Happy New Year! I have just returned from my adventure to Colombia, it truly is an amazing place. In the months before leaving for my trip nearly everyone I spoke to warned me against it, which confirmed the general point of view of visiting Colombia is that it is a place of kidnappers and general danger. This belief could not be more wrong and I think it is time to get rid of this outdated impression of such a beautiful country. The people were warm and welcoming and are keen to invite people to their country to show that the situation has dramatically improved now. Obviously there are some places to avoid in the big cities but there are places you wouldn't wander into alone at night in London, anywhere you go has it's dodgy areas.

I flew into the capital city of Bogota which sits at an altitude of about 2600m. The city itself is totally flat but surrounded by mountains so as soon as you go up any level you see the most amazing views. Bogota is fun, it has a non stop night life and some really cool bars and clubs that I didn't expect to see in Colombia. Next stop was the "City of Eternal Spring", Medellin, named that because the weather is so beautifully warm but not too hot. Medellin is in a valley, the city is built up into the mountains so like Bogota you a surrounded by stunning scenery. We spent time in the mountains over New Year visiting various farms, this area really felt like cowboy land and definitely worth a trip out of town to see. The flowers in Colombia are absolutely breathtaking, you can see every type and colour you can imagine.

After visiting these fantastic mountainous cities next stop was the exquisitely romantic Spanish Colonial city of Cartagena on the Caribbean coast. Probably Colombia's main tourist destination it is full of holiday makers but still feels relaxed and laid back. It is like a Caribbean Ibiza with parties on the beach and the beautiful old town to wander around at night soaking up the atmosphere. There is a dance festival there in January and it's Colombians major holiday season so I think other times of year will be far more relaxed there.

Further up the coast I visited a gorgeous small fishing village called Taganga which was just a small little bay that felt remarkably like I was on a Greek island. Local fish restaurants lined the beach serving delicious fresh catches. Which reminds me, the food in Colombia is delicious. They serve lots of tasty meat with rice and corn bread, which comes with everything. There is an amazing seafood soup that varies from chef to chef and there are so many tropical fruits to try, including ones we have never even heard of here!

My favourite place above all was Tayrona National Park purely because I am eternally on the quest for the perfect beach. There is a 45 minute walk (or catch a horse) through jungle until you reach Arricifies Beach which is a coconut lined white sandy beach with rolling Caribbean waves. Here I slept in a hammock under the stars for two nights before moving to a luxurious tent! From Arricifies you can walk through the jungle along the coast line stopping out at various other beaches where you can swim in the crystal clear blue water. It really is paradise.

So as you can see I loved Colombia! I know my blogs are usually about clothes or personal development but I really wanted to share with you all what a great country it is and please don't be put off my any scaremongering as the situation really has changed there in the past few years. Perhaps I should be keeping it all a secret to myself before it gets over run with British package holidays but I am sure you will keep it quiet too wont you?!

Until next month!

Louise x