Category Archives: Guide
This is where you put guides to a city or a place to visit.
14 Hours of Travel Hell - Getting to Sapzurro, Colombia
Riding 12 hours from Delhi to Jammu and missing both my bus and my stop was really bad. Also being delayed 3 hours to miss a flight and was rerouted to Qatar then to Delhi, eventually losing my luggage and my friends who were to meet up with me was not fun either. 3 days on a Greyhound bus from California to Virginia would have been a nightmare as well if I was not traveling with a good friend. Yet, yesterday? Oh yeah!!! It was bad. How bad do you say? Well I would have to say it was the only time that I felt that it would have been better off wanting to die that to be on the travel. How did it start off you ask? It started off while traveling in Colombia. The first hour was easy, the rest not so great.
So for my birthday I had decided to travel to Colombia again. This time it was to be with my girlfriend. We were to meet up in here hometown of Bogotá. This part of the travel was not bad. Two days pass by and it is time to head off to our next destination. We are going to head off to the lonely lazy and secluded area of Capurgana and Sapzurro. We fly on Avianca from Bogotá to Medellín. That was a simple flight and for $35 it was way better than the seats and comfort than the one I had on American Airlines. We take an hour and half taxi ride from the Airport to the Bus Terminal in Medellin were there was craziness going on. You see this week is Semana Santos, which is equivalent to USA’s spring break. This is one of the largest travel weeks in Colombia. Everyone is trying to get a bus out of Medellin. Unfortunately, so are we.
The buses are just about full, and the last option to take is the ugliest and cheapest bus. The good thing is that it was cheap. The bad thing is that there was little leg room and the seats did not recline. Not only that but my chair had a metal bar that was a support for my seat that stuck into my butt and my girlfriend’s seat cushion detached itself. The whole ride my girlfriend was mad at me so she wasnt talking to me, which meant that the long 9 hour ride was longer and the guy behind me was kept jabbing his knee in my back through my chair.
9 hours have gone by and we are still in the bus. The bus is behind schedule and not is late getting us to Turbo. Turbo is where were are supposed to be buy our tickets at 7:00 am before the boat left at 8:30 am. The bus finally lands us at the stop at 8:20 am. We scurried to the docks where it was humid and crowded with people. There was nothing but chaos. Finally boarding our boat after trying to figure out who sat where I was sitting in the front. My girlfriend a row behind me. We head out and on the 2 1/2 hour boat ride where we are too get to Capurgana, the stop before we head to Sapzurro. So I thought 2 1/2 hours wouldnt bad compared to the last 11 hours. Oh was I wrong. I read that if you do not sit in the rear of the boat the boat ride would be bumpy. Little did I know what they meant by bumpy that you would get bruised up and wish to die from motion sickness, having your butt bruised, and getting with water the whole time. The guy sitting behind my girlfriend apparently almost started to break down crying. The kids behind us were the whole time.
After finally arriving to Capurgana, we imediatly hop into another boat, still shaking from the past boat. The rain had started coming down and we are starting to get soaked. The 15 minute ride was not too bad as we sat in the back this time, but both needed to vomit. Good thing we did not have time for breakfast otherwise we surely would have. That 15 minutes was fast compared to the rest of the trip. We get off the boat to find out luggage drenched. After all that it was very rewarding in the long run. I was able to see how and why Sapzurro is a sought out place to visit by Colombians. It is like being on a deserted Island… But not really. The view is gorgeous.
Things learned? Book your bus before hand, online if possible. It is not always possible, so try to book it at the ticket office before hand.
If you can, take a flight from Medellin to Capurgana. It is worth not wanting to get sick the whole ride. If you can get to the boat early and make sure to get a rear seat. Lastly I learned to just enjoy the trip. See the good in it, despite the weirdness that might happen.
New Year Resolution: Travel This Year Tip
The itchy, red, tired eyes start to swell from staying up all night as the cold winter chill bites at the nose. A trusty scarf and a cap and jacket helps deter the cold from preventing the gawking of the fireworks display to come. People surround to share the celebration of the new year to come. Maybe not just huddled to stay warm, but perhaps in an elegant dress and dapper attire as a band plays music until the wee hours. This is the time of year that reflection happens, and the question is asked: “What did I accomplish this year?” As the countdown begins, the list of new resolutions start to fill the brain. “I need to lose more weight… for real this time.” “I will find myself a new job.” “I will start a new hobby… that does not include my Xbox controller.” “I will travel more this year”.
