My name is Jonathan, I am a 21 year old student at Warwick, I went to Colombia in the summer of 2006, and wanted to share a little bit of it...

My journey in Colombia began on the caribbean coast and ended on the border to Ecuador, where my travels continued down the West coast to Santiago de Chile. I appreciate that I am just one traveller amongst many, but having travelled from one end of the country to the other entirely by public transport with out any problems whatsoever, I feel compelled to let others know that Colombia should not be ignored out of blind fear of the unknown.

Colombia is a stunning country, extremely diverse and full of a wonderful population that seems to struggle tirelessly to dispell the drug fuelled reputation it has gained thanks to the minority in the Amazon basin region of the country. It baffles me that so many people I talk to can be so ignorant about something they know so very little about. So here is my small attempt to change the mind of some.

Finca Villa Maria is a working coffee farm smack bang in the middle of a huge valley. Coffee and plantain grow as far as the eye can see. The farm itself is made up of the house and the processing plant itself. The family run business hosts guests at the house for a mere £15 a night. This includes 3 home cooked meals a day, a swimming pool, as much fresh coffee from the surrounding hills as you can drink, use of horses, a fishing lake - the works. The views are quite literally inexplicable. Hammocks rock effortlessly in the corner of the plush villa decking. Mangos hang from the trees, parrots and humming birds fly wild, resting on the trees an arm reach away. A wonderfully humble man named Hector who runs the farm is all too happy to show guests around the coffee processing plant and give lifts to the nearest populated town. The last point being particulary wonderful. The deserted location equals the most tranquil atmosphere I have ever experienced. By day, the only sounds are of the donkeys coming down the valley side carrying produce. By night, the wildlife comes alive, and depending on the time of year - thunderstorms roll in and give the most spectacular light show of bright purple lightning and thunder rolling around the valley in surround sound that Bose would be jealous of.

This is just one gem of many in Colombia. I could write pages on the country and not get bored. I sincerly hope that this review has got through to some who have read it. If as a result just one person can talk about Colombia without bringing up drug barrons or kidnap, I will be happy. I graduate next year I cant wait to return to this beautiful country afterwards. Many some of those reading may be tempted to do the same.