General: Colombia

Advantages: Amazing cuisine; coffee; very, very cheap; locals are charming and helpful
Disadvantages: Kidnapping. Like the Sword of Damocles, a pall of fear hangs over everyone. Beggars/prostitutes. Oppressive humidity in Buenaventura.

Columbia has recently been rated the 3rd most dangerous place in the world, and I can believe this, but the situation is not so cut-and-dried. The biggest and only real problem is the kidnapping. According to locals I met in 3 cities, the cartels will kidnap you no matter who or what you are. If you look (in their eyes) American (Gringo) i.e. Anglo-Saxon, then you are the highest risk group, because by definition, you have more money. I come from ...
...Anglo-Saxon. But it doesn't really matter - if you are worth a million dollars or just one, if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time, you will be kidnapped. I arrived in Bogota in late July. A tropical country, I thought, better not take a heavy jacket. Well, Bogota is half-way up a mountain, so it is pretty cold. It looks like any other capital city - 2 million tonnes of brushed concrete and dog-dirt. And EVERY road was dug up, EVERY SINGLE ... Read review

Advantages: Beautiful country, not overrun with tourists
Disadvantages: Some risks are inevitable

Mention Colombia, and most people think of drug cartels, kidnappings and general lawlessness. The real picture is not nearly as bad. I'll shortly be heading out to South America and making my second visit to Colombia. It is a beautiful country, the people are (on the whole) amazingly friendly and helpful, and the security situation is not nearly as bad as it was in the early 90's. Yes, there are risks. People do go missing, kidnappings and killings ...
...totally safe. I don't believe the risk is such that no-one should consider travelling there. At the same time, don't expect travel there to be totally easy - some places are off-limits, and others are difficult to get to and not really set up for tourism. But it's worth the trouble. ... Read review

Advantages: cheap cheerful and gorgeous beaches
Disadvantages: drug cartels, kidnapping - the usual

People immediately think the worst of Columbia and I guess a for good reason. Mu mum went grey whilst I was awayjust from worry but I was absolutely fine. I did the typical uni thing and went travelling with my then boyfriend to meet up with his sister who was travelling all of South America and Columbia and Venezuela were the last two. We first travelled to Venezuela and then made our way over to Columbia, my first impression was it is so cold. ...
...all sun people and moved on up the country. The aim was a national park near Cartegena, Cartagena is lovely. A old town and new combined, a mix of tourism and locals - but it works well. Travellers are well looked after, with the hostels and little cheap hotels. The national park was beautiful, sandy beaches, people sleeping in hammocks, no electricity, communal showers the occasional falling coconut. The peaceful life, this made the holiday for ... Read review

Advantages: People,Food, Scenery,Weather
Disadvantages: Theives

I have been to colombia about 6 times, and i wish more people would visit this country, the country is immediety associated with kidnapping and drugs, but why does the news never meantion the beauty that is in this country? the mountains, the fauna, the people... There are many things to do and see in colombia from Bogota , which is a typical city - i recomend visits to the gold museam, simon bolivas house and monstarate (wheather you hike up - ...
...but best to go with people who know the way or on sundays when many people go up, or take the lift) to travelling to the cost of Cartengena and Santa Marta which have beautiful views and lovely climate, trips to san Agustin are always worthwhile to learn about pre-colombian history. The food is wonderful and cheap , and you get complete meals started from soup and main course, please try plaitain, areapas, and all colombian cuisine. The people ... Read review

Advantages: A country of extremes
Disadvantages: Its a long flight

I went to Colombia for the first time in August 2006 with my family and friends asking 'why?' The immediate response to my decision to travel there was that it was a place of drug runners, murderers and thieves and yes, maybe parts of the country are best left alone but the rest of it is so big and so beautiful that to not see it is a crime in itself. I stayed in Quindio but we traveled hundreds of miles in all directions from there, as far as Medellin, ...
...the road brought with it a new visual experience and a view more spectacular, although the 8 hours taxi ride from Quindio to Bogota was one I might not repeat. Mountain folk on horses pull up alongside the 4 x 4's, children sit on the side of the road selling corn or arepa, streams tumble down mountains and the earth is red covered in a green and verdant blanket. There are too many ways to describe this beautiful country than could ever fit on this ... Read review