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> Destinations > San Andres, Colombia > Trip Reports > Trip Report
Just returned from a week at the Decameron San Luis on San Andres Island, Columbia. Fantastic place, with pretty good food (better than Cuba), very clear, blue ocean, and all kinds of sun (almost too much!). Some tricks learned while there:
- use Pesos (best deal is to withdraw from Canadian account at Banco Columbia downtown - $5.CDN service charge)
- tips at all-inclusive bar at resort of 1000 pesos were appreciated (approx. 0.50 CDN dollars)
- using US$ costs you money, as they equate $1US with 2000 pesos (actually worth closer to 2300 pesos)
- Johnny Cay/Haynes Key boat trip very much so worth it ($10US or 20,000 pesos for 4 hours if you book with a taxi driver - $25US if you book through the resort and want a full day including meal)
- SCUBA diving at Sharkey's (head south on perimeter road for 5-6 miles around tip of island and back up the west side a ways until you see the dive sign) was $60US for beginner, first dive, 35 feet (very, very good experience!!)
- west view diving board/swimming location just a little bit further north on the west side was amazing - thousands of fish (take a mask/snorkel if you can, and some bread/bananas to feed them) - no charge, and you can buy beer/drinks at the shack
- scooters are $35US per day at the resort, but at Esmeralda downtown I was able to get one for 5 days at $20US per day (watch the local drivers - they are absolutley insane)
- visited all other 4 Decameron resorts - Isleno had best beach, San Luis second. Aquario had best food. Maryland had the most romantic pool setting. San Luis had the most night life, and the second best beach (good snorkelling just 20 feet off shore but usually pretty rough).
- rooms were kept clean, but were not 5 star (shouldn't be in the room for long anyways)
- airport checkin upon return is best handled by taking a taxi to the airport before everyone else leaves, booking your seats before the mad rush, and then leaving the airport and walking over to Maryland resort (1/2 km.), where you can eat/drink/swim until an hour or so before departure (you will still have your wrist band which normally gets removed before you pile into the resort "paid for" taxis to the airport at the normal resort departure time
- many begging types out front of the resort (I found it better to give a drink or food from the resort than cash - they seemed to appreciate it)
- the Rasta bar across from the resort was alot of fun (and they had the local Aguila beer for 2000 pesos- very good)
I'd go back in a minute.
Thanks to Dave for this trip report ...
March 2005
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