Thread by @gauravsabnis

Thread for practical observations/tips about #Colombia travel. In no particular order. Later this will be compiled and posted on @k_rupal's
rupalstraveldiaries.com

- SIM cards avlbl at airport and many stores easily and cheap. About $7 for 2 GB
- Immigration process breezy

- Food quite cheap. Main course at a nice fancy sit-down restaurant is about USD $7-10. In budget places, half that if not less.
- Booze also cheap in bars. About $2-4 per drink.
- Water in most places, especially Medellin, Bogota, okay to drink from tap. Bottled water cheap.

- Traffic is mostly well-behaved. A bit risque in rural areas, but nothing even remotely unruly like India
- You can rent a car and drive without too much trouble. But you don't need to. Taxis, rideshares, buses are plentiful, cheap, safe, reliable
- Coffee is great everywhere 😁

- Medellin is safe and very cool. Great urban experiences. And countryside stuff short drive away.
- Tayrona-Santa Marta-Minca divine for hiking, nature, beaches, coffee farms
- Cartagena is the party town
- Bogota generally safe but political protests, curfews currently

- Domestic flights are cheap. Around $60-80 for most destinations.
- English speakers rare. Entry level Duolingo type spanish plus google translate is enough though.
- Cellular coverage like most countries. 4G in cities, towns. Patchy in national parks etc

- Indians who have work/resident visas in US/Europe get a visa on arrival. Strongly recommend this destination for US desis cos air tickets are decent at about $500-700
- Yellow fever vaccine strongly recommended, especially if going outdoors

- Tipping system. Standard is 10% in restaurants. If automatically listed, it is called Servico or Propina. In some restaurants they'll ask first. Then add it before you pay.
No tipping expected for cabs.
@_FifthBeatle

- Oh something to note. Many hotels Colombia will add a 6-12% extra charge if you choose to pay by credit/debit card. It will usually be mentioned on their website or info. But not really highlighted. So make sure to check for that.