Marci Kolt

Destination Specialist

Marci currently resides in Denver, Colorado after spending several years living and working in Santiago and Buenos Aires. She studied journalism and theatre in college, and worked in the luxury hospitality industry in New York City for a decade. Her love of travel eventually led her to South America, a continent whose contrasts and culture always intrigued her. Some of her favorite moments so far have been searching for elusive jaguars in the Pantanal of Brazil, crossing the famed Drake Passage on the way to Antarctica, and snorkeling with penguins in the Galapagos Islands.

Languages Spoken: English (native), Spanish (fluent)

Get in touch with Marci

Journal Entries by Marci Kolt

From Farm to Earth Oven to Table: Experiencing Pachamanca in Peru

By Marci Kolt
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Dec 28 2023

Peru’s cuisine has become world-famous over the last few years, home to four of the world’s [...]

The Best Hikes on Easter Island

By Marci Kolt
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Dec 19 2023

As a South America specialist at Vaya, my favorite adventures to arrange for our travelers are [...]

Cruise to Svalbard: Cooling Off In An Arctic Summer

By Marci Kolt
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Mar 31 2023

Years ago, when Vaya first began arranging trips to Antarctica, I was fortunate to be invited [...]

Flamingos in the desert - photo by Alto Atacama

All-Inclusive Resorts, Vaya Style

By Marci Kolt
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Jan 27 2020

When you hear “all-inclusive,” you might immediately think of a massive resort on the edge of [...]

Coca leaves

The Magic of the Coca Leaf

By Marci Kolt
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Nov 07 2019

It may come as a surprise and sound a little strange at first, but every hotel [...]

Rano Raraku

The Unexpected Side of Easter Island

By Marci Kolt
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Oct 28 2019

Easter Island is probably best known for its moai, the enormous and mysterious stone heads that [...]

The Most Fascinating Wildlife Habits in Antarctica

By Marci Kolt
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Mar 25 2019

Most trips to Antarctica involve a two-day crossing each way of the infamous Drake Passage, the [...]

The Baroness and her lovers (photo credit USC Special Collections/Zeitgeist Films)

The Human History of the Galapagos Islands… and a Murder Mystery

By Marci Kolt
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Mar 10 2019

“The gray outlines of the little fishing boat slowly faded in the mist lying over the [...]

Andean Bear at Inkaterra_photo courtesy of Inkaterra

The Real Paddington: Andean Spectacled Bears and Where to See Them

By Marci Kolt
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Jun 16 2018

You may remember from the popular children’s books that Paddington Bear, although found in a London [...]

Worth the Trip: A Visit to Paraty

By Marci Kolt
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Apr 21 2018

Throughout my years of planning trips to South America, Paraty has always been one of those [...]

Atacama Desert, Chile

A South America Specialist’s Favorite Travel Moments (So Far!) and 2018 Bucket List

By Marci Kolt
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Mar 07 2018

Every time I check one thing off my South America travel bucket list, I add about [...]

Tortoise reserve

A Typical Day in the Galapagos Islands

By Marci Kolt
|
Dec 27 2017

All around us, curious sea turtles popped their heads through the water’s surface like whack-a-moles. Marine [...]

Galapagos Marine Iguana

Wildlife Experiences Found Only in the Galapagos Islands

By Marci Kolt
|
Mar 09 2017

The first time I visited the Galapagos Islands, I assumed my experience there would be the [...]

From the very first contact I had with Marci I knew I wanted to travel with Vaya. She actually answered the phone the very first time I called and then followed up my call with an email within a matter of minutes and then responded to all my emails very promptly. I really enjoyed planning my trip with Marci, and I really believe that we had a fabulous trip because of Marci's planning and guidance.

Janet Mitchell

Marci was so attentive, helpful, knowledgeable, and nailed it on planning a perfect trip for us. If I were ever to meet her in person I would give her a big hug for a job well done. She was a big part of a seamless and memorable vacation.

Suzanne Balestrieri

Marci worked hard to make the trip what we wanted... From the moment we were picked up in Quito until we were dropped off at the airport in the Galapagos Islands, we were taken care of royally. Thank you, Marci!

Steve and Christine Theno

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