Cali

From MaxTravelz

Cali is a city in southwestern Colombia, capital of the Valle del Cauca department. It has about 3 million inhabitants. Being at around 1,000 metres above sea level, it has a warm, but not excessively hot climate. It's best known for its salsa music and beautiful women.

Contents

Get in

By Bus: From the Terminal de transportes you have the choice of many different regional, national and domestic destinations. From other countries: From the Alfonso Bonilla Aragon International airport, about 20 minutes from the city, the taxi trip costs 10 dollars. or just 2 dollars Bus drive. Recommendation: Travel only by certified transport companies, like Expreso Palmira, Bolivariano o Expreso Brasilia. This companies bring you safety and comfort for you and your luggage. You may bargain with other companies, but the trip may be very uncomfortable. By Plane: Cali´s International Airport is settled 16km north of the city an can be reached by Bus or Taxi. All domestic and some international destinations can be reached.

Get around

By Taxi: Taxis are a fast and affordable way to get trough the city. Only use official cars and try to call for one if possible (your may call the local numbers 444 44 44, 555 55 55 and ask for one, your name and destination will be registered in the head office). Make sure the meter runs. The meters counts by units, not for Money. i.e: A trip that the meter marks 48 Units, you pay around 1USD. Recommendations: Do not leave your luggage inside the taxi while you are not. Sometimes happens that drivers get off as soon as you are out the taxi and your luggage is still in the trunk. Anyway, many of the taxi drivers are nice and gentle people and have some good story to tell, so make sure you speak or understand Spanish anyway. By Bus Actually there are 23 urban transport companies to travel around the city. You may ask someone for a route, People are very gentle to help. the regular trip costs $1.200 local currency, kind of USD 0.50 Masivo Integrado de Occidente - MIO: The city is building a massive transport solution who will brings a better and safer transport conditions. Their operations estimated to start in the first semester of 2006.

See

  • Museo del Oro, Calle 7 No. 4-69. Small collection of pottery and gold. There is also a small art exhibitions. The entrance is free and it's open Monday till Saturday.
  • Museo Arqueologico La Merced, Located in the downtown, shows pre-Hispanic exhibits and religious art.
  • Cristo Rey A statue located in the top of a hill, kind similar to Cristo de Corcovado in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. offers a great city view and a good exercise climb the mountain. Do not walk alone. It's not a real safe place.
  • Culture Cali had may of cultural offers, like the Teatro Municipal Enrique Buenaventura, Centro Cultural Comfandi, Teatro Jorge Isaacs, etc.
  • Nice places: Calima Lake (one and a half hour drive from city) nice place to stay for about 30 dollars night also one of the best places for windsurf in south America


Do

  • Shopping Centers: Walk around Chipichape a big indoor/outdoor shopping center. It provides nearly everything and especially the possibility to have a drink at various outdoor bars, and to see many calenas. Its the best place to meet other foreigners, immigrants and English speaking natives. Others shopping centers you may want to visit, Palmetto Plaza, Cosmocentro, Unicentro and Jardin Plaza. All of them had their own Movie Theater Complex.
  • Soccer Matches: In the Estadio Olimpico Pascual Guerrero is the Host place of the local teams of the city, Deportivo Cali and America de Cali. regularly each Sunday one of them plays a Match for the National Championship. Between the months of May-June and November-December they are in playoffs, so the matches are more exciting.
  • Mountain Biking: Excellent tracks there, get information at BTT de Colombia Bike store (yellow pages ask for Julio).
  • Wind or Kite surfing: The best place in south America, wind blows virtually 365 days a year find information at http://www.velasyvientos.com
  • Salsa Dancing: Cali is one of the most famous or popular places for salsa in the world. You can find people dancing in the streets and every single night find a club open for salsa dancing. These clubs have live salsa music, with popular groups as "La Sonora Carrusel".

Learn

Buy

  • Parque Artesanal: A place to buy artesanal figures and other Stuff
  • Shopping Centers: Se 'Do' Section up.

Eat

  • Pandebono is a fried ring of cheese bread which is quite typical of Cali.
  • Buñuelos are sweet fried doughnut balls.
  • Sancocho de gallina is a very popular chicken soup. The best sancocho can be found in a town called Ginebra, about one hour drive from Cali.
  • Manjar blanco Is a sweet made from cooked sugar and milk, similar to dulce de leche.

Drink

  • Guarapo is the juice of sugar cane which grows in the Cauca river valley.
  • Aguardiente is one of the favorite alcoholic beverage in Colombia and each region has its preferred brand. The local brand of the region is Aguardiente Blanco del Valle. It is sweet and licorice-flavored.
  • Chicha is a slightly-alcoholic beverage made of fermented pineapples.

Visit Avenida Sexta Cali´s Broadway at day- & nighttimes. some low level Cali's discos are located there, some bars and banks are settled here closed at night and so crowded that is not safe.

Cali's nightlife is on Thursday, Friday and Saturday night. There are some good clubs and bars to go out.

  • London bar. Busy only on a Thursday night when there is a live salsa band playing.
  • Praga. Popular club which plays mix of all types of music called crossover.
  • Forum. Popular club for electronic music with an energetic atmosphere.
  • Eliptica. Outside bar settled on a hill at the outskirts of Cali. The views are beautiful and this is a good place for an after party. Open till six or till the police shuts it down.
  • Chango. Popular salsa club in the famous Juanchito sector in the other side of the Cauca River. Best salsa party in town.
  • Tin Tin Deo. A very comfortable and almost magic place where people can enjoy the classic salsa music and other Caribbean rhythms.
  • Cucaramacara. Great local culb with excellent mix of Latin music and good looking locals. Get a bottle and a table and enjoy.

Do not drink too much and never drink alone. Cali is famous for the Burundanga, a drug they put on your drink to make you drugged enough to steal all your belongings (if they don't kill you). You meet a nice girl in a bar, go to the bathroom leaving your drink on the table, and when you come back your poison is ready. DON'T DRINK ALONE, ESPECIALLY AT SIX AVENUE.

Sleep

  • Iguana Hostel: Swiss-run hostel. Calm on weekdays, but can get full and noisy on weekends.
  • Hotel Intercontinental: Excellent place to stay; five stars safe, good location.
  • Hotel Dan Carlton: Excellent, too; one block from the Hotel Intercontinental.
  • Hotel Cali Plaza located at the corner of Calle 15N and Avenia Sexta is an american owned hotel with apartments and is located in the heart of Cali. The Cali Plaza Hotel has been completely remodeled and has 24 hour security.

Get out

  • The little hamlet of San Cipriano is a good daytrip. Most people visit this place only for the ride to it, but it is also possible to stay overnight.
  • Calima Lake
  • City of Buga 1 hour drive (Ask for Dulces del Valle best place for traditional Dulces)
  • City of Jamundi half hour drive (ask for Cholados)
  • Popayan is about two hours away, and a nice place to stay for a couple of days.
  • Isla Gorgona is a remote Island in the pacific reachable from Cali via Buenaventura (2.5 hrs to the west)

Stay safe

Keep your eyes open at night or take a taxi. Night at Avenida sexta is not safe at all, try not walking at night specially alone. Like any other capital city, don`t walk with jewelry or let people around you have cash on you. Most places around hotels are safe.

External links


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