Need to stick to a rigid budget of $5 per day for food? Have all the money to spend for a gluttonous feast? Either way, Bogotá is the place for you. Small restaurants all over the city run lunch deals starting around $2 that will fill your stomach with hearty fare (typically a soup to start followed by a cut of meat accompanied with rice, potatoes and beans). If you fancy something more chic, newer establishments in the Candelaria and the Macarena will probably fit the bill. Places also exist that would be better suited to dining in California in the Zona Rosa and Parque la 93.

Like most capital cities, Bogotá offers a wealth of nightlife options. Fashionable clubs line the streets in the north and student hangouts riddle the colonial mayhem of the Candelaria. Most clubs close between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m., but those with an appetite for more can go on to well-known “after parties.” Bogotá's arts scene is a lively one too, with art-house cinemas, theaters and live music venues continually playing to rapturous audiences.