Experience in Santafé de Bogotá, Colombia by Carlos Andres

What is it like to live in Santafé de Bogotá? Would you recommend it? What is the city like?

Bogota is one of the most beautifull, diverse and complex cities in South America cause that it have a great movement of people everyday due that it is a big city and most of the financial and important businesses in Colombia have their place there. It is a city with big opportunities but also with beautifull residential neighborhoods to live among rhe city and is possible to find them in places that are not so expensive. It have also a great possibilities of activities to do as go to one of the diverse theaters that the city have, doing sports in the high performance center, go biking in sundays when some streets are closed in those days for doing sports and different activities or hiking ti monserrate or different hills that surround the city. Also is possible to find a wide number of malls, shops and restaurants to spent free time and easy access in most parts of the city to public transport. Perhaps that the security in the city decreased among the last years and it changes between different sectors of the city and is a problem which is not a complete risk if you are aware of that. Perhaps that it is a beautifull city and also the big movement that it have don't take out the beautifull atractives and the life inside the city.

What is the student lifestyle like in Santafé de Bogotá?

It is a complete experience for students inside the city. Depending in the university each one is studying it have different places to see as Bogota downtown in case of Rosario and Andes Universities. A great amount of bars and nightlife in 85 street and in case of Javeriana university is posible to find also a lot of restaurants and places in which students can meet. Also public universities have an amazing environment and a unique student culture as it is possible ti see in the National University, district university and others .

How much does it cost to live in Santafé de Bogotá?

The life cost in Bogota is the most expebsive among the other cities of the country. For a common meal in a restaurant that is cheap for students is between 3 and 5 euros and the public transport is between 0.55 and 0.59 euros and others activities like cinemas (4 euros) are also accequible. In case of gym's is more expensive and can reach 30 euros per month.

Is it difficult to find accommodation in Santafé de Bogotá? Is there any advice you can give?

It's a wide number of accomodations oppen to students and peopld that come from other cities and places could be usefull for students that are going to study in a university in bogota downtown to find in city-u which is a complex of residences for students.

What is the food like? What are your favourite dishes?

Bogota have a variety of restaurants and is possible to find international brands or local restaurants really good is just to find it. Personally I like too much pizza and the different types of burgers that you cam find in the city..

What places would you recommend visiting in Santafé de Bogotá?

If anyone visits Bogota they can't miss activities as hiking to the hills of eastern bogota, specially to monserrate. Asist to a football match in the "Campin" stadium which have two of the three best football teams in Colombia, meeting the nightlife in 85th street, spent the day in one of the different parks that you can find as Simon Bolivar park ir the national park and meet the downtown architecture as also one of it's different libraries as Virgilio Barco in which some streets after you can go to the botanic park or spent a day (or night also) eating and drinking some coctels in usaquen neighborhood (one of the most beautifull and oldest neighborhoods of the city).

Is it good to eat out in Santafé de Bogotá? Can you tell us your favourite spots?

For students.. go at least one time to buffet king and you can find all you can eat for a really cheap price. Also a really good place to eat is in the different malls possible to find and 85 street restaurants. Perhaps of that, as an advice walk around the place you will stay and look for an unknown restaurant that you like.. there are a lot of unknown places with a great taste to share.

Is the nightlife good in Santafé de Bogotá? Where is good to go?

Perhaps the most famous discos in Bogota are located in 85 street and are great amount of bars and discos to go (which the best for me are Armando, Morena, cachao and... rocket) also bogota have a lot of places to go in nightlife in downtown as centrico and the different places for techno that you can find cause Bogota is known as the techno capital in Colombia and for some people of the region. If someone likes techno I recommend Kaputt and Octava if it is something to do in Bogota is going out with your friends to a great night.

What advice would you give future students heading to Santafé de Bogotá?

Bogota as I told is a big city.. in size and population and it have different universities that you can find as the places to hang out but as in any big city is necessary to look in which place you are and look for being in a place you can be safe. Also as it is a great place to hangout, the most important universities are really exigent and ia necessary to arrive focused on your goals because is possible to find a lot of distractions, but perhaps that enjoy the most all the city and know well the place and sector of your university, because it would have a great number of attractives that you shouldn't miss.