Colombia (again) and South Africa

Once again, the New York Times Travel section featured Colombia on Sunday 9/19/2010. This has become quite common lately. The feature was focused on Santa Marta, which is a great tourist hotspot, thanks to its excellent location. It is situated on the Caribbean,not far from Cartagena and Tayrona National Park, arguably the two biggest 'must see's' on a Colombian trip. Colombia is not yet a popular tourist destination in the way Costa Rica, or even Guatemala is (and in South America, Peru, Brazil, Ecuador, Argentina and Chile) but as long as the country remains stable it will become a major tourist destination. It offers so much - beautiful beaches, fabulous, spirited, throbbing cities, South American flair and fashion, and gracious, friendly hosts. Definitely a place to go, now, before it is properly and rightfully 'discovered'.Here's the link to Sunday's article
http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/09/19/travel/19nextstop.html?ref=travel


We just returned from a family trip to South Africa.The country was definitely at its best as the host for the 2010 World Cup and everyone involved did a terrific job.There's no doubt in my mind that South Africa is a premiere destination : it really offers anything and everything a traveler could want - great infrastructure and roads (perfect for a self drive holiday), good accommodations, great food, friendly people, incredible natural attractions, top class wildlife/safari, Cape Town, consistently ranked in the top 10 cities in the world, wonderful coastline and beaches, and a fascinating mix of cultures, African and European. It cries out to be visited. We had the most wonderful trip - it's a country you cannot help but love.