So I’m going to Nicaragua and Costa Rica for about a month this summer (~ 4 weeks: the second half of July & the first few weeks of August); I will be traveling with one other young, female gringo with limited Spanish (she’s been to Honduras several times, so to say she has limited Spanish isn’t really true, probably not true for me either, as I’ve been studying Spanish for about ten years – though haven’t had this kind of immersion, so it is “limited”). Our first week we will be staying an hour from Managua in Granada for a language school, and after that we have 3+ weeks to explore Nicaragua and the northern half of Costa Rica. I have been to Costa Rica, but it’s been about a decade (I still very clearly remember the Monteverde cloud forests & Volcán Arenal with the hundreds of hot springs bubbling up around this active volcano), so I am wondering if anyone has more recently done a similar trip. I have talked to half a dozen people about their experiences in Centroamérica and have learned a lot of helpful things about Nicaragua (that I could have learned on my own, but it’s nice to feel prepared – there will still be endless surprises).

Some of the more helpful information I’ve gleaned while talking to people that have traveled in the area:

- I’ve been given contradictory information about the vaccinations I need before I go. One friend of mine (granted, she traveled from Mexico to Bolivia over a three-month period) got many, many vaccinations weeks prior to her arrival. I’ve also talked to a doctor who has a home in San Juan del Sur and he (more reliably?) told me that no shots are necessary, but I should make sure hepatitis C and tetanus are up to date... I will be taking malaria pills and water-purification tablets with me, but its more likely I will just be buying bottled water and avoiding foods freshly rinsed in tap water.

- I will keep the money I spend under 35 USD/day, but this seems like it will be no problem as large meals range from $1.50 - $3 for a large lunch and hostels also range from $3 - $10/night. A budget traveler can easily spend an average of less than $20 a day in Nicaragua (again – please let me know if your experience is much different).

- I realize the border controls between Nicaragua & Costa Rica take something like half a day to pass through, though I wonder how much this varies by season. It seems that spring months & especially the week before Easter (spring break for us, Semana Santa for Nicaraguans) is the busiest time period for Nicaragua, and that almost any other time of the year (provided the hostel / hammock / accommodation is in operation) you don’t need to make reservations ahead of time.

- Nicaragua is the safest country in Central America since the Iran Contra scandal (so it’s seen a few decades of peace & relative stability). Also, not quantifiable but nice to know, Nicaraguans have a reputation with travelers to seeming more laid back, friendlier, and easier to understand.

- Public transportation largely (solely?) consists of old school buses that have been painted, full of chickens and packed with tiny, children-sized seats. There are no highways, save for the Pan American highway which is two lanes (one lane for each direction) in its best stretches.

The bullet points above are just illustration of the kind of things I am interested in knowing. I’ve spent a fair amount of time with travel literature already (as well as literature on the history of Nicaragua & Central America). I’ve studied Spanish for many years, but won’t improve until I have to use it (i.e. rural Nicaragua). I’ve also had a lot of experience with traveling, with European hostels, dozens of public transportation systems, etc. I would really enjoy a pm or a reply to this if you’ve backpacked, worked, lived with a family, studied abroad, etc in Central America – especially Nicaragua or Costa Rica. Anecdotes, tips, or a thumbnail sketch of your itinerary (and your experiences in the different towns) would be great!

[Edited on June 21, 2007 at 11:24 AM. Reason : the text was too hard to read w/out spaces]

6/21/2007 11:20:47 AM

Uhm...so what are your questions? They weren't really clear in the mass of writing. I just got back from Costa Rica and we had our own vehicle and traveled all over, so I might be of help.

I took malaria and typhoid pills, and made sure I was up to date on hepatitis and tetanus, which is the norm according to most people I know. (student health travel center is whack) That said, we also drank the water from the faucets where we stayed and all were fine. We didn't get dysentery or anything crazy.

The public transportation thing isn't really accurate...I mean, they look just like our buses, and someone might have the occasional chicken. However, they are kinda unreliable since only a couple a day go between cities. If you are renting a vehicle make sure it's okay to pass through the countries, you might need extra paper work.

You should be absolutely fine with the language. I took about 9 years of Spanish in grade school, but could communicate fine.

As far as under $35 a day...you MIGHT be able to. The tipico food was a tad more towards the $3 range for a plate of rice and beans, with maybe some chicken thrown in. We generally would stop at hole in the wall places in villages or small markets. Also, the hostels are few and far between and fill up fast, so it's more than likely unless you checked in advance that some nights will be much more than $10.

6/21/2007 12:36:52 PM

Thanks - your response is helpful. I don't have any direct questions per say, this is sort of a call for stories, recommendations, or corrections. I realize the information I provided isn't all reliable, so I appreciate anyone pointing out inaccuracies (like the public transportation bit). In fairness, Costa Rica is more expensive for travelers than Nicaragua, so I think 35 USD/day or less won't be a problem.

6/21/2007 1:42:30 PM

"young, female gringo" gringa.

I would worry about the shots if I were doing tropical/amazoniana/swampy type areas. 35 should be plenty and go a long way (as long as you don't want to bring back stuff for others)...

6/21/2007 1:47:27 PM

Two young, white, females in Central America alone... good luck with that!

6/21/2007 4:17:19 PM

female gringo keeps things a bit ambiguous, haha.

& to Ytsejam: there are many things I could say in response, but suffice it say I am not very worried (but was, like you, more doubtful awhile ago).

6/21/2007 4:55:40 PM

i dont know where you're from,

but round here, we call it Central America.

Quote :

" Nicaragua is the safest country in Central America since the Iran Contra scandal"

Is that saying much?

seriously though, i'd rent a couple dude and bring em with you. why do you think its so safe down there?

