Bogota Safety (1 Viewer)

Hi there, I am travelling to Bogota in May for four days before heading to Peru and was wondering if it is a safe place to visit with a good camera ?? How safe would it be travelling along the countryside or at Parque la Florida carrying binoculars and big Camera ?? any advice appreciated.

The countryside is generally pretty safe like any countryside around the world. This is a bit more complicated if said countryside is close to some shady suburbs though. I felt safe walking from the suburbs to La Florida and back but I wouldn't recommend it (I had to as the road was flooded and taxis didn't want to go that far!)

The Parque La Florida itself is pretty safe.

Thanks

I was there this time last year and didn't have any issues. I never felt unsafe although I was warned at one point at Parque la Florida by a local to hide my camera.

Colombia is still one of the slightly riskier, South American countries but if you take the same precautions that you would anywhere else, you'll generally be OK.

Be as discreet with your belongings as you can, don't openly show a wallet full of cash, don't take your Rolex with you, don't make yourself a target, common sense is all that's needed in most places in the World.

If you think someone is potentially targeting you, try and get to busy, open, well lit areas and jump in a taxi as quick as you can.

Just back and our highly experienced ground agent said:

“I don’t like Florida Park, it is only safe if you stay in the golf course. Don’t go outside on any account.”

We went for two hours and birded inside the golf course around the margins of the marsh/lake and it was fine.

I stayed very briefly in Bogota four years ago, in an area called Suba (La Colina). It was quite safe to walk around there during the day, but there are other parts of the city that are note. I would just ask the local people, they'll be very forthcoming.

Peter

When I went there (back in JJanuary 2012!), I presented myself to the rangers here: https://goo.gl/maps/NnsMvTQVRBS2
I told them I wanted to see some birds and they sent one of the rangers with me to the hut overlooking the western part of the marsh adjacent to the golf course. I played tape shortly and got Apolinar's Wren from that hut: https://colombia.observation.org/waarneming/view/81999187

15 minutes later I walked to the other side of the road and followed a little dirt road to the end, from where I got good looks on the Southern part of the Marsh and saw Spot-flanked Gallinule and Bogota Rail: https://colombia.observation.org/waarneming/view/81999196

After this, I went back and passed the ranger's post. There is a kind of foot bridge that connects the road to the golf course. I walked over this bridge here:
https://goo.gl/maps/PRZqaRsM9GC2

And in the Southern park of the golf course I saw a couple of Silvery-throated Spinetails coming readily to play-back: https://colombia.observation.org/waarneming/view/133651931
I walked from the bridge to the Spinetails trying to avoid the golfers as much as possible, but they didn't seem to care about the birding intruder on their (private) property. I don't know how much of a problem it would be to show up at the entrance of the golf course. But I feel the course itself is not very interesting for birds (especially not for the target birds).

The whole area (and the road) was kind of flooded. There weren't many people walking (for pleasure or anything else) around, so it felt safe. I had to walk back to the hamlet of San Lorenzo to catch a bus. (somewhere here: https://goo.gl/maps/wFNULE2FqMz ) There were many people there waiting for a bus in the rain. I was fully equiped (back-pack etc) and very much looked like a tourist that had all his (expensive) belongings with. Still all people were very friendly and (as much as me) occupied trying to find a bus ride. It was raining heavily. That didn't hamper the birding too much (I missed the Conebill though, and walking the marsh was impossible with the flooding), but maybe it hampered the thieves