As always, do not go to a foreign country expecting to have the same services and experiences that you have back home. I Love Cartagena, there are many pros, it's one of my favorite cities and everyone should visit it and enjoy it.
As full time travellers for the last four years, the part that we enjoy the most is that things are not the same as back home! Unfortunately, as beautiful as Cartagena is, we wouldn't go back unless things change quite a bit. That's great to hear that you enjoy it, but we had to be honest with our viewers. Thanks for watching :)
Oh wait…they forgot about the hookers harassing in the streets…come on guys…let’s be honest I am a traveller from Brazil and I had my worst experience there…yes the decorum is really charming but I agree with all they said…and more, they didn’t speak about the prostitution there…I also was REALLY disappointed with Cartagena but if you liked it ok, come in Salvador Brazil, you will the positive without the negative
Okay, so Recently this year, In March, I travelled to Cartagena, Colombia from my Country, Jamaica for the first time. Here's how I rate my experience on the scale of 1 - 10 with 10 being excellent. 1. Food and service from the restaurants: 9.5 (Majority of the restaurants that I've visited had excellent customer service, and the food were delicious, I can't complain because I found no faults. 2. Food from the supermarkets, and grocery stores: 6.5 (If you are planning on buying raw meats, vegetables, and occasionally fruits in the grocery stores or some supermarkets, don't bother, because they're probably spoiled. I realize fruits and veg, and especially meats weren't very sustainable and they spoiled easily, probably because of poor storage, an excess in quantity, and probably the heat) You are way safer just going to a restaurant where everything is fresh. If you want fruits, it's best to buy them from the vendors on the road because they are way fresher) 3. Clubs & Bars: 9 (I had a wonderful experience in the club and bars, no faults there) 4. Accomodation 9.5 (Spaces for accommodation was clean, super safe as persons would have to provide ID upon visiting a hotel or airbnb. If you had a visitor they had to provide ID at the lobby so everything was very secure. The property I stayed at even had electric fence, and yes there was Cameras) Pricing was not bad, it was fairly cheep. I know in some areas it can be expensive but for where I stayed, it was okay. 5. Street vendors 8.5 (I personally don't mind persons trying to sell me something, I come from an Island where that is pretty custom, people live a rough life and are trying to make a living, hence why when I was there, I supported the locals. I saw one lady even in the supermarket begging the cashier for food, and I bought her groceries, people are struggling so any support I can give, I don't mind. Plus once you tell them no you're not interested, they won't really press you. The people there are really kind and helpful even when you didn't ask for it, and I value and appreciate that) 6. Scams: With regard to Uber, there's definitely a problem with uber payment especially if you chose to use cash instead of just paying from your card. I don't know what the issue is but sometimes I'd pay using cash when I'm given the balance, and after paying, it would give me an additional balance saying I owe, But if I pay with card, I have no issues. Exessive pricing for foreigners, you will encounter in most places you visit, even here in Jamaica, sadly. That's just how it is. 7. Prices: This goes for every country you travel to. USE THEIR LOCAL CURRENCY. In CTG I realize most locals didn't understand the conversion rate of USD to Colombian Pesos, and sometimes prices would seem a bit ridiculous when making purchases. To solve the issue, just convert the USD to Colombian Pesos and make transactions in their currency to avoid confusion, Preferably at a Cambio instead of at the airport, because that way you'll get more for your money when you convert. 8. Infrastructure: 7.5 (Infrastructure in certain places, especially in the Marbella area was not really good, some places in Old Town as well was not very good, but It didn't take away from my experience because I still enjoyed my stay without any issues. I see them constantly working on their infrastructure though with that being said. Hence why the air was so thick lol.) 9. Safety: 10 (Again, I had no safety concerns, there was police present in most places in Old Town, Bocagrande, Marbella area as well. I walked freely with my phone out on my selfie stick and had headphones on both during the day and during the late hours of the night while I was club hopping. On several occasions, I walked back to where I was staying in Porto Novo from Bocagrande, why my phone out on my selfie stick recording and talking photos, wallet full of cash, jewelry on, headphones on, without any worry or fear. I'm Jamaican, this is something I can't even think about doing in the country I live in, and I did all of that freely in Cartagena. I felt more safer in Cartagena than I did in my own country, Jamaica. ) 10. Street Rappers: 9.5 (I had no issue with the street rappers, they approach you rapping and if you're not interested just ignore them and they'll go on to the next person, otherwise enjoy the rap and tip them when they're done) 11. I didn't have any issues entering/exiting the country, and with regard to any visa related issue. 12. The boat ride to one of the islands, was EXCELLENT! The island we visited was lovely, food was excellent, service was lovely. 13. Yes Cartagena was quite loud depending on where in Cartagena you where. If you were in Bocagrande, expect it to be loud, that's like party central lol. Party busses when by ever so often, however, in residential areas, places where there were airbnbs, hotels, hostels etc. There was complete silence, even from the party busses that passed through those areas. Trust me when I say Jamaica is louder. If you were in the Old Town area, near the Mall (La Serrezuela), it would also be a little loud due to cars and vehicles since there's a highway right there, but that was really during the day time, when people hardly come out anyways because it's so hot. People mostly come out during the night, when it's quieter except for the clubs that are in bocagrande and old town. At the end of the day, everyone has their own experiences, and can only speak to what they went through. So that was my take on my first time visiting CTG from Kingston, Jamaica. Would I recommend Cartagena to anyone? Yes Absolutely. I myself, am looking to go back in the near future. I had so much fun, that I wan to go back. Cartagena was definitely my cup of team and I'm going back. I would recommend a visit to anyone, especially to persons who want to visit a country but they don't have a visa. I know this was long, but I had to share too.
Thanks for your thoughtful comment! That's great that you love Cartagena and I'm sure others will read your reply and will consider travelling there. As full time travellers, we realize that we aren't going to love every place we visit and Cartagena wasn't our "cup of tea". Thank you for watching, we really appreciate it :)
@@TakeTimeToTravel Of course. I love that we get to share our experiences, even if the place we visit isn't our cup of tea, the important thing is letting others know what they could potentially expect in the places we visit. I just had to give some feedback on my experience too because not all of us will have a bad experience just as not all of us will have a good one. Well, keep making the great content you guys, and stay safe and have fun where ever you travel!😇😇😇
This review was much more accurate than the video. The complaints they had are for most Latin and Caribbean cities. I found your review much more accurate. You cannot compare an Asian country to a Latin country they are very different culturally.
Sorry guys!!! My city must improve everything you mention... I appreciate the kindness of your comments and the respect with which you mention each negative aspect. Gracias por visitar mi ciudad!!!
as a Mexixan American, I understand that the vendors are trying to make a living but the ones in Cartagena were STUBBORN AND very AGGRESSIVE..Medillin on the other hand was much nicer
Cartagena is such a beautiful city, with so much history! It's too bad that these few things can leave a bad impression. Hopefully things will improve in the future. Thank you for watching, and for your kind words, we really appreciate it :)
I have been to Cartagena many times, and never had any issues. I would think it was manly because we didn't look or act like typical tourist. Yes there was street rappers, and street vendors, but I simply gave a very direct response of NO, and was left alone. I honestly think that the way you carry yourself opens yourself to be taken advantage. But with any place you visit, I believe having some common sense and situational awareness goes a long way. I'm from the east coast in the states, and there are spots I wouldn't even travel through unless I had some protection if you know what I mean. Colombia is a beautiful country and I pray for progress and prosperity for its people.
That's great that you enjoy Cartagena and haven't felt that these issues were a problem. Unfortunately, the vendors and rappers were only one of the issues that made us not want to return. It is such an incredibly beautiful city with such an amazing history, so we also hope for prosperity for the people there, and in all of Colombia. Thank you for watching :)
Prices of imported items are high due to tariffs. Colombia has very low taxation, but derives significant revenue from tariffs on imported goods. Buying local is very reasonable.
We thought that vegetables would have been of better quality and much cheaper. I guess we figured that they would have been grown locally, but maybe not. Thanks for watching :)
I lived there for several years, never really had those problems, only went to certain restaurants and bars. I always wore a hat and sunglasses when I went to the street; that way the nobody will try to sell you one. I never tried to act like a tourist when I was there; they can see you coming from a mile away. I have family in Cartagena and I love it there.
As someone who's spent a lot of time in Cartagena, here are my tips everything you mentioned in the video is true, although it's been getting a lot worse recently. The city is somehow half-dollarised and the rest is pesos and euros, they will charge 300k pesos to 300 euro even though that is not the equivalent. As for the street vendors they ""harass" tourists not only because they need to, but because they have to in order to survive and eat. Most of them live in shady places in the city or out on the streets. The customer service, that you will find is pretty consistent in Colombia but more present along the Caribbean coast, they just talk, and are friendly, and everyone's friends with everyone, the efficacy of the tasks is reduced but once you get used to lower worker speeds, it's fine, plus they don't do it to spite anyone, that's just how people are. 3k and 5k CAD a month is a rip-off. Booking online, especially through Airbnb is so scammy, the way to do it is to just go to the city with no accommodation and walk from hotel to hotel and the price range can be as low as 30USD a night! The honking and loudness, that's the Colombian Caribbean coast! unnecessary loudness. The departure tax must be new, a thing about Colombia is that most changes to migration law, politics, etc. Are not documented online, but instead televised and then not uploaded to a website, so everything becomes hearsay
We usually slow travel and like to spend a few months in one place, so usually hotels are not what we're looking for. We need something with a kitchen to prepare meals, also laundry facilities and prefer at least one bedroom. Thank you for watching and commenting, we really appreciate it :)
@@TakeTimeToTravel While Airbnb helps you avoid rent scams and it is very convenient, for longer stays than a couple of weeks is too expensive. With a little research you can go to a local real estate agent and get a three month rental for 25% less than Airbnb. And for the video I love Colombia and Cartagena, but I agree that might not be ideal for digital nomad and slow travel. I can live with the slow service, noise, etc. but the security is a deal breaker, I don't want to be always cautious of my phone or somebody putting something on my drink. Good channel, keep it up.
We found out about the $85 visa about two weeks before we were scheduled to fly to Colombia. We just happened to check the Government of Canada website for updates, and it had been just implemented. As for the $45, we were never able to find anything about it, although they told us if we didn't pay, we would be denied boarding.
I am also a Canadian Passport holder and visited Medellin, Columbia for 2 weeks and there was no departure tax or fee and I am even not sure if there was a visa fee that I paid or not. Just on arrival free entry.
Yes, Canadians have to pay an entry fee on arrival, but I'm not sure why we had to pay to exit the country. We tried to dispute it, but they said we couldn't board the plane unless we paid. Oh well, lesson learned. Thanks for watching :)
Colombia is a wonderful country with all the photographs, from beaches, deserts, mountains, plains, great variety, Cartagena is the most visited city in Colombia, good video. 6:50.
I was just in Cartagena this past late January-early February. I stayed in Boca Grande & took public transportation. Never hasd a wait at the restaurants in El Centro or on Boca Grande. I waved off the beach vendors...& I went solely for the sun. Was not there during the rainy season, so, I did not encounter the street flooding that I heard was problematic. I wouldn't recommend any longer than a 2 week stay because the sun was intense. There is plenty of poverty in the business districts outside of El Centro...& you need to be aware of your surroundings as in any city. There are a lot of Venezuelan refugees there that exacerbates some of the problems.
The Columbian government and police need to do something about these street vendors. Every single person who visits Cartagena complains about being harassed by these people. At the end of the day it keeps people from choosing to travel to Columbia. Shame on the Columbian government for allowing this to persist!
Yes, hopefully something can be done about it because it does seem to be a very common complaint from those who have visited Colombia. Cartagena is such a beautiful city, but these negatives really impact people's opinions. Thank you for watching, we really appreciate it :)
Im Mexican American and speak perfect Spanish but even being Spanish speaking did not save my family from EVERYTHING you mentioned..I think we spent more money in Colombia than when we've visited Portugal or San Diego..I was very dissapointed in my Cartagena experience, you are very accurate in all the dislikes bc my family and I experienced everything you just mentioned..San Juan Puerto Rico was actually more relaxing and cleaner! Medillin was very nice and much greener..
