Cartagena!

We are moving on from the Coffee and Volcanoes Regions and have headed off to the coast in search of new adventures and coastal excursions. On our first of many trips to the coast, we went snorkeling through coral reef and saw a great variety of brightly colored fish. We weren't particularly impressed with the guide, so we're still looking, but we're sure it will be a great experience for everyone and can't wait to offer it!


We also went swimming in mud, which was quite an experience: You actually float in the mud, creating a zero gravity feel. The volcanic mud is said to have great nutrients for your skin - we certainly felt that our skin was soft after we got out and rinsed off! It's probably not for everyone, but for those who don't mind getting a little dirty, it's a great, unique experience!

From there we took a canoe trip through mangroves with a local guide. Mangrove forests, if you've never seen them before, are really beautiful, mystical type places. Most of the one hour journey felt like something out of a movie. In fact, a Colombian telenovela was filmed in these mangroves in the 1970s, and many of the passageways have been given names like, "The Love Passage" or "The Memory Passage."
For those in search of a 5 Star Caribbean vacation, I think Cartagena would be hard to beat! With several top notch boutique hotels with exceptional service, you will not be disappointed! For our budget customers, Cartagena is more expensive than other cities, but there are still several budget options for accommodation, including hostels and small hotels. One of the major advantages of Cartagena is that almost every hotel and excursion has someone who speaks English, so the language barrier will be much easier to overcome.

There is a lot more to do on the coast, and we are only just beginning. We look forward to offering a good walking tour of the Walled City, which is a beautifully preserved Spanish colonial city rich in history. We'll be going back soon in search of more of the right guides and accommodation offers and hope to have Cartagena as part of our offer by July 2009. See you there!