| Is Colombia safe? |
The below are my opinions with regard to these issues. Opinions from six
years living in this country and having met thousands of travellers in
Colombia, and having visited a lot of this amazing country. As the
country's latest tourism ad says, ''the only risk is in wanting to stay''
Firstly I am happy to say that I have, as yet, never been robbed,
kidnapped or murdered in six years travelling/ living in Colombia. I have
travelled by bus from the south to the north and from the pacific coast
to Los Llanos and never experienced any problems. I have taken over
fifty night buses. I have been stopped only once by the guerrilla, but
that was on a bus route that very few travellers take: Medellin-Quibdo.
They neither robbed nor kidnapped anyone from the bus. That was also
four years ago and the guerrilla group that stopped my bus, the EPL, are
now a part of history.
Yes it is true Colombia was a pretty dangerous place several years ago
but that was then and this is now. No one travelled to Cambodia fifteen
years ago, same with Croatia. now those places are firmly on the tourist
trail. Colombia is heading in the same direction. Murders, for example in
Medellin which were running at 6,000 a year in the nineties are now at
less than 10 % of that or around 600 murders a year. Also most of
those murders occur in the poorer neigbourhoods and are in there
majority murders between rival drug gangs or disputes over women.
Talking about Medellin. There have only been two robberies of people
staying at this hostel and over 6000 backpackers have been through
these doors in that time. One of those robberies is also pretty dubious. A
guy walking back drunk from a club at four in the morning said the police
asked him for some money and since he had none he gave them his T-
Shirt. The other was in a crowded street by some pick-pocketers
during the biggest festival of the year. They are in all seriousness the only
two problems people staying in my hostal have encountered in the three
years we have been open. Robberies are so uncommon that if someone
comes to me and tells me they have been robbed I'm generally very
dubious. In April, 2008 the only time in the past year or so that someone
told me they had been robbed I asked for further details so shocked I
was that someone could have been robbed in this neighbourhood.. after
further prodding I found out that the girl was just making it up, she
admitted so, because she needed a story for some money she had lost
previously to make a insurance claim with the police.
With regard to bus travel, I have been told personally of three problems
encountered by people travelling to Medellin in the lastthree years. They
are. 1. During elections last year on a bus from Cartagena to Medellin two
travellers and the rest of the passengers were asked to collect there
belongings, luggage and get off the bus as it was stopped by the
guerrilla. The bus was then burnt to send a political message to the Govt.
But not one passenger was kidnapped, hurt or lost there stuff. 2. An
American guy arrived on an overnight bus from Cali to Medellin. He was
sitting next to a friendly old guy who during the journey offered him
some cookies. The cookies as it turned out were laced with the date-rape
drug and the guy was practically unconscious for the next several hours
until someone woke him up at the terminal. He had been robbed of his
money and camera. 3. A Dutch traveller and everyone else on the bus
was robbed by a fellow passenger on a journey from Bogota to the
coffee country and on to Medellin. She lost some money and that’s it.
The most common problem travellers run into in Colombia is street
robbery in La Candelaria in Bogota. However I believe some of the
hostels there have now hired a security guard for the street during the
night so that may help a bit. Other trouble could be had when buying
drugs in certain areas. The sellers of drugs may be working with the
police to set up travellers. So buy at your own risk. In Taganga the police
are pretty dodgy and are known to set up backpackers and then charge
them money to stay out of jail. Don't do drugs in Taganga or anywhere
for that matter. Once you start messing around with drugs your
chances of getting into trouble go up a lot.
While there are areas of Colombia that one should not travel in most
travellers would have never heard of these places. They would be along
the Ecuadorian border except the main Pan-American highway. Along
the Venezuelan border but not Cucuta, Puerto Inirida or Puerto Carreno.
Also south of Villavicencio (Los Llanos), and west of Medellin and around
the Panamanian border. Between Pasto and Tumaco on the Pacific
Coast, but north of Buenaventura on the Pacific Coast is safe.
Basically its safe to say that the paramilitary (right wing) groups are not
at all interested in kidnapping backpackers. Its also safe to say that
neither are the FARC or ELN (left wing groups), not that you should try
them out though. The last kidnapping of backpackers occurred about
three years ago when several trekkers doing the Ciudad Perdida trek
were kidnapped by the ELN. They were however released unharmed
after mediation from the church three months later. There have been no
problems on that trek since. If the main guerilla group, Las FARC, wanted
to kidnap a backpacker, they would. But its just not worth it on there
part. Too much publicity. The govt is hell bent on turning Colombia into
a tourism superpower. They would not respond favourably to a foreigner
being kidnapped.
Petty crime directed at tourists is less of a problem than in many other
South American countries. However one must be aware of those around
them in Bogota around La Candelaria where many people are robbed of
money, credit cards etc.
To summarise I personally feel pretty safe in this country. My parents
and sister came after a bit of convincing and were also surprised as to
how safe the place seemed. There is no need to take planes between
major cities. Travelling by bus is easy, cheap and safe.
I would recommend though to not take night buses on the following
routes though. Medellin-Quibdo; Medellin-Turbo; Popayan-
Ecuador; Popayan-San Agustin. Don't walk around Bogota at night on
your own. Get the taxi straight to the hostel door. Don't go buying
drugs. Don't get into trouble with the police in Taganga. Don't take food
or drinks from strangers on the bus. Don't take your eye off your small
bag on the bus. Don't slam the door when entering/ leaving taxis.
