Btw
Locals pay 19% VAT (IVA) on e.g. hotel reservations, as a tourist you do not have to pay this. We found that sometimes this does show up on your bill, but so you don’t have to pay this as a tourist. VAT on electronics, jewelry and clothing, you can reclaim at the airport at one of Dian’s offices .

Airport tax
Airport tax for international flights from El Dorado airport in Bogotá is USD $43 or COP $164,600 / €41. (Rate 2022) Many airline tickets include this.

Colombia can be visited year-round. Even in the rainy season, it rarely rains so much that you can’t go out. If you go to Colombia with a special purpose, e.g. to spot whales in Chocó or see the pink river in Caño Cristales, then you are bound to a certain time period. The whales can be seen from July through October and the pink river from June through November.

Events
Want to attend one of Colombia’s many events, then look here for the 2022 calendar of events.

Vacations and “puentes”
During vacations and “puentes” (long weekends combined with holidays), Colombians themselves travel a lot. During those periods, prices can rise significantly and certain places can be very crowded. If you are bound to these periods, book your accommodation well in advance and avoid the most touristy spots. If you do activities early in the day, you avoid the biggest crowds. In particular, the Easter week (Semana Santa) and December-January are busy vacation periods (especially from Christmas) and school holidays July-August (especially from mid-July)

Colombia uses 120V with type A and B plugs. Therefore, bring a world plug when traveling from the Netherlands or buy an adapter in Colombia. If you are traveling from the Caribbean, you can use the American plugs you normally use.

Colombia has as many as 18 official days off. By a “switch trick,” long weekends are “made” if the holiday does not fall on a Monday. The holiday is then shifted to the following Monday to make it a long weekend. This long weekend is called a “puente” (bridge).

Because of the differences in altitude, Colombia’s climate cannot be described in 1 sentence.

Colombia can be roughly divided into 4 “zones” can be divided:

• Tierra caliente; the tropical zone, from sea level to about 900 meters
• Tierra templada: the temperate zone, from about 900 to 2000 mete
• Tierra fria; the cold zone, from about 2,000 meters to 3,500 meters
• Páramo: moors and snowy landscapes, from about 3500 to 4500 meters

Colombia has no seasons, but a dry season and a rainy season.

The driest time is generally from December-March. For more information, check out the travel guides for each destination.

Colombians are warm, welcoming and service-oriented. They are proud that you chose their country for your trip. Don’t be surprised if you ask someone for directions in a town and they walk all the way with you. This is generally not meant to be intrusive, but rather polite. One feels responsible for your safety.

Language
Spanish. In San Andres and Providencia, English is also an official language. English is spoken very little in Colombia. In tourist cities such as Cartagena, more people speak English, especially at the hotels and tour operators. A basic knowledge of Spanish, therefore, makes communication much easier.

• Colombian airlines, sometimes build in extra security when paying for domestic flights with a foreign credit card. Your credit card payment may then not be accepted. In that case, contact the airline. Also check your junk mail box, as that is where the emails sometimes end up.
• Dutch banks can also sometimes block a credit card transaction if you want to book a ticket to Colombia.
• Booking through an international platform such as Expedia and Skyscanner is usually hassle-free.

Colombia is a very diverse country with different weather conditions, so the packing list for clothing varies by destination.

For any destination in Colombia, it is handy to bring:

• Cell phone with downloaded
  apps
  
• World plug
• Headphones/ears
• Small backpack
• Thermos for water
• Credit card
• Sunscreen
• Poncho (in rainy season)
• Proof travel insurance

Check here which travel documents you need for Colombia.

Colombians love children. Teach your children a few words of Spanish and people are completely endeared.

“Me llamo” and “Como estas” are already making Colombians melt. Common nicknames of the locals for the little ones are: “linda,” “mi vida,” “amor” and “preciosa.”

The larger shopping malls usually have playgrounds and other play opportunities, even for the slightly older children. At attractions, there are usually reduced children’s prices. Most restaurants have high chairs and something small (and familiar) to eat. Supermarkets in big cities like Exito, have a wide range of baby items.

Tips:

• A baby carrier for little ones is often more convenient than a baby carriage
• Depending on the region you’re going to, it may be convenient to rent a car so you have more flexibility and can get rid of the kids’ stuff.
• Rental cars often do not have child seats. You can bring your own inflatable pillow if necessary
• There are many baby products for sale, but perhaps not from your favorite brand. If you prefer to use a particular brand of baby items, bring it from home just to be sure.

Shopping malls are very popular in Colombia. Besides the various stores with branded clothing, electronics, jewelry, etc., there is usually a department store, such as Exito. A shopping mall also has an important social function for Colombians. It is a meeting place, where you meet with your friends, or go with the family. Almost every major mall has a movie theater, a food court, play opportunities for the kids and places to have a drink. Especially on Sunday, it is a real family day and then it can be very crowded.

Supermarkets are generally open from 8 am to 9 pm. Some drugstores are open 24/7.

Well-known supermarkets include:

• Olympica, with supermarkets and drugstores; the Drogerias Olimpica 24/7
• Supermarket Exito, which also sells medicines
• Carrefour, Falabella, Jumbo and Carulla. The latter is a more expensive supermarket that sells a lot of imported food

A SIM card is cheap and easily available, such as from provider Claro, which has a branch in almost every shopping center (large or small). Our experience is that the service and coverage is good from Claro. For about COP 25,000, just over 6 euros, you have a local number with unlimited local calls and Internet.
There are several packages to choose from. You need the local number to use cab apps, such as Uber and InDriver. Moreover, the Internet connection is not everywhere
stable, so a phone with internet is very handy then.

If you are traveling alone, you are not the only one in Colombia and you will meet many other solo travelers. Even if you run into mostly couples, a chat is easy, as most people enjoy sharing their travel experiences. If you (as a woman) are traveling alone in Colombia, you are likely to get a lot of questions, especially if you are a bit older. At first, many Colombians think it’s a little crazy to travel alone. “Where is your husband?”, “Where are your children?” etc. Talking further, it turns out that they mostly find it an exciting idea to travel alone by themselves, and actually think traveling alone is cool. As a woman alone, people are often a little concerned about you. People feel responsible and extra eager for you to have a good time, which can make for heartwarming scenes.

In Colombia it is very normal, that people offer food and drinks and other stuff for sale; on the street, on the bus and on the beach. In the historic heart of Cartagena, for example, street vendors abound. If you don’t feel like it here, “No gracias” will suffice. That is usually enough for the street vendors not to bother you.

All cities in Colombia have the same time zone; UTC -5.

• During Dutch summer time, Colombia is 7 hours earlier.
• During Dutch winter time, it is 6 hours earlier in Colombia.
• It is 1 hour earlier in Colombia than in the Caribbean

Larger airports have elevators, wheelchairs and adapted restrooms. Larger hotels usually have a few adapted rooms with handles and an adapted toilet. Many smaller hotels and restaurants do not specifically cater to the disabled. Shopping centers and museums often have amenities, such as wheelchairs and adapted restrooms.

Most hotels, hostels, shopping malls and many bars and restaurants have wifi. At the hotels further inland, there is not always internet, or only in the common areas. Larger airports also have free wifi. Usually this is limited to half an hour or an hour and then you have to log in again.

Tip:
At coffee shops or food courts, where you cannot automatically connect to wifi, the wifi code is sometimes on your receipt.

Data bundles
Popular providers are Claro, Tigo and Movistar. If you travel outside the cities, Claro has the best coverage.

Digital nomads
Medellín is the city in Colombia known to digital nomads because of its good Internet, many Co-work spaces and international atmosphere.