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Travel to Colombia: The Unknown Land

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Take a trip to the unknown Colombia, which contains lots of hidden travel experiences.
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Travel to Colombia: The Unknown Land is written by Anne Marie Boye.

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Colorful and beautiful Colombia

The 1980s and 90s TV images of young boys and girls in camouflage clothing are still imprinted on the retina. Throughout my childhood, I remember listening to words like cocaine, guerrillas and FARC.

As a child I got the feeling that I would never get to visit that great unknown country in South America called Colombia. It was far too dangerous. At the time I got the impression that there were so many problems and so dangerous to stay that it would never be resolved.

I wrote it off on the world map and connected it to no go.

However, changes do occur over time. And a few years ago, I started meeting more and more travelers who had visited the unknown country of Colombia.

They talked with enthusiasm in their voices about a magnificent country, friendly people, fantastic wildlife and very few tourists. It was special in 2016 when I visited the neighboring country Ecuador, that I understood how popular Colombia had become.

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South America's hot destinations

And there have really been big changes. Colombia has within the last few years become one of the hot ones destinations in South America. After a peace agreement with the FARC and a major "clean-up" by the police, Colombia has in record time become a place where you can travel as a tourist with common sense in your luggage.

Here you can experience fantastic beaches, rainforest and wildlife, world-class street art and lots of beautiful cities. Colombia really has a lot to offer.

When you hear about travelers who have traveled to Colombia, they will most likely tell stories about the beautiful city of Cartagena, the Tayrona National Park, the green metropolis of Medellín and the tall wax palms near the city of Salento.

But there are, of course, many, many more places that are worth visiting in the beautiful country of Colombia - and also more than it is possible to mention here.

I have selected four fantastic places, which have in common that they are all far off the beaten track. This of course means that it takes time to get there, but also that until now they have been protected from mass tourism.

However, that could well change within a foreseeable number of years, as more and more people open their eyes to these gems.

In addition, I would also like to strike a blow for the Colombian capital Bogotá, which over the years has had a somewhat tarnished reputation, but which is now again interesting and reasonably safe to visit.

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Amazon - the world's largest rainforest

Colombia consists of over 100.000 square kilometers of rainforest. There are no roads through the vast and impassable Amazon jungle, which takes up so much of South America. Then if you want to visit the forest, you will have to fly to the small town of Leticia.

It borders on Braziland Peru is just on the other side of the Amazon River. The town itself is not the most exciting place, but from here you can take the ferry up the river to various jungle towns, which are good starting points for further transport into the rainforest itself.

We spent three days in the jungle with two local Ticuna Indians. They showed us how to live and survive in a rainforest. It was an incredibly interesting trip, which offered many experiences along the way.

We slept in hammocks under mosquito nets, sailed on the river in search of fish and went for walks in the dense jungle with Don Victor and his machete in front. We were also lucky to see monkeys, macaws, a nice toucan and the rare pink river dolphins.

From home, I dreaded the three nights in a hammock, as I appreciate a good mattress immensely. But it would turn out to be a really interesting experience. From thinking that I wouldn't sleep for three days, it became almost meditative for me to lie there under the mosquito net and listen to all the sounds of the jungle.

Due to lots of mosquitoes at dusk, we went to bed very early. After that we dozed off for a few hours and finally fell asleep. The next morning we woke up early to macaws, which flew frantically over the camp, at the same time as the Indians lit the fire and tinkered with breakfast.

A new day in the jungle could begin and our journey to Colombia could continue. When we got back to a cozy hotel room in the city, we immediately missed the nights in the forest and our hammocks.

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Los Llanos - Colombia's Wild West

The Los Llanos area east of Bogotá means the plains and is real cowboy country. There are plenty of ranches where you can spend the night, and the farmers still ride horses and use lassos when tending to their farm.

I have previously associated cowboys with the Wild West USA, but here in Colombia the coolest cowboys still exist. And it's not for the sake of the tourists.

Los Llanos is so new on the tourist radar that it is not even mentioned in the latest edition of Lonely Planet Colombia. In the past, it has been a really harsh place with armed conflicts. Therefore, neither locals nor foreigners have been able to travel there, and this means that the area's nature and wildlife are incredibly well preserved.

South America is actually full of amazing and exotic animals.

