COLOMBIA the Latest Hot Spot

Cartagena is probably one of the “hottest” places to visit as it’s literally all over everyone’s IG.

 I was super excited to finally visit after booking an 8d trip over New Years,  which by the way, is way too much time to spend just in Cartagena (explain later). Cartagena and it’s skyline is referred to as “mini Miami” by the locals, we took the skyline in on a horse drawn carriage and it did not disappoint.  It’s a decent size city but the touristic area is small and mainly contained in “La Ciudad Amourallada”, The Walled City.  It’s about 3 miles of super cute bright colorful little houses, restaurants, churches, bars and small boutiques.  Now I love shopping and eating, but honestly you don’t need more than 2 days here. Also if you’ve ever been to Havana, Cuba or Antigua, Guatemala it’s actually quite reminiscent. We also visited during the highest season- Christmas/New Year- so every hotel/house was fully booked. Streets were bustling, especially in the evenings, filled with street vendors all over. That was actually one down fall, these vendors are all over you… every step you take especially if you are a tourist they are everywhere! Be firm with them they’ll get it but if you show any weakness they will stay with you until eventually you buy something.  Originally, we were going to go with other couples and experience the night life but plans changed and we didn’t get to fully experience that side of Cartagena but did see how it’s definitely a party place as people were still going strong New Year’s day at 7am! 

So my recs are stay in Cartagena 2 days and then head out to the islands on a speed boat. The islands are about 30-45 min away and definitely worth going to Baru, Islas de Rosario and Tierra Bomba- I definitely would not recommend the beaches in Cartagena itself...sketch! 

After 3 days in Cartagena we took off to Medellin a quick 1 hr flight. Medellin is like any other Latin City with yummy restaurants. We only stayed here a day and ended up drinking, playing UNO and dominoes more than actually exploring but it’s a beautiful very lush and mountainous city. We felt safe for the most part but definitely know where to go and ask the locals, because some touristic areas are known to be dangerous so don’t wear jewelry and carry purses there.

The next few days we took off to explore Old Penol and Guatape. It was an easy scenic 2 hr ride to Old Penol- a cute mini town where they have drinks, food and local artisans. The views from this place are so beautiful we spent a few hours just chillin, shopping and enjoying the vibe. 

Finally we reached Guatape which is actually a man made reservoir where many famous Colombians have gorgeous houses along these huge lakes. In the 70’s they purposely flooded the area and created these lakes which inadvertently created a touristic gem.  The views are just sooo breathtaking you immediately fall in love. 

The local town is called Pueblo de Zocales where all the houses have paintings representing their lives or work in the lower facade. Like literally if you’re a farmer you would have pictures representing you farming or if you have a boat and a horse you would have that molded onto the lower part of your house.  

We rented the cutest Chalet ever but let me tell you getting there was a little rough! What an adventure I say it was about 2 miles of dirt roads with big ass holes at one point I didn’t think the car was going to make it. Actually there were no taxis or any restaurants by us so the owner had to get Little tuk tuks to take us around town. Even the tuk tuks couldn’t go as far as the house because the roads were so bad they were scared that their tuk-tuks wouldn’t make and tip over. This place has a little of everything boating, kayaking, eating, drinking, boating, zip lining, helicopter rides etc... It’s considered Medellin’s Hamptons and I see it blowing up soon so don’t wait too long, they’re expanding as you read this and they’re making a modern walkway. It’s truly a little gem and worth a visit!   

