hosts described the group as their parents, sister, and wife — casual join, not a strangers’ tour.
Hosts’ flights (reference — book your own)¶
Screenshot from their Avianca app (booking code CDSCRF). Match these times if you want the same planes; you still need your own ticket.
| Leg | When (local) | Route |
|---|---|---|
| Outbound | Dep Sun 23 Aug 2026, 11:50 BOG · Arr 12:50 AXM (~1 h) | Bogotá → Armenia |
| Return | Dep Wed 26 Aug 2026, 14:05 AXM · Arr 15:00 BOG (~55 min) | Armenia → Bogotá |
Your Bogotá hotel check-out is Sun 12:00 — a 11:50 BOG departure is tight but plausible with an early airport run; confirm bag drop / Avianca check-in cut-offs.
Reference one-way fares (Google Flights, 8 Aug 2026)¶
GBP for 1 adult, taxes/fees in the headline price; checked Google Flights 8 Aug 2026. Many cheapest Avianca / Wingo rows note no overhead-bin access — budget a cabin bag if you need one.
BOG → AXM — Sun 23 Aug (search):
| Dep → Arr (local) | Airline | Notes | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11:50 → 12:50 | Avianca | Hosts’ flight (match this) · nonstop · 1 h | £42 |
| 06:25 → 07:30 | Avianca | nonstop | £42 |
| 09:05 → 10:15 | Avianca (Clic / Express) | nonstop | £73 |
| 13:45 → 14:45 | LATAM | nonstop · 1 h | £42 |
| 15:50 → 16:50 | Avianca | nonstop | £42 |
| 18:55 → 20:01 | Wingo | nonstop · ~1 h 06 · bag caution | £43 |
| 20:25 → 21:35 | Avianca (Clic / Express) | nonstop | £89 |
AXM → BOG — Wed 26 Aug (search):
| Dep → Arr (local) | Airline | Notes | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14:05 → 15:00 | Avianca | Hosts’ flight (Google shows 14:05 / 15:00) · nonstop · 55 min | £43 |
| 08:10 → 09:05 | Avianca | nonstop | £43 |
| 11:15 → 12:25 | Avianca (Clic / Express) | nonstop | £55 |
| 15:35 → 16:40 | LATAM | nonstop · ~1 h 05 | £43 |
| 17:30 → 18:30 | Avianca | nonstop | £43 |
| 19:12 → 20:10 | Wingo | nonstop · 58 min · cheapest seen · bag caution | £30 |
| 22:15 → 23:25 | Avianca (Clic / Express) | nonstop | £51 |
Rough round-trip if matching hosts: ~£85 (BOG→AXM £42 + AXM→BOG £43) before bags / seat selection. Cheapest mix (e.g. same outbound + Wingo return) can dip toward ~£72 but splits the party on the way back.
Also see spine samples on Internal transfers (those BOG→AXM rows were for 22 Aug; use the 23 / 26 Aug links above for this invite).
Activities they already booked¶
Mon 24 Aug — Finca El Ocaso (coffee brewing, English)¶
Finca El Ocaso — Salento / Quindío.
Example photos
Reach (approx — verify): from Salento town toward the finca — typically a short taxi / jeep ride (~10–30 min); tour itself ~2 h 45 min on site per official brewing page (checked Aug 2026).
| Product | Coffee Tour Brewing — English slot |
| When | Mon 24 Aug 2026, 09:00–11:45 (local) |
| Listed price | COP 120.000 / person on the finca site (Máximo 8; not for under-12s / reserva 15+) |
| Hosts’ order | Paid confirmation #33900 (Juliana) — 5 participants · COP 600.000 total |
| Book | web.fincaelocasosalento.com/coffee-tour-brewing · if full, call and say you’re joining Juliana Santos |
As of the chat, the English 24th / 09:00 basket looked sold out online — retry later or phone; hosts asked to be kept updated.
After the tour (~11:45): lunch in Salento; plaza / coloured streets; town mirador; optional half-day Filandia by bus/taxi (~30–45 min class — verify) and back. Don’t stack a long Cocora hike the same afternoon — leave that decision for Tue.
Tue 25 Aug — Valle de Cocora (minivan)¶
Example photos
Reach (approx — verify): from Salento plaza to valley entrance often ~20–40 min by jeep/taxi; on-site hike length TBD with the group (hosts have a minivan booked — nothing for you to book for the transfer; decide hike intensity with them on the day).
Priority note: if you only pick one “wow” outdoor day, prefer Cocora over a second coffee tour — or do Cocora solo / short loop if you already did the finca Mon and feel socially full.
What you still need to book / do¶
- Decide yes (strongly leaning from chat) and tell hosts.
- Book BOG→AXM (aim Sun 23, ~11:50) — own PNR to match hosts outbound.
- Book onward Wed 26 toward Cali — prefer bus/van coffee→Cali if timing works; flights AXM→CLO on Google Flights were 1-stop via BOG/MDE from ~£58 (8 Aug 2026 check — long connection). Not hosts’ AXM→BOG unless needed. Internal transfers · TODO.
- Book Salento nights 23–26 Aug (near La Floresta or anywhere in town).
- Book Finca El Ocaso English brewing tour 24 Aug 09:00 if joining that morning (or call with Juliana Santos) — official page.
- Decide Tue: Cocora with family (agree hike length) / solo / skip.
- After wedding logistics settle: fill hosts’ airport taxi Google Form for Wed 19 Aug, 03:10 BOG arrival (strongly advised).
Related wedding-week notes from the same chat¶
- Guest-group Welcome Event clarification: evening from ~17:30, casual (place still TBD) — Zola still lists 17:00–22:00 — Wedding.
- Hosts + whoever’s free may do a daytime Candelaria walk / museum / Monserrate on Thu 20 before the Welcome Event (optional — like the group message to join).
Source: WhatsApp with Ervis, 7–8 Aug 2026 (flight screenshot booking CDSCRF; finca order #33900).
See also: WIP Plan overview · Wedding · Internal transfers · Coffee region · Armenia · Manizales / Los Nevados · Final plan · TODO