Bogota: 18 Shopping Ideas for Travellers, Bogota, Colombia

To those who understand Russian, the word "Bogota" sounds very similar to the one translating as "rich". And, indeed, the city does live up to this name connotation in terms of peculiar things worth exploring in addition to coca, coffee and emeralds. Here's the longer list of ideas...

Colombia is a major chocolate producer and Nacional de Chocolates Santander brand chocolates might be some of the best chocolate you’ve ever tasted. A bar of 75% pure dark Colombian chocolate sells for around $2. For an extra kick you can pick up a bar of dark chocolate with coffee bits. For “designer” chocolates, try XoCo. You can pick up a box of beautiful and colorfully designed handmade Santander chocolates at their stores in malls, such as Andino and Santa Barbara. Try their exotic Colombian flavors, such as maracuyá, uchuva and zapote ($12 and up). If you’re planning on taking chocolates back with you, best to pack them in your carry-on luggage so they don’t become a delicious mess as they melt on the tarmac at the airport.

Chamba is black clay pottery coming from a village in the department of Tolima. It is simple, rustic, and elegant. Chamba has even caught the attention of stores like Crate and Barrel, bringing Colombian rustic chic to smart dinner tables everywhere. You can go all out with plates, cute tinto cups and saucers, serving dishes, but maybe just a few soup bowls would do. If you ever happen to be in Bogota in December, an excellent place to go to actually get to know the artisans who make their living creating Chamba pottery is Expoartesanías - the massive handicraft fair at the Corferias fairgrounds. While knick-knack shops do sell chamba ware, it may be best to go to an Artesanías de Colombia store which sells top-quality chamba, although for a higher price. Artesanías de Colombia is, by the way, the organizer of the Expoartesanías event. Made of clay, chamba is of course quite fragile, so take care when packing it in your luggage. Artesanías de Colombia is located at Las Aguas church downtown (their main offices): Carrera 2 No. 18A - 58 and they have a second, smaller location adjacent to the Andrés Carne de Res restaurant at the fancy El Retiro shopping mall. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).