Bogota

« I would like to say a few words in defense of Bogotá. I've seen so many negative things about this city online, mostly from experts who have only spent a couple of days here, usually just in the center, or from those who only see the bad side. Yes, in many places it's dirty and noisy, and there are plenty of beggars. But there are also beautiful neighborhoods, dedicated bus lanes, organized transportation, and huge bike paths, which means there are a lot of cyclists. They try to separate waste, control traffic by limiting certain cars on specific days, and clean up after their dogs. I asked a friend where the worst area in the city is, and he mentioned he had never been there. Yes, it's a different world here with its odd characters, but they show movies in their original language with subtitles, not butchered translations. And they are friendly; they might not know much English, but they talk, talk, and talk with me, trying to get their message across. I feel comfortable here. For now, at least! 😊 »

« I love the buildings in the historic center of Bogotá. »

« Despite the rain and gloomy weather all day, the city left a pleasant impression. »

« In Bogotá, we used Airbnb for the first time. Well, not exactly the first time. We had dabbled with it a bit before, but this time we took it seriously, even covering the commission.

Travel bloggers absolutely rave about this service, listing all its pros and cons, ways to save money, how to use it, and so on. But the truth is, many of them are in partnerships with the service, so you won’t find real life hacks from them!

I’ll share a couple of things that aren’t widely mentioned but that we personally found helpful.

1) The first and only honest hack regarding the service:
In your correspondence with the host, ask for a discount. If they agree, they’ll send you a “unique offer.” This happened to us with an apartment in Santiago, but we ultimately turned it down due to poor internet. This works best when there are plenty of options available in the city or if you’re requesting a last-minute booking or a long stay.

The next two tips could be seen as “bad advice.” They’re not entirely on the up and up, but let's be real—many hosts don’t even pay taxes and operate off the books. If you want to travel, you’ve got to learn to be resourceful!
2) You can try to find ways to get the host’s contact details and communicate outside of the service. This way, you avoid paying the site's commission. When we arrived in town, we asked the host to show us the apartment first. If we sensed they were reasonable and trustworthy, we made arrangements directly with them. But be cautious; there's no safety net here. This works best for those already in the city and willing to take a chance. If we had booked the Santiago apartment through the service, it would have cost us $28 for 16 nights plus commission, totaling about $492.80. Instead, we negotiated directly with the host for $400. See the savings?

3) Consider negotiating with the host for an official rental through the service for only part of your stay. So you pay for a few days through the site and stay longer, paying the remainder directly to the host. This is a common practice, and many hosts are open to it. Here, you have a bit of protection, and there's more trust involved since the host is also taking a risk! ⬇️⬇️⬇️ to be continued ⬇️⬇️⬇️ »

« Bogotá is truly a city of contrasts. The old and the new stand side by side. The rich and the poor live in close proximity to each other. And the city is oddly structured: everything is either really good or really bad. »

« Bogotá isn't as scary as they make it seem! Before my trip, I watched a few shows about this city, including some sensational stuff. I've never been a fan of those presenters, and now I'm even less so. They really don't show the real vibe, or maybe I'm just not their target audience :)

In three days, I broke all the supposed rules - I walked alone at night, enjoyed informal parks, filmed videos on public transport, and strolled around with my tablet and phone in hand. Probably not the safest move, so don’t follow my lead))) Even the locals scolded me for being reckless. But I found the city to be a cozy metropolis. Despite being the second-largest city in Latin America after Mexico City, it has its charm and atmosphere.

Plus, there are bonuses like the historical center in colonial style, crazy graffiti, bike lanes, parks, and fresh fruits... Overall, considering the population and its size - I'd give Bogotá a solid 5 stars! Okay, maybe a 4 – I've heard all the stories about theft and organ trafficking. »