Before You Book

PREPARING TO GO TO COLOMBIA

 

CAPITAL:

Bogota

RELIGION:

Christianity, with 90% Roman Catholic; small Protestant and Jewish minorities

LANGUAGE

The official language is Spanish, though there are more than 80 other languages and dialects recognized in the country, belonging to various indigenous peoples. In the San Andrés and Providence Islands, English is also an official language.

PASSPORTS AND VISAS: 

A valid passport is required by all nationals. All Passengers are responsible for securing proper documentation prior to joining the tour. Please ensure that passport/s are valid for a minimum of 6 months beyond the intended date of return and contain between 2-6 blank “Visa” pages. You should have at least two free pages in your passport. Please access the Travel & Visa Requirements Section on the top of this page for the latest visa entry requirements for the country/ies you are visiting. Passports are required; in addition, travelers are also advised to check with local consulates for full details regarding visa requirements. Please note securing a valid visa for entry is the sole responsibility of the traveler.

ENTRY TAX:

Canadians are required to a pay a significant tax (approx. CAD$85) to enter Colombia. Children under the age of 14 and adults older than 79 years are exempted. Canadians travelling only to the archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina are also excluded. For all other points of entry, Canadians will be obligated to pay this tax to customs officials, in cash or by credit or debit card, via a separate immigration line, designated for Canadians only. You will be issued a platinum card (Tiquete Platinum). Customs procedures may be delayed by the processing of payment of the tax. You must keep the platinum card in order to show it upon exiting from Colombia.

CURRENCY INFORMATION: 

Colombian Peso (COP; symbol Col$) = 100 centavos. Notes are in denominations of Col$50,000, 20,000, 10,000, 5,000, 2,000 and 1,000. Coins are in denominations of Col$500, 200, 100, 50 and 20. US Dollars are sometimes accepted, but be aware that you may be viewed as a rich tourist if you try to pay with dollars and you might find that the price goes up. Also be aware that there are a large number of counterfeit US dollars in Colombia, so if you need change, get it in Colombian Pesos.

CREDIT CARDS: 

Visa and MasterCard are widely accepted, American Express and Diners Club less so. There are ATMs throughout the main cities; some will allow cash withdrawals using Visa, MasterCard, or Cirrus. Ensure you know the number to call to cancel your card quickly if it is stolen and inform your bank beforehand that you will be travelling to Colombia in case your accounts are frozen upon use.

ATM: 

There are ATMs throughout the main cities; some will allow cash withdrawals using Visa, MasterCard, or Cirrus. While the prevalence of ATMs is increasing throughout the country, in smaller, rural towns and villages you should ensure you have enough cash to last until you get back to a bigger city. ATMs can be temperamental, run out of money and not work when they worked perfectly the day before. Try to use ATMs in the daytime rather than after dark, and within banks with security guards if possible.

BANKING HOURS: 

Mon-Fri 0900-1500. On the last business day of every month, banks close at 1200.

CURRENCY EXCHANGE: 

Currency should be exchanged at hotels, banks and bureaux de change only, though most places charge commission. Travellers are advised against changing money on the street. The US Dollar is the easiest currency to exchange.

TELEPHONE:

When calling Colombia, the prefix for all numbers is 57. When using your mobile phone, you can enter +57.

National emergency number (24-hour general line)                                                   123

Tourist Police                                                                                                    (1) 3374413

Metropolitan Police                                                                                             112

Information                                                                                                       113

Fire                                                                                                                  119

Medical Emergencies                                                                                           125

Traffic Police                                                                                                     127

Red Cross (24 hour ambulance)                                                                            132

INTERNET:

The main broadband internet service providers in Colombia are Claro and Movistar. Both companies offer different types of internet plans. Based on your usage requirements, you can choose speeds anywhere between 1MB to 50MB. You will also receive a wifi modem at the time of setup, with which you can access certain wifi zones of that service provider. Providers offer more affordable plans if you also buy their mobile phone and TV options. You may require a Colombian national identity card (cédula) to apply for an internet connection. This is a must for everyone who intends to live in the country for more than three months. You will need to apply for the ID card within two weeks of your arrival in Colombia. In the meantime, and for those who are on shorter stays, service providers offer a prepaid 3G dongle that can be acquired without a national identity card.

Mobile phone

Claro, Movistar, Tigo, Avantel, and VirginMobile are the principal cell phone carriers in Colombia. Cell phones can be purchased in department or electronics stores or directly from one of the service providers.

There are two types of cell phone coverage available: prepaid (prepago) and postpaid (postpago). Postpaid coverage is a traditional contract where the user pays a set fee for a package of data and minutes. Prepaid plans allow you to pay as you go and can be topped-up in any grocery store. A resident ID (cedula) and local bank account are required for a postpaid plan. If purchasing a prepaid SIM card, you'll need to provide your passport.

Cell phones have a high import tax and are expensive in Colombia. If possible, bring an unlocked cell phone with you instead of buying one in the country. Any mobile carrier will then provide a local SIM card and configure your phone.

