Another fun month! Love to follow you ladies around the world like this. I learn so much from your videos. Yes, it seems the airbnbs are just too pricey nowadays. I wonder if there is a better way to stay places.
We're finding that the post-COVID rates on Airbnb just keep getting higher and higher. All the more reason to travel slowly and negotiate whenever possible. Glad you enjoyed the video! 😊
Yes, we do have go-to meals, usually stews and salads. We've been eating more vegetarian and plant-based meals lately so that makes it a little easier to get ingredients..it's never that hard to find legumes, grains and produce!
Thanks, ladies. Another great video. 😊 You have become our “go to” site for slow travel information. After your stay, do you still feel Laureles is better than El Poblado? We are planning a trip to Medellin in June and July, so we are working on finding the right neighbourhood for our tastes.
So great to hear - thank you! If we returned to Medellin, we would choose to stay close to Parque de Laureles, which is a more upscale section within the Laureles neighbourhood. Lots of greenery and great restaurants around there. We found the street life in both El Poblado and where we stayed in Laureles (near La 70) to be a little overwhelming.
You guys are quite adventurous - really have to hand it to you, as I didn't think you would enjoy it! We were only there for a week back in 2009, but have some great memories and would like to go again. Enjoyed your video - thanks!
Finally first, I wasn’t fan of botero plaza , it looked like a mess, but I loved staying in Poblado, felt so safe and developed (definitely pricey for Colombian standards)
On March 17, TIME magazine included Medellin among the 50 best destinations in the world in 2023. And in January THE NEW YORK TIMES also included Medellin among the 50 best destinations in the world in 2023. ❤Medellin is the #1 city in quality of life in the country, it has already surpassed Cartagena in international tourists and is, according to Dane, the city with the lowest unemployment in the country in 2023.
Sounds like you have exciting plans! Yes, we absolutely have travel insurance -- it's essential. We have a video that shares more detail bit.ly/3PzbhVB
In the end, we decided not to go...but only because we spent the following month travelling through the coffee region where there are so many charming painted towns. Video on that coming soon! 😊
To all interested in the Airbnb price tag: I'm gonna share a bit of info here. So yes the $1000 plus Airbnb tag is very real. However that's because it's Airbnb. Actual rent via a building or a landlord tends to be more like USD $500-600. For a 2x2. Or 3-2. The 1000 plus can get you some LUXURIOUS stuff, but again off Airbnb. Now the above values are more like what middle class + Colombians pay among themselves. If you're planning to make Medellín home for like a year or so, I recommend you check MetroCuadrado. It's like the locals stuff. By the way loved the video! Cheers!
What a great overview beautifully presented. Seems the murals and graffiti could fill a video too. The glimpses seen looked rich and interesting. BTW. Jasper and Huxley must be amongst the worlds most traveled poodles. 😀
I've greatly enjoyed your videos. So glad I stumbled onto your blog! My husband Tim and I have been full-time RVing for the last 4 years and are planning to spend six months abroad each year starting in April 2024. How far in advance are you making your reservations to ensure plenty of options for availability for a full month?
Glad to hear that you're enjoying our content! 😊 We usually plan at least six months ahead to ensure that we get our pick of Airbnbs and flight prices. However, for a popular destination we might start looking even earlier. Good luck with your planning!
Great video about Laureles. What food tour did you go on? What area/street was your Airbnb on? We stayed in an Airbnb last summer by the Pontificia University. It was great 👍. We are going again this summer. Thanks for all your ideas. Travelers from Chicago. ¡Muchas gracias!
Glad you enjoyed the video! We went with Real City tours both for the city tour and the food tour. We were very pleased with both. Our Airbnb was on Calle 46 in Laureles, which was nice, but we would choose to stay closer to Parque de Laureles next time where the better dining options are located. Enjoy your trip!
Jasper and Huxley are the most resilient pups. How many countries have they been to? The food looked delicious. I think that's a great deal on an AirBnb! It's all relative. I spent a small fortune for a tiny 133 sq foot room in the heart of Chicago.
