Some Questions About Manizales
I am Hong Kong born chinese Canadian (lived here for 15 years). I will be going to Manizales this summer, however, the duration is what I am not sure of. I am going there to see a friend that lives there. Here are some questions that I have and hopefully someone here can answer.
1) What parts of Manizales are not safe? (Since most say the city itself is safe and even my friend said so)
2) I am interested in staying at the Hostel Mountain House (http://www.hostelz.com/hostel/39038-Mountain-house), has anyone here stayed there? How was it? Will my things be safe in the hostel?
3) I've read on the Canadian government website that I will not need a VISA to enter Colombia, is this true? Any Canadians can confirm this for me?
4) I am thinking of staying between 2 weeks-1 month and I'm on a budget (you can probably tell already considering I am choosing a hostel)... so is food there cheap?
5) I would love to try some chinese food in Manizales, to see how it taste... however I have read Dim Sum is like rare in Colombia, let alone Manizales. Anyone living in Manizales, could you tell me what other kind of nationality food there are in the city?
Thanks for all your time.
By AjaxSage on Apr 5, 2006, 20:08 in Friendly Talkzone.
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SPECTRASORT says on Apr 6, 2006, 02:57:
Manizales 1...There is a shanty town on the outskirts of Manizales , stay away from that area , I was robbed there back in 98. The town center should be safe enough , however do not walk around with large ammounts of cash , credit cards or your passport , leave your essential belongings with your friend.
2...Not stayed in the Hostel Mountain House but Hotels are not abundant in Manizales , hence Las Colinas will cost you $100 per night.I would stay in the Hostel and leave your money and passport with your friend.
3...Americans/Europeans do not need a visa for entering Colombia , upon entry you can get a 30/60 day entry permit , if you require to stay longer you will have to visit Das for an extension , you can stay a maximum of 6 months a year within Colombia. To be certain call the Colombian Consulate in Canada to enquire about entry requirements.
4...Fast Foof will be roughly the same price as here if you eat in Presto , Kokorico or the such likes , the street vendors selling fast food will be less expensive then the US , although not by much , back in the early 90's when the exchange was good it was much cheaper.
5...If you go to Colombia why eat Chinese food , for sure there are Chinese restaurants in Manizales , there are however not PF Changs or Benihana standards , you may find Dim Sum in Manizales , certainly you will in Bogota , but I would eat chinese food in Canada , its a speciality there due to the High oriental population.
I would strongly recommend that you spend atleast 3 days in Bogota , its allmost European City standards , GREAT REASTAURANTS.
SPECTRA
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SPECTRASORT says on Apr 6, 2006, 02:59:
Manizales 1...There is a shanty town on the outskirts of Manizales , stay away from that area , I was robbed there back in 98. The town center should be safe enough , however do not walk around with large ammounts of cash , credit cards or your passport , leave your essential belongings with your friend.
2...Not stayed in the Hostel Mountain House but Hotels are not abundant in Manizales , hence Las Colinas will cost you $100 per night.I would stay in the Hostel and leave your money and passport with your friend.
3...Americans/Europeans do not need a visa for entering Colombia , upon entry you can get a 30/60 day entry permit , if you require to stay longer you will have to visit Das for an extension , you can stay a maximum of 6 months a year within Colombia. To be certain call the Colombian Consulate in Canada to enquire about entry requirements.
4...Fast Foof will be roughly the same price as here if you eat in Presto , Kokorico or the such likes , the street vendors selling fast food will be less expensive then the US , although not by much , back in the early 90's when the exchange was good it was much cheaper.
5...If you go to Colombia why eat Chinese food , for sure there are Chinese restaurants in Manizales , there are however not PF Changs or Benihana standards , you may find Dim Sum in Manizales , certainly you will in Bogota , but I would eat chinese food in Canada , its a speciality there due to the High oriental population.
I would strongly recommend that you spend atleast 3 days in Bogota , its allmost European City standards , GREAT REASTAURANTS.
SPECTRA
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aleja06 says on Apr 6, 2006, 08:30:
Comments on Manizales from a manizalita (in Germany) 1) Manizales is in general a safe town. The only part that I would avoid would be the "galeria".
2) I didn't know anything about this hostel, but close by to this hostel there's a good, clean and cheap hotel, called Regine's.
Another cheap option (close to the airport BUT far away from the city) would be to stay in the hostel of El Recinto del Pensamiento. This place is kind of a conference center, but they also have guided tours through an orchidee forest, ecological walks and an impressive construction made out of guadua (huge bambu plant). It's definitely worth a visit. http://www.recintodelpensamiento.com/bosque/default.asp
I know about this hotels, since I will be travelling back home with some friends this year as well.
5) Hadn't heard about this dish, most probably you can't find it in Manizales. But there are a lot of Chinese restaurants. Take a look at the yellow pages, there are like 2 pages of different restaurants.
Enjoy Manizales!!!
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Colombiche says on Apr 6, 2006, 08:43:
We have enough Chinese restaurants in Manizales Run by actual Chinese people.
Food in Manizales is cheap, just don't shop at the Confamiliar in the Cable Plaza mall, it is expensive, almost at par with Canadian prices. I dropped the equivalent of $90 CAD on groceries for two people who don't eat much.
No me den trago extranjero, que es caro y no sabe a bueno.... (Rafael Godoy)
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Colombiche says on Apr 6, 2006, 08:43:
Aleja Nunca habia encontrado otro Manizalita en este foro, de que parte de Manila eres?
No me den trago extranjero, que es caro y no sabe a bueno.... (Rafael Godoy)
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pedro (☼Travelguide writer) says on Apr 7, 2006, 04:49:
Mountain House Yes, I've stayed there. Nice people that manage the place, they will give you orientation for visiting the city and help you to feel at home. It's the kind of place where you visit for a couple of days and end up staying longer.
Sometimes it's a bit quiet there, not many other guests outside of festival times. The house is in a very nice part of town, easy walk to the shopping centre and to plenty of bars and such.
Your personal stuff should be fine, never had a great deal of problems in hostel environments. However, avoid temptation and don't leave large amounts of cash or expensive electrical items lying around. That said, if something has great sentimental value to you, don't bring it with you in the first place.
The only thing you have to watch like a hawk is your beer. Leave a beer in the fridge overnight in a Colombian hostel and I guarantee it will disappear. Cause someone obviously thinks it "looks like theirs", I guess.
que nota!
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