any final thoughts? I leave for Cartagena 22 aug, then going to santa marta to meet a lady friend for the weekend, after that I am thinking about spending the rest of my days in Barranquilla (till 28 aug) maybe last night, aug 29 in cartagena, but I was there for a week last trip. I am 30 single and will try to drink as much colombian alcohol and enjoy as much bachata merengue salsa as possible while in Barranquilla.
For anyone else going, Looks like Hotel Saboy is a great value for dollar and www.vivatravelguides.com has been the most usefull after surfing the web for a few hours.... besides PBH of course! :)
Again if anyone will be around and wants to meet up in Barranquilla let me know. Always better to have someone familiar with the area to show you around.
For anyone else, what I have found so far, bear in mind I am single and just want ac and a clean bed as I dont plan on being there or sleeping very much. Prices were a few bucks cheaper with fans.
If anyone has any thoughts or experience or knowledge or best locations it would be appreciated.
Barranquilla
Hotel las Angeles $21 night with ac, calle 40 41-64 el centro
315-751-0456
Hotel Skal $19 w/ ac calle 41 41-35 el centro
5-351-2069
Hotel Mezaluna $26 w/ac carrera 53 59-28 El Prado
5-368-4092
Aparthotel Sorrento has been mentioned in here a few times, not sure of the price
CR49 72-20 573-587804
Santa Marta (seems el rodadero is best night life and safer then centro santa marta)
Hotel Arrecites Coribeno $16 w ac El Rodadero
calle 19 6-54
5-422-3265
Tima Uraka Hospidaje $14 w ac El Rodadero
calle 18 2-59
5-422-8433
In santa marta
Hotel saboy $15 a night looked good
Hotel Imperial Caribe is where all the reservation people put up tourists $18 a night
Hotel Las vegas $ 11 a night
Sun city $10 a night
There is also one called Hotel Cosa Linda which is in a good loc and about 50 k or 60 k. Baranquila is an awsome town for a party - make sure you get to a disco called 7 on Fri or Sat nights.
Investment Strategy - buying when others are crying!! Offloading when others are gloating!!!
my advice to all my gringo brothers visting barranquilla is to go NORTH young man.
Is NOT gonna be cheap, a nice(not the best) hotel will run you like a 100 bucks USA.
Most important!!
You will land (AIRPORT) in 'south barranquilla, be ready, it AINT CENTRAL PARK WEST OR PARK FOKIN AVENUE
"Santa Marta (seems el rodadero is best night life and safer then centro santa marta)"
Wrong. Rodadero has been out of fashion for a couple of years for the Samarians. Since you are only 30, you want to be at "La Puerta" in centro after 10 pm on a Friday or a Saturday night. Thursday night can be OK too if you are not going alone. If you are an extravert and your spanish vocabulary is greater than 100 words, you will not leave alone. No cover charge, cheap beer. If you girlfriend is a regular at this place.....hmmm....I will give you the dirt on her if it exists.
Before going to La Puerta, there is a small cheap crepe place just around the corner from La Puerta. It is operated by a French guy and he has got his girls to produce consistantly good crepes.
Now if you want to impress your girl on a budget price, take her to "Ben and Josephs" in front of the Park Hotel and order the best Fili beef you will ever taste in your life (world class for only 18k cop). I have been meaning to follow Ben to find out where he buys his cuts of meat.
Colombianos: Las armas os han dado independencia, las leyes os daran libertad. (Santander)
FYI, I am not a poor college kid, I do quite well! :) I just dont see the sense in spending 100 bucks a night for a place that I am not in very much. I just sleep and shower and am hardly ever there. Hostel thing I WONT deal with though, I need my own bathroom, I dont like to share! I would much rather spend money on VIP bottle service at a club.
I travel 90 nights a year, and stay in 4-5 star hotels.... I just really dont care, after sleeping on the ground in the military, running water and bed are all I really need! How much is sorriento a night?
I am an extravert and know more then a few words in spanish, apparently liquored up I am pretty decent hahaha! Should be a lot of fun.
I hope I'm not thread-jacking, but can anyone suggest a romantic restaurant on the beach for dinner? I'm going to Barranquilla for the first time in September and want to take my amiga out for a nice dinner for her birthday. She loves the beach and sopas de pescado.
ROMANTIC RESTAURANTS jijijijjj IN LAS PLAYAS DE BARRANQUILLA jijijijij
sorry, but puerto colombia, salgar, sabanilla etc. or any of the beaches near barranquilla do not fall into a romantic spot category.
wanna impress your novia, take her ass to any of the many nice restaurants in the north.
