While born in Colombia, I was sent to the U.S. to study at the age of 12. No wonder every time I go to visit my family in Cali, the second largest city after Bogota, I regard the trip as a true adventure.
This July/August, the return journey was to celebrate my oldest brother’s birthday. The Calenos really know how to have fun. My sister-in-law hired a group of guitar players that sang common Colombian songs for hours. 
We then took the floor for the rest of the evening donning masks and hats they passed out and danced the Macarenas.
One day later we were off on a five hour bus ride to a resort near the town of Armenia for more fun. It was the Hotel Campestre Las Bailarinas where we were served three delicious meals per day and enjoyed a variety of wonderful activities including horseback riding, swimming and hiking.
The hikes were led by a knowledgeable guide who explained the history of the region and the customs of the natives. I had most fun going through several water tunnels on one of the hikes.
The following day we were off to El Parque Nacional del Café, the Disneyland of the region, only a 15 minute ride from Las Bailarinas.
There, after seeing the folkloric show depicting the proud coffee growers, we went for a cable car ride with the most magnificent views of bamboo forests and coffee plantations.
Best of all, the price of the Hotel with all amenities included was only $35.00 U.S. per day.
So, whether its hiking in nature, horseback riding, swimming, parks or fabulous food and colorful masks and dancing, Colombia has a wealth of unique experiences to enjoy.
Gone are the days were traveling in Colombia was very dangerous.
The drug-traffickers and guerrilla groups seem to have moved to remote areas in the Andes mountains.
Contributed Guest Post by Colombian-born Al Kadosh, a dentist based in San Francisco.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