We didn't enjoy making this negative video about Cartagena, but felt it was better to be honest rather than mislead our viewers! It's such a pretty city, so it's too bad that we left with such a negative impression. We agree with you that Medellin was more enjoyable, and certainly much greener! Thank you for watching, we really appreciate it :)
You will save a lot of money if you ask for a guide (Here is a profession) how to understand one of the best afroamerican cities of the continent, Cartagena is different as a different girlfriend, if you understand her you will be in love
I don’t know what and where they were in the city but i didn’t experience any of this. Idk if because they are Canadian they had to pay, but i am from the US and we paid nothing going in and leaving. I can say that Cartagena is more expensive than other places in Colombia but i just did the have a negative experience that they did and can’t relate. Thanks for the info though
The fee is for Canadians that was introduced about one week before we arrived. It's a reciprocity fee because Colombians are charged a fee to travel to Canada. We've realized that we're not going to love every place that we travel to. It's great to hear that you had an enjoyable time! Thanks for watching :)
I'm a fellow Canadian who lived in Cartagena for several years. They used to have the entry tax and then got rid of it. They recently brought it back, which is unfortunate. It's a deterrent for tourism. I live in Spain now. Also, you have to give a firm "no, gracias" and the vendor and high price problems are worse in touristy neighbourhoods.
Yes, it's unfortunate about the entry tax, and we're not sure why we were also charged a fee on departure. We have visited Spain before, and plan to visit again next year (can't wait). Thanks for watching, and for your comment, we really appreciate it :)
We are here in Cartagena right now and coming back to Canada soon. It is so true what you say about the welcome visa fee, the customer service being distracted , the person at the bar attempting to short change you and the street rappers who ruin your time but it’s the nature of the beast I guess. You gave great security tips. And yes a week is long enough. I would however come back again and if what you want is peace and no noise stay in Bocagrande and not Getsemaní or the old city.
We stayed in Bocagrande for the first month, and found it quite noisy! We were overlooking the beach and the party buses went by at night with the music playing, as well as the hotels nearby had parties and music playing. We love a good party now and then, but every night can get bothersome lol. For the last 2 months, we stayed in Manga, which is more of a residential area, but it was much worse for noise. The Castillogrande area seemed really nice, with very well kept buildings, much less traffic and the beach seemed to be quieter with less vendors. Hope you enjoy the rest of your time there and have a safe trip home! Thanks for watching :)
I know no one wants to talk about this but if you are a white American, you will get a different experience from the street vendors and rappers than a person of color. I went to Cartagena and had a wonderful time. The vendors were aggressive but once we told them no twice, they left us alone. As far as the restaurant service, we had great service. They allowed us to skip the lines and we were often served first.
We wish telling them no, twice would have worked! As Canadians, being rude to people doesn't come easy, but eventually you just have to try and wave them away and ignore them. Thanks for watching :)
Hello! This is my first time in Cartegena, but Ive visited Medellin for almost 3 years now. My best advice to anyone visiting outside of your country- do some research first, good and bad. Learn how the place's culture is and how they 'do' things. Remember, you are NOT in your country and the locals will probably do things differently than you're used to. If you were here 3 months and had an overall bad experience, then I would respectfully say that you must evaluate your expectations and opines. I'm from New Orleans and am used to 'touristy' stuff. This city (Cartegena) reminds me of New Orleans. I must agree with you that its best to probably stay here, maybe a week or two, but I wouldn't stay here long-term like I would Medellín. But I will come back!!!😊😊
We're full time travellers, and usually like to stay in South East Asia during the winter months. We always spend lots of time researching the places we travel to, and Colombia was no exception. The reason we travel is to experience other cultures and foods, and we hoped that we would love Cartagena...but unfortunately it didn't work out that way. That's great that you really enjoy your time there! Sadly, we're not the only ones who feel this way as you can see in our comment section. We hope that things can change for the better there. Thank you for watching and commenting, we really appreciate it :)
Interesting to hear about your overall experience . Also very valuable to share your insights with your viewers . Not all destinations can be fabulous .
I guess you're right! When you are planning your trip, you have high hopes that it will be a paradise, but that doesn't always work out. Oh well, you can't know until you go. Thanks for watching :)
I agree when it comes to the beach and the vendors ! It was extremely annoying , and you are 100 percent correct , not even 2 minutes would pass by before another vendor was at your feet. I could not enjoy the beach at all , all k did was say “ no thank you “, every two minutes !!!!! This is the main reason why I will NEVER go back !!!!!!!
I can agree with certain aspects, like the taxi drivers who sometimes overcharge, and street vendors or street performers who may try to get more money from tourists. However, as an experienced traveler, you probably know that sometimes just saying "no" is enough, and asking for the fare before taking a taxi is essential. The infrastructure issues in Cartagena, especially during the rainy season (May to November), are indeed a serious concern. But these problems aren’t as noticeable during the dry season. Regarding restaurants, the service can be slow at times, but it really depends on the place. If you're in a rush, it's best to go to a comida corriente restaurant where the service is fast, efficient, and affordable. If you're not in a hurry, as they say here, "cojela suave" and take it easy. As for your experience at the grocery store, with the cashier chatting with others while you were paying-well, that's just how things work here. It’s normal for people to engage in small talk, even during transactions. Things move at a different pace, and it's part of the local culture to take life a little more slowly. The key is to adapt, take it easy, and go with the flow. It's also important to note that Cartagena is the most expensive city in Colombia, so it's normal that food prices in grocery stores, as well as costs for Airbnb and hotels, are higher. If you're looking to save money, you could visit the Bazurto Market, a local and very popular place to buy food at extremely cheap prices. However, it’s not the most comfortable or convenient way to shop for everyone. Regarding safety, Cartagena is not more dangerous than other big European cities like Barcelona, Madrid, or Paris, where pickpocketing is common. Just use common sense, be aware of your surroundings, and avoid "dar papaya" (making yourself an easy target), and you’ll be fine. Finally, regarding the visa issue, here’s the official statement from the Colombian authorities: Bogotá, October 31, 2023 Starting November 14, 2023, Canadian travellers entering Colombia will be required to pay a fee. This fee must be paid during the migration control process when entering the country at any of the authorized air, sea, river, or land checkpoints, using a payment terminal. The fee is set at 256,000 Colombian pesos or its equivalent in Canadian dollars, based on the market exchange rate. This is a reciprocal measure, reflecting the costs incurred by Colombians for biometric data processing when traveling to Canada. Exceptions to this rule: This measure, which had been suspended in July 2019, was reinstated under Resolution 2676 of 2023. It includes the following exceptions: Canadian citizens whose destination is the Archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia, and Santa Catalina. Canadians under the age of 14 or over the age of 79. Canadian citizens holding a valid Colombian visa, as well as diplomats, consular staff, and official personnel and their beneficiaries, provided they present the appropriate travel documentation. Crew members of international transportation services, with this condition supported and verified by the General Declaration, the Seaman’s Book, the crew list, or an equivalent document. Failure to comply with this measure will result in the traveler being denied entry to Colombia and returned to the country of origin by the migration authorities. As you can see, this fee is a reciprocal response to the extra charges Colombians have to pay for biometric passports when traveling to Canada.
Yes, unfortunately they introduced this fee about one week before we flew there, so it was a surprise! Also, not sure why we were charged $45 CAD each on departure, but we had no choice but to pay. Thanks for your comment :)
@@TakeTimeToTravel in the past decade, many countries have imposed some sort of visa fee on Canadians. Colombia had dropped it for a couple years, but brought it back in late 2023.
The restaurants take a long time to serve the foods because it’s fresh. But you prefer foods that have being inside a fridge during month or years as they do in many countries.
Waiting for our food to be prepared wasn't a problem at all. It takes a long time for the server to bring a menu to our table, to eventually take our order and to bring the bill after we're done. They seldom ask if everything was ok, or if we would like anything else. This happens even if there is hardly anyone in the restaurant, and we can see the staff talking amongst themselves. That's just bad customer service! Thanks for watching.
Just FYI when googled it states that all foreigners and Colombians must pay a 111 US dollar (or Colombian equivalent) as a airport departure tax when departing from Cartagena 🤷♂️ Also, if you are on a good plan with either ATT or Verizon, you can use your phone and internet at no additional charge anywhere in north, south, and Central America.
We're from Canada so we don't have ATT or Verizon, so we usually just buy a local SIM card in the country we've travelled to. Hard to find a departure tax on their official website. We were charged an airport tax in our ticket price so not sure if that's it, but it seemed we were the only ones in line to pay an extra tax at departure. Cheers from Toronto :)
@@TakeTimeToTravel that’s strange. After I saw your clip I actually just googled “do I need to pay a departure fee from the airport in Colombia” the 111 dollar fee popped right up. I then checked if it was covered in my ticket from jet blue. It’s not. It happens. When I flew in to nicaragua in 2022 I knew there was a 20 dollar fee (only payable in United States dollars cash) on entry. What I didn’t know is that they hit you again on the way out. It is what it is 🤷♂️
Those aren’t just there it’s due to overtourism I was charged double the local price on my trip to Guatemala as solo female traveler and it was like an unspoken rule and they felt it was entitled even when I questioned the price and I speak basic Spanish but not latino
I am so sorry u had these bad experiences. I have been to Cartagena 3 times and had a great time. No issues. Yes, vendors are aggressive but from my experience, say no once and not bothered again. Best beaches you have to take a boat such as Playa Blanca. Also, went to great restaurants. Overall, I loved the vibe and had a great great experience.
Unfortunately, when you say "no" to some of these vendors, they continue to follow you, which is really annoying! We went to the Rosario Islands, which was very beautiful, and we had a great time. That's good to hear that you have enjoyed your time in Cartagena. Thank you for watching.
Biggest tip to have a good time in Cartagena is not to stick out like a sore thumb. If you were there for 3 months, you should have learned the language, met a solid network of locals, and known how to handle every one of those downsides with ease.
I’m just going to say this, as a person who travels to Cartagena on a regular bases! These guys seem a little timid to me! One thing their are absolutely right about is the vendors on the street and beaches! You have to be really, really firm with them and say NO Gracias! Do not say just no, because they will act like they don't understand English. And don't entertain them at all, not even a little bit!!! If you are going to any island. Go to a traveling agency. They have them all over the place. As a matter of fact. if you buy anything from a hat to a bracelet. Go to the mall or local stores. You want be scam. Only deal with them, if you know how to deal with them. Anybody going to Colombia for the first time, I really wouldn't advices it, unless you know how to navigate around. People always want to come to Colombia with me, because I make them feel safe. And not just safe but knowing how to navigate around makes my people feel very much at ease. They have some very nice markets and some of the best restaurant's there! I eat at some of the best 4 & 5 restaurants there! And I never had bad services! Not even when I go in your standard restaurants, no problems waiting for my food. You have to remember this about Colombia. It's consider a 3rd world country almost. They are on the rise. And I don't get mad at the people for trying to survive in their country. I understand. If you are coming to visit Colombia. Just use very good common sense. Because you are going to feel out of place, because it's not your country. But the country has a lot to offer! Just be safe and travel well...
Well, I'm not sure we're very timid lol, as we've been travelling full time around the world for over four years! If you tried some different places to travel to, instead of returning to Cartagena all the time, you might have a different opinion of it. That's great that you enjoy going back there on a regular basis, but we prefer to explore different countries and cultures. We were able to try some great restaurants in Cartagena and found the service quite slow. Oh well, we can't all love the same things ! Thank you for watching, and for your thoughtful comment, we really appreciate it :) If you want to see the things that we enjoyed in Cartagena, check out this video ua-cam.com/video/3xVmf0KMXyE/v-deo.html
Interestingly enough, I enjoyed your videos on Cartagena. With many great suggestions on food and activities. So I took your suggestions. I just returned from Cartagena and had a wonderful time! Enjoying your shared ideas. Yes, some of your negatives are indeed true- hawkers and tourists are inevitable. I found that in countless other places also. Wondering… Why did you go to Cartagena for 3 months? Seems excessive to me! My simple opinion is the city can be in enjoyed in a couple of weeks. Curious. But thank you for the Sofitel, the Mirador- and all the great spots you’ve mentioned. I enjoy your travels and love the straightforward approach.
