Colombia Spring 2015

Soldie

I'm looking to take 2-3 weeks off work this spring and head to Colombia. I've decided on there because I've heard great things about the place and it appears I can get a reasonably good deal on flights. Flying to other destinations in South America seems considerably more expensive.

What would you recommend in terms of a 2-3 week itinerary bearing in mind I'd likely be flying into Bogota? I'd rather take it handy seeing as it's a holiday so I'd prefer prioritising the must-see places instead of trying to cram absolutely everything in.

Can you advise on a total and daily budget that includes both accommodation and living expenses? Accommodation wise I'd be aiming higher than hostel dorms. I'm happy to be frugal but I like at least some basic privacy.

Soldie

Bump. Any takers?

dealhunter1985

You would have a great time in 3 weeks. We saved ourselves a lot of time by flying between cities.
LAN/ Avianca/ VivaColombia are pretty cheap and have many flights a day between the various cities.
You could maybe do a loop.. Bogota - Medellin - Cartagena - Santa Marta and back to Bogota for your flight home.

The highlight of the trip for me was Tayrona National Park which If I recall correctly is roughly an hour from Santa Marta by bus.
You could arrange a day trip with a tour operator or do what we did and take the public bus from Santa Marta which drops you literally outside of the entrance to the park. I do regret not spending the night in the park. You can rent hammocks, tents for peanuts.
The entrance fee to the park is the same regardless of how long you stay.

Cartagena is a nice town also to chill for a few days. Plenty of day trips that can be arranged with many of the hostels. If you check out this link it will give you plenty of info about whats on offer.. http://www.hostelmamallenacartagena.com/tours The street on which that hostel is located is quite popular amongst backpackers.
We booked a shuttle bus from Cartagena to Santa Marta using that hostel. It was like a 12 seater airconditioned vehicle. Was very comfortable and got us to Santa Marta in under 3 hours so I would recommend using them if you do decide to go that route.

Bogota and Medellin are impressive cities. Ensure to check out Monserrate in Bogota & Laguna de Guatape in Medellin. Try to get to Laguna de Guatape on a Monday or Tuesday when its quiet. Apparently it can get very crowded at the weekends.

Regarding accommodation, we stayed in nice 3/4 star hotels for our whole trip but it was pretty cheap considering there were three of us sharing the cost of the room. Per head we probably spent on average 30 USD a night.. It can vary though. Cartagena is much more expensive than Bogota/ Medellin for example. If you are travelling alone, you could consider getting a private room in the hostels. If that is something you may do, you would need to book well in advance . We considered it on occassion a couple of days before arriving in some cities, but there was never any availability at that late stage

Hope this helps get you started.

Soldie

Thanks for the tips, appreciated.

Any issues travelling alone?

dealhunter1985

Soldie wrote: »

Thanks for the tips, appreciated.

Any issues travelling alone?

I cant really comment on that because.... well I wasn't alone...
There is always going to be safety in numbers. I just think you would need to be a little more wary.

Meathlass

Soldie wrote: »

Thanks for the tips, appreciated.

Any issues travelling alone?

I travelled along there a number of years ago when there was a lot less tourists and had no problems.

Most hostels also have private rooms so it's a great way to get some privacy but still make friends in the common areas.