Trip to Colombia Suggestions

[Anthonyvan]

I finally booked my trip to Colombia, and will depart on the 4th of November and return on the 15th. After reading virtually all the posts about Colombia, still curious about a few things:

1. Are 7 days enough to get a taste of Bogota? I plan to stay in Bogota from the 4th to the 11th, and will be in Medellin for the remainder of trip. Is that a good time split?

2. I am debating if I should stay at the hotel or airbnb in Chapinero. Any suggestions?

3. Besides the Gold Museum, Mount Monserrate, Museum Nacional, and Theatron (lol) any other must-go-to places?

4. I have seen different opinions about having guests over. Some recommend love hotels, and some say you can bring guests over after vetting them in public and getting a sense of who they are. What is the best approach?

Thanks guys!

[Riobard]

7 days more than adequate for Bogotá. You may have seen my sight suggestions.

I could not have guests in my Airbnb (it was clearly restricted), but Las Palmas love motel started at about $6USD for a surprisingly really decent room and bath for a date. There were pleasant staff around and it is for young couples without privacy at home as well as for escort trade. Classy place, though, and very welcoming of my agenda. I think they are equipped to be vigilant about the dynamics that might occur, in contrast to a regular hotel. And I am pretty sure the escort has to be let out of the premises formally on departure. Buzzed through both directions. 

Technically, Airbnb type homes must have a federal tourist license. I doubt mine did. I think hosts in compliance list the registration in the ad. I did not inquire. I spent 100USD for a gorgeous penthouse, likely cheaper than a decent hotel there. Certainly quieter. It was just rented out permanently; maybe the host got flack from the authorities. 

I do not stay in hotels. I would likely rent a room in a family home first. It is a matter of personal choice. I am a light sleeper and guests and cleaners slamming doors at all hours of day and night keeps me awake. But there are also some boutique or conventional hotel room options on Airbnb ... the distinction is becoming less clear with the cross-pollination. 

Maybe you intend to host non-escorts. In any event, there is no "better method" for hosting. Nobody but you can answer that question for you.

 

Edited October 21, 2019 by Riobard

[Anthonyvan]

12 minutes ago, Riobard said:

7 days more than adequate for Bogotá. You may have seen my sight suggestions.

I could not have guests in my Airbnb (it was clearly restricted), but Las Palmas love motel started at about $6USD for a surprisingly really decent room and bath for a date. There were pleasant staff around and it is for young couples without privacy at home as well as for escort trade. Classy place, though, and very welcoming of my agenda. I think they are equipped to be vigilant about the dynamics that might occur, in contrast to a regular hotel. And I am pretty sure the escort has to be let out of the premises formally on departure. Buzzed through both directions. 

Technically, Airbnb type homes must have a federal tourist license. I doubt mine did. I think hosts in compliance list the registration in the ad. I did not inquire. I spent 100USD for a gorgeous penthouse, likely cheaper than a decent hotel there. Certainly quieter. It was just rented out permanently; maybe the host got flack from the authorities. 

I do not stay in hotels. I would likely rent a room in a family home first. It is a matter of personal choice. I am a light sleeper and slamming doors at all hours of day and night keeps me awake. But there are also some boutique or conventional hotel room options on Airbnb ... the distinction is becoming less clear with the cross-pollination. 

Thanks man. I follow your posts almost to a tee.

100 USD/day? That must be a gorgeous place. Did you also stay in Chapinero?

How was Theatron? Did it live up to its hype? I was debating if I should also visit Cartagena. Do you think I will have enough to enjoy all 3 cities?

[Riobard]

Yes Chapinero, low C60s east of one of the main n/s drags, K7. Liked it. The PH price a steal for what it was. 
Theatron rather intense for me, an older guy in bed by midnight. I am more into the arts apart from getting laid.

Personally I think adding Cartagena in that time frame would be rushed. But I do not work so I can pace. 

As you are in Canada(?) flights from TO are cheap and direct. AC adding direct from MTL to BOG year-round starting June. Air Transat to San Andres weekly in winter is also an option, from where one can hop to the mainland on domestic flights.

Edited October 21, 2019 by Riobard

[Anthonyvan]

2 hours ago, Riobard said:

Yes Chapinero, low C60s east of one of the main n/s drags, K7. Liked it. The PH price a steal for what it was. 
Theatron rather intense for me, an older guy in bed by midnight. I am more into the arts apart from getting laid.

