Safety

As in all the world's large cities, there is a high incidence of handbag snatching. We therefore recommend that you carry money and credit cards in a money belt and don't take a handbag unless it is absolutely essential.

The main hotels have safe deposit boxes and we suggest you leave your valuables, passport and air tickets there. Be very careful with handbags, cameras and video recorders, especially in places where lots of people congregate, such as markets, Bus stations and public squares, etc.

Tourists should use common sense to ensure their safety. Most tourists who avoid flashing large amounts of money, visiting areas near the Colombian border, civil disturbances, side streets in big cities at night and that sort of thing report few problems. Probably the biggest threat in most places is simple thievery: Belongings should not be left unguarded on the beach, for example. Hotel personnel are generally good sources of information about places that should be avoided.