Recommend November 2012 - (Page 43)

Opposite page: Hiking the highlands of coffee country. Most recently—prior to the 36th annual gathering of 2012 TravelMart Latin America in Cartagena in September— Recommend joined a group of U.S. and U.K. tour operators on a get-acquainted-with Bogota and the Coffee District tour. Our host was Panamericana de Viajes, a Bogota-based destination management company that has been showing visitors around Colombia for more than a quarter century and is introducing a new way to experience “coffee culture.” We started in Bogota, whose ﬁrst conquistadors came in search of the golden treasures of El Dorado; the original settlement was ofﬁcially christened Santa Fe de Bogota de Nuevo Reino de Granada de las Indias del Mar Oceano. Many centuries later the capital has a nice short name and a highly contemporary proﬁle. The skyline is dominated by steel and glass buildings, and residential areas mix styles from Andalusia and Frank Lloyd Wright. Yet stopping here for a close look, you’ll ﬁnd lovely colonial corridors along which to wander and museums full of dazzling pre-Columbian treasures, as well as masterpieces of modern art. Highlights of our Bogota sightseeing included a walkabout in Plaza Bolivar, bordered by the Cathedral and the Palacio de San Carlos, as well as La Candelaria. The latter is the cultural heart and soul of the city, dotted with ornate churches such as San Francisco with elaborate interiors; San Ignacio and its colonial art works; and the fresco-lined Church of Santa Clara, now a museum. Few South American capitals can match Bogota’s grand collection of museums, and most are located in La Candelaria district. Its most famous treasures and the world’s greatest assemblage of pre-Columbian gold objects (33,000) are on display in the Museo de Oro (Gold Museum). Taking a cable car up and a tram down, we journeyed to the peak of Monserrate Hill—crowned by a handsome white church and a couple of ﬁne restaurants—to enjoy the ﬁnest panoramic views of Bogota, then drove 30 miles out of town to the mountain town of Zipaquira to descend 590 ft. underground to the vast Salt Cathedral. Carved inside an immense, 25-acre active salt mine, this surreal and stunning piece of engineering and artistry is built on three levels, with the Cathedral, measuring 394 ft. in length and 72 ft. high, on the lower level. Through good luck and good planning, our 2-day marathon of sightseeing included a Sunday, the day when major avenues close to cars (7 a.m. to 2 p.m.) and cyclists of all ages take to the many routes along the 214 miles of bicycle paths called ciclorutas. It’s a lot of fun and there are many places to rent bicycles and join cycling tours. In the city’s northern residential neighborhood of Usaquen, Sunday is also Flea Market day, with a vast emporium of arts, crafts, jewelry, clothing, and foodstuffs spread out over many blocks of cobblestone streets. Another neighborhood shopping pick is Hacienda Santa Barbara mall whose modern boutiques occupy this stylish commer- Colombia with Cox & Kings New to the Cox & Kings USA touring lineup is its 13-day Colombia in-Depth. The Private Journey program explores the historic heart of Bogota and the contemporary ﬂair of Medellin, travels to the fortiﬁed port resort of Cartagena and exquisitely beautiful Tayrona National Park. En-route guests will discover a vibrant country, wander through local markets with an expert chef, snorkel in crystal waters, hike through pristine rainforest, and savor the treasures of colonial towns. Highlights are certainly the fantastic museum collections: art in Museo Botero and gold in the Museo del Oro; the historic town of Villa de Leya, seeming to come from a page out of Don Quixote; swimming and snorkeling in the Rosario Islands; birdwatching and beaching in the jungles of Tayrona. Private Journey means private car and guide, and superior and/or deluxe accommodations such as the Soﬁtel Victoria Regio or Avia 93 in Bogota, La Posada de San Antonio in Villa de Leyva, the Soﬁtel Legend in Cartagena, and the Diez Hotel or Charlee in Medellin. “There is new interest in Colombia,” says Ignacio Villan, Latin America manager for Cox & Kings USA, who credits Colombia’s ProExport USA ofﬁce for this destination turnaround. “We added our Colombia In-Depth itinerary this year to give our guests a full exposure to the many facets of this vibrant country.” With security no longer a front page issue, Villan believes that Colombia “will be a big destination in two to three years.” He encourages travel agents to call him direct for any assistance they need in selling Colombia. The Colombia in-Depth private journey cost is $5,075 with superior accommodations, $5,325 with deluxe accommodations; air is additional. (800) 999-1758; coxandkingsusa.com or coxandkingsusa.com/agents cial center, located adjacent to our hotel, the 82-room Hacienda Royal. This is a stylish hotel in a safe neighborhood with ﬁne dining restaurants within walking distance; the atmosphere is welcoming and low key, the service friendly and efﬁcient. Newly renovated rooms are spacious and comfy, ﬁtted with all amenities including TV, CD player, mini-bar, sofa bed, Internet (cost additional) and breakfast, and guest facilities include a restaurant and bar, spa and gym. The Usaquen district hosts another member of the Hoteles Royal group (eight properties in Bogota alone): the 251-room Radisson Royal Bogota. Elsewhere in the country, La Merced, a beautiful 8-room boutique hotel in the historic center of Cartagena, is also part of the Royal family. november 2012 43 http://www.coxandkingsusa.com http://www.coxandkingsusa.com/agents

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend November 2012

Editor's Notes
Hotel Desk: Westin Hotels & Resorts
Tour Talk: Connections by Abercrombie & Kent
Myanmar-The Place Where Time Stood Still
Portugal-Untapped Gem
River Cruising Continues to Make Big Waves
St. Barthelemy Avec Amour
This Plane is Going to Cuba
Colombia Rising
Puerto Vallarta
The Lure of Hawaii
A Ride on the Rocky Mountaineer
African Retreats in Tanzania

Recommend November 2012