General Central Amercia thread - the must see and do things
Discussion
I have been looking at central America as a next see place to visit and tour. All looks very interesting, a few countries to visit without much travel, hardly any visas needed either.
Can't find many recent threads so thought i'd start a new general one on any of the countries, so
Any experiences ?
Must see places/things to do ?
Things to avoid ?
Can't find many recent threads so thought i'd start a new general one on any of the countries, so
Any experiences ?
Must see places/things to do ?
Things to avoid ?
Hi Simon,
Looks like I can help you out again... I travelled from Cancun (used it for the cheap flight) to Belize, Guatemala, el Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica in July and august so I may be able to help.
I also visited costa Rica and Nicaragua last summer for a month.
Just wondering, what kind of trip are you on? Im 23 and backpack/flashpack so my recommendations may or may not be useful.
Anyway, how long are you going for?
Hope you enjoyed Myanmar as much as I did!
Looks like I can help you out again... I travelled from Cancun (used it for the cheap flight) to Belize, Guatemala, el Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica in July and august so I may be able to help.
I also visited costa Rica and Nicaragua last summer for a month.
Just wondering, what kind of trip are you on? Im 23 and backpack/flashpack so my recommendations may or may not be useful.
Anyway, how long are you going for?
Hope you enjoyed Myanmar as much as I did!
Hi again Olli, i seem to be following you around !!
Looks like i might be pulling the trigger on a way one ticket to Cancun in a few days.
I've been flashpacking around but happy to stay in the odd hostel when needed (i like my own space and am now 46!).
I'm more into just travelling to interesting places, seeing weird and wonderful things, i like being by the sea but won't spend too much time on the beach. Partying with the 18-30's is now a thing of the past so will stay away from full moon parties and the like. Will still go to lively places though as always enjoy a few beers/live music.
I will have a couple of months i reckon before i need to move on, think you can get a visa on arrival in most countries bar one ? (Can't remember which one right now).
I hope to go to all the countries you have mentioned so if there is anything you did which you think is a must see thing to do, see or experience let me know.
Cheers
Looks like i might be pulling the trigger on a way one ticket to Cancun in a few days.
I've been flashpacking around but happy to stay in the odd hostel when needed (i like my own space and am now 46!).
I'm more into just travelling to interesting places, seeing weird and wonderful things, i like being by the sea but won't spend too much time on the beach. Partying with the 18-30's is now a thing of the past so will stay away from full moon parties and the like. Will still go to lively places though as always enjoy a few beers/live music.
I will have a couple of months i reckon before i need to move on, think you can get a visa on arrival in most countries bar one ? (Can't remember which one right now).
I hope to go to all the countries you have mentioned so if there is anything you did which you think is a must see thing to do, see or experience let me know.
Cheers
As it happens I'm in Costa Rica and thoroughly enjoying it. 30C today on the Pacific Coast.
Last year we toured the Yucatan peninsula. Cancun is basically a Mexican version of Miami but you may need to fly in there.
The Mayan temples are a must. Try some of the less popular ones as Chichen Itza gets rammed. We thought that the Yucatan was pretty monotonous- flat and dense jungle in the main. The Caribbean beaches can be good if you enjoy diving. Belize is a hot spot for serious diving like the Great Blue Hole.
Costa Rica is more advanced economically and great for scenery and wildlife. Quite pricey vs Mexico, probably due to the Americans. Most of the main roads are metalled but off them you need an SUV.
Whatever you do, I'm sure you'll enjoy it!
Last year we toured the Yucatan peninsula. Cancun is basically a Mexican version of Miami but you may need to fly in there.
The Mayan temples are a must. Try some of the less popular ones as Chichen Itza gets rammed. We thought that the Yucatan was pretty monotonous- flat and dense jungle in the main. The Caribbean beaches can be good if you enjoy diving. Belize is a hot spot for serious diving like the Great Blue Hole.
Costa Rica is more advanced economically and great for scenery and wildlife. Quite pricey vs Mexico, probably due to the Americans. Most of the main roads are metalled but off them you need an SUV.
Whatever you do, I'm sure you'll enjoy it!
Hi Simon,
It's a great region with plenty to see. I'll start off with a few helpful general details...
If you're flying into Cancun then you have a couple of options.
Your first option is to spend a couple of days in Mexico and have a look at Chichen Itza and other Mayan ruins. This will be incredibly easy to plan as there are so many American tourists who visit this region of Mexico so I won't go into detail (also haven't done it).
