Steve & Liza's Wedding

Bienvenidos a Bogotá

Here is some helpful information for your time in Bogotá.

Accommodation

Bogotá has many hotels of varying quality and cost. To try and help, we have a “deal” with NH Hotels, who have very good and well located hotels in the city. To view the hotels, you can visit www.nh-hotels.com and see their hotels in Bogotá.

We have a contact person who will be in charge of booking arrangements for our guests, and transportation to the wedding on the 25th will be arranged from one of their hotels (which hotel TBC). Please visit the where to stay page for more information before booking.

Click here for more information about booking at NH hotels and other hotel options.

Transport

Bogotá has a public bus system and taxis to get around. It is a very big city and traffic can be extremely congested. We recommend you use a taxi to get around, but try to arrange your day to not travel during peak hour.

On the wedding day, there will be a bus at a central hotel location to transport guests to the wedding venue, and it will return at night. Check the wedding day page for more information.

Safety

While Bogotá is a wonderful city, and Colombians wonderful people, there is petty crime and theft that can happen if you do not take precautions. There is no need to be fearful, but do take simple steps to ensure your safety. Consider:

• Not wearing expensive jewelry if you are spending time around the city.
• Keeping your valuable locked in the room and do not walk around with all your money in one place.
• Tourists can be targets for scams and mis-information, so do some research on where you are going and doing, and stick to your plan. Do not immediately trust people in the street asking for documents or information, or who say they are police – scammers do target tourists in the city.
• Be careful where you place your valuable, like mobile phone, wallet and handbag, when you are in cafes, restaurants, or walking in the street, as things can easily be snatched!

If you have any problems, be in touch with Liza or Steve, your hotel, or if needed, the police. The emergency numbers are:

• Main Emergency Phone Number: 123
• Tourist Police: (1) 337 4413
• Metropolitan Police: 112
• Medical Emergencies: 125
• Fire: 119

Food

Colombia has fantastic food!!! It is an amazing blend of European style food and more indigenous dishes. We recommend you try as much as you can while you are here! Especially:

• Arepas: pancake like breads that are amazing with cheese and egg. Can be salty or sweet, thick or thin.
• Ajiaco: Pronounced “a-hi-a-co”, is a wholesome soup with chicken and vegetables; often served with avocado
• Empanadas: a great snack, it is like a fried pastry that can be filled with meat, vegetables, cheeses, etc. They are like a large dumpling or samosa.
• Sancocho: A hearty soup/stew with meat and big ch
  unks of vegetables.
• Chocolate con queso: It is hot chocolate with c
  heese. Yes, hot chocolate with cheese. Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it!
• Platano: Plantains are a staple in Colombia – cross between a sweet potato and a banana – they are usually fried or roasted.
• Tamales: Usually for breakfast, you will find all sorts of
  meat, vegetables and rice wrapped in a banana or plantain leaf.

 

Colombia also has amazing coffee, and fruits you’ve never seen before! We are sure it will be an adventure for you.

However, like whenever you travel to a new country, you should always take precautions when your stomach is still acclimatising – especially if you only have a few days in town!

• Make sure all meats are cooked through and always consider hygiene before eating something, especially from street vendors.
• Water out of the tap is not good to drink, so stick to bottled water, especially if you only have a few days and you need to stay healthy!
• Make sure you wash your hands regularly and before eating.

Mobiles and internet

If you are staying for more than a few days, it may be a good idea to get a sim card for your mobile phone. There are several phone companies – we recommend waiting until you get to the hotel to arrange this rather than at the airport.

Health

Altitude

It is important to know that Bogotá is an extremely high city, sitting around 2,600 meters above sea level. This can often leave travellers feelings tired, light headed, and fatigued. It is important that you pay attention to these symptoms when you are there and give yourself the appropriate rest. Attitude sickness can effect anyone, regardless of your fitness level, so it’s advised to talk with your doctor and also pay attention to your health while in Bogotá. If anything is of serious concern, seek medical help.

Health care

If you get seriously sick while in Colombia, do let us know, but also seek medical attention. The quality of medical care in Bogotá is very good, but more so at the private clinics and hospitals. However, at these private clinics you must have (and show proof of) insurance; so make sure you have your travel insurance fully paid up and carry a record of it with you just in case.