He is one of South America's few right wing leaders, and his strong leadership has seen some significant progress in reducing serious crime. Now, around a decade on from the termoil of the mid 90s, you are much less likely to see any serious issues or the crowds of security guards, although security is obviously still an issue. So how far has Colombia come? Is it a safe place to travel to? What does it have to offer?
Wealth of Diverse Landscapes
First of all with both a Pacific and Caribbean coast with excellent beaches, an Amazon region and an Andean region, the Colombians have undoubtedly got a good plot of land to work with. The vast majority of people are actual very friendly and hospitable. It reminded me of Brazil in this sense and many of the people would approach you and chat with no ulterior motive, just genuine friendliness and curiosity. The first time some experience this, they think that something is wrong and go on their guard, and this is understandable as the reputation places like Colombia have means you will naturally be suspicious of people.
The Main Cities in Colombia
I was very pleasantly surprised with both Bogota and Medellin, they both have a lot to offer. The vast majority of the more wealthy Colombians live in these two cities and many of the Colombians that moved to the US and Europe in the 80 and 90s to avoid any potential trouble, are repatriating back here. As a result all the services you’d expect from a large city are here, with excellent nightlife. Bogota also has very good public transport - probably the best I have experienced in South America.
Cali has had some problems in recent years, although crime is reported to have dropped considerably. I didn’t visit Cali, in part because of the bad reputation it had within Colombia and also there are far more picturesque cities and sites to see in the country. That said, if you have the Latin rhythm it is reputably a mecca for salsa lovers.
Other towns and cities I visited that are well worth a trip include Bucaramanga, Villa de Leyva, Cartegena, Popayan and Santa Marta. There is also a great nature reserve off the Pacific Coastline at Isla Gorgona. If you are still concerned about the troubles in Colombia, you can still visit San Andres, an archipelago in the Caribbean. It’s probably the countries biggest tourist destination, together with Cartegena, and there is everything you’d want from a Caribbean beach retreat, coupled with the Latin vibrancy to keep things interesting. Colombia also has an abundance of national parks and wildlife, for those looking to get off the beaten track. This is where you need to be more careful, but again if you take the usual safety measures you should be fine.
The weather and climate is generally very good and obviously being a tropical country it can get very hot. If you want to coincide your trip with major annual events, try and catch the Barranquilla Carnival (reputed to be the 2nd largest carnival in the world after Rio, but less commercial). Also the most important religious festival in Colombia is Semana Santa (Easter) and lasts a full week and certainly worth seeing in some of the larger towns and cities.
Colombia has one of Latin America’s fastest growing tourist industries with 2005 recording an increase of 18% in visitor numbers. This has been credited to falling crime rates, which have been helped by their President, Alvaro Uribe, who has taken a tough stance against the guerillas and paramilitaries alike. Ask someone about Colombia and whether you think you should go; if they haven’t been you will invariably get a negative response, ask someone who actually has been and it will invariably be very positive. The country has a lot to offer and if it's a place you have wanted to visit, don't be put off by the bad reputation as in my opinion it is a relatively safe place to travel if you travel sensibly.
Mike Walker - August 27th 2006
Wealth of Diverse Landscapes
First of all with both a Pacific and Caribbean coast with excellent beaches, an Amazon region and an Andean region, the Colombians have undoubtedly got a good plot of land to work with. The vast majority of people are actual very friendly and hospitable. It reminded me of Brazil in this sense and many of the people would approach you and chat with no ulterior motive, just genuine friendliness and curiosity. The first time some experience this, they think that something is wrong and go on their guard, and this is understandable as the reputation places like Colombia have means you will naturally be suspicious of people.
The Main Cities in Colombia
I was very pleasantly surprised with both Bogota and Medellin, they both have a lot to offer. The vast majority of the more wealthy Colombians live in these two cities and many of the Colombians that moved to the US and Europe in the 80 and 90s to avoid any potential trouble, are repatriating back here. As a result all the services you’d expect from a large city are here, with excellent nightlife. Bogota also has very good public transport - probably the best I have experienced in South America.
