Colombia Specific Questions

[Menaughty]

Hey y'all!

So I am here once again with my questions after reading about Colombia on this forum. Hope you can help.

1. For medellin I am finding better hotel deals for Laureles than El Poblado. Is Laureles a safe place to stay?

2. I see that uber might not be the best app, what app do you recommend then?

3. From reading about Colombia, it does not seem like a place where you have GP saunas like Barcelona or Brazil. However, some say Sauna Saint Moritz have 'massuers' sometimes, is that true? and is it true for both locations (medellin & bogota)? Also is there any other GP sauna in Colombia?

Thank you 😊

[Riobard]

1. As safe as any. Different vibe compared to Poblado.

2. I only used Über but with no difficulties but limited to the main more distant airport and in-town airport transfers. Otherwise, the efficient Metro, as I have stayed within walking to Poblado or Estadio stations. Or just walked shorter distances as plenty of accessible dining options or more convenient to walk among major sight zones once off the Metro train, example Parque Berrio. Metro to Caribe station for regional bus to Guatapé. 

3. St Moritz either city has working trade consistently. I think they are pretty much it but I am likely less ambitious than most in terms of unearthing the full range of options. I wrote up a little about Spa Sexto Sentido in Bogotá; it has some hire options but location off the beaten path. Lengthy but inexpensive Über ride to and from. 

[Marc in Calif]

20 minutes ago, Riobard said:

I only used Über....

This American company does not use an umlaut in its name. But perhaps you found a different car service in Colombia? 🤣

Pedantry at its best!

[floridarob]

I'm in Medellin at the moment...

1. I've always stayed in the Poblado general area only went to Laureles once for a short time motel....seemed ok, but I'll stick to Poblado. The airbnb I'm in comes out to less than 60usd a day after all fees.

2. There is Didi and Indriver but everyone has told me to stick with Uber as it is the safest here....I'll take their word for it even though I use the other platforms in Mexico without incident, don't want to learn the hard way that they might be right.

3. I did St. Moritz in Bog....the selection was limited and with the choices in Mileroticos, Skoka, Grindr.....I haven't felt the urge to go searching in saunas or elsewhere...No GP sauna like in Brasil.

[neyger]

1. I personally prefer to stay in Laureles. It's less touristy (although only a bit less nowadays) and the prices tend to be lower than in Poblado.  It's considered safe, with the usual precautions (like not walking alone at night or flashing your latest iphone). 

2. Like floridabob already said, uber is the safest option, but I used didi, easytaxi and indriver in the past with only the occasional, minor problem. 

3. No GP sauna afaik, but you can subscribe to @EventosGayMed on twitter X to get the latest updates on finca parties, popper sales, gay massages, .. 

[Latbear4blk]

I prefer Laureles. Although it is more and more gentrified, it still has a strong local vibe. It is safe. 

Poblado is a field trip to the wealthiest and less interesting (to me) part of the city. It is a must if you want to explore the bars, but I did it once and it is enough. Mileróticos and Grindr do not leave time for much outdoors exploration. In my last trip I went to Poblado only twice, one to visit the Museo de Arte Moderno and other to walk around looking for a nice restaurant. 

[floridarob]

8 hours ago, Latbear4blk said:

and other to walk around looking for a nice restaurant. 

So many good restaurant options in Poblado....granted, tourists prices....but I've had some amazing pizza, tacos and chicken parm than anywhere else I've been

[Latbear4blk]

4 hours ago, floridarob said:

So many good restaurant options in Poblado....granted, tourists prices....but I've had some amazing pizza, tacos and chicken parm than anywhere else I've been

Indeed! There are also great options in Laureles. And in my experience, in Colombia you will always pay tourists price for good food. I am not very fond of the local cuisine, although I embrace it as part of the experience.

[EricV]

On a recent trip, I ended up using Cabify the most: it has the option to select Taxi ASAP - it was a lot quicker to arrive than Uber or regular cabify (think 5min instead of 15), for like 1-2k more... Granted, some of the taxis were in pretty bad shape, but I got there quickly and alive... most of the drivers were nice, no issues...

While Uber has found a legal loophole, some drivers are still hesitant at the airport, prefer for you to sit up front & want you to know their name in case the police stops them... Much easier, if you speak some Spanish...no such issues with the taxis on cabify...

[xpaulo]

I've used Uber without any problems. My last visit, an Uber driver offered to take me to Guatapé which I accepted. We had a great day, he was great and we did two sightseeing days in Medellin after that. There is also a taxi option on the Uber app.

I like Laureles better, but I think it is a matter of personal preferences.

I went to St Moritz in January three times, there weren't many customers and the same two or three tops each time. The bartender at the time was one of the tops. I had a great time with him.

[Menaughty]

Thank you so much for the info y'all.

 

I got one dumb question.

I notice that they write Colombian pesos using .  (period} for example I was watching  a video where a place that sold arepa listed Arepa $4.500

So I am assuming that period is more like a comma right? so the price is $4500 colombian pesos right? 

[Latbear4blk]

2 hours ago, Menaughty said:

Thank you so much for the info y'all.

 

I got one dumb question.

I notice that they write Colombian pesos using .  (period} for example I was watching  a video where a place that sold arepa listed Arepa $4.500

So I am assuming that period is more like a comma right? so the price is $4500 colombian pesos right? 

That is how you write numbers in all the Spanish speaking countries I have been to. We use the comma for decimals, as you do in the US with a dot. 

Yes, 4.500 is 4,500. 

[macaroni21]

Basically, in all European countries, the comma and period ("fullstop" in English) are reversed. "6,75" means  six and three quarters. And as you noted, 4.500 means four thousand five hundred.

It gets even more interesting when you hit South Asia. 2,61,93,000 means two crore, sixty one lakh and ninety three thousand. And in China, you will often see Chinese numerals, not the kind of numerals we're used to.

[johnnyboi23]

Also, many times in Colombia they will often leave off the "mil" when telling you prices. So instead of 4 mil pesos they will just say 4. Don't be like me, make sure you know how much things are worth before you buy them! 🤣

[frazzle]

I found Uber to be pretty good but expect delays sometimes at night. I pissed off a friend traveling with me because I'd go hookup with a guy and wait 20-30 minutes for an Uber to pick me up. The other option is Didi but it was a worse experience for me. 

[speedoo1]

On 5/20/2024 at 6:37 AM, johnnyboi23 said:

Also, many times in Colombia they will often leave off the "mil" when telling you prices. So instead of 4 mil pesos they will just say 4. Don't be like me, make sure you know how much things are worth before you buy them! 🤣

Indeed, if a guy offers you sex for 100 or 150 it is 100/150 mil pesos, i.e 100,000/ 150,000 COP.