Welltravbrit's Colombia - Statues, Tombs, and Carnaval!
Mar 11th, 2016, 12:10 PM
#41
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Finally back home from a trip to visit family in Ireland so it's time to wrap this up.
Yestravel I was amused to hear about the local response to Comuna 13, clearly they haven't heard it's on the tourist trail! To be cautious I do think it's a good place to go with a guide and if we went back we'd do the street art tour.
I've blogged about the rest of our trip to Medellin here and it covers the Botanical Gardens, the Minorista Market and the Museo de Antioquia/Botero Plaza, all of which we recommend.
http://www.somuchmoretosee.com/2016/...-medellin.html
Yestravel I was amused to hear about the local response to Comuna 13, clearly they haven't heard it's on the tourist trail! To be cautious I do think it's a good place to go with a guide and if we went back we'd do the street art tour.
I've blogged about the rest of our trip to Medellin here and it covers the Botanical Gardens, the Minorista Market and the Museo de Antioquia/Botero Plaza, all of which we recommend.
http://www.somuchmoretosee.com/2016/...-medellin.html
Mar 13th, 2016, 12:56 PM
#42
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Keen to finish this up, but I've been busy blogging and most of the rest of our Colombia trip will post on the blog over the next two weeks.
We travelled by air from Medellin to Cartagena and checked into the Tcherassi Hotel and Spa. Run by an Italian Fashion designer this is a lovely small hotel that's beautifully designed, modern and stylish. There are only eight rooms so it's very intimate and quite glamorous which I enjoyed, It made a great contrast to the small hotels and hostels we'd been staying in since we left Bogota.
Cartagena is a charming town which retains a local ambiance even in the face of rising tourism. I'd recommend coming off season and paying attention to the cruise ship schedule. We enjoyed the city precisely because it wasn't bursting with foreigners, we were there in mid-January, right after the major Colombian Christmas vacation ended and luckily for us there were no cruise ship docked at the port for the days we were there.
This is a colonial city with a defensive fortress wall which is reminiscent of the broad fortification surrounding Dubrovnik. It's a city of color and greenery, churches squares, music, balconies, bright houses, courtyards, doorways and hot sunshine. It was, as everyone suggested, very romantic. In fact it feels like the quintessential colonial Caribbean city.
Right now it's still lovely but on a crowded day, or when some of the new developments are built, and the locals are more an more marginalized, I could see that it could morph into a Disneyland for wealthy domestic travelers and North American weekenders.
There is every vibrant color you can imagine here from blues to pinks to purples and oranges, the streets and houses are quite lovely and there are blooming vines and bourganvilla everywhere. In fact there's almost everything except bland, or beige or cautiously tasteful. The colors stand up well to each other and the hot sun which is unrelenting.
You'll want to pop into some of the high end hotels which provide a wonderful opportunity to see several beautiful internal courtyards. We considered staying at The Sofitel Hotel Santa Clara which is beautifully converted from a 17th century convent. However, enjoyed the ambiance and I was shocked by the prices which we running over $800 per night. Instead ordered a couple of limonadas de coco and sat and read for an hour or two.
There's are often musicians playing in the square in front of the hotel both during the day and at night and we sat and listened to a jazz band from Cali one night. I bought lots of their cps to bring back for friends. I have to say music is my new favorite for bringing something home. It's portable, the money goes directly into the musicians pocket and it doesn't clutter up people's houses!
The truth is we did very little when we were in Cartegena beyond walking around, reading and eating. We didn't take any food or walking tours, visit the fort, or the market, or go out on a boat trip. As usual we were lazy tourists. We did walk the city walls, visit the small gold museum and walk over to Getsemani where we loved the street art. This is a working class neighborhood that's rapidly changing next to the old colonial city and it's well worth checking out. I'm currently putting together a blog post with picture which I'll post here when it goes up.