The second option is what we did. We used Cancun for the cheap flight but wanted to start the trip in Belize.
There is loads of stuff online offering taxis, shuttles etc from Cancun airport to Playa del Carmen. We simply waited until we were at the airport and organised a shuttle from there. It cost 12 USD per person - just make sure you have an idea of where you'd like to stay if you do that so they can look at the address you give.
We stayed here which is in a reasonable location ( 5 mins walk from the main tourist strip) and it was very good value for money:
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g150812-...
NB: the location on tripadvisor is completely wrong. It shows it as being in Chetumal which is a town 70 miles away!
Playa del Carmen is almost certainly somewhere you won't want to stay for long. Fine if you go on holiday to Blackpool or the Costa del Sol but it is just the Mexican version of this seemingly catering to Americans who are happy being surrounded by BBQ ribs, Bud and can pay everywhere in USD.
We simply stayed in the hotel and took the bus to the Belizean border the next morning after an early morning walk along the main "strip" in Playa del Carmen which was amusing. Reminded me of being in Magaluf at 7am when all the cleaners come out to clear away last night's vomit etc.
We used this bus company who have a very helpful and up to date website showing their timetable. You can book your tickets online (assuming you speak a bit of spanish):
http://www.ado.com.mx/ado/index.jsp
With this company, you can book a bus from Playa del Carmen to Chetumal which is the Mexican town that is extremely close to the Belize border.
There is also useful info about planning this journey here:
www.theseabreezehotel.com/Can
oCorozal.doc
The above document basically details how you get from Mexico to Corozal which is the first town you'll get to in Belize.
What's so interesting about Corozal? Well, from here you can get a water taxi to Ambergris Caye. You'll come across Ambergris during your research. Lots of places for great cheap seafood, cheap accommodation, great beaches etc. You can organise fishing trips, snorkelling trips etc from here as we did. When it's time to move on, you can take another water taxi to Caye Caulker. It's a bit of a backpackers mecca but great nonetheless with a very chilled out atmosphere. Personally I enjoyed Ambergris more as there was more choice. You have two months so you should definitely visit both!
Note: make sure you take down the times of water taxis when planning your journey to the Cayes. For example, the Corozal-Ambergris taxi has one departure (7am) per day. We bought our ticket the evening before. Bearing in mind the ticket office has some ridiculous opening hours like 4-6pm or something. http://ambergriscaye.com/thunderbolt/
Your other option would be to continue on your bus when you enter Belize and carry on to Belize City. From here you can use one of a few companies such as:
http://www.cayecaulkerwatertaxi.com/schedule.html
http://www.belizewatertaxi.com/
OK it looks like i've gone into a LOT of detail and not given much info so far about what to do generally! I'll let you have a read and ask me anything and will give an overview of other countries later.
In the mean time, I will just answer about visas etc for the countries.
Entering Mexico: No visa required. You're given a tourist card when you arrive. Keep it!
Departing Mexico into Belize: Costs 25 USD and this is when you hand back your tourist card
Entering Belize: No visa required. No cost
Departing Belize into Guatemala/Mexico: Exit fee of 30 Belize Dollars + 7.50 Belize dollars conservation tax. BZD:USD = 2:1
Entering Guatemala: You will now enter the Central America Border Agreement. This agreement means you can travel visa free between Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua. I don't understand the point as for a couple of the countries, you have to still pay to enter/exit the country anyway...
For example, Nicaragua costs 10USD to enter (plus 2 USD for the stamp i think from memory). Exiting also costs some nominal fee.
One more thing... you don't get stamped into or out of El Salvador which seems very odd but that's just how it is!
No cost for entering Costa Rica. Costs some amount of USD if exiting by air (departure tax).
Can't say for Panama as I've never been.
So in summary, just make sure you have some small denomination USD bills for each border crossing. But you don't need a visa. It all seems rather complicated but you have a golden ticket (UK passport). So no visa is required anywhere, just a few USD entry and exit fees to be paid!
This caused some ridiculous scenes at some of the borders with people I was in transfer minibuses with. One particular bogan Aussie teenager on her "gap yah" seemed to think it was corruption to pay to enter Nicaragua. I tried to explain that just because a "visa" is not required, this does not negate the fact that some countries charge an entry fee (and/or departure tax). I really hope you don't get stuck on the bus with one of these cretins as no matter how much you explain, they still think they are correct...
