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For real southern hospitality, give Colombia a try.


“Come on down!” was once the welcoming greeting for a popular US TV game show, but it could well be the motto for the country of Colombia. For many people who follow media reports, Colombia is a place where one must fear kidnapping by narco-traffickers, but this scenic, ethnically diverse nation, located on the northwest tip of the South American continent gives new meaning to the term “southern hospitality.”

Bogota, the capital and largest city, is of course the obligatory first stop for any visitor arriving by air. Daily flights from Miami and Atlanta make getting there easy. The drive into the city from El Dorado International Airport is short, and the first thing that impresses you is that, despite the media reports of violence, it seems so peaceful. In fact, the crime rate in Bogota is less than cities like Caracas and Rio de Janeiro.

Bogota is a great place for shopping, dining, and night life, provided one stays from the poorer slums which, like many major urban areas, is the locus for a lot of the street crime. In the central part of town, there are stores where you can buy bags of Colombian coffee beans for a fraction of the price you pay in the US; restaurants that serve gargantuan steaks that melt in your mouth; and bars with great entertainment. The historic Candelaria district of central Bogota is a must see. The best time is just after sundown when people are off work and strolling.

You will, of course, not want to confine your visit to Bogota. Colombia has much more to offer. The national airline operates flights to other major tourist attractions, with few being more than an hour from the capital.

Here are just a few of the highlights outside Bogota:

Santa Marta, a seaside town in the Department of Magdalena, on the Caribbean coast in the northwest has great beaches, some of the friendliest people, in a country famed for its friendliness, and is a great place to just kick back.

Cartagena, in the Department of Bolivar, is reported to be home to Colombia’s most beautiful women. Of course, the people of Barranquilla and Medellin will disagree, so it is perhaps a good idea to visit all three and decide for yourself.

Arrecifes Beach, located in the Tayrona National Natural Park is one of the main destinations for eco-tourists. With its abundant natural resources and beautiful scenery, Colombia has become one of Latin America’s ecotourism destinations of choice.

This is just a sampler platter of what’s on the menu when you go to Colombia. For the full array of what the country has to offer, you just have to ‘go on down!’