Vamos Colombia Tour takes you to Barranquilla Carnaval March 3-14, 2011

Contact us at Vamos Colombia Tour website. Or email us at info@vamoscolombiatour.com.

Barranquilla Carnaval 2011 set to begin soon

The 2011 edition of the world famous and UNESCO-recognized Barranquilla Carnaval is soon upon us! The highlights are on the weekend of March 5-8, 2011, just before the start of Lent.
The vastly improved website can be found at:
http://www.carnavaldebarranquilla.org/

The schedule can be found at
http://www.carnavaldebarranquilla.org/Programacion

Information about the many kinds of traditional Colombian dance and rhythms that are found at the Carnaval can be found on the website:
http://www.carnavaldebarranquilla.org/DanzasExpresiones



Vamos Colombia Tours will be happy to help you enjoy the Carnaval in luxury and with all the amenities.

www.vamoscolombiatour.com

Cartagena Music Festival, January 2011

Check out the series of blogs from the Cartagena International Music Festival in January 2011 posted on the website of Americas Quarterly.

http://www.americasquarterly.org/node/2086

The official website of the music festival is here: http://www.cartagenamusicfestival.com/

Slate visits the Most Beautiful Undiscovered River in the World - In Colombia!

Slate magazine (online) has discovered the most beautiful undiscovered river in the world, and, yes, it is in Colombia! (shhh - don't tell!)

Check out

The World's Most Beautiful River

The first hidden wonder of South America.

By Joshua Foer
found here: http://www.slate.com/id/2282933

It is part of Slate's World of Wonders 2011 series, found here:
http://www.slate.com/id/2282843/landing/1/
Which is it? It is the Cano Cristalis in the Serrania de la Macarena national park. Of course it is not really a secret but it is just a bit out of the way. Well worth the trek, however. More info can be found in Colombia's adventure magazine:
http://www.revistaviajesyaventura.com/7maravillososparques/nacionales.html

FICCI: Cartagena International Film Festival 2011

The ever more popular and well organized Cartagena International Film Festival is set to get underway February 24-March 3, 2011. It will feature films from Colombia as well as all over Latin America and the world. The country of Mexico is features as the country of honor this year.

The Colombian film "Los Colores de la Montaña" (The Colors of the Mountain) will be shown on the opening night of the 51st annual Cartagena Film Festival.

The film, which is directed by Carlos Cesar Arbelaez, has also been nominated for the Official Fiction Competition.

From the website: http://ficcifestival.com/int_peli.php?id=167
Sinopsis
Director Carlos César Arbeláez avoids falling into the all-too-easy trap of preying on our natural protective instincts and resorting to emotional manipulation in this, his first feature film, which offers a moving, but credible portrait of the Colombian conflict through the eyes of three children from La Pradera, a village in the Antioquia mountains. In the foreground we watch as the children lose their ball in a minefield, while the real tragedy unfolds in the background when the villagers find themselves trapped in enemy crossfire.

The closing night is an animated film, Chito y Rita. From the website's summary:
Sinopsis
A wonderful feature animation for adults that tells the epic story of Chico, a young pianist with big dreams, and Rita, a beautiful singer with an extraordinary voice. Set in Havana of the Forties, the bolero sets the tone for what Fernando Trueba describes as a homage to Cuba, its people and its music, and a tribute to love stories and filmmaking. Some 70 musicians and actors were involved in the making of Chico & Rita, including acclaimed Cuban musicians like Bebo Valdés, who retires on this high note having passed the milestone of age 90. Fruit of the successful collaboration between director Fernando Trueba and the artist Javier Mariscal, Chico & Rita has received excellent reviews from critics and musicians the world over. “Love is a song you will never forget” is the tagline of this movie which bagged first prize at the Holland Animation Film Festival.

The main website is found at http://ficcifestival.com/index.php

Gay Parade at Carnival in Barranquilla, 2010

These pictures are from the gay parade held a week before the main Carnival parade in Barranquilla, Colombia. It features many transgenders, including both drag and transexuals.

Readers of Lonley Planet vote Colombia #3 top destination for 2010

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/colombia/travel-tips-and-articles/42/18633

Lonely Planet has certainly promoted Colombia as a rising star in travel, and its readers clearly feel the same.