It's a great region with plenty to see. I'll start off with a few helpful general details...
If you're flying into Cancun then you have a couple of options.
Your first option is to spend a couple of days in Mexico and have a look at Chichen Itza and other Mayan ruins. This will be incredibly easy to plan as there are so many American tourists who visit this region of Mexico so I won't go into detail (also haven't done it).
The second option is what we did. We used Cancun for the cheap flight but wanted to start the trip in Belize.
There is loads of stuff online offering taxis, shuttles etc from Cancun airport to Playa del Carmen. We simply waited until we were at the airport and organised a shuttle from there. It cost 12 USD per person - just make sure you have an idea of where you'd like to stay if you do that so they can look at the address you give.
We stayed here which is in a reasonable location ( 5 mins walk from the main tourist strip) and it was very good value for money:
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g150812-...
NB: the location on tripadvisor is completely wrong. It shows it as being in Chetumal which is a town 70 miles away!
Playa del Carmen is almost certainly somewhere you won't want to stay for long. Fine if you go on holiday to Blackpool or the Costa del Sol but it is just the Mexican version of this seemingly catering to Americans who are happy being surrounded by BBQ ribs, Bud and can pay everywhere in USD.
We simply stayed in the hotel and took the bus to the Belizean border the next morning after an early morning walk along the main "strip" in Playa del Carmen which was amusing. Reminded me of being in Magaluf at 7am when all the cleaners come out to clear away last night's vomit etc.
We used this bus company who have a very helpful and up to date website showing their timetable. You can book your tickets online (assuming you speak a bit of spanish):
http://www.ado.com.mx/ado/index.jsp
With this company, you can book a bus from Playa del Carmen to Chetumal which is the Mexican town that is extremely close to the Belize border.
There is also useful info about planning this journey here:
www.theseabreezehotel.com/Can
oCorozal.docThe above document basically details how you get from Mexico to Corozal which is the first town you'll get to in Belize.
What's so interesting about Corozal? Well, from here you can get a water taxi to Ambergris Caye. You'll come across Ambergris during your research. Lots of places for great cheap seafood, cheap accommodation, great beaches etc. You can organise fishing trips, snorkelling trips etc from here as we did. When it's time to move on, you can take another water taxi to Caye Caulker. It's a bit of a backpackers mecca but great nonetheless with a very chilled out atmosphere. Personally I enjoyed Ambergris more as there was more choice. You have two months so you should definitely visit both!
Note: make sure you take down the times of water taxis when planning your journey to the Cayes. For example, the Corozal-Ambergris taxi has one departure (7am) per day. We bought our ticket the evening before. Bearing in mind the ticket office has some ridiculous opening hours like 4-6pm or something. http://ambergriscaye.com/thunderbolt/
Your other option would be to continue on your bus when you enter Belize and carry on to Belize City. From here you can use one of a few companies such as:
http://www.cayecaulkerwatertaxi.com/schedule.html
http://www.belizewatertaxi.com/
OK it looks like i've gone into a LOT of detail and not given much info so far about what to do generally! I'll let you have a read and ask me anything and will give an overview of other countries later.
In the mean time, I will just answer about visas etc for the countries.
Entering Mexico: No visa required. You're given a tourist card when you arrive. Keep it!
Departing Mexico into Belize: Costs 25 USD and this is when you hand back your tourist card
Entering Belize: No visa required. No cost
Departing Belize into Guatemala/Mexico: Exit fee of 30 Belize Dollars + 7.50 Belize dollars conservation tax. BZD:USD = 2:1
Entering Guatemala: You will now enter the Central America Border Agreement. This agreement means you can travel visa free between Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua. I don't understand the point as for a couple of the countries, you have to still pay to enter/exit the country anyway...
For example, Nicaragua costs 10USD to enter (plus 2 USD for the stamp i think from memory). Exiting also costs some nominal fee.
One more thing... you don't get stamped into or out of El Salvador which seems very odd but that's just how it is!
No cost for entering Costa Rica. Costs some amount of USD if exiting by air (departure tax).
Can't say for Panama as I've never been.
So in summary, just make sure you have some small denomination USD bills for each border crossing. But you don't need a visa. It all seems rather complicated but you have a golden ticket (UK passport). So no visa is required anywhere, just a few USD entry and exit fees to be paid!
