Going to Santiago, Chile for Lollapalooza? We told you what to do. Now how about what to avoid? While the city is on everyone's radar, Frommer's Chile Editor, Kristina Schreck, reveals the five things you should absolutely not do in the South American capital.

Don't expect a third-world city Many travelers make the assumption that any major city south of the border is poor, dangerous, and dirty -- but not Santiago. Santiago is the safest metropolitan city in Latin America, boasts a booming economy, clean streets, a solid political system, and a modern infrastructure. The Chilean government implemented a series of projects during the past decade to celebrate last year's Bicentennial that included a tunnel system for traffic to get from downtown to uptown in minutes, new cultural centers, shopping areas, and neighborhood redevelopment projects that include parks and hundreds of kilometers of bike lanes. Also, the Metro system is clean and cheap and stations are adorned with colorful murals and art.

Don't expect fast service Chileans run on a different clock than the rest of us, and customer service— especially restaurant service—can be frustratingly lackluster and laid-back. Experience it as part of Santiago’s charm. Foreign diners expecting North American or European attentiveness will find themselves spending a part of meal time craning their necks looking for a waiter. The check will not automatically appear: you'll always have to ask for it. Hotel staff will leave you languishing at the front desk while they attend to seemingly less important tasks, or the phone will ring endlessly while a clerk just decides not to answer, and don't ever expect a Chilean to get right back to you--responses can come a day later. Again, part of the charm: “Santiago time.”

Don't run to a chain hotel Traveling so far from home can be scary and some travelers are tempted to play it safe and book a room in an internationally known hotel chain. There are plenty in Santiago, and while they are perfectly good hotels with all the amenities and predictability, you'll most likely be spending a lot of time in a rather antiseptic neighborhood like Las Condes and far from the local color most travelers delight in experiencing. Santiago has a surprising amount of hostels for budget-travelers that are downright chic and located in El Centro, Bellavista or Providencia neighborhoods, where you'll find gems like the Andes Hostel, the Happy House Hostel, the Hostel Caracol and the Pure Lounge Hostel. On the upscale end, I highly recommend The Aubrey (pictured), the only true design boutique hotel in Santiago and located in a renovated mansion that is backed by the leafy green slopes of the Metropolitan Park. The Aubrey is in Bellavista, Santiago's hip and artsy neighborhood, close to the Pablo Neruda Museum, the city zoo, and downtown attractions. Best of all, their terrific restaurant, Pasta e Vino, is where in-the-know gourmet lovers go to dine.

Don't expect Chileans to love salsa or be as gregarious and extroverted as their fellow Latin Americans Chileans are incredibly friendly and helpful, but the fact that Chile is cut off from the rest of the world by the sea and the Andes has created a peculiar characteristic in the Chilean's personality. Chileans are probably the most sober, inward-looking people of all of Latin America, and they are sometimes referred to as the English of South America. This is especially true when comparing Chileans to Central Americans or their closer neighbors Argentina and Brazil. This is not a nation that moves to the sound of samba or throws wild carnival parades. Chileans have a marginality complex and they can be self-critical and a little shyer than expected. So don’t worry, it’s them, not you.

Don't stick around the city if the winter smog is oppressive One of the best things about Santiago is how close it is to wineries, the beach, and the Andes, and you can get to all three about an hour or two. Santiago is like Mexico City, surrounded by a ring of mountains that during the winter trap smog and dust under a thermal inversion layer. Although the city recently celebrated the lowest smog levels in 14 years and continues to fight smog-causing culprits, the city can get a little “unbreathable” from May to September if it hasn't rained or a big gust hasn't come along to blow it all out. During the winter, I recommend that travelers head up high to the Andes Mountains, the second-highest in the world, and go skiing or snowboarding at Valle Nevado. It's a huge resort with fast lifts and heliskiing, and in a little over an hour you can be sailing down powdery slopes and taking in spectacularly rugged views, then spend the evening enjoying the nightlife, hotels and restaurants that Santiago has to offer.