It also depends where this girl is from, north or south.
if she's from the south, she will love una sopa de pescao con mojarra frita en salgar or puerto colombia
if she's from the north, be ready to visit an atm at least twice a day
Hey, thanks Elmo. En este momento, ella no es mi novia, pero espero que si pronto. ;-) She's from the south part of Centro and from what I can tell in several months of correspondence seems to live very modestly with her parents and sister (she's in her early 30's). I asked her sister what she would like, and she suggested a restaurant by the beach, but hasn't come up with any names.
Hopefully I'll only have to hit the atm ONCE per day!
lucky man.
mojarra frita con patacones, arroz con coco and it comes with sopa de pescao, 7 mil barras
about $3.50 USA in puerto colombia
beer 900 pesos
Jeff - I made my previous suggestion based on what you listed and the price ranges.
Sorrento will run you approx. $60 USD per nite. It's located right off of calle 72, which is pretty busy, but functional, if you need anything. Do a search on this site for the address/phone #.
You can also check out Hotel Majestik, which is also located near the Portales del Prado mall and several universities. Costs about $50-60 per nite
Also do a search on Hotel American Golf, which used to be a nice hotel, but I haven't stayed there in a couple of years. Costs approx. $50-60 per nite. Walking distance from the calle 84 bars.
If you want to plurge, Hotel Dann Carlton is in the north, costs approx. $100 per nite, and located across from Buenavista mall. Has nice revolving restaurant on top, providing great views of the city.
There's also the Hotel Windsor on Cll 84, which has it's own bar/disco in it. Top notch hotel. Near to the weekend bars. Will cost you over $100 per nite.
Elmo's right, but sounds like you're going to end up going to the ATM more than those prices that he quoted. However, I think you should take her out to lunch (rather than dinner) at the following places:
You can head to the beaches just outside the city (playas del country - reasonably priced at approx. $10/plate), Kilimanjaro disco/restaurant (also outside the city, but more expensive at approx $15/plate), El Castillo de Salgar (if open, but also right on the coast - check my pic for view - might be expensive), or the restaurants down by Via 40 and el trencito (reasonably priced - $8-10/plate)
If a romantic dinner is what you're after, go to the Dann Carlton hotel (make reservation first). The restaurant is on top of the hotel and revolves, displaying the entire city of BAQ within hour. Might be pricey at approx. $15-20/plate, but fits what you're after. After that, take her to Seven disco 5 mins away. There's your romantic night right there, gringo style.
Wanna do it local style? Hire a mariachi band to serenade her in vallenatos at her house. Her sister will know the drill. Minimal costs, maximum reward, if they're good. You'll hang out with the family and make new friends. Just be sure to have a bottle of Old Parr whiskey with you. LOL!!!
damn tone, you sure is one romantic modefoque
if you take me up to the dann carlton, liquored me up and get me all dizzy in that fokin revolving restaurant, damn right i'm gonna give you all the jopo/culo you want.
No wonder i don't have a fokin girlfriend in curramba, i only take those bitches to eat chicharron at 19 con murillo , they get all dizzy from the fokin car and moto fumes.
well i better get ready, the croatian lady takes me for me walk soon and then i'm going bike riding in central park.
good nite!
if your lady friend is from the south side of town, she will love CHE CHE COLE in murillo . sorry they don't have a video recording
You take out a camera in this place and 4 modefoques will be waiting outside y te van a encanona por esa camera.
Best is not to bring anything of value and you'll have the greatest time ever in your life. This is my kind of club in curramba
CHE CHE COLE
Elmo - She took ME there, and she paid the tab. LOL!!!! You know me. We'd be hanging out at the nearest pollo asado, or Donde Esta Javier, or one of them cheap spots? Want romance??? Aguila Lite or michelina for her. LOL!!!!
Toneloc, Elmo: thanks very much for the dinner, lunch, and club ideas. I have 11 days to fill, so this is very helpful!
Her bday is a Wednesday - I believe the plan is lunch at her house with the family, dinner somewhere nice (may be a two ATM visit day), and I still need to figure out something nice in between. I'm looking for ideas for that too ... maybe a spa treatment of some sort? She doesn't seem to treat herself much, as she told me she had her first massage a couple months ago. I may have to stop before I go "full retard" with the Mariachi band, at least for this first birthday. I don't want to set the bar too high, because what the heck will I do next year?!
Which leads me to another question: what would be nice for me to bring as a gift for lunch for her parents? Flowers? The whiskey Elmo mentioned? Not sure how wasted everyone wants to get over lunch on a Wednesday.
