General Info

[Dccpa]

Getting ready to book a trip for 10-13 days flying into and out of Bogota. I will be visiting 2-3 cities including, Bogota & Medellin and I can stay thru December 23rd. I remember reading that Christmas was slow due to Colombians spending Christmas with their families. For visitors, how are those last few days before Christmas? Thanks.

[Starlord1]

Well your safety requirement rules out Colombia. I know someone who was mugged in the early evening, in a busy, upscale area of El Poblado. And he doesn't look like an easy target. You can get mugged anywhere.

However, your budget and goals pretty much limit you to either El Centro or Santa Fe. In either place you can eat for about $10 per day and find hotels for $25 or less. That leaves enough money for 2 or 3 girls a day in the casas or off the street.

How did he get mugged there. He had to be doing something crazy. That place is. Is well not scary at all. And in broad daylight. Idk.

[JjBee62]

Duh, I totally forgot to mention Bogot as the other city. My oversight. Thanks for your response.

That being said, flight time and cost are pretty much the same so that wouldn't be a factor. Total budget would be $300 for 3 days. This does not include airfare. I guess the only real factors that truly matter to me are:

Safety as you said. I don't mind homeless or druggies or run down areas, however, I would not want to be by a place where I can get mugged (daytime or night time).

Lodging: I don't care care for A/C or heat but do care about having WiFi and hot water would be nice.

Food preference: none really. As long as I'm not getting sick from the food, I'm pretty flexible with what's available around lodging.

Girls: goal is to have 2 girls a day, 3 if possible.

Also if anyone has a recommendation for a nice hotel under 60 k that is girl friendly in both cities?

Well your safety requirement rules out Colombia. I know someone who was mugged in the early evening, in a busy, upscale area of El Poblado. And he doesn't look like an easy target. You can get mugged anywhere.

However, your budget and goals pretty much limit you to either El Centro or Santa Fe. In either place you can eat for about $10 per day and find hotels for $25 or less. That leaves enough money for 2 or 3 girls a day in the casas or off the street.

[Balboa]

Safety as you said. I don't mind homeless or druggies or run down areas, however, I would not want to be by a place where I can get mugged (daytime or night time).

Come on brotha, think about where the muggings usually occur, hmmmm.

"Homeless or druggies or run down areas".

[TheBiller22]

In order to get a comparison between 2 cities, you need to list 2 cities.

However, if you have a limited time and a limited budget, the biggest factors are airfare and flight time. Unless you're flying out of Miami you'll probably spend at least half on airfare.

Here's the other problem. The people who think Medellin is best will tell you Medellin is best. The people who like Cartagena, or Bogota will suggest which ever they prefer..

Duh, I totally forgot to mention Bogotá as the other city. My oversight. Thanks for your response.

That being said, flight time and cost are pretty much the same so that wouldn't be a factor. Total budget would be $300 for 3 days. This does not include airfare. I guess the only real factors that truly matter to me are:

Safety as you said. I don't mind homeless or druggies or run down areas, however, I would not want to be by a place where I can get mugged (daytime or night time).

Lodging: I don't care care for A/C or heat but do care about having WiFi and hot water would be nice.

Food preference: none really. As long as I'm not getting sick from the food, I'm pretty flexible with what's available around lodging.

Girls: goal is to have 2 girls a day, 3 if possible.

Also if anyone has a recommendation for a nice hotel under 60 k that is girl friendly in both cities?

[JjBee62]

I'm flying into MDE separate from a buddy. One of us is arriving on an international flight and the other is arriving on a domestic LATAM flight. Can anyone please recommend a can't miss place for one of us to sit until the other arrives near the exit for international flights?

Thanks!

Just go upstairs to where the food court is.

[Cm6363]

I'm flying into MDE separate from a buddy. One of us is arriving on an international flight and the other is arriving on a domestic LATAM flight. Can anyone please recommend a can't miss place for one of us to sit until the other arrives near the exit for international flights?

Thanks!

