Is Cartagena Worth A Visit? The Negatives of Cartagena, Colombia!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 11 ก.ค. 2024
- We spent 3 months living in Cartagena, Colombia and found lots of things we really enjoyed as well as lots of things we didn't like. We're going to go over the city's negative features to give you a better idea of whether or not you should visit Cartagena.
We'll talk about the aggressive street vendors, the scammers, the infrastructure, the cost of groceries and accommodations in Cartagena, the poor service, the expensive visa situation and more.
There were also lots of things we liked in Cartagena, which you can find in these videos:
Check out the Top Things To Do In Cartagena: • Top Things To Do & Hid...
Check out our Cartagena Best Restaurants, Rooftop Bars & Patios video: • Where To Eat In Cartag...
Check out our Comparison of Cartagena & Medellin: • Which City Is Better? ...
Check out our Cartagena Walled City Tour: • Top Things To Do & Bes...
Check out our Cartagena Getsemani Tour: • Why YOU Have to Visit ...
Check out our Cartagena Rooftop Bars & Patios Tour: • Must-See Rooftop Bars ...
Check out our Cartagena Street Food Tour: • THE BEST Cartagena Str...
Check out our Amazing Cartagena Day trip to the Rosario Islands: • Incredible Cartagena P...
Check out our Luxurious Cartagena Apartment Tour: • Beachfront Apartment T...
Check out our Cartagena High Rise Apartment Tour: • 33rd Floor Cartagena A...
Check out our Cartagena Manga Apartment Tour: • Local Apartment Tour i...
Check out the Things that Shocked Us in Cartagena: • Two Canadians Surprise...
GetYourGuide Tours:
Cartagena: Rosario Island and Mangroves Private Day Trip (Recommended in this video): gyg.me/qEFBALOQ
Cartagena: Totumo Mud Volcano Experience: gyg.me/mEmxyJS7
Cartagena: Gourmet Cooking Class with a View: gyg.me/6rgwyUNW
Cartagena: Guided Street Food Tour with Tastings: gyg.me/NAWCtfbi
Cartagena: Getsemani Highlights and Graffiti Walking Tour: gyg.me/LdrnlWK5
Cartagena: Walled City of Cartagena & Getsemani Private Tour: gyg.me/pUVOOo7w
Cartagena: Sunset Cruise with Open Bar: gyg.me/mHk2PjwA
Cartagena: Sunset Sea Kayaking Tour: gyg.me/RbO4L0ry
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Check out our video on the many positives of Cartagena: th-cam.com/video/wuzJGVYKVjs/w-d-xo.html
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
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!
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.
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
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 :)
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 :)
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.
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 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 :)
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 :)
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 :)
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!
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 :)
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.
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?
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 :)
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.
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 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 :)
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 :)
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 :)
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 :)
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 :)
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.
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 :)
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 :)
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!
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 :)
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 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 :)
Why y’all talking like that😭
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 :)
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 :)
It is all relative! Stay in Canada!
We'll continue to travel, just not going back to Cartagena! Thanks for watching.
Nice video...now you guys are in trouble because the Major (Dumek) is fighting TH-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 :)
You guys are funny!
Thanks for watching!
😂😂...#1 IT'S A 3RD WORLD COUNTRY... Did you not know that?? You should never go anywhere without a connector or guide. Spend more money next time & respect the people & culture 1st. & the wonderful people will be more than happy to help you avoid all of that.
We've travelled to other "developing" countries, and have never encountered these problems! I think having a guide with us for the three months that we were there would be a little ridiculous. Even the idea of needing that, would definitely be a reason for most people not to travel there. Thank you for watching and commenting, we really appreciate it :)
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 :)
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?
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 :)
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 :)
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 :)
cartegena is a prepaid girl place... go to another carribean island haha
Even though Cartagena is so beautiful, we probably wouldn't go back. Thanks for watching :)
It shows you were not prepared to travel to a third world country. Cartagena’s touristy area is beautiful and magical but prior research on how to navigate an extremely pour place overrun by tourists it’s important to avoid bad experiences. If you are a vacationer and not a traveler, is not the place for you!
We have visited "developing countries" before, and haven't encountered this kind of experience! We stayed there for three months, and even though it is quite beautiful, we won't go back. What area of Cartagena do you live in?
Currently living in Cartagena, I can tell you that the problem of Cartagena is not being a "third world" city/country. There are places in developing countries that are much more organized... Cartagena is a city that is used and abused by everyone, local and foreigners... The city is behind in every aspect period.
@@viajer2011 Sadly, this seems to be true!
Dudes, you should sell bibles to seniors on extended chemo!
Hmmm...thanks for watching, I guess!
lol 😂I get 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 :)
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 :)
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 th-cam.com/video/wuzJGVYKVjs/w-d-xo.html
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 :)
Cartagena deberia pasar una ley anti-acoso a turistas.
Yes, something really needs to be done so that they stop "harassing" everyone! Thank you for watching :)
Please don’t go back to Cartagena!
Keep your word. Stay in Canada please!!!
Haha, no worries, we won't be going back! There are lots of wonderful places to travel to, so we'll keep exploring. Cheers from Greece :)
Why do you talk like there’s someone pointing a gun at you behind the camera? 😂
Thanks 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 :)
Colombian here.... Cartagena is a huge tourist-trap stop going there
It's such a picturesque city, but sadly we wouldn't go back! Thank you for watching :)
Everything this video explains it is to the tea. Please do not travel to Columbia.
Thanks for watching :)
😂
Thanks for watching :)
That’s nice of you Barbie’s but let me tell you something every country has bad and good things!! What a bad people are you guys!! 😏😏
Thanks for watching.
Exaggerated a little
Not a fun video, but we wanted to be honest! Thanks for watching :)
haha! Are these guys for real? Had to pay $45 each to leave the country? HAHA!
Well, it did happen whether you believe it or not. Even though we were under the 90 day limit, they said we were over 60 days and we had to pay $45 CAD each! We disputed that and they said if we didn't pay, we couldn't board the plane. Can't find any rule about it anywhere, so it just seems like another scam. Thanks for watching.
Please, please do not go to Columbia. It is very unfortunate, but you will have the worst experience not only only that but your life can be in danger.
Unfortunately, we won't be going back! Thank you for watching, and for your comment, we really appreciate it :)
Ridiculous comment
@@michelhuijer7386 Why do you say that?
wow ur audio is horrible
Thanks for watching.
@miltonguzman6762
The way a vendor will live you alone i: ignoring them. Avoid looking at them and you will be fine.
This is not Canada, so do not expect the same in Cartagena.
We just spent 3 weeks and loved it!
We travel the Caribbean with NO EXPECTATIONS!
The negative experience you had it was for you to learn so it’s not for every body!
Unfortunately, the negative experience that we had seems to be quite common among people who have visited Cartagena! Glad that you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching :)
A restaurant here that doesn't even exist charged my debit card 23 times in less than 24 hours charging my debit card 9,800.00 USD I am stuck here in Cartagena until I can find money to go back to the states. I was asked 20.00 at the baggage claim by a service worker they always ask "Is this your first trip to Cartagena" then they extort you everywhere from taxi to hotel. There is Vultures in the skies and on the streets. Word of advice I go out with local travelers and groups it seems to be easier to be less prayed upon. Appreciate your content.
Wow, hope things work out alright for you! 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.
Negros no tengo dinero. 🙃