What Lonely Planet has to say: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/colombia

New York Times readers pick Colombia as #2 world destination in 2010

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/travel/2010-places-to-go.html



In a poll of readers asking what destinations were top choices for visiting in 2010, Colombia ranked 2nd in the entire world as far as responses go, out of 1,532 responses. The NYT itself ranked it one of the top choices as well, noting:

26. Colombia
Unfairly or not, Colombia is still known for its cocaine cartels and street violence, but cool-hunting travelers are calling it Latin America’s next affordable hot spot.

Bogotá, its capital, has emerged as a role model of urban reinvention. Starting in the late 1990s, the city underwent a breathtaking transformation. Sidewalks, once used mainly for parking, are now lined with bicycle paths and tree-shaded cafes. An innovative bus system zips residents across the traffic-congested city. And museums and restaurants have opened in its historic center, including the refurbished Museo del Oro, which houses pre-Columbian treasures.

Getting there is affordable, too. JetBlue recently began nonstop daily service to Bogotá from Orlando, Fla., joining other carriers including Delta.

Meanwhile, the picturesque coastal city of Cartagena, a Unesco World Heritage site, which has been experiencing a tourism surge in recent years, gets even more stylish. The latest addition is the Tcherassi Hotel + Spa (www.tcherassihotels.com), a seven-room boutique hotel designed by Silvia Tcherassi, a Colombian fashion designer. It has even prompted some travel bloggers to call Cartagena the next Buenos Aires. — Denny Lee

Colombia Recognized as Top Emerging Destination

http://www.wanderlust.co.uk/article.php?page_id=3178

Wanderlust Travel Awards 2010 Top Emerging Destination
By Wanderlust team
Discover which emerging destination scooped top prize in this year's awards
Wanderlust Travel Awards 2010

Wanderlust Travel Awards 2010

Top Emerging Destination

Colombia

This new category rewards countries that received fewer visitors – and therefore votes – than those in the main country category, but which wowed those who did visit. Top of the pile was Colombia, the Latin American nation whose wild beaches, colonial cities (including Unesco-listed Cartagena), archeological sites and rolling coffee plantations are fast erasing outdated stereotypes of drugs and crime.

In-the-know favourites Madagascar and Bhutan follow close behind. Best known for all-inclusive luxury resorts, The Maldives were a surprise in this category – but for snorkellers and divers there are truly few better spots on earth.

Ranking %

1 Colombia

2 Madagascar

3 Bhutan

4 Maldives

5 Israel

6 Mongolia

7 Libya

8 Iran

9 Rwanda

10 Uzbekistan

France Endorses Colombia for Safe Travel

According to Dinero.com, France has upgraded its advice for travelers to Colombia. The article (original in Spanish), translated by Google is as follows:

France improved, for Colombia, the warning that makes its citizens traveling to different places in the world, better known as the "travel warning", adding to Santa Marta, Barranquilla, the area between Bogota, Tunja, and Bucaramanga, and the three provinces of the Coffee Region: Quindio, Risaralda and Caldas, to the list of cities in which it has not set restrictions.

The places listed are in addition to Cartagena and San Andres, which already appeared in that category, said the Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism Luis Guillermo Plata, upon thanking France "for translating, into action, the progress that has been the country's security.

At the second level, ie, those which it is recommended to visit with proper precautions, is preserved: Cundiboyacense region, with its departments and capital, Bucaramanga, Pasto, Leticia, Medellin, Cali and Popayan. On this last point, the Minister said that these places also provide security to tourists, saying "we will persist to pass the green rating in response to their reality."

The Minister Emphasized the improvement in the travel warning that, since 2008, has been playing Colombia, a result, he said, "a judicious job of security, and which undoubtedly the new image influences you in the world today, the country".

"Do not forget that until two years ago, most of the map of Colombia appear in red on the warnings for French travelers." Significantly Today things have changed and we are confident that this is a continuous process of improvement, "said Silver.

For his part, Deputy Minister of Tourism, Oscar Rueda Garcia, spoke about the impact that these events have on tourism, it said, many travelers have very present these issues before making any travel decisions. After Spain, France ranks second in number of passengers arriving in Colombia from Europe, with 2.2% of the total. Between January and November 2009, over 27,000 French visited Colombia, a 7.3% increase over the same period in 2008.

