Our South American Expedition

Cruising Colombia’s Magdalena River

Discover Colombia’s Magdalena River aboard AmaMelodia, where culture, wildlife and river cruising come together.

I’ve just returned from Colombia, where Simon and I travelled as guests of AmaWaterways aboard AmaMelodia, cruising along the Magdalena River.

And I can tell you now – I loved Colombia.

Before we went, most of what I knew about the country was probably what many people of our generation know: Pablo Escobar, drug cartels, guerrilla groups and the years when Colombia was considered one of the most dangerous countries in the world.

What I didn’t know nearly enough about was its history, its wildlife, its African and Indigenous heritage, its music and, most of all, its people. They were just fabulous.

So, what was it actually like cruising Colombia?

First, let’s talk about AmaMelodia

AmaMelodia carries just 64 guests, so she’s a lovely small ship and I was really happy with our cabin.

We had floor-to-ceiling windows and our own little balcony where we could sit and watch the world go by.

Inside, there was a queen-size bed, a separate chair and table, a desk and plenty of storage and hanging space. We could unpack properly, slide the suitcases under the bed and forget about them.

The bathroom was a really good size too, with two sinks, which is always nice when there are two of you trying to get ready.

There was a hairdryer, toiletries, fresh water every day and plenty of storage. We asked for an iron and were given a steamer to keep in our cabin for the cruise.

And, most importantly, the bed was really comfortable.

The only thing I’d mention is that the cabins aren’t hugely soundproof. It didn’t really bother us because it was generally very peaceful on the river, but it’s worth knowing.

What was the food like?

The dining room was lovely, with big windows looking out over the river.

Most people sat together on shared tables, which we enjoyed, although there was a table for two if you wanted to eat on your own.

Breakfast was a combination of buffet and hot options. Lunch had a really nice selection of salads, soups and other buffet dishes, and then you ordered your main meal from the menu.

Dinner was à la carte, with a different menu each night as well as some regular favourites that were always available.

We also had a Chef’s Dinner outside on deck one evening and a barbecue lunch out there another day.

Life onboard

Upstairs there was a really comfortable lounge and bar, and this was where quite a lot happened.

Our cruise manager would give us information about the following day, and there were presentations about Colombia, a Spanish lesson and various other talks while we were sailing.

We also had local performers come onboard at different places along the river.

The bar staff were fabulous, and they certainly weren’t stingy with the drinks!

Alcohol was included with lunch and dinner, and most evenings there was also Sip & Sail for an hour before dinner, with a cocktail of the day and where drinks were complimentary.

Outside was probably one of my favourite areas.

There was plenty of shade, comfortable lounges and tables and chairs, plus fans — very important in Colombia!

There’s also a small swimming pool.

You’re certainly not going to be doing laps, but after coming back from an excursion in the heat, jumping into that pool was absolutely lovely.

Keeping active

There was a small gym with an exercise bike, rowing machine, weights and mats.

We also had a wellness coordinator who ran different activities every day.

We did yoga, stretching and resistance-band classes, and at some of the ports there were early-morning walks.

There was also a massage room.

So you certainly had plenty of opportunities to counteract the food and cocktails if you wanted to!

Getting on and off the ship

I thought Ama did this really well.

Depending on where we were, we’d either walk straight off using a gangway or get into one of the tender boats.

There were always crew there to help, and we used our key cards to log ourselves on and off the ship.

The tenders were covered and really comfortable. On our early-morning wildlife trips they could actually take the roof off, which gave us a brilliant view of the birds and everything happening around us.

And whenever we came back onboard, we were greeted with a cold towel and a refreshing juice.

After a couple of hours in Colombian heat, that cold towel was very welcome!

We also had Whisper audio devices in our cabins to take on excursions, so you could wander around a little and still hear everything the guide was saying.

The crew

The Colombian crew were fabulous.

They were incredibly warm and friendly, and I really couldn’t fault them.

This whole style of river cruising is still very new to Colombia, so there are naturally things being refined as they go along and listen to guest feedback.

But whoever was responsible for recruiting the crew did a very good job.

They were terrific.

But here’s the thing…

As lovely as AmaMelodia was, the ship wasn’t the highlight of this trip for me.

Colombia was.

The Magdalena is a huge river and it carries an enormous amount of sediment, so don’t expect beautiful clear blue water.

In fact, as someone from Melbourne, I’m never criticising the colour of the Yarra again!

But sailing along it was lovely.

We’d pass little villages and isolated houses. Children would come out and wave. Fishermen would wave from their boats.

We stopped and met some fishermen who showed us how they throw their nets.

They didn’t speak English. Our Spanish is terrible. But there were plenty of smiles and somehow we all managed perfectly well.

And throwing those nets is a lot harder than they make it look!

At night it could be incredibly peaceful.

The ship would be anchored and all you could hear was the water gently lapping against it.

And a very important note for anyone who gets seasick

I am a shocker when it comes to seasickness!

I came prepared.

I took one seasickness tablet before we boarded AmaMelodia and never took another one for the entire cruise.

I simply didn’t feel the movement.

Obviously, everybody is different, but for me it was a complete non-issue – and that was a very pleasant surprise.

About Jenny Flower

I’m an expert in small ship cruising in the Kimberley and have completed four cruises on different vessels along this spectacular coastline. Cruises in the Kimberley are not one size fits all. There are different ships and itineraries, each offering their own special elements.

If you would like to have a chat with me about Kimberley cruising at a time that suits you book in a call.

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