gorgonabob says on Dec 22, 2006, 09:28:
no there is no problem... here is some info This info is for the opposite way... just reverse it... It is safe and the bus ride from Turbo to Medellin is safe just take it during the day. NOT at night
kelvin
blacksheep hostel medellin
Take a bus to Turbo. Its safer to travel during the day. From Medellin buses depart the caribe terminal each hour and cost 45,000
pesos ($20). Journey time is 9 hours. From Cartagena you have to go to Monteria and change there to get to Turbo. Basic to
expensive accomodation is available in the centre of Turbo. Residencia Turbo charges 7000 pesos (3) per person. The harbour
is a few minutes walk from here. Boats depart at 9am, but arrive an hour before to get a ticket as boat gets full, and to check in
with immigration. Dont get your exit stamp here. Price is 40,000 pesos ($18) to Carpugana. Ride can be bumpy and takes 2.5
hours. Put backpack in binliner as can get wet. Get your exit stamp at the DAS in Carpugana by the harbour Accomodation is
available here from 7,000 pesos ($3) per person. Hotel Uvita on the harbour is very nice for ($5). Nice resorty town to stay in for a
few days. In Carpugana launches to Puerto Obaldia cost $30. Price is for the whole boat, regardless if theres 1 or 4 people. Not
many locals continuing on to Puerto Olbaldia so look out for other travellers if you are travelling alone.
At Puerto Olbaldia (the town is a military base) get your entry stamp at immigration. You will be asked for an exit ticket but can blag
it by saying you have an e ticket and havent printed it out yet. Basic accomodation is available at Pension Conde for $5, and food
is limited. Nothing to see or do here, but you may get stuck waiting for the next flight. Flights get booked so arrive a few days
before in Puerto Olbaldia to make a reservation at the office there, or make a reservation at the Panama city office.
From Puerto Olbaldia aeroperlas flies to Panama city at 9am Wednesday and Sunday. Cost is $57. Journey time is 1 hour. Again
you have to go through immigration at the airport, but can blag it.Panama to Colombia – the cheap way, and relatively safe ....
From Panama city aeroperlas flies to Puerto Olbaldia at 9am Wednesday and Sunday. Cost is $57. Journey time is 1 hour.
Reservations should be made in advance. At Puerto Olbaldia (the town is a military base) get your exit stamp at immigration. Basic
accomodation is available at Pension Conde for $5, and food is limited. Nothing to see or do here. In Puerto Obaldia launches to
Carpugana cost $30. Price is the same regardless if theres 1 or 4 people. Not many locals continuing on to Puerto Olbaldia so
look out for other travellers if you are travelling alone Get your colombian entry stamp at the DAS in Carpugana by the harbour
Accomodation is available in Carpugana from 7,000 pesos ($3) per person. Hotel Uvita on the harbour is very nice for ($5). Nice
resorty town to stay in for a few days. Boats to Turbo depart at 7.30am, but arrive an hour before to get a ticket as boat gets full.
Price is 40,000 pesos ($18) to Carpugana. Ride can be bumpy and takes 2.5 hours. Put backpack in binliner as can get wet. From
Turbo buses depart hourly and arrive at the caribe terminal in Medellin. Travel is safe during th eday. Cost is 45,000 pesos ($20).
Journey time is 9hours. Or to get to Cartagena you have to go to Monteria and change there.
Below information provided by a guest, James. August, 2006
The bus to Turbo cost 49 000 pesos. It took about 8 hours. The bus was stopped and searched twice by the army and we
arrived after dark.
Turbo doesnt have a terminal, and according to locals on the bus there are no cabs besides the occassional one that is
dropping someone off from another town. So it is important to have some idea of where you are going. A kid named Elgin took
me to the Residencias Turbo for a little change.
Residencias Turbo is an absolute dire dump. I am talking post apocalyptic type conditions here. Easily the worst place I have
stayed. And, for 12000 pesos a night it was not even that cheap.
There is apparently a boat direct from Turbo to Puerto Obaldia but I did not inquire further becuase the Das office was closed
anyways so I couldnt get a stamp.
The boat to Capurgana is a decent speedboat with life jackets, padded seats, and a rain canopy. It cost 44 000 pesos.
Capurgana is really nice. I was stuck there for a while because the DAS office guy was taking a nap or something.
It should be noted that it is posted at the DAS office that to exit to Panama you need proof of Yellow Fever vaccination and
sufficient funds. But the guy didnt ask me anything. I was asked to show funds in Panama City when I got off the plane and the
guy just looked at my credit card for two seconds and that was good enough.
The boat to Puerto Obaldia cost me 25 000 pesos and took under an hour.
Puerto Obaldia is bad. Just bad. Safe, but it is barely a town, and I am very lucky there was a plane the next day. Planes go
Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday. There is one hotel that is not too bad, besides the rats. It is called Pension Cande, and a
room costs five dollars.
The Immigration official is called Mr Bass, and he is an idiot. He was playing baseball all saturday (the day I arrived) and the next
day made me wait over an hour while he was standing around the beer fridge with his buddies at the corner store shooting the
shit. He stamped me through quick enough without any questions really, besides where I was going to stay. I had to buy a tourist
card in Panama city at the airport. I paid $20, which I believe is not the proper price.
The plane to Panama City cost $58.72 with tax.
If you are going to do this route, you should make sure you change your money to some American in Medellin. I had a little bit
that got me by, but I had to use my visa to pay for the plane ticket (you dont pay until you get to Panama City). Pesos will not be
accepted after Capurgana, and the rate I got to change them in Panama City was a disgrace to the good people of Colombia.
The whole thing took two nights. It is very important to time it so that you don{t have to wait too long for a plane or you will cry it
is so boring in Puerto Obaldia. It would have been nicer to spend the second night in Capurgana and then come over on the
boat in the morning before the plane, which leaves at 10, and was not full. The same guys who took me over the day before
were dropping people off before the plane.
0 funny, 0 helpful.
