ECONOMY
Business etiquette
English is spoken a lot in business circles; The Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs offers an official translation service, and private interpreting services are also available. The best time to travel on business is between March and November.
Opening hours
Business hours: Mon-Fri 9 a.m.-12 p.m. and 2 p.m.-6 p.m.
Economy
Commercial Department of the Embassy of Colombia
Kurfürstenstrasse 84, D-10787 Berlin
Tel: (030) 263 96 10.
Latin American Chamber of Commerce in Switzerland
c / o DPS Communications, Gessnerallee 28 CH-8001 Zurich
Tel: (01) 699 54 47.
Internet: www.latcam.ch
CONFECAMARAS (Chamber of Commerce and Industry)
Apdo. Aéreo 29750, Carrera 13, No. 27-47, Of. 502, Santa Fe de Bogotá
Tel: (1) 288 12 00.
Internet: www.confecamaras.org.co
Proexport Colombia
Ed. Centro de Comercio Internacional, Calle 28, No. 13A-15, Piso 37, Santa Fe de Bogotá
Tel: (1) 341 20 66.
Internet: www.coltrade.org
Business contacts
Commercial Department of the Embassy of Colombia
Kurfürstenstrasse 84, D-10787 Berlin
Tel: (030) 263 96 10.
Latin American Chamber of Commerce in Switzerland
c / o DPS Communications, Gessnerallee 28 CH-8001 Zurich
Tel: (01) 699 54 47.
Internet: www.latcam.ch
CONFECAMARAS (Chamber of Commerce and Industry)
Apdo. Aéreo 29750, Carrera 13, No. 27-47, Of. 502, Santa Fe de Bogotá
Tel: (1) 288 12 00.
Internet: www.confecamaras.org.co
Proexport Colombia
Ed. Centro de Comercio Internacional, Calle 28, No. 13A-15, Piso 37, Santa Fe de Bogotá
Tel: (1) 341 20 66.
Internet: www.coltrade.org
COMMUNICATION
Phone
The country code is 0057. Most public telephones, which are not always intact, can be used with telephone cards that can be bought in shops and kiosks. In the so-called telecom offices you can usually find functioning public telephones. Many internet cafes offer international phone calls at low prices. Skype is also an option.
Cellphone
GSM 1900 and 850. Network operators: Movistar (Internet: www.movistar.com), Claro.com (Internet: www.claro.com.co) and Tigo (Internet: www.tigo.com.co). The reception / transmission area covers the larger cities. Roaming contracts exist with Germany, Austria and Switzerland, among others.
Internet
Internet cafes can be found in almost all places. In the larger cities, most hotels have internet access.
Post Office
Post offices are called Correos. Opening times: Mo-Fr 9 am-5pm, Sa 8 am-12pm. Green mailboxes for city mail, yellow mailboxes for mail to other cities and abroad. Airmail to Europe takes 5 to 7 days.
Radio
Since the use of shortwave frequencies changes several times over the course of a year, it is advisable to contact Deutsche Welle customer service directly (Tel: (+49) (0228) 429 32 08. Internet: www.dw-world.de) to request.
NIGHTLIFE
Introduction
The hot-blooded Colombians are known for their vibrant nightlife, with bustling restaurants, numerous parties and nightclubs where the dancers swing their hips to salsa, cumbia and merengue rhythms. The busiest is Thursday, Friday and Saturday night.
Probably the most varied nightlife can be found in Bogotá: The Colon Theater offers ballet, opera and theater performances as well as musical performances, while there are several different themed bars in the Zona Rosa: a beer bar, an Irish bar and countless Colombian bars with their happy hours. There are also many clubs in the area, which often charge an entrance fee. The Media Torta in Bogotá offers music, games and folk dances on Sunday afternoons and on public holidays.
Cali is the perfect place to spend the night in salsa clubs, which are full of dressed up young people and all of them have an enviable talent for dancing. Medellín has a fantastic selection of bars and clubs. Most large cities have luxury hotels with excellent bars, but they are usually quite expensive. In Cartagena there are smaller bars in the fortified old town, in which good rum cocktails are served and in which there is a relaxed salsa atmosphere.
In smaller cities you will find local bars and a much more relaxed atmosphere, even if the selection of drinks is mostly limited to beer and rum. As a country located in South America according to extrareference, Colombia has a well-developed range of hostels, many of which have their own bar where you can meet other travelers.
Colombia’s tourism industry is rapidly developing, and adventurous young expats are opening bars, restaurants and cafes. These places are good for a happy hour visit and a bit of home, and often there is also free WiFi.
CULINARY
Regional specialities
- Ajiaco(chicken stew with potatoes, cream, corn on the cob and capers)
- Arepas(saltless corn pancakes eaten in place of bread)
- Bandeja Paisa(meat dish with cassava)
- Tamales(a popular street food; cooked cornmeal batter filled with meat, potatoes, rice, or vegetables, wrapped in a banana leaf)
- Pollo asado(charcoal-grilled chicken often served with fries and salad; as in most Latin American countries, grilling meat over an open fire is very popular and widespread.)
- Empanadas(with meat, cheese, vegetables or sweet-filled bread or pies, which are either baked or deep-fried)
- Sancocho(a thick soup or stew with meat, plantains, potatoes and vegetables; found mainly in Valle del Cauca)
- A regional specialty of Medellín is rice with fried plantains and red beans.
Tip
Many restaurants, bars and cafes add 10% service charge to the bill or expect this amount. Hotel staff usually do not get tips. Taxi drivers do not expect tips. Porters in airports and hotels should be given a few pesos per bag. Bogotá’s shoeshine boys live on tips and expect around 50 pesos.
Regional drinks
One should drink bottled water. Non-alcoholic carbonated beverages hot Gaseosa, a small cup of black coffee Tinto, the same expression but also for red wine (short for vino tinto) used. Different types of rum (Ron) are produced. Cañalazo is a tasty rum cocktail that can be drunk hot or cold.
Colombians rarely drink alcohol with meals (other than light beer). Colombian wines are generally of poor quality. Argentine and Chilean wines are offered at reasonable prices in the restaurants. Beer and mixed drinks with rum (e.g. Cuba Libre) are cheap and available everywhere.
Minimum age for consuming alcoholic beverages
In Colombia you can drink alcohol from the age of 18.
ACCOMMODATION
Hotels
Hotels in Colombia vary greatly in terms of size and quality. The offer ranges from small Casas de Huéspedes (inns) in modest houses to huge five-star establishments.
It is advisable to choose a hotel recommended by the Colombian Hotel Association.
Colombian Hotel Association (COTELCO)
Carrera 11A, No 69-79, Santa Fe de Bogotá.
Tel: (1) 742 77 66.
Internet: www.cotelco.org
There are offices in most cities and at major airports. Two seasonal tariffs are offered: ‘European tariff’ from May to November and the much higher ‘American tariff’ from December to April. Early booking is recommended.
Since the overnight prices increase by around 10% every year, you should inquire about the price when making a reservation. Further information from COTELCO (address see above).
Categories: There is a star system that is similar to the European system.
Camping
There are state and privately operated campsites. Two of the better campsites are Camping del Sol and Camping de Covenas.
Other accommodation options
There are youth hostels in the cities that are popular with tourists, such as Bogotá, Cartagena and San Agustin.
Colombian Association of Youth Hostels
Carrera 7, No 6-10, PO Box 240167, Bogotá, Colombia
Tel: (1) 280 32 02 or 30 41.
Internet: www.fcaj.org.co
