BoldspiritTravels on a budget: Impressions on safety in Cali, Colombia. [Solo backpacking on a budget in Latin America]

Why would you want to visit Cali?
Every traveller has its own motives. Those of you who were watching “Narcos” know the city because of its long drug cartel’s history. To me, Cali is Colombia’s capital of Salsa! And let me tell you, it really is. Salsa is present on every corner, and people here really know how to dance! 😁 they even have their own type of salsa called “caleña”. But I will write a separate post about it because it is definitely worth presenting it to you. 😊

While I was in Cali to taste its culture of dance I also had an opportunity to visit the city. But before I’ll invite you there with me I want to talk about something super important – safety!

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Cali is Colombia’s third-largest city located in South-West parts of the country. According to the state’s statistics in 2012 and 2013 Cali was ranked “the most violent city in the country”. I went to Cali in 2015. 😅

I have found an interesting report from 2016 made by a leading Colombian think tank called “Fundación Ideas para la Paz” (“FIP”; its English name - “the Ideas for Peace Foundation”):

(…) homicides in Cali are generally highest in areas where illicit markets exist and criminal organizations are fighting for control of territory. (…) homicides are clustered in the eastern half of Cali and a few pockets along the city’s western limits. These areas are also where the state is weakest, the poverty rate is highest and the greatest number of people live.
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To be frank it is definitely not the most breath-taking place in Colombia. But’s it’s inspiring and interesting! 😉 It’s a big city with a huge traffic problem. Most of the buildings are old and grey. People rush from one place to another. On the other hand, the city centre and old parts of the city are well maintained and charming. There are parks and green areas, and hills. People are generally welcoming and kind.

There is a rule that I advise to everyone saying that if you aren’t sure what to do, follow locals’ (like your Couchsurfing, Airbnb, hostel hosts) instructions.
All the people I asked about the safety, including my hostel’s receptionists and both of my Couchsurfing hosts, told me that unfortunately, Cali has certain areas where it is not advised to stay alone after the sun goes down. I already wrote how I feel about that (that basically I feel like my freedom is strongly limited) in one of my posts about Bogota. But I preferred to be careful and listen to those who know the city much better. I can’t stand when tourists complain about being robbed while they were showing off with their expensive camera/phone etc. instead of paying attention and conform to some basic rules. It put other travellers off and maintains city’s/country’s bad reputation. Sure, it’s not pleasant to feel unsafe. But if you decide to visit a “not-so-safe” region, you become responsible for your own actions! Put some effort first. Common sense is always a great adviser and helps to avoid many grave situations that might occur. And if you don’t want to do that, choose a different region, after all, the world has so much to offer! To sum up - I was able to go out at nights and enjoy the unique atmosphere of the city, but I was never alone and we always stayed outside “no-go” areas. I felt safe, I didn’t participate or see anything worrying. I didn’t feel unsafe. 🙂

On a side note: I needed to use a taxi once when I was moving from my hostel to my host’s house. I made sure to choose a person who lived in a “safer area”. Nonetheless, when I was saying goodbye to the stuff they asked where is my taxi and I responded that I didn’t order it, that I would go by bus because it wasn’t far. They literally forced me to order a taxi because it was already dark. I felt this was an exaggeration, but I decided to trust their judgement. The driver was very friendly. He said they have this custom - to wait until their client enters the doors safely.

Thank you for being here with me. I hope until next time!
Pura Vida and enjoy your journey! 💛

• More about me here: You can travel without being wealthy aka a girl from a "struggling" family chasing her dreams!

• Some of my recent posts:
  Boldspirit and the death road - la ruta de la muerte - Bolivia # 1 and # 2
  Gustav Klimt. “All art is erotic.” (# 1) and # 2