Frommer's South America, 2004

albertacanada says on Jan 6, 2006, 14:25:

I am planning my first trip to Colombia in February , Any advice ?

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Tinto (Moderator) says on Jan 6, 2006, 14:27:

Tourism FWIW I *think* I heard this correctly on RCN or Carocol a couple of weeks ago: Cartagena in 2005 had the highest number of visitors since 1992

0 funny, 0 helpful.

toneloc24 says on Jan 6, 2006, 14:35:

Lonely Planet ...has one specifically for Colombia. It only covers the areas regarded as safe for foreigners. Much of the country is left out, with cities not even on the map.

It does cover each of the major cities and its surrounding towns in depth.

"Don't tase me, bro!!!!"

0 funny, 0 helpful.

juanalejo says on Jan 6, 2006, 18:28:

Guides The only good guide on Colombia is Footprint, LP is about to come with a new issue, that seems it is going to be much more positive on the country.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Diez Y Siete says on Jan 6, 2006, 19:09:

i think you twisted the truth a little I just was wondering what it said, so i went to the frommers web site:

Anyone who has kept up with the news knows that Colombia is a perpetual cycle of unrest and violence. Drug running, guerrilla warfare, right-wing death squads, kidnappings, and devastating earthquakes plague this midsize South American country, and bombings, once only seen in the countryside, now rock major cities such as Bogotá. But Colombia is a bewildering paradox, and bad news is just one part of the story.

If you were to look at the country purely from a travel point of view, you might be surprised to find that Colombia is one of South America's gems, a country bestowed with magnificent landscapes as diverse as Caribbean and Pacific beaches, tropical rainforest, and snowcapped Andean peaks that tower over fertile valleys. From a historical standpoint, few Latin countries boast better museums or more handsome colonial architecture. Colombians are proud of their long-standing cultural and intellectual tradition that has produced noted writers such as Gabriel García Márquez and artists such as Fernando Botero. The country has wonderful cuisine, a rich variety of native musical styles, and a population that is ethnically diverse, somewhat sentimental, and always ready to greet you with a warm smile.

And herein lies the paradox. How could a country with so much to offer find itself torn by such violent terror and poverty? Should you as a traveler risk visiting such a country, and if so, where and how should you go? For the answers to these questions, it helps to have an understanding of historical and current events that have shaped, and disfigured, this enigmatic nation.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

toneloc24 says on Jan 7, 2006, 03:10:

Not sure what your town is, but If you have internet, there's always a store at our fingertips.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0864426747/qid=1136627232/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/103-1884288-6841400?s=books&v=glance&n=283155

References the Lonely Planet Colombia book and guide and Footprints.

"Don't tase me, bro!!!!"

0 funny, 0 helpful.

quindioman says on Jan 7, 2006, 03:10:

my fave chrissie present last year from my brother and his wife a whooping book called THE TRAVEL BOOK - A journey through every country in the world.
It's a brilliant book in my opinion, it basically dedicates 2 a4 size pages to every country in the world. Naturally I turned to Colombia to see what they had to say....here goes.

For most travellers, Colombia is unknown territory - a place of cocainebarons, guerillas and lost cities. It is the land of Gabriel Garcia Marquez and his One Hundred Years Of Solitude - a tale as magicalas the country itself. Far from being a place to avoid, complex and hospitable Colombia offers some of South America's most varied landscapes, flora and fauna. As you travel this diverse country, you'll discover a changing panorama of climate, architecture, topography, wildlife, crafts and music.

BEST TIME TO VISIT

January to March (the dry season)

ESSENTIAL EXPERIENCES

Visiting Cartagena - a living museum of Spanish colonial architecture

Beachcombing at Parque Nacional Tayrona, on the Caribbean coast

Photographing the enigmatic stone statues at San Agustin - a pre-Hispanic ceremonial funeral site.

Hanging out in the great cosmopolitan metropolis of Bogota

Hiking to Ciudad Perdida, one of the greatest pre-Hispanic cities found in the Americas, hidden in a lush rainforest

GETTING UNDER THE SKIN

ReadOne Hundred Years of Solitude byNobel prize winner Gabriel Garcia Marquez, or anything by Jose Asuncion Silva, perhaps the country's best poet

Listen to Colombia's most famous musical export Shakira, whose album Laundry Service stormed charts in 2002. For some traditional Afro-Caribbean tunes check out Toto La Momposina.

Watch Ilona Arrives With The Rain or Time Out by Colombian film director Sergio Cabrera

Eat ajiaco (soup made with chicken and potato); or, for the more adventurous, hormiga culona (a dish unique to Santander consisting largely of fried ants)

Drink coffee, the number one drink - tinto (a small cup of black coffee) is served everywhere. Other coffee drinks are perico or pintado, a small milk coffee, and cafe con leche which is larger and uses more milk.

IN A WORD

Chevere (cool)

TRADEMARKS

Coffee; Gabriel Garcia Marquez; emeralds; lost cities; El Dorado; football

SURPRISES

Colombia claims to have the highest number of species of plants and animals per unit area of any country in the world; Laguna de Guatavita, the sacred lake and ritual centre of the indigenous Muiscas, is where the myth of El Dorado originated.

Trying to adapt to the generations-long violence, many Colombians have developed a sort of siege mentality. In cities particularly, children and teeneagers are often under strict supervision, residential buildings have 24-hour security guards and sniffer dogs are omnipresent. Many people will travel intercity only under the umbrella the caravanas turisticas organised during holiday peaks (which involve placing enormous number of soldiers along major roads in order to discourage robberies and kidnappings).

Lonely Planet's South America


So there you have it....I don't agree with all of it but it's something and it could have been a whole lot worse....if I didn't have a football match to get my arse to I would gleefully have scanned the beautiful colour photos that accompanied this particular entry....well that's something I could look forward to doing later on while munching on one of the many Tamales my mother is preparing as I type, ready for a visit.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

ColombiaBoard says on Jan 8, 2006, 09:44:

Travel Guides Most travel guides rely on a sort of "hearsay" about Colombia, they either re-print what others already printed or rely on sketchy reports made by backpackers or on what they've read on the Net.
As everybody knows most people have a twisted image of Colombia, an aggregate of media reports, prejudice, outdated informations and bad press.
I've heard that people complaint strongly about LP's Colombia Guide, apparently it's full of wrong addresses, places that don't exist, etc.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

mzzmerized says on Jan 8, 2006, 17:48:

What about the South American Handbook? Hasn't anyone heard of that? Great, mostly accurate info...not much scare-mongering, mostly logical cautionaries...lots of great info on hotels and restaurants, fitting any budget...transportation, places to go...even some of the smallest pueblos get descriptions...their info is continuously updated by actual travellers to the country...it is the "Bible" of travel in South America...

0 funny, 0 helpful.