cats – THE ONLY ERIKA IN THE VILLAGE

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Cali, Colombia – the world’s Salsa capital. A quirky, intoxicating city with a hint of danger. We visited Cali mainly for the Salsa clubs and because it was on our general path towards the border of Colombia – but it had so much more to offer us!

GENERAL INFO

Getting there and away:

Cali is well connected by bus to the rest of Colombia. We travelled to Cali from Armenia which takes 4-5 hours. From Cali we took a 12 hour bus trip to Ipiales (includes a lunch stop) to cross the border. In this part of Colombia I definitely recommend travelling during the daytime. We would usually take a 12 hour bus trip as an overnighter but its not super safe here you don’t want to take the risk. Also the trip from Cali to Ipiales has beautiful views.

Accommodation:

We stayed at Hotel Pajara Pinta which was clean and tidy and a great base to explore the area – you can book through Booking.com.

Food:

When you are in Cali you MUST try their street burgers!! Yes you heard me right street burgers! Unlike usual street food they are no light snacks easy to eat with your fingers but mammoth burgers filled with meat, cheese, bacon, sauce and sticks of crispy potato. DELICIOUS. Make sure you bring your appetite!

Alternatively, there are lots of nice restaurants around as there is definitely an upper class in Cali. In one Italian restaurant we went to a white guy walks in like he owns the place, speaks perfect Spanish to the wait staff, gets doted on like he does own the place and then while sipping his espresso at the end of the meal offers to help us get some cocaine if we would like. Cali is a crazy place!

Getting around:

Lots of Cali is very walkable – the only time we tried to walk around at night (A 15 minute walk back to our hotel) though some people tried to rob us. So – always have your wits about you and get a taxi if you aren’t sure about safety!

Don’t call a taxi off the street if you can help it in all of Colombia but particularly in Cali. Bars and hotels etc. will call a taxi for you if you need one. Buses in Cali are a better option during the day but are never on time – give yourself plenty of time to get around. But drivers are very helpful – ask them to tell you where to get off. You can only disembark from the back doors.

Top Tip: Don’t get to caught up on fitting lots in while you are in Cali. The city doesn’t really have that many top attractions or things to do. We spent a lot of time wandering, eating and taking it all in. Its a great place to do just that! Also a great spot to have a sleep in after dancing the night away!

A dog sleeping off his big night in Cali

SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES

Salsa like there is no tomorrow! The clubs are good from about 11pm. Great options are La Topa Tolondra (plays exclusively salsa both foreigners and locals go here) or Tin Tin Deo.
Visit San Cipriano – this little town in the jungle outside Cali is a super unique experience. To get into the town you take a makeshift train made from a motorbike that goes along train tracks called ‘La Brujita’. The little village is situated along a calm river that is great for tubing down on a warm day. It’s a bit of a trip from Cali but worth doing for the experience! Make a full day of it. See my post about San Cipriano here for some tips for visiting.
Chill in San Antonio Park – its a great place to people watch and have a beer with a great view of the city.
On Sundays, Parque el Penon fills with artists and musicians and is worthwhile checking out.
Head to the statue of ‘El Gato del Rio’ – and his ‘girlfriends’ which are other statues of cats designed by local artists. We loved the colourful cats and reading about all the different cat personalities. Such a great idea!