Direct Flight from US to San Andres island in Caribbean to start in June 2010

According to RCN (Colombian news):

Starting June 2010, Spirit Airlines will operate a direct flight from Fort Lauderdale, USA to the island of San Andres (in Colombia).

The announcement was made by Deputy Minister of Tourism, Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, Oscar Rueda Garcia, who said this is an opportunity for the island to capture the U.S. market. According to him, 10 years ago there was no direct flight from that country to San Andres.

The Deputy Minister, together with aviation authorities and the governor of the department, met in Miramar, Florida with the airline's president, Ben Baldanza, to define aspects of the new operation.

source:
http://www.rcnradio.com/noticias/econom/10-12-09/nueva-ruta-rea-san-andr-s-fort-lauderdale

Halloween in Bogota - Celebration in Style!

Bogota goes all out to celebrate Halloween with great costumes, parties and festivities - everyone dresses up! The pictures are from Teatron's Halloween party (the largest gay club and bar in Bogota - it was completely packed with literally thousands of Bogota's hottest guys!)

If you like a great party in a fun atmosphere, you will love Bogota on Halloween! Vamos Colombia Tour offers a great package for Bogota and Colombia on Halloween or any time of year.
www.vamoscolombiatour.com

To see more pictures from Halloween, check out the pictures on facebook.

Schedule for Bogota Music Celebrations 2010

From Colombia Reports:

Bogota authorities determined the dates for the festivals to be held in Bolivar park the coming season. Apart from 2010's edition of Rock Al Parque, there will be festivals focused on salsa, jazz, hip hop and world music.

The country's biggest festival, Rock Al Parque, will be held from June 23 and June 29. The 2010 edition is the festival's 15th anniversary and more than 60 bands are expected to perform.

From August 22 until August 30, the park is reserved for next year's edition of Salsa Al Parque. This year's edition of this salsa festival wll be focusing of Colombian composer and singer Joe Arroyo this year.

Jazz Al Parque, planned between September 7 and September 13, will offer jazz concerts and workshops.

Hip Hop Al Parque, despite unrest the past year, will go on and is scheduled for October 13 until October 18. The concert is the biggest hip hop event in Colombia and will not just show the country's best rappers, but also have dance demonstrations and the Second Encounter of Hip Hop Formation Houses.

The only festival that hasn't had its date set is Colombia Al Parque, a festival focused on Colombian culture, but this year with great emphasis on the traditional cultures of other parts of the world.

Bogota 8th most Techie city in Latin America

According to a report in Colombia Reports, based on an article in El Tiempo:

Bogota is the 8th most technologically advanced city in Latin America, according to a study by Motorola and Convergencia Research.

Bogota was 8th out 150 Latin American cities, with Sao Pablo (Brasil) in first place followed by Chihuahua and Merida (Mexico). Medellin is the second most technologically advanced city in Colombia.

The study ranked cities according to infrastructure, services, commitment to reducing the digital divide and use of information technologies and communications between citizens, businesses and public institutions, El Tiempo reported.

Colombia has 2,746,816 internet subscribers according to the Commission of Regulation of Communications. There are 774,066 subscribers in Bogota (28 per cent of the national total).

Bogota provides public internet through 70 interactive portals around the city. 30,970 people have so far signed up for the city's digital literacy program.

Avianca and Taca to combine forces

Two prominent airlines in Latin America are merging forces, although they will keep their separate identities, it seems. TACA focuses on Central America with flights to North and South America (especially Peru). Avianca is centered in Colombia. Together, they will provide great connections and travel possibilities for those wishing to get to Colombia, and to get around Latin America as well.

According to Routes Online:

Avianca, the national carrier of Colombia and TACA, which has a tri-hub strategy with its hubs based in Lima, San Jose and El Salvador has announced plans to merge from next year.

The merger will see the coming together of two of the largest carriers in the Latin American market.

The move will create cost synergies from cost savings from the operational side of the business with procurement and employee numbers working in Aircraft, Ground Staff, Fuel, Airport Charges and Customer Services. The fleet and networks of the two carriers will be largely complimentary.

TACA has three hubs, operating 31 aircraft with a mainly short/medium haul range, including A319/A320/A321 and E-190, where as Avianca operates 46 aircraft with larger aircraft such as their B767-300 ER and A330-200, it also has 12x B787 on order.