[JjBee62]

I have a few days and a limited budget to make one more trip in November. I've only been to Medellin and it was a very short trip so I can definitely don't mind going again.

For those of you that have been to both places, can you please comment on the below:

1) which is generally cheaper in taking out girls?

2) which is cheaper for food and hotel?

3) which is easier to navigate through?

4) finally and I know this can be subjective, which has pretty girls?

In order to get a comparison between 2 cities, you need to list 2 cities.

However, if you have a limited time and a limited budget, the biggest factors are airfare and flight time. Unless you're flying out of Miami you'll probably spend at least half on airfare.

Here's the other problem. The people who think Medellin is best will tell you Medellin is best. The people who like Cartagena, or Bogota will suggest which ever they prefer.

Yet another problem. Cheapest assumes you don't care about anything else, including safety. In Bogota and Medellin I can find lodging for $10 per night and I can find food for under $3 per meal. Food I would eat and a room I would stay in. I could probably cut another 15%, but that's outside of my comfort zone.

Where's your comfort zone? How many passed out glue sniffers will you step over before running back to civilization? Are you going to need air conditioning and heat?

I have no problem getting around in Bogota or Medellin. I usually walk or use public transportation, although I also use Uber and taxis.

There are 2 ways to get some useful responses. You can give your budget for each city, after airfare, give the number of days you wish to stay, give your food preferences and lodging requirements and how many girls you want to see each day. Then ask for recommendations within your budget.

Or you can say what's most important for you on this trip and ask how you can achieve your goals and stay under budget.

[TheBiller22]

I have a few days and a limited budget to make one more trip in November. I've only been to Medellin and it was a very short trip so I can definitely don't mind going again.

For those of you that have been to both places, can you please comment on the below:

1) which is generally cheaper in taking out girls?

2) which is cheaper for food and hotel?

3) which is easier to navigate through?

4) finally and I know this can be subjective, which has pretty girls?

[PaisaPorFavor]

Personally I buy or bring a 2nd phone so I'm not such a target. If you have a new $1000 phone it is not the smartest move to be out and about using it. Also doubles as a something to trade or gift. I got months of use and 2 tln on my last 2 nights for my $90 phone I brought.

If I need to catch a ride Uber or have a friend to pick me up at the airport, I will probably need to take my phone with me. Right? If I want something to kill time with, while I am waiting on my flight, it will also help to have my phone, right? So if I have this unlocked Android phone I am well familiar with, why would I (or anyone else) need to buy a new phone in a foreign country?

.

[Nordico]

Registering a phone is not the same as homologating it. Homologated phone means that a specific model (technical features) is approved by the authorities. The model in this case doesn't mean the commercial model, like iPhone 8, because there are many variations of this model. You can find your iPhones model going to Settings, General, About and scrolling down to model. You can also find your phone's IMEI there. For Android, consult your owner's manual. In theory all the homologated models can be found here http://www.siust.gov.co/siic/publico...nal-homologada but it seems to be under "maintenance".

It looks like our colleague had a phone model that is not homologated (approved) in Colombia and therefore it was blocked. A phone model that is not homologated cannot be registered. If this happened to me, I wouldn't bother to homologate my phone, but I bought myself some cheap phone over there.

All this information and more can be found at this Columbian government's page https://www.crcom.gov.co/es/pagina/c...rar-tu-celular.

Cheers and keep studying Spanish, it helps.

[Eszpresszo]

They are cheap to buy and unlocked. There is no need to bring a phone.

If I need to catch a ride Uber or have a friend to pick me up at the airport, I will probably need to take my phone with me. Right? If I want something to kill time with, while I am waiting on my flight, it will also help to have my phone, right? So if I have this unlocked Android phone I am well familiar with, why would I (or anyone else) need to buy a new phone in a foreign country?

[Eszpresszo]

I don't recall replying to you. So whether you were considering selling them, or grinding them up and creating cellphone suppositories has nothing to do with my response.

Actually, you did reply to my post. Perhaps you should look about four or five posts down and that will jog your memory a bit. Again, thanks for your input.

