All major credit cards will work in Colombia. Your Canadian debit card will also work at the ATMs. Many people say the ATM fees are lower if you use a Davivenda Machine. The major banks are Bancolombia, Davivenda, BBVA, Colpatria/Scotiabank. Tipping is usually included on the bill at a restaurant and it is 8-10%. Tipping is not customary for any other services, but it is welcome. 10-15% is considered generous.

Unfortunately, it is not safe to drink the water from the tap in Cartagena. Stick to using tap water to brush your teeth and shower, but do not drink it. Use bottle water for drinking. However, if you're planning to visit Barranquilla, then it is safe to drink the tap water. Remember, water is not free in Colombia so it is not normal to recieve water at a restaurant. You will always have to buy a drink.

Getting around Colombia is easy! Uber works, but I reccomend downloading the InDriver app because Indriver is always cheaper than Uber. You will also see several yellow taxis on the road and you can always hail a cab. If you are looking for day trips or plan to spend a week here then the major bus companies are Transport Marsol and Berlinas. They run every 30 minutes from 6am to 7pm seven days a week 365 days a year. You can buy a bus ticket at the station. Use cash to buy your ticket!

Air Transat offers direct flights from YUL to CTG on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. This is my reccomendation for the fastest, easiest way to get there. If that doesn't work for you COPA, Avianca, and American Airlines also offer flights with layovers in Panama, Miami, or Toronto.

The most important thing is that you feel pretty and comfy! There is no strict dress code. These are suggestions if you need help thinking about what to bring. If you already have an outfit in mind, that's great! The only rule is don't wear a white dress or a full white suit (duh) white dress shirts are fine. Remember Cartagena is hot, so dress for the heat. The venue will have AC, so bring a jacket/sweater for that.

Yes! All children are welcome to attend the full wedding. If you would like suggestions for nannies in Cartagena, contact me.

Yes! If you are not smart. Please ALWAYS confirm price upfront before ordering anything if you don't see a menu with a set price. Cartagena is notorious for trying to trap tourists by serving them meals that should cost $8 and trying to charge them $50. As long as you see a menu with the price included or confirm the price before ordering, you will be fine! This applies to taxis, too. If you are not ordering a taxi through the app, ALWAYS confirm price before getting in. It is normal to pay more late at night, but you don't want to be paying more than $3-5 extra. Also, please note the beach people will hound you like there's no tomorrow. It's the worst part of Cartagena. If this annoys you stick to the hotel pools and you will be fine.

Of course! I would never invite you to a place that wasn't safe. Just use common sense, as always. Do not wander alone late at night. Do not wear flashy jewlery. You can use your cellphone for Google Maps and to take pictures, but just be aware of your surroundings. Petty theft is more common, but other than that you don't have to worry about anything crazy.

The emergency number in Colombia is 123.

The best hospitals are Clínica Medihelp and Centro Médico Bocagrande. Please note, if you do not have insurance the hospital may refuse to treat you. It is not like in Canada, where it is mandatory to treat the patient first and then figure out payment. It's best to get travel insurance, or make sure that you can pay out of pocket with a credit card.

Internet and Data are very cheap here! You can get a pre-paid sim card at almost any Tienda (corner store). You can also go to any mall and find Wom, Claro, or Tigo and get a Sim card from there. Most restaurants and malls will have free Wi-Fi.

No! Most people will not speak English here, even at the airport. Use Google Translate! Everyone is very nice and helpful, but if you have trouble communicating in Spanish, it's best to type what you need into Google Translate and show them your phone.