Most New Year’s resolutions never get accomplished. Heck, most New Year’s resolutions never even get started. The losing of weight resolution always seems to ends by sitting on the couch after 2 days at the gym. But the last resolution on the list, that is something we can help with. That resolution to travel.
So where does a person even start? Planning the trip is one of the hardest things to do. Well a great place would be to check out the article posted about how to plan a trip. We wrote this article, to help get it all started… so that you don’t go back to sitting around the Xbox.
Where do you go? Knowing how much a flight costs is one of the largest decision on where to go. A great resource to help figure out where to go, would be farecompare.com. You can find more at this article on how farecompare can help you get cheap flights and help decide on when and where to go. This is a much better way than throwing darts at a map on the wall.
Now that the destination is set, where does one lay their head? Well hotel can be pricey and a hostel is not for everyone. Well a good alternative to both can be found on AirBnB.com. An article of AirBnB can be found here. It is a great alternative to paying through your nose or sleeping with roaches.
After landing in the airport, one of the worst nightmares is that the luggage does not arrive at the airport on that same day or at all. How does someone deal with that? Well we have that covered as well. Check out this article of what do when luggage gets lost or how to reduce the risk of luggage getting lost.
So these articles may not make a person thinner or find that dream job of doing nothing and getting paid for it. We do hope however it allows someone to accomplish that goal to travel more. What are some of your resolutions this year? How can we help you accomplish them? Do you have any useful tips for someone who wants to travel. Leave a message below, send us a tweet
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Tips: Things Learned Traveling In Argentina
“Ugh! What is that on my boot?” “Wasn’t I here already?” “Did you say 18 hours on a bus?” We tend to learn things the best the hard way, which is by experience. Learning by experience tends to allow us to grow a bit more. What was learned in Argentina? Here are some tips about traveling Argentina, or just traveling in general but was discovered when traveling Argentina:
- “Cagar en el Calle!” Yes, the grammar is incorrect, but the alliteration was more fun. Watch where you step. It seems that dogs like to poop just about everywhere in the streets of Buenos Aires, and the owners do not like to clean up after their dogs. While looking up and around at the amazing architecture, make sure not to step into a smelly accident.
- Argentina is HUGE. Two weeks are enough to see Buenos Aires, Iguazu Falls and Rosario and Colonia del Sacramento, but forget about Patagonia, the Pampas, the beaches, Fue de Tierra, Bariloche and the lakes, Salta… and much more. Looks like another booking to Argentina is required… Not like that is a bad thing.
- A shifty man leans against the wall in his white collared shirt and black slacks. Casually he announces “Cambio?” as tourist pass by in the heart of Centro Buenos Aires. I am not advocating doing something illegal, but there is an advantage for having American Dollars, you can exchange them for hefty amount of money in your favor. The regular exchange rate for American dollars is 4.7 and most “cambios” would exchange for 4.2 at the airport. Black market or “Blue Dollar” was more like 6.1 per a dollar. There are places online that can allow for money transfers to your account for a better exchange rate and no need to worry about walking into dark alleys or shifty buildings.
- Pizza is amazing. Some of the best pizza I have EVER eaten had been in Argentina. There is a huge Italian influence in Argentina and the cooking is hugely influenced. Pizza here is great, although not Italian thin crust, it has a great taste. It is always fresh and best of all you can enjoy it at midnight when you have a made case of the… hunger.
- Good luck being vegetarian, actually not really. When you say are vegetarian or “Yo soy vegetariano” they look at you with a weird stare. Argentina is known for being a haven for meat lovers. Most when asking for something vegetarian they will offer a salad. Look at the menu closely, there are actually a lot of vegetarian options.
- Buenos Aires is the hub. If you want to go anywhere, you have to go to Buenos Aires first. If you are in Puerto del Iguazu and want to get to Bariloche, you still have to travel south to Buenos Aires then westward to Bariloche rather than straight westward to Bariloche. It is a great way to rack up frequent traveler points…
- Don’t be afraid of a bus system. The bus system is rather comfortable, actually more comfortable than most first class air flights when taking long travels. With reclining chairs that turn into beds. That 18 hours bus ride to Iguazu does not seem so bad now.
- Don’t do anything the day you are set to leave, like taking a day trip an hour north to Tigre. If so, expect the chance of missing your flight in the 3.5 hours of traffic from downtown Buenos Aires to Ezeiza Airport. On a good note, it is a great way of extending your stay an extra day.
