Cartagena Reports

[Rzrfl69]

First, thanks for that great report!!

I will be going October 4-6 and staying at one of Juan's spots. This will be my 6th trip I believe. Seems like nothing much has changed!?

Still plan on going to arepas pues first hahahaha.

I do have one question.

Can anyone recommend a good breakfast spot? I'm a early bird even after a crazy night. Finding breakfast and any morning activities have always been a struggle.

Thanks all and good luck!

[RacShack]

If you're on the fence, pull the trigger. I'm glad I did before visiting a friend in Peru. My Spanish is basic level one, not conversational. I did a lot of pointing and used simple words. If someone wants your money, they will work with you. With smartphones, translator apps, and forums like this, you don't have an excuse. Book your flight and see how you feel afterwards because you have 24 hours to refund it.

Read the last 80-100 pages of the forum, at least. Learn to count to 300 without assistance. Just add "mil pesos" to everything. Message the Airbnb owner if bringing girls are okay. I had a private / direct entrance, so that helps stop a possible building policy from getting in the way. However, without a layer of security checking IDs, you assume the risk of no help if something goes wrong. I didn't have any problems after several girls, maybe I was just lucky.

You're going to get quoted prices from 60 k pesos online to $200 USD offline. I purposely sampled girls from both price ends to find out for myself. I found the more expensive ones were more aggressive at marketing and were just willing to ask those prices. My favorites ended up being the more economical ones, 120 k pesos, that would be way out of my league back home. Try to open with your offer first..

Sounds like you had a great time, awesome, no place better for a Point and click destination (without 24 HR plane ride) was their for first time in a couple yrs, the quality was out of control,(best in the 5-6 times I been) oh and the 24 HR cancellation policy on airline is if book at least a week in advance, Great first report it gives a little insight on what's going on.

[JjBee62]

If you really believe that Harvey's is a fast food place, then the question begs: Have you actually ever sat down and enjoyed lunch there?

I'm completely out of my depth here, but I have a few thoughts on "fast food" in Colombia.

Unless you're getting the food from a street vendor, you won't get any food fast. It takes about the same amount of time to get a burger from Presto or El Corral as it takes at Burgers, Barbacoa and Beer. It's fast food quality at quality food speed.

Generally speaking, in the US, I consider any mall food court business to be fast food, both in quality and speed of service. It's always served on disposable plates with plastic utensils on a reusable tray of questionable cleanliness. However, in Colombia, many mall food court restaurants serve on real plates with metal silverware and your drink in glass. The quality tends to be much higher with better presentation and excellent prices.

[Trilon]

If you're on the fence, pull the trigger. I'm glad I did before visiting a friend in Peru. My Spanish is basic level one, not conversational. I did a lot of pointing and used simple words. If someone wants your money, they will work with you. With smartphones, translator apps, and forums like this, you don't have an excuse. Book your flight and see how you feel afterwards because you have 24 hours to refund it.

Read the last 80-100 pages of the forum, at least. Learn to count to 300 without assistance. Just add "mil pesos" to everything. Message the Airbnb owner if bringing girls are okay. I had a private / direct entrance, so that helps stop a possible building policy from getting in the way. However, without a layer of security checking IDs, you assume the risk of no help if something goes wrong. I didn't have any problems after several girls, maybe I was just lucky.

You're going to get quoted prices from 60 k pesos online to $200 USD offline. I purposely sampled girls from both price ends to find out for myself. I found the more expensive ones were more aggressive at marketing and were just willing to ask those prices. My favorites ended up being the more economical ones, 120 k pesos, that would be way out of my league back home. Try to open with your offer first.

The clock tower is great because you can feel out someone's personality. My first night I paid 200 k for 2 hours. She was Venezuelan and spoke a little English. I didn't pursue TLN on my first trip since I was a rookie and didn't want to sleep with one eye open.

The girls are not just at the clock tower. After dark, they start showing up in the side streets and they become easy to spot. Anytime you see a girl that catches your eye, at least get her WhatsApp because you're appetite will return. I made the mistake of not approaching lookers during my down time.

Tinder: Found my two favs here. I didn't use my real photo.

Photoprepagos: Used this the most.

Mileroticos: Sourced a few.

Facebook: Didn't use / try.

