Bogotá Destinations
Traveling to South America can be intimidating if you are not well informed before you go. The Capital of Colombia, Bogota , is thought to be a very dangerous city.Well in the 1980's it was but it is 2009 and Bogota is a fast growing metropolis. With a population of 6,410,116 as of 2005 . The city also boasts the most modern rapid transit bus system in all of South America, this transportation system is being used as an example of how transportation systems in a large city should be constructed. Today Bogota is a safe , fun and exciting city to visit. For this introduction Bogota is broke into 4 sections, northern,western,central and southern.
The Northern part of the city is quite charming with its uptown shopping area in the district known as the Red zone. This area starts around Calle 68 and up. The Area of 95-106 has many shops , boutiques and new modern multilevel malls. This area is very touristy and is filled with discos,clubs,bars and restaurants , American chains as well as Colombian chains catering to the more wealthy client. The area is under video surveillance and is very safe not to mention well guarded by police.There are many hotels in the Chapinero area from moderate to expensive.
The Western part of the city is where the International Airport El Dorado is located. This area also has a large number of factories, homes, warehouse and commercial trading area due to the airports proximity. There are no tourist type entertainment in this area. There many new malls in this areas well as the Holiday inn and the Sheraton to name a few of the more expensive hotels. The American Embassy is located in this area as well.
The Center , La Candelaria, is the historical part of the city filled with parks , restaurant,cafes, bizarres, boutiques, .The Presidential Place is located in Plaza Bolivar in the city center , this area is a waling only area filled with government buildings, historical churches, museums and universities. The area is very safe during the day and at night it is completely shut down, there is nothing open at night in this area. A short walk to the north is a large commercial area where you can buy goods at a very low price. This area also has the largest Emerald Trading industry in the Capital. Just off to the west of the Emerald Trade Center is a walkway that takes you all the way to the foot of the religious areas of the city, Monserrate, it is a beautiful trip up to the top of a mountain that is home to the Monserrate church, restaurants and gift shops, as tourist dream. This area is safe to stay in a hotel and there are many hotel from 1 star to luxury.
The southern area is the largest area it is filled with residence and industry of all types. This area is not recommended for visitation at this time. More crime takes place in the southern area.There are no tourist type of activity in this area. Hotels are not recommended in this area at this time.
With all big cities always be alert, be aware of you surroundings, be prepared for anything and enjoy yourself. To have a basic ability to speak Spanish is HIGHLY recommended.



for more information: http://www.bogotaturismo.gov.co/
http://www.bogotaturismo.gov.co/