The northern coast of Colombia - Santa Marta, Taganga, Tayrona Park and Palomino We spent our last few weeks in Colombia beach hopping, moving east along the Caribbean Coast. From Cartagena we headed to Santa Marta, Colombia's oldest city but it's colonial heritage no longer exists due to English and Dutch pirates. It's visited mainly by middle-class Colombians as a holiday destination. The beach in Santa Marta isn't anything special but it's the gateway to Parq...

Cartagena The appartment we rented for Nicks birthday was on the spit of land to the right of the airport. The modern high rises fill the long stretch of Baranquilla beach. It is a wealthy area catered to affluent locals and ex pats. After 'slumming' it in hostels for the past 5 months the plush apartment was an amazing treat (thank you Linda and Andrew). We hadn't realised how much we had missed home comforts - a big comfy couch, a clean kitchen to cook in all ...

Medellin Medellin is definitely not what we expected. Since it's corrupt and political unrest it is obvious to see the cities major transformations and is now one of the most commercial and modern cities within South America. Lined with huge shopping malls, gourmet restaurants and vibrant, salsa dancing bars! We stayed in the up market, cosmopolitan area of El Poblado. This is where most of the hostels are based as well as the highest concentration of nightlif...

Salento Salento is in the heart of Colombia's coffee region. A small village that sits above the Valle de Còcora. The fertile rolling hills are filled with lush countryside and Colombia's national plant, wax palm, which grows up to 60m high. After travelling through Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador for the last 3 months we have become accustomed to the similar snow capped highlands, the indigenous Quechua people and the inca empire history. The 3 countries have a sim...

Cali - San Ciprianio A Colombian work colleague had told me what ever I do "don't go into the jungle, you look like money" I took it as compliment of sorts, but I would soon find out what he meant. We came back to Cali for one night before visiting the former African slave community now national park of San Cipriano deep in the jungle on the road to Buenaventura. It's often the case that going somewhere is good but the real excitement is the getting there. For ...