- Expect slow service. Service in Argentina is slow, but for a reason. The idea is just to enjoy your time. When you order something to eat, expect to have a good amount of time to talk to your lunch/dinner mate, because getting that check may take 30 minutes just to get to you.
Ever have some interesting experiences that you would like to share when in Argentina? Perhaps just some tips? Or maybe you have some experiences on traveling in general. Let us know in the comments below or tell us on twitter and Facebook. Or just stalk us on our feeds.
How to Plan a Trip
In a few days I head off to Vancouver, an area in which for the past few weeks I have been doing a lot of research on. Although there was a lot of planning I still have no itinerary, no plans and no set schedules. I kind of like this. The idea was not to plan every day. I just wanted to get ideas and options of where to visit and how I could integrate myself into British Columbian culture. So how did do this? Well people ask me that all the time. “How do I plan my trip to ____ ?” (fill in the blank). You too probably find yourself asking this question. The best thing is to look at your resources. Here is how I planned my trip to British Columbia and some of the resources I used.
Ask The Question
How do you decide where to go? You could just open up a map and just point to a place randomly. But how do you know if it is a good place to go. One of the best resources are your friends and family as you know and trust them. So I asked my friends and family, “So where should I go for my next vacation?” Some suggestions were to Philippines, I guess my friends missed me there. Some suggested Colombia, but I had just recently returned from there. From a gathered consensus from friends, family and associates, Vancouver and British Columbia was to be the next destination. I was told it was like San Francisco but more beautiful. Since San Francisco is my favorite city, I decided to explore it as an option. And more beautiful? I had to see this or myself.
Get the Book
Now that I there is an idea of where to go, the next concern is if it is plausible or even an interesting enough place to visit. So I headed off to my neighborhood bookstore and purchase a guidebook on British Columbia. Usually, as most people do, I choose the Lonely Planet guides. This time I decided to spring for the Moon Handbook. It was slightly cheaper and wanted to try something different this time.
Flipping from page to page of the book I explored through the information; like if I needed Visa or not. Also if there was a cost to enter Canada. I also viewed the photos of the book to see if there was gorgeous places worth visiting and photographing. I read about culture and history, and the ideal daily budget.
For those who just don’t want to go out and buy a book, there are other resources that I used. One online resource for free is on wikitravel.org. Wikitravel is a cross between a Lonely Planet guide book and wikipedia. It is user submitted information to build guided information on travel in countries and cities around the world. Another good free website is lonelyplanet.com. The best tool is the budget per a day feature under the Practical Information section.
The Flight
Okay now that I have figured out that British Columbia is an interesting place to visit, what about the cost of a flight? Headed to to farecompare.com to see the average price of flight and when the best time to go is. Find it is expensive to go during the summer time of late May and June, which is when I planned. The cost so far is $280 round trip from SFO to Vancouver. I also checked out alternatives like a train through Amtrak.com, but it was not any cheaper as I would have to fly to Seattle.
Now the big question is when do I buy it? Well i know that the best day to buy is Tuesday. So I sign up for alerts on Farecompare.com on when the flight costs drop. I also pull out my iPhone and use the Kayak app to set up an alert of daily price updates.
About 6 weeks before my round about date I found a price I was happy. Usually prices drop the lowest around 6 weeks before your date of leaving as I have learned from farecompare.com’s blog. The price was $210 for the roundtrip through West Jet. (I actually found one as cheap as $180 USD through Virgin, but a non serious medical emergency prevented me from purchasing.)
Budget
After checking the flight, I checked the daily budget on Lonelyplanet.com and found that the budget per a day was about $120 Canadian per a day. The vast amount going towards to hotels. So I decided to do some research there first. I did some research on tripadvisor.com. Tripadvisor is a place to get user reviews on hotels and hostel and places to stay while traveling. I also put out a question on where I should stay at while in Vancouver on Gogobot.com. Gogobot is a social network for traveling, where you can get advice from friends on both gogobot and Facebook (as it can tie to your Facebook account).
I also proceeded to check out Wyndham‘s website and mobile app. The website is great because it has a lot of features. The mobile app is useless. I have a corporate discount and could not look up the discounts on the app. The website did get me enough information. The lowest cost I could find was $85. That was too expensive for my taste. So I decided to look into a hostel with a private room. The best deal found on hostelbookers.com and hostel world.com for a private room was about $80. This was not bad, but perhaps there was something cheaper.
