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I am planning my trip to BAQ for March/April time frame.  I wanted to ask the experienced travellers about my daily expense budget.  NOT counting any agency or lodging fees, will $100/day be reasonable to pay for dates, food, taxis, and any incidentals?

I am a newbie, and I am just BEGINNING to learn Spanish (what a waste of time those high school French classes were... sure never helped me with kissing :-)

As a brand-spankin' newbie, I will feel much more comfortable with EXTREME handholding.  I am planning to use Jamie's agency (International Introductions) at $1,275 for the 3 days, and use his services, and suggested lodging, for the remainder of the 2 weeks I am there at $145/day.

I am expecting airfare to run anywhere from $750 - $1,500 from Columbus, Ohio to BAQ round trip, based on some scenarios I ran on travelocity.com and expedia.com.  Do those numbers ALSO suggest I am a newbie (i.e. are they way too high? :-)

All told, I am budgeting my initial 2-week "Loving Latina" search in BAQ to run me about $6,000.

Obviously, I would expect my subsequent dating trips to be far less expensive, and more of the 7-10 day variety as opposed to 14 days.

Any feedback appreciated in advance... Muchos Gracias

... in response to Budget and daily spending money in BAQ??..., posted by Looking4Wife on Jan 1, 2005

Look4, first decide on the hotel.  As Dolphin mentioned, you could stay at the Versalles Hotel. It runs about $30 per day and is a small, clean, friendly place. If you’d like a pool, then I suggest the El Prado Hotel – for a little over double the cost of the aforementioned hotel.  Listed below are the websites for both locations.  Regarding an agency, a more affordable option would be LDT/BB and they can quote you with or without hotel, with link also listed below.  Either the hotels or the agency can arrange for airport pickup.  

www.barranquillasbest.com
www.hotelversallesinn.com
www.hotelelpradosa.com

For things to do, I might suggest visiting the top floor (Peso 26) of the Barranquilla Plaza Hotel for drinks, dancing. Also, you have movies at the Buena Vista Mall. Impress your date with first class seating for about an extra 40 cents.  

I like BAQ, but you might also consider visiting Medellin, Cali or Bogota.  CSH in MDE offers room, meals, free beer and unlimited intros starting at less than $100 per day depending on the room size. ACG in Cali offers a similar option

... in response to Budget and daily spending money in BAQ??..., posted by Looking4Wife on Jan 1, 2005


Hold da phone!!!!

You definitely need to shop around a bit. Wait a little while & permit these feelings of EXTREME HANDHOLDING to subside! Paying $20 an hour (when you include everything) isn't cost effective at all. You have a few months before your trip. Learn some spanish & get a better deal! Sorry Jamie...but the price for three days, is way over the top!

... in response to Budget and daily spending money in BAQ??..., posted by Looking4Wife on Jan 1, 2005

Hi Looking....

When I was in BAQ, I was spending about $50.00 US dollars a day.  The hotel: Versalles Inn was very good and only cost about $32.00 a night.  For two weeks you should only have to spend about $1500.00.  A good idea for you would be to look on Amigos.com and develop some correspondeces with some women before you go there.  This way you will have women to meet and not have to use an agency.  If you want to use an agency, try Latindreamtours.com  You could go to there socials or just get some introductions from them and not have to pay all that money, but just a small fee.  I think that's what I'm going to do when I go there in June.

Good luck.

Dolphin

... in response to Budget and daily spending money in BAQ??..., posted by Looking4Wife on Jan 1, 2005

Airfare sounds about right.  The agency you are using is expensive for a few days.  It would be different if you were getting a life membership.  The hotel that you using is very expensive for SA.   I once thought about going there so I know the price of that hotel is right.  Other hotels in Colombia run about $30-50 a night in other parts of Colombia.  

$6,000 is a lot for a two weeks.  If I were you I would use his services for about 1-3 days at most and then change hotels and focus on developing friendships that you start with the initial meetings in those 1-3 days. That is, meet the women in 1-3 days and then focus on them for the rest fo the time. In that time, you can change hotels and save some money.  

$400 a day to meet women is a lot when all it is an introduction.   I did hear that the agency you are using is a very good one.

Use your discretion.  You know what you can afford and ultimately if you are happy, then go for it.

... in response to Budget and daily spending money in BAQ??..., posted by Looking4Wife on Jan 1, 2005

No, that's way too high. "$1,275 for the 3 days"
$425 a day? You can't be serious.
Do some searching around and you can get a much much better deal somewhere else. But it's your money.

... in response to Budget and daily spending money in BAQ??..., posted by Looking4Wife on Jan 1, 2005

$6000 should keep you there for 6 weeks, easy. You'll only exceed $100/day
if you take your new girlfriend(s) shopping. Alot. My first time to BQ I went on
a spur of the moment little tour with Barranquilla's Best for a week. $45/night
at the Hotel Versailles, 2 small-ish social functions plus a beach party, dates
every day and night and I probably spent $1500 including flight and lived
really well. Take the hand holding for a week and cut yourself loose. You'll
have met so many girls by then you won't need any more help.Good luck!

Anzo

... in response to Budget and daily spending money in BAQ??..., posted by Looking4Wife on Jan 1, 2005

2-week "Loving Latina" search in BAQ to run me about $6,000

Wow what a waste of money!  You could do it for a whole lot less by going to Cali and staying with Pete.

... in response to Budget and daily spending money in BAQ??..., posted by Looking4Wife on Jan 1, 2005

Yes, those numbers are wayyyyyyyyyy too high.. The rates you are paying for the agency are very expensive, over $400.00 per day in the agency?? That's way out of hand.  Also the hotel at $145.00 per night is very expensive.  Sounds like this agency is taking advantage of you..  

Pacino

... in response to Budget and daily spending money in BAQ??..., posted by Looking4Wife on Jan 1, 2005

The pro-agency folks might support such expenditures--but I think it's crazy!

You could spend a day in most of these places (Colombia, Peru, etc.) putting in even a simple, half-hearted effort at encountering a woman on your own and save SO much money.  Only a dyslexic Elmer Fudd type with halitosis and a club foot would be so unlucky as to strike out encountering a nice Latina on there own.

$1,275 for 3 days?  WOW!  You could really spoil yourself and a nice girl you find on your own with that kind of cash.

As for the "hotel," at $145/day, I hope the place is as elegant as this:

http://www.hilton.com/en/hi/hotels/index.jhtml?ctyhocn=NYCWAHH

Though I've never used a "hostel," you might even want to consider one for at least a portion of your time there (when you are not with your future lady friend).  Lots of seasoned travellers do.  Consider that as an alternative to the posh places.  At the minimal--NEGOTIATE the hell out of those rates.

Airfare:  Check numerous sites before you pay the price you quoted.  Compare prices at any of these sites before you commit:

www.travelocity.com
www.priceline.com (Very good, though strict)
www.onetravel.com (Very good)
www.lowestfare.com (affiliated with priceline.com)
www.hotwire.com
www.expedia.com
www.airgorilla.com

The agency operator suggested the lodging?  Sounds fishy; for something so expensive, I suspect the "referer" is getting something in return.  Maybe I'm wrong, but that's my instinctive reaction from what you wrote.

On the three occasions that I went to Lima, I had no hotel reservations planned in advance.  And I had no problem finding a place.

Too much hype being passed along to travellers by those more interesting in seeing you part ways with your dough.

Be somewhat of a nomad, a rebel, when you travel.  Screw the greedy self-interested insiders.

Peace out!