Magic of Colombia Tour Comfort

A land of diverse landscapes, cultures and attractions, the South American nation of Colombia is every bit a tourist’s dream. The only country in the region with two ocean coasts, Colombia offers visitors the opportunity to explore Caribbean beaches, tropical jungles and snow-capped mountain peaks. In addition to its impressive terrains, the country is also home to age-old archaeological sites, historic towns, and vibrant cities where a diverse mix of Spanish, African, European and Middle-Eastern influences are reflected the food, architecture and fascinating ethnic traditions.

Currency

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 prices go up. Also be aware that there are a large amount of counterfeit US dollars in Colombia, so if you need change, get it in Colombian Pesos.

The import and export of local and foreign currencies is unlimited, but amounts exceeding the equivalent of US$10,000 must be declared.

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. When crossing borders, in particular in Ipiales, be very careful with the money changers, and make sure you do the calculations on your own.

Banking

Banking hours are from Monday to Friday from 09h00-15h00. On the last business day of every month, banks close at 1200.

Visa and MasterCard credit cards 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.

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 for you when they worked perfectly well the day before. Try to use ATMs in the daytime rather than after dark, and within banks with security guards if possible.

The most commonly accepted traveller's cheques are those issued by American Express and Citicorp. Traveller's cheques can be exchanged at banks, hotels or bureaux de change. They are generally not accepted as a form of payment, other than at major hotels. While safe, generally traveller’s cheques should be avoided in case you can find yourself somewhere where they are not accepted; ATMs are a much more efficient way of handling your money. If you do choose to bring traveller’s cheques, make sure you take them in US Dollars.

There is an excellent internal air network connecting major cities, including those in the Caribbean coastal area. There are also local helicopter flights. Flights between the mainland and the islands of San Andrés and Providencia operate from most major Colombian cities. The main domestic carriers are Avianca (AV) (www.avianca.com), Lan Colombia (4C) (www.lan.com), Copa Airlines (CM) (www.copaair.com) and Satena (9R) (www.satena.com).

Some areas have no road access, such as the Amazon River border town of Leticia, which must be accessed by air. Other areas have road routes but a flight will be far more expedient and not too expensive; for example, Bogotá to Cartagena is a flight of 1 hour 25 minutes, but the bus journey takes 20 hours. Flights are cheaper when bought well in advance, but are still reasonably priced at short notice.

When booking domestic flights, it is often easiest to go into a travel company office – some domestic airlines don’t accept international credit cards online.

Departure tax for internal flights varies depending on your airline. Some include it in the ticket, others charge separately up to about US$10, but be aware that this situation is ever-changing.

The quality of the roads in Colombia varies massively. The Panamericana (Panamerican Highway) is mostly well paved, but when you start veering off the beaten track the roads get bumpier. Do not go for an exploratory drive into the jungle or areas deemed dangerous by your embassy. Expect landslides in the more mountainous regions during the rainy season (November to February). City driving is chaotic and dangerous.

All water should be regarded as being potentially contaminated outside major cities. Water used for drinking, brushing teeth or making ice should be boiled or otherwise sterilised. 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 unpasteurised 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 should be 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.

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.  The best time of year to visit is at either of the drier times: December to March or July and August..

Generally, Colombia requires light clothing suitable for warm to hot weather. However, Bogotá and other places of high altitude get cold at night and even in the shade during the day, particularly in the cooler times of year. You’ll definitely need at least a warm sweater and trousers for this, preferably a jacket.

If you are hiking you’ll need good boots in the colder mountainous regions and good walking sandals for the Zona Cafetera to let your feet air but still give support. Very light clothing for the Amazon Basin is required, but having long sleeves and trousers for the evenings to prevent mosquito bites is a good idea. For the rainy season, have something waterproof such as a light jacket to fend off the downpours.

Electrical sockets (outlets) in Colombia are very similar to the electrical outlets found in the United States and Canada, and if your appliance has a North American plug, it's possible that you won't need any adapter at all in order to plug in there. However, there are two potentially very important physical differences that may need to be addressed with an adapter: grounding and/or polarization. If your plug has one or both, and the socket doesn't, then the plug may not physically be able to fit into the socket without an adapter.

In the case of a North American appliance plug, grounding is accomplished by the third, round pin beneath and below the two vertical blades on the plug. Polarization is accomplished by the left vertical blade being taller than the right, so that the plug can't be inserted upside down. U.S. and Canadian sockets are required to be both grounded and polarized. But in Central and South America, the Caribbean, Japan and other areas which use U.S. style sockets, grounding and polarization often are not required, and in fact, the majority of sockets in many of these areas do not accept the taller blade and/or the third grounding pin. This will prevent a North American appliance plug from being able to plug into these sockets, if the plug is either grounded or polarized.

Electrical sockets (outlets) in the Republic of Colombia usually supply electricity at between 110 and 120 volts AC. If you're plugging in a U.S. or Canadian 120 volt appliance, or an appliance that is compatible with multiple voltages, then an adapter is all you need.

But travel plug adapters do not change the voltage, so the electricity coming through the adapter will still be the same 110-120 volts the socket is supplying. If your appliance is from another part of the world, and it is built only for 220-240 volt electricity, or a Japanese appliance built for 100 volts, then a travel plug adapter by itself won't be sufficient. The voltage will have to be changed from 110-120 volts at the socket, to whatever voltage your appliance requires. This is accomplished with a voltage transformer.