This caused some ridiculous scenes at some of the borders with people I was in transfer minibuses with. One particular bogan Aussie teenager on her "gap yah" seemed to think it was corruption to pay to enter Nicaragua. I tried to explain that just because a "visa" is not required, this does not negate the fact that some countries charge an entry fee (and/or departure tax). I really hope you don't get stuck on the bus with one of these cretins as no matter how much you explain, they still think they are correct...
Thanks for all the info Ollie. Someone told me to get the hell out of Cancun as soon as i arrive and head to Playa Del Carmen so i found a cheap place online to stay there for a couple of days. Sounds like i need to get out of there pretty quick too !
Having had a quick look at accomodation it certainly seems more expensive than Asia - i'm hoping thats just Mexico !!
So you can book up tours to the temples and ruins from Playa Del Carmen easily ?
Does everywhere take dollars ? Is it worth taking a bundle out with me or just use ATMs and their local currencey ?
Having had a quick look at accomodation it certainly seems more expensive than Asia - i'm hoping thats just Mexico !!
So you can book up tours to the temples and ruins from Playa Del Carmen easily ?
Does everywhere take dollars ? Is it worth taking a bundle out with me or just use ATMs and their local currencey ?
SimonV8ster said:
Thanks for all the info Ollie. Someone told me to get the hell out of Cancun as soon as i arrive and head to Playa Del Carmen so i found a cheap place online to stay there for a couple of days. Sounds like i need to get out of there pretty quick too !
Having had a quick look at accomodation it certainly seems more expensive than Asia - i'm hoping thats just Mexico !!
So you can book up tours to the temples and ruins from Playa Del Carmen easily ?
Does everywhere take dollars ? Is it worth taking a bundle out with me or just use ATMs and their local currencey ?
Playa's not too bad compared to Cancun - certainly good enough for a few days. Buses and tours are very easy to organise. Hourly from Cancun to Playa del Carmen from memory.Having had a quick look at accomodation it certainly seems more expensive than Asia - i'm hoping thats just Mexico !!
So you can book up tours to the temples and ruins from Playa Del Carmen easily ?
Does everywhere take dollars ? Is it worth taking a bundle out with me or just use ATMs and their local currencey ?
FYI The island of Cozumel just off the coast is doing its yearly Carnival.
http://thisiscozumel.com/tourist-info/100-cozumel-...
Me and the wife (mid forties btw!) land this Sunday into Cancun, bus to Playa etc that evening and then southward for a year.
Ollie's info on Belize (on both threads) is quite interesting. My last backpacking trip had 3 months around Mexico and tales from travellers coming up from Belize weren't too favourable at all (thefts, scams, expensive etc). We were considering bypassing it this time but may reconsider.
I'm told Mexico, Belize and Costa Rica are considered expensive with Guatemala and Nicaragua cheap and nice and Honduras and El Savador a bit dodgy!
We carry a small stash of US dollars as an emergency fund but generally live on local currency drawn out of ATM's, just make sure your UK bank doesn't stitch you up on each withdrawal. We found it better to upgrade our account (Nationwide) to VIP or gold account for a tenner a month which is much cheaper than getting hit with withdrawal charges on each transaction.
Belize really is great. We would love to go back and explore the mainland as we only spent time in the Cayes. I'm not alone - all the people on the other Belize thread who had been seemed to think it was great.
Simon, you asked about USD. I took 1k with me but it's totally up to you. The Belizean dollar is pegged to the USD at 2:1. So you don't get at all ripped off using the USD and it's of course widely accepted. Furthermore, the USD is the currency of El Salvador and Panama. So as Panama is at the end of your trip, you could use any leftover $ you have there. In any case, do take perhaps 100 USD small denomination notes for all the border crossings. I had to lend 3 different people $37.50 to cross from Belize into Guatemala as they had nothing and the nearest ATM was an hour away.
OK now what to do in the countries and prices... I can't comment on the price of stuff in Mexico in relation to to Asia as we where there for 1 night in a hotel, breakfast and that was it. However, the hotel price was a little higher than Asia but the value for money was 100%.
Costa Rica is the stand alone most expensive country. Food and drink can be cheap (or expensive) and the public bus network is also cheap - despite being a bit more $$ than other countries. It's the accommodation and activities that cost $$. There are so many activities to do such as white water rafting, highlining, canyoning, zipwiring, trekking, visiting nature reserves that you just tend to spend more money. Bearing in mind wages are higher there, this is of course reflected in the prices. My bug bear was the accommodation. I don't mind paying more money if the quality is also higher. But it just wasn't. Dorm room beds were similar prices to what I've paid in Germany but lower quality. Anyway, I stay at my Uncle's house mostly which is free and 5*!
