How I’m Using Credit Card Rewards To Seek Out Sun And Fun In South America This Winter – Forbes Advisor – Technologist

I travel with my cat, Isabelle, so it can be tricky to get to South America—as many countries are listed as high risk for rabies and potentially unsafe for her. Additionally, most domestic carriers don’t allow animals in the cabin when traveling to South America, so I have to be a little creative.

I fly from North Carolina to Miami on American Airlines, then recheck my suitcase with Avianca and go back through security before taking the nonstop flight from Miami (MIA) to Medellin (MDE), which flies just once per day. I use my Citi Strata Premier℠ Card to book my American Airlines flight and my co-branded Avianca card for my flight to Medellin. It’s a lot of effort, but it’s worth it.

The two and a half months I’ll be in Colombia will be filled with several different activities and trips to make the most of my visit.

Birthday Trip to Bogota

Although this will be my fourth trip to Colombia, I’ve never been to the capital city. It’s been high on my list for a while, and even though I’ve transited through the Bogota airport more times than I can count, I haven’t had time to spend a weekend exploring.

The weekend after my birthday, I’m using my Lifemiles to book the short flight from Medellin to Bogota. There are multiple flights on this route per day, so I have a lot of flexibility on departure times. My Lifemiles+ membership gives me 10% off Avianca award redemptions, so I can spend just 4,240 miles, plus $15.10 in taxes and fees, for a roundtrip flight.

I’m booking the W Hotel Bogota, which will cost a total of $387 for two nights, which isn’t bad for a five-star property. The same room would cost 69,000 points, so I’d rather just pay for my stay using my Bonvoy Bevy and earn 6 points per dollar on my booking. While I’m there, I plan on visiting museums, restaurants and markets, using my Venture X for any purchases I make.

Christmas

My partner is from Argentina, and my Christmas present to him is a flight from Buenos Aires to Medellin for the wonderful Christmas and New Year’s Eve celebrations. I don’t want to use up a ton of miles in one swing, so I plan on purchasing two one-way tickets. A nonstop flight from Buenos Aires (EZE) to Medellin (MDE) just before Christmas costs around $378. I’ll earn 3 miles per dollar on that booking using my Avianca card. Then, I’ll use just 17,530 LifeMiles, plus $83.20 in taxes and fees, for his return flight. I can’t think of a more worthy use of my miles.

The Carnival of Riosucio

The Carnival of Riosucio, also known as the Carnival of the Devil, occurs every odd-numbered year in Colombia. In 2025, it will commence on January 3rd, so we knew we had to attend. The carnival celebrates the area’s diversity and cultural background with roots that date back to the early 1800s. The carnival consists of nonstop festivals, parades and events that last over five days, but we plan to stay for just three days.

I’ve explored several small towns in Colombia, like Jardin and Guatape, but they are both major tourist attractions. Riosucio is a very small town, and most of the visitors to the carnival are Colombians. I love immersing myself in local culture as much as possible, especially in a place as vibrant as Colombia.

There aren’t any Marriott properties in the area—as a matter of fact, there are only a couple of hotels, most of which you have to book by calling them. So, I’ll use my Citi Strata Premier for my hotel stay. Although I’ll likely need cash for the majority of my trip, I plan on using my Venture X for the bus tickets (or rental car) to reach Riosucio, which is a three-and-a-half-hour drive from Medellin.