6/21/2007 7:38:56 PM

As long as you're not someone walking around alone, I don't see a huge problem with it, just be safe. Don't go wandering around late at night wearing expensive stuff.

For the $35, yes for Nicaragua that's probably fine, but you said you were going elsewhere.

6/22/2007 11:19:41 AM

some friends and i are planning a trip for january. probably hit up nicaragua and costa rica, although we've considered peru/bolivia, maybe ecuador. i'm definitely interested in tips/advice/stories as well.

6/23/2007 11:44:37 AM

*Granada has a beautiful central park with many interesting buildings surrounding it. there are lots of street vendors there, particularly on the weekend. the alhambra is a nice hotel on the central square, you can get a good meal there or a reasonably cheap room ($30) if you decide you need air conditioning one night. the best restaurant in town is at the right far corner of the parque if you are standing at the alhambra, i forgot the name of the place, but it is maybe $25 for a gourmet meal with plenty of alcohol. i recommend visiting Volcan Mombacho while you are there, the ride to the top is really exciting and there is a neat trail at the top showcasing the very varied microclimates and unique plant and animal communities that it hosts.

*be prepared to alter your toilet habits for the time you are there-- the plumbing is not designed to handle toilet paper, so you'll have to deal with fighting the instinct to put it in the toilet, lol.

*if you take antimalarial pills spend the extra money to get Lariam, Malarone will make you psycho, and it could take you some weeks after your return to feel like your normal self.

*there is no government subsidized transportation in nica, but there are many privately owned bus routes to take you around town, to other towns, etc. they are often brightly colored or covered with decals, they are definitely pimped out. taxis are also cheap, but some of them are kind of sketch.

*you are travelling during the rainy season, be prepared!

6/24/2007 1:01:35 AM

As to the public transportation, if it's anything like Lima (and I've heard much of South America is), you'll basically be dealing with privately-owned, largely unregulated vans and buses that run a route that may well be difficult to determine. Any time you use ANY transportation in Central or South America, make sure that you're clear on where it's going, and establish the cost before you get on (this is generally the case with the taxis, as the microbuses generally charge a flat fare just for stepping onboard).

My understanding was that Costa Rica was rather safer than Nicaragua, although the latter isn't particularly dangerous by the standards of the region. Still and all, don't get *too* confident about your ability to walk around freely as two unaccompanied white girls, especially at night. I'm not saying you're going to get kidnapped or raped, which is still fairly unlikely, but you become a low-risk, high-value target for common thieves, which are prevalent even in the safer parts of Central and South America.

Look at websites for organizations like the WHO as to what vaccines to get; depending on the specific area, yellow fever might not be a bad one to get.

Quote :

"but its more likely I will just be buying bottled water and avoiding foods freshly rinsed in tap water."

This sounds pretty easy, doesn't it? I mean, it's what I did, meticulously checking things before I ate them or ate off of them. I did that right up until the point that I peed out my butt for a week in a Cuzco hotel. Look, it's at least even odds that you or your partner going to get diarrhea, particularly when making an effort to live cheaply. Just be prepared for the contingency, and look to deal with it as soon as it happens. My dumb ass waited a couple of days because Kay and Leo Villa-Garcia are fine professors of Spanish but rather incompetent when it comes to diagnosing diseases, and swore up and down that I had altitude sickness. When I told the doctor this, she looked at me like I was retarded.

Sorry, I got sidetracked. Point is, take care of it as soon as it happens so it affects the least possible amount of time.

[Edited on June 24, 2007 at 1:19 AM. Reason : live not leave]

6/24/2007 1:19:25 AM

the Chicago Tribune published an article today on travel in Nicaragua:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/travel/chi-nicaraguajun24,0,3864349.story?coll=chi-homepagetravel-hed

6/24/2007 2:41:19 PM

Yeah I have heard that Costa Rica is the most tourist friendly place in central america but I am sure Nicaragua will be fine.

What is that makes people go crazy with the anti-malaria shots??

6/24/2007 3:02:27 PM

^Dunno, I was really emotional on them though.

Annnnd, everyone in my group drank the water and ate all kinds of random food, nobody ever had upset tummies.

6/24/2007 6:57:35 PM

Montezuma's Revenge

6/24/2007 9:35:25 PM

Me and my girlfriend were in Costa Rica for 17 days two years ago, there are definitely some cheap places you can stay (you get what you pay for, though). Neither of us got any shots and we ended up okay; that being said, make your own choice about whether to get shots or not.

San Jose is not that great, but the other places we went were nice (I recommend La Fortuna and Monteverde). If you stay at La Fortuna, try to look up a guy known as "Wally", he runs a nice lil' motel.

Also, if you go during the rainy season (like we did), be prepared for storms every day. It'll be like an hour or two of rain pouring down. The good side of this is that there are a lot fewer tourists everywhere.

6/25/2007 2:41:02 PM

I didn't reread this thread, but to give a concise report-back:

- Yes, indeed, Blue Bird buses ARE the main form of transportation.
- Didn't get sick.
- Spent 3+ weeks in Nicaragua (Granada, Masaya, Apoyo, León, Isla de Ometepe, & San Juan del Sur).
- Never spent more than 6 USD/night.
- Average cost was less than 20 USD/day.
- I felt very, very safe everywhere I went & met so many locals & other travelers with no horror stories to share.

If anyone has questions (if you're thinking about planning a similar trip) or anything, pm me.

9/2/2007 8:14:31 PM

i hope they are prepared for a Cat 5 hurricane....

[Edited on September 3, 2007 at 8:08 AM. Reason : w]

9/3/2007 8:07:24 AM