Things to do? Where to start?! Loads of world class surfing on Pacific coast. Not sure where is good for beginners if you are one but Peninsula de Nicoya or near to Playa del Tamarindo both have places to rent boards, choice of accommodation etc. Other stuff? I won't go into detail on nature reserves, just have a google. there are loads of them and they're packed full of wildlife. A good area for outdoors stuff is around Lake Arenal (where my Uncle lives). The touristy town of La Fortuna is a good base and makes it incredibly easy to organise stuff with ample booking offices. I recommend this company as they're very professional and well organised. Not the cheapest but you get what you pay for:
http://www.desafiocostarica.com/desafio-adventure-...
You could climb up a volcano, go white water rafting, jump in waterfalls, go canyoning, mountain biking, quad biking (think this is on a specific closed course). And when you're knackered, go to the Baldi hot springs which is a 15 minute drive from La Fortuna.
You could also organise a trip to Monteverde cloud forest. Unique place and worth a google to see if it looks appealing to you.
By the way, I find the capital (San Jose) rather boring. Really not much at all to do there. The national jade museum for example is the most recommended thing to do in lonely planet and it's crap. Had a couple of nights out there and that's it.
Belize. Again, the activities here can add up. If you want to go to the Blue Hole to dive, it costs $$. But that's because it's bloody miles away from the coast so of course costs to go there! Diving closer to the Cayes is cheaper. We went fishing which was 300 USD for the boat for the day. Sounds cheap but went with another couple so made it 75 USD (£45) which was a great price. Accommodation costs similar to Myanmar as you've just been. Buses etc, dirt cheap. Ferries between Cayes etc, good value for money. There's no alternative anyway! I wont go into detail for what to do as I have done in the other Belize thread as have others.
Guatemala. Everything was pretty cheap. Not Cambodia cheap but cheap enough. Tikal is well worth the visit. I detailed what we did wrong about our Tikal visit here so bear it in mind:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Flores (the city where you stay to visit Tikal) is a pretty place with cobbled streets. You can get some great sunset photos. Maybe have a chilled kayak on the lake?
Also visited Antigua de Guatemala. Old capital hence the name... Really nice place. Went mountain biking from there. It was pretty extreme but they do gentle levels too. We went with a great adventure company. Run by a westerner so very professional and well organised. Again, you get what you pay for. BIG regret was the fact we missed their 3 day volcano trek as we arrived a day early. So email them ahead of time to find out when they are doing one:
http://guatemalavolcano.com/
Another highlight was relaxing on Lake Atitlan. Beautiful scenery. Lots of places to stay dotted around the lake side. All inhabited by hippies so it may/may not appeal. We spent a night in Panajachel. If you do, the small distance by tuk tuk to the nature reserve is good fun. 2 hour+ walk on made up paths through great vegetation across hanging bridges, past waterfalls. There's also a butterfly sanctuary and ziplining. We then took a boat to somewhere random on the lake to stay.
Loads of other stuff to do but I won't list it here. Something to research that we didn't do is visiting the (short) Guatemalan caribbean coast. Apparently very "authentic" untouched coastline.
El Salvador. LOADS of surfing. Google El Zonte and the surrounding beaches. This is certainly not for amateurs though as the breaks are big, close to rocks and the shore. Not a swimming beach either for those reasons. I won't write too much about El Salvador as it's up to you to explore. No big ticket touristy items but loads of off the beaten track stuff. Wanted to do a trek here but didn't have time. Oh and El Salvador is cheap. And we found it to be very safe indeed. It's the areas of San Salvador that you'd never visit that are dangerous.
Honduras. Again, let me address safety. Yes San Pedro Sula has the highest murder rate in the world BUT.. What the hell a tourist would be doing there I don't know. It's the commerce/manufacturing capital of the country. Nothing at all for tourists to do. Anyway, Honduras is cheap. Things to do? Visit Copan ruins. While you're there, visit the microbrewery in town:
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g29...
Also there are a few islands off the caribbean coast you could visit. We visted Utila. Quite a backpacker place but simply put, it's incredibly cheap to go scuba diving here hence so many backpackers. Good place to get a qualification cheaply with some good stuff to see in the process. (Disclaimer, I don't dive!).