After arriving, I stocked up the fridge with beer, juice, water, and desserts to share. I never saw any violence or felt unsafe walking at night. If you look for trouble or don't look like you're in control, trouble will probably find you as with any city.

Thanks to all the posters for sharing a wealth of information to study.

[Black Page]

If you really believe that Harvey's is a fast food place, then the question begs: Have you actually ever sat down and enjoyed lunch there?

Hit and killed (me). No, I never sat down and ate there, and therefore you are justified to knock at my door and call me "unreliable commenter". Touche'.

However, I have walked in front of it several times (Av. S. Martin, right?) and honestly the visual impression it gives is that it is just one of the many tourist places where to have lunch, at best. This does not mean it is a tourist trap, or it is necessarily a place where bad food is served, and ok when I named it "fast food" I was exaggerated or unfair, but NO WAY I could think it is one of the best restaurants in Cartagena. Am I wrong? Did I miss the top restaurant of Cartagena because negatively biased by its look? Ok, my fault, sorry.

Now you made me curious, and of course I feel hit by your comment, so I rushed to check Tripadvisor. I don't trust Tripadvisor in general, but it may help to get some idea.
In this case, Tripadvisor ranks Harvey "#243 of 831 Restaurants in Cartagena" with score 4.0. By chance, the first 2 comments I read are "Local place for a quick meal", "Average at best".
As a comparison, Tripadvisor ranks Carbon de Palo 4.5 and "#59 of 831 Restaurants in Cartagena" and Cuzco 4.5 "#33 of 831 Restaurants in Cartagena".
Now guess what? Tripadvisor ranks Restaurant #1 in Cartagena a place called LA TAPERIA (:eek:), so my conclusion is: forget TripAdvisor! :(

Now let me reverse it back on you. Did you ever have dinner at Cuzco and Santisimo? Where would you take your most significant one for a romantic dinner? Is the ambient at Harvey's elegant as at Cuzco? Are dishes so good? Tell me I am too negatively biased by my visual impression, but I will keep on considering Cuzco two categories higher and preferring it for my dinners.

[Hilltopper]

Previously you wrote "A restaurant called HARVEYS has the best seafood I have ever had". If you really believe that this fast-food place in Bocagrande is equivalent to Cuzco and Santisimo, and that all hundreds of places are equivalent, then, yes, you should not spend time on making recommendations.

If you really believe that Harvey's is a fast food place, then the question begs: Have you actually ever sat down and enjoyed lunch there?

[Black Page]

Once again Blackpage thanks for your recommendations, and yes if we meet in CTG you can buy me a beer.

Actually what I proposed was the opposite way round LOL
"Try Cuzco and Santisimo. You'll want to offer me a beer to thank me. "
but it's ok. I appreciate you appreciate my recommendations anyway. Let's toast with our own beers!

[Hotrod10]

I appreciate you taking the time to recommend good restaurants in CTG. My problem is I live to travel and I travel out of the country 5, some times 6, and occasionally 7 times a year. I am not a high roller. I always travel on a budget. My budget for lodging is $50.00 a night and that's possible in most cities for an apartment with AIRBNB. It seems to me that anything you buy in the walled city is much more expensive than in Bocagrande were I stayed on my last trip. When I read your restaurant recommendations knowing they were in the walled city I didn't pay any attention to them. I travel solo and eating alone especially at a expensive restaurant just doesn't work for me. Again thanks for your recommendation but this doesn't work for me. Ley me mention, once you posted that you didn't think that I had much experience out of the mid west well as I just mentioned I live to travel I have visited every western European country and all except 2 eastern European countries. I have been all over Asia. The first time I used ISG was a trip I made to Czechoslovakia. Yea this was just after they run the Ruskies out. They were still dancing in the streets. Using ISG info I ended up with the most beautiful Slovakian girl It wasn't long before the country split. I have been back 3 times to the check republic. OK so I've bragged enough about myself. Once again Blackpage thanks for your recommendations, and yes if we meet in CTG you can buy me a beer.

[Black Page]

I had seafood every night all at different restaurants all of my meals were great, could I recommend any particular restaurant? CTG is the best seafood city I have ever visited it has hundreds of good seafood restaurants, why spend time looking for any particular address.

Because they are not all the same, as in any town. Did you try Cuzco and Santisimo, at least?

