Cartagena

Cartagena was a lovely surprise, the contrast of the rustic and colourful old town to the bustling new town. The old town has a very strong personality and reminded me of strolling through the cobbled back streets of a small Spanish town. The streets are lined with crumbled old apartments that have once all been painted in bright colours, and now appear to have a sort of faded grandeur about them. Throughout the town there is also remarkable street art which really added to the eccentric character of the old town.

At night we enjoyed visiting the plaza full of life with locals enjoying their sundown cocktail, and tourists in awe of the salsa dancers circling the square. In comparison the new town housed towering skyscrapers along long sandy beaches, the setting genuinely reminded me of the Miami skyline, or something out of a blockbuster film. We didn't spend much of our time in the new town due to staying in the buzz of the old town. We did decide to visit an island for the day (Isla de la Tierra Bomba) where we ate fresh fish by the sea and enjoyed the views of the city whilst escaping to the peace of the beach. You can take boat trips during the day to the several islands. "Cholon" is a go-to island because they cook lobster everywhere which you can enjoy for under £5. It can be a little bit of a tourist trap, but it is a great afternoon out. Playa Blanca is also a really lovely beach where you can stay for a day.

One thing we really wanted to do in Cartagena was visit the volcanic mud baths we had heard fellow travellers talking about, which was a bizarre but refreshing experience. Although there is no base to the thick mud you were able to stand upright without sinking, there were locals on hand to give you mud massages and you emerge from the mud feeling rejuvenated with a new babylike feel to your skin. If you don't have the cash to splash on a spa day, this could be the perfect day out!

Where to go:

Book La Vitrola for dinner as soon as possible. It's a Cartagena staple and the best experience in town, it has a fun cuban-style band that plays and turns into a party, so book as late as you're willing to eat... maybe 9:30-10pm.

923 Tapas & Vinos - delicious tapas made by an incredible chef who was very friendly and passionate about his food

Cafe Trinidad - for pizza & cocktails

Cafe Stepping Stone - for breakfast

Cafe Del Mar - unbeatable bar for a sunset drink, unreal view of the entire city

La Movida - amazing restaurant, go late at 10pm and stay for the live music and salsa dancing

La Havana for an authentic night out, although you must pay entry fee

Quiebra Canto – Tiny, bustling, classic spot to enjoy watching salsa dancers

Casa En El Agua

This hostel was one of the very few things we had pre-booked before we left the U.K., due to its popular reputation you're only able to book 60 days in advance. It's a pricey stay, especially whilst travelling on a budget, hence why we payed the full balance before we left. This almost made it seem like a free getaway for a couple of nights! This hostel is like nothing you've ever seen before... It looks like something off a luxury brochure for Bora Bora or the Maldives. It's an Eco-Hostel in the middle of the Caribbean Ocean just off the Colombian coast, made totally out of wood built on a concrete foundation. It's like your own secluded private island floating in the middle of the sea.

You get on a speed boat from Cartagena which takes you two hours to reach the Casa. It's magic, looks like you're driving into nothingness until eventually you can see it floating solo in the distance up ahead. When we arrived we were warmly welcomed by the staff and shown to our beds - which we had completely forgotten were hammocks. Round 2 bring it on. We spent the day drinking cocktails and chilling with the other guests which was a lot of fun, we would have loved the chance to try more of the food they offered however be warned - it is very expensive. Bringing your own alcohol and snacks is essential if you're on a budget like us. The evening fell and after an incredible sunset everyone came together to party all evening which was such a surreal experience... We were dancing on tables on a tiny hostel floating in the middle of the ocean! Bizarre but unforgettably perfect.

After a difficult nights sleep in the hammocks we made the most of the free breakfast. The next day we snorkelled around the Casa and saw many starfish, there's also loads of other activities like paddle boarding, kayaking, or even Sub Wing which is like a motor board under water giving you the sensation of flying through the sea. A highlight experience was fishing for lobster off the side of the hostel, which you then enjoy as Lobster ceviche for lunch… it doesn't get much fresher than eating it somewhere like that.

Our last evening was pretty magical, we had booked to do a plankton tour although weren't too sure what we were signed up for. We got on a tiny boat after night fell, and went into the mangroves. The plankton are bioluminescent so the water glows when you stick your hand in - it was absolutely magical, like something from a Disney movie. We then got told to jump in... We were slightly hesitant as it was pitch black, but when we did we were entirely surrounded by sparkling, glow in the dark little shapes. As you jumped into the water, thousands of tiny light particles surrounded your body and moved through the ocean with you. To top it off the night sky above was insane, like a blanket of stars covering over our heads. On route back we also saw some firefly squid which lit up the water creating an awesome light show. We came back feeling super happy having witnessed so many amazing new things in one day.

Casa en el Agua was a pretty special few days, here's a few tips to make sure you get the most out of what you pay for. Bringing goggles would be a good idea, they make you pay for a snorkel which seems unfair considering the cost of lodging, however goggles would do the trick and don't take up much space.

Bring snacks!!! Eating 3 meals a day at the Casa would leave you with a hefty bill on departure.

There isn't much price difference between a dorm bed and a hammock so depending on how easily you sleep it could be worth spending the extra for a bed

Watch out for the fire coral - I learnt this the hard way and got stung on my leg!