It’s a Biennale time in Venice, aka the Art Olympics, an every-two-year event where La Serenissima’s 118 islands are almost entirely dedicated to contemporary art from countries and artists around the world. What started out as small art fair in the Giardini, Venice’s public park, has turned into a six-month, all-island, non-stop blockbuster art fest of exhibitions in palaces, galleries, public spaces, and, of course, the Giardini and Arsenale. This year’s 60th Venice Biennale Stranieri Ovunque - Foreigners Everywhere brings it on strong with 331 artists, 88 national pavilions and 30 collateral events, not to mention other pop ups. That’s a lot of art to take in, and a lot of ground to cover. After years of visiting the Biennale as press and also including time working at the US Pavilion, I’ve finally figured out the best way to navigatee Venice Biennale.
Lonely Plan-it: How to plan a trip to the Colombian rainforest
11.04.2024 - 05:35 / lonelyplanet.com
Gazing at a map of Colombia, the vast swathes of greenery that make up the roadless Amazon region may seem like one homogenous mass of jungle, but that lack of detail has always drawn me to travel deep into the rainforest.
Despite making up 42% of Colombia’s landmass, the sparsely populated Amazonia receives very few visitors.
It spreads over six departments – Amazonas, Vaupes, Guainía, Guaviare, Caqueta and Putumayo– all of which offer intrepid travelers the chance to roll up their trouser legs and wade into a magical world of old-school travel experiences.
Moving around here is hot, tiring and requires a lot of planning, but the rewards are immense. From thundering waterfalls in the middle of the jungle to enormous rocks that protrude from the rainforest canopy and cave art featuring the handprints of long-lost civilizations, the Colombian Amazon is both a natural and cultural wonderland.
Here’s how to get off the beaten track and discover the best of this magnificent Colombian rainforest.
Wet or really wet
Needless to say, any destination within the world's biggest rainforest gets its fair share of precipitation regardless of when you go. However the Colombian Amazon does have two marked seasons.
The dry season runs from June to November and is scorching hot, but it’s the best time for hiking under the jungle canopy with firm trails and less wetlands to cross.
Low water levels also reveal spectacular golden beaches backed by walls of brilliant green foliage that appear on the banks of many of the region’s major rivers.
The dry season is also great for wildlife watching – both forest and aquatic birds gather around shrinking water sources, butterflies are particularly active within the forest and larger mammals such as tapirs and otters make appearances on river banks.
The cooler wet season runs from December to May and sees rivers swell, lowland forests flood and lagoons fill, making it the best time to observe playful pink dolphins. It’s ideal for water-based exploration, whether paddling through flooded forests or venturing out onto mirror-like blackwater lakes.
Fly into a regional hub
Almost the entirety of the Colombian Amazon remains blanketed in thick rainforest, and settlements are few and far between – choosing the right base for your adventure imperative.
Once you leave the limited road network leading into the Amazonia from the base of the Andes, there’s very little transport between towns in the region, with most passengers and goods arriving on direct flights from Bogotá.
Visiting several different areas of the Amazon on one trip is difficult. To maximize your time in the jungle, it's best to fly directly to one of the departmental capitals from where you can visit surrounding attractions
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