We had never been to Colombia before and in f...

Colombia | Feb 2 - Feb 15, 2023

A nice boutique hotel in a trendy part of Bogota. There was never a security concern and restaurants were all a few minutes walk. The bar and dining room were very nice (although we found that a glass of wine in the bar was a little pricey). The breakfast was excellent and the service was great. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was the noise. At 6:00am someone outside was shouting something that sounded like he was selling and there was ongoing conversation in the room next door that made me wonder if it was being used as an office. We stayed here again on a different floor the night before our trip home and I had to call the front desk about the noise coming from our neighbor at 11:00pm.

This hotel is located in two large houses across the street from one another. Both have beautiful gardens where breakfast is served and nice lounge areas. While they are right in the heart of a restaurant and bar neighborhood, the gardens made it seem like we were in the country. The hosts were very welcoming and attentive. We met another couple at dinner who were scouting wedding venues and enthusiastically recommended Patio del Mundo as a place to book the wedding party during their stay in Medellin.

We ended up in this hotel because our original choice was booked by the time we pulled the trigger. It turned out to be the No 1 hotel in Cartegena and we were lucky to get it at no extra cost. It is set in a Colonial building that has been completely restored (there is a book in one of the lounges that describes the three year project to bring it back from ruin). The location was in the heart of the old town with bars and restaurants on every corner. We were met on arrival by the manager and checked in while sitting comfortably on a couch with a cold welcome drink. The room was incredible with high ceilings and a period appropriate theme. Breakfast was excellent and served at a community table so that you can meet other guests (however you can also dine privately across the hall). One morning we had an early pick up and the hotel served us a half hour before the usual starting time without a question. There is a hot tub on the roof with a small seating area that made a nice spot to sit outdoors (the hotel also supplied us with plastic wine glasses and a corkscrew so that we coould enjoy some wine we had bought).

People go to Rosario Islands because the beaches in Cartagena are not very nice. This hotel is served by it's own speedboats from the main port. We were fortunate to have a guide and driver take us to the departure point which was a bit chaotic. Our guide stayed outside the fence until we had checked in and were ready to board. It takes about an hour but on the return seasonal winds caused a detour that resulted in a 2 hour trip. Pro tip: sit on the right side on the way to avoid the sun and also on the way back to avoid the spray, some people were soaked. There are 2 boats carrying 40 people each, most of whom were day trippers. When the boat docks there is an orientation and welcome drink and then a stampede for one of two small beaches (one has music, the other does not and both have bars). There are beach chairs and a few Bally beds with curtains. Activities included scuba diving, cycling and kayaking through the mangrove but we found them quite pricey for what they were and in the case of scuba, about twice the going rate (300,000 COP for a 1 tank dive). It seemed more like a community money-maker than paradise lost. A positive was the great service and warm reception at the main desk and would like to cite Evelyn specifically. The service in the dining area was also excellent and the food and drink were good and reasonably priced for an island. A drawback were the ever present flies in the outdoor dining area, there were a couple of propeller type devices to shoo them which sort of worked but at breakfast we actually changed tables to get away from relentless flies. The rooms were little cottages scattered around the property. They were clean and comfortable, with outdoor seating areas and a hammock. We turned off the mini fridge at night as it was a little noisy and the room had a broken towel hook and toilet paper holder. On the whole, nice but in need of an update.

A good hotel owned by Hilton. Great location, the best feature was the rooftop pool with dining/bar area. The room was modern, spacious and clean with separate toilet and shower area and double sinks. A deep and narrow modern building resulted in long narrow halways that reminded us of a movie set for an institution with blank walls holding multiple small wall planters. Breakfast had many options with a buffet and menu choices. The in-house Peruvian restaurant looked cool but we did not dine there.

Arriving at 4:00am we were very happy to have a guide (Tom) and driver to take us to our hotel. When we arrived there was no one at reception and Tom stuck around to make sure we were checked in. Thanks Tom!

We did not do this activity, we did lunch instead

Very authentic local restaurant.

This was a recommendation from a friend who visited Colombia last year. Very cool vibe and filled with locals. We asked Tom to join us and had a great meal and Cervesa. We were told it was better to do at lunch as the location was a bit sketchy at night..

A busy, trendy restaurant we had good food and a fun time. At the end of the evening they provided dry ince and sparklers for eveyone to celebrate the evening.

This was another highlight of our trip. Very cool ambiance, live music and great food.

This was doubled booked to give us an option. We chose Alambique instead and cancelled the reservation.

Manuella was an experienced and enthusiastic giuide who gave us a thorough tour of Medellin. She worked effectively with our driver who made a convenient and fun recommendation for an al fresco lunch in a local spot. We all had a great time.

Tom gave us a great tour of the city and a trip up to Monserrate. He was particularly helpful and interesting during the gold museum tour which I hadn't really been keen to do. Due to time constraints we did an interesting coffe tasting at the end of the day near our hotel. At the local market we tried a number of fruit that we had never seen before.

This was an outdoor dinner spot a short walk form our hotel. At first we thought the reception was a bit abrupt but the waiter warmed up during the evening (picture a rough character from a Bond film). In many of the restaurants we went to we found the portions large enough for us to have 2-3 apetizers and wine.

We skipped this activity, it sounded touristy and busy/expensive. We have seen many sunsets.

A very potpular restaurant, it was big, busy, expensive and touristy. We had a nice meal - mostly appetizers and there were dancers around the tables and live music. We prefer smaller and more authentic local spots.

Very interesting given the history of the city. Oscar was a very competent and enthusiastic guide.

We had very insightful comments from the coffee person and had samples of coffee prepared in different fashions

We were met on time at our hotel and had an uneventful 35 minute drive to the airport. We delayed our departure time to reduce our wait for our flight.

We and boatload of day trippers arrive to a welcome drink and orientation. Then there is a mad dash for the beach chairs at one of the two small beaches. We can check in at 2:00 pm but get in a bit sooner.

The actrivities are good on paper however in practice underwhelming and a little pricey. The cuba diving was twice the going rate so we dove with a local dive shop nearby. The local guides wanted to sell us on the pricey cycling/kayaking in the mangrove tour saying there were no mosquitos (there were). We passed.

The seasonal wind is very strong so they start the boats home early. The wind comes from the left so we boarded 20 minutes early and were rewarded by not getting soaked like those on the left side. Because of the wind the route back was along an artifical river made 300 years ago that adds an hour to the trip home.

we cancelled this reservation

Interesting but not the same as seeing birds in the wild

We had walked by this restaurant earlier and thought it looked cool. There was live music and again we shared appetizers, a main and dessert. Service was very good as was the music. Lot's of locals dining there. It was a block from our hotel.

Live music, a place popular with locals. We shared an apetizer, main, dessert and wine.

Due to confusion at the reception we were led to a table on the second floor which turned out to be exclusively for the 6 course wine-paired tasting menu. We had no interest in that and had some discussion about whether to just leave. Finally, they just accomodated us and we had a very good meal of three appetizers and a main in full view of the kitchen. Very interesting experience. The pastry chef was introduced who recommended a Vegan dessert which was great.