Avianca operates 2111 weekly frequencies from Bogota, whereas TACA from its three hubs operates 806 weekly services. In terms of their network, TACA currently operate 36 destinations whereas Avainca operates 43, however there is crossover on only 9 destinations, including Buenos Aires, JFK, Washington Dulles and Mexico City.

The merger will see TACA gain access to Avianca long haul destinations in Europe, notably Barcelona and Mexico which gives TACA passengers access to these large hispanic VFR markets from any TACA destination, on the same ticket, this also creates extra feed into the Avinca long haul routes. The merger will also help the combined carrier compete with LAN on these lucrative European markets, which given its presence across several countries in Latin America allows it to feed high volumes of domestic traffic to its International network.

The merger will lead to the combined airline being one of the largest carriers in Latin America.

Note: The above route maps may not be current, and are for illustrative purposes only.

NYT features Villa de Leyva

With the headline "Villa de Leyva, a Graceful Window on Colonial Colombia", the New York Times Travel Section of October 25, 2009, features a very nice article on Colombia's favorite colonial town the time forgot, Villa De Leyva. It is one of several articles that focus on Latin America.

Check it out!
http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/10/25/travel/25explorer.html?em

New video of first time visitors to Colombia: "Shooting Colombia"

Check out this great new video documenting the eye-opening experience of international visitors in Colombia for the first time. In the words of the website for "Shooting Colombia":

About Shooting Colombia

This was a journey into the unknown and, the untold. Armed only with cameras, 12 people from different nationalities, backgrounds and walks of life agreed to take part in an experiment, to experience the true Colombia. Told to leave their pre-conceptions at home they documented the truth exactly as they saw it. Witness the unimaginable places, the characters and the experience of a lifetime as they saw it.

This is their story.

http://www.shootingcolombia.com/

Bogota Film Festival 2009 - 26th year

The 26th edition of the Bogota Film Festival features many international films, including a tribute to India.

Check out

http://www.bogocine.com/xxvi/

Tourism Up in Colombia Once Again

According to Colombia Reports:

Colombian Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism announced that tourism to Colombia increased 9.2% from January to August 2009, compared to the same period in 2008.

819,613 foreign tourists arrived in Colombia between January and August, 2008, while 894.742 foreign visitors came to the country in the same period in 2009. On the other hand, more than 460,000 foreign travelers are expected to set foot on Colombian soil during the upcoming cruise season, which is 22,8% more than last year.

According to economic newspaper Portafolio, the Colombian association of travel agencies perceives a significantly increased income in the first semester of 2009 compared to the same period in 2008, in spite of the 8% decrease in global tourism.

"We have perceived the same increase announced by the Ministry (of Trade, Industry and Tourism), which shows that the (travel) agencies continue to benefit, while airlines and hotels consider us their allies when it comes to the merketing of their tourist product, Mario Alfredo Nassar, a coordinator for the Colombian syndicate of travel agencies, said.

Tourism to Colombia started to soar as the security improved in and around the country's tourist destinations like Cartagena, Bogota and Medellin.

New Intermational Flights to Colombia

This picture has nothing to do with international flights, but is more interesting than another airplane.

From Colombia Reports:

Colombian Aviation authorities granted 20 new international routes permissions to Colombian airlines in an attempt to bring the ticket price down and boost international trips, newspaper La Republica reported Wednesday.

The permission, which will make the airlines less dependent on domestic flights, was granted to Avianca, Aires and Aero República.

Aires will add weekly flights from Bogota to New York and back, and daily frecuencies from Barranquilla, Cali, and Cartagena to Fort Lauderdale in Florida. It will also fly the Bogota-Sao Paulo, and Rionegro-Mexico City frequencies, with Boeing 373-700 aircrafts.

Aviaca will fly Bogota-Orlando-Bogota everyday, and Bogota-San Jose (Costa RIca)-Bogota. It will also add frequencies from Bogota to Sao Paulo, Fort Laudrdale, Los Angeles, New York, Washington, Aruba, and Curaçao.

Aero Republica will add the fequencies from Bogota to Santo Domingo, Aruba, San Jose (Costa Rica), Panama, Sao Paulo, and Miami.

The report says that Colombia aviation authorities are brokering a bilateral agreement with Dubai for new direct flights between the two countries.