[QuackUp]

Hi Flappy, tried to pm you but you don't have pm. Anyways, Jj did a great write up for you and others. The only thing I can add is that if you are a seasoned traveler, any of these three areas will be fine. I have never stayed in Centro but do go to the casa's and strip clubs. If your Spanish isn't at least (get by) like me, then I would probably say it would be better for you to stay in Poblado. Just my observation, but whatever you do, yes buy your ticket, I don't think you will be disappointed.

[JjBee62]

Great trip report. You really make me want to book a ticket! Was curious as to what the appeal is with Laureles for shorter term stays? It seems far from the action of El Poblado. Do you recommend it for a first time Medellin visitor?

There are 3 areas of Medellin that are frequently discussed. Each has its own merits. There are several other areas worth visiting. However, most short time visitors don't have the time or desire to explore.

El Poblado

El Poblado is the home of Parque Lleras, the zona rosa of Medellin. I frequently refer to it as "Parque de Los Gringos", which gets a laugh out of taxi drivers. Most south American cities have a zona rosa, pink zone in English. It's the entertainment center of the city, where you'll find the biggest concentration of night clubs and restaurants.

El Poblado itself is where the new money in Medellin lives. It continues to grow with a lot of ongoing construction projects. Worth visiting in the area is El Castillo Museo. You may want to bring an interpreter, as the tour is in Spanish.

Other than a couple of not well reviewed massage parlors, the chica action is limited to the girls who hang out around Parque Lleras, either walking the streets, or hanging out in the clubs. There's also La Isla, the most expensive strip club in Medellin up the hill in El Poblado, and Fase 2, in the San Diego area, near the border of El Centro. Another strip club, San Diego grill straddles the line between El Poblado and Laureles.

El Poblado is the most expensive area of the city to visit. If you prefer a more modern area and are looking for English speakers, it's your best bet.

Laureles

Laureles is where the old money in Medellin resides. El Centro is the original heart of the city. The early wealth moved across the river to escape the city, but eventually the city swallowed them up. It's less flashy than El Poblado, quieter and generally cheaper.

The most active area of Laureles is La Setenta, Carrera 70 south of the Estadio metro station. The avenue is lined with bars, clubs and restaurants. The party atmosphere in El Poblado is more frantic, than Laureles. It's also flashier. The people in Laureles don't need to advertise their wealth, so it has a friendlier vibe.

The chica action is less obvious in Laureles. Besides Luna Lunera, a strip club, there's arguably the best casa in the city, Energy. Technically it's a spa, but whatever massage is offered isn't worth writing about. There's another strip club, recently reviewed that I'm not familiar with and 2 other spas. There are also a lot of girls running services in different Laureles apartments.

Worth visiting is the stadium. It's a multi-sport complex built around the main soccer stadium. There are areas for all types of sports and admission to everything except the soccer stadium is free. I've watched soccer, basketball, gymnastics, volleyball, martial arts and cheerleading competitions there. Also worth visiting are las escaleras of Comuna 13.

El Centro

El Centro is the heart of Medellin. It's also where you'll find the most and cheapest chica action. If you want an authentic experience, this is the place to stay. It's also the place to stay if you want to have plenty of cheap sex without spending money on taxis.

Anything and everything is for sale in El Centro, at some of the lowest prices in the city. Like the heart of most cities, there are a lot of bad areas in El Centro. Walking random streets isn't advised.

There are some night clubs in El Centro, but they aren't frequented by many tourists. Perhaps worth exploring for the more adventurous? Mostly it's bars, lots of bars. There are a few blocks which are nothing but bars.

El Centro is home to most of the casas in Medellin and it's where you'll find the streetwalkers. There are also several strip clubs, although gringos tend to only visit 2 or 3. In my opinion they're missing out, but most would rather go to a club with 20-30 girls than one with 3-5 girls.

If you're on a budget, El Centro is cheap. You can get food and lodging for under $25 per day. Add in another $25 and you can get laid twice.

Worth visiting is Plaza Botero. You can take lots of pictures to convince the people back home that you did something other than visit brothels.