What a Trip! Though it wasn’t our typical girls trip because it was a bachelorette trip for my sister and we had limited time, we still managed to do so much on a budget. We got a steal of a deal with my fav travel agency @gate1travel. A 4 day independent trip to Cartegena, Colombia for only $299 a person for flights and hotel stay . ($350 because we decided to upgrade our rooms which turned out to be WELL WORTH IT! ) Hotel Las Americas was absolutely stunning! From the cute, quaint rooms and outdoor vibes to the rooftop pool overlooking the city and beach it was breathtaking and super relaxing! Gate1 threw in a complimentary walking tour where you can learn about the history of Cartegena from a guide. One fun fact from that tour is that Cartegena has a huge Afro-Latino population due in part to being one of the first places where freed slaves settled and built a community. We decided went back to those colorful streets to do my sisters bachelorette photoshoot. The scenery is perfect for engagement shoots which is extremely common there. Lastly, thanks to our new friend Manolo, (tour specialist located on the beach at hotel las Americas) we were able to snag a fishing tour with the locals for only $70 a person. This included transportation to and from the fishing location in a through the villages and a platter of fresh seafood (lobster, shrimp, fish, scallops, etc…) cooked in front of you under a bungalow on the beach. When I looked up this tour originally it was $88 per person just to tour, no food included. That was by far our favorite part of this trip!
Tips: Go to the ATM at your hotel or resort and get pesos. Exchanging at the airport is more expensive and using pesos instead of USD is cheaper when buying things in the city. Bring heavy duty repellant because the mosquitos will literally eat you alive! If you want to go to a beach with clear blue water go to Playa Blanca, otherwise the beaches aren’t as aesthetically pleasing near the airport, resort and inner city. Happy Traveling! #travelisthenewclub
O’Shanae
Instagram: @Bell
