Lulu Authentica

Visiting Colombia really affected me in an unexpected way. To date, it was my riskiest and most rewarding trip. I truly fell in love with the country- the food, the culture, the landscapes, the history, the people, the language. Below are some of my recommendations for a smoother visit- basic information, what I did right, and what I would do differently next time.

As a US citizen, all I needed to enter the country was a passport. I also had to fill out a CheckMig form online.

I advise keeping your passport on you at all times, as it is required for just about everything.

To get around, I strongly suggest Uber or InDriver. I stuck with Uber for the most part, as you know exactly what you’re paying and can verify who is picking you up. I believe in sustainable tourism and supporting the destinations local economy. However, it is an established fact that local taxis hear the Estadounidense accent and will charge significantly more. If taking a taxi, I was advised to clarify the cost of the ride *before* embarking. Make sure you aren’t getting fleeced. For me, Uber just made more sense.

If I had to do it over, I would have invested in insect repellant from the very start. The mosquitos in Cartagena ate me alive and it was a major annoyance. The sun can be intense, so sunscreen is a good investment as well. But bug spray. Trust me on this.

I brought an unlocked phone with me and bought a SIM card locally. Claro had service everywhere and came well recommended. They have plenty of locations in the city as well. Note: Cartagena airport does NOT sell SIM cards, so I’d suggest booking an Uber ride while using the free 30 minutes of WiFi that you are allotted. Just get a ride directly to a store and get your phone service squared away ASAP.

I love to allow for serendipity when traveling. However, in retrospect, I wish I would have booked a few things ahead of time. Many of the tours I wanted to take were completely booked when I attempted to make reservations.

While I met some locals who spoke “un poquito inglés”, fluent English is not widely spoken (at least in my experience here) Google Translate will be your best friend when your knowledge of Spanish fails you. They speak fast here, and I found it especially challenging to understand. If you don’t speak the language, I strongly encourage you to learn a few key phrases.

Safety- guard your stuff. Keep valuables tucked away. Don’t have your phone out, don’t have your wallet and passport out. If carrying a bag, I’d recommend one with a strap that crosses your body to make it more difficult for someone to snatch and run.

The water situation was an never ending debate. Some said the water would be fine to drink and others strongly cautioned me to avoid it. I brought a Lifestraw filter and water bottle with me just in case. I also bought bottled water for the majority of the time I was here. However, there was ice in my beverages, and I had no undesirable effects.

I brought a travel credit card with no foreign transaction fees (CapitalOne Venture and Venture X), but there will be plenty of situations where efectivo (cash) is needed. I strongly encourage you to withdrawal some cash when possible, as cajeros (ATMs)can be difficult to locate at times. Familiarize yourself with currency terms. At the time of writing this, the US dollar carries roughly four times the weight of the Colombian peso, so your money can take you far here. Just make sure you have a grip on the numerical amounts. Colombian pesos operate in the thousands (10 mil, 20 mil, 50 mil etc)

For much of my time here, I stayed in a lovely hostel in the Crespa, a 5 minute walk from the airport and playa. In retrospect, I wish I would have divided my time a little more fairly to include barrio Getsemani. This is the artistic center of the city, full of street art, culture and party.

At the end of the day, I found locals as a whole to be incredibly kind, generous and hospitable. Whatever your experience is, I hope you have the opportunity to appreciate this wonderful culture and location, but perhaps with fewer insect bites.