Nicaragua. Where to start? I've cycled around Nicaragua for 3 weeks and then spent a week there again last summer. I love it. In my opinion, by far the cheapest country in Central America. Things to do? Visit Granada or Leon. Old Spanish colonial cities with a very similar feel to Antigua de Granada. You could visit either Granada or Leon as they are so similar though. If Leon, go volcano boarding on the nearby volcano. If Granada, take some photos of the cathedral, maybe visit Volcan Mombacho or Isletas de Granada. I just like chilling and wandering around town. Beautiful buildings with plenty of places to eat (don't just stick to the main touristy street as you'll wonder why I recommend it!)
Bluefields on the caribbean coast is worth researching. My big regret I haven't visited. Takes a long time to get to but well worth it. San Juan del Sur on the caribbean coast... I loved it when I had my mountain bike as I explored the surrounding area but realise you won't have that luxury. It's quite a backpacker orientated place. Great to see Olive Ridley turtles though if you're there at the right time of year (can't remember when).
Anyway, the highlight of Nicaragua for me is Isla de Ometepe. Again, I was lucky enough to have my mountain bike so cycled extensively around the whole island. Two volcanoes to walk up. Concepion to the west or Maderas to the east. Concepcion is higher but you won't find a guide who will take you to the top: the last 2 hours are sheer slope with no shade and it's rocky/sandy so you'd always be slipping. Plus, the view is just as good 400m further down or from the top of Maderas. Moyogalpa is the largest town on the island and has good accommodation and a few places to eat. Altagracia is somewhere I only cycled through but think it has places to eat and sleep too. The other main area to stay is between Balgues/Santa Cruz/Playa Santo Domingo - or that kind of coastal area. Plenty of places right by the lake shore.
Anyway, that's a bit of a mammoth post. Ask away if there's anything you want to know more about.
Simon, you asked about USD. I took 1k with me but it's totally up to you. The Belizean dollar is pegged to the USD at 2:1. So you don't get at all ripped off using the USD and it's of course widely accepted. Furthermore, the USD is the currency of El Salvador and Panama. So as Panama is at the end of your trip, you could use any leftover $ you have there. In any case, do take perhaps 100 USD small denomination notes for all the border crossings. I had to lend 3 different people $37.50 to cross from Belize into Guatemala as they had nothing and the nearest ATM was an hour away.
OK now what to do in the countries and prices... I can't comment on the price of stuff in Mexico in relation to to Asia as we where there for 1 night in a hotel, breakfast and that was it. However, the hotel price was a little higher than Asia but the value for money was 100%.
Costa Rica is the stand alone most expensive country. Food and drink can be cheap (or expensive) and the public bus network is also cheap - despite being a bit more $$ than other countries. It's the accommodation and activities that cost $$. There are so many activities to do such as white water rafting, highlining, canyoning, zipwiring, trekking, visiting nature reserves that you just tend to spend more money. Bearing in mind wages are higher there, this is of course reflected in the prices. My bug bear was the accommodation. I don't mind paying more money if the quality is also higher. But it just wasn't. Dorm room beds were similar prices to what I've paid in Germany but lower quality. Anyway, I stay at my Uncle's house mostly which is free and 5*!
Things to do? Where to start?! Loads of world class surfing on Pacific coast. Not sure where is good for beginners if you are one but Peninsula de Nicoya or near to Playa del Tamarindo both have places to rent boards, choice of accommodation etc. Other stuff? I won't go into detail on nature reserves, just have a google. there are loads of them and they're packed full of wildlife. A good area for outdoors stuff is around Lake Arenal (where my Uncle lives). The touristy town of La Fortuna is a good base and makes it incredibly easy to organise stuff with ample booking offices. I recommend this company as they're very professional and well organised. Not the cheapest but you get what you pay for:
http://www.desafiocostarica.com/desafio-adventure-...
You could climb up a volcano, go white water rafting, jump in waterfalls, go canyoning, mountain biking, quad biking (think this is on a specific closed course). And when you're knackered, go to the Baldi hot springs which is a 15 minute drive from La Fortuna.
You could also organise a trip to Monteverde cloud forest. Unique place and worth a google to see if it looks appealing to you.
By the way, I find the capital (San Jose) rather boring. Really not much at all to do there. The national jade museum for example is the most recommended thing to do in lonely planet and it's crap. Had a couple of nights out there and that's it.