Personally I think adding Cartagena in that time frame would be rushed. But I do not work so I can pace. 

As you are in Canada(?) flights from TO are cheap and direct. AC adding direct from MTL to BOG year-round starting June. Air Transat to San Andres weekly in winter is also an option, from where one can hop to the mainland on domestic flights.

Thanks a lot.

Intense in a good way or bad way? Just not quite sure what to expect there. But it seems that as a gringo, it's not too difficult to get laid?

Yes, I will be flying from Toronto. I didn't realize until I booked it. I will probably just visit Bogota and Medellin this time. Costal Colombia does not interest me as much as I can probably get that elsewhere. 

Any cautionary tips?

[Riobard]

By intense I mean young mixed high-energy crowd and ear-splitting subwoofer volume, fine when I was that age. Similarly, at Gigolo Erotic House, a small space with volume nearly at eardrum hemorrhage level. And you will not interact with gogos at Theatron unless a local guides you or you are extroverted and fluent in Spanish. It is not easy-peasy. 

Mileroticos ads are hit and miss, many fakes and scams, and I def suggest you require a three-finger selfie as well as meet in public. A good steak lunch around Lourdes will run about $15CDN apiece. The one date from there was great, unrushed about 2 hours about 175,000 (70 CDN) including ‘voluntary’ tip. 

You will likely get free Grindr offers. 

Cautionary tips? The usual, I am not going to repeat them. 

If you are not adept I suggest networking for your trade at Saint Moritz and the providers may also hook you up with friends. They get $60,000 for erotic massage ($25CDN!) in a shitty space because the house gets the other half. So they may have contacts to your liking if you butter them up with generous tips. Not that I tried that method.

The guy I hired there was a sweet hot muscular top who did everything a top does. My sense is that they may score once per shift if lucky, and are mostly killing time, as it doubles as a regular sauna with clients on the prowl for free hook-ups in the disgusting cabins. 

I would not say being a foreigner is an advantage for hooking up locally, unless it is a hire, or a non/hire that is closeted and prefers non-locals to maintain image. 

I had a gono scare back home that turned out to be a pharyngeal virus that did not morph into a sinus cold. I had let my guard down (receptive oral). However, rates of STI among trade likely call for condomented oral. Researching drug-resistant gonorrhoea info yields conflicting data. It may not be as super-duper as feared, but I def do not want exposure. I had also worried that I may have been exposed and transmitted it to the bar staff guy I convinced to take pay-for-gay. There are some data suggesting that Listerine kills gono among folks who are infected, so that leads me to believe a thorough gargle is good practice following oral, as it may prevent the pathogen from taking hold.

[pauleiro]

I guess you have read the topic started by Tartegogo called Columbia : full list of hot spots. There are many valuable and updated information there.

 

[Krispann]

I’m also planning a trip to Colombia this Dec but not decided yet where to visit..

[Anthonyvan]

On 10/21/2019 at 8:24 AM, Riobard said:

By intense I mean young mixed high-energy crowd and ear-splitting subwoofer volume, fine when I was that age. Similarly, at Gigolo Erotic House, a small space with volume nearly at eardrum hemorrhage level. And you will not interact with gogos at Theatron unless a local guides you or you are extroverted and fluent in Spanish. It is not easy-peasy. 

Mileroticos ads are hit and miss, many fakes and scams, and I def suggest you require a three-finger selfie as well as meet in public. A good steak lunch around Lourdes will run about $15CDN apiece. The one date from there was great, unrushed about 2 hours about 175,000 (70 CDN) including ‘voluntary’ tip. 

You will likely get free Grindr offers. 

Cautionary tips? The usual, I am not going to repeat them. 

If you are not adept I suggest networking for your trade at Saint Moritz and the providers may also hook you up with friends. They get $60,000 for erotic massage ($25CDN!) in a shitty space because the house gets the other half. So they may have contacts to your liking if you butter them up with generous tips. Not that I tried that method.

The guy I hired there was a sweet hot muscular top who did everything a top does. My sense is that they may score once per shift if lucky, and are mostly killing time, as it doubles as a regular sauna with clients on the prowl for free hook-ups in the disgusting cabins. 

I would not say being a foreigner is an advantage for hooking up locally, unless it is a hire, or a non/hire that is closeted and prefers non-locals to maintain image. 

