Hi crellston. I was planning for the northwest before getting deflected to the south, but had not come up with a specific itinerary. I am very interested in Colombia. Of course, I was also looking at Bolivia and Peru, and a small part of Venezuela, near Colombia, looked interesting, too. You might want to take a look at my friends' blog, as they were in that area in 2010. Start here: http://meckleyearth.blogspot.com/2010/09/i-love-cartagena.html

Continued, now I have a keyboard instead of an iPad.

crellston - interesting that you are worried about the security situation in Colombia, whereas I was more concerned abut Ecuador! That said, I would read the FCO advisories with care, as I think the situation has worsened a bit since my friends were there in 2010. I was thinking of spending some time in Cartagena, and some time in Bogota, and the nearby areas, but maybe flying south from there. I am less intrepid than my friends - not only are they younger and fitter, but there are two of them.

If you have not yet been to Bolivia I would put that near the top. Of the travelers I meet in SA who are doing the full tour it is more often than not the favorite. Salar (and lakes) is a must. I liked La Paz a lot, Potosi and then Sucre. The latter is popular with the younger backpacking set for its social scene.

If you are in Ecuador it is also possible to go to Peru via Jaen and Chachapoyas is an inexpensive location with lots to see. Had a great spotless HUGE room at Hotel La Casona Monsante at 50 soles per night.

Many thanks for the responses, having looked at your friends blog Thursdaysd, I can see why you are planning to go to Columbia. It looks fantastic. I haven looked at the FCO advisories for the region yet but will do. I suppose I am guilty of believing all the bad press about Columbia of a few years ago, ignoring the fact that things have improved radically. It was this article about the kidnapping of a British and Australian woman that prompted me to raise the point of security http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/southamerica/ecuador/9578267/Rescued-tourists-describe-Ecuador-kidnap-ordeal.html

But on re-reading it they were kidnapped in Ecuador albeit by a Columbian gang. I suppose the lesson here is to avoid the border areas.

Mlgb - thanks for the suggestions re Peru. Having read a lot of your posts I am very conscious that, although we spent a lot of time in Peru, we really didn't venture far off the "gringo trail". I will research the places you mention and maybe look at incorporating those into an overland route from Ecuador through Peru crossing into Bolivia via Titicaca . We had planned to do this on our last trip but they closed the borders because of the riots in La Paz.

Hey there,
I would travel through Colombia! It´s an amazing country and it has changed a lot in the last years...you shouldn´t worrie too much about security!
I´m living in Cartagena and I feel very safe here!
Besides the city is amazing, romantic, dynamic, has wonderful beaches around and you can feel the heat of the Caribbean!
If you wanna get some impressions, have a look here:
http://www.ticartagena.com/
http://www.ticartagena.com/en/galleries (here you can also join the flickr group to see more pictures of the city!)
Cheers!

CartaBH - thanks for your input and the links. I am still considering Columbia, my daughter in law spent some time there and loved it. It is her favourite country in SA. The flights from the uk are also a lot cheaper than to other SA countries. As far as security is concerned, you are probably right that I should not be too concerned. We lived in Sierra Leonne for a while a few years back. After that, Columbia should be a diddle!

crellston - have you read glover's thread from Columbia?

http://www.fodors.com/community/south-america/glovers-ongoing-report-2-months-in-colombia.cfm

I have now! Thanks rivet

Hope you'll blog if u decide to go to Colombia. Its on our list for 2014. glover's report spurred us on.