Ah, you’re all so easy to fool! This is how to get high legally in Colombia. And in the most intoxicating way possible without breaking the law. Grant Holloway takes us through his hazy journey.

I’m hanging off the back of an open-topped jeep as we barrel around a tightly cornered road through spectacular hillsides dotted with 60-metre tall Wax palms. Surely there’s some law against having so much fun? Apparently not.

“It’s OK, it’s legal to do this in Colombia,” our Colombian guide assures us.

We are heading into the Cocora valley in the heart of Colombia’s coffee country for a morning’s trek into the cloud forest, after heading out from the improbably picturesque hilltop town of Salento in Quindio department.

The Willy’s jeep taxis can be hired from the town square for the 11km journey up the valley to the settlement of Cocora, the kicking off point for exploring the numerous valley trails in the Andean foothills, either by foot or on horseback.

The valley walk is both literally and figuratively breathtaking – it can be steep in parts, and some of the foot-bridges could benefit from some basic features, such as a hand rail – but the effort is worth it when you are presented with landscapes that could be the setting for the latest sequel of Jurassic Park.

Travelling al-fresco on a jeep is just one of the many surprises a trip to this diverse and spectacular South American nation, particularly if you venture away from the main cities such as Bogota, Cali and Medellin, or the tourist haunts such as Cartegena.

Take, for example, the traditional Colombian game of Tejo, which travellers to Salento can try their hand at in a large hall, called Los Amigos, which is located off the main square.

The concept is straightforward. Teams compete by tossing a lead disc weighing about half a kilo towards a clay pit target filled with paper targets called “mechas”.

The very Colombian twist to this game is that the targets are filled with gunpowder. So if you hit a mecha, it explodes in a suitably noisy and satisfying fashion. Anyone feeling nostalgic for the simple joys of cracker night in the days before the “safety Nazis” sucked all the fun out of it will be in their element.

But if fooling about with small explosives is not your style, there’s plenty else in Salento to distract and entertain the visitor.

Located about a 45-minute drive from the regional administrative capital of Armenia, Salento sits on high (about 1900 metres above sea level) on a plateau above the Quindío river valley.

With a population of around 8000, it’s a quaint, but genuine colonial town that owes much of its appeal as a tourist destination to the community of craftsmen and artisans based in the area.

The main drag, called Calle Real, and town square (Plaza Bolivar), are awash with curio shops hawking the local jewellery and handicrafts, and food and café options abound – making it a favourite for backpackers looking to trek in the surrounding hills and locals wanting to escape from the urban hustle and bustle.

Despite that, the usual tourist mark-up on the prices is not extreme. For example, a cup of black coffee (“café tinto”, or if you want milk, ask for “café con leche”) in a hipsterish cafe will still only set you back less a dollar.

And while the local cakes are delicious, and similarly cheap, an adventurous palate might seek out a Colombian specialty called “pescuezo de gallina relleno – basically a stuffed hen’s neck that’s sewn up and roasted.

It’s prepared cutting the hen’s neck at the base and removing the all the “contents” except for the skull. The sausage-like container is then tightly packed with a mixture of blood, peas, rice, potatoes and chicken parts, along with a bunch of herbs and spices.

You won’t find this tasty treat on many menus in the café and restaurants (partly because the hen’s head might be a little off-putting for the sensitive diner), so a trip to a roadside truckstop, or one of the many “Ma and Pa” food stalls that dot the landscape, is your best bet.

If the pescuezo de gallina sounds a little too daunting, the local restaurants specialise in freshwater trout dishes (the fish are farmed locally further up the Cocora valley) which are cooked in a variety of sauces and served on a large patacon, which is a fritter of green plantain.

Of course, if you are visiting Colombia’s coffee country, then it is mandatory that you visit a coffee farm. About a 30-minute drive from the regional capital of Armenia you’ll find Recuca, a working plantation that specialises in giving travellers a taste of not only some of the finest coffee on the planet, but also the chance to experience first-hand just what a hard job it is to be a coffee bean picker.

Colombian farmer working at a coffee farm collecting the beans – harvesting concepts

Our Recuca guide, Jefferson, delighted in dressing us in traditional costumes and sending us out onto the perilously steep slopes to forage among the densely packed bushes in search of the elusive ripe red beans. After 15 minutes on the job we were not only were we physically drained, we also had failed to harvest enough beans for a single cup.

After learning more about the drying, roasting and brewing process, and an obligatory taste of the local product, its back into the local peasant costumes for some culture and dancing lessons, which was good, if somewhat cheesy, fun.

So apart from games involving small explosives, and modes of travel which would give the OHS reps recurring nightmares, is it safe to visit Colombia, given its troubled recent history?

The answer is definitely, yes.

Like any big city, Bogota, Cali and Medellin have areas where a stranger would be unwise to venture alone, but no more so than many other western cities.

And for non-Spanish speakers, there is a sizeable language barrier, with most service staff speaking little or no English – although with a few key Spanish phrases, and lots of pointing and hand gestures, you can usually get by.

But to get the most out of the rich experiences Colombia has to offer, joining a tour group with an experienced, Spanish-speaking tour guide is highly recommended.

Grant Holloway travelled to Colombia courtesy of G Adventures.