Faithie goes to Isla Providencia Colombia!!!
 

Hi Fodorite friends.
Booked yesterday for departure tomorrow for Isla Providencia, Colombia! Yeah!

I haven't even started a trip report of our Isla Boca Brava, Panama Xmas trip!

It will be a "double whammy" when we return.

Faithie

I really need to get to the boards more often. Just learning that bellaboo is Faithie!

Have a wonderful (as always) trip!

Yes, have a wonderful time and we'll all look forward to hearing all about it. Happy trails!

Congratulations!!!!! I'm so jealous. Where are you staying, and how did you manage the reservations???

I love the look of the airport in Providencia. Ever read the book 'Don't Stop the Carnival'? I just imagine that Providencia is what that fictitious island must look like.

Enjoy. Can't wait to hear what you think of it.

Jean

Hi Guys....

Yes, Faithie is now "Bellaboo" since the purchase of a laptop. I tried logging in as faithie and it wouldn't let me...? Anyway!

We finally managed to get hotels through Helga on San Andres. She was wonderful. We are at the Cocoplum Beach Hotel on San Andres the first and last night. And on Providencia we are at Hotel Sirius, for 5 nights.

Quite an ordeal to get hotels indeed!

So excited. Although I'm so enamoured with Panama now, I'm a bit sad not to be going there. But, hey....not complaining. How lucky am I!? And my children....the places they've been to!

It's all good.

Faithie, I'll be looking forward to BOTH reports--have a great trip!

C'mon get busy faithie, a trip report to be written and one waiting in the wings! Take lots of pics of course!

Jean - great book!

I'll look for that book Jean, Thank You!

I know, I know Tully....I've been a slacker, lol!!!

bellaboo, I found you on a CR - Dominical question. Good to hear that you are traveling and as usual to an interesting (to all of us "followers" - well at least "followers of your posts!") location. I had to read Jean H.'s and your posts on Beautiful Caribbean Colombia to find out where Isla Providencia was. Can't wait to read the posts of this trip and see your photograpy once again. It has been one of the coldest winters in SD but due to elective surgery, no extended travels for me. DH is in Florida golfing as I type :) Safe Travels. Dyer

Hi "Dyer"!!

Hope all's well.

Just back as of 3:30 am. Old Providence Island Colombia was truly amazing. An "expeirence" to say the least..... Amazing physical beauty, interesting history, unique culture, off the beaten track, wish I was there!!!

Pics and trip report to follow. Have some incredible shots!!!

Welcome home - can't wai to hear all about it!

Welcome back!! Our city of 16,000 is hosting the State Varsity Hockey Tournament thus I am volunteering all day tomorrow. My 20 yr. old son is home from St. Cloud State on spring break so he got to see the hometown team win today and we will all go tomorrow as they play the number 1 seed. It has really been cold here, which is unusual for this late in the winter but it's suppose to warm up now. I wonder how your young man's hockey team did this year? Will be watching for your report!!!!

Willems team did just so-so...but thats ok.

Tons & tons of snow here, but it hasn't been a very cold winter.

Report soon!

Welcome home! I can't wait to read your report and see your pictures.

The latest issue of 'Sport Diver' magazine has an article on Providencia.

I don't want the place to get too popular, but I sure wish it was easier to get to and find a place to stay.

Hi Jean,

I don't want it to change either....(selfish of me maybe?)

I hope it never becomes another San Andres, which was ok in it's own way, but nothing even close to the allure of Old Providence....

Faith

Iknow, I know.....I'm a slacker. Pics before the report, lol!!!!

Wonderful - thanks for sharing!! The water is gorgeous, looks like my kind of place!

The water was crazy beautiful.....looking at the island from out at sea is like looking at a rugged green gem in a sea of turquoise. It's incredibly beautiful.

Wow, faithie! What an excellent job you did of capturing the local color. LOVED the yellow curtains, the orange and green railing, the kids on the tire and so many more. You weren't kidding about that water! Beautiful--and so clear. Thanks so much for sharing! No question who the photographer was--you were only in that first photo! :)

Awesome photos. How did you fly there? Did you have a direct flight and was it a package deal that you had?

Thank You Jill....(I was in a "few" more but chose not to post them, lol! I like the curtain shot as well.

We flew from Montreal to San Andres on Air Transat, a large charter that sells all inclusive deals. We buy "air-only" at last minute to get the best deal(they liquidate the seats).

We then took a domestic flight to Old Providence.

Loved your pictures, Faithie!

I want to know more about this. Seems you can get such good deals out of Montreal. Better than what we can do down here.

My two daughters will be in Montreal next weekend. The older booked a trip for her and her BF, then he had a conflict with work last minute. Our younger daughter is goin down for a long weekend to keep her company. It's her birthday weekend, so they'll have a good time. Will it be pretty cold? Sweater weather or coats?

Looking forward to your report, and I may e-mail you at some point to pick your brain for finer details.

My e-mail is [email protected]

What beautiful pics! From the air it looks a little like Bonaire which isn't too, too far from there. Now what about that trip report!?

Trip report in the works, lol!!!

Thanx for the compliments.

And JIll....Definately coats, and take the sweaters as well!

WE still have TONS of snow. We have had numerous deaths in Quebec in the last 2 weeks from roofs collapsing from the intense weight of snow. We were buried here this winter, TONS and tons of snow.

Montreals a very cool town. I'll help no prob.

PS The deals out of here can be "crazy" good.... The week before we booked our San Andres trip it was grand total $254.oo Montreal-SanAndres. Yes, return, all taxes in. Panama was the same and Costa Rica maybe $10 more...
The catch is that you need to "wait" & the week we needed to depart was March Break here in MOntreal so demand was higher thus prices didn't drop as much as the previous week. (still a good deal)
The bonus of living in cold Canada is lots, and lots of us like to go south! Thus the birth of things like selloff, lol!

That's just amazing. Do you book your hotel ahead of time and then count on airfare last minute? Does it ALWAYS work?

Thanks for the weather tips. Any suggestions as far as "must do's?" They are arriving Thursday, leaving Tuesday a.m.

First we choose our dates. We then start looking a month ahead at a few destinations we are interested in(this time it was Panama, San Andres, Costa Rica). I do the legwork of calling and emailing the hotels we like in each spot to check if there is availability. Then we just wait it out. Prices really drop 10 days before, then again 1 week before. Once it's in our affordable range we buy. This time we really wanted to see Providence so it was our priority. This last time we booked on Tuesday....left on Thursday!
It's how we did our 2 Panama trips, Costa Rica last year, and Yelapa as well.

Hi Faithie
my wife is in Cali now , she is visiting her family is there
I will be going there in 3 weeks then we are suppose to go to Providencia for 2 days ,I like to dive .can you give me the scoop on this neat looking island,hotels,dive shops, where to go,restraunts and someone told me to stay in a little hotel that is across the footbridge.My wife is telling me it is better in San Andres but I like the get away from people thing, please help

hi! can any one give some more details on providencia these days? catfishdon, how was your trip? we are thinking of going in august. where did you stay, how was it? hope to hear from you soon, as we are trying to get a last minute trip together...
thanks!