It really is all relative! We would easily spend twice that for a basement apartment in Toronto 😂 I think they've been to at least a dozen countries by now and are more relaxed with every flight.
Comparing Chicago and Medellin is silly, those two cities are not comparable at all, for starters one is located in one of the most advanced countries in the world, the other is a 2nd world - bordering on 3rd world country, whether you like that definition or not that is the reality
well, this is happening everywhere... Mexico City, Lisbon, Medellin..you name it, local landlords have realized that clueless American nomads are ready and willing to pay extremely exorbitant prices so are simply pushing the boundaries with impunity. Some of these prices are 3X, 4X or even 5X what a local domestic tourist would pay for the same property.
@sbkpilot11 yes, I have noticed that, all those places you just mentioned have gone up so much, I am starting to question whether it's worth it to stay in such places. Thanks to all those so called digital nomads pushing the price to such territory.
It's very pricy indeed. We were expecting the rates to be more closely in line with local prices but hosts are aware that travellers are willing to pay a premium for well-designed, well-furnished spaces.
Another great video! We’re curious about how you manage your lifestyle in general, from a logistics point of view. We travel for about half the year so we can maintain residency in British Columbia, Canada. How do you handle travelling full-time in terms of maintaining a drivers license, paying taxes etc? We’ve watched your videos on travel insurance but we haven’t found an answer to these other questions. Thanks!! You guys are awesome!
All great questions! We have a blog post covering some of the logistics of our lifestyle, including driver's licence bit.ly/3Eby1Z8 We resumed our Canadian residency so we pay the usual taxes in Canada. Prior to that we were paying taxes in Singapore where we worked. Hope that helps!
@@OurFreedomYears Thanks! Though don’t you have to be physically present in a Canadian province for a certain number of months each year in order to claim residency there and to maintain a provincial drivers license (so you can have an international driving permit)?
@@ChrisAndEmilie I believe the physical presence requirements pertain primarily to health care. We were mainly concerned with paying taxes somewhere and the government was more than happy to take our tax money. 😂We have an address in Canada so that's what we use to renew driver's licence etc.
Porque estan en areas que no sin Seguras ..Si es mas barato Todo..pero viciten Las Palmas Envigado ..Llano grande en Rio Negro CERCA Al aeropuerto.son sonas Al Sur necesitan Uber .son zonas Hermosas y de habitantes de clase de Buenas family..casas hermosas.zona Verde SE siente El aire diferente..😮
We are fellow Canadians and great fans of your videos and your journeys, and will be doing the same in the next several months. I also like you worked in Singapore and parts of Asia, before returning to Canada to retire and slow travel. Could you please tell us what medical insurance company you chose for slow travel coverage?
Great to hear from you and glad to know that you're enjoying our content! It sounds like we've had very similar paths. In terms of insurance, we've gone between two different insurers over the past few years of nomad living. We started with Safety Wing, switched to Cigna Global for more comprehensive coverage and then switched back to Safety Wing when we resumed our Canadian residency. We would plan to return to Canada to address any serious medical concerns. Hope that helps!
@@OurFreedomYears totally helped. Thanks and safe travels. We were in Cuenca and Guayaquil a few years ago. Heading to Singapore, Bali and Thailand in April then on to Morocco, turkey and Portugal for the Canadian winter. Maybe cross paths somewhere.
Sounds like a nice but an edgy month . When you've mentioned crowds can be overwhelming, what do you mean by that? I thought you are used to that since you've traveled in Asian countries before.
In some high traffic areas of Medellin, the crowds can be quite mixed ...there is begging, drug use, homelessness, prostitution. These are typical problems that you might find in any big city but we personally found it very challenging.
It seemed like you ventured out in the city only with tours and I can't help but think Medellin these days must be too dangerous. Apart from the Laureles neighborhood did you go anywhere by yourselves? Also Guatape is a charming quick trip - surprised not seeing it here.
We ran a number of errands which took us all across the city. But generally we found we had to be on guard for potential issues since we are clearly tourists. We decided not to go to Guatape because we spent the next month travelling through the coffee region and visiting all the charming towns there. Coming up in our next video!
