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- <text id=93CT1650>
- <title>
- Colombia--Travel
- </title>
- <history>
- Compact ALMANAC--CIA Factbook
- South America
- Colombia
- </history>
- <article>
- <source>CIA World Factbook</source>
- <hdr>
- Travel
- </hdr>
- <body>
- <p> Travel Advisory: Because of sporadic guerrilla activity,
- travel in certain areas may be hazardous. Before traveling to
- Colombia, it is recommended that persons check with the nearest
- U.S. Consulate or with the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of
- Consular Affairs, in Washington, D.C., for the latest
- information.
- </p>
- <p> Climate and clothing: Climatic variations depend on altitude.
- Knits and lightweight woolens are suitable in Bogota.
- </p>
- <p> Customs: A passport is required for travel to Colombia.
- Tourists may enter and stay in Colombia for 30 days on a tourist
- card provided by the airlines serving Colombia, providing the
- tourist has a booked round trip passage. For a stay beyond 30
- days, tourists must obtain a visa from the nearest Colombian
- Embassy or Consulate.
- </p>
- <p> Health: Medical facilities are satisfactory; many doctors
- have been trained in the United States and speak English. Common
- medicines are available. Tapwater is not always safe in large
- cities; food should be prepared carefully.
- </p>
- <p> Telecommunications: Long-distance telephone and telegraph
- service is available. Colombia is in the eastern standard time
- zone but does not use daylight saving time during the summer.
- </p>
- <p> Transportation: Flights to Bogota, Barranquilla, Cali,
- Medellin, and Cartagena are easy to arrange from the United
- States, Europe, and Latin America. Local air service is also
- available. Buses provide service throughout the country. Taxis
- provide the most reliable public transportation in cities.
- </p>
- <p> Tourist attractions: The Bogota Gold Museum and the Caribbean
- resort of Cartagena, with its 17th century fortifications.
- </p>
- <p> National holidays: Establishments, including the U.S.
- Embassy, may be closed on the following days:
- </p>
- <p>New Year's Day, January 1; Epiphany, January 11*; St. Joseph's
- Day, March 21*; Holy Thursday, March 31*; Good Friday, April 1*;
- Labor Day, May 1; Ascension Day, May 16*; Corpus Christi, June 6*;
- Feast of the Sacred Heart, June 13*; Saints Peter and Paul, July 4*;
- Independence Day, July 20; Battle of Boyaca, August 7; Assumption Day,
- August 15*; Columbus Day, October 17*; All Saints' Day, November 7*;
- Independence of Cartagena, November 14*; Feast of the Immaculate
- Conception, December 8; Christmas Day, December 25.
- </p>
- <p>*Date given for 1988; exact day varies each year.
- </p>
- <p>Source: U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Public Affairs,
- 1990.
- </p>
-
- </body>
- </article>
- </text>
-
-