Has anyone been to Colombia lately?

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Ms.Kiss

I just came back from Colombia!
Recently, some of the most important publications of the world such as the New York Times, the British newspaper The Guardian, the special issue of swimsuits of Sports Illustrated and the travel guide Lonely Planet, have given special attention to the new image Colombia is projecting to the world.
This shift of perception is based on true facts such as the economy growth and the political and economic stability of the country added to the improvement in the security levels, and has produced a positive reaction on the image the Country portrays all over the world. These publications invite investors and tourists to visit the country and to enjoy the multiple attractions Colombia has to offer.

ColombianitoNY- NO MAS GUERRA!

I will go to Colombia in a month, I am Colombian and i have heard news, it is safer now fortunally but still problems...most of them are in Cali. I am going to Barranquilla.

Sliced

I've been living in BogotÃ¡ for a couple of months now (from Canada originally). Overall, things have gotten better as far as security in the cities. You'll feel quite safe going to the Caribbean coast or BogotÃ¡, and for the most part Medellin and Cali (although the FARC has been more active in Cali lately). The countryside and smaller towns can be a bit sketchy, especially in near the Ecuador and Venezuelan borders, but most violence is not directed against tourists. The Ecuador border sees a lot of Colombian refugees (mostly fleeing paramilitary violence- oh yeah, I forgot, they demobilized so now they're an unofficial mafia militia), while the Venezuelan border sees more FARC violence (but of course Chavez couldn't possibly be supporting them) and smugglers (gas is something like $0.10 a litre in Venezuela).
Crime is still an issue, but it is much better than it used to be - just use your sense. Locals still call a cab at night rather than flagging one on the street, and you are given a security code to make sure it is the right cab. Travel advisories tend to be overcautious - most will advise against wearing a watch or jewellery or using a cell phone or listing to an MP3 player on the buses/Transmilenio, yet you'll see most locals doing just that. As far as kidnappings go, they're relatively rare now. However you'll probably be safer on the buses than in cabs. Robberies still happen, but that's everywhere. You can minimize it by 1) using bank machines inside malls or superstores like Exito - take out your cash, wander in the store for a few minutes, and leave by a different exit (if you're paranoid), 2) carrying a dummy wallet with about 30,000 pesos ($15CDN), 3) don't be obvious that you have expensive electronics, 4) blah, blah, blah, the usual.

Basically, you will love Colombia and be quite safe - safer than most other Latin American countries - if you are a tourist. If you happen to be a journalist, union member, human rights worker, police officer, politician, indigenous, Afro-Colombian, pacifist, student or leftist of any sort you stand a good chance of getting killed.

scorpio girl

I'm from Colombia and was there a year and half ago. I went to Bogota for a few days but was mainly in Cali. It's not as bad as what the media projects it to be...of course as in any city you have to be careful where you go. My mother was there (Cali) a couple of months ago and said the only thing annoying to her was the construction. Seems like they're building a metro rail and the construction is causing alot of traffic. Other than that she enjoyed her trip as she usually does. I'll be there next year also :)

World_Traveler

I was in Cucuta, Colombia last week. I used to live there 4 years ago.
Things have definitely improved since Uribe took over in 2002. I was scared to death to travel by car just one or 2 cities away, and I know that it was dangerous for me to live there, but now I was assured that anyone can safely travel by car all over Colombia without the constant fear of being stopped by guerrillas. I definitely feel safer now than I did 4 years ago. Also, it helps if you can physically pass for being a Colombian, which I can not. This makes things harder.
If you were in NariÃ±o 5 yrs ago, you were fairly lucky to be fine. But if you can blend in, it's not so much of a problem. Also, the touristy areas like Cartagena are not so dangerous, bc they're used to foreigners.
Hope this has been a help to you.

Lary

Why don't you come to Brazil?
Thanks for answering my question about English.
I sent an e-mail but I can't see your e-mail address in your profile.
Send me an e-mail if you can, please.
Have a nice travel.

P.S. who is the guy in the photo? Is the guy you?
Es usted en la fotografÃa?

Kiss:-)

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