Just Back From Colombia With Susan Morley
I just returned from a visit to Colombia over the holidays (after my Antarctica cruise had to be postponed a year).
TELL US ABOUT YOUR TRIP: In mid-December, my friends & I boarded an easy 5-hour flight from Dallas to Bogota. Our 14-day adventure took us to Bogota, Medellin, and Cartagena, along with time in the coffee region of Colombia (in the Andes Mountains), and some beach time in the Caribbean. Colombia is one of the most diverse destinations in the world with two oceans, a variety of micro-climates, vibrant cities, astonishing wildlife, and plenty of things to do including hiking, kayaking, rafting, bird-watching, horseback riding, diving, and more.
HOW IS THE CLIMATE: Colombia is near the equator and does not experience the four seasons as we do in North America; instead, they have dry and wet seasons. December to March is considered the dry season, making it the best time of the year to visit. Bogota, in the Andes and the highlands, tends to be cooler with an average daytime temperature of 67. Medellin, the city of Eternal Spring, has an average year-round temperature in the low 80's. While Cartagena, on the Caribbean coast, is more humid with an average temperature in the high 80's.
WHERE DID YOU STAY: In Bogota, we stayed at the Sofitel Victoria Regina, which is located in a great area with loads of fabulous restaurants, designer boutiques, and other 5* hotels. It was the perfect place for our short stay in Bogota.
Near the community of Armenia, we stayed at the Hacienda Bambusa, a working cacao plantation on 400 lush acres. The view from our rooms looked out to a beautiful pool and tropical gardens. With only 8 rooms, you truly feel like you are in someone’s home. If you’ve seen the movie Encanto, our hotel looked a lot like the hacienda in the film, and in fact, the hacienda housed the production staff as they developed the movie. Our guide Camilo was also their guide and he scored a character, named after him, in the movie.
In the beautiful walled city of Cartagena, we stayed at the Casa San Agustin. This boutique hotel had 31 rooms and was lovingly restored from 3 homes, and kept some walls and beams in order to maintain the feel of colonial times when these properties were first built.
Hotel Las Islas on Baru Island, is a sophisticated, environmentally conscious beachfront retreat, with luxurious treehouses and beachfront accommodations along with electric golf carts and bicycles to get you around the large property. We stayed in the treehouses and even with 50 steps up (and down) to get to our thatched roof luxury accommodations, we loved being perched about the treetops to see the amazing birds, monkeys, and view of the ocean.
In Medellin, we stayed at the charming El Patio del Mundo boutique hotel, which had an amazing breakfast set in their lovely garden and was located in a neighborhood of many great restaurants and bars. Each room is unique and decorated in a theme from a different country… our rooms featured India, Africa, and Bali and were each very unique.
WHAT WERE SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS: Colombia has something for everybody. In Calandaria, the historic center of Bogata, and in Comuna 13 in Medellin, we discovered a treasure trove of street art. The colorful murals and graffiti have gained international notoriety. Street art has become a sought-after tourist attraction and has helped to transform once rough neighborhoods into thriving communities.
We also spent a special day rafting down the Rio La Vieja on a bamboo raft and hiked to a beautiful four-story waterfall called Mana bi. The falls were picture perfect, there were howler monkeys high up in the trees and for lunch, we enjoyed a local dish called Fiambre, filled with chicken, yucca, potato, and rice served wrapped in conga leaves, served with cold beer, it was delicious with!
While in Cartagena, we enjoyed a fun cooking class with a French-trained chef where we learned to make Ajiaco, a fabulous corn and potato soup. We sampled the local rum and went emerald shopping. Cartagena's, El Centro district, features perfectly preserved colonial buildings with charming streets, unique boutiques, ample restaurants, and bars to discover.
To get to Baru Island, we sailed on a 35 ft. catamaran. Although you can reach Baru in less than an hour from Cartagena, we spent most of the day enjoying our private catamaran, along with snorkeling, and a delicious lunch. The next day we secured another boat to take us to another island, for another snorkel adventure where we saw much more fish than our earlier adventure and the coral was outstanding, lots of purple, green, yellow, and rose colors!
WHAT DID YOU EAT: We ate all types of wonderful food and feasted on fish, steak, and lamb. Our meals were served with wonderful Argentine wines and local beers which are sold at a fraction of US prices. Of course, we also tried the typical Colombian foods including arepas, empanadas, and coconut lemonade (Limonada de Coco).
WHAT ARE THE COVID RESTRICTIONS: At the time of our trip in December 2021, we were required to show proof of vaccination to enter the country and enter restaurants; masks were to be worn outdoors in the cities. Rules and regulations change frequently, and of course one of the things I do with all my travelers is to keep them informed of these requirements.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Although Colombia has a fairly recent history of drug wars, the country has changed, and we felt safe at all times. The locals are warm, welcoming, and are thrilled and grateful to welcome back visitors. Colombia is a great destination for people who have a sense of adventure but also like beautiful hotels and fine dining. We always had guides to help us get the most out of what we were seeing and experiencing, and I believe this is the best way to travel anyplace in the world. This itinerary was designed specifically for me and my traveling companions, ... but contact me to put together a trip that is perfect for you!