Colombia is the best place in the world. Even though traffic does happen like in any other cities, Bogota has many cultural place that you can visit. It has many things to do every day so you will neve be bored when you go there.
I recently just got back from Bogota, Colombia with family friends, and I'm only 14! So me and my mom went only to see what Colombia was like on the internet, and to our dissapointment all we got on almost every website was government warnings,, and that Colombia was the kidnapping capitol of the world. And how dangerous and how many kiddnapping there had been. My mom, was definately NOT going to let me go. How could she just let me go without my parents to a foreign, and may I add "dangerous" country?!?!? (and FYI: I have NEVER been out of the country before!). We also found out that there had been almot 3,000 kidnapping of americans 2 years ago!!! (and man, I was freaked out!). But last year there were only about 1,200. And this year (what, its been about 8 months into this year, right??) there have been NO kidnappings of Americans!! This year the crime rate in Colombia has gone far, far down. And I learned that Bogota is pretty safe. Well my parents cracked after talking to some…
Tolú … I recently traveled from Bogota to Tolu. Although car rental is very costly, it's well worth the price to travel through Colombia. The trip takes about two-and-a-half days, but wow, what fantastic views. Stopping every night in a hotel along the route -- no problems and low cost -- it's very safe these days. We found the best beach was San Francisco Beach -- very clean and good service with beach umbrellas and good food. Tolu is now undergoing a tourist boom and prices are half the price of Cartagenia. Also French Beach is nice and the walk along the beach is superb. You can also go on a power boat trip and visit a few small islands -- have lunch and enjoy the Caribbean at a modest cost. Go now before prices start to increase with tourism. Make sure you take a bike taxi -- the drivers are fun and they know everything.
I'm spending a couple of months in Colombia and loved it from the very beginning, especially Bogota. Being from a big city myself, I felt right at home. Things you have to see, first, Cerro de Monserrate (located up the hill from La Candelaria). You can take a cable car up. Once on top, you have a complete view of Bogota. Another place to visit is the Museo de Botero-Botero Collection. Fernando Botero donated his artwork. Along with his work, you can also find paintings from Picasso and Monet. Not only that, it's free! If you're looking for nightlife in Bogota, there's a lot to tell. But in a nutshell, Zona-T in Zona Rosa and Parque 93 are the hotspots -- overall, fun and very westernized.
We're just leaving Taganga now. Our friends were robbed at gunpoint last night and we talked to three other groups of people who were robbed with knives during the last week. The people in the town and police were very apathetic about it. I was also told of two incidences (in the last week) of police searching/intimidating backpackers looking for contraband/bribes as well.
Bogota is terrible. Bad service, bad people, bad everything!! Just because it's the capital it gets good ratings but that place stinks. Medellin is a lot better than any other place in Colombia. Very friendly people and good, fun parks to go to to take the kids. Adults will enjoy it too.
I had three hours between Bogota and NYC flights (coming from Cartagena!). I jumped into a cab and spent 1 1/2 hours in the Museum of Gold... excellent use of time!
Medellin is a great place to visit, but better if you know somebody there. I had friends to show me around. The food is great, women are beautiful, and the people friendly. However, there are definitely things to be cautious of, like any large city.
I recently returned from a trip around Latin America and without a doubt, Bogota was of the most beautiful and interesting cities I visited. I was really amazed of how modern and developed the city is. My idea of Bogota before my arrival was that it was a very dodgy and dangerous place, and yes, while Bogota does have many dodgy areas, is no different from any other city I have travelled around the world. I was amazed of how developed and modern this city is, specially the northern part of the city. Beautiful modern architecture and so many parks, restaurants, commercial centres, and museums. I visited many commercial centres, like Andino and Santa Barbara, and well, I have never see anything like that in all the countries I have visited so far. Not even in Sydney, Australia where I am from. Beautiful and modern architecture with a range of shops that are truly unique. I highly recommend the ‘Zona Rosa’ area in the northern part of the city. Also, La Candelaria, a…
Bogota is a wonderful place to visit, great food and the best people. I spent time at La Candelaria, a spanish stlyle neighborhood with good theaters and art galleries. My advice... dinner at Monserrate with a great view of the city, also rent a taxi driver for a whole day... cheaper, funny, and full of surprises.
Medellin has during December a lot of sightseeing. Try the national museum with the famous Botero collection. It is wise to travel through the city with a guide or a friend. Walking in the surrounding moutains is also a pleasure and you can see the city lying down below.
In a recent business trip to South America from Scandinavia I had the opportunity of stop in Colombia for a while. Wonderful country and Bogota is a superb city, lovely weather and exceptional food. Also I was very surprised by the wealth of cultural activities. Cali, Pereira, Manizales, and Cartagena were also a breeze to know. I will come back in a moment to this country. (A notice of advice: The only city to avoid is Medellin. I understand it's a very dangerous place due to the drug gangs that pray mainly on tourists.)
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