Hey girl hey! I’m here to share my travel experiences with you. I grew up in a small village in the south of the
Netherlands, which has always been too small for me. On my nineteenth I went London for an internship where I lived in a hostel. I was so fascinated by all the people I met who where traveling the world, I wanted to be just like them. Now -10 years later- I’ve been to over 40 countries and currently looking for a new home in South America. My biggest dream is to start my own hostel. In this blog I will tell you about my adventures in Bogotá, Colombia! – XOXO Kris
Bogotá, Colombia: 7 weeks in the city
Bogotá, the fist city I visited in Colombia and it was love at first sight. There are so many different influences in Architecture that make this city so interesting. Behind the city buildings are these impressive mountains which is just a pretty picture to look at. Bogotá has areas that are so different from each other, you feel like you are walking in a different city every time. I found a job in a hostel and stayed in Bogotá for 7 weeks. The hostel is called CX hostel, they don’t organize any activities, but the beds are so comfy, the showers have plenty of water and get really hot. If you are traveling through Latin America, you know this is a luxury.
La Candelaria is just too cute, it looks more like a colorful village within the city. I slept in a hostel in this area, before I started working. I think the area is great to visit and there are a lot of hostels, but I didn’t really like sleeping in that area. At night it is not really safe and during the day you have to watch your belongings. The area surrounding this colorful place is less attractive. It took me a while to get comfortable walking around and as soon as the sun goes down I didn’t feel safe anymore. There are junkies on the street and if they are high AF who knows what they will do. Definitely take a walking tour in La Candelaria, the graffiti art is amazing and the tour guides can explain what stories the murals tell you.
Bogotá offers plenty of museums for free or a for a small fee, usually under 2$ and some are for free on Sundays. The National museum has a wall of paintings and projections that are so innovative, I’ve never seen anything like it before. You can’t miss the Botero museum. He’s Colombia’s famous artist. I love his art, which mostly consist out of fat people and animals. Next to Botero’s museum are two other ones that are connected so you can easy visit all three of them. This in combination with the fact that it is free, there is nothing holding you back.
If you are spending some extra time in Bogotá, it’s worth taking a day trip to Nemocón. Getting there can be a bit of a struggle because you have to take three different busses. I was with my Venezuelan friend, so I just tagged along. If you just repeat where you want to go, I’m sure eventually you will get there. Nemocón is a salt mine with a small museum. After visiting the museum, you go down into the mine with a guide. The mine is an impressive structure and with the colorful lighting truly beautiful. The entrance is around 8$. I licked the walls and I can assure you that the salt is real. Close to Nemocón is the more popular Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá. I didn’t go because the entrance is around 30$ and if you take a tour from Bogotá it can be around 60$. I heard mixed reviews about it: some people loved it others thought is wasn’t worth their money.
The highlight of Bogotá is Monserrate: a church on a mountain with an impressive view of the city. You can walk up until 1pm and come down until 4pm. The church sits at 3,150 meters and the climb up there is tough, but doable. I am no #fitgirl and I did it so don’t waist your money on the cable car, you can do it too. There are people who are #fit and they walk up several times for fun. How? Do not ask me. On top you can have a look into the church, but in my opinion the best thing is the view. You can walk trough the market, but it’s mostly touristic stuff they sell. You can get to Monserrate by taking a taxi or walking. If you are in La Candelaria follow the water (Las Aguas) that will take you close to Monserrate. From Chapinero it takes around an hour of walking to get to the starting point.
Sunday in Bogotá is the best day to spend in Chapinero. They close the major road from 7am to 2pm for all the cyclists, runners and skaters. Bogotá is a city filled with bikes and bike shops. Some hostels have bikes for rent and it is worth it. You will see all kinds of people taking advantage of this Sunday bike lane. If you don’t want to get active just sip on a coffee next to the road and watch everyone pass by.
At night the streets are quite empty, I didn’t like to go out on my own after dark in Bogotá. Zona T is where you can get your party on and Chapinero is fine, but if you are on your own and the streets are empty I advise to take an Uber. They are really cheap!
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Top 3 Activities |
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walking tour La Candelaria |
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Monserrate |
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Museo Botero |
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Top 3 Restaurants |
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WOK museo Nacional |
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Meridiano |
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Nightlife |
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Theatron |
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BBC |
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Travalas Friendly |
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Favorite travel quote
‘Never stop doing things for the first time’