Guys, sorry to jump in again… but if you did such extensive research- that immigration visa info is everywhere. I was prompted by my airline etc. filled it out online 3 days prior to entrance and departure and paid absolutely nothing. (Maybe I’m misunderstanding, because you were there longer) anyway- enjoy your travels.
We went to Colombia for 3 months to escape the Canadian winter for somewhere hot! Although we love SE Asia, the flights were crazy expensive this past winter, and the flights to Colombia were quite cheap. We prefer to do "slow travel" and spend a few months in one place and be able to explore the city. Unfortunately, Cartagena wasn't a good fit for us, and like we said, would have been fine for a few days or a week at most. We're in Athens, Greece now and loving it! Thanks for watching :)
Canadians have to pay $85 CAD each at immigration, as you enter the country. They put this fee in place after we had booked our flights and Airbnb, so it was a last minute surprise. Also they charged us more as we were leaving, but not sure what that was for, and can't find any info about it. We did fill out the online Checkmig form that the airlines require for entrance and departure, and like you say, that was free. Hope this makes it a little more clear :)
You paid 85 CAD because your Country changed us first this tax . Colombia as a response to your country decided to put the same amount. This tax that Colombian used to payed was removed in covid 19 pandemic but after this Canada policy changed for Colombia .
Cartagena is my favorite city in the world. I have been to 76 countries and I'm moving there permanently before the end of this year. Absolutely the best place I have ever been.
They really are annoying! It seems to be a common complaint from people who have spent some time in Cartagena. Hopefully something will be done about it, but not sure when. Thanks for watching :)
Aggressive vendors are a worldwide problem. I stayed in Acapulco Mexico in Sept 1974 and one could not be on the beaches without the constant hawking by the vendors. To swim you had to use the hotel's pool. I do not recall vendor nuisances in Thailand or South Africa or Bueno Aires -- other travelers may have.
Good video. Youre spot on with all of your points. Cartagena is a beach town that caters to tourists, so ALWAYS expect a "gringo price." You'll be a foreigner so youre expected to have the wealth for whatever they charge. If you befriend some of locals, theyll share the websites that they use for searching for apartments (similar to airbnb) and youll see local prices. If you have a knack for bargaining, and dont walk around with a Polaroid around your neck (i know im dating myself lol) youll have no problem negotiating.
Do you think you'd still have gone had you been aware of the aggressiveness of the street vendors, and other negatives? This video is a must-watch for anyone thinking of vacationing there, as most people want to be left in peace to enjoy their holiday. BTW, that rapper incident sounded downright scary. A friend of mine knows a young lady (quiet, unassuming student) who spent 5 months there while writing her thesis, and she actually had machine guns pointed at her! Nice to see you got home nice and safe:)
Well, if we knew how aggressive the vendors were, we probably would have spent more time in Medellin and just visited Cartagena for a few days! Unfortunately, we did it the other way around lol. We felt fairly safe walking the streets in the touristy areas, but maybe we were just naive. Thank you for watching :)
The high season is a mess in these tourist centric towns. It’s a party atmosphere. The prices are higher and they hit tourists. I have found service to be pretty hit or miss all over South America (especially in Argentina) and I’m still astounded by how long it takes to check out at a supermarket anywhere lol. I have heard several reports about crime and safety issues in Cartagena, and that you need to keep your eyes open and use common sense. I usually go out only with a bit of cash and a Visa card and I usually leave my watch back at my place if I feel there’s an issue. As for phones? Snatching phones and cameras out of unsuspecting tourists (and locals) hands seems to be a national pastime in Colombia. I saw it several times in bogota. They ride by on a moped and snatch at the phone or purse or camera. I always made sure to stand far back from the curb when using my phone. Oddly, I find the opposite to be true in Medellin (go figure) everyone is friendly and helpful and smiling. Of course I’m staying in an upscale area (poblado) but never have I once felt unsafe or concerned. I will occasionally find a “mistake” on a bill. 😎
We also felt much safer in Medellin than in Cartagena. We always take the same precautions that you mention, when we we're out walking and using our phones. Hopefully some day soon things will improve in Cartagena. Thank you for watching :)
@@TakeTimeToTravel informative clip. I appreciate the info. I will be there for a month before heading back to nyc for a month. I’m glad I saw your clip
Cartagena is a HUGE Tourist Trap. If you travelers are seeking a tropical destination with nice vibes, amazing gastronomy, and mindblowing beaches I'd recommend you go to Brazil! It's a country similar to Colombia but a lot safer, friendly with travelers, and much more options for adventures! (With most of them being FREE) What I disliked most about Cartagena is that you must pay for everything! Even if you wanna see a beautiful beach you must take a boat and spend lots of $$ according to your gringo face and Colombians can be really tricky sometimes. Again, I recommend going to Brazil instead cuz after visiting there after Colombia I felt respected as a tourist, I felt in love with the nature (specially not having to pay to be in the nature), had the most exotic food and delicious cocktails and met one of the funniest ppl on earth!
I can relate to that. I loved Colombia but I was expecting way more, Cartagena feels fake, like everything is made for getting $ out of tourists. I had a blast in Brazil and stayed for 6 months only leaving cuz my visa was about to end, I would live there if I could lol
Brazil is definitely high on our list of places that we want to go! Our friend goes every year, and he says it's wonderful. Thanks for the recommendation, and thank you for watching, we really appreciate it :)
After seeing the beautiful attractions on your previous video of Cartagena...it's surprising to hear so many negatives....thanks for your honest comments. I'm sure this will help other visitors to have a less stressful experience there...great job guys!!
Cartagena has some very beautiful places to see! I think it would be fine for a few days, but eventually some of these issues start to take their toll. We're glad that we've been there and seen it, and hope that others will find this video helpful. Thanks for watching :)
Going to a party place like Cartagena and complaining about the noise makes no sense. Colombia is a noisy country. Even in the countryside it’s hard to get peace and quiet.
What you say about street vendors, rappers and smelly waters it’s true, we have to work to solve it, but do not try to make people decide not to come to Cartagena. The restaurants take a long time because the foods are fresh and the real good, there are cities where the food is kept for a long time inside a fridge and, that’s worse but as you receive what you have ordered in 10 minutes, you think that you’re eating something is good when is all the contrary. Not healthy at all!!
We travel full time to many different countries, and often eat in restaurants. We always like our food to be prepared fresh and with fresh ingredients. Unfortunately it's the customer service that's not good! We didn't enjoy making this video, but we would rather be honest to our viewers. We've also made other videos about Cartagena where we show all of the good things about the city. I'm sure you'll want to check them out! Thanks for watching :)
You're right, we definitely do prefer Bangkok! We had fun on Soi 4, but we'll have to try your recommendation of Soi 6. What bar or restaurant do you like best?
I was in Cartagena a month ago from Vancouver very disappointing, absolutely true about street vendors constant harassment especially on the beaches. I found Medellin alot better
We also found Medellin was much better! It really is too bad because Cartagena is such a beautiful city with an amazing history, great food and also nice beaches. Unfortunately it seems to be a common complaint from many travellers about the pushy vendors. Hoping that this can improve in the future and people will be willing to return again and again. Thanks for watching :)
@@TakeTimeToTravel yes, we have to keep in mind better in what respects. For example Medellin doesnt have an old town or old architecture much, something happened to it (not bombing during war, didnt happend in colombia) perhaps the local peopled and businesses took the old buildings down and the local government didnt preserve them. thats unfortunate and in that way cartagena has an advantage. the noise and approaching vendors may be a minus. the temperature in cartagena may also be a minus for many, its too hot all the time. therefore bogota has a great advantage when it comes to climate, lower noise, less approaching vendors and it has plenty of well preserved old architecture like cartagena but some of the old architecture in bogota is very different from cartagena, you will not see that style in cartagena
I just came back from Cartagena and experienced the same with scammers and pushy vendors. The police stopped me for no reason twice on the same night, rubbing me down which was not very enjoyable. I will not be returning there, ever!
It's too bad because Cartagena is really very pretty, has such amazing architecture and a great history! Let's hope they can make some changes for the better. Thank you for watching :)
In our constitution it says that police can ask for your documents for no rason and it’s also part of the culture. It just happens if looks as a Hollywood foreigner, if you look as a Colombian keep distance, what I mean is walk 3 meters far from the shade and it works, they aren’t move from them position, asking for documents is also a deterrent strategy
Cartagena street vendors and beggers are very persistant and aggresive. I just ignore them. they eventually go away. They can sense hostility. I show no hostility. I also don't dress flashy or expesinve. simple jeans and a T-shirt. Cartagena is a fun place but it can also be dangerous. Just remember not to wear expesive jewlery or watches. Keep it simple and stay away from the neighborhoods that you have no busines being there.
We took the same precautions, but it's sad that you have to do this in the first place! There are so many wonderful cities and countries in the world where you can feel so much safer, and where it's easier to travel to. Maybe things will improve in the future and we can reconsider going back. Thank you for watching :)
yeah dude in colombia the waitors dont check on you much... thats everywhere haha in colombia... your in a third world country and sound like a bunch of rich prius driving gays
Haha, your comment gave us a great laugh! We travel full time and often visit developing countries, but have never experienced such poor customer service as in Cartagena. Hopefully things will get better there in the future! Thanks for watching :)
I agree with you in some aspects but i think you have to be congruent with what you want. Just from watching the video i can tell you guys are clearly stable couple, quiet, very organized people. If you wanted quiet, tidy place Cartagena is not the place. Is a party city! Is like going to a meatstore specting vegan food.. come on. I dont think Cartagena is bad. You are just not the right type of tourist for what the city offers.
We are full time travellers, and we have learned that we won't love every place that we visit. It's great to hear that you like it. We wanted to be honest about our time there, for the people who watch our videos. We also made videos on the many positives of Cartagena which I'm sure you'll want to watch! Cheers :)
As usual, there are so many ignorant comments. First of all, there are many places in the world that are mostly or completely horrible. If someone disagrees, then they haven’t been to a place like that, or haven’t traveled a lot. People need to stop thinking that every city in the world has a good balance of pros and cons. Secondly, videos like these help prepare people for what to expect, and to decide wether or not to invest money and time into a city/country. Lastly, just because people take the time to share their experiences and opinions, and many times facts, doesn’t mean that they should stay home or not make these kinds of videos. Learn to take travel reviews objectively and make your own opinions and decisions after processing everything you research in an intelligent manner. Maybe even go visit for yourself and make your own opinion. Most people don’t expect everywhere in the world to be like their home, and it’s ok to have negative opinions and experiences, and to share them to educate and help the public.
Thanks for your thoughtful comment! It is kind of surprising that if people don't agree with your opinion, they turn to personal disparagement. I guess the anonymity of the internet can bring out the worst in people. Thank you for watching, we really appreciate it :)
We haven't visited the States in years. We definitely prefer South East Asian countries over Colombia, but we aren't all looking for the same thing. Thanks for watching.
So sorry to hear that you both experienced so many negatives. Unfortunately, not every place is going to be an idyllic interlude even if you think it will be. Just like sometimes you might have an initial bad opinion about a place and then it turns out to be great. Thanks for sharing your experience ❤
Yes, when we were planning our trip, we really had high hopes that it would be a great place, but sadly it didn't live up to our expectations! It's really too bad because it's such a beautiful city with amazing architecture, nice beaches and wonderful weather. Maybe things will change in the future, for the better. Thanks for watching :)
Uber is apparently not legal in Colombia, but it still works fine there and a lot of people use it. You just have to check your bill after each ride to make sure you're not overcharged. Thanks for watching :)
I had the same experience years ago. The place is beautiful, but these vendors are so annoying. They were following me everywhere, non-stop. It was so intrusive and disturbing that made me fear while walking on the streets there.