Resorts vs. Airbnb

Location, Location, Location 

Where you stay is everything!  For the most part, I love staying in areas within walking distance to town or major sites.  For me, walking is essential and one of the best parts of traveling to explore and see the most.  I do a lot of research on the area I’m staying and really try to find places in the most popular areas.  Next, I choose between a hotel or an Airbnb,  which I chose is highly dependent on the amount of days I’m staying in one area.  Usually, if I stay more than 5 days I like Airbnb’s for several reasons.  First, you may save money by getting an airbnb if you’re splitting the cost and sharing it with friends.  In addition to better nightly rate then a fancy hotel you also save money on food and  laundry, you can pack less for your trip if you have a good plan.  Buying snacks and breakfast goodies at a local grocery store is a great way to save money especially if you have kids who are always hungry!  Additional benefit can include more space and somewhere for the kids to really chillax and for you to unwind.  Certain parts of the world scream airbnb to me while others don’t.  If you’re staying in a country that has a reputation for being safe such as Bali, Cuba or Colombia I would definitely consider getting an airbnb without a doubt. Other countries which seem less walkable and more chaotic such as Guatemala, Belize, or Vietnam not so much.  I recently traveled to Guatemala and had a friend who wanted to join me.  She figured she could just explore while I did the family thing.  While I love my country there’s a few things you don’t do in certain countries and that’s roam free without knowing where to go.  Guatemala city is one of those places that you should really know a local or stick to the touristic places.  Especially if you don’t speak the language it can get a little dicey.  There are certain areas in Guatemala that are very touristic like Antigua and actually there’s probably more Americans living there than Guatemalans, but it’s a little ways away from the city.  I would actually say that when traveling to most Central American Countries, get advice from locals or people who have lived there.  

South America, Europe and Asia for the most part are safe and all have walkable cities that love and welcome tourists.  Make sure you really research the area and reach out to people who have been there for their advice on where to stay.  The beauty of these times is there’s really options for all budgets (always less during off seasons and not holidays) and the best part is just getting out there and exploring. 

 PS. These are some of my favorite locations below: The first Intercontinental Resort in Danang, Vietnam. The second, A beautiful Villa in Capri, Italy, and lastly a beautiful villa in Ubud, Bali.

Let's Travel

Let’s discover and travel!  First on the to do list is to pick a place.  There’s so many destinations that are kid friendly like the Bahamas, Dominican Republic, and almost anywhere in the Caribbean!  If you have really young children and haven't traveled much it's especially important to look for locations close to you.  When my girls where between 1-3 years old we traveled mainly between NJ & Miami, a few times to the Bahamas, and Turks and Caicos.  To be honest, it was just easier, flights were short and because it was most familiar to us it became a routine.  Cruises are another great option for kids because everything is easily accessible and you can see a lot of countries and not have to move any luggage or baby gear.  I remember being pregnant with Luna and taking a two week cruise in Europe with my husband and two girls who were 3 & 4 yrs old at the time. We saw a lot of places and were occupied by many kid friendly activities onboard, not to mention great downtime for naps in-between ports.  If your kids are older then definitely start venturing out!  Decide if you want mostly site seeing and relaxing like Guatemala vs an adventure like Costa Rica or a little of both like Turks and Caicos.  I also find that every country has a little of both relaxation and adventure you just have to look for it and plan accordingly.  I absolutely love Europe and South America but flight times and days you have available for vacation comes into play- you don’t want to be traveling 2 full days if you only have 5 days to spare.  https://www.lonelyplanet.com/ is a great website to look around and choose your next location.  They have insights into different countries and so many great places to explore!  

Once you have picked a location, start crazy Google and Tripadvisor searching on what there is to do in that country.   I always make sure I choose activities or excursion that we can do with my 5 year old since she’s our youngest. Nothing is worse then planning an itinerary come to find out it’s not doable for all in your group.   Always plan down to your lowest age then work up vs planning for adults.  I’m dying to go to Peru and India but realistically my kids are too young for these places and we will have to wait a while.....but it will happen!

Next on the list, start your flight search-ticket prices can help dictate where you’re heading.  Generally the further you go the more expensive the flight. I usually start on Expedia and Kayak to compare the best flight deals.  Afterwards I go directly to the airline to see if their prices are less but I find that they’re usually not with the exception of Jet Blue.  I’ve also heard booking on a Tuesday night helps with prices but haven’t been able to prove it-lmk if it works for you!  Booking early is also huge on savings.  If you know when you have vacation days try looking for flights early so there’s plenty of availability or use search engines to notify you when there’s low prices. Since I know when my girls have vacation, I start planning our journeys far in advance!  I may be crazy but I already planned December and I’m starting to think about February’s break.nA lot of schools have similar days off for vacations so I've found that the longer I wait the less availability there is for hotels or houses (I’ll get into housing in a later post) and the higher ticket prices will be.

I took a trip down memory lane (sniff sniff) and included some pictures from previous vacations with my minis including Paris, the European Cruise, Turks and Caicos, Guatemala and a staycation in the Florida Keys.

Remember, any place worth getting to is never easy, so start early and happy planning!