And speaking of wasted, Elmo, if things don't work out well with mi amiga, maybe I'll take YOU out, stuff you with chicharron, aguardiente, y Aguila ... and we'll let nature take its course ... ;-)
Whitey - You're gonna end up setting yourself up to be the marrano. Honestly, truly, no need for some "special" dinner. Most Colombians celebrate their birthdays around family. Join in. No need for some romantic dinner, gifts for parents' crap. Most Colombians don't eat huge dinners either.
Send flowers to her. I know a great florist down there in La Victoria. Great arrangements, cheaper than any website. Can be delivered (included in price) the same day that you that order. Of course, they only speak Spanish. I can get you the number or address, if you'd like. They've been in business over 20 years.
Bring a dessert to lunch. There's a nice cake/dessert shop on Cra 43 north of Cll 72 across from the Olympica and Texaco gas station, and down the block from American Heladeria (ice cream shop). You can get whatever cake/dessert fresh for approx. 15.000-20.000 pesos.
Let her EARN those special moments and events. I just realized that she's still not even your novia yet. Be humble, treat her as such. Keep expectations LOW. If she likes you, she'll show it.
At night, take her to a movie at Buena Vista and to Juan Valdez for coffee to talk. There's your romance, costeño style.
Great advice, Toneloc ... maybe I should back off the presents a bit. I guess it wouldn't be wise to set huge expectations. In my mind she's earned something special for her birthday though as we've spent a huge amount of time together over the last 7 months, studying english/spanish and becoming good friends.
Desert is the perfect idea for lunch ... thanks ... should have thought of that ... guess that's why I can use the good advice!
i took a private taxi, we stopped for lunch, it cost 50mil each for me and a buddy. not bad. I made 2 new friends before I even left the air port. Taxi ride was a little over 4 hours even going direct.. woah
I stayed in rodadero first night a place called El Delfin, 70mil por la noche for 2 people 60 mil for 1, 40 bucks or so, nice clean new place, freezing air conditioning.... my room was a little loud the next morning as a band was playing near by at 730 but I dont sleep much on vacation
Just got to el centrol and got to the Hotel saboy, 30 mil pesos, clean but not the prettiest place, what do I expect for 30 mil... I was looking for something around 40=50 mil nothing in that range so far, as I said before though I am just being cheap.
Burukuka is the best place to go in Santa marta so far, it was great, awesome views of the beach and ocean, excellent service, gorgeous women, very classy place. 10 mil to get in. food a wee bit pricey but hey, as long as I am not wasting it on my bed, why not spend it on alcohol and food.jejeje
I will probably look for a little bit better place tomorrow... I checked out the park hotel, it was nice and on the water, they wanted 91mil for a night 2 persons with ac, or 70 mil without.
Yesterday I was tired and drunk by 11, tonight its goign to get real ugly.. I will be out all night con mi amigovia
last night did get ugly, Went out to party hardy, my girl took me to La Puerta, apparently a hot local spot in el centro. The street is lined with clubs. after 4 bottles of aguagente (sp?) woah! hung out in el centro different clubs bottle service was 60mil pesos, stayed at Soboy, it was bad, dirty, lost power and water for 5 hours this morning. Best value still has been El Delfin. Tonight I am at a different hotel, probably go back to Delfin tomorrow.
Pain in the butt finding a casa de cambia yesterday, I normally just take money out of the atm when I travel, definitely the best thing to do.
Hmmm girls out numbered the guys by a lot, one guy got all jealous and machismo when my girl introduced me to his girl and I was going to take a picture with her, guess he has a small penis and doesnt know how to use it. Insecurity is so cute hahaha His attitude made me want to crush him to bits, but I am peaceful unless provoked. anyway great time, taxis between el centro and rodadero should always be 6mil unless on sunday its 7mil.
Anything else I will post later.... hope this helps the next guy that comes along, or girl!
Sounds like you're having a great time, Jeff. Keep it coming! I'm enjoying the read and will likely follow in some of your footprints. I'll be in Barranquilla for at least a week, and plan to go to El Rodadero for at least a couple days.
As far as hotels, I'm leaning toward The Majestic in Barranquilla and La Sierra in El Rodadero. Like you, if prefer to eat and drink my money rather than spend it on an empty room, but I don't want to go too low end of this trip. If you check out either of those hotels, I'd be interested to hear what you think.
How are things going with your girl? How did you meet her?
I met her on a chiva bus in cartagena... its going great I am tired, sooo tired hahaha... at a mall shopping right now, though not for her she doesnt want anything, just for me. Funny change for a colombian girl hahaha not sure what I am going to do during the day now, not into the beach much because I am whitey too... I burn and go white again.