WOW😮 Went to Baru Colombia all inclusive resort 11 years ago & we could not get to Wall City because no one spoke english 🥴 I guest it was a blessing in disguise👍🏿
Well, unfortunately everything we said is true and happened to us! You're right there are good and bad things everywhere, and these are the things that we didn't like in Cartagena. If you'd like to see the good things we liked about Cartagena then you'll want to watch this video ua-cam.com/video/wuzJGVYKVjs/v-deo.html Thanks for watching!
People have asked us if we liked Cartagena, and if we would go back, so we had to be honest. It's nice to hear that you like going there, but we travel full time and there are many other places in the world on our list to visit. Cheers!
My husband and I felt the same way about Cartagena, We loved the food and buildings but would not go back due to the aggressive vendors. We could not walk one block with out being asked if we wanted drugs or prostitutes.
Love your videos… But: this is a 3rd World country with a boat load of poverty - and I imagine you’re a millionaire from Canada… no one owes you cheap food, drink and lodging… Love your channel - enjoy the reality check. ❤❤❤
Cartagena is such a beautiful city, it's too bad that it seems to leave such a negative impression with so many people. Hopefully they will get some of these problems fixed. Thanks for watching :)
We've been to many third world countries with a lot of poverty, but have never encountered anything like this! You're right that no one owes us anything and we certainly didn't say that, we just said that we were surprised at the prices. You gave us the laugh of the day about the millionaire thing lol. Thanks for watching :)
@@TakeTimeToTravel Sorry... I meant Billionaire... 😍😍😍 Any of us - all of us that live in Vancouver are already millionaires! See you in Victoria for dinner soon!
A lot of sensitive ninnies in the comments. No one is knocking Cartagena itself. It's a beautiful city and is clear why some parts are UNESCO heritage sites. But like any overrun touristy place, it's such an annoying experience that it's one of my least favorite places in Colombia. Locals can't even afford to live anywhere central, and the only interaction between tourist and local will be people trying to rip you off and annoy you every 10 meters. I'd take rainy Bogota over Cartegena any day; at least it feels like a normal Colombian city
We are in Cartagena now and will never return. Reasons the weather is intolerable temperature with humidex is constantly over 40c and there is no relief at night. The heat makes any activity intolerable. Most restaurants and stores do not advertise their prices because there is one price for locals, another for latin americans, and another for north americans (we pay 2-3x the standard price) The walled City and City Centre are disgusting - yes they have some interesting colonial architecture but there are Venezuelan homeless everywhere and they sleep and piss in all the side streets. With the heat and humidity the smell is sickening. The street vendors swarm you and will not leave you alone. The water is not very clean, even out at the five islands - it's actually disgusting. Garbage everywhere and all the infrastructure is crumbling I will be happy when we are heading for the airport. The city we enjoyed the most is Bogota - clean(they keep the City spotless), people are polite and they queue for everything, club areas are very safe and clean, weather is perfect 14c at night 22c during the day1
Cartagena is a beautiful old city with a rich history, but unfortunately the many negatives will keep us from returning. Thanks for your comment and thank you for watching :)
Yep, those street rappers are annoying AF, and aggressive. I love street performers, they make a city interesting. Some great buskers around the world, but when don’t understand NO, there’s a problem.
It's too bad, because Cartagena is such a picturesque city with such an interesting history! Hopefully, things will improve in the future. Thank you for watching :)
Nice video...now you guys are in trouble because the Major (Dumek) is fighting UA-camrs that show or talk about the bad (but very real) aspects of the city 😅. They only like people to believe lies about the city, that everything is just perfect, but far from true. Living in the city as a resident things are not that bad, but as tourist with high expectations about the city is terrible. I came from Vancouver to Cartagena and it is hard, but after a few years, I understand the city... Nowadays, I go to the city center and I don't get bothered that much...it is like they know you are not a tourist anymore... I believe the reason for it...I only wear jeans and normal shoes instead of short and flip-flops... There are better place for tourists to go even in Colombia...
We really didn't like making this video with a negative view, but we felt is was better to be honest so that our viewers would know what to expect if they visit Cartagena! It's such a beautiful city, and we have other videos that show the good things that we've experienced there. It's nice to hear that you've been able to blend in and adapt to living in Cartagena. Maybe Mr. Dumek will make some changes for the good? Thank you for watchng :)
Well, some things are totally true but c'mon! some things are fishing too deep. Groceries being too expensive? Hotels being expensive? I live in Germany and I have found hotels in Poland and in Italy that are more expensive than here, even when they are considered poor countries. I don't think we can go to a city and thinking that because they are poorer then everything has to be cheaper than in my hometown, we are not the measure of all things. Specially if locals pay those prices. Is not the same to be in a tourist city in Poland or Italy than to live in a normal city in Germany, a tourist city is normally more expensive. The street vendors I would agree and taxis trying to scam you is the rule from New York to Bangkok. People speaking to each other on the store is part of what my german wife loves about the latino culture. again, it is a relaxed part of the world and enjoying life and being slow is part of how they do things there and is not a negative thing per se unless we see it according to our culture. I think a little more objectivity would be great on the video. I cannot judge a place because it doesn't fit into my idea of cheap everything and red and fresh vegetables and fruits. Also it is to be noted that in the video it seems you were going to the cheap stores and of course, that is a choice. I guess were you come from you don't go to the cheap stores expecting the good stuff. As I said, some things are spot on but others are really misleading. Go to Cartagena, stay in the Hilton, go to fine restaurants and buy stuff on the best grocery shops and you would have a totally different experience. I have stayed in good brand hotels in Europe but when I went to Cancun I had to pay 800 dollars a night. Crazy? Not really, is a tourist destination for people with more money than I make. I would be.very ubfair and bitter if I would say something like: "what? Those prices in Mexico? Is not like I am in (put hometown in developed coutry here"). Same happens in Curaçao or Rio, it is what it is, a lot of good tourism with deep pockets makes price rise. I can only say that is a scam or a tourist trap when I don't accept that some poorer countries have also expensive places because rich people normally go there. If I want to go to Cancun during spring break I have really to double check my wallet, but I would do a disservice if I go and afterwards make a video saying that it was too expensive and people should not go there. Just my thoughts, tried to be respectful but I think a lot of this review is unfair.
Well, we shopped in not only the cheap grocery store, but usually the more expensive one. We were surprised that in that climate, that vegetables were not very good quality, and were more expensive than we thought they would be. A lot of the prices that we encountered were more expensive than in Vancouver, B.C., which is one of the more expensive city's in the world. I guess if you stay in the Hilton, you would get a very sheltered idea of what Cartagena is like! And I guess with lots of security around the hotel, you felt safety wasn't a factor, as you didn't mention that huge problem. Unfortunately, we can't afford to stay in a 4 star hotel for three months. We prefer to stay in an apartment and prepare most of our meals ourselves. We are full time travellers, and our impressions of Cartagena are certainly just our opinions, but it would seem like most of the comments so far would tend to agree with us. We do respect your opinion too, and appreciate your comments. Thank you for watching :)
@@TakeTimeToTravel thanks for the respectful comment. I agree with some parts of the video also but there are other parts I feel are unfair. Of course everybody is entitled to have different opinions and in this day and age finding people that disagree with respect towards each other is something to treasure. I think being able to interchange different ideas is one of the things that make the world interesting. Wish u the best. :)
Having visited Cartagena i really but really didn’t like your video If you are honest about the negative things how can you forget the prostitution there? I mean, it is virtually impossible to meet a woman who is not a prostitute by night Some may like it and i’m no judge but i didn’t, at least it deserves a comment for whose who prefer to meet “regular girls” while traveling alone Just, don’t go there, sure all women are not interested there but a large majority are,if you like it, well, enjoy your trip…💁
Check out our video on the many positives of Cartagena: ua-cam.com/video/wuzJGVYKVjs/v-deo.html
Are you guys robots?
Thanks for watching.
😂😂😂😂😂
😡
LMFAOOO
AI TYPE SHII😂
As always, do not go to a foreign country expecting to have the same services and experiences that you have back home.
I Love Cartagena, there are many pros, it's one of my favorite cities and everyone should visit it and enjoy it.
As full time travellers for the last four years, the part that we enjoy the most is that things are not the same as back home! Unfortunately, as beautiful as Cartagena is, we wouldn't go back unless things change quite a bit. That's great to hear that you enjoy it, but we had to be honest with our viewers. Thanks for watching :)
@@TakeTimeToTravel please don’t go back. They’re better off without you two .
Cheers :)
Oh wait…they forgot about the hookers harassing in the streets…come on guys…let’s be honest I am a traveller from Brazil and I had my worst experience there…yes the decorum is really charming but I agree with all they said…and more, they didn’t speak about the prostitution there…I also was REALLY disappointed with Cartagena but if you liked it ok, come in Salvador Brazil, you will the positive without the negative
@@nmfo3445
I will check Salvador, Brasil... thanks
Okay, so Recently this year, In March, I travelled to Cartagena, Colombia from my Country, Jamaica for the first time. Here's how I rate my experience on the scale of 1 - 10 with 10 being excellent.
1. Food and service from the restaurants: 9.5 (Majority of the restaurants that I've visited had excellent customer service, and the food were delicious, I can't complain because I found no faults.
2. Food from the supermarkets, and grocery stores: 6.5 (If you are planning on buying raw meats, vegetables, and occasionally fruits in the grocery stores or some supermarkets, don't bother, because they're probably spoiled. I realize fruits and veg, and especially meats weren't very sustainable and they spoiled easily, probably because of poor storage, an excess in quantity, and probably the heat) You are way safer just going to a restaurant where everything is fresh. If you want fruits, it's best to buy them from the vendors on the road because they are way fresher)
3. Clubs & Bars: 9 (I had a wonderful experience in the club and bars, no faults there)
4. Accomodation 9.5 (Spaces for accommodation was clean, super safe as persons would have to provide ID upon visiting a hotel or airbnb. If you had a visitor they had to provide ID at the lobby so everything was very secure. The property I stayed at even had electric fence, and yes there was Cameras) Pricing was not bad, it was fairly cheep. I know in some areas it can be expensive but for where I stayed, it was okay.
5. Street vendors 8.5 (I personally don't mind persons trying to sell me something, I come from an Island where that is pretty custom, people live a rough life and are trying to make a living, hence why when I was there, I supported the locals. I saw one lady even in the supermarket begging the cashier for food, and I bought her groceries, people are struggling so any support I can give, I don't mind. Plus once you tell them no you're not interested, they won't really press you. The people there are really kind and helpful even when you didn't ask for it, and I value and appreciate that)
6. Scams: With regard to Uber, there's definitely a problem with uber payment especially if you chose to use cash instead of just paying from your card. I don't know what the issue is but sometimes I'd pay using cash when I'm given the balance, and after paying, it would give me an additional balance saying I owe, But if I pay with card, I have no issues. Exessive pricing for foreigners, you will encounter in most places you visit, even here in Jamaica, sadly. That's just how it is.
7. Prices: This goes for every country you travel to. USE THEIR LOCAL CURRENCY. In CTG I realize most locals didn't understand the conversion rate of USD to Colombian Pesos, and sometimes prices would seem a bit ridiculous when making purchases. To solve the issue, just convert the USD to Colombian Pesos and make transactions in their currency to avoid confusion, Preferably at a Cambio instead of at the airport, because that way you'll get more for your money when you convert.
8. Infrastructure: 7.5 (Infrastructure in certain places, especially in the Marbella area was not really good, some places in Old Town as well was not very good, but It didn't take away from my experience because I still enjoyed my stay without any issues. I see them constantly working on their infrastructure though with that being said. Hence why the air was so thick lol.)
9. Safety: 10 (Again, I had no safety concerns, there was police present in most places in Old Town, Bocagrande, Marbella area as well. I walked freely with my phone out on my selfie stick and had headphones on both during the day and during the late hours of the night while I was club hopping. On several occasions, I walked back to where I was staying in Porto Novo from Bocagrande, why my phone out on my selfie stick recording and talking photos, wallet full of cash, jewelry on, headphones on, without any worry or fear. I'm Jamaican, this is something I can't even think about doing in the country I live in, and I did all of that freely in Cartagena. I felt more safer in Cartagena than I did in my own country, Jamaica. )
10. Street Rappers: 9.5 (I had no issue with the street rappers, they approach you rapping and if you're not interested just ignore them and they'll go on to the next person, otherwise enjoy the rap and tip them when they're done)
11. I didn't have any issues entering/exiting the country, and with regard to any visa related issue.
12. The boat ride to one of the islands, was EXCELLENT! The island we visited was lovely, food was excellent, service was lovely.
