15 Incredibly Useful Things to know before visiting COlombia

It is ColOmbia, not Columbia.

Ask any backpacker what their favourite country was on their Latin America trip, and I guarantee that most of them will tell you it is Colombia.

The country now has almost 1 million visitors annually and is much safer than its’ history of cocaine and the cartel once implied. Colombia offers so much to a backpacker; beaches, guachos, hiking, small towns, off the gringo-trial adventures.

I spent 5 months in this incredible country – crossing overland from Ecuador and travelled all the way up the country and crossing into Panama via San Blas. I have listed the top things I wish I had known before coming to this amazing country!

15 Incredibly useful things i wish i knew before backpacking colombia

  1. They don’t like taking about Escobar.  
    I noticed that my Colombian friends and hosts did not like mentioned his name in public. Rightfully so, they believe they are much more than just him and are against any form of Cartel – tourism. 
    I would be lying if i said that I did not have some morbid fascination by the whole thing – like the rest of the world I too was hooked on the Narcos series. But the country is more than just one man’s actions.
  2. The Gringo – trial in Colombia is not as famous as Bolivia or Peru, it is still firmly laid out. 
    Cartegena – Bogota – Medellin – Salento – Santa Marta/Tayrona.
    For extra adventure add in La Guajira, Jardin and San Agustin.
  3. It is safer than you think.
    Of course this does not mean walk alone at night with your phone in your hand, but it was not the ‘danger on every corner’ that I had imagined. I almost did not take my camera in fear of being robbed, only to find every almost every Colombian on the latest iphone.
    Of course, keep your street smarts and common sense as bad things can happen anywhere.
  4. Be wary in Taxis
    Yup, just to completely counteract what I said about the country being safer than I thought. The taxis can be a problem and I was warned by my couch surfing hosts, hostel staff and friends about not getting into taxis flagged from the street. Order one yourself or ask someone at your hostel / bar/ restaurant to help you. I had a lot of warnings about being taken to an ATM and told to withdraw money, or being taken to the middle of nowhere, police stations.. luckily nothing happened to me but worth a mention.
  5. Learn some Spanish! And remember that things here are spoken very differently to the rest of the continent. 
    I worked here for two months and lived picking up some of the local slang. 
  6. Barter on buses.
    Unlike in other countries, this is perfectly acceptable, and not just to get the ‘correct’ non-gringo prices. Especially on long distance buses as I found the variations to be huge.
    Taking about buses – never leave your backpack under the seat or above the seat. On your person always! I stuck to this rule throughout Latin America.
  7. Take note of the holiday seasons!
    Santa semana, Christmas and the first two weeks of January – things will BOOK UP. I accidentally ended up in the north during Christmas  and New year and really paid the price of not being organised. Things will typical sell out quickly and be double the price.
  8. Internal flights are great if you are in a rush.
    I was overlanding, but if you are shorter on time and do not want to waste precious annual leave on overnight buses there are  some great deals on Wingo and  Easy Fly.
  9. Carnival in Colombia is the second biggest in the world.
    Barranquilla is home to Colombian carnival and it looks INSANE. Unfortunately I could not make the timing work but if you can make it book early!
  10. Backpacking here is cheap – but not as cheap as it used to be.
    I found myself at times a little surprised at the costs of things ; groceries, laundry and meals out. I still managed to keep within my GBP25 per day but I did have to monitor things I little more carefully than I did in Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru.
  11. Aquardiente is a love it or hate it thing.
    I had actually never heard of this  strong alcoholic drink before coming to Colombia and personally found it to be a bit like mouth wash. However after a few months in the country it definitely grows on you!
  12. Arepas were a welcome change 
    If you are backpacking on a budget for a long time in Latin America then you will know that the food is not really it. Nights spent with other travellers in hushed voices fantasising about having a supermarket sweep style splurge in Marks and Spencers…. However I found that Arepas were a welcome change to the food – cheap, cheerful and varied enough to keep your taste buds occupied. Arepas con queso are probably best kept to the hangover days when only grease will do.
  13. Coffee may not be as good as your think
    I am a HUGE coffee lover and  was excited to try the Colombia coffee. Unfortunately in most places you are more likely to be served Nescafe, super sweet and in tiny cups. I asked friends about this and apparently the good stuff is exported. That does not mean that you cannot find it – just may be a bit harder than you expected!
  14. There is a strong military and police presense.
    On buses all men were pulled off and searched on the side of the road, police carry guns (weird for me being a Brit!), and they all seem to be teenagers. It also seemed common to pay a police officer to help you withdraw money – but this may well have been a scam!
  15. Your trip will never be long enough .
    It doesn’t matter how many places you cross off your list, or how many months you spend here. Colombia leaves you wanting more. For me, five months really felt like only the beginning.

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