Bump Any other recommendations? We leave next week, and decided to book a flight to check out Medellin for 2 or 3 days as well. Might also have a 1 day and 1 night layover in Bogota.
Do you have any hidden compartments in your luggage? A friend of mine has a package for me in Bogota. Could you pick it up and return it? It would sure save us a lot of trouble.
Dude we need to meet up. I'm in Bogota right now and just got back from Cartagena yesterday. You are going to love it here (especially if you are single). As far as women, Medellin is tops. You do need to be careful like you would in any major city, but I have been living here practically the last 4-5 years and have never run into any major problems. The safety issue is not a real problem if you stay within the main cities. Plus there are a ton of gringos here now so its not a big deal.
Definitely looking forward to Medellin. As far as where else to go, we haven't really planned much. We are flying into Cartagena and out of Medellin (still need to book our flight on Aires from Santa Marta to either Medellin or Pereira). Aires Airlines seems to be the cheapest way to fly around Colombia, and we're debating between a few different options. After we visit the northern coast (Cartagena, Taganga, Tayrona Park, etc.), would you recommend Medellin for three days and Bogota for a day -OR- Medellin for three days and the coffee growing region for a day (Pereira, Manizales, etc.)? Also, where do you suggest we go on the northern coast? Right now we're thinking Cartagena, Taganga, Tayrona Park. Is Barranquila worth a visit? Where are the best beaches along the coast? Thanks in advance!
I've dated a Columbian woman for 3 month and she already wanted me to marry her. That's not really an issue, but she wanted me to marry her in Paipa Colombia...her hometown. I freaked out and cut communication with her. Sounds like she wanted to use me as a way to get fiancee visa so she can become illegal residence in the states. She was already talkin about having kids and she would like to have her family come live with us later on. I don't think that's true love, that's just her doin what she had to do for her poor family in expense of me. Just a warning for you guys looking to pick up Colombian woman.
I've been researching the U.S. immigration visa system for my own reasons and the visa system is nothing like you've described at all.
First of all, Aires prices are similar to Avianca's and Copa's within Colombia, sometimes one beats the other, but be sure to do some research with each one before you decide. Tayrona is incredible. I reccommend that you camp inside the park for a few days and explore all of the different kinds of beaches they have (there is a nude one as well) as well as the trails and waterfalls. Tayrona is truly a wonder of nature, with scenes straight out of a Discovery Channel "Earth" series. I would pass right through Barranquilla and head for Cartagena instead. Its a bit further from Santa Marta but its much better as far as tourism and scenic history. Spend the day visiting the "old town" as well as the fort and enjoy a Cocktail at "Cafe del Mar" when the sun is setting. As far as Bogota vs the Coffee Region, I think it all depends on what you want. If you want the nature aspect and to get away from the city, Pereira and Armenia are really nice. Bogota is the capital and the metropolis of the country. You will find that it has the best nightlife out of any city in Colombia. It is like most major cities, congested, dirty but it has great places like "93 Park" and "Zona Rosa" with lots of great clubs and nightlife. The women in general are not as hot as other cities like Medellin, Pereira and Cali but you will have a great time. Be careful with picking up really fine looking women with fake breasts and asses at clubs and bars in Medellin as well as Pereira Armenia. Lots of times these women are the girlfriends of Narco's and they are scandalous as hell. The last thing you want is a jealous drug trafficker pissed off at you. Like you've stated if you don't "pick up" a girl naturally, you can always rent one for the night. In Colombia they call these places "nightclubs" but rather than the typical striptease and lapdance they are basically brothels. Lots of the "pros" as we call them are operated, super hot and 18-23. Although the prices vary but generally really low between $50 - $150, like all services, you get what you pay for. Hope this was helpful. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Thanks for the tips! Another option we were thinking about is bypassing Bogota and checking out Villa de Leyva instead. Ever been there? Also, how are the buses in Colombia? Would it be possible to leave Malizane/Pereira early on a Tuesday morning and make it back to the Medellin airport in time for a 3:00pm flight? Any ideas as to what the best bus service is? Where would you say the single best beach on the coast is? (Cartagena, Santa Marta, Taganga, Tayrona, Islas del Rosario)? Is Islas del Rosario worth a visit?
With 9 days and 9 nights do you recommend we split our time evenly along the northern Coast and Medellin/the surrounding area (Pereira, Manizales, Armenia, etc.)? Or should we spend more time in one region over the other? How many days do you recommend in and around Tayrona?
Guess I'll make a contribution..... <iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/tdw5Yx8yqmM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
I am in San Andres now. Johnny Cay is an amazing little island! By the way, I guess this is a Colombian thing, but I already saw two women today who not only had breast implants, but also BUTT implants.
Too good to view again... I think everyplace has a little danger, some more than others...how was it?