Belize. Again, the activities here can add up. If you want to go to the Blue Hole to dive, it costs $$. But that's because it's bloody miles away from the coast so of course costs to go there! Diving closer to the Cayes is cheaper. We went fishing which was 300 USD for the boat for the day. Sounds cheap but went with another couple so made it 75 USD (£45) which was a great price. Accommodation costs similar to Myanmar as you've just been. Buses etc, dirt cheap. Ferries between Cayes etc, good value for money. There's no alternative anyway! I wont go into detail for what to do as I have done in the other Belize thread as have others.
Guatemala. Everything was pretty cheap. Not Cambodia cheap but cheap enough. Tikal is well worth the visit. I detailed what we did wrong about our Tikal visit here so bear it in mind:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Flores (the city where you stay to visit Tikal) is a pretty place with cobbled streets. You can get some great sunset photos. Maybe have a chilled kayak on the lake?
Also visited Antigua de Guatemala. Old capital hence the name... Really nice place. Went mountain biking from there. It was pretty extreme but they do gentle levels too. We went with a great adventure company. Run by a westerner so very professional and well organised. Again, you get what you pay for. BIG regret was the fact we missed their 3 day volcano trek as we arrived a day early. So email them ahead of time to find out when they are doing one:
http://guatemalavolcano.com/
Another highlight was relaxing on Lake Atitlan. Beautiful scenery. Lots of places to stay dotted around the lake side. All inhabited by hippies so it may/may not appeal. We spent a night in Panajachel. If you do, the small distance by tuk tuk to the nature reserve is good fun. 2 hour+ walk on made up paths through great vegetation across hanging bridges, past waterfalls. There's also a butterfly sanctuary and ziplining. We then took a boat to somewhere random on the lake to stay.
Loads of other stuff to do but I won't list it here. Something to research that we didn't do is visiting the (short) Guatemalan caribbean coast. Apparently very "authentic" untouched coastline.
El Salvador. LOADS of surfing. Google El Zonte and the surrounding beaches. This is certainly not for amateurs though as the breaks are big, close to rocks and the shore. Not a swimming beach either for those reasons. I won't write too much about El Salvador as it's up to you to explore. No big ticket touristy items but loads of off the beaten track stuff. Wanted to do a trek here but didn't have time. Oh and El Salvador is cheap. And we found it to be very safe indeed. It's the areas of San Salvador that you'd never visit that are dangerous.
Honduras. Again, let me address safety. Yes San Pedro Sula has the highest murder rate in the world BUT.. What the hell a tourist would be doing there I don't know. It's the commerce/manufacturing capital of the country. Nothing at all for tourists to do. Anyway, Honduras is cheap. Things to do? Visit Copan ruins. While you're there, visit the microbrewery in town:
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g29...
Also there are a few islands off the caribbean coast you could visit. We visted Utila. Quite a backpacker place but simply put, it's incredibly cheap to go scuba diving here hence so many backpackers. Good place to get a qualification cheaply with some good stuff to see in the process. (Disclaimer, I don't dive!).
Nicaragua. Where to start? I've cycled around Nicaragua for 3 weeks and then spent a week there again last summer. I love it. In my opinion, by far the cheapest country in Central America. Things to do? Visit Granada or Leon. Old Spanish colonial cities with a very similar feel to Antigua de Granada. You could visit either Granada or Leon as they are so similar though. If Leon, go volcano boarding on the nearby volcano. If Granada, take some photos of the cathedral, maybe visit Volcan Mombacho or Isletas de Granada. I just like chilling and wandering around town. Beautiful buildings with plenty of places to eat (don't just stick to the main touristy street as you'll wonder why I recommend it!)
Bluefields on the caribbean coast is worth researching. My big regret I haven't visited. Takes a long time to get to but well worth it. San Juan del Sur on the caribbean coast... I loved it when I had my mountain bike as I explored the surrounding area but realise you won't have that luxury. It's quite a backpacker orientated place. Great to see Olive Ridley turtles though if you're there at the right time of year (can't remember when).
Anyway, the highlight of Nicaragua for me is Isla de Ometepe. Again, I was lucky enough to have my mountain bike so cycled extensively around the whole island. Two volcanoes to walk up. Concepion to the west or Maderas to the east. Concepcion is higher but you won't find a guide who will take you to the top: the last 2 hours are sheer slope with no shade and it's rocky/sandy so you'd always be slipping. Plus, the view is just as good 400m further down or from the top of Maderas. Moyogalpa is the largest town on the island and has good accommodation and a few places to eat. Altagracia is somewhere I only cycled through but think it has places to eat and sleep too. The other main area to stay is between Balgues/Santa Cruz/Playa Santo Domingo - or that kind of coastal area. Plenty of places right by the lake shore.
