Travel Information Covering Tips For Your Journey To Santa Marta

This travel information does not cover all eventualities, just some of the items.
Once you begin to plan your trip to Santa Marta I am sure you will feel like I did the first time I went, that you are going off on a journey of discovery, full of the mystery of Colombia.
Your stories of Colombia and Santa Marta will fascinate your friends.

Getting around in Santa Marta

Taxi Services and Public Transport

Travel Groups

Travel Clubs

Here's a thought
Before you leave on vacation, a free site on learning Spanish.
We all like free and variety in learning is important. I have spent good money on Spanish language programs but I am not sure if they are any better than the free online ones, there is no magic, they take work and study. These are in the public domain but people and institutes that provide important tools for free are building a better world. Thanks to Lifehacker for sharing this link. Foreign Language Institute Free Language Courses including Spanish. This way, when you arrive in Santa Marta you will know a little Spanish!

Travel information can help with details or items that need your attention but tend to use up a lot of time to get everything in order.

I hope that some of the information helps you enjoy a trouble free holiday.

Travel Information 1

Permits

• Make sure your passport is valid for a reasonable period of time.

• No visa required for citizens of the US or Canada but it is always good to double check just to eliminate surprises.

• Make sure you have the proper inoculations. There is no inoculation for Cholera but there is for Yellow Fever and Malaria

• If you carry a syringe for medical purposes, make sure you have an official letter from a doctor to avoid trouble at border inspections.

• When traveling around Santa Marta, keep a copy of the photo page of your passport in your pocket, leave your passport locked up in the hotel safe. Don't worry, Colombian's take security very seriously, it will still be there when you get back. This way you can relax when you are swimming or doing other types of activities.

Travel information 2

Before you go.
International Association for Medical Advice to Travelers
http://www.iamat.org/index.cfm#null

Travel Information 3

Some general precautions

• Be careful about drinking tap water unless you know that it's safe, and that includes ice cubes, bottled water is inexpensive.
  Colombia has good water though.
• Don't forget the sun block, Santa Marta gets hot, you will need it, it is easy to buy there so don't worry.
• In areas that have higher incidences of malaria, use a mosquito repellent and for sleeping, a mosquito net. This is if you plan on traveling towards the Venezuelan border in the jungles.

Pickpockets
Be aware that they don't usually work alone but in groups, never carry a shoulder bag if it contains either a passport, money or airline tickets, a favorite in Colombia is for a guy on a motorcycle to snatch it from you and to drive away. They can also slit the bottom of the bag with a razor to get the contents, while you are distracted, thieves know about money belts too, just remember, stealing is the thieves craft so he has studied what he is doing.

I have heard some people who carry a fake wallet with fake ID and some cheap foreign currency that has large numbers on the bills, just a thought. Your socks may be a good place to hide paper money, or a tubigrip may be another way to carry your cash. Most theft is out of hotel rooms, then cars, then the street and very little from armed robbery.

Some popular areas for pickpockets, be aware of your surroundings, arguments may be staged to distract you, also bumps.

• Buses
• Train Stations
• Airports
• Subways
• Festivals
• Crowded Places
• Try to Blend in like a local so you don't look like a target.

Thieves in General
Take a room near an elevator and not to stairwells that make it easy for a thief to escape.
Always remember, although you may feel poor, you are looked upon as being wealthy so don't try to look too wealthy.

Travel Information 5

What to bring and what not to.

• Remember that whatever you buy you have to carry around or store, so travel light and the going will be easier.
• Travel alarm clock might be nice.
• Most consumer type items are easy to buy but for quality specialty items like electronics and cameras you are better off buying at home.
• Books (English) may be difficult to come by so bring a few of your own, I have heard that there is a good source of books in Taganga just outside of Santa Marta somewhere behind the football (soccer) field.
• Keep all the stuff you absolutely need and can't afford to loose on a carry on bag, this is only for your trip, not for walking along the street once you arrive.

Packing your Clothes

• I prefer to roll my clothes instead of folding them.
• A sweater or light jacket is good to have because it can be cool inside, many places are air conditioned and it always seems to be set on the cool side for my taste.
• Either bring flip flops or buy them when you arrive, they are handy at the beach and also if you sometimes have to walk through areas where sanitation is questionable.
• A small sewing kit is handy to have

Travel Information 7

Your Suitcase

• As a precaution put your name, address and phone number showing where you will be staying inside of your suitcase in addition to your outside tags, just in case it still goes missing.
• Remember to remove old destination tags.
• If you put a special color of tag or marking on your suitcase you will have an easier time identifying in on the carousel, just something to make it stand out.
• Important When you arrive in Colombia keep hold of your tickets for your baggage claim because your bags are physically checked for the numbers against your tabs stapled on your tickets to make sure the numbers match, so an ounce of caution is better than trying to explain your way out of it to get your bag.

Use TSA Recognized Baggage Locks if airport security wants to take a look inside of your bag they are issued the tools to open these types of locks.

Travel Information 8

Drugs

In Colombia, if you are found with drugs you may go to jail so think twice. Although I have always found security to be very polite they are very efficient, your bag will be checked at least 2 to 3 times before you get on the plane, and they have a pretty good look.About 3 years ago I was traveling from Santa Marta through to Bogota then on my way back to Canada, I had already passed through security and was waiting in the lounge area about an hour early. A half hour before my flight was about to leave I was approached by a person who asked to see my boarding pass and passport, he then asked me to follow him down the main hallway to a room that said policia de narcotraficante, Narcotics police, although polite, he explained that he wanted to ex ray my stomach so I had to do a little paperwork giving them consent. I filled the form out, waited a few minutes then went in to this room that did the ex ray. It was all over in about 30 seconds and of course they could see that I was not carrying drugs so I was told that I could return to my seat which I did

The point is that anyone could be picked out for an ex ray and if you carry drugs you will be very lucky if you don't get caught.

If you are traveling by yourself, be aware of friendly people just before crossing borders, stay on your own so you don't invite unexpected complications by appearing to have a connection to a person of interest.

Beach, Sun and Water

When you head to the beach, especially in Tayrona Park, inquire where it is safe to swim, there are many places that have treacherous currents so ask just in case.

Be careful in the sun, on the beach limit your sun and use sun block, it'd easy to find buy expensive.

The Heat

When you travel, whether in the jungles or along the coast, don't forget the water and limit your soft drinks.

Keep a clean change of clothes for the evening and a change of socks during the day feels great

Keep a few plastic bags handy to put wet clothes in.

Wearing shorts in Colombia seem to be more for tourists, in general, long pants are worn, jeans are common, of course, they are not on holidays but have to work.

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