Cali has had some problems in recent years, although crime is reported to have dropped considerably. I didn’t visit Cali, in part because of the bad reputation it had within Colombia and also there are far more picturesque cities and sites to see in the country. That said, if you have the Latin rhythm it is reputably a mecca for salsa lovers.
Other towns and cities I visited that are well worth a trip include Bucaramanga, Villa de Leyva, Cartegena, Popayan and Santa Marta. There is also a great nature reserve off the Pacific Coastline at Isla Gorgona. If you are still concerned about the troubles in Colombia, you can still visit San Andres, an archipelago in the Caribbean. It’s probably the countries biggest tourist destination, together with Cartegena, and there is everything you’d want from a Caribbean beach retreat, coupled with the Latin vibrancy to keep things interesting. Colombia also has an abundance of national parks and wildlife, for those looking to get off the beaten track. This is where you need to be more careful, but again if you take the usual safety measures you should be fine.
The weather and climate is generally very good and obviously being a tropical country it can get very hot. If you want to coincide your trip with major annual events, try and catch the Barranquilla Carnival (reputed to be the 2nd largest carnival in the world after Rio, but less commercial). Also the most important religious festival in Colombia is Semana Santa (Easter) and lasts a full week and certainly worth seeing in some of the larger towns and cities.
Colombia has one of Latin America’s fastest growing tourist industries with 2005 recording an increase of 18% in visitor numbers. This has been credited to falling crime rates, which have been helped by their President, Alvaro Uribe, who has taken a tough stance against the guerillas and paramilitaries alike. Ask someone about Colombia and whether you think you should go; if they haven’t been you will invariably get a negative response, ask someone who actually has been and it will invariably be very positive. The country has a lot to offer and if it's a place you have wanted to visit, don't be put off by the bad reputation as in my opinion it is a relatively safe place to travel if you travel sensibly.
Mike Walker - August 27th 2006
Colombia | A Traveller's Guide
Without any of South America’s most famous tourist attractions, and it’s unshakable reputation for being the centre of the world’s cocaine trade, Colombia is often overlooked in favour of more 'visitor friendly' neighbours such as Peru or Ecuador. I’ve travelled extensively in South America and have enjoyed everywhere I have been, and Colombia is certainly no exception.
In a hotel bar in Colombia last year (2005), I got talking to an America, who had been to Colombia many times and had a better first hand experience than I did for it’s recent progress. He was explaining that when he was there during the early 1990s, early in the morning all the major hotels would have armed bodyguards waiting outside, ready to escort businessmen and travellers around the city. Colombia's current President is Alvaro Uribe who is currently in his second term of office.
In a hotel bar in Colombia last year (2005), I got talking to an America, who had been to Colombia many times and had a better first hand experience than I did for it’s recent progress. He was explaining that when he was there during the early 1990s, early in the morning all the major hotels would have armed bodyguards waiting outside, ready to escort businessmen and travellers around the city. Colombia's current President is Alvaro Uribe who is currently in his second term of office.
Kidnappings of tourists by guerrillas has made the press on a handful of occasions in the past. This is less likely to happen nowadays, and tends to be confined to more remote rural areas where the guerrillas are more active. When in the big cities, stick to the usual precautions you would when in a major city in your home country. If you wanted to go into a bad neighbourhood and get yourself into trouble you don’t have to travel to Colombia to do it, you can probably do it in your own country. Almost every major city in the world has at least one thing in common, and that is there are areas you wouldn’t want to be at 2 o’clock in the morning. Cities in Colombia are no different, and like other cities you have visited, they also have very nice areas, with great hotels, bars, restaurants and shops. Do check with authorities that it is safe to travel if you are travelling to any rural areas such as the rainforest or mountain regions.
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