The next stop was to AirBnb.com. AirBnB is a place where wonders can offer their home or apartment for rent. It has both a gorgeous and easy to use interface for both their website and their mobile app. With some research an apartment was found for $70 but even better, was a room in an apartment for $45. This allowed for the budget to be dropped like crazy. This allowed to stay with locals of Vancouver, possibly allowing for great advice of local places to visit.
Find Stuff to Do
The next thing is to find things to do. This is not to make a plans or Itineraries, but rather to be able to talk to locals of where else to go. It also allows for going somewhere when exploring and advice do not go as intended. It is also to find other travelers to be able to explore. Gogobot.com is a great place to find these points of interest. Again I posed some questions of where to visit on Gogobot. The ideas poured in and gave me ideas of places to photograph. This also allowed me to know where to avoid touts and hagglers from the obvious tourist spots. But also where I can find other tourists if I need to feel the need to be around someone of the traveling kind.
So with all these tools I still have no itinerary, no places to visit, and no plans. A lot of resources were used. Going into vancouver will be well informed, yet open to adventure of the unknown. Feel free to use some to the tools suggested here to help you plan your uncharted adventure.
What are some of the resources you use? Do you ever plan your trip out? Perhaps you love these resources too? Write a comment below and feel free to follow us on twitter and Facebook and follow our feeds.
Bogotá - Review
When I mention Bogotá, what is it you think? I know, I know… You are probably thinking about drug lords and violence. To set things straight, Bogotá never was the center of all that. There are no in the street gang wars constantly happening, and there are not drug dealers on each corner trying push something onto someone. As a matter of fact, Colombia in general has moved way past that stigma. Guess you will have to keep watching the stereotyped films to see all that.
What is Bogotá like? To some it up, it is large and sprawled out, much like Los Angeles, but filled with artistic culture, like San Francisco and just a lot of old history and buildings like Madrid. Bogotá is filled with all kinds of different walks of life, from the poor to the rich and everyone between and offers a great place for anyone who wants to explore this wonderful city.
So Bogotá is grand, large and a very sprawled out city, much like Los Angeles. It is vast and has so many places to visit. But like Los Angeles, it also suffers from an insane amount of traffic. So much that it has a restriction on driving on certain days depening on your licensee plate number, a system known as Pica y Placa. The idea is to narrow the amount of traffic.
If you do not want to deal with the traffic, Bogotá has a “metro” bus system known as Transmilenio, which is an above ground bus system that has dedicated lanes and roads for the purpose of commute. It is a fast convenient way to get around Bogotá with out having to pay extra (yet still inexpensive) for the many many taxis you can take otherwise. The biggest drawback is the be weary of using the Transmilenio during peak hours, you may find yourself getting extra friendly with people on the bus with you.
One of the things I really enjoy about Bogotá is all the art in the city. From street/graffiti art to mounds and mounds of museums it has a lot to offer. One example is a great collection from the Botero Museum collection. A collection of great, including some Dali, Picaso and other great names in the art field. The art scene can mostly be found in the dowtown area of Bogotá, near Candeleria. There is also museums in other places of interest as well.
Art is not the only culture that can be found in Bogotá. One of thing that most Americans think about when they think of a latin country is Latin music. It is true there is a fondness for reggeaton in, and a lot of club dancing. But as you walk through the square of Chorro de Queveda, you will see a very different culture. It is a lot of rock. There is a huge rock and hard rock culture in Bogota. Sitting in a small pub in the heart of Candeleria while drinking soem chiche, a corn fermented alcoholic drink, I noticed the music of Metallica and local bands like Parabellum.
For those who like to dance, Bogotá is filled with such a thing. One thing that Colombians like to do is dance. And there are a fair share of dance clubs in Chapinorte and suba areas, as well as the northern areas of Bogotá.
For those who are more of those who want less energetic culture experience, there are a lot of sites to see in Bogotá. There is the large tower of Colpatria, and the beautiful old buildings of the Candeleria district. There is a the beautiful walk of Cerro de Monserrate and the view of Bogotá at the top of that mountain. The amazing square at Plaza de Bolivar offers a lot of culture and some of those amazing museums I mentioned earlier. And churches, Colombia definately has it’s fair share of churches and cathedrals, all worth photographing for their amazing architecture.
So what does Bogotá have to offer if cant fit the stereotypes of the what is shown in the movies? Well as you can see, it has a lot to offer, from amazing new and old cutlure and art in it’s amazingly sprawled out city.
So have you visited Bogotá? Maybe you have some questions about the large city? Write a comment below and feel free to follow us on twitter and Facebook and follow our feeds.
