I will be working on a project in Santa Marta, Colombia
during the summer. To get some new sightings and a bit of vacation I decided to go by Bus from Caracas to Santa Marta via Maracaibo-Maicao. My problem is that I just found out that I will have to bring with me a laptop and some other expensive gear. Have anyone any experiences, bad or good, with the safety on buses etc. Robberies, thefts of cargo, unsafe busstations?? in this area? If it is a really stupid idea to do this trip, what would be the safest way to do go?
Thanks!!!
/Bror
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there is a direct-bus-service between caracas and st.marta
i never heard about problems turists had traveling in this
form or you can take a flight caracas-cartagena or caracas-
baranquilla for about 200 us$
Bror, You just gotta use your own instincts. I've
traveled many times between Caracas and Tucupita (Delta
Amacuro) and have never had problems. One time I thought I
would never see my camera again because I had left my
camera attached to my pack which was in the luggage space.
A "conductor" came on the bus and wanted to know who was
traveling to Tucupita. Dummy me raised my hand. He took
my receipt and we took off. I was worried for the next
five hours that I would not see my camera and would have no
way to prove I was on the trip. At the rest stop, I got to
see my pack and found my camera still there. My advice is
to carry ALL sensitive equipment aboard the bus with you
(as long as it doesn't weigh 1,000 kg). Good luck and I
wish you the best!
I agree with Hans. I took direct bus from Cartagena to
Caracas in December, 19 hours, 80.000 colombian pesos, no
problem at all, even at notorious venezuelan border post.
Main roads are pretty safe in Colombia, except from
Pasto-Popayan and Los Llanos region. And btw, long route
buses in Colombia are really confortable and nice, better
than in Europe. Good luck!
'better than in europe' only if they don't put the
airconditioning on maximum.
If I travel with my laptop here I put it in my little
backpack that I NEVER leave out of my sight and I make sure
NOBODY knows I have such expensive equipment on me(wich
means also in the hotel before you leave to the bus: they
shouldn't have any suspicion coz if they do domeone may
alert their friends and ...)
Maybe I'm a bit paranoid, but I think not...
And enjoy!
http://move.to/colombia
My Gosh, Colombians do know how to bus in style, I'll give
them that over any other country I've been to! My fav memory
is of the decomissioned intercity coaches that they used as
buses on long in-city trips (sometimes express routes).
Those "old" busses beat the intercity Greyhound coaches
where I live (North America)!
Can't say much about that the route, but have fun and be
well!