What to do when visting Columbia Cartagena

Top Five things to do 

1.Go to the Old town 

When I went there, I stayed till midnight just riding around admiring the city, usually there are horse carriages that take you in for the typical tour,the beauty there is unexplainable, and there are really nice restaurants there that look like they were taken out of a fairy tale.






2. Jet Ski on the Beach





3 Tour Castillo San Felipe de Barajas

Castillio San Felipe de Barajas is an iconic part of the Cartagena city scape. The fortress was built by the Spanish during the colonial era, construction beginning in 1536. It is built up on a hill, securing a strategic location to defend both sea and land attacks. The fortress gives a great foray into the history of Cartagena, and is worth visiting one of the first days you arrive!







4.  Try some street food
Cartagena has a plethora of tantalizing tastes for you. The most common item is the arepa, a corn cake covered in cheese. Then there's the delicious fresh juices, a favorite being coco-limonada. At night, Jeremy and I found the sweetest little empanada spot








5. Sample Colombia's #1 coffee, San Alberto

If you are a coffee lover, you can't miss Cafe San Alberto! San Alberto coffee, started in 1972 in Colombia, has won multiple international awards. Known as some of the best coffee in the world, this sweet cafe offers legit pour over coffee that will have you coming back each day

Where to stay in Cartagena? Why choose Hotel Decameron

"Great hotel, great price, plenty of food and drinks!”

I spent a total of 5 days here and this being my first trip to Columbia I couldn't have imagined it to be better. The check in was a bit slow, mainly because we spoke only English little spanish and they were waiting for a translator but otherwise the staff was friendly, informative with their gestures and made us feel welcome all of the time. My room was located on the 20th floor and the view was amazing, was super clean with all amenities. 

The hotel has 5 restaurants, a large pool, all inclusive of food and drinks !
The hotel is located in the heart of bocagrande Cartagena, super safe area completely surrounded by restaurants, shop, malls. The old city is 20 minutes walking and the beach is just in front of the main entrance.
The quality of the the service is one of the best I've ever felt. The people is super nice always trying to make you feel comfortable.The night atmosphere around the bar was probably my favorite part of Decameron Cartagena, although you'd be better off drinking in the Historic District.

Here's a tip for you. Visit the jewelry store at the hotel and swing a deal with Soraya, she is a great help and most pieces can be custom made in a few days. She speaks English very well and is always willing to help out even outside of her duties at the store.

Another tip. Beware of the vendors on the beach, they can be very persistent. The hotel does not let them on the compound but they are plentiful just outside at every entrance and exit. These beach vendors can be a real pain but just be firm.

Overall I enjoyed the hotel, staff and city.

Which is the best city in Columbia to vacation Medillin,Cali or Cartagena.

Definitely the city of Cartagena.

 

Many of my friends ask me why did choose Columbia to vacation, well its pretty simple.

Let me ask a question , will it be safe for you go to south side Chicago, bronx , NYC or the barrio in LA? well the answer is it depends where you go and with who, normally those are bad areas for those places , but you still can go there. So let me tell you about Colombia Cartagena island, same in any country there are a great and unwanted areas to visit and not visit.It is definately safe, Colombia was once a country controlled by drug lords such as Pablo Escobar and Rodriguez Gacha in the 80s, but in the last 10 years when Uribe was elected President crime rates have dropped up to 85 percent in most cities, to the point where some cities here have better crime statistics than cities like Houston, Chicago and New York. Cartagena is the most touristic of the three and has beautiful sights such as the Old Town, Museums Historical Churches, etc , it is definitely a city you must see when coming to this country to vacation.

The Benefits of Travelling

The single greatest benefit of my travels is that I’ve learned so much about the world. And the more you learn, the more you learn that your home country could be better. It is no wonder that I love to travel. It is very common, nowadays, for people to just get away on a vacation trip any time. Some even consider traveling as part of their routine lifestyle.Traveling abroad can change your life for the better because there are many cultures and lifestyles to experience. Other cultures show you a new perspective on life. Once you begin experiencing the beauty of the world it never looks the same to you. Experiencing something new is always the best way to live and traveling internationally and Regionally can provide that. It spices up your life by letting you try things that you wouldn't normally try and see things you wouldn't other wise see.

Leisure traveling has many benefits such as:

• Traveling gives us the opportunity to disconnect from our regular life. 
• Vacation lets us recharge our “batteries” by disconnecting us from our regular life. 
• New experiences increase your resourcefulness. 
• When traveling with friends or family it creates memories for a lifetime. 
• Traveling not only provides us fun and adventure, it also provides us marvelous insights and enlightens our minds.

Why choose Sonesto Mayo Beach Resort for your vacation stay.

Maho Beach

For my St Marteen trip I stayed at the Sonesto Beach resort, its one of the top notch chains of hotels there is on the island. It is located on the Dutch side of the island. Location is great and literally right next to the Princess Juliana airport. Great for watching arriving planes. Upon check in to the resort you are greeted with a cool towel with the scent of eucalyptus, champagne for the adults and juice for the kids. Food was not bad at all especially the chicken quesadillas . Room was very clean and neat. There you can enjoy the view of planes taking off and landing. Trust me its an experience out of this world out of this world to be face to face with larger than life jets. Sonesto is also just across from the hottest club on the island Q Club. The closet beach to the hotel would be Maho beach it is beautiful, but let me warn you although the sea mite seem clam it is a part of mother nature. There are strong currents that you should be aware of at all time. We had a very good time, good food and very friendly people. The pool bar is where where i spent most of my time. 

The Bartender Edward was the best, always had a smile on his face and made sure he had on hand what we were drinking. Watching the planes fly in was truly a once in a life time experience.

Travel Tip 101 Getting Organised

A smooth and stress- free vacation begins before the trip. Use these ideas to streamline your vacation travel planning and preparation. As a frequent traveler and having rubbed shoulders with hard - core living off the suitcase I've come to lists a few travel tips.  

• Pack Light Pack Right

Pack light things clothing (cottons),roll things instead of folding as there will be less creases when you arrive to unpack. Airlines are starting to charge for everything now and if you have 2 bags whenever possible and try to keep it all within one bag. 

•  Protect Your Documentation

Its a good idea to make copies of all your passports and travel documents. You can save them to a USB compatible storage device such as a camera, memory stick, or store them in the I phone of tablet. wherever you put yours make sure it isn't the same place as your passport. One of the things that make this so important is the brisk market for stolen travel documents. This is not a day in which you can easily explain how your identification became involved in the commitment of some fraud in a country far away from home

• Share the Plan 

Register with the Embassy of the country visited. Tell your family and and friends where you are heading. This will provide a way for you to be  contacted should there be an emergency (you of your family)