I lived in Medellin for a year and unfortunately got robbed at gunpoint 3 times. I have since left for obvious reasons. It is just too dangerous - one moment I was relaxing and eating at an expensive restaurants, and the next moment 5 men with guns barge in and rob us. The other two robberies took place while I was walking back from a gym and a restaurant - two men in a moto pulled up in each case and relieved me of my phone and wallet. I wasn't harmed in any of the 3 robberies but I was no longer willing to play Russian roulette with my life.
@@OurFreedomYears No problem. Breathtaking city, people, and weather so I don't want to take anything away from Medellin. I am from Canada and going from never having seen a gun in the hands of a bad guy to being robbed 3 times was too much. Folks from certain cities in the US seem to cope better with the risks in Medellin.
they said they "negotiated" and got a good deal, good grief! $1300 in Medellin essentially amounts to "daylight robbery" in my opinion especially in Laureles which is a 2nd tier neighborhood to Poblado.
@@sbkpilot1 With usd1300, you can rent a luxury condo in Shanghai or Bangkok, let's be frank, Medellin is nowhere near the level of Shanghai or Bangkok.
@10:11 yikes! that is a LOT of cheese for one person to eat!!! $1300 for an Airbnb in Laureles is very steep, should be around $700-800... and the $800 is the gringo price fyi
Very nice video. We are heading down to South America this week, finally! Many delays with finances, exiting the rat race and family issues. I will show this vid to my wife, who is concerned about Colombia's security and nothing I can say moves her. Love, love Gillian's hair, too.
Congrats on starting the next chapter! Regarding Colombia's security, we felt on guard while we were in Medellin but much more safe and relaxed in the coffee region. You could always skip the big cities and head straight for the beautiful countryside. 😊
![ทางเดินชีวิต - ธีเดช ทองอภิชาติ x อ.ไข่ มาลีฮวนน่า [Official MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/1f3wcG16dd4/mqdefault.jpg)
![ง้อ (ALRIGHT) - FOURTH Prod. by URBOYTJ [ OFFICIAL MV ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Qs8ZeV6Dqj8/mqdefault.jpg)
Another fun month! Love to follow you ladies around the world like this. I learn so much from your videos. Yes, it seems the airbnbs are just too pricey nowadays. I wonder if there is a better way to stay places.
We're finding that the post-COVID rates on Airbnb just keep getting higher and higher. All the more reason to travel slowly and negotiate whenever possible. Glad you enjoyed the video! 😊
@@OurFreedomYears Smart!
You two make excellent videos. Great editing and info..Thank you! Keep traveling!
Thank you! Much appreciated 😊
We're heading to Medellin in October, really helpful info here. Thanks.
Glad it was helpful! 😊 Have an amazing time.
I love that you two cook in so much, do you have go to meals that you have been able to find the ingredients for throughout your travels???
Yes, we do have go-to meals, usually stews and salads. We've been eating more vegetarian and plant-based meals lately so that makes it a little easier to get ingredients..it's never that hard to find legumes, grains and produce!
Thanks, ladies. Another great video. 😊 You have become our “go to” site for slow travel information. After your stay, do you still feel Laureles is better than El Poblado? We are planning a trip to Medellin in June and July, so we are working on finding the right neighbourhood for our tastes.
So great to hear - thank you! If we returned to Medellin, we would choose to stay close to Parque de Laureles, which is a more upscale section within the Laureles neighbourhood. Lots of greenery and great restaurants around there. We found the street life in both El Poblado and where we stayed in Laureles (near La 70) to be a little overwhelming.
@@OurFreedomYears thank you! We really value your viewpoint. 😊
I prefer Manila.
You guys are quite adventurous - really have to hand it to you, as I didn't think you would enjoy it! We were only there for a week back in 2009, but have some great memories and would like to go again. Enjoyed your video - thanks!
Glad to hear you enjoyed the video! It's quite an interesting city and definitely worthwhile for travellers who love an urban experience.