Restaurant Recommendations: I can recommend three meals we enjoyed in Cartegena, Carmen is a lovely restaurant (sister to the one in Medellin) situated in the interior courtyard of the Ananda Hotel. The food was excellent, interesting and fusion. It's well worth knowing that portions in Carmen, as in much of Colombia, are large so don't over order. I'd also recommend making a reservation in advance as they are very popular. The rooftop bar was recommended but we didn't make it up there. We enjoyed ceviche at La Cevicheria a well know seafood joint near the Santa Clara hotel. They don't take reservations and I don't like to wait so I suggest coming for a late lunch or an early dinner as we did. We also enjoyed a meal at Vera the restaurant in the Tcherassi Hotel where we were staying. I'd recommend it if you're looking for and elegant Italian meal, again you'll need a reservation particularly in the high season or on the weekend.
We enjoyed Cartagena precisely because we did so little. It was quite hot but we had a lovely relaxing time. It was quite a contrast to the wilder, rural places we'd been in the south but we very much enjoyed it.
We travelled by air from Medellin to Cartagena and checked into the Tcherassi Hotel and Spa. Run by an Italian Fashion designer this is a lovely small hotel that's beautifully designed, modern and stylish. There are only eight rooms so it's very intimate and quite glamorous which I enjoyed, It made a great contrast to the small hotels and hostels we'd been staying in since we left Bogota.
Cartagena is a charming town which retains a local ambiance even in the face of rising tourism. I'd recommend coming off season and paying attention to the cruise ship schedule. We enjoyed the city precisely because it wasn't bursting with foreigners, we were there in mid-January, right after the major Colombian Christmas vacation ended and luckily for us there were no cruise ship docked at the port for the days we were there.
This is a colonial city with a defensive fortress wall which is reminiscent of the broad fortification surrounding Dubrovnik. It's a city of color and greenery, churches squares, music, balconies, bright houses, courtyards, doorways and hot sunshine. It was, as everyone suggested, very romantic. In fact it feels like the quintessential colonial Caribbean city.
Right now it's still lovely but on a crowded day, or when some of the new developments are built, and the locals are more an more marginalized, I could see that it could morph into a Disneyland for wealthy domestic travelers and North American weekenders.
There is every vibrant color you can imagine here from blues to pinks to purples and oranges, the streets and houses are quite lovely and there are blooming vines and bourganvilla everywhere. In fact there's almost everything except bland, or beige or cautiously tasteful. The colors stand up well to each other and the hot sun which is unrelenting.
You'll want to pop into some of the high end hotels which provide a wonderful opportunity to see several beautiful internal courtyards. We considered staying at The Sofitel Hotel Santa Clara which is beautifully converted from a 17th century convent. However, enjoyed the ambiance and I was shocked by the prices which we running over $800 per night. Instead ordered a couple of limonadas de coco and sat and read for an hour or two.
There's are often musicians playing in the square in front of the hotel both during the day and at night and we sat and listened to a jazz band from Cali one night. I bought lots of their cps to bring back for friends. I have to say music is my new favorite for bringing something home. It's portable, the money goes directly into the musicians pocket and it doesn't clutter up people's houses!
The truth is we did very little when we were in Cartegena beyond walking around, reading and eating. We didn't take any food or walking tours, visit the fort, or the market, or go out on a boat trip. As usual we were lazy tourists. We did walk the city walls, visit the small gold museum and walk over to Getsemani where we loved the street art. This is a working class neighborhood that's rapidly changing next to the old colonial city and it's well worth checking out. I'm currently putting together a blog post with picture which I'll post here when it goes up.