You can get into trouble anywhere/ anytime. Its as likely to happen in
my perceived safe home city of Christchurch, New Zealand as it is in
Medellin, Colombia. Just take the normal precautions and its very unlikely
anything too bad will happen.
years living in this country and having met thousands of travellers in
Colombia, and having visited a lot of this amazing country. As the
country's latest tourism ad says, ''the only risk is in wanting to stay''
Firstly I am happy to say that I have, as yet, never been robbed,
kidnapped or murdered in six years travelling/ living in Colombia. I have
travelled by bus from the south to the north and from the pacific coast
to Los Llanos and never experienced any problems. I have taken over
fifty night buses. I have been stopped only once by the guerrilla, but
that was on a bus route that very few travellers take: Medellin-Quibdo.
They neither robbed nor kidnapped anyone from the bus. That was also
four years ago and the guerrilla group that stopped my bus, the EPL, are
now a part of history.
Yes it is true Colombia was a pretty dangerous place several years ago
but that was then and this is now. No one travelled to Cambodia fifteen
years ago, same with Croatia. now those places are firmly on the tourist
trail. Colombia is heading in the same direction. Murders, for example in
Medellin which were running at 6,000 a year in the nineties are now at
less than 10 % of that or around 600 murders a year. Also most of
those murders occur in the poorer neigbourhoods and are in there
majority murders between rival drug gangs or disputes over women.
Talking about Medellin. There have only been two robberies of people
staying at this hostel and over 6000 backpackers have been through
these doors in that time. One of those robberies is also pretty dubious. A
guy walking back drunk from a club at four in the morning said the police
asked him for some money and since he had none he gave them his T-
Shirt. The other was in a crowded street by some pick-pocketers
during the biggest festival of the year. They are in all seriousness the only
two problems people staying in my hostal have encountered in the three
years we have been open. Robberies are so uncommon that if someone
comes to me and tells me they have been robbed I'm generally very
dubious. In April, 2008 the only time in the past year or so that someone
told me they had been robbed I asked for further details so shocked I
was that someone could have been robbed in this neighbourhood.. after
further prodding I found out that the girl was just making it up, she
admitted so, because she needed a story for some money she had lost
previously to make a insurance claim with the police.
With regard to bus travel, I have been told personally of three problems
encountered by people travelling to Medellin in the lastthree years. They
are. 1. During elections last year on a bus from Cartagena to Medellin two
travellers and the rest of the passengers were asked to collect there
belongings, luggage and get off the bus as it was stopped by the
guerrilla. The bus was then burnt to send a political message to the Govt.
But not one passenger was kidnapped, hurt or lost there stuff. 2. An
American guy arrived on an overnight bus from Cali to Medellin. He was
sitting next to a friendly old guy who during the journey offered him
some cookies. The cookies as it turned out were laced with the date-rape
drug and the guy was practically unconscious for the next several hours
until someone woke him up at the terminal. He had been robbed of his
money and camera. 3. A Dutch traveller and everyone else on the bus
was robbed by a fellow passenger on a journey from Bogota to the
coffee country and on to Medellin. She lost some money and that’s it.
The most common problem travellers run into in Colombia is street
robbery in La Candelaria in Bogota. However I believe some of the
hostels there have now hired a security guard for the street during the
night so that may help a bit. Other trouble could be had when buying
drugs in certain areas. The sellers of drugs may be working with the
police to set up travellers. So buy at your own risk. In Taganga the police
are pretty dodgy and are known to set up backpackers and then charge
them money to stay out of jail. Don't do drugs in Taganga or anywhere
for that matter. Once you start messing around with drugs your
chances of getting into trouble go up a lot.
While there are areas of Colombia that one should not travel in most
travellers would have never heard of these places. They would be along
the Ecuadorian border except the main Pan-American highway. Along
the Venezuelan border but not Cucuta, Puerto Inirida or Puerto Carreno.
Also south of Villavicencio (Los Llanos), and west of Medellin and around
the Panamanian border. Between Pasto and Tumaco on the Pacific
Coast, but north of Buenaventura on the Pacific Coast is safe.
Basically its safe to say that the paramilitary (right wing) groups are not
at all interested in kidnapping backpackers. Its also safe to say that
neither are the FARC or ELN (left wing groups), not that you should try
them out though. The last kidnapping of backpackers occurred about
three years ago when several trekkers doing the Ciudad Perdida trek
were kidnapped by the ELN. They were however released unharmed
after mediation from the church three months later. There have been no
problems on that trek since. If the main guerilla group, Las FARC, wanted
to kidnap a backpacker, they would. But its just not worth it on there
part. Too much publicity. The govt is hell bent on turning Colombia into
a tourism superpower. They would not respond favourably to a foreigner
being kidnapped.
Petty crime directed at tourists is less of a problem than in many other
South American countries. However one must be aware of those around
them in Bogota around La Candelaria where many people are robbed of
money, credit cards etc.
To summarise I personally feel pretty safe in this country. My parents
and sister came after a bit of convincing and were also surprised as to
how safe the place seemed. There is no need to take planes between
major cities. Travelling by bus is easy, cheap and safe.
I would recommend though to not take night buses on the following
routes though. Medellin-Quibdo; Medellin-Turbo; Popayan-
Ecuador; Popayan-San Agustin. Don't walk around Bogota at night on
your own. Get the taxi straight to the hostel door. Don't go buying
drugs. Don't get into trouble with the police in Taganga. Don't take food
or drinks from strangers on the bus. Don't take your eye off your small
bag on the bus. Don't slam the door when entering/ leaving taxis.
You can get into trouble anywhere/ anytime. Its as likely to happen in
my perceived safe home city of Christchurch, New Zealand as it is in
Medellin, Colombia. Just take the normal precautions and its very unlikely
anything too bad will happen.