Finally first, I wasn’t fan of botero plaza , it looked like a mess, but I loved staying in Poblado, felt so safe and developed (definitely pricey for Colombian standards)
We did consider Poblado but really felt that the nicer Airbnbs were priced well out of our budget. 😂
@@OurFreedomYears yes but I have a feeling in the next decade you’ll be spending more money than now and it will fall in your budget.
Yea! I don’t stay there anymore. It’s too pricey. I prefer Sabaneta or laureless.
@@OurFreedomYearswhich travel agency did you use?
@@sherylchapman7809 If you mean the tour company that we used, it's called Real City Tours
On March 17, TIME magazine included Medellin among the 50 best destinations in the world in 2023.
And in January THE NEW YORK TIMES also included Medellin among the 50 best destinations in the world in 2023.
❤Medellin is the #1 city in quality of life in the country, it has already surpassed Cartagena in international tourists and is, according to Dane, the city with the lowest unemployment in the country in 2023.
Thanks so much for sharing! Medellin is a really interesting city and we're happy to have visited.
Loved the video!!
Always wonderful to hear that from you! I've been enjoying all the updates from Malaysia...makes me want to head back to SEA soon! 😊
Great videos! Do you guys use travel insurance? We are planning to do travel the world as well in a few years!
Sounds like you have exciting plans! Yes, we absolutely have travel insurance -- it's essential. We have a video that shares more detail bit.ly/3PzbhVB
did you guys have a chance to go to Guatape?
In the end, we decided not to go...but only because we spent the following month travelling through the coffee region where there are so many charming painted towns. Video on that coming soon! 😊
To all interested in the Airbnb price tag:
I'm gonna share a bit of info here. So yes the $1000 plus Airbnb tag is very real. However that's because it's Airbnb. Actual rent via a building or a landlord tends to be more like USD $500-600. For a 2x2. Or 3-2.
The 1000 plus can get you some LUXURIOUS stuff, but again off Airbnb. Now the above values are more like what middle class + Colombians pay among themselves. If you're planning to make Medellín home for like a year or so, I recommend you check MetroCuadrado. It's like the locals stuff.
By the way loved the video!
Cheers!
Glad you enjoyed the video! Thanks for sharing about the rental rates...very interesting.
What a great overview beautifully presented. Seems the murals and graffiti could fill a video too. The glimpses seen looked rich and interesting. BTW. Jasper and Huxley must be amongst the worlds most traveled poodles. 😀
Ha ha...they're definitely putting in some good air time. If only they could collect points. 😂
$2000/ month is more than I spend at home. Cheaper for me to plan 1 day trips within 500 miles of my home.
Indeed! 😊
You've made up my mind
Excellent! Glad we could help. 😊
I've greatly enjoyed your videos. So glad I stumbled onto your blog! My husband Tim and I have been full-time RVing for the last 4 years and are planning to spend six months abroad each year starting in April 2024. How far in advance are you making your reservations to ensure plenty of options for availability for a full month?
Glad to hear that you're enjoying our content! 😊 We usually plan at least six months ahead to ensure that we get our pick of Airbnbs and flight prices. However, for a popular destination we might start looking even earlier. Good luck with your planning!
Great video about Laureles.
What food tour did you go on?
What area/street was your Airbnb on?
We stayed in an Airbnb last summer by the Pontificia University. It was great 👍. We are going again this summer. Thanks for all your ideas.
Travelers from Chicago. ¡Muchas gracias!
Glad you enjoyed the video! We went with Real City tours both for the city tour and the food tour. We were very pleased with both. Our Airbnb was on Calle 46 in Laureles, which was nice, but we would choose to stay closer to Parque de Laureles next time where the better dining options are located. Enjoy your trip!
@@OurFreedomYears
Great information! I'll definitely be using it. Thanks for your reply 👍
We used Real City tours for C 13 too! They where excellent. Excellent video!
Jasper and Huxley are the most resilient pups. How many countries have they been to?
The food looked delicious. I think that's a great deal on an AirBnb! It's all relative. I spent a small fortune for a tiny 133 sq foot room in the heart of Chicago.