Restaurant Recommendations: I can recommend three meals we enjoyed in Cartegena, Carmen is a lovely restaurant (sister to the one in Medellin) situated in the interior courtyard of the Ananda Hotel. The food was excellent, interesting and fusion. It's well worth knowing that portions in Carmen, as in much of Colombia, are large so don't over order. I'd also recommend making a reservation in advance as they are very popular. The rooftop bar was recommended but we didn't make it up there. We enjoyed ceviche at La Cevicheria a well know seafood joint near the Santa Clara hotel. They don't take reservations and I don't like to wait so I suggest coming for a late lunch or an early dinner as we did. We also enjoyed a meal at Vera the restaurant in the Tcherassi Hotel where we were staying. I'd recommend it if you're looking for and elegant Italian meal, again you'll need a reservation particularly in the high season or on the weekend.
We enjoyed Cartagena precisely because we did so little. It was quite hot but we had a lovely relaxing time. It was quite a contrast to the wilder, rural places we'd been in the south but we very much enjoyed it.
Mar 15th, 2016, 01:22 PM
#43
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Just put up a blog post on Museo de Arte Moderno de Medellin (MAMM) for anyone who is interested in the pictures...
http://www.somuchmoretosee.com/2016/...llin-mamm.html
http://www.somuchmoretosee.com/2016/...llin-mamm.html
Mar 19th, 2016, 10:52 AM
#46
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OK, wrapping this up!
I've just posted our Cartagena pictures, it really is the most colorful lovely place.
http://www.somuchmoretosee.com/2016/...caribbean.html
After Cartagena we headed back to Bogota which was an easy flight. As we'd missed the Gold Museum on our trip through Bogota (at the beginning of our holiday) we wanted to change our flight so we could catch the museum. Finally Avianca redeemed itself. After all the delays and hassles we turned up at the airport a few hours early and they put us on an earlier flight at no extra charge! I had enquired about changing the flights officially but an Avian employees in one of the lounges (a few days before) said the flights weren't busy that day so why not avoid the $50per ticket fee and just take your chance on the day.
After arriving in Bogota we picked up our bags at the Four Seasons where they had been very accommodating to keep them for several weeks. The rooms were very expensive for the one night stay so we opted to move to the nearby Artisan DC which is one of the Autograph chain. It as close enough to wheel our luggage around the corner. It's a Marriott boutique brand and I have to say I'd recommend the place. It wasn't as luxurious or glamorous as the Four Seasons but the service was good and it had a stylish vibe with a nice Asian fusion restaurant. More than adequate for a one night stay and somewhere I'd consider if we went back, another very good value.
We were so happy we'd changed the flight as we both LOVED the Gold Museum which is very impressive. Pictures and more details on the blog...
http://www.somuchmoretosee.com/2016/...ro-bogota.html
I imagined people raved about the museum because of their holdings of pre-Colombian art but the place is spectacular not just because of the extensive collection of gold but also because of the wonderful presentation of the works, the interpretation and the emphasis on both where and how the artifacts where worn and used, and on the cosmology, how and what they meant to those who made or used them.
When museums can connect us across time and space, through the objects they are exhibiting, they are doing a great job. The museum starts with a section on metalwork, smelting, techniques and various alloys, moves to a series of rooms discussing pieces in relation to specific local cultures and regions and then moves up a floor where the emphasis is on cosmology and the symbolic, the ways in which objects were used by shamans to invoke powerful spiritual forces.
Like so many museums today the Gold Museum has added an experiential element and their final room should not be missed. You enter in the dark and the circular room comes alive with the sounds of shamanic chanting. You stand in the half light between the objects and the sounds of ritual practice, reunited across a millennia. It's incredibly atmospheric and brings together the pieces and their usage, somehow unshackling them from the sterility of a museum display. It really helps you contextualize the pieces as cultural and spiritual artifacts. Don't miss it, it's easy to walk by if the doors are closed, it's on the right as you exit the display of the "Offering Raft". Just wait for a few minutes on the benches for the door to open.
After the Gold Museum we headed back to the hotel and met Yestravel and Gotravel for dinner at Abasto in Chapinero near our hotel, which some young Colombians had recommended to us. The food was good and they put an emphasis on local organic ingredients which was refreshing, but the place was empty so it didn't have too much going on in the way of atmosphere - though the decor was very hipster Brooklyn
. Presumably it's busier on the weekends.