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Colombia's rich wildlife

Our goal with the trip was to experience the 'wild west' and see lots of animals and birds. We got that in abundance. We flew to the town of Yopal and from there took the local bus out to a ranch where we had booked three nights.

Soon we were touring the area and saw lots of exciting birds, caimans, capybaras, howler monkeys, iguanas and turtles. We also saw an anaconda which had crawled into a depression in the ground.

If you are also interested in horses, there is plenty of opportunity to go on a horse-riding trip.

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The next stop on your trip to Colombia is the Jardín - perhaps the most beautiful place on earth

Imagine the most beautiful little town in the happiest colors in the middle of the Andes. Here, old men sit and drink coffee in the beautiful square, while local farmers in cowboy hats ride past on horses. And something very special in this square is that it is customary to lean on the chairs while watching life pass by.

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You will meet the finest, colorful cafes on your trip to Colombia

These chairs are painted in the most beautiful colors and are full of coffee drinkers every day. The Jardín is also the starting point for lots of hiking or horse riding in the area to caves, waterfalls or coffee plantations, just to name a few possibilities.

At the same time, there are also some special birds, such as yellow-bellied parrot and rock cock - also called cock-of-the-rock – if you happen to be interested in birds.

We took the local bus from Medellín to Jardín and immediately fell in love with the place. The mountain air and the tranquility of the city give a very special atmosphere, and you feel like just stopping by the time and enjoying the moment.

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Providencia – The Caribbean meets the unknown country of Colombia

If a green tropical island in the Caribbean surrounded by turquoise waters sounds enticing, then Providencia is the answer. A visit to the island probably requires a flight of around 800 km from Colombia itself to the island of San Andrés.

After that, you have to sail another almost 4 hours with a catamaran or hop on another plane. In return, for the trouble of transport, you are rewarded with a fantastic experience in the unspoiled Caribbean – something that can be difficult to find these days.

On Providencia, there are no resorts or large hotel chains with all inclusive. And it is illegal to build higher than two storeys. On the other hand, you will find small cozy hotels along the coast, as the middle of the island is a large mountain massif.

Here is a mix of rugged coastlines and beautiful beaches where you can take a dip.

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The snorkeling opportunities are many on your trip to Colombia

We booked a boat trip out to the coral reef and some of the small uninhabited islands where there are good snorkeling opportunities. Here we saw both colorful fish, sea turtles and a shark. The other days we rented a scooter and drove around the island with stops at some of the beaches. If you need beautiful views and pure relaxation, then Providencia is the answer.

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On your trip to Colombia you must because the capital Bogotá

Bogotá has for many years been a no-go for tourists. But fortunately that has also changed. The city is, of course, a city of millions, but they try to make the city greener in several different ways.

For example, there is the world's largest vertical garden here, which hangs outside a high-rise building, and in several places plants grow on top of the bus shelters. All in all, something that should contribute to improving the air in the big city.

These years, Bogotá is one of the hippest places for street art in South America. Many foreign artists settle here to become part of the community and to paint on the town's house walls.

There is a really interesting free graffiti tour that you can go on. This tour also takes you through the oldest part of Bogotá, which consists of cozy streets and old, colorful houses.

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Green, greener, Bogotá.

In addition, the city also offers paintings by the world-famous artist Fernando Botero as well as one of South America's largest collections of gold at the lavish gold museum. You will also find plenty of restaurants in all price ranges and from all world cuisines.

Although Bogotá is a city of millions, it is surrounded by mountains and nature parks, which are also worth spending a day exploring. Climb Mount Montserrate in the old town at dawn and stand on top when Bogotá wakes up.

The beautiful country of Colombia has so much to offer, so there is the basis for countless trips if you want to experience it all. No matter what you choose, a lot of good travel experiences await you in one of the most underrated travel countries in South America.

Really good trip to Colombia – the unknown country and authentic South America.

You must experience that in Colombia

  • The capital Bogotá
  • Snorkeling at Providencia
  • The beautiful city of Cartagena
  • Tayrona National Park
  • The green metropolis of Medellín
  • The tall wax palms near the town of Salento

About the author

Anne Marie Boye

Anne Marie loves to travel to different destinations, where it is possible to have great travel experiences and like to get out in nature and close to the animals. She is a member of De Berejstes Klub, and has been to more than 60 countries, and more are on the way. She travels with her boyfriend Rasmus, and together they sign twodanesontour.com

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