13. Yes Cartagena was quite loud depending on where in Cartagena you where. If you were in Bocagrande, expect it to be loud, that's like party central lol. Party busses when by ever so often, however, in residential areas, places where there were airbnbs, hotels, hostels etc. There was complete silence, even from the party busses that passed through those areas. Trust me when I say Jamaica is louder. If you were in the Old Town area, near the Mall (La Serrezuela), it would also be a little loud due to cars and vehicles since there's a highway right there, but that was really during the day time, when people hardly come out anyways because it's so hot. People mostly come out during the night, when it's quieter except for the clubs that are in bocagrande and old town.
At the end of the day, everyone has their own experiences, and can only speak to what they went through. So that was my take on my first time visiting CTG from Kingston, Jamaica.
Would I recommend Cartagena to anyone? Yes Absolutely. I myself, am looking to go back in the near future. I had so much fun, that I wan to go back.
Cartagena was definitely my cup of team and I'm going back. I would recommend a visit to anyone, especially to persons who want to visit a country but they don't have a visa.
I know this was long, but I had to share too.
Thanks for your thoughtful comment! That's great that you love Cartagena and I'm sure others will read your reply and will consider travelling there. As full time travellers, we realize that we aren't going to love every place we visit and Cartagena wasn't our "cup of tea". Thank you for watching, we really appreciate it :)
@@TakeTimeToTravel Of course. I love that we get to share our experiences, even if the place we visit isn't our cup of tea, the important thing is letting others know what they could potentially expect in the places we visit. I just had to give some feedback on my experience too because not all of us will have a bad experience just as not all of us will have a good one. Well, keep making the great content you guys, and stay safe and have fun where ever you travel!😇😇😇
I found your review very helpful thank you 🙏🏼
This review was much more accurate than the video. The complaints they had are for most Latin and Caribbean cities. I found your review much more accurate. You cannot compare an Asian country to a Latin country they are very different culturally.
Thank you
Sorry guys!!! My city must improve everything you mention... I appreciate the kindness of your comments and the respect with which you mention each negative aspect. Gracias por visitar mi ciudad!!!
as a Mexixan American, I understand that the vendors are trying to make a living but the ones in Cartagena were STUBBORN AND very AGGRESSIVE..Medillin on the other hand was much nicer
Cartagena is such a beautiful city, with so much history! It's too bad that these few things can leave a bad impression. Hopefully things will improve in the future. Thank you for watching, and for your kind words, we really appreciate it :)
We definitely agree with you! It was much more enjoyable in Medellin. Thank you for watching :)
I have been to Cartagena many times, and never had any issues. I would think it was manly because we didn't look or act like typical tourist. Yes there was street rappers, and street vendors, but I simply gave a very direct response of NO, and was left alone. I honestly think that the way you carry yourself opens yourself to be taken advantage. But with any place you visit, I believe having some common sense and situational awareness goes a long way. I'm from the east coast in the states, and there are spots I wouldn't even travel through unless I had some protection if you know what I mean. Colombia is a beautiful country and I pray for progress and prosperity for its people.
That's great that you enjoy Cartagena and haven't felt that these issues were a problem. Unfortunately, the vendors and rappers were only one of the issues that made us not want to return. It is such an incredibly beautiful city with such an amazing history, so we also hope for prosperity for the people there, and in all of Colombia. Thank you for watching :)
So true I also think it’s what you wear
How you walk how you talk etc
Most important take-away in this response: "The way you carry yourself..." Thank you, @Migo5174.
Prices of imported items are high due to tariffs. Colombia has very low taxation, but derives significant revenue from tariffs on imported goods. Buying local is very reasonable.
We thought that vegetables would have been of better quality and much cheaper. I guess we figured that they would have been grown locally, but maybe not. Thanks for watching :)
I Just got back had a ball. Cannot complain.
That's great to hear! Thank you for watching :)
I lived there for several years, never really had those problems, only went to certain restaurants and bars. I always wore a hat and sunglasses when I went to the street; that way the nobody will try to sell you one. I never tried to act like a tourist when I was there; they can see you coming from a mile away. I have family in Cartagena and I love it there.
That's great that you enjoy it there! Thanks for watching :)
As someone who's spent a lot of time in Cartagena, here are my tips everything you mentioned in the video is true, although it's been getting a lot worse recently. The city is somehow half-dollarised and the rest is pesos and euros, they will charge 300k pesos to 300 euro even though that is not the equivalent. As for the street vendors they ""harass" tourists not only because they need to, but because they have to in order to survive and eat. Most of them live in shady places in the city or out on the streets. The customer service, that you will find is pretty consistent in Colombia but more present along the Caribbean coast, they just talk, and are friendly, and everyone's friends with everyone, the efficacy of the tasks is reduced but once you get used to lower worker speeds, it's fine, plus they don't do it to spite anyone, that's just how people are. 3k and 5k CAD a month is a rip-off. Booking online, especially through Airbnb is so scammy, the way to do it is to just go to the city with no accommodation and walk from hotel to hotel and the price range can be as low as 30USD a night! The honking and loudness, that's the Colombian Caribbean coast! unnecessary loudness. The departure tax must be new, a thing about Colombia is that most changes to migration law, politics, etc. Are not documented online, but instead televised and then not uploaded to a website, so everything becomes hearsay
Great points! People hungry and trying to survive.
We usually slow travel and like to spend a few months in one place, so usually hotels are not what we're looking for. We need something with a kitchen to prepare meals, also laundry facilities and prefer at least one bedroom. Thank you for watching and commenting, we really appreciate it :)
@@TakeTimeToTravel While Airbnb helps you avoid rent scams and it is very convenient, for longer stays than a couple of weeks is too expensive. With a little research you can go to a local real estate agent and get a three month rental for 25% less than Airbnb. And for the video I love Colombia and Cartagena, but I agree that might not be ideal for digital nomad and slow travel. I can live with the slow service, noise, etc. but the security is a deal breaker, I don't want to be always cautious of my phone or somebody putting something on my drink. Good channel, keep it up.
@@walternyc Thanks for watching, we really appreciate it :)
I think you should stay home.
Great video guys! Really good information.
Thanks for watching, we appreciate you taking the time to watch and comment :)
Well... the visa $85 plus $45. sucks... you didnt check
If u were scammed?
We found out about the $85 visa about two weeks before we were scheduled to fly to Colombia. We just happened to check the Government of Canada website for updates, and it had been just implemented. As for the $45, we were never able to find anything about it, although they told us if we didn't pay, we would be denied boarding.
I am also a Canadian Passport holder and visited Medellin, Columbia for 2 weeks and there was no departure tax or fee and I am even not sure if there was a visa fee that I paid or not. Just on arrival free entry.
Yes, Canadians have to pay an entry fee on arrival, but I'm not sure why we had to pay to exit the country. We tried to dispute it, but they said we couldn't board the plane unless we paid. Oh well, lesson learned. Thanks for watching :)
Colombia is a wonderful country with all the photographs, from beaches, deserts, mountains, plains, great variety, Cartagena is the most visited city in Colombia, good video. 6:50.
Cartagena is a very beautiful city, with a rich and interesting history! Thank you for watching, we really appreciate it :)
@@TakeTimeToTravel Thank you friend for answering
What do you do where you can travel so much?
We are retired now and travel full time. Thanks for watching :)
@@TakeTimeToTravel thanks for not answering my question. Lol.
Thank you for this significant eye-opening review
We didn't really enjoy making a negative video about Cartagena, but we had to be honest! Thank you for watching :)
I was just in Cartagena this past late January-early February. I stayed in Boca Grande & took public transportation. Never hasd a wait at the restaurants in El Centro or on Boca Grande. I waved off the beach vendors...& I went solely for the sun. Was not there during the rainy season, so, I did not encounter the street flooding that I heard was problematic. I wouldn't recommend any longer than a 2 week stay because the sun was intense. There is plenty of poverty in the business districts outside of El Centro...& you need to be aware of your surroundings as in any city. There are a lot of Venezuelan refugees there that exacerbates some of the problems.
Thanks for watching, and for your comment, we really appreciate it!
The Columbian government and police need to do something about these street vendors. Every single person who visits Cartagena complains about being harassed by these people. At the end of the day it keeps people from choosing to travel to Columbia. Shame on the Columbian government for allowing this to persist!
Yes, hopefully something can be done about it because it does seem to be a very common complaint from those who have visited Colombia. Cartagena is such a beautiful city, but these negatives really impact people's opinions. Thank you for watching, we really appreciate it :)
I thought Morocco had annoying and harassing street vendors but damn lol
It’s part of the culture, pay atention what the locals do and do the same. colOmbia with O, means the land of Cristobal Colon (Christopher Columbus)
@@decatopetenplica Well, unless things change, we won't be back. This seems to be the feeling of many people who visit Cartagena unfortunately.
Better they do that instead of rob!
Did you meet any fruits? Good papayas?
Thanks for watching.
Im Mexican American and speak perfect Spanish but even being Spanish speaking did not save my family from EVERYTHING you mentioned..I think we spent more money in Colombia than when we've visited Portugal or San Diego..I was very dissapointed in my Cartagena experience, you are very accurate in all the dislikes bc my family and I experienced everything you just mentioned..San Juan Puerto Rico was actually more relaxing and cleaner! Medillin was very nice and much greener..
Same!!
We didn't enjoy making this negative video about Cartagena, but felt it was better to be honest rather than mislead our viewers! It's such a pretty city, so it's too bad that we left with such a negative impression. We agree with you that Medellin was more enjoyable, and certainly much greener! Thank you for watching, we really appreciate it :)
Thanks for watching :)
You will save a lot of money if you ask for a guide (Here is a profession) how to understand one of the best afroamerican cities of the continent, Cartagena is different as a different girlfriend, if you understand her you will be in love
@@decatopetenplica Well this "girlfriend" left a bad impression haha.
I don’t know what and where they were in the city but i didn’t experience any of this. Idk if because they are Canadian they had to pay, but i am from the US and we paid nothing going in and leaving. I can say that Cartagena is more expensive than other places in Colombia but i just did the have a negative experience that they did and can’t relate. Thanks for the info though
The fee is for Canadians that was introduced about one week before we arrived. It's a reciprocity fee because Colombians are charged a fee to travel to Canada. We've realized that we're not going to love every place that we travel to. It's great to hear that you had an enjoyable time! Thanks for watching :)
I'm a fellow Canadian who lived in Cartagena for several years. They used to have the entry tax and then got rid of it. They recently brought it back, which is unfortunate. It's a deterrent for tourism. I live in Spain now. Also, you have to give a firm "no, gracias" and the vendor and high price problems are worse in touristy neighbourhoods.
Yes, it's unfortunate about the entry tax, and we're not sure why we were also charged a fee on departure. We have visited Spain before, and plan to visit again next year (can't wait). Thanks for watching, and for your comment, we really appreciate it :)
Did you find somewhere in Spain for a reasonable cost of living?
It seems like everywhere in the world is much more expensive now, but we negotiated a reasonable price in the Malaga area.
We are here in Cartagena right now and coming back to Canada soon. It is so true what you say about the welcome visa fee, the customer service being distracted , the person at the bar attempting to short change you and the street rappers who ruin your time but it’s the nature of the beast I guess. You gave great security tips. And yes a week is long enough. I would however come back again and if what you want is peace and no noise stay in Bocagrande and not Getsemaní or the old city.
We stayed in Bocagrande for the first month, and found it quite noisy! We were overlooking the beach and the party buses went by at night with the music playing, as well as the hotels nearby had parties and music playing. We love a good party now and then, but every night can get bothersome lol. For the last 2 months, we stayed in Manga, which is more of a residential area, but it was much worse for noise.