It really is all relative! We would easily spend twice that for a basement apartment in Toronto 😂 I think they've been to at least a dozen countries by now and are more relaxed with every flight.
Comparing Chicago and Medellin is silly, those two cities are not comparable at all, for starters one is located in one of the most advanced countries in the world, the other is a 2nd world - bordering on 3rd world country, whether you like that definition or not that is the reality
Welcome always to Colombia 🇨🇴…!!!
Many thanks! It's such a beautiful country. 😊
Way too expensive for airbb in my opinion but I guess medellin is hot 🔥 nowadays.
well, this is happening everywhere... Mexico City, Lisbon, Medellin..you name it, local landlords have realized that clueless American nomads are ready and willing to pay extremely exorbitant prices so are simply pushing the boundaries with impunity. Some of these prices are 3X, 4X or even 5X what a local domestic tourist would pay for the same property.
@sbkpilot11 yes, I have noticed that, all those places you just mentioned have gone up so much, I am starting to question whether it's worth it to stay in such places. Thanks to all those so called digital nomads pushing the price to such territory.
It's very pricy indeed. We were expecting the rates to be more closely in line with local prices but hosts are aware that travellers are willing to pay a premium for well-designed, well-furnished spaces.
True. Centro / Sur America has realized Gringos are coming en masse.. so they're gouging the Gringo.
Is Columbia LGBLT friendly?
@@Eddie-ud4bb You will have to ask them.
I think you would've loved Envigado More than laureles! It's a quieter neighborhood south of laureles and poblado.
Great tip - thank you! A quiet neighbourhood sounds just perfect to us. 😊
Envigado is good too. I liked it.
Another great video! We’re curious about how you manage your lifestyle in general, from a logistics point of view. We travel for about half the year so we can maintain residency in British Columbia, Canada. How do you handle travelling full-time in terms of maintaining a drivers license, paying taxes etc? We’ve watched your videos on travel insurance but we haven’t found an answer to these other questions. Thanks!! You guys are awesome!
All great questions! We have a blog post covering some of the logistics of our lifestyle, including driver's licence bit.ly/3Eby1Z8
We resumed our Canadian residency so we pay the usual taxes in Canada. Prior to that we were paying taxes in Singapore where we worked. Hope that helps!
@@OurFreedomYears Thanks! Though don’t you have to be physically present in a Canadian province for a certain number of months each year in order to claim residency there and to maintain a provincial drivers license (so you can have an international driving permit)?
@@ChrisAndEmilie I believe the physical presence requirements pertain primarily to health care. We were mainly concerned with paying taxes somewhere and the government was more than happy to take our tax money. 😂We have an address in Canada so that's what we use to renew driver's licence etc.
@@OurFreedomYears Got it! Thanks for the explanations :-)
Porque estan en areas que no sin Seguras ..Si es mas barato Todo..pero viciten Las Palmas Envigado ..Llano grande en Rio Negro CERCA Al aeropuerto.son sonas Al Sur necesitan Uber .son zonas Hermosas y de habitantes de clase de Buenas family..casas hermosas.zona Verde SE siente El aire diferente..😮
Gracias por compartir 😊
11:06 I stayed right by area Youre walking.
Nice! That was our neighbourhood too! 😊
@@OurFreedomYears it’s nice
We are fellow Canadians and great fans of your videos and your journeys, and will be doing the same in the next several months. I also like you worked in Singapore and parts of Asia, before returning to Canada to retire and slow travel.
Could you please tell us what medical insurance company you chose for slow travel coverage?
Great to hear from you and glad to know that you're enjoying our content! It sounds like we've had very similar paths. In terms of insurance, we've gone between two different insurers over the past few years of nomad living. We started with Safety Wing, switched to Cigna Global for more comprehensive coverage and then switched back to Safety Wing when we resumed our Canadian residency. We would plan to return to Canada to address any serious medical concerns. Hope that helps!
