Category – General, Featured, Holiday Special, South America
Bogotá in Colombia is one of the 53 travel destinations for 2008 as declared by The New York Times. Bogotá was earlier known as a notorious place owing to gang violence and death squads, but the picture is changing fast. This megalopolis and capital of Colombia is South America’s fourth biggest city and is sprucing up its image to attract tourists. The colonial charms are being revamped and this is being coupled with its age old cultural diversity to draw the tourists. It is highly modernized and has exposures to the North American and European influences and the tourists can get everything starting from traditional recipes to cuisines from all over the world.
Bogotá is situated in the lap of Andean Highlands at an altitude of 2640 meters. It is divided into four districts or sections-North Bogotá, Central Bogotá, Occidente and Sur. Bogotá has excellent air connections and has an international airport by the name of El Dorado International Airport. This airport receives numerous daily flights form major American cities. El Dorado is served by various international carriers like Air France, Continental, Delta, Varig, American Airlines, LAN, Iberia, Aerogal, Taca, Mexicana, Copa and Air Canada in addition to many more. Recently three US airlines have applied to fly direct flights to Bogotá and these include US Airways, JetBlue and Spirit Airlines.
The bus services have improved considerably and they have become safer than earlier times. It is advisable that the foreigners avoid night travel and places of unrest. The services of upscale buses are very good and comfortable. You can explore Bogotá well by taxis as they are easily available and quite affordable. Bogotá has a new rapid transport system of Transmilenio Bus that is extremely clean, affordable and efficient and has excellent connectivity to all parts of the city. The other modes of transport are colectivos and bicycles.
The tourist attractions in Bogotá are aplenty and these include that different museums, churches, historical buildings, restaurants, shopping areas and skyscrapers. The tourists must make a trip to the unique Gold Museum El Museo del Oro to see the magnificent collections of gold items and Pre-Columbian artifacts. You can see the art works of great artists at Donacion Botero. At Casa de Moneda, you can get an insight into the history of coin and money minting and also see the ancient Colombian coins. The most notable place of tourist interest is The National Museum or Museo Nacional, Columbia’s oldest museum and also one of the oldest of the American Continent.
It resembles the architecture of a fortress and is made of bricks and stones. The National Museum is home to more than 20,000 exhibits. Bogotá’s Museum of Modern Art is also worth visiting and it houses collection of exhibits of modern art like paintings, drawings, sculpture, assembly and engraved work. The other famous museums in Bogotá are Banco de la Republica Art Collection and Museum of Colonial Art. The tourist must also visit Cathedral de Sal, Torre Colpatria, Monserrate, Maloka, La Zona T, and Parque de la 93, La Macarena, Unicentro, La Candelaria, Usaquen and Hacienda Santa Barbara. People who have already enjoyed holiday in Bogotá are enchanted by its lovely setting, facilities and overall ambience. The shopping and nightlife opportunities are abundant in Bogotá.
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