The Castillogrande area seemed really nice, with very well kept buildings, much less traffic and the beach seemed to be quieter with less vendors.
Hope you enjoy the rest of your time there and have a safe trip home! Thanks for watching :)
Well, I guess the cost of the Visa is equivallent to the one Canada charges to foreigners. I payed a similar price when I went to Canada from Uruguay
True! Thanks for watching :)
I know no one wants to talk about this but if you are a white American, you will get a different experience from the street vendors and rappers than a person of color. I went to Cartagena and had a wonderful time. The vendors were aggressive but once we told them no twice, they left us alone. As far as the restaurant service, we had great service. They allowed us to skip the lines and we were often served first.
We wish telling them no, twice would have worked! As Canadians, being rude to people doesn't come easy, but eventually you just have to try and wave them away and ignore them. Thanks for watching :)
Thank you for the info , very useful
Thank you for watching, we really appreciate it :)
Hello! This is my first time in Cartegena, but Ive visited Medellin for almost 3 years now. My best advice to anyone visiting outside of your country- do some research first, good and bad. Learn how the place's culture is and how they 'do' things. Remember, you are NOT in your country and the locals will probably do things differently than you're used to.
If you were here 3 months and had an overall bad experience, then I would respectfully say that you must evaluate your expectations and opines. I'm from New Orleans and am used to 'touristy' stuff. This city (Cartegena) reminds me of New Orleans.
I must agree with you that its best to probably stay here, maybe a week or two, but I wouldn't stay here long-term like I would Medellín. But I will come back!!!😊😊
We're full time travellers, and usually like to stay in South East Asia during the winter months. We always spend lots of time researching the places we travel to, and Colombia was no exception. The reason we travel is to experience other cultures and foods, and we hoped that we would love Cartagena...but unfortunately it didn't work out that way. That's great that you really enjoy your time there!
Sadly, we're not the only ones who feel this way as you can see in our comment section. We hope that things can change for the better there.
Thank you for watching and commenting, we really appreciate it :)
Interesting to hear about your overall experience . Also very valuable to share your insights with your viewers . Not all destinations can be fabulous .
I guess you're right! When you are planning your trip, you have high hopes that it will be a paradise, but that doesn't always work out. Oh well, you can't know until you go. Thanks for watching :)
I agree when it comes to the beach and the vendors ! It was extremely annoying , and you are 100 percent correct , not even 2 minutes would pass by before another vendor was at your feet. I could not enjoy the beach at all , all k did was say “ no thank you “, every two minutes !!!!! This is the main reason why I will NEVER go back !!!!!!!
Yes, it's such a shame because Cartagena is a beautiful city! Thank you for watching :)
You guys are so happy!
Yes we are! Thank you for watching :)
I can agree with certain aspects, like the taxi drivers who sometimes overcharge, and street vendors or street performers who may try to get more money from tourists. However, as an experienced traveler, you probably know that sometimes just saying "no" is enough, and asking for the fare before taking a taxi is essential.
The infrastructure issues in Cartagena, especially during the rainy season (May to November), are indeed a serious concern. But these problems aren’t as noticeable during the dry season.
Regarding restaurants, the service can be slow at times, but it really depends on the place. If you're in a rush, it's best to go to a comida corriente restaurant where the service is fast, efficient, and affordable. If you're not in a hurry, as they say here, "cojela suave" and take it easy.
As for your experience at the grocery store, with the cashier chatting with others while you were paying-well, that's just how things work here. It’s normal for people to engage in small talk, even during transactions. Things move at a different pace, and it's part of the local culture to take life a little more slowly. The key is to adapt, take it easy, and go with the flow.
It's also important to note that Cartagena is the most expensive city in Colombia, so it's normal that food prices in grocery stores, as well as costs for Airbnb and hotels, are higher. If you're looking to save money, you could visit the Bazurto Market, a local and very popular place to buy food at extremely cheap prices. However, it’s not the most comfortable or convenient way to shop for everyone.
Regarding safety, Cartagena is not more dangerous than other big European cities like Barcelona, Madrid, or Paris, where pickpocketing is common. Just use common sense, be aware of your surroundings, and avoid "dar papaya" (making yourself an easy target), and you’ll be fine.
Finally, regarding the visa issue, here’s the official statement from the Colombian authorities:
Bogotá, October 31, 2023
Starting November 14, 2023, Canadian travellers entering Colombia will be required to pay a fee. This fee must be paid during the migration control process when entering the country at any of the authorized air, sea, river, or land checkpoints, using a payment terminal.
The fee is set at 256,000 Colombian pesos or its equivalent in Canadian dollars, based on the market exchange rate. This is a reciprocal measure, reflecting the costs incurred by Colombians for biometric data processing when traveling to Canada.
Exceptions to this rule:
This measure, which had been suspended in July 2019, was reinstated under Resolution 2676 of 2023. It includes the following exceptions:
Canadian citizens whose destination is the Archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia, and Santa Catalina.
Canadians under the age of 14 or over the age of 79.
Canadian citizens holding a valid Colombian visa, as well as diplomats, consular staff, and official personnel and their beneficiaries, provided they present the appropriate travel documentation.
Crew members of international transportation services, with this condition supported and verified by the General Declaration, the Seaman’s Book, the crew list, or an equivalent document.
Failure to comply with this measure will result in the traveler being denied entry to Colombia and returned to the country of origin by the migration authorities.
As you can see, this fee is a reciprocal response to the extra charges Colombians have to pay for biometric passports when traveling to Canada.
Thank you for your thoughtful comment, and for watching, we really appreciate it :)
I like cartagena, but the vendors do get annoying. They don’t take no for an answer. Overall most Colombians are cool people
Thank you for watching, we really appreciate it :)
The “visa fee” is based on reciprocity. It’s actually a little lower than what Canada charges Colombians.
Yes, unfortunately they introduced this fee about one week before we flew there, so it was a surprise! Also, not sure why we were charged $45 CAD each on departure, but we had no choice but to pay. Thanks for your comment :)
@@TakeTimeToTravel in the past decade, many countries have imposed some sort of visa fee on Canadians. Colombia had dropped it for a couple years, but brought it back in late 2023.
The restaurants take a long time to serve the foods because it’s fresh. But you prefer foods that have being inside a fridge during month or years as they do in many countries.
Waiting for our food to be prepared wasn't a problem at all. It takes a long time for the server to bring a menu to our table, to eventually take our order and to bring the bill after we're done. They seldom ask if everything was ok, or if we would like anything else. This happens even if there is hardly anyone in the restaurant, and we can see the staff talking amongst themselves. That's just bad customer service! Thanks for watching.
Yeah 😂
bros trying to justify long waits stop
Just FYI when googled it states that all foreigners and Colombians must pay a 111 US dollar (or Colombian equivalent) as a airport departure tax when departing from Cartagena 🤷♂️ Also, if you are on a good plan with either ATT or Verizon, you can use your phone and internet at no additional charge anywhere in north, south, and Central America.
We're from Canada so we don't have ATT or Verizon, so we usually just buy a local SIM card in the country we've travelled to. Hard to find a departure tax on their official website. We were charged an airport tax in our ticket price so not sure if that's it, but it seemed we were the only ones in line to pay an extra tax at departure. Cheers from Toronto :)
@@TakeTimeToTravel that’s strange. After I saw your clip I actually just googled “do I need to pay a departure fee from the airport in Colombia” the 111 dollar fee popped right up. I then checked if it was covered in my ticket from jet blue. It’s not. It happens. When I flew in to nicaragua in 2022 I knew there was a 20 dollar fee (only payable in United States dollars cash) on entry. What I didn’t know is that they hit you again on the way out. It is what it is 🤷♂️
Those aren’t just there it’s due to overtourism
I was charged double the local price on my trip to Guatemala as solo female traveler and it was like an unspoken rule and they felt it was entitled even when I questioned the price and I speak basic Spanish but not latino
It really makes you feel taken advantage of when that happens! Thank you for watching :)
Try Barranquilla next time.
The beaches are not as nice but you wont be bothered and prices are much cheaper
Thank you for the recommendation. and thanks for watching, we really appreciate it :)
I am so sorry u had these bad experiences. I have been to Cartagena 3 times and had a great time. No issues. Yes, vendors are aggressive but from my experience, say no once and not bothered again. Best beaches you have to take a boat such as Playa Blanca. Also, went to great restaurants. Overall, I loved the vibe and had a great great experience.
Unfortunately, when you say "no" to some of these vendors, they continue to follow you, which is really annoying! We went to the Rosario Islands, which was very beautiful, and we had a great time. That's good to hear that you have enjoyed your time in Cartagena. Thank you for watching.
Finally Finally someone who pronounced the name of the city correctly...
Thank you for watching :)
Biggest tip to have a good time in Cartagena is not to stick out like a sore thumb. If you were there for 3 months, you should have learned the language, met a solid network of locals, and known how to handle every one of those downsides with ease.
Thanks for watching!
I’m just going to say this, as a person who travels to Cartagena on a regular bases! These guys seem a little timid to me! One thing their are absolutely right about is the vendors on the street and beaches! You have to be really, really firm with them and say NO Gracias! Do not say just no, because they will act like they don't understand English. And don't entertain them at all, not even a little bit!!! If you are going to any island. Go to a traveling agency. They have them all over the place. As a matter of fact. if you buy anything from a hat to a bracelet. Go to the mall or local stores. You want be scam. Only deal with them, if you know how to deal with them. Anybody going to Colombia for the first time, I really wouldn't advices it, unless you know how to navigate around. People always want to come to Colombia with me, because I make them feel safe. And not just safe but knowing how to navigate around makes my people feel very much at ease. They have some very nice markets and some of the best restaurant's there! I eat at some of the best 4 & 5 restaurants there! And I never had bad services! Not even when I go in your standard restaurants, no problems waiting for my food. You have to remember this about Colombia. It's consider a 3rd world country almost. They are on the rise. And I don't get mad at the people for trying to survive in their country. I understand. If you are coming to visit Colombia. Just use very good common sense. Because you are going to feel out of place, because it's not your country. But the country has a lot to offer! Just be safe and travel well...
Well, I'm not sure we're very timid lol, as we've been travelling full time around the world for over four years! If you tried some different places to travel to, instead of returning to Cartagena all the time, you might have a different opinion of it. That's great that you enjoy going back there on a regular basis, but we prefer to explore different countries and cultures.
We were able to try some great restaurants in Cartagena and found the service quite slow. Oh well, we can't all love the same things !
Thank you for watching, and for your thoughtful comment, we really appreciate it :)
If you want to see the things that we enjoyed in Cartagena, check out this video
ua-cam.com/video/3xVmf0KMXyE/v-deo.html
Thank you for sharing, hug from Portugal
Thanks for watching, we really appreciate it :)
Maybe take some more time to stay home in Missisipi
Haha, we haven't been to the U.S. in many years, and haven't ever visited Mississippi! Is it nice?
Interestingly enough, I enjoyed your videos on Cartagena. With many great suggestions on food and activities. So I took your suggestions. I just returned from Cartagena and had a wonderful time! Enjoying your shared ideas. Yes, some of your negatives are indeed true- hawkers and tourists are inevitable. I found that in countless other places also. Wondering…
Why did you go to Cartagena for 3 months? Seems excessive to me! My simple opinion is the city can be in enjoyed in a couple of weeks. Curious.
But thank you for the Sofitel, the Mirador- and all the great spots you’ve mentioned.
I enjoy your travels and love the straightforward approach.
Guys, sorry to jump in again… but if you did such extensive research- that immigration visa info is everywhere. I was prompted by my airline etc. filled it out online 3 days prior to entrance and departure and paid absolutely nothing. (Maybe I’m misunderstanding, because you were there longer) anyway- enjoy your travels.
We went to Colombia for 3 months to escape the Canadian winter for somewhere hot! Although we love SE Asia, the flights were crazy expensive this past winter, and the flights to Colombia were quite cheap. We prefer to do "slow travel" and spend a few months in one place and be able to explore the city. Unfortunately, Cartagena wasn't a good fit for us, and like we said, would have been fine for a few days or a week at most.