@@OurFreedomYears totally helped. Thanks and safe travels. We were in Cuenca and Guayaquil a few years ago. Heading to Singapore, Bali and Thailand in April then on to Morocco, turkey and Portugal for the Canadian winter. Maybe cross paths somewhere.
@@shivachari What an amazing plan! So many places we know and love. Keep us posted on your adventures. ☺
Sounds like a nice but an edgy month . When you've mentioned crowds can be overwhelming, what do you mean by that? I thought you are used to that since you've traveled in Asian countries before.
In some high traffic areas of Medellin, the crowds can be quite mixed ...there is begging, drug use, homelessness, prostitution. These are typical problems that you might find in any big city but we personally found it very challenging.
Hi girls. Finally flew TOFFEE with me.
Amazing and congratulations! Hopefully both parties had a stress-free flight 😊
We are curious about which credit cards do you use so your not being charged foreign exchange fees?
Here are the details bit.ly/3Eby1Z8 We're currently using a Canadian HSBC card, which might change soon since the bank was purchased by RBC.
It seemed like you ventured out in the city only with tours and I can't help but think Medellin these days must be too dangerous. Apart from the Laureles neighborhood did you go anywhere by yourselves? Also Guatape is a charming quick trip - surprised not seeing it here.
We ran a number of errands which took us all across the city. But generally we found we had to be on guard for potential issues since we are clearly tourists. We decided not to go to Guatape because we spent the next month travelling through the coffee region and visiting all the charming towns there. Coming up in our next video!
@@OurFreedomYears guatape is not about the town, but the views from the rock and the drug history tour
I lived in Medellin for a year and unfortunately got robbed at gunpoint 3 times. I have since left for obvious reasons. It is just too dangerous - one moment I was relaxing and eating at an expensive restaurants, and the next moment 5 men with guns barge in and rob us. The other two robberies took place while I was walking back from a gym and a restaurant - two men in a moto pulled up in each case and relieved me of my phone and wallet. I wasn't harmed in any of the 3 robberies but I was no longer willing to play Russian roulette with my life.
@@jaylen5280 Thanks for sharing.
@@OurFreedomYears No problem. Breathtaking city, people, and weather so I don't want to take anything away from Medellin. I am from Canada and going from never having seen a gun in the hands of a bad guy to being robbed 3 times was too much. Folks from certain cities in the US seem to cope better with the risks in Medellin.
Those airbnb operators in medellin are making a killing.
Thought $300 would have been reasonable.
they said they "negotiated" and got a good deal, good grief! $1300 in Medellin essentially amounts to "daylight robbery" in my opinion especially in Laureles which is a 2nd tier neighborhood to Poblado.
@@sbkpilot1 With usd1300, you can rent a luxury condo in Shanghai or Bangkok, let's be frank, Medellin is nowhere near the level of Shanghai or Bangkok.
Wonderful and informative video!
@Erin Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed it 😊
There's been a lot of inflation in recent years, especially with the rise of digital nomads.
@10:11 yikes! that is a LOT of cheese for one person to eat!!! $1300 for an Airbnb in Laureles is very steep, should be around $700-800... and the $800 is the gringo price fyi
Of course! We always pay a premium for short term Airbnb rentals.
@@OurFreedomYears $800 includes premium. Long-time rent would be less than $400/month.
Very nice video. We are heading down to South America this week, finally! Many delays with finances, exiting the rat race and family issues. I will show this vid to my wife, who is concerned about Colombia's security and nothing I can say moves her. Love, love Gillian's hair, too.
Congrats on starting the next chapter! Regarding Colombia's security, we felt on guard while we were in Medellin but much more safe and relaxed in the coffee region. You could always skip the big cities and head straight for the beautiful countryside. 😊
With the airbb price so high. It's a turn off. Maybe I am just poor or the Colombians are richer than I thought.
they aren't high... you can very easily find an AirBnb in Laureles for $500, just do a search there are plenty available.
Likely the prices on Airbnb are quite inflated for tourists and expats. Certainly locals wouldn't pay such high amounts for long-term rentals.
One Bed. 😃
😊