Airbnb.com - Review
I am looking and looking and all I can find a hotel for is as low as $120 per a night, AND that is with a discount that I am privy to. I am thinking, why not go to a hostel? So I check and there are private rooms for $90- $110. I only get private rooms as I travel with thousands of dollars worth of photography equipment.
I know many travelers, like yourself have been in a similar situation. You look for a hotel, and it is the largest expense on your vacation. But which do you book at? Are you getting the best deal for the price? The reviews make it hard to decide, and how do you know if it is as good as in the images? You are not planning on living in the hotel, you want to go out and see the attractions and live the culture. Spending too much is not the plan but how can you plan on spending cheaper?
At this point I looked into renting an apartment. Yes, I said an apartment, and despite what you are thinking, it is actually cheap. An apartment was found as cheap as low as $83 a night or I can rent a room at some one’s house for as cheap as $45 a night. The great thing about getting a room, is I can get advice from the person who lives there about local places to visit.
The website I found these great deals is Airbnb.com, a great place to find a good place for a good price, stay in a local area that is safe, and travel like being in the comfort of your own home.
What is Airbnb.com you ask? Well it is a website where apartment and house owners can put their apartment/house or a room up for others to use while they are away or even there. Places are available from all around the world and you can feel like you are at home (without all the hassles) while you are traveling. Below the video explains more in depth on how Airbnb works:
How do you use the website? First you go to the website and choose the destination you are traveling to and the dates you are traveling and then hit search. On the left side you can filter out whether you want an entire home/apartment or if you want a private room or share a room. Also is a map feature that allows you to look for places base on where in the town/city you want to stay at. Choose a pin and check out the information.
One of the drawbacks is that you most places require a deposit (which are sometimes pretty hefty) and that it is all charged on your credit card. This requires money “up front” which is a temperary charge on your card, and removed/charged back to your card when you check out (and you haven’t damaged anything). This is just to help insure the renter from those who want to throw a massive party and thrash the place. Also the credit card is not charged for the room Until you check in (via the website or mobile app) to prevent an owner from taking your money w/o giving you a key.
The website is really well designed, simple and easy to get around. The mobile App is also the same and very easy to use. The mobile app is hands down of the best designed apps on my phone as it offers wonderful stunning images and a great lay out to find out the information you are looking for. The app makes it easy to find a place when you are on the road, simple and easy. I almost exclusively use the iPhone app more so than the actual website due to its ease of use.
Airbnb is a great solution to those who are looking for a place to stay but do not want to spend a lot of money on a hotel. It is not for those who want to be pampered, but it is great for those who don’t want to stay in a not so clean hotel to save money. Check it out and see about a place to stay on your next trip, I know I will to reduce my stay price on my next trip.
Have you ever used Airbnb? Let us know of your experience. Write a comment below and feel free to follow us on twitter and Facebook and follow our feeds.
The Way - Pilgrimage Travels
When I saw the movie The Way, by Emilio Estevez, I was moved by character development the man played by Martin Sheen. The movie follows Tom, a Crabby doctor who goes to France to claim the body of his son after a tragic accident. Tom decides to take a journey on a path his son never finished through beautiful northern coast of Spain. The journey he takes is a famous christian pilgrimage known as “The Way of Saint James” or “The Way”. Tom meets some companions and on his journey and on his this path learns more about himself.
This reminded me of why I love traveling. When you travel, you learn more about yourself. Even more so, you learn more about a culture and other people, even more so if you experience a pilgrimage. In my travels I have experienced a few pilgrimages including the holy city of Rishikesh, India, climbing the Trikuta Mountain in Katra to Vaishno Devi Shrine in India, found myself at the Krishna’s birthplace in Mathura, India, and climbed the steps of Hanginan in Maasin, Philippines. All of these being spiritual journeys, and much like Tom, they landed on me at the last minute.
This got me thinking, Tom meet some interesting people on his pilgrimage, and so did I. I also realized that pilgrimages are great way to inspire travel, meet amazing people, and learn more about cultures of the area.
Always wanting to travel is dream of many. But where does one decide to travel to? And how do you decide? A pilgrimage could be the answer to such a thing. Many buddhists see the four holy spots of Buddha in India and is an inspiration for me to return to India. Many Christians walk “The Way” or “The Camino” like in the movie The Way and explore Spain. There is also the 88 Temple Pilgrimage in Japan. All of these are great reasons to want to travel and great inspiration for anyone to want to travel.
