My Recent Trip to Colombia
Andy James with James TravelPOINTS recently visited Colombia South America, visiting Bogota, Cartagena and the islands off the coast.
This past February I had the opportunity to travel to Colombia South America as a possible destination our company may want to promote and recommend. At first I considered why any American would want to travel to Colombia with its history of drug cartels and problems. I can tell that after I returned from Colombia, I would go back because the country is progressive and very welcoming. (Click here to read more)
Colombia South America has a perception problem, the drug cartels and media have created an image of a country that is hostile, dangerous and unsafe for tourist to visit. On the contrary, I found the country to be hospitable and friendly. Everywhere I traveled I did not feel my personal safety was at risk. Most Americans tend to shy away from travel into Colombia because of media attention and perception that has existed over the past years. Colombia is a beautiful South American country that has a vibrant economy and progressive society. The President of Colombia Alvaro URIBE Velez has taken a strong stance against the drug cartels during his term and has done a good job of eliminating their presents in the country. But like any area of the world, you still need to be alert and be aware of your surroundings, whether traveling in South America, Europe or New York City. Smart travelers don’t put themselves at risk or in situations that would put their safety at risk. Smart travelers don’t go into parts of a city that are not safe or recommended. They don’t flash a lot of cash and jewelry or wander around the city late in the evening. When travelers use common sense and remember they are not in the United States anymore, that the landscape and culture is very different than where they come from, they usually don’t have any issues anywhere they go.
My travel into Colombia started in Bogotá, a large city of 8 million people situated at 9,000 feet above sea level. The city is typical of a lot of South American cities, large and sprawling, lots of traffic, people and clusters of buildings. The old city of Bogotá is worth visiting for a day of sightseeing.
Our journey continued north to Cartagena where we spent the next 2 nights sightseeing and exploring many of the fine boutique hotels in the old city and many of the large properties located along the beach in Boca Grande, a separate area off to the southwest of Cartagena. The weather is nice, warm and humid with temperatures around 80 – 85 degrees, very tropical. Cartagena, an old walled Fortress that the Spanish colonized and built in the 1600 century, now a thriving tourist destination. Most of the major cruise ships stop in Cartagena during there voyage through the Panama Canal. The old city was built within the fortress walls, the streets are narrow the buildings 2-3 stories tall with many small boutique hotels, shops, restaurants, plazas, parks, churches and residents all incorporated within the city. The wall provided safety to the citizens during the patriot days of the 1600 and now provides a historical haven for tourist to see and experience. The city has a very heavy Spanish architectural influence. We spent the first couple of days walking around and visiting many hotels in the Cartagena area. During the evening our small group sampled many of the fine local restaurants and took advantage of a horse-drawn carriage ride of the old city during the evening.
On our 3rd day we boarded a 25 passenger speed boat and took off to the “out” islands located 30 or so miles off the coast of Cartagena. We visited 4 or 5 different Islands that cater to day trippers seeking an island experience for the day. Each island has its own unique traits for travelers who wish to spend a day or a couple of days relaxing on these islands. Some of the islands and accommodations vary in comfort and services. A few of the islands were a step above “beach camping”, similar to Gilligan’s Island and others were quant, romantic islands with gorgeous beaches and ocean views, similar to the Corona Beer commercials. At the end of the day we ended up staying on an island called Punta Faro, an island located about 60 miles off the coast of Cartagena. The owner of the island showed us around and told us about the property. The island has 3 large generators to power the electricity and a desalination water treatment facility to provide the fresh water. The island can accommodate approximately 40 – 50 guests per night and the rooms are quaint and very nice. Everything on the island has to be brought in by boat on a weekly basis, food, fresh vegetables, fruits etc. This particular island has one unique feature, a clay tennis court. Later in the afternoon I was talking with the owner and asked him why a tennis court on an island that is 60 miles from no-where in the middle of the ocean. Colombia is not a “tennis” destination. It turns out the owner is a tennis player and he likes to play tennis. I told him I was an avid tennis player and he invited me to play tennis with him the next morning. He provided me with tennis shoes, my own ball boy and tennis racquet. We played a couple of hours and had a marvelous time, the owner was a very good tennis player.
Later in day we left the island and toured a couple more islands before we visited our last island resort on Baru. This resort was the nicest and largest of all the island properties visited. An all-inclusive property similar to resorts located along the Riviera Maya in Mexico. Just recently opened in February 2010, the rooms are designed in a Caribbean Spanish theme, the public pools are large and inviting and the beach is long and cozy. Tennis is available on site and golf is nearby. We returned back to Cartagena for our last night while staying in a boutique hotel within the old city, very charming. The food and seafood was great in Cartagena, lots of fresh juice, fruit and great coffee.
An area we did not see but heard a lot about was the Coffee Triangle area. The land of the coffee is located in the mountainous region and offers ecotourism and a glimpse of the rural traditions of coffee plantations along with the natural conservations parks, ecological attractions, hot springs and bird watching. One of the luring aspects about this area is the historic haciendas and boutique hotels that have cropped up over the years, reminiscent of the early settlers. The local haciendas are the starting point for most day tours that include a blend of culture, cuisine and tradition. This is an ideal get-away for 2 – 4 days in conjunction with Cartagena.
While I was down there, I was able to meet with many different local tour providers, ground operators and hotel vendors to line up contracts and relationships for future travel requests. These companies we choose to work with have been working with the American traveler for years, providing quality knowledgeable travel service and expertise. These companies are local, they know the market and they know what the American Traveler expects. I had first hand experience traveling with many of these operators and I know the quality of their people and services provided. These reputable companies allow us the flexibility to customized packages into Colombia for individuals and small groups. Our direct relationship with these tour providers allows us the ability to give you a unique experience at a great price.
Colombia is a destination with culture and relaxation. I would highly recommend anyone with a sense of adventure to visit and explore Colombia. Give us a call and we can help you arrange a customized trip with very reputable local tour companies that will take care to make you and give you a great experience with many memories. For information you can contact us at 1-800-626-3483 and speak with Turner or Andy James.
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