Travel in... Colombia

Enjoy the Latin American spirit that stretches from the Andes to the Caribbean

 

Zona Cafetera - but the best coffee goes for export

1. Dust off your Spanish  With over 193 million Spanish speakers in the South American neighbourhood, it's no wonder that penetration of the English language hasn't got too far in Colombia. Apart from the returning emigres from the US, the level of English is quite low even in some of the main cities. Basic phrases will help you appreciate the hospitality and warmth of the Colombian welcome. The exception is Cartagena, where the locals are used to American cruise ships plying the Caribbean routes, and you will be greeted like an old friend. 

2. Bring patience, bus journeys are long  and prone to delays. Colombia is vast and its varied climates will make you want to travel to all the different regions - from the hot highlands of Cali and the lush Zona Cafetera (coffee region), down to the Caribbean coast. Getting around them all, however, is challenging. Be prepared for long coach journeys: take snacks and plenty of water and good humour - essential for when winding, mountain roads become impassable as trucks snarl up the only (single carriageway) roads between the main towns. Beware of travelling by bus or coach in rainy season when flooding is common and 7 hour journey times can easily double. Consider taking the deluxe coaches - you'll be grateful for the toilet facilities if you get stuck, or take the cheap internal flights if your budget will stretch. 

3. Take your push-up bra if you want to blend in! Like Brazil and Venezuela, surgical enhancement is common and inexpensive. To avoid feelings of inadequacy when next to ladies with perfectly shaped posteriors or back-straining boobs, take your push-up bra and shake it like a local at the salsotecas. Then just relax and admire their confidence, even if Colombia boasts about being home to the world's most beautiful women. 

No chicken fillets here

4. Pack your walking shoes  Not only are there plenty of walks across the country, including the awe-inspiring and eerie Cocora Valley cloud forests, but you'll also want to walk off all those carbs. The variety of cuisines in the cities is not matched outside them: culinary choices tend to be heavy and delivered in generous portions of grilled meat and rice. Examples include the arepa - a bland, maize-based dough that can be baked or fried (sometimes filled with an egg for breakfast, cheese or meat); and the bandeja paisa, from the Andean region - an overload of fried beans, rice, plantain, arepa, avocado, egg, chorizo and beef or pork. Despite the country's fame for quality coffee, most of the good stuff goes for export and you may be disappointed to find yourself staring at a cup of Nescafe.

5. See Colombia, old and new  The old haunts of the notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar are now firmly on the tourist route: you can take a tour of one of his derelict mansions near Guatape and there's a theme park based at Escobar's former private zoo. A reminder that someone is still benefiting from the drugs trade is present in the new, palatial narco-mansions built on one side of the steep valley surrounding the city of Medellin (once the heart of Escobar's drugs cartel). For modern Medellin at play, drive to the high vantage points on the outskirts of the city at dusk for a vista of the city lights and views of hordes of teenagers re-creating "The Fast and the Furious". You'll see young Colombians on their motorbikes racing each other and drinking and socialising - with lookouts posted for police patrols. But for a sign of how much things have changed, note the reckless youths arrive wearing thin jackets with numbers clearly printed on them - their motorbike licence numbers. Not so rebellious after all.

Work in... Mozambique

Travel advice for what to wear to work, where to stay and what to eat on work trips to Maputo in Mozambique.

listen to ‘Work in Mozambique’ on Audioboo

Work in... Dubai

Five top tips on how to dress for work in the UAE's party town

Makes getting dressed in the morning much easier

1. Stay stylish, but modest  In general, Dubai residents - including expats - favour stylish outfits whatever the occasion. Office work-wear in the emirate is no different: you'll see slick skirt suits, well-tailored trousers and blouses, dresses and chic jackets. While it may all seem familiar, expat residents favour the trouser suit, or dresses and skirts below the knee with sleeves down to the elbow, to get a different reception. Which brings us to...

2. ...No need to wear a head scarf... unless you visit a mosque. Local women and Arab nationals take their fashion very seriously. Abeyas (the black head-to-toe covering) can be beautifully embellished and embroidered; head scarves can be boldly patterned and worn with plenty of matching accessories. You'll see the modesty warnings at the entrance to malls - be sensible and avoid wearing beachwear or hotpants or the like. 

3. Pack a pair of heels  Whether peeking out from underneath an abeya or teamed with a sharp suit, high-heeled court shoes are de rigeur for professional women. The combination of not having to walk anywhere or run for a bus plus the city's glamorous image means Dubai is a high heel friendly place. But exercise caution: the very shiny marble floors in most buildings are deceptively slippery and leave the 6-inch tottering shoes to the sun-seeking tourists. 

