I know what you’re going to think when I tell you that my travels have taken me recently to Bogota, Cali and Barranquilla in Colombia; that I must have a death wish, right?
Well, not exactly. Charter flights have me steering a course southward out of Houston pretty regularly these days as Bogota, the main economic and industrial center of Colombia and one of the largest and fastest growing industrial centers in Latin America, continues to draw the attention of business leaders worldwide.
Despite the bad reputation Colombia bore in the 1980s and early 1990s as rival drug cartels went to war with each other as well as the government in what almost became a coup, tourism in Bogotá has increased since the 2000s due to aggressive publicity campaigns and improvements in both infrastructure and safety.
The Colombian government has taken firm control of the metropolitan areas and while there remains drug cartels as well as anti-government guerrillas, gone are the days when street-based shoot-outs and car bombs were common occurrences.
International business is thriving and there is a conscientious effort under way to stuff the “bad ol’ days” deep into the history books.
So, if you’re thinking Colombia might offer economic opportunities worth exploring, getting there is actually pretty easy with daily flights by major airlines with most routes from the U.S. covered in four to five hours.
Bogotá's principal airport is El Dorado International Airport, west of the city's downtown. Due to its central location in Colombia and in Latin America, the airport has become a hub for domestic and international airlines and a major air cargo center.
But, be forwarned; El Dorado International Airport is heavily congested, handling more passengers than its optimal capacity as work on a major expansion to increase capacity from the current 8 million passengers a year to 25 million.
In 2007 the Instituto Distrital de Turismo (District Institute of Tourism) was created with the goal of making Bogotá a sustainable tourist destination. In Bogotá, there is a wide variety of accommodation ranging from backpacker lodges and five star hotels.
Since the 2000s huge hotel chains have been arriving to the city giving one of the most exclusive hotel services around the world. Some of the most important hotel chain are Marriott, Radison, JW Marriott, Hilton, NH Hoteles, Sheraton Hotels and Resorts and others.
The hotels in the historical center of La Candelaria and its surrounding areas cater to lovers of culture and the arts.
The hotels located near Ciudad Salitre are intended for visitors who make short stops in Bogotá or need proximity to El Dorado International Airport. The hotels located in the north of the city mainly cater to business visitors, or those travelers seeking shopping or pleasure.
There are three hotels I can recommend for starters; the full-service Marriott, the Hotel Charleston Casa Medina and the Bogota Plaza, favored by flight crews. The Marriott is new and is splendid with great rooms, wonderful service and the Concierge Lounge for Marriott Rewards members is excellent. My most recent stay was at the Casa Medina which redefines 5-Star status and is surrounded by great restaurants that offer fabulous meals for extremely reasonable prices. There is also an Embassy Suites right around the corner from the Casa Medina in case the Casa Medina is fully booked.
A broad array of restaurants can be visited in Bogota where typical and international food can be enjoyed. The G Zone, La Candelaria and the International Centre are some of the main sectors where a number of international restaurants are found.
Bogota has many cultural venues including 58 museums, 62 art galleries, 33 library networks, 45 stage theatres, 75 sports and attraction parks, and over 150 national monuments.
For the shoppers amongst us, there are a number of major malls which are an aesthetic wonderland offering not only the fully array of goods and services, but venues for dining and entertainment as well.
Bogota has established public transit, but I’d suggest either a cab or, better yet and for not much more than a cab ride, arrange for private transportation. This can be done through the hotels’ front desks and, for safety’s sake, I’d recommend it.
Colombia’s monetary system is based on the peso, currently running about 1,900 pesos on the dollar, but the exchange range can change daily. I’d recommend exchanging about $40US at a time – that’s about 38,000 pesos – since it makes transactions a lot easier.
While English is spoken, Spanish is the native language and knowing some Spanish if helpful while being fluent is best, of course. However, you will find Colombians a friendly, outgoing people who will take the lack of Spanish fluency in stride and make the best of it. Using what Spanish you do know, even if it is just to say, “Thank you!” goes a very long way in this Latin American city.
By Bob Howie
Copyright 2010
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