We're in Athens, Greece now and loving it! Thanks for watching :)
Canadians have to pay $85 CAD each at immigration, as you enter the country. They put this fee in place after we had booked our flights and Airbnb, so it was a last minute surprise. Also they charged us more as we were leaving, but not sure what that was for, and can't find any info about it.
We did fill out the online Checkmig form that the airlines require for entrance and departure, and like you say, that was free.
Hope this makes it a little more clear :)
You paid 85 CAD because your Country changed us first this tax . Colombia as a response to your country decided to put the same amount. This tax that Colombian used to payed was removed in covid 19 pandemic but after this Canada policy changed for Colombia .
Thanks for watching, and for your comment, we really appreciate it :)
Cartagena is my favorite city in the world. I have been to 76 countries and I'm moving there permanently before the end of this year. Absolutely the best place I have ever been.
That's great to hear that you are able to move there permanently and we hope that it all goes smoothly. Thank you for watching :)
Your crazy
Good video to keep tourist like those out.
Thanks for watching!
Are you guys a couple? Cause Colombia has some of the most beautiful women in the world ❤
Yes we are a couple, and you're right...Colombian women are beautiful! Thanks for watching :)
Been there several times. Never had any issues.
That's great to here! Thanks for watching.
I go back every 3 months to visit family and those street rappers are annoying lol. I feel you.
They really do get in your face lol. Thanks for watching :)
Wow. The aggressive vendors would do me in. Thanks for sharing your experiences.
They really are annoying! It seems to be a common complaint from people who have spent some time in Cartagena. Hopefully something will be done about it, but not sure when. Thanks for watching :)
Aggressive vendors are a worldwide problem. I stayed in Acapulco Mexico in Sept 1974 and one could not be on the beaches without the constant hawking by the vendors. To swim you had to use the hotel's pool. I do not recall vendor nuisances in Thailand or South Africa or Bueno Aires -- other travelers may have.
@@ohioan2903 We haven't seen this type of aggressiveness in Thailand or Vietnam either.
Good video. Youre spot on with all of your points. Cartagena is a beach town that caters to tourists, so ALWAYS expect a "gringo price." You'll be a foreigner so youre expected to have the wealth for whatever they charge.
If you befriend some of locals, theyll share the websites that they use for searching for apartments (similar to airbnb) and youll see local prices. If you have a knack for bargaining, and dont walk around with a Polaroid around your neck (i know im dating myself lol) youll have no problem negotiating.
Thank you very much for watching, and for your thoughtful recommendations, we really appreciate it :)
Do you think you'd still have gone had you been aware of the aggressiveness of the street vendors, and other negatives? This video is a must-watch for anyone thinking of vacationing there, as most people want to be left in peace to enjoy their holiday. BTW, that rapper incident sounded downright scary. A friend of mine knows a young lady (quiet, unassuming student) who spent 5 months there while writing her thesis, and she actually had machine guns pointed at her! Nice to see you got home nice and safe:)
Well, if we knew how aggressive the vendors were, we probably would have spent more time in Medellin and just visited Cartagena for a few days! Unfortunately, we did it the other way around lol. We felt fairly safe walking the streets in the touristy areas, but maybe we were just naive. Thank you for watching :)
The high season is a mess in these tourist centric towns. It’s a party atmosphere. The prices are higher and they hit tourists. I have found service to be pretty hit or miss all over South America (especially in Argentina) and I’m still astounded by how long it takes to check out at a supermarket anywhere lol. I have heard several reports about crime and safety issues in Cartagena, and that you need to keep your eyes open and use common sense. I usually go out only with a bit of cash and a Visa card and I usually leave my watch back at my place if I feel there’s an issue. As for phones? Snatching phones and cameras out of unsuspecting tourists (and locals) hands seems to be a national pastime in Colombia. I saw it several times in bogota. They ride by on a moped and snatch at the phone or purse or camera. I always made sure to stand far back from the curb when using my phone. Oddly, I find the opposite to be true in Medellin (go figure) everyone is friendly and helpful and smiling. Of course I’m staying in an upscale area (poblado) but never have I once felt unsafe or concerned. I will occasionally find a “mistake” on a bill. 😎
We also felt much safer in Medellin than in Cartagena. We always take the same precautions that you mention, when we we're out walking and using our phones. Hopefully some day soon things will improve in Cartagena. Thank you for watching :)
@@TakeTimeToTravel informative clip. I appreciate the info. I will be there for a month before heading back to nyc for a month. I’m glad I saw your clip
Cartagena is a HUGE Tourist Trap. If you travelers are seeking a tropical destination with nice vibes, amazing gastronomy, and mindblowing beaches I'd recommend you go to Brazil! It's a country similar to Colombia but a lot safer, friendly with travelers, and much more options for adventures! (With most of them being FREE)
What I disliked most about Cartagena is that you must pay for everything! Even if you wanna see a beautiful beach you must take a boat and spend lots of $$ according to your gringo face and Colombians can be really tricky sometimes.
Again, I recommend going to Brazil instead cuz after visiting there after Colombia I felt respected as a tourist, I felt in love with the nature (specially not having to pay to be in the nature), had the most exotic food and delicious cocktails and met one of the funniest ppl on earth!
I can relate to that. I loved Colombia but I was expecting way more, Cartagena feels fake, like everything is made for getting $ out of tourists.
I had a blast in Brazil and stayed for 6 months only leaving cuz my visa was about to end, I would live there if I could lol
Brazil is definitely high on our list of places that we want to go! Our friend goes every year, and he says it's wonderful. Thanks for the recommendation, and thank you for watching, we really appreciate it :)
That's great to hear that you loved Brazil too! We'll have to check it out. Thanks for watching :)
What part and where do you stay in Brazil?
After seeing the beautiful attractions on your previous video of Cartagena...it's surprising to hear so many negatives....thanks for your honest comments. I'm sure this will help other visitors to have a less stressful experience there...great job guys!!
Cartagena has some very beautiful places to see! I think it would be fine for a few days, but eventually some of these issues start to take their toll. We're glad that we've been there and seen it, and hope that others will find this video helpful. Thanks for watching :)
Going to a party place like Cartagena and complaining about the noise makes no sense. Colombia is a noisy country. Even in the countryside it’s hard to get peace and quiet.
Yes, it's the noisiest country that we've been to! Thanks for watching.
What you say about street vendors, rappers and smelly waters it’s true, we have to work to solve it, but do not try to make people decide not to come to Cartagena. The restaurants take a long time because the foods are fresh and the real good, there are cities where the food is kept for a long time inside a fridge and, that’s worse but as you receive what you have ordered in 10 minutes, you think that you’re eating something is good when is all the contrary. Not healthy at all!!
We travel full time to many different countries, and often eat in restaurants. We always like our food to be prepared fresh and with fresh ingredients. Unfortunately it's the customer service that's not good! We didn't enjoy making this video, but we would rather be honest to our viewers. We've also made other videos about Cartagena where we show all of the good things about the city. I'm sure you'll want to check them out! Thanks for watching :)
When you said take 5 or 10 minutes to do something that should take a minute, that's exactly why Latin America is economically behind.
Hopefully things will change for the better! Thank you for watching :)
So true. Latin America is like the opposite of Japan and the US in terms of professional proficiency a being efficient.
@@Malachi_Padilla Yes, it's truly very unfortunate!
reminds me on the service at restaurants juan receives in amerika
To be honest, we haven't been to the U.S. in years, so not too sure what the service is like. Thanks for watching :)
Perhaps go to Bangkok it be right up your Ally try soi 6 your feel right at home
You're right, we definitely do prefer Bangkok! We had fun on Soi 4, but we'll have to try your recommendation of Soi 6. What bar or restaurant do you like best?
I was in Cartagena a month ago from Vancouver very disappointing, absolutely true about street vendors constant harassment especially on the beaches. I found Medellin alot better
We also found Medellin was much better! It really is too bad because Cartagena is such a beautiful city with an amazing history, great food and also nice beaches. Unfortunately it seems to be a common complaint from many travellers about the pushy vendors. Hoping that this can improve in the future and people will be willing to return again and again. Thanks for watching :)
@@TakeTimeToTravel yes, we have to keep in mind better in what respects. For example Medellin doesnt have an old town or old architecture much, something happened to it (not bombing during war, didnt happend in colombia) perhaps the local peopled and businesses took the old buildings down and the local government didnt preserve them. thats unfortunate and in that way cartagena has an advantage. the noise and approaching vendors may be a minus. the temperature in cartagena may also be a minus for many, its too hot all the time. therefore bogota has a great advantage when it comes to climate, lower noise, less approaching vendors and it has plenty of well preserved old architecture like cartagena but some of the old architecture in bogota is very different from cartagena, you will not see that style in cartagena
I just came back from Cartagena and experienced the same with scammers and pushy vendors. The police stopped me for no reason twice on the same night, rubbing me down which was not very enjoyable. I will not be returning there, ever!
It's too bad because Cartagena is really very pretty, has such amazing architecture and a great history! Let's hope they can make some changes for the better. Thank you for watching :)
In our constitution it says that police can ask for your documents for no rason and it’s also part of the culture. It just happens if looks as a Hollywood foreigner, if you look as a Colombian keep distance, what I mean is walk 3 meters far from the shade and it works, they aren’t move from them position, asking for documents is also a deterrent strategy
That's very interesting! Thank you for watching, and for your comment, we really appreciate it :)
Cartagena street vendors and beggers are very persistant and aggresive. I just ignore them. they eventually go away. They can sense hostility. I show no hostility. I also don't dress flashy or expesinve. simple jeans and a T-shirt. Cartagena is a fun place but it can also be dangerous. Just remember not to wear expesive jewlery or watches. Keep it simple and stay away from the neighborhoods that you have no busines being there.
We took the same precautions, but it's sad that you have to do this in the first place! There are so many wonderful cities and countries in the world where you can feel so much safer, and where it's easier to travel to. Maybe things will improve in the future and we can reconsider going back. Thank you for watching :)
yeah dude in colombia the waitors dont check on you much... thats everywhere haha in colombia... your in a third world country and sound like a bunch of rich prius driving gays
Haha, your comment gave us a great laugh! We travel full time and often visit developing countries, but have never experienced such poor customer service as in Cartagena. Hopefully things will get better there in the future! Thanks for watching :)
Has anyone ever been in November??
Not sure what it's like in November, but thank you for watching!
@@TakeTimeToTravel your welcome!
I agree with you in some aspects but i think you have to be congruent with what you want. Just from watching the video i can tell you guys are clearly stable couple, quiet, very organized people. If you wanted quiet, tidy place Cartagena is not the place. Is a party city! Is like going to a meatstore specting vegan food.. come on. I dont think Cartagena is bad. You are just not the right type of tourist for what the city offers.
We are full time travellers, and we have learned that we won't love every place that we visit. It's great to hear that you like it. We wanted to be honest about our time there, for the people who watch our videos. We also made videos on the many positives of Cartagena which I'm sure you'll want to watch! Cheers :)
As usual, there are so many ignorant comments.
First of all, there are many places in the world that are mostly or completely horrible. If someone disagrees, then they haven’t been to a place like that, or haven’t traveled a lot. People need to stop thinking that every city in the world has a good balance of pros and cons.
Secondly, videos like these help prepare people for what to expect, and to decide wether or not to invest money and time into a city/country.
Lastly, just because people take the time to share their experiences and opinions, and many times facts, doesn’t mean that they should stay home or not make these kinds of videos.
Learn to take travel reviews objectively and make your own opinions and decisions after processing everything you research in an intelligent manner. Maybe even go visit for yourself and make your own opinion.
Most people don’t expect everywhere in the world to be like their home, and it’s ok to have negative opinions and experiences, and to share them to educate and help the public.
Thanks for your thoughtful comment! It is kind of surprising that if people don't agree with your opinion, they turn to personal disparagement. I guess the anonymity of the internet can bring out the worst in people. Thank you for watching, we really appreciate it :)
My experience was completely different. I think it's because you guys are from Canada.
Haha, that must be it! Thanks for watching :)
So you went to Colombia and wanted it to be like the States basically?
We haven't visited the States in years. We definitely prefer South East Asian countries over Colombia, but we aren't all looking for the same thing. Thanks for watching.
WTF is wrong with the audio and voice? Robot AI dub or messing with the audio speed?
Not sure, but thanks for watching.
duly noted gentlemen and thank you for your recommendations & reviews
Hi James! Thank you for watching, and for your kind words, we really appreciate it :)
So sorry to hear that you both experienced so many negatives. Unfortunately, not every place is going to be an idyllic interlude even if you think it will be. Just like sometimes you might have an initial bad opinion about a place and then it turns out to be great. Thanks for sharing your experience ❤
Yes, when we were planning our trip, we really had high hopes that it would be a great place, but sadly it didn't live up to our expectations! It's really too bad because it's such a beautiful city with amazing architecture, nice beaches and wonderful weather. Maybe things will change in the future, for the better. Thanks for watching :)
I saw Kurt Caz's video of Cartagena, and the vendors on the beach was enough for me to say, "nope".
Kurt Caz…. Yikes! … the last human I’d go to for travel advice… 😂
Well those vendors definitely kept us from spending much time on the beach! Thanks for watching :)
Haven't watched Kurt Caz, so not sure about travel advice from him! Thank you for watching our video though, we really appreciate it :)
Didn't know the have Uber 🚖 there I’ve only known about the in driver app &?😊regular taxis 🚕
Uber is apparently not legal in Colombia, but it still works fine there and a lot of people use it. You just have to check your bill after each ride to make sure you're not overcharged. Thanks for watching :)
I had the same experience years ago. The place is beautiful, but these vendors are so annoying. They were following me everywhere, non-stop. It was so intrusive and disturbing that made me fear while walking on the streets there.
It sure is annoying and seems to be a common complaint amongst travellers to Cartagena! Thank you for watching :)
WOW😮 Went to Baru Colombia all inclusive resort 11 years ago & we could not get to Wall City because no one spoke english 🥴 I guest it was a blessing in disguise👍🏿
I'm not really sure what it was like 11 years ago, but now it's not the greatest! Hopefully things will change for the better. Thanks for watching :)
Maybe learn how to speak spanish?
Not everything these people say is true, everywhere in the world there are good and bad things.
Well, unfortunately everything we said is true and happened to us! You're right there are good and bad things everywhere, and these are the things that we didn't like in Cartagena. If you'd like to see the good things we liked about Cartagena then you'll want to watch this video ua-cam.com/video/wuzJGVYKVjs/v-deo.html
Thanks for watching!
You guys are funny!
Thanks for watching!
I get it now. You guys made this video only to get engagement to raise your views….I fell for it ugh 😩
People have asked us if we liked Cartagena, and if we would go back, so we had to be honest. It's nice to hear that you like going there, but we travel full time and there are many other places in the world on our list to visit. Cheers!
Come to my beautiful country the philippines
The Philippines is high on our list of places that we would love to visit! We hope to travel there some time soon. Thank you for watching :)
After seeing Romancing the Stone I would never want to go to Cartagena.
Haha, thanks for watching :)
My husband and I felt the same way about Cartagena, We loved the food and buildings but would not go back due to the aggressive vendors. We could not walk one block with out being asked if we wanted drugs or prostitutes.
Love your videos…
But: this is a 3rd World country with a boat load of poverty - and I imagine you’re a millionaire from Canada… no one owes you cheap food, drink and lodging…
Love your channel - enjoy the reality check. ❤❤❤
Cartagena is such a beautiful city, it's too bad that it seems to leave such a negative impression with so many people. Hopefully they will get some of these problems fixed. Thanks for watching :)
We've been to many third world countries with a lot of poverty, but have never encountered anything like this! You're right that no one owes us anything and we certainly didn't say that, we just said that we were surprised at the prices. You gave us the laugh of the day about the millionaire thing lol. Thanks for watching :)
@@TakeTimeToTravel Sorry... I meant Billionaire... 😍😍😍 Any of us - all of us that live in Vancouver are already millionaires! See you in Victoria for dinner soon!
@@canuckcoffeecanada Hopefully we can get back to visit British Columbia some time soon and take you up on that dinner :)
A lot of sensitive ninnies in the comments. No one is knocking Cartagena itself. It's a beautiful city and is clear why some parts are UNESCO heritage sites. But like any overrun touristy place, it's such an annoying experience that it's one of my least favorite places in Colombia. Locals can't even afford to live anywhere central, and the only interaction between tourist and local will be people trying to rip you off and annoy you every 10 meters. I'd take rainy Bogota over Cartegena any day; at least it feels like a normal Colombian city
Thanks for watching, and for the comment, we really appreciate it :)
We are in Cartagena now and will never return. Reasons
the weather is intolerable temperature with humidex is constantly over 40c and there is no relief at night. The heat makes any activity intolerable.
Most restaurants and stores do not advertise their prices because there is one price for locals, another for latin americans, and another for north americans (we pay 2-3x the standard price)
The walled City and City Centre are disgusting - yes they have some interesting colonial architecture but there are Venezuelan homeless everywhere and they sleep and piss in all the side streets. With the heat and humidity the smell is sickening.
The street vendors swarm you and will not leave you alone.
The water is not very clean, even out at the five islands - it's actually disgusting.
Garbage everywhere and all the infrastructure is crumbling
I will be happy when we are heading for the airport.
The city we enjoyed the most is Bogota - clean(they keep the City spotless), people are polite and they queue for everything, club areas are very safe and clean, weather is perfect 14c at night 22c during the day1
Cartagena is a beautiful old city with a rich history, but unfortunately the many negatives will keep us from returning. Thanks for your comment and thank you for watching :)
Cartagena is not for everyone, you guys would probably appreciate Santa Marta way more than Cartagena
Thanks for the recommendation, and thank you for watching, we really appreciate it :)
You guys are a couple of products of AI. I agree with the vendors and Rap singers, THEY ARE ANOING. Any way there is rooms for every budget
Thanks for watching!
That Adobe AI was laid on thick.
Thanks for watching!
Yep, those street rappers are annoying AF, and aggressive. I love street performers, they make a city interesting. Some great buskers around the world, but when don’t understand NO, there’s a problem.
That's so true! Thanks for watching and commenting, we really appreciate it :)
Tienen razón, tristemente Cartagena se convirtió en el peor destino de Colombia por las estafas, malos olores y vendedores abusivos😢😢😢
It's too bad, because Cartagena is such a picturesque city with such an interesting history! Hopefully, things will improve in the future. Thank you for watching :)
Are you reading word by word from a script ?
Thanks for watching.
Yup same experience here. Definitely not going back ever again.
Cartagena is a beautiful city, so it is too bad that many people feel the same way. Hopefully some day things will change. Thank you for watching :)
everything u just listed is normal in non 1st world countries.
Well, we travel full time and have been to many "developing" countries, and believe me, this is not normal! Thank you for watching :)
Nice video...now you guys are in trouble because the Major (Dumek) is fighting UA-camrs that show or talk about the bad (but very real) aspects of the city 😅. They only like people to believe lies about the city, that everything is just perfect, but far from true. Living in the city as a resident things are not that bad, but as tourist with high expectations about the city is terrible. I came from Vancouver to Cartagena and it is hard, but after a few years, I understand the city... Nowadays, I go to the city center and I don't get bothered that much...it is like they know you are not a tourist anymore... I believe the reason for it...I only wear jeans and normal shoes instead of short and flip-flops... There are better place for tourists to go even in Colombia...
We really didn't like making this video with a negative view, but we felt is was better to be honest so that our viewers would know what to expect if they visit Cartagena! It's such a beautiful city, and we have other videos that show the good things that we've experienced there. It's nice to hear that you've been able to blend in and adapt to living in Cartagena. Maybe Mr. Dumek will make some changes for the good? Thank you for watchng :)
Why y’all talking like that😭
Thanks for watching.
Thanks for your honest opinion. I will be sharing this video.
This isn't the type of video that we enjoyed making, but we had to be honest! Thank you for watching :)
Dudes, you should sell bibles to seniors on extended chemo!
Hmmm...thanks for watching, I guess!
lol 😂I get it
When you said you need ur tomaters to have a good vacation I realized this is a pass video
Thanks for watching.
Well, some things are totally true but c'mon! some things are fishing too deep. Groceries being too expensive? Hotels being expensive? I live in Germany and I have found hotels in Poland and in Italy that are more expensive than here, even when they are considered poor countries. I don't think we can go to a city and thinking that because they are poorer then everything has to be cheaper than in my hometown, we are not the measure of all things. Specially if locals pay those prices. Is not the same to be in a tourist city in Poland or Italy than to live in a normal city in Germany, a tourist city is normally more expensive. The street vendors I would agree and taxis trying to scam you is the rule from New York to Bangkok. People speaking to each other on the store is part of what my german wife loves about the latino culture. again, it is a relaxed part of the world and enjoying life and being slow is part of how they do things there and is not a negative thing per se unless we see it according to our culture. I think a little more objectivity would be great on the video. I cannot judge a place because it doesn't fit into my idea of cheap everything and red and fresh vegetables and fruits. Also it is to be noted that in the video it seems you were going to the cheap stores and of course, that is a choice. I guess were you come from you don't go to the cheap stores expecting the good stuff.
As I said, some things are spot on but others are really misleading. Go to Cartagena, stay in the Hilton, go to fine restaurants and buy stuff on the best grocery shops and you would have a totally different experience.
I have stayed in good brand hotels in Europe but when I went to Cancun I had to pay 800 dollars a night. Crazy? Not really, is a tourist destination for people with more money than I make. I would be.very ubfair and bitter if I would say something like: "what? Those prices in Mexico? Is not like I am in (put hometown in developed coutry here"). Same happens in Curaçao or Rio, it is what it is, a lot of good tourism with deep pockets makes price rise. I can only say that is a scam or a tourist trap when I don't accept that some poorer countries have also expensive places because rich people normally go there. If I want to go to Cancun during spring break I have really to double check my wallet, but I would do a disservice if I go and afterwards make a video saying that it was too expensive and people should not go there. Just my thoughts, tried to be respectful but I think a lot of this review is unfair.
Well, we shopped in not only the cheap grocery store, but usually the more expensive one. We were surprised that in that climate, that vegetables were not very good quality, and were more expensive than we thought they would be. A lot of the prices that we encountered were more expensive than in Vancouver, B.C., which is one of the more expensive city's in the world.
I guess if you stay in the Hilton, you would get a very sheltered idea of what Cartagena is like! And I guess with lots of security around the hotel, you felt safety wasn't a factor, as you didn't mention that huge problem. Unfortunately, we can't afford to stay in a 4 star hotel for three months. We prefer to stay in an apartment and prepare most of our meals ourselves.
We are full time travellers, and our impressions of Cartagena are certainly just our opinions, but it would seem like most of the comments so far would tend to agree with us. We do respect your opinion too, and appreciate your comments. Thank you for watching :)
@@TakeTimeToTravel thanks for the respectful comment. I agree with some parts of the video also but there are other parts I feel are unfair. Of course everybody is entitled to have different opinions and in this day and age finding people that disagree with respect towards each other is something to treasure. I think being able to interchange different ideas is one of the things that make the world interesting. Wish u the best. :)
@@Nemex12 Cheers from Athens, Greece!
@@TakeTimeToTravel Cheers from Lake Como :)
Having visited Cartagena i really but really didn’t like your video
If you are honest about the negative things how can you forget the prostitution there?
I mean, it is virtually impossible to meet a woman who is not a prostitute by night
Some may like it and i’m no judge but i didn’t, at least it deserves a comment for whose who prefer to meet “regular girls” while traveling alone
Just, don’t go there, sure all women are not interested there but a large majority are,if you like it, well, enjoy your trip…💁
Well, we weren't looking for women lol, so didn't really have any problems in that regard. Thanks for watching!
I think that place is more for reguetón guys or if you looking prostitutes ,for high level tourism travelers , like Argentina or peru
Thanks for watching!