Cali & around

With open-hearted and welcoming people, imposing mountains, spectacular roads, an abundance of vegetation, great biodiversity, fantastic tropical fruits and intense salsa rhythms, Colombia is an absolutely fascinating country. Of course, if we were to believe literally what Western officials say and recommend on their websites about tourist activities in Colombia, we would probably never visit this wonderful country, especially with our own expedition vehicle! As in most South American countries, there are areas in Colombia that should be avoided, but with some research, enchanting locations can be visited.

In Cali, a city of two million inhabitants, we camped at Villa de Bosco, a quiet hotel with a swimming pool, and stayed there for two nights. As usual, parking safety is very important, here it is obvious that you cannot leave your camper unattended anywhere. The city of Cali did not seem very attractive to me, most of all we liked the central market with live music and excellent Colombian food.

We then left for Medellin, interrupting the route at "Finca Alejandria", a splendid finca located in the mountains covered in mist and surrounded by a biodiversity unseen anywhere else in the world. In the surrounding rainforest live 40 species of hummingbirds and over 300 other species of birds. What we saw here is beyond words, hundreds of hummingbirds swarming at the same time around the plates of sugar solution prepared by the owner. The birds fly so close to you, they almost touch you, and if you stand still, they come within ten centimeters of you... An absolutely fascinating place. A real paradise for birds lovers.Read more