Previously you wrote "A restaurant called HARVEYS has the best seafood I have ever had". If you really believe that this fast-food place in Bocagrande is equivalent to Cuzco and Santisimo, and that all hundreds of places are equivalent, then, yes, you should not spend time on making recommendations.

I not, I still have the little hope you feel grateful to me for having told you to try those places at least once.

[JjBee62]

Going to CTG next year. One of the guys going swears that he can get an airbnb in a high rise in Bocogrande where the airbnb owner will allow us to bring anyone we want in. Could he be right? I'm telling him it won't be possible. That we need to get an apartment.

If you're asking here, why are you telling him it won't be possible? It's clear that you don't know whether or not it's possible. Also, I'm fairly certain the Airbnb places in Bocagrande high-rises are also apartments.

You may both be right. If the guy has experience in Cartagena, he may have a contact with someone who has an Airbnb who will allow him to bring whoever he wants in. However, the building security will have rules. They won't let in girls without an ID. The owner might have different rules when more than one person is in the apartment.

Also, an owner who has no problem with bringing in guests, might say no if you ask to bring back "anyone you want.

Finally, is it worth ruining your entire trip just so you can say "I told you so?" So what if someone here tells you which answer he thinks is right? You need to be having this conversation with the people who own the apartments you're interested in.

[Hotrod10]

The only thing I can add to my post for clarification is that I only shop for chicas at the clock tower. I'm not interested in clubs. Posting a report on CTG is different than any city I have visited. I was there for 5 days and had sex with 5 different girls. All were great and all did BBBJ. That is one of the questions I asked before I choose. If I reported that Carla did BBBJ and RIM JOB, of the 100 chicas at the clock tower plaza how could you find her. I had seafood every night all at different restaurants all of my meals were great, could I recommend any particular restaurant? CTG is the best seafood city I have ever visited it has hundreds of good seafood restaurants, why spend time looking for any particular address. I'm not trying to be a smart ass but if a person were to read the last 100 pages of posts (like I have) valuable info to me is things like chica friendly hotels / condos, best cambio rates, why it is important to ask if a chica is Colombia or a venny. If a venny do they have a passport. If I tell you I had sex with 5 girls and 3 were hot and 2 were not, well I hope you get my point. I have always and will always post things I think are valuable to the members. CTG is different.

[Luminous]

Does anyone have information on guest policy at IBIS hotel in Cartagena? My friends are recommending it but I want to make sure they don't create problems with visitors?

Thanks!

[Mojo Bandit]

Going to CTG next year. One of the guys going swears that he can get an airbnb in a high rise in Bocogrande where the airbnb owner will allow us to bring anyone we want in. Could he be right? I'm telling him it won't be possible. That we need to get an apartment.

You need to get the information from the guy and investigate this yourself. You say "one of the guys" which leads me to believe there are at least three of you. THat means that when you get three chicas there will be six of you, that is called a "party" and even if the building allows visitors that doesn't mean they are not going to frown on parties. Because the building is important not the owner of the apartment, the building is setting the rules so this is what you need to investigate.

[Mojo Bandit]

I just got home from my trip number 2 to CTG. It was great. Good seafood, good sex, weather was hot as hell. So what can I say its CTG. My return trip was long and grueling. I can't find any place that I like that's closer. Also that's as cheap. Any comments?

How about giving some details about your trip? Good seafood: which restaurants? Good Sex: Where did you find the chicas? Were the chicas hot or just doable? How much did you pay? Did she give BBBJ, etc? As for the weather, it never changes in Cartagena except sometimes it rains more.

As far as anything closer, not really. Without knowing what part of the country you live in, it's hard to say why your return trip was grueling. I never have a good trip back because the excitement of going down always makes the trip down worth it. Sometimes though it's about planning your flight far enough in advance to get the best route, etc. Even then though, I live near a regional airport so people close to big hubs like NYC, Chicago, Atlanta, LA, etc will always get a better flight than I will.

You posted before that your first trip was a disaster, how do you compare this trip to that one?

[UnknownTravels]

Going to CTG next year. One of the guys going swears that he can get an airbnb in a high rise in Bocogrande where the airbnb owner will allow us to bring anyone we want in. Could he be right? I'm telling him it won't be possible. That we need to get an apartment.