It is always amazing when you are doing something, and someone shares that same idea with you. That is great about a pilgrimage, you are surrounded by people who share your same ideas. My pilgrimage in Katra to Vaishno Devi I really got know my good friend, and meet some other great pilgrims, young and old along the way. In They Way, Tom comes across companions all walking “The Camino” all looking to find themselves, or just something. As one walks to lose weight and another is trying to quit smoking. They stumble upon writer with writer’s block who is finding his way. They all become friends on their common journey. Journeys like these are a great way to meet new people.
Tapas or Pinchos? Which do you order when you are in Pamplona? Well you could always be like Tom and find out the hard way. Something you always seem to learn about a pilgrimage is the local customs and culture of where you are at. Nothing like trying samosas for the first time and falling in love with them forever. Food is a great thing to experience on a pilgrimage, as you are forced to eat the local foods. You are also learning about the villagers in the area when talking about them, and finding similarities and differences, like whether to order tapas and pinchos.
So why go on pilgrimage? Well you do not have to do it to be spiritual, it is a great reason to be inspired to travel. You can make new friends along the way as you try new foods and learn new cultures. Pilgrimages are just a great travel experience. Do not forget to check out They Way on BlueRay now.
So if you could take a pilgrimage where would you go? Perhaps you would like to share an experience of a pilgrimage with us? We could use some good ideas of where else to go. Are there any other movies out there that have inspired you to travel? Write a comment below and feel free to follow us on twitter and Facebook and follow our feeds.
San Gil, Colombia
If there is a place to Colombia that I do not mind visiting over and over again, San Gil would be that place. Nestled between Bucaramanga and Bogotá, San Gil is a very small town, with a lot to do. There are great views, amazing adventures and just a place to relax. There is a no reason why someone wouldn’t want to visit the backpacker friendly town of San Gil.
In 2004 San Gil was named as the tourism capitol of the Santander region, and for a great reason. There is a lot to do in San Gil and around. For adventurous people, one could go caving, parasail, paraglide, rock climb, rafting and other thrill seeking feats. For those not so thrill seeking, there is a hiking and bicycling. There is a great hike from the neighboring towns near San Gil that can last a 3-5 day trip depending on your stamina.
Other than through tourism, San Gil makes it’s money is through agriculture from the lands around. This makes sense, with it being area a very fertile lands. This helps make San Gil one of my other favorite places to be. Bright and early in the morning, one would have to visit the market, it is full of strange and wonderful fruits an vegetables from the region. One has to try the avocado and granadillas, or perhaps be adventurous and choose fruit that looks very foreign and exotic. Try grabbing some fresh strawberries and other fruits and take them to the new juicer for a great breakfast.
Perhaps you want to just relax? Well San Gil is a great place for that. San Gil is a slow town, where there are small shops to shop at and a cobbled streets to just walk along and relax. Near is the towns of Guana and Barichara, beautiful towns to visit for food and shopping. Also great for relaxing and very picturosque moments in the town. After all Barrichara is a place where many films and novelas are shot. Getting to these areas can be easy by catching the downtown hub bus terminal (not the intercity terminal).
Some of the places to relax at are numerous. San Gil is very budget and backpacker friendly and filled with many hostels. Last year when I went there a few hostels, but now that Colombia is growing in tourism and San Gil being a capitol for backpackers, San Gil is bustling with new adventurers. Some popular places include Macondo Guesthouse. The new location and renovations makes the place feel lot less like a hostel and more like a home environment. One of the best reason to stay here is to get the advice of Shaun, the owner. Shaun is a wealth of information of where to visit in the area and is well planned on getting you where you want to go. Another great place is Sam’s VIP which is just off the downtown square. It is well decorated and has a gorgeous balcony looking over the square. On this balcony is a “bar” where guests can by drinks and enjoy the scenery below. Both places offer both private and dorm style beds. Both range from $10 - $35 a night, depending on kind of room.
How do you get to San Gil? Well you can take the terminal bus from Bogotá costing about 32.000 pesos and takes 7 hours. It takes about 5 hours from Bucaramanga and costs about 20.000 pesos.
San Gil is one of my favorite places in Colombia, and for many reasons. I guess that is a reason why I stopped there a second time on my second trip through Colombia. And it is a reason for anyone to want to visit with it’s adventures, and relaxing environment.
So have you ever wanted to visit Colombia? What small towns do you know of that are adventure towns? Write a comment below and feel free to follow us on twitter and Facebook and follow our feeds.