Colombia (Lonely Planet, 5th Edition) - Jens Porup [248]
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Hostels
Backpacker tourism is booming in Colombia, and new hostels are opening every month. All have dorm beds for around COP$15,000 to COP$22,000, and most have a few private rooms for COP$35,000 to COP$80,000. These are great if you want to meet with other foreigners, and most hostel owners are excellent sources of information on local activities and sights.
Many of the most established hostels are members of the Colombian Hostels Association (www.colombianhostels.com). The most comprehensive listing of hostels is at www.hosteltrail.com; the owners also run their own hostel in Popayán.
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Hotels
Also sometimes called residencias, hospedajes or posadas, a hotel generally suggests a place of a higher standard, or at least a higher price. Cheaper accommodations are usually clustered around markets, bus terminals and in the backstreets of the city center. If you speak Spanish and wish to avoid the gringo trail, a budget private room with hot water, air-con and cable TV goes between COP$20,000 and COP$25,000 – cheaper than a hostel.
Midrange hotels as such don’t really exist in Colombia. Prices tend to jump rapidly from budget cheapies to three- and four-star hotels, with little in between. Nevertheless, there are often a handful of hotels in the COP$50,000 to COP$150,000 range, usually in the city center, which cater primarily to Colombian business travelers.
All the major cities have top-end hotels charging COP$150,000 to COP$1,000,000 per night. Prices vary greatly and don’t always reflect quality. Most will accept payment by credit card. The best choice of top-end hotels is in Bogotá, Medellín and Cartagena.
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BOOK YOUR STAY ONLINE
For more accommodation reviews and recommendations by Lonely Planet authors, check out the online booking service at www.lonelyplanet.com/hotels. You’ll find the true, insider lowdown on the best places to stay. Reviews are thorough and independent. Best of all, you can book online.
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PRACTICALITIES
Colombians use the metric system for weights and measures, except for petrol, which is measured in US gallons. Food is often sold in libras (pounds), which is equivalent to 500g.
Electrical outlets accept US-type, flat, two-pin plugs. Electricity is 110V, 60 cycles AC.
All major cities have daily newspapers. Bogotá’s leading newspaper, El Tiempo, has reasonable coverage of national and international news, culture, sports and economics. The leading newspapers in other large cities include El Espectador and El Colombiano in Medellín, and El País and El Occidente in Cali. Semana is the biggest national weekly magazine. Another major weekly, Cambio, is an important opinion-forming magazine. Poder is also worth a read.
Colombia has plenty of national and local TV stations. Each region has its own TV station; Bogotá TV is dominated by City TV (www.citytv.com.co). Nationwide channels include Caracol TV (www.canalcaracol.com.co) and RCN TV (www.canalrcn.com), Canal Uno and Señal Colombia.
Cable TV offers a near-complete selection of English-language programming. If it’s dubbed, check your remote, there is often a Change Language button.
Radio stations are likewise plentiful. College radio usually offers the best variety; try Universidad Javeriana (94.9 FM) or Universidad Nacional (106.9 FM).
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Motels
Motel always means ‘love motel,’ ie rooms rented by the hour. By law and custom these are located on the outskirts of town. Most Colombians live with their families until they are married, making motels a regular part of many people’s sex lives.
Many budget and some midrange hotels double as