Anyone been to Colombia??

A co-worker spent two weeks in Madallin and told me he loved every minute of it. Of course I was curious about the crime situation, FARC, drug lords, kidnappings etc .... Basically he told me that the local government has done an excellent job in cleaning allot of that stuff up. It still exist in certain areas, but not as common as it was in the Pablo Escobar days. Because of this, tourism in the country is increasing. He said that the locals are really cool and fun. (it always amazes me how the poorest people seem to be most sociable and enjoyable to be around) Anyway, I would like to get some more opinions from anyone who has traveled their. I do understand that speaking Spanish is a must and will enhance the experience ten fold. I just renewed my passport and anxious to use it

My husband and I went there in March for 3 weeks. We did not have time to go to Medellin, but we would go back to see that City and the Pacific Coast and islands of Colombia. We found it very clean, very friendly and very safe. We spent the first week in Leticia/Amazon rainforest. Week 2 in the Santa Marta area: Taganga Beach, Tayrona National Park and our favorite town in Colombia-Minca The final week we were in Cartagena which I did not like as much as Bogota, where we spent a couple of days in the La Candelaria neighborhood. Would be happy to tell you more if you are interested. Personally, I think it is a great time to visit Colombia. It is a bit more expensive than Mexico in some respects, but not in others. My husband spoke spanish which was helpful, but I think you could get by without it. I was able to understand almost everything, but had a harder time speaking. Hoping that will change by the next time! Marilyn

I was in Clombia in 2007 and found it very friendly and safe. As ling as you take the usual travel precautions you should be fine.

Colombia is a great place, the people are extremely warm and friendly. I've been here multiple times, having visited Bogota, Cali, and Medellin, and never felt threatened. That said, security is a serious issue in Colombia. This goes beyond the usual avoidance of the "bad side of town" that you would use anywhere. Travelling in Colombia is not the same as Western Europe or the US, even though those places can certainly pose risks as well. Various regions of Colombia remain seriously dangerous, both for visitors and residents alike, with kidnapping, political and narcotrafficing disappearances, etc... I have found that locals have an excellent sense for security, and are happy to provide advice. I like to birdwatch and was eagerly setting up a trip to a private reserve outside of Bogota, trying to line up a taxi driver who could take me there. My local friends immediately intervened and would let me proceed no further until they had looked into where this place was, and the security situation. It turned out to be fine after they looked into it, but the take home message is that a visitor is decidedly unwise to simply take off traipsing around the country with specifically investigating the security issues.

I have lived in Medellin for ten years now, and I could not recommend the country of Colombia more safety! The city of Medelin is the best city in the country. You will find the people and the culture one of the best in the world!

I am in Medellin right now, and have very little experience with travelling, but I feel very safe. It is such a beautiful place and very modern. The people and wonderful and the place seems to run very well. We are staying in El Poblado, which is a very rich and tourist friendly area apparently. Highly recommend it.

I spent 2 summers in Colombia (volunteering in an orphanage) and fell in love with the place! Bogota is a GREAT place to practice your Spanish bc they seem to use little slang and the accent is nearly textbook perfect. Bogota is COLD (Alpine!) but extremely progressive for a South American country. The people are beautiful and loving.... watch out for those charming Colombianos! :) I went as a single woman and I felt quite safe - but I consider myself smart about those things. You don't have to be paranoid, but any fool in ANY urban city can get into trouble if he or she is dumb. I also went to Taganga and learned to dive there. I LOVED it up there.... so I returned the following summer to get my advanced certification. Unfortunately, I did not really explore the rest of the country bc I was there to volunteer in a specific place and I was in love in those children, but everyone who visited my hostel seemed to adore the rest of the country. If you are still interested, I would LOVE to share my fave spots, hostels, etc. Feel free to contact me! :)

As per above, the Spanish spoken in Colombia is very clear - and the country has a reputation for excellent application of the language in Latin America. I certainly agree with the tourist destinations described above. Another city to consider is Cartagena de los Indias. It is on the Caribbean cost and has a beautiful colonial area and charming restaurants, galleries and such. You will note many tourists from various European countries there. I went with my wife last year and had a wonderful time.

I have an acquaintance from Colombia; he highly recommends a visit there. He takes his family back for about 3 weeks every year. It is certainly on my list of places to visit, along with Mexico and Belize.

hola