Safe Travel for children to Bogota, Colombia?

Question

I will be going to Bogota soon to finalize an adoption of a older Colombian girl. I have 3 children at home ages 9-14. We are from the states. I think it would be wonderful cultural experience for my children to be there at least a week and they have spring break. I will be there for at least a month. My husband is concerned for their safety. He and I can blend in a bit better, however they are all blonde, blue eyed. Of course with this entorage we cannot get one taxi for the 6 of us OR can we? Do they have taxi vans??!!

Also any safe excursions away from Bogota I would love to hear about. I know there are a few things to see in Bogota, but we also would love to be able to enjoy or view the countryside if possible. We ourselves live in the country.

Any help or suggestions would be most welcome. Thank You from Ohio, USA.

Answer 1

Yes it is safe to travel to Bogota with children, however I would avoid going outside of the city by yourself.

If you going to stay in Bogota which is very big (pop. 8.5 mil) its easier to rent a car/mini van than trying to take taxis everywhere.

Answer 2

I think it's great you are taking your kids to Colombia - despite all the bad press it is a staggeringly beautiful country, rich in culture and I feel one of the most interesting places I have travelled. The transport system is far better than Ecuador, Peru and the other Andean countries.

The government have recently been doing a very good job in bringing crime down - kidnappings and murders have decreased considerably.

This, of course, does not hide the reality of a country where 50% of the land is controlled by paramilitaries and guerrillas. In many cases, such as the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, some of the most stunning scenery is inaccessible.

Bogota has some great museums (the kids will love the gold museum) and interesting things to do. It is a bustling, modern and cosmopolitan city. A trip up the cable car to the mountain overlooking the city is also recommended. I would be very careful, however, where you stray...like any city, a wrong turning could prove dangerous, especially if you have a guide book and camera out.

Personally I would recommend a trip to Cartagena. It is a short flight or a very long bus journey (via Medellin, which is more a town for partying and youth culture than kids). It is a beautiful monument to Spanish colonialism, a mini-Barcelona nestled on the Caribbean coast. The kids will learn so much, the history is wonderful (it is a UNESCO world heritage site), at night the ancient walls are lit up, it has to be one of the great cities of Latin America. Playa Blanca, a nearby beach, is also great fun.

Also Parque Nacional de Tayrona is one of my favourite places I've ever been to. A national park further down the coast, it is steeped in lush jungle and paradise beaches, where you can sleep with the kids in hammocks and wake up to the sound of monkeys. There are no buildings or hotels...just small hostels with hammocks. It is probably as close to paradise as you'll get in Colombia.

Basically, if you are careful, Colombia is a wonderful country to visit. I'll never forget waking up to the sound of the waves in Tayrona and having dinner at night in Cartagena.

I'd recommend, however

1)ALWAYS travel during the day time, and ask for information about the safety of your route from a trusted source before you go, usually they will reassure you.

2)ALWAYS carry your documentation and passport with you. If not carry a photocopy. You will more than likely be asked for it.

3)plan ahead, get advise from trusted sources (hotel operators, ex-pats etc.) Know where you are going, how you get there to the last detail.

4) Take trusted taxis, be able to speak basic Spanish. The buses are actually really fun, especially around the countryside, you get to see more of the country. However, whether you choose to take your kids on them is a decision I think you'll have to make as a parent.

A bit of common sense and you should find it the trip of a lifetime!

Answer 3

It is safe to take your kids to Bogota, you just have to have the same basic precautions you would have in a large metropolitan city such as New York or Washington.  Do not wear any jewelry, do not walk at night on empty streets etc.  A lot of the taxis now are small, but you can always request a taxi for 6 people.  It might be safer if you call the taxi to pick you up than to flag it on the street.  I would not recommend renting a car, the traffic in Bogota is horrible, and there are many laws like "pico y placa" (which limit the number of cars that can transit at rush hour) that make it very confusing.  At certain hours some streets will be closed or will be transited in the opposite direction.  You will need to get familiar with all these things.  I am from Bogota but have lived in the States for 20 years.  Every time that I go to visit my family I have a great time and I love it, however I do not consider myself capable of driving there (even though I drive in Miami every day).  Taxis work well and so does the "Transmilenio", which is a bus system that works like a metro.  If you will stay there for a month, you could always rent a car and hire a driver.  It would not be too expensive and would probably work best.

You may want to stay in a Hotel in the northern part of Bogota while your kids are there, usually the streets are safer and there are more activities for kids than if you stay downtown.

As far as places to visit around Bogota, I recommend that you  

1) Visit the Gold Museum 2) Go to the salt Cathedral of Zipaquira  3) Go have lunch (Thu-Sun) at "Andres Carne de Res" which is a touristic restaurant fun for kids as well. 4) Go to Monserrate, which is the mountain overlooking Bogota 5) Go shopping; there are many new shopping malls and local craft stores that you will enjoy, and go out to eat a lot; the food is great.

6) You could also go to "Villa de Leyva", which is about 3 hours from Bogota. It is a beautiful colonial town and the kids would like it. 7) If you have more time you could take a tour to " la zona cafetera"; which is the coffee growing region.  "El Parque del Cafe" and "PANACA" are worth it, but that would require at least an overnight stay.  8) You could go to Cartagena, which is really beautiful and very different from Bogota, but I would go by plane, going by bus is too long and the roads are not the best

Traffic aside, Bogota is a nice place to visit. I think it would be an invaluable experience for your kids to get to visit the Country where their new sister was born.  They will be able to talk to her about it and have something in common.

Contact the adoption agency that you will be using (like Fana), they will give you many more tips. I know they are very helpful with foreigners.

Go, enjoy and congratulations on your new daughter.