I love traveling solo. It's not my whole travel personality, but it's a good chunk of it. So, going on an adventure with 34 other people I did not know just never seemed in the cards for me.
I was always intrigued by group travel companies. While I do find (some) joy in trip planning, my current schedule has made the idea of a group trip a lot more riveting. And when I saw the Colombia trip that EF Ultimate Break was hosting in March, I knew it would be the right travel opportunity for me.
But first, let's answer some questions.
What is EF Ultimate Break?
EF Ultimate Break is a travel company that provides 65+ trips around the world. You book, and they essentially take care of everything like flights, accommodations, local guides, and daily breakfast (depending on the package you choose).
Is there an age limit?
Yes! EF is open to adults ages 18-35. For my trip to Colombia, I was a bit nervous that I would be traveling with all spring breakers. To my surprise, majority of the people on my trip were in their twenties.
EF offers EF Go Ahead tours for those who aren't in that age group.
Are there also a lot of solo travelers?
Very, very few people on my trip to Colombia knew someone else on the trip. Most people traveled solo and were just excited to make new friends while gallivanting around Colombia together.
It's totally solo traveler friendly!
What was the cost of the tour? Is it budget friendly?
I collaborated with EF on this tour making this a hosted experience, but prices start for this tour at around $3100. This includes accommodations, local guides, round trip airfare, airport transfers, dedicated EF Tour Director, entrance fees, transportation between cities, support from EF reps abroad, and 24-hour worldwide emergency service.
Because of this, I do think the trip is more than worth it. And EF has some pretty great payment plans available as well.
I think this trip is perfect for those people who want to just show up and travel. You can use my code Alexa100 for $100 off your first EF Ultimate Break trip.
What are the accommodations like?
I'm a bit of a bougie girl, and I was really impressed by the accommodations. We stayed three nights in Bogota, Medellin, and Cartagena. All three hotels were absolutely lovely, with great breakfast options. They were also all in really convenient and central locations, making dinner plans or an early morning walk.
What was the itinerary like? Is it really busy?
I found the itinerary to be really well balanced. You can find a link to it here. I loved that they put an ample amount of free time and more low key experiences, e.g., a sunset catamaran ride or boat day. Also- you don't HAVE to do everything, but it's heavily encouraged.
Are meals included?
Breakfast is always included! And a few dinners are also covered as well. Our welcome and farewell dinner were both at really nice restaurants. We selected an entree ahead of time, and we were allowed two free drinks with dinner.
It was also nice traveling to Colombia where the cost of food is pretty low, so the additional meals did not break the budget at all.
How was your guide?
Gregorio is not only a musical genius, but an incredible EF Tour Director. He was highly organized, and emphasized the importance of having a deep cultural experience in Colombia. He brought on some of the most talented and well informed guides, and really encouraged us to (safely) let loose and dive into Colombian culture and music. We had nearly 0 mishaps. And even if we did, Gregorio would've figured them out. I felt safe in his hands.
So here was my overall experience:
I loved my EF tour to Colombia. I had been to Colombia before, but never like that. Every day was a new exhilarating surprise. I came away with some amazing friends and memories. I would recommend EF to anyone who's wanting to dip their toes in and travel the world.
Especially those who have felt held back by friends and family who don't want to travel with them. Who needs friends when you can make memories with some incredible people?
