Colombia

Did you know it’s really easy to score free accommodation when you travel to Colombia? The single best way to make this happen is through hospitality exchange methods.

The most obvious one is couch surfing. Many Colombians are friendly, and will offer to let you stay on their couch for free. Just make sure to fill out your couch surfing profile, and send out as many requests as possible. It seems like women have better luck when it comes to scoring a place, as many female backpackers I have met has successfully secured a host while I haven’t.

If you weren’t able to secure a couch, another way to score free accommodation is through Workaway!

Read moreHow to Get Free Accommodation While Travelling in Colombia

The towns of Villa del Leyva and Barichara, Colombia, are well worth a visit. Both cities are well preserved colonial towns, each with its own unique features. Villa de Leyva is the smaller of the two, and can be explored in a day. The cobblestone streets are more prominent during times of rain, so prominent that the streets can get flooded during the rain. Nearby places to visit include an excavation site full of fossils from the dinosaur age.

Read moreVisiting the Towns of Villa de Leyva and Barichara, Colombia

Most people who travel in South America will overland their way from one country to the next.

While I was in Ecuador, I decided I wanted to go to Colombia next, since both countries are next to each other. It turns out there are several steps required to complete this long journey from Quito to Bogota.

Read moreHow to Travel from Quito to Bogota in One Overland Journey

In our fourth and final Hilton credit card points redemption for this trip, we decided to splurge in our final city in South America.

Although some of our redemption choices in the past were for more stylish hotels, the Hilton Cartagena in Colombia was calling to us in order to recover after our six month journey around the continent.  With 120,000 points and two weekend certificates remaining in our accounts, we were able to exchange these for five-nights in an Executive room (after our gold status upgrade) worth $279/night.

As in the case of our previous stays, we have to ask one question: was the property worth our points?

Read moreHilton Cartagena Review – 5 Much Needed Nights