Nicaragua is unlike any place I've been, plus it's perfect for the budget traveler! Where did I go?
1. San Juan Del Sur (party/surf town)
2. Granada (history/beautiful architecture)
3. Little Corn Island (untouched paradise)
4. Leon (volcano boarding/exploring city)
Let's begin with San Juan Del Sur! I arrived here via bus from La Fortuna (Costa Rica) which took nearly 5 hours and customs was pretty hectic! Take a tica bus (probably your cheapest option). The border crossing costs $25 USD and only accepts US cash!!
I stayed at Hola Ola which was a short walk from town, it costed $12 per night. Had AMAZING food and activities almost daily. I loved the pool they had there, and the staff were amazing! They organized surf lessons for about $10 for the day and we had an amazing time doing that.
This was a quiet hostel but still very busy, if you're looking for a party hostel the "Naked Tiger or Pachamama" is your best choice. San Juan had a cute town with a surfer vibe and really awesome nightlife. Every Tuesday evening the Loose Moose has a pub crawl (which you have to pay for) so just follow the crowd for a cheap way of having fun!
And of course, there's Sunday Funday! It's $30 per person (not including drinks) but you can get tickets for $15 if you stay at Pachamama. DON'T BRING ANYTHING VALUABLE. Probably the most wild event you will attend.... ever.
To sum up San Juan Del Sur, it's a surfing, partier paradise!
On to Granada!
We stayed at "Hostal Oasis" we paid $9 per night and I was very IMPRESSED. Came with unlimited coffee, banana pancake breakfast and had hammocks everywhere! I would definitely recommend them! They offer a day trip to "Laguna De Apoyo" for $10 and that's a must do! It's like your own personal lake with a bar!
If you wanna see lava go on the Masaya Volcano Tour, you can bargain prices down and if you walk through the main strip everyone will be selling it. We ended up paying $10 and it was a really cool (but busy) experience.
The city itself is an adventure. I would NOT recommend leaving your hotel/hostel at night to wander, it's not a safe place and many locals warned us to keep inside. But during the day I had no issues and everyone was so kind and helpful. Meals here are dirt cheap and it's a beautiful city to explore.
Next up, Leon!
I went to Leon for the sole purpose of Volcano Boarding (sounds safe doesn't it) basically, you climb to the top of a volcano and then take some kind of wooden board down it (definitely sitting) it's super fun, not safe but SO FUN! We organized it though "Bigfoot Hostel" it was $30 which include a shirt, transportation, "safety equipment", speed radar (I went 73KM down which was fastest that day no biggie), a beer and a mojito! You can either carry your board or pay $5 for someone to do it, PAY THE $5 DOLLARS!! We stayed the night at Bigfoot for $9 and it's as well, a wild hostel. The restaurant next door was delicious and decently priced!
Besides volcano boarding there's not much else in Leon besides a cathedral, it's stunning. You climb to the rooftop and it's an amazing photo spot. It's pure white and has an amazing view of the city.
One of my favourite places in the world, Little Corn Island.
First things first, if you are flying, buy an open return ticket more than 80% of people extend their stay!
The only airline that will fly there is "La Costena" departing from the Managua airport and flights are around $100. Unfortunately, they are pretty unreliable when it comes to booking tickets, however I still made it. Book either online or at the airport directly, they have about 2-3 flights daily and they are normally pretty full. As you are flying there, they do a pitstop in Bluefields, DO NOT get off the plane because they will leave without you. The plane then lands in Big Corn Island and from the airport you'll catch a cab for $5 to the ferry and it's easy to find people to split a cab with. Once you arrive at the ferry dock you buy a ticket for $8 and take a 20-40 minute boat ride (weather varying).
There are NO ATM's on the island. Some restaurants and bars do cash back but its a hefty charge. Bring enough cash, and being an island, things are more expensive than on the mainland. They have plenty of hostels/hotels to choose from and everything on the island is walking distance (considering you will not find one vehicle there).
We stayed at the "Lighthouse Hostel" which was peaked on the highest hill with a beautiful view and amazing breeze, costed $15 per night. Power on the entire island is between the hours of 1pm-6am, so 6AM is a popular wakeup time since fans turn off and it is HOT.
GET FRESH COCONUT BREAD! The locals sell it from their homes and it is delicious. If you happen to be there on a Sunday, everything opens later since locals all go to church on Sundays (YAY), however you can catch a local baseball game in the afternoon!
Tranquillas & Desederi's were my two favourite restaurants. Budget $12-$18 for meals. Desederi's for food (especially the brownie) and Tranquilla's for activities. Every night they have something happening on the island.
Everyone or majority people speak English but the main language is Creole which is a broken English, similar to Pigeon.
Nicest beach is definitely, hands down, Yemaya! Little trek to get there but certainly worth it, has a bar on sight with happy hours!
Our hostel organized a day trip for us of boating, fishing, snorkelling, rum in a coconut, a sunset snorkel, exploration of a shipwreck and dinner on the beach (cooking the fish you caught). It costed $35 but was worth every penny. Definitely highlight of my trip!
Sum up for Nicaragua:
TAKE CHICKEN BUSES! They are decorated, pimped out school buses that are cheap and get you places! They are always crowded and uncomfortable but they are so much fun.
They take US currency but give you change in their currency, cordobas.
There's little English spoken here so download Duolingo and get to know the Spanish basics.
Before getting into a taxi be sure to ask how much to your destination and bargain because they WILL try and rip you off.
Overall safe country but avoid being alone at night.
Daily budget $20
**** Since April 2018 there has been a travel advisory not to visit (especially tourists) praying for the country and for the government so people can continue to see the beauty that it holds