Anyway, that's a bit of a mammoth post. Ask away if there's anything you want to know more about.
ollie j said:
Costa Rica is the stand alone most expensive country. Food and drink can be cheap (or expensive) and the public bus network is also cheap - despite being a bit more $$ than other countries. It's the accommodation and activities that cost $$. There are so many activities to do such as white water rafting, highlining, canyoning, zipwiring, trekking, visiting nature reserves that you just tend to spend more money. Bearing in mind wages are higher there, this is of course reflected in the prices. My bug bear was the accommodation. I don't mind paying more money if the quality is also higher. But it just wasn't. Dorm room beds were similar prices to what I've paid in Germany but lower quality. Anyway, I stay at my Uncle's house mostly which is free and 5*!
Things to do? Where to start?! Loads of world class surfing on Pacific coast. Not sure where is good for beginners if you are one but Peninsula de Nicoya or near to Playa del Tamarindo both have places to rent boards, choice of accommodation etc. Other stuff? I won't go into detail on nature reserves, just have a google. there are loads of them and they're packed full of wildlife. A good area for outdoors stuff is around Lake Arenal (where my Uncle lives). The touristy town of La Fortuna is a good base and makes it incredibly easy to organise stuff with ample booking offices. I recommend this company as they're very professional and well organised. Not the cheapest but you get what you pay for:
http://www.desafiocostarica.com/desafio-adventure-...
You could climb up a volcano, go white water rafting, jump in waterfalls, go canyoning, mountain biking, quad biking (think this is on a specific closed course). And when you're knackered, go to the Baldi hot springs which is a 15 minute drive from La Fortuna.
You could also organise a trip to Monteverde cloud forest. Unique place and worth a google to see if it looks appealing to you.
By the way, I find the capital (San Jose) rather boring. Really not much at all to do there. The national jade museum for example is the most recommended thing to do in lonely planet and it's crap. Had a couple of nights out there and that's it.
I agree with most of this about Costa Rica, although I wouldn't really recomend Tamarindo, I found it to be a bit too touristy. For surfing Malpaid and Santa Teresa are the best places.Things to do? Where to start?! Loads of world class surfing on Pacific coast. Not sure where is good for beginners if you are one but Peninsula de Nicoya or near to Playa del Tamarindo both have places to rent boards, choice of accommodation etc. Other stuff? I won't go into detail on nature reserves, just have a google. there are loads of them and they're packed full of wildlife. A good area for outdoors stuff is around Lake Arenal (where my Uncle lives). The touristy town of La Fortuna is a good base and makes it incredibly easy to organise stuff with ample booking offices. I recommend this company as they're very professional and well organised. Not the cheapest but you get what you pay for:
http://www.desafiocostarica.com/desafio-adventure-...
You could climb up a volcano, go white water rafting, jump in waterfalls, go canyoning, mountain biking, quad biking (think this is on a specific closed course). And when you're knackered, go to the Baldi hot springs which is a 15 minute drive from La Fortuna.
You could also organise a trip to Monteverde cloud forest. Unique place and worth a google to see if it looks appealing to you.
By the way, I find the capital (San Jose) rather boring. Really not much at all to do there. The national jade museum for example is the most recommended thing to do in lonely planet and it's crap. Had a couple of nights out there and that's it.
San Juan del Sur was good for surfing in Nicaragua, that's just on the coast by Costa Rica. Did 2 nights here afterwards, was amazing but I was travelling with someone http://www.morgansrock.com
Also did a night on Lake Nicaragua in this place http://www.jicarolodge.com
Both places offered more upmarket type excursions which aren't really my thing, but I did do the ash boarding down the side of Cerro Negro which was very good fun
Also did a night on Lake Nicaragua in this place http://www.jicarolodge.com
Both places offered more upmarket type excursions which aren't really my thing, but I did do the ash boarding down the side of Cerro Negro which was very good fun
Edited by BrabusMog on Tuesday 27th January 14:08
In early 2000 I spent over an year travelling up and down from Mexico City down to Nicaragua.
So much stuff to do.... Something I really enjoyed was hitch-hiking for nearly two weeks on the panamericana route from Omoa (Honduras) to Managua (Nicaragua). I met some