No one talks about Cali, Colombia, one of the blackest cities in Latin America. I had the opportunity to frequently travel there in 2017 and then live there in 2022. You will have exposure to the cultures of the Afro-Colombians, which comes from the Pacific coast of Colombia. The best time to visit this chocolate Latin city is in the month of August for their annual Petronio Alvarez festival. It is a weeklong celebration of Afro Colombian food music, folklore, and shopping. You will be a surprise that a place like this exists within Colombia as most travelers have only experienced a small fraction of Afro-Colombian culture in Cartagena. Another great dynamic about this city is that it is the salsa capital, a great place for you to learn how to dance salsa, if you are too shy to learn in your hometown. All you need is 10 to 20 hours and you'll be ready to go to show off your moves when you go back home. Just giving you a warning if you travel to the city you may just not want to leave and if you end up leaving, you will definitely be back for a second, third, fourth and fifth time.
One of the best Black experiences you can have while in Cartagena is to visit Palenque and stay overnight (or two) at someone's home in the village. They will welcome you with open arms and treat you like their own. All you have to do is when you get to the bus station in Cartagena, share that you want to go to Palenque and they will know where to leave you. Outside of the town there are normally guys who will take you into the village on a moto waiting for tourists, and you tell them you want to visit. It is one hundred percent safe for you to show up and experience the people and the history of the first freed village in Colombia. The best time to visit Palenque is in the first week of October for their annual drum festival. It's usually between October 4th-October 8th. Don't forget to get a photo standing in front of the "I LOVE BEING BLACK," mural.
Kuala Lumpur was the first city I visited in the south East Asian region, and it was not my favorite, but I appreciated it for what it was. It is a very conservative city because of the influence of Muslim culture, so ladies please do dress appropriately because you will get uncomfortable stares from both men and women. From what my Nigerian friend told me, they expect Black women to be dressed formally compared to white/Chinese, because of expectations, which I find to be interesting. The city is pretty easy to navigate, and to get around via transportation. The metro and trains are the most cleanest I've ever experienced in my travels. The people are not friendly and it comes down to them being conservative. You may experience some prejudice from fairer skin Malaysians, but it is not to the point where it is uncomfortable.
I highly recommend visiting the Islamic Arts Museum, and it gives a very detailed history of Muslim culture.
https://iamm.org.my
What I did appreciate the most about Kuala Lumpur is that because it is an international and cosmopolitan city, there are so many different restaurants from almost every ethnicity within Asia. I was able to eat various cuisines from different regions of India, Pakistan, Philippines etc., It was really amazing.
Lastly, if you need to renew your passport, the embassy here has amazing staff and the turn around time for processing is really quick.
Bali has been one of my destinations for the longest time and it has lived up to everything I have imagined. It is a place that you can come to allow your spirit to rest and recharge. You can get a full body massage everyday for less than $20. The floral baths that you see on social media does live up to the hype because it is very luxurious and relaxing. What I appreciate most about Bali is that there is something for everyone one. Whether you are coming to rest, go on an adventure, or learn more about the culture, you will leave fulfilled.
One thing to know that is very important is that the Balinese are very protective of their culture, please do ask permission to take photos of them, and DO NOT take photos of their ceremonies if you see them passing in the street. They take this very seriously and they address you.
One of the best places that I like to enjoy conversations about divinity and spirituality is Lineage which is owned by three women of color. It is a beautiful space that hosts events such as Spoken word, and new moon women circles. It is a beautiful space, and the one of the owners whom I had the time to spend with, Mallence, is very lovely.
Instagram: our.lineage
https://maps.app.goo.gl/sbpFFFrzcoK53Ap98?g_st=ic
No one talks about Cali, Colombia, one of the blackest cities in Latin America. I had the opportunity to frequently travel there in 2017 and then live there in 2022. You will have exposure to the cultures of the Afro-Colombians, which comes from the Pacific coast of Colombia. The best time to visit this chocolate Latin city is in the month of August for their annual Petronio Alvarez festival. It is a weeklong celebration of Afro Colombian food music, folklore, and shopping. You will be a surprise that a place like this exists within Colombia as most travelers have only experienced a small fraction of Afro-Colombian culture in Cartagena. Another great dynamic about this city is that it is the salsa capital, a great place for you to learn how to dance salsa, if you are too shy to learn in your hometown. All you need is 10 to 20 hours and you'll be ready to go to show off your moves when you go back home. Just giving you a warning if you travel to the city you may just not want to leave and if you end up leaving, you will definitely be back for a second, third, fourth and fifth time.
One of the best Black experiences you can have while in Cartagena is to visit Palenque and stay overnight (or two) at someone's home in the village. They will welcome you with open arms and treat you like their own. All you have to do is when you get to the bus station in Cartagena, share that you want to go to Palenque and they will know where to leave you. Outside of the town there are normally guys who will take you into the village on a moto waiting for tourists, and you tell them you want to visit. It is one hundred percent safe for you to show up and experience the people and the history of the first freed village in Colombia. The best time to visit Palenque is in the first week of October for their annual drum festival. It's usually between October 4th-October 8th. Don't forget to get a photo standing in front of the "I LOVE BEING BLACK," mural.
Kuala Lumpur was the first city I visited in the south East Asian region, and it was not my favorite, but I appreciated it for what it was. It is a very conservative city because of the influence of Muslim culture, so ladies please do dress appropriately because you will get uncomfortable stares from both men and women. From what my Nigerian friend told me, they expect Black women to be dressed formally compared to white/Chinese, because of expectations, which I find to be interesting. The city is pretty easy to navigate, and to get around via transportation. The metro and trains are the most cleanest I've ever experienced in my travels. The people are not friendly and it comes down to them being conservative. You may experience some prejudice from fairer skin Malaysians, but it is not to the point where it is uncomfortable. I highly recommend visiting the Islamic Arts Museum, and it gives a very detailed history of Muslim culture. https://iamm.org.my What I did appreciate the most about Kuala Lumpur is that because it is an international and cosmopolitan city, there are so many different restaurants from almost every ethnicity within Asia. I was able to eat various cuisines from different regions of India, Pakistan, Philippines etc., It was really amazing. Lastly, if you need to renew your passport, the embassy here has amazing staff and the turn around time for processing is really quick.
Bali has been one of my destinations for the longest time and it has lived up to everything I have imagined. It is a place that you can come to allow your spirit to rest and recharge. You can get a full body massage everyday for less than $20. The floral baths that you see on social media does live up to the hype because it is very luxurious and relaxing. What I appreciate most about Bali is that there is something for everyone one. Whether you are coming to rest, go on an adventure, or learn more about the culture, you will leave fulfilled. One thing to know that is very important is that the Balinese are very protective of their culture, please do ask permission to take photos of them, and DO NOT take photos of their ceremonies if you see them passing in the street. They take this very seriously and they address you. One of the best places that I like to enjoy conversations about divinity and spirituality is Lineage which is owned by three women of color. It is a beautiful space that hosts events such as Spoken word, and new moon women circles. It is a beautiful space, and the one of the owners whom I had the time to spend with, Mallence, is very lovely. Instagram: our.lineage https://maps.app.goo.gl/sbpFFFrzcoK53Ap98?g_st=ic