Travel
Cartagena’s Party Buses
By NickAtNight on May 16, 2011
In the US, it is illegal to have open containers of alcohol in motor vehicles. Not so in Colombia, at least if you're in a chiva. Colombia's well known party buses ply the streets of Cartagena, Medellin and Bogota, offering tourists a nighttime tour of the cities that gets fuzzier and fuzzier as the night progresses. Charging a flat flee of between $15 and $30, the more...
Extending Your Colombian Visa
By JoshCase on May 16, 2011
Colombia promotes itself internationally with advertisements proclaiming that "The only danger is not wanting to leave." For many, that danger becomes a reality. Countless travelers each year max out their time in Colombia and when their visa is about to expire discover themselves saying, "But I want to stay!" If this happens to you, here is one trick for extending more...
Scopolamine: Colombia’s Date Rape Drug
By NickAtNight on May 13, 2011
It is colorless, odorless, and tasteless. It can be surreptitiously sprinkled into a drink or onto food. The victim appears largely normal, unaffected, meaning it can be administered in a restaurant, in a bar, without drawing attention. Yet its effects are devastating, unlike any other drug. The victim completely loses his or her will, becomes completely passive, more...
Paragliding In Medellin For $80
By Colombia Beat on May 4, 2011
Medellin certainly doesn't lack for things to do. For the tamer among us, there are parks, museums, four soccer teams, world-class shopping, great food and, of course, the nightlife. But if these diversions fall to spark your blood or if you prefer a touch of danger, Mr. Bond, Medellin also offers some of the best paragliding you're likely to encounter near any major more...
National Geographic Names Top 5 Hotels
By Colombia Beat on April 28, 2011
National Geographic Traveler recently published its list of leading hotels in South America 2011, and five Colombian hotels were included in the prestigious magazine's list of top places to stay. Basing its recommendations on authenticity, ecological sustainability, and social responsibility, NatGeo recognized three hotels that are a bit off the beaten track, but also more...
New Passport Application More Invasive
By JoshCase on April 27, 2011
The US State Department recently submitted an expanded passport application that, if adopted, would require significantly more information from applicants. The new Form DS-5513, available from papersplease.org, would require passport-seekers to submit lifetime employment and residence histories among other information. Ostensibly, the new application would appear to more...
Fare Sale To Colombia
By JoshCase on April 24, 2011
Have you been putting off your trip to Colombia because air fares seemed just a bit too pricey? Now may be the opportunity you've been waiting for. American Airlines is currently offering cut rate fares to Bogota, Cali, and Medellin. For example, Philadelphia to Medellin is just $752 and LA to Cali is only $694. These are the lowest fares we've seen for some more...
Medellin, Cali Among NYTimes Favorite Destinations
By Colombia Beat on April 12, 2011
The readers of the New York Times have spoken and, for the second year in a row they've said, "Colombia!" In a recent article, the New York Times interactively listed its readers' top picks for travel destinations in 2011 -- Cali was ranked #16 and Medellin #36. The popularity of Colombia continues to explode and it's likely that the only reason Cartagena did not make more...
Tulcán Cemetery Harbors Stephen King Surprises
By Colombia Beat on April 9, 2011
There's not much to do in Tulcán, Ecuador, near the border, so when I queried a taxi driver about sites to see and he told me the cemetery, I thought he was tacitly confirming that there was, in fact, not much to do in Tulcán. Asking around, I learned that the cemetery was only a few blocks from my hotel so, with nothing else to do one afternoon, I wandered to the more...
Crossing the Colombia-Ecuador Border Overland
By Colombia Beat on April 6, 2011
If you plan to head south by land from Colombia into Ecuador, you'll be traveling a path traveled by few gringos. However, the wonderfully friendly people of southern Colombia, the spectacular mountain views, coupled with a painless border crossing, make this trip off the beaten path well worth the effort. The Pan-American highway (in Spanish, the Interamericana) is more...
Colombian Peso Exchange Rate