safety

The Bogota Transmilenio bus system: problems and solutions

October 29, 2014 // 0 Comments

It’s rush-hour. I’m on a Transmilenio bus and it’s busy. People are standing elbow to elbow and as usual the driver is driving like a maniac over pot-holes and cracks in the road; the standing passengers are swung from side to side, trying to grab onto anything they can as they fight to keep their balance; the seated passengers hold on tightly to [more]

Safety Tip of the Day – How to avoid being robbed in Bogota

February 27, 2014 // 1 Comment

Yesterday I became a victim of crime in Bogota for the first time. It actually could have been a lot worse. When I got on the Transmilenio, I had my purse. When I got home, I realised I didn’t have it anymore. This was preferable over having a knife stuck in my face and threatened for my bag (which also happens – usually on the busetas or on the street), [more]

Is Bogotá safe? 13 safety tips

January 8, 2014 // 0 Comments

Whilst it is fair to say that Bogotá’s reputation as a ‘dangerous’ city is not entirely undeserved, there is also a great deal of scaremongering and ignorance with regard to this matter, particularly online. It often ‘ranks’ within the top 10/25/50 most dangerous/violent cities in the world in online blogs; in this blog post, for [more]

How to calculate your taxi fare in Bogotá

December 28, 2013 // 2 Comments

Bogota taxi driver and tariff This post will tell you how to calculate your taxi fare if you take a yellow taxi in Bogotá. For tips on how to get a cab using a mobile app, please see my post How to get a taxi in Bogota – Taxi apps. For safety tips, take a look at 10 tips for taking a taxi in Bogotá. My top tip is actually to use Uber in Bogota. If you already [more]