It was so great to see Yestravel and Gotravel, it was a complete coincidence that we were in Bogota at the same time as we had no idea they had a trip to Colombia planned, and we'd booked on the spur of the moment. This keeps happening to us as we've now met up in Bogota, Paris, Bangkok, Burma and SF
. What are the chances?!!
I've just posted our Cartagena pictures, it really is the most colorful lovely place.
http://www.somuchmoretosee.com/2016/...caribbean.html
After Cartagena we headed back to Bogota which was an easy flight. As we'd missed the Gold Museum on our trip through Bogota (at the beginning of our holiday) we wanted to change our flight so we could catch the museum. Finally Avianca redeemed itself. After all the delays and hassles we turned up at the airport a few hours early and they put us on an earlier flight at no extra charge! I had enquired about changing the flights officially but an Avian employees in one of the lounges (a few days before) said the flights weren't busy that day so why not avoid the $50per ticket fee and just take your chance on the day.
After arriving in Bogota we picked up our bags at the Four Seasons where they had been very accommodating to keep them for several weeks. The rooms were very expensive for the one night stay so we opted to move to the nearby Artisan DC which is one of the Autograph chain. It as close enough to wheel our luggage around the corner. It's a Marriott boutique brand and I have to say I'd recommend the place. It wasn't as luxurious or glamorous as the Four Seasons but the service was good and it had a stylish vibe with a nice Asian fusion restaurant. More than adequate for a one night stay and somewhere I'd consider if we went back, another very good value.
We were so happy we'd changed the flight as we both LOVED the Gold Museum which is very impressive. Pictures and more details on the blog...
http://www.somuchmoretosee.com/2016/...ro-bogota.html
I imagined people raved about the museum because of their holdings of pre-Colombian art but the place is spectacular not just because of the extensive collection of gold but also because of the wonderful presentation of the works, the interpretation and the emphasis on both where and how the artifacts where worn and used, and on the cosmology, how and what they meant to those who made or used them.
When museums can connect us across time and space, through the objects they are exhibiting, they are doing a great job. The museum starts with a section on metalwork, smelting, techniques and various alloys, moves to a series of rooms discussing pieces in relation to specific local cultures and regions and then moves up a floor where the emphasis is on cosmology and the symbolic, the ways in which objects were used by shamans to invoke powerful spiritual forces.
Like so many museums today the Gold Museum has added an experiential element and their final room should not be missed. You enter in the dark and the circular room comes alive with the sounds of shamanic chanting. You stand in the half light between the objects and the sounds of ritual practice, reunited across a millennia. It's incredibly atmospheric and brings together the pieces and their usage, somehow unshackling them from the sterility of a museum display. It really helps you contextualize the pieces as cultural and spiritual artifacts. Don't miss it, it's easy to walk by if the doors are closed, it's on the right as you exit the display of the "Offering Raft". Just wait for a few minutes on the benches for the door to open.
After the Gold Museum we headed back to the hotel and met Yestravel and Gotravel for dinner at Abasto in Chapinero near our hotel, which some young Colombians had recommended to us. The food was good and they put an emphasis on local organic ingredients which was refreshing, but the place was empty so it didn't have too much going on in the way of atmosphere - though the decor was very hipster Brooklyn
. Presumably it's busier on the weekends. It was so great to see Yestravel and Gotravel, it was a complete coincidence that we were in Bogota at the same time as we had no idea they had a trip to Colombia planned, and we'd booked on the spur of the moment. This keeps happening to us as we've now met up in Bogota, Paris, Bangkok, Burma and SF
. What are the chances?!!