Postal service

Colombia's public postal service is called 4-72. The postal system isn't widely used and has a reputation for being very unreliable. Instead, businesses in most cities employ individuals to deliver bills. It's recommended that expats who want to send a letter or parcel from Colombia choose a private courier service such as DHL, FedEx or Servientrega.

FOOD & DRINK:

All water should be regarded as being potentially contaminated outside major cities. Water used for drinking, brushing teeth or making ice should have first been boiled or otherwise sterilized. Bottled water is widely available throughout the country however, including in rural towns, so you can always make sure you have some. Milk may be unpasteurized in places and should be boiled.

Only eat well cooked meat and fish. When buying food from stalls or markets, try to ensure that the food has not been sitting there for a while, and is kept hot enough to kill germs. Vegetables should be cooked, and fruit peeled. There is an abundance of fruit available throughout Colombia, which includes pre-cut fruit put into bags and sold on beaches or from stalls in tourist areas. Buying whole fruit from the markets is both cheaper and more hygienic and will help avoid contamination.

Local dishes are varied and tasty, with a touch of Spanish influence. To save money and get an idea of the cuisine eaten by Colombians, try menús del día. They tend to be on the basic side: some soup, rice, a piece of meat or fish and an arepa or two (see below). But the local restaurants are cheap and cheerful and a good place to see Colombian life. The international food found in high-end restaurants in bigger cities, eg within the Zona Rosa in Bogotá, is of an excellent standard. Coastal cities such as Cartagena produce excellent seafood, and it is worth visiting a top-end restaurant to experience it. Colombian wines are generally of poor quality. Chilean and Argentinian wines are available in restaurants at reasonable prices. Beer and rum-based drinks are the norm, and both are quite cheap.

SPECIALITIES: 

• Ajiaco (a chicken stew with herbs, different potato varieties, corn, and cream and capers added at the table).
• Arepas (hard corn pancakes, eaten with savoury toppings).
• Bandeja paisa (meat with avocado, rice, fried plantain, and red beans, typical to Medellín).
• Mariscos (seafood - a speciality on the Caribbean coast, lobsters in particular).
• Tamales (a popular street food, these are cooked corn dough filled with a combination of meat, potatoes, rice or vegetables, and wrapped in plantain leaves).
• Pollo asado (chargrilled chicken; like most Latin American countries, meats grilled on an open flame are very popular and widely available. It is possible to eat in or take away – the meat is usually served with chips and salad, and this is quite a cheap way to eat).
• Empanadas (stuffed bread or pastry which has been baked or fried, containing meat, cheese, vegetables, or sweet fillings; these are available widely throughout the continent. You can buy chorizo-filled empanadas in Medellín. Good snack foods).
• Sancocho (a thick soup or stew made with a mixture of meat, plantain, potatoes, yucca, and vegetables, served with rice on the side; found in the Valle del Cauca region).

Things to know: 

Table service is the norm. Colombians rarely drink alcohol (except lager) with meals. Gaseosa is the name given to non-alcoholic, carbonated drinks. There are no licensing hours.

Regional drinks: 

• Tinto (small black coffee - but this term is also used to describe red wine or vino tinto).
• Aguila (a Colombian beer).
• Aguardiente (a fiery aniseed-flavoured spirit fermented from sugar cane).
• Canelazo (an aguardiente-based cocktail taken hot or cold, made with cinnamon and aguapanela).
• Aguapanela (a sweet, non-alcoholic drink made by dissolving a kind of sugarloaf in hot water. Lime juice and/or cheese may be added to flavour it).
• Chicha (highly alcoholic spirit usually made from corn; it used to be illegal).
• Chocolate (hot chocolate in Colombia is hot milk served with sugar, cinnamon, and small bars of chocolate to stir in).
• Cuba libre (rum, cola and lime; found in all bars and a good alternative to beer. Rum is often purchasable in bars by the bottle and provided along with cola and limes to mix yourself and to share with friends).

WEATHER

The climate is very warm and tropical on the coast and in the north, with a rainy season from May to November. Though the temperature varies little throughout the year due to Colombia’s proximity to the equator, it does vary according to altitude. It is cooler in the upland areas and cold in the mountains, and in the cooler times of the year the nights can be freezing. Bogotá is always spring-like, with cool days and crisp nights, though when the sun is shining the days can get quite hot. The Amazon region generally stays warm and wet year-round.  

Bogota: (approx)

SUGGESTED TIPPING SCALE

It is a way of showing your appreciation and will be welcomed by the recipient, although if you decide not to tip in a particular circumstance, this doesn’t mean you’ll receive a lower level of service. Ultimately, tipping is discretionary and should be done at a level that feels comfortable.

Here are some guidelines that you may find helpful:

  HEALTH & MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS & GUIDELINES

As a general recommendation, it is advisable to check with your family doctor or travel clinic for latest health information.

TRAVEL INSURANCE

It is highly recommended that you purchase travel insurance. Health plans only provide limited coverage while traveling outside of the country. Indus Travels can offer you a complete travel insurance package. Some credit cards do offer travel insurance; however, they do not always provide adequate coverage. Review and understand the terms of your credit card insurance policy. Extra travel insurance can be purchased.