I had a gono scare back home that turned out to be a pharyngeal virus that did not morph into a sinus cold. I had let my guard down (receptive oral). However, rates of STI among trade likely call for condomented oral. Researching drug-resistant gonorrhoea info yields conflicting data. It may not be as super-duper as feared, but I def do not want exposure. I had also worried that I may have been exposed and transmitted it to the bar staff guy I convinced to take pay-for-gay. There are some data suggesting that Listerine kills gono among folks who are infected, so that leads me to believe a thorough gargle is good practice following oral, as it may prevent the pathogen from taking hold.

Thanks man. Can't wait for the trip. 

[Pinkeey22]

If you only have 11 days,  I would stay a week in Medellin and 4 days in Bogota.  I went this past spring for the first time and did not enjoy Bogota at all, but loved Medellin.  Bogota was big, cold, and it was difficult to meet people. Theatron was fun, but it it a mix crowd and the music is terribly loud making it almost impossible to meet guys if you don't speak spanish. Most people there weren't looking to hook up with a foreigner either. they were busy having fun with friends.  Gigilos, Riobard said, was also very loud. I had to shout the little spanish that I know in waiter's ear and couldn't hear is response ever. They also tried to take advantage of me many times by not bring the right change, charging me more than they should have and so on. I waited for 2.5 hours and still didn't see anyone naked. The two booths with a curtain are so dark I wouldn't enjoy taking someone in there. I was really disappointed. I didn't go to the baths. I stayed in Chapinero and while it was interesting, was kind of disappointed with it overall. The several gay bars that are by parque de los hippies are very small and were either empty or jam packed. I did meet up with a couple of guys there that I met online and one through Grindr.

Medellin, on the other hand, was fantastic. I really enjoyed it. I wasn't impressed by the gay bars. they were also small, too loud, or jammed packed, but the weather, scenery, things to do, and guys I met were awesome. It takes a little work to meet guys, but you can easily through grindr or miloerotico.

I stayed in 2 airbnbs. Both had security personnel at the apartment entrance but I had no problem bringing guys back. If you there's nothing in the airbnb listing about not being able to have visitors, they can't stop you. You rented the place. They can't make up stuff after the fact. There are a few listing in Medellin that say no say no prostitution in their listing, but I avoided those. There are plenty of others.   

Again,  you'll enjoy Medellin much more than Bogota in my opinion. 

I'm Canadian as well

 

Good luck

 

[Riobard]

I think that forecasting a shitty trip, a week out, is not a great idea and I hope that the OP does not feel compelled to go back to the drawing board unless it is possible and convenient.

I had essentially 6 full days in Bogotá. I would definitely return. I do understand that Medellín has some appealing features. Much has to do with the "luck" of scores. A guy in Chapinero pushed all the right buttons to the level of (my) obsession). But yes, Bogotá is chilly weather-wise. I followed the temperature months ahead and packed accordingly. I had a gas firepit on the terrace and was happy as a clam sitting out there with coffee. 

However, I walk for hours and prefer cooler weather to keep up energy and stamina. 

I think that I always had enough small bills to pay for drinks without depending on accurate change returned. Otherwise, I cannot comment on getting rooked. Yeah, the private dance space is one square meter and after one sample I determined was a lost cause. 

I forgot to mention that ATM withdrawal was exactly at formal exchange points, 0 markup compared to 15% markup at Calforex outlets in Canada. I used BBVA or some other local bank I cannot remember on Carrera 13 just north of Calle 63 (across from the open space Plaza Lourdes), but then discovered a Scotiabank right next door that allowed far greater withdrawal limit.

[Riobard]

Instagram accounts for Gigolo Erotic House and Saint Moritz Baños are removed again. I wonder if they break content restrictions. Or is it flailing, who knows?

But what I really want to add is that I believe there is a cover entrance charge for GEH (open only Fri/Sat) at a certain hour. However, admission to Saint Moritz will grant free entrance to GEH. There was an overlap 20:00-22:00 and after clearing out of the bathhouse I was able to go upstairs to the strip club. This info was provided by other helpful clients ... don't count on the venue to tip you off. 

If I recall correctly, the baths admission was paid on arrival and then the bar and service tab was paid on departure. 