4. Beware the ubiquitous air con  Summer temperatures frequently pass the 40 degree Celsius mark in summer and rarely drop below 20 degrees during the daytime in winter. All buildings are air conditioned throughout the year and while this provides relief from the heat outside, many offices over compensate by blasting you with freezing cold air. If you're sitting at a desk all day and not moving around much, a cardigan or light jacket will sort you out. 

5. Consider wearing a wedding ring  Even for expats, being married (or looking like you are) provides benefits. There are plenty of single female expats, but wearing a wedding ring look-a-like can help save you from awkward moments when doing business in the Gulf if you're working with non-multinational companies. It's also helpful when just out and about: many workers from the sub-continent or the rest of the region haven't seen their wives in years; wearing a ring can help put down a marker and encourage wandering eyes to shift their attention elsewhere.

Travel in ... Burma (Myanmar)

Rose tells us her experience and advice for what to wear, food, trains and monks in Yangon (Rangoon) and Mandalay, Burma. 

listen to ‘Travel in Burma’ on Audioboo

How to dress... for work in equatorial locations

Work in...Nepal

Five top tips for working in the foothills of the Himalayas

Kate, programme manager for an international development project, gives us her best advice for travelling and working in one of the world's poorest and most beautiful countries

 

Kate in Kathmandu

1. Take layers  During the winter months (from October to March), temperatures can get really chilly especially at night.  The lack of central heating makes it important to wear layers.  You can buy these in Kathmandu, but if you have a favourite shawl or sweater then take it along – clothes bought in Kathmandu are great for trekkers, but not the super-stylish!

2. Getting fibre  The range of food on offer in Nepal is generally much wider than in many developing countries, but making sure you meet your daily fibre requirement can still be challenging.  Most bread and carbohydrates are white and sugary.  Nuts, seeds and fibrous breakfast cereals are therefore very useful suitcase items. 

3. Bring sensible footwear  Outside Kathmandu, roads soon become muddy and surfaces uneven.  If you’re going on a field trip, make sure you take sensible shoes like trainers or walking boots.  In the city, the Kathmandu dusty roads soon destroy shoes so don’t take your best LK Bennett’s...

4. Don’t forget the anti-nausea pills  Roads cling to the mountains and valleys in Nepal, making any field outing a test of stomach strength.  Make sure you always carry anti-nausea medication with you (like gravol) to help with motion sickness.  Imodium can also come in very useful at times. 

5. Don't get too complacent  The easy-going nature of Nepalis and friendliness of locals often make you feel at home.  While important to enjoy this, don’t let your guard down totally – Thamel (the main touristy area) suffers from pick-pocketing and taxi drivers will often try to drive a hard (very hard) bargain.  Enjoy the relaxed feeling, but don’t become complacent!

Work in ... South Sudan

Five top tips for working in the world's youngest country

With female police officers waiting for training to begin

1. Take emergency snacks  The number of restaurants is increasing in Juba, the capital, but lunchtime options are limited. Having cereal bars, biscuits and other non-melting snack items in your bag is great for quelling hunger pangs when you just can’t face another club sandwich and chips, dry samosa, or greasy Chinese.

2. Dress smartly for meetings  While you can get away with dresses, smart-ish trousers and shirts at NGO-gatherings or meetings with other expats, meetings with counterparts are more formal. You don't need to cover your hair in South Sudan, but it is advisable to cover your shoulders and knees for formal meetings. Your counterparts are likely to be in suits and will expect you to be suitably attired. Make sure you wear a smart jacket at least – and grin and bear the heat when the air-con fails.

3. Your dirty laundry will be aired in public  If you surrender your clothes to the hotel or guesthouse laundry, your clothes will most likely be dried outside on lines. This is an important point to remember as you pack your dainty, lacy knickers (although you don't need to go as far as paper pants). 

John Garang Memorial Ground, Juba

4. Getting exercise... Certain hotels have some sort of gym facilities (running machine, rowing machine), but the options are limited. For those who get bored of these options, or want to avoid the testosterone, ask around other women for hotels where groups get together to run their own yoga or aerobics classes – perfect for stretching out joints after too long spent on pitted roads. Another option is to take out your own yoga DVD and practice in the comfort and privacy of your room. Central Pub runs salsa classes once a week for a more fun way to get moving.

5. Hygiene – bring your own supplies  Well obviously there isn’t a Boots on every street corner so stock up on feminine hygiene products before you arrive, especially tampons – you'll find them much more easily and cheaper at home.