Mar 23rd, 2016, 04:42 PM
#47
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I've just posted a longer review with pictures of the Tcherassi Hotel and Spa in Cartagena which we enjoyed. I'd recommend it if you're looking for a stylish boutique property in the old city.
http://www.somuchmoretosee.com/2016/...ena-hotel.html
http://www.somuchmoretosee.com/2016/...ena-hotel.html
Mar 27th, 2016, 06:05 PM
#48
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Not sure if anyone is still following along but just in case
AS I mentioned above we really enjoyed walking around Getsemani a working class neighborhood of Cartagena. There's some wonderful street art here and it's quite a contrast to the perfection of the tourist quarter. Anyway here's a blog post on some of the street art we saw in Getsemani...
http://www.somuchmoretosee.com/2016/...cartagena.html
AS I mentioned above we really enjoyed walking around Getsemani a working class neighborhood of Cartagena. There's some wonderful street art here and it's quite a contrast to the perfection of the tourist quarter. Anyway here's a blog post on some of the street art we saw in Getsemani...
http://www.somuchmoretosee.com/2016/...cartagena.html
Mar 27th, 2016, 10:42 PM
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Hi Yestravel - glad you're still following along, I know you enjoyed Getsemani too. When we think about any upcoming destinations we can't help wondering if you will be heading that way too!
Apr 14th, 2016, 04:50 PM
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Well it has taken me ages but I've finally written the last blog post on our Colombia trip, as usual right as I think about buying tickets for the next trip!
This is a consolidated post my top tips for anyone planning a visit to Colombia, hopefully it will be useful for someone here on Fodors.... essentially lots of tips, links and photos. The gist is go beyondf Cartegena, do some walking, be safe, think about going to Carnaval, see some history, visit a colonial town, drink the juice, visit the markets, go south, see some street art and have fun!
http://www.somuchmoretosee.com/2016/...-colombia.html
This is a consolidated post my top tips for anyone planning a visit to Colombia, hopefully it will be useful for someone here on Fodors.... essentially lots of tips, links and photos. The gist is go beyondf Cartegena, do some walking, be safe, think about going to Carnaval, see some history, visit a colonial town, drink the juice, visit the markets, go south, see some street art and have fun!
http://www.somuchmoretosee.com/2016/...-colombia.html
Apr 22nd, 2016, 11:21 AM
#52
Hi WTB - checked your blog but don't see any way to contact you. I was looking through the sadly few threads here on Central Asia, and came across one of yours from way back for what looked like a great RTW, but it stopped before you really started. Did you get to Central Asia, and how did Stan Tours work out? TIA.
Apr 23rd, 2016, 09:41 PM
#53
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Hi Thursdaysd,
If you go to the "Who" page on my blog you'll find my contact details welltravbrit (at) gm...
We did indeed go on that insane trip for my 40th birthday, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, India, The Maldives and after a couple of nights in Bangkok I went to see as friend in Yunnan for a week. The craziest RTW we've ever done! I did use Stan Tours and they worked out well for us. Feel free to email if you want anymore pointers...
If you go to the "Who" page on my blog you'll find my contact details welltravbrit (at) gm...
We did indeed go on that insane trip for my 40th birthday, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, India, The Maldives and after a couple of nights in Bangkok I went to see as friend in Yunnan for a week. The craziest RTW we've ever done! I did use Stan Tours and they worked out well for us. Feel free to email if you want anymore pointers...
Jul 17th, 2016, 03:01 PM
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Crellston, Thanks so much for your kind words, I haven't been on the board for ages so I missed this. We've been on another trip - hopefully I'll start on a trip report for Cuba and Mexico City soon! Delighted you found some practical advice on Colombia on the blog. It makes the whole thing seem worthwhile when you get feedback like this, much appreciated .
.
Jul 23rd, 2016, 01:29 PM
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Thanks for posting your detailed trip report and the link for theflightdeal.com. both of which I am finding very useful. We are going to Columbia in Jan. and who knows where else the flightdeal link might take us.
Mexico City and the colonial cities are high on our list, also.
Mexico City and the colonial cities are high on our list, also.
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