[Anthonyvan]

On 10/27/2019 at 9:23 PM, Pinkeey22 said:

If you only have 11 days,  I would stay a week in Medellin and 4 days in Bogota.  I went this past spring for the first time and did not enjoy Bogota at all, but loved Medellin.  Bogota was big, cold, and it was difficult to meet people. Theatron was fun, but it it a mix crowd and the music is terribly loud making it almost impossible to meet guys if you don't speak spanish. Most people there weren't looking to hook up with a foreigner either. they were busy having fun with friends.  Gigilos, Riobard said, was also very loud. I had to shout the little spanish that I know in waiter's ear and couldn't hear is response ever. They also tried to take advantage of me many times by not bring the right change, charging me more than they should have and so on. I waited for 2.5 hours and still didn't see anyone naked. The two booths with a curtain are so dark I wouldn't enjoy taking someone in there. I was really disappointed. I didn't go to the baths. I stayed in Chapinero and while it was interesting, was kind of disappointed with it overall. The several gay bars that are by parque de los hippies are very small and were either empty or jam packed. I did meet up with a couple of guys there that I met online and one through Grindr.

Medellin, on the other hand, was fantastic. I really enjoyed it. I wasn't impressed by the gay bars. they were also small, too loud, or jammed packed, but the weather, scenery, things to do, and guys I met were awesome. It takes a little work to meet guys, but you can easily through grindr or miloerotico.

I stayed in 2 airbnbs. Both had security personnel at the apartment entrance but I had no problem bringing guys back. If you there's nothing in the airbnb listing about not being able to have visitors, they can't stop you. You rented the place. They can't make up stuff after the fact. There are a few listing in Medellin that say no say no prostitution in their listing, but I avoided those. There are plenty of others.   

Again,  you'll enjoy Medellin much more than Bogota in my opinion. 

I'm Canadian as well

Good luck

 

Thanks for the feedback, and it's really helpful!

I actually just got the air tickets and haven't booked my accommodation yet which was crazy considering my trip was like 2 days away! The only problem is that I want to go visit Theatron, and with Saturday being the busiest, I will have to stay through Saturday and probably leave a bit time to recover. We Canadians should be used to the cold and wet, no? lol

Any guys you met that were reliable and you could recommend?

[Anthonyvan]

On 10/28/2019 at 8:43 AM, Riobard said:

I think that forecasting a shitty trip, a week out, is not a great idea and I hope that the OP does not feel compelled to go back to the drawing board unless it is possible and convenient.

I had essentially 6 full days in Bogotá. I would definitely return. I do understand that Medellín has some appealing features. Much has to do with the "luck" of scores. A guy in Chapinero pushed all the right buttons to the level of (my) obsession). But yes, Bogotá is chilly weather-wise. I followed the temperature months ahead and packed accordingly. I had a gas firepit on the terrace and was happy as a clam sitting out there with coffee. 

However, I walk for hours and prefer cooler weather to keep up energy and stamina. 

I think that I always had enough small bills to pay for drinks without depending on accurate change returned. Otherwise, I cannot comment on getting rooked. Yeah, the private dance space is one square meter and after one sample I determined was a lost cause. 

I forgot to mention that ATM withdrawal was exactly at formal exchange points, 0 markup compared to 15% markup at Calforex outlets in Canada. I used BBVA or some other local bank I cannot remember on Carrera 13 just north of Calle 63 (across from the open space Plaza Lourdes), but then discovered a Scotiabank right next door that allowed far greater withdrawal limit.

I still haven't booked any accommodation yet (the trip got rescheduled to the 6th). As long as I have a place to crash and return to Bogota intact on Nov 15, I am good. I am really debating between these two cities. Damn, why is traveling so hard? haha

[trzinko]

i would say bogota is more like 4 day destination.  i would add mercado de paloquemao on your list. they sell various mostly tropical fruits and vegetables. it is a good idea to take your last night friend with you and taste different fruits.

mercado de usaguen is nice on sundays. arrive after 11.00 in the morning and stroll around.

out of town trip to zipagueira is nice. underground cave and church. nice. organized trips are over 50 bucks. if you take a local friend you can get there by bus for very little money.

if you hire a boy it makes sense that he helps you find attractions during the day, and is hot during the night. 24 hour company will be easy to find for 300.000 pesos. someone might start at 200 $, but when you say i give 300.00 they will accept. boys are facing hard competition.

for the rest of trip, i would suggets cartagena or santa marta. medelin has interesting boys, but touristic is not interesting. if you are not admirer of pablo escobar, however.

 

have a nice trip, and write. i am following in january....