Ecuador is South America in miniature. It has the Andes, active volcanoes, the Galapagos Islands, the best highland market on the continent, and the Amazon rainforest — all within a few hours of each other. You could pack an awful lot into a short Ecuador itinerary, or you could explore the country for months. 3 […]
Category Archives: South America
Tell your friends and family that you’re visiting Colombia, and you’re sure to get some raised eyebrows (at best). Most people associate the country with Pablo Escobar, FARC, and the drug trade deep in the Amazon jungle. But is that the true story? Or is Colombia safe to travel? Over the past 20 years, […]
Good hostels can totally make or break your trip when you’re traveling. A few nights in a bad place to stay leaves you sleep-deprived, cranky, and miserable. But a great hostel is a hive of social activity, where you can make friends with the local staff and get the inside scoop on the best things […]
If you’re planning a trip to Colombia, you’re probably wondering how you’re going to get between all of the country’s amazing cities, towns and beaches. It’s very uncommon — and astronomically expensive — for foreigners to rent cars here. So you’re going to need to use a lot of public transportation. Luckily, the buses in […]
Colombia is a microcosm of South America. It has snow-capped mountains, gorgeous beaches, pulsing nightlife, great coffee, vibrant cities, friendly people and more. You could travel for months here and never get bored. Unfortunately, most of us don’t have the luxury to travel endlessly. So I put together this list of the best places to […]
Salento, Colombia is the kind of place you’ll fall instantly in love with. The town center is filled with colorful houses and shops. It’s in the mountains, with a nearly perfect year-round climate. It has some of Colombia’s best hostels, plenty of good restaurants, and fantastic coffee. It’s the perfect base for day trips to […]
Picture this: You’re walking through a misty valley in the foothills of the Andes. Cows graze in the pastures beside you. The occasional farmer stops to have a quick chat. The only sound is the clip-clop of horses on the trail. Then, suddenly, you come to a clearing where you’re surrounded by the most incredible […]
Colombia produces some of the world’s finest coffee. Most of the coffee farms are in a region known as the Eje Cafetero, or Coffee Axis in English. The traveler center of the region is Salento — a colorful small town surrounded by suburban coffee farms that are open to visitors. If you’re a coffee lover like […]
Colombia’s Coffee Axis instantly seduces travelers. The region offers year-round warm weather, gorgeous hikes in the mountains, charming small towns, friendly people, and all the coffee you could drink. Jardin and Salento are two of the best bases for day hikes and coffee tours — Jardin is very off-the-beaten-path, while Salento has all the amenities […]
Jardin, Colombia is a magical place. It’s a cute little town in the mountains with just enough traveler infrastructure to make it enjoyable to visit, but not overrun by tourists like Guatape or Salento. And it’s only a three-hour bus ride from Medellin to Jardin. So whether you’re on a short holiday in Colombia or […]