it was cool to meet you today I’m the white guy from the cafe haha, also for anyone wondering the city is so beautiful and I have felt unsafe maybe 2 times so far in my week here I’m here for another week. Me and my friend have been to a few different areas throughout the city without tour guides in the day as long as you are smart you will be safe the people are really cool and welcoming. I recommend going to the Picacho lookout we went up there around 8 and took pictures it is sketchy but there was security up top but don’t go alone.If you don’t like to experience new things I wouldn’t recommend coming here you will be uncomfortable because no aspect of the city is like the United States it’s totally different but I love it.
3:32-3:34 I went to Patricks when I was in Medellín and I must say it was lit loved the tacos there. I tried to go again but then they closed for the day.
El Centro has to be one of my favourite places to explore in Medellin. I live in Poblado but spend lots of time travelling outside of the bubble and I find that lifestyle has been very rewarding
I am a foreigner from the US I’m planning a trip to Colombia Medellin this month and I’m thinking of canceling my trip there due to several news about foreigners being killed or kidnapped. Either I wear a body armor or watch my back every time I get to the street of Colombia. I imagine it’s a paranoid lifestyle living there. It’s difficult to enjoy Colombia and their culture unless I hire a bodyguard to watch me 24-7😂
For many people it's not a paranoid lifestyle at all, just some behavioral changes. If you're afraid even before you come, in my opinion it's better to pick another country.
1 bad video end up on 5 other channels, multiplying visual stimulation which makes it seem like it’s worse than it is. But anyway, your level of fear 😨 is just higher than most probably. The extreme gear and equipment you think you need to wear in order to be there, that place is definitely not for you. The majority of people are not into risky behavior, whether is legal or not. if you feel like you have to walk around doing 360s every five minutes it’s probably not for you. Maybe being a correctional officer for 21 years, it’s just normal for me to be aware of my surroundings. but that’s any, and everywhere I go. It’s not out of fear that I am like this, it’s that I’m just always observant of people. You will probably be on so much stress being there, I wish you I would definitely pick another place and let the people who’s comfortable go.
I spent 3 weeks alone walking around & taking a moped everywhere without knowing any Spanish. I went all around Medellin, Guatape, San Carlos, Rionegro, & Cartagena and had 0 issues. Don’t go for drugs & girls and you will be fine
News is not research. To be news, it has to be new... i.e. different than normal. So what you see on the news ANYWHERE is not representative of life. Unless you found the rare news item which reports the FREQUENCY of an event, then it is USELESS to use as a way to understand reality.
@@AKJoel i've been sharing your videos with my non colombian friend so that they csn listen. ..i lost your info , i wss going to write you if you still wanted me in your channel
Stayed at 3 star hotel in Laureles and a 4 star in Poblado, enjoyed my Laureles stay and chilled with my Colombian neighbors with zero drama. Big price difference though.
I actually like AirBnB in the barrios... Last time I stayed in Aranjuez. Close to the Aranjuez Park. Being Hispanic is a definite plus and helps to blend in. Probably a white tourist won't feel as comfortable. I have also stayed close to the Torres de Bombona and Parque de Boston. Best way to get inmersed in the culture.
@@AKJoel No, I did not feel unsafe at all. You have to be smart. "No dar papaya". Common sense stuff... My suggestion: Just don't do anything silly that you would not do in any major city in the US such as flash a wad of cash, wear a Rolex, etc. I myself have never seen anything dangerous to me. The metro cable stations are popular living areas for lower middle class people who probably work in Exito, Jumbo and other places that pay is not great, and have to make end meet with a million or less pesos per month.
Did sabaneta for 6 weeks, now moved over to envigado/poblado border. It seems warmer here, and a lot more traffic - but second night already ok. Much easier to get to places on foot here. Must work on visa asap 🙂
I arrive on the 27th and got myself a place in Ciudad del Rio. I wanted to be in Poblado (first time in Medellin) in a walkable area but not in the heart of the party since I’ll be working throughout the work week. Wanted to be close enough to Manila, which seems to be the area that attracts me the most. Have I made a wise choice in regards to area of choice?
On point 1: If I go to France, or England for a short trip, I'm not going to the 18th arrondissement or Hackney. I don't see why someone staying in the main tourist area, doing a trip to Guatape, and going to the museum and Comuna 13 is a mistake. All generic things, but that's what people do on short trips
Great point, but this video and my channel isn't really catered towards short term travelers - more for people looking to move to Medellin. So these mistakes are those expats make, not tourists.
@@AKJoel to make a long story short 5 passport bro got into a physical altercation with a young 24 year old sex worker demanding 200$ cash, when she didn’t get the money, she destroyed their airbnb table and attack them, it took two guys to throw her out then as they got her out she attack one of them again, police were called in, not sure if charges were press but video went viral, I can forward it to you if you like
@@AKJoel or if the videos haven’t been taken down type In Cartagena Airbnb dispute I’m sure you can still fine it, UA-cam did take some down due to violation
Hey Joel, do you know if you have to fill out a Check Mig if you have an inbound international flight solely for a connection layover? Or do you only have to fill one out if you are actually leaving the airport?
A Kantar Cl. 41A # 70 - 112. That's become my hack, because I can't stand Col party music... going to karaoke makes it much more enjoyable. Like A Kantar on weekends, seems to be visited by many gays, it's fun and everyone is nice.
I could add so many to this. How about thinking your exempt from paying taxes even if you live here over 183 days per year because you are a) a digital nomad, or worse b) they won't check. Dressing in flip flops and shorts to go to nightclub. Opening a business when you know nothing about the country or doing business. Trusting a random locals advice on visas because they say they "know how it works". Hiring someone who is a family member of your friend/gf etc... I could keep going 🤣
Good tips! We tried to keep it short but if we wanted to list all the mistakes that would have to be a 10 part Netflix miniseries, not a 10 min UA-cam video 😂
You guys make great videos. I am going to push back a bit on this one. The reality is that Colombia ia a very dangerous place to anyone (including other Colombians) who have assets. Many of my Colombian in-laws have been victims of violent crimes themselves. The Colombian people are great, and the culture is great, but you should always be guarded. If that makes someone a "super gringo", so be it.
I visited medellin for five weeks last year and I am immigrating on April 1. I had been looking in Lalis primarily for a six month lease while I look to buy a home however, Lawless was super crowded when I came here before and I actually was interested in finding someplace other than Lawless, Poblado or Envigado. I had not heard of the city center but that is actually where I wanted to live, no one ever talks about it, so I assumed it wasn’t safe. The place you were talking about is called Ciudad del Rio?
Thanks for replying, I appreciate it. I’ve been watching your videos and it’s a lot of good information. I’m about to check out the moving to medellin checklist. I might want to book a consultation at some point, I’m not sure for what exactly. There is one thing, though - if you have anybody you can recommend to locate unfurnished apartments and help get you set up. If you could recommend an assistant? What’s the best way to contact you?
No worries - I can help you with the apartment and assistant - if you like, you can book a consult here and we can discuss further - www.akjoel.com/consultations
Hey guys, great channel! I'm from the US but my mom is from Colombia and she's elderly so I wanted to move back with her. I don't so much wanna rely on her family to move back and I needed some guidance as to what a good sector would be to get an airbnb just to test out medellin (her family is the northern coast but I wanna have a bit of distance) anyway, I'm looking for a place where she would feel at home and I (as an American) would also feel okay as well. She been living in the US for more then 3 decades and hasn't gone back. Can you recommend a place to try out? For me safety is a big concern as she has a disability so I wanna be sure she can be independent but also safe in her surroundings. Thanks a bunch! You make me laugh so much!
We actually answered your question on our last live stream, but the answer was Envigado. Super safe and some parts are completely flat, so easy for your Mum to get around. Hope that helps 🙂
Along the lines of not triggering the income tax for bank transfers... if you have a good foreign credit card, lots of stores will take those and I'm finding the most I pay extra in exchange/intl fees for using my Bank of America visa vs transferring money to my Bancolombia account is at most 1%. Which is far less than what the income taxes would be. Once you learn what transfer service to use, you can even pay high price items like rent by your foreign visa or send the money directly from your foreign bank account into the landlord's Colombian bank account. So it makes no sense to do two transfers (1st into a friend's account, and then in the actual end business account). Just learn how to transfer directly to the end business account for large transactions. You should never be doing those transactions via cash anyway.
Some things you can't pay with card though - for example our apartment administration and our services bill MUST be paid through transfer. So annoying lol
@@AKJoel ….brother the crime is ridiculous. I have witnessed two shootings in Medellin. Also the prices are continuously raising based on the influx of foreigners. It’s a fun fun city but I now seek other alternatives. Finding decent woman is possible but more complicated. Sometimes you UA-camrs focus on the positive because it’s a business to you guys , but I’m not saying anything that many local Colombians don’t also echo. Many don’t want us there. We are annoying. We sometimes act like we own the place. We forget that we are guest. I’m don’t with Medellin. More for you guys to enjoy.
I live in a small Costeña town....I am the only actual gringo here...there is a guy who everyone called Gringo as a nickname but is 100% Colombian......i have never met someone here who was not helpful if you at least try.....
it was cool to meet you today I’m the white guy from the cafe haha, also for anyone wondering the city is so beautiful and I have felt unsafe maybe 2 times so far in my week here I’m here for another week. Me and my friend have been to a few different areas throughout the city without tour guides in the day as long as you are smart you will be safe the people are really cool and welcoming. I recommend going to the Picacho lookout we went up there around 8 and took pictures it is sketchy but there was security up top but don’t go alone.If you don’t like to experience new things I wouldn’t recommend coming here you will be uncomfortable because no aspect of the city is like the United States it’s totally different but I love it.
Nice to meet you too mate, enjoy the rest of your time here and good luck to your 49ers 👍🏾👍🏾
3:32-3:34 I went to Patricks when I was in Medellín and I must say it was lit loved the tacos there. I tried to go again but then they closed for the day.
El Centro has to be one of my favourite places to explore in Medellin. I live in Poblado but spend lots of time travelling outside of the bubble and I find that lifestyle has been very rewarding
It's super exciting over there, always something going on!
I am a foreigner from the US I’m planning a trip to Colombia Medellin this month and I’m thinking of canceling my trip there due to several news about foreigners being killed or kidnapped. Either I wear a body armor or watch my back every time I get to the street of Colombia. I imagine it’s a paranoid lifestyle living there. It’s difficult to enjoy Colombia and their culture unless I hire a bodyguard to watch me 24-7😂
For many people it's not a paranoid lifestyle at all, just some behavioral changes. If you're afraid even before you come, in my opinion it's better to pick another country.
1 bad video end up on 5 other channels, multiplying visual stimulation which makes it seem like it’s worse than it is. But anyway, your level of fear 😨 is just higher than most probably. The extreme gear and equipment you think you need to wear in order to be there, that place is definitely not for you. The majority of people are not into risky behavior, whether is legal or not. if you feel like you have to walk around doing 360s every five minutes it’s probably not for you. Maybe being a correctional officer for 21 years, it’s just normal for me to be aware of my surroundings. but that’s any, and everywhere I go. It’s not out of fear that I am like this, it’s that I’m just always observant of people. You will probably be on so much stress being there, I wish you I would definitely pick another place and let the people who’s comfortable go.
I spent 3 weeks alone walking around & taking a moped everywhere without knowing any Spanish. I went all around Medellin, Guatape, San Carlos, Rionegro, & Cartagena and had 0 issues. Don’t go for drugs & girls and you will be fine
News is not research. To be news, it has to be new... i.e. different than normal. So what you see on the news ANYWHERE is not representative of life. Unless you found the rare news item which reports the FREQUENCY of an event, then it is USELESS to use as a way to understand reality.
@@ValentinoTradingAnd not to drink like a fish nor be a peacock
Corrrect! Wish more people listened to you.
The world would be a better place haha Well maybe not, but atleast Medellin would lol
@@AKJoel i've been sharing your videos with my non colombian friend so that they csn listen.
@@AKJoel i've been sharing your videos with my non colombian friend so that they csn listen.
..i lost your info , i wss going to write you if you still wanted me in your channel
Hey Rey - you can email me here and we can discuss - akjoelfilms@gmail.com
Great video again guys
Cheers James! 🙂
Stayed at 3 star hotel in Laureles and a 4 star in Poblado, enjoyed my Laureles stay and chilled with my Colombian neighbors with zero drama. Big price difference though.
Laureles is amazing, I love it
Im in Buenos Aires & loving ittttt
Buenos Aires, MDE ofc 😂
I bet the rent is a lot cheaper there too huh?
Rent is unbelievable! But my spanish is advanced and I have noticed that's definitely more important here than the other LatAm countries further north
Yeh I know what you mean. I lived in Mexico for almost 2 years and almost never spoke Spanish 😂
@@AKJoel same! I got away with no Spanish in Costa Rica for wayyyyyy tooo long
Man I went to medillen by myself 12 years ago, had a great time no issues no problems . Like any place know where u r at
Would've been awesome back then, very different I bet!
The money thing is big....in order to get the investor visa you must bring your money into Colombia through a company who specializes in it....
Yeh a lot of people get into trouble doing it the wrong way
Manila, Laurels, Belen, Envigado, El Centro, Saboneta - no pollution, no noise, no pick-pocket
Do you mean none of these areas have no pollution, noise or pickpockets?
Barrio los conquistadores is nice!
Yeh it's increíble!!
This is a great video. I have a question where do you get involved in groups. For instance I like tennis but don't know how or where to get involved.
Here's the Medellin Tennis group on Whatsapp:
chat.whatsapp.com/IwUX9MiTcFcLoTiuOllebK
I actually like AirBnB in the barrios... Last time I stayed in Aranjuez. Close to the Aranjuez Park. Being Hispanic is a definite plus and helps to blend in. Probably a white tourist won't feel as comfortable. I have also stayed close to the Torres de Bombona and Parque de Boston. Best way to get inmersed in the culture.
That sounds like lots of fun! Did you feel unsafe at all?
@@AKJoel No, I did not feel unsafe at all. You have to be smart. "No dar papaya". Common sense stuff...
My suggestion: Just don't do anything silly that you would not do in any major city in the US such as flash a wad of cash, wear a Rolex, etc. I myself have never seen anything dangerous to me.
The metro cable stations are popular living areas for lower middle class people who probably work in Exito, Jumbo and other places that pay is not great, and have to make end meet with a million or less pesos per month.
Did sabaneta for 6 weeks, now moved over to envigado/poblado border. It seems warmer here, and a lot more traffic - but second night already ok. Much easier to get to places on foot here. Must work on visa asap 🙂
I lived on the Envigado/Poblado border for about 6 months and absolutely loved it there.
Also, what bar does your friend own in Manila? Love that area!
Manila is awesome, I lived there for most of the first year I was in Medellin!
I arrive on the 27th and got myself a place in Ciudad del Rio. I wanted to be in Poblado (first time in Medellin) in a walkable area but not in the heart of the party since I’ll be working throughout the work week. Wanted to be close enough to Manila, which seems to be the area that attracts me the most. Have I made a wise choice in regards to area of choice?
Absolutely great choice 👍🏾 you'll love it!
On point 1:
If I go to France, or England for a short trip, I'm not going to the 18th arrondissement or Hackney.
I don't see why someone staying in the main tourist area, doing a trip to Guatape, and going to the museum and Comuna 13 is a mistake. All generic things, but that's what people do on short trips
Great point, but this video and my channel isn't really catered towards short term travelers - more for people looking to move to Medellin. So these mistakes are those expats make, not tourists.
Are you guys informed with the Cartagena air bnb dispute that took place few weeks ago?
Nope havent heard anything about that, what happened?
@@AKJoel to make a long story short 5 passport bro got into a physical altercation with a young 24 year old sex worker demanding 200$ cash, when she didn’t get the money, she destroyed their airbnb table and attack them, it took two guys to throw her out then as they got her out she attack one of them again, police were called in, not sure if charges were press but video went viral, I can forward it to you if you like
@@AKJoel or if the videos haven’t been taken down type In Cartagena Airbnb dispute I’m sure you can still fine it, UA-cam did take some down due to violation
Hey Joel, do you know if you have to fill out a Check Mig if you have an inbound international flight solely for a connection layover? Or do you only have to fill one out if you are actually leaving the airport?
I think you only have to fill it out if you're planning on passing Colombian immigration
@AkJoel's Colombia i am going to Medellín in 5 days what Karaoke bars do you recommend i go to?
I have no idea mate, never been to one - but maybe someone else who sees this comment will have some suggestions.
A Kantar Cl. 41A # 70 - 112. That's become my hack, because I can't stand Col party music... going to karaoke makes it much more enjoyable. Like A Kantar on weekends, seems to be visited by many gays, it's fun and everyone is nice.
I could add so many to this. How about thinking your exempt from paying taxes even if you live here over 183 days per year because you are a) a digital nomad, or worse b) they won't check. Dressing in flip flops and shorts to go to nightclub. Opening a business when you know nothing about the country or doing business. Trusting a random locals advice on visas because they say they "know how it works". Hiring someone who is a family member of your friend/gf etc... I could keep going 🤣
Good tips! We tried to keep it short but if we wanted to list all the mistakes that would have to be a 10 part Netflix miniseries, not a 10 min UA-cam video 😂
You guys make great videos. I am going to push back a bit on this one. The reality is that Colombia ia a very dangerous place to anyone (including other Colombians) who have assets. Many of my Colombian in-laws have been victims of violent crimes themselves. The Colombian people are great, and the culture is great, but you should always be guarded. If that makes someone a "super gringo", so be it.
"Many" of my Colombian in-laws...
How many wives do you have mate? 😂
I visited medellin for five weeks last year and I am immigrating on April 1. I had been looking in Lalis primarily for a six month lease while I look to buy a home however, Lawless was super crowded when I came here before and I actually was interested in finding someplace other than Lawless, Poblado or Envigado. I had not heard of the city center but that is actually where I wanted to live, no one ever talks about it, so I assumed it wasn’t safe. The place you were talking about is called Ciudad del Rio?
I'm assuming by Lawless you mean Laureles? LOL
Ciudad del Rio is a great place to live and El Centro can be good for more experienced travelers.
Lawless:
Laws are kind of optional (especially at red lights) so he might be talking about anyplace in Colombia ;-)@@AKJoel
Thanks for replying, I appreciate it. I’ve been watching your videos and it’s a lot of good information. I’m about to check out the moving to medellin checklist. I might want to book a consultation at some point, I’m not sure for what exactly. There is one thing, though - if you have anybody you can recommend to locate unfurnished apartments and help get you set up. If you could recommend an assistant? What’s the best way to contact you?
No worries - I can help you with the apartment and assistant - if you like, you can book a consult here and we can discuss further - www.akjoel.com/consultations
Hey guys, great channel! I'm from the US but my mom is from Colombia and she's elderly so I wanted to move back with her. I don't so much wanna rely on her family to move back and I needed some guidance as to what a good sector would be to get an airbnb just to test out medellin (her family is the northern coast but I wanna have a bit of distance) anyway, I'm looking for a place where she would feel at home and I (as an American) would also feel okay as well. She been living in the US for more then 3 decades and hasn't gone back. Can you recommend a place to try out? For me safety is a big concern as she has a disability so I wanna be sure she can be independent but also safe in her surroundings. Thanks a bunch! You make me laugh so much!
We actually answered your question on our last live stream, but the answer was Envigado. Super safe and some parts are completely flat, so easy for your Mum to get around. Hope that helps 🙂
People stays in Poblado for safety’s sack .
Actually a high % of the crimes against foreigners actually happen in Poblado
Along the lines of not triggering the income tax for bank transfers... if you have a good foreign credit card, lots of stores will take those and I'm finding the most I pay extra in exchange/intl fees for using my Bank of America visa vs transferring money to my Bancolombia account is at most 1%. Which is far less than what the income taxes would be. Once you learn what transfer service to use, you can even pay high price items like rent by your foreign visa or send the money directly from your foreign bank account into the landlord's Colombian bank account. So it makes no sense to do two transfers (1st into a friend's account, and then in the actual end business account). Just learn how to transfer directly to the end business account for large transactions. You should never be doing those transactions via cash anyway.
Some things you can't pay with card though - for example our apartment administration and our services bill MUST be paid through transfer. So annoying lol
Medellin is done. Too many foreigners.
When lots of foreigners come, that's usually when a city takes off into the next level of tourism. Medellin isn't done, it's just getting started.
@@AKJoel ….brother the crime is ridiculous. I have witnessed two shootings in Medellin. Also the prices are continuously raising based on the influx of foreigners. It’s a fun fun city but I now seek other alternatives.
Finding decent woman is possible but more complicated. Sometimes you UA-camrs focus on the positive because it’s a business to you guys , but I’m not saying anything that many local Colombians don’t also echo. Many don’t want us there. We are annoying. We sometimes act like we own the place. We forget that we are guest. I’m don’t with Medellin. More for you guys to enjoy.
I live in a small Costeña town....I am the only actual gringo here...there is a guy who everyone called Gringo as a nickname but is 100% Colombian......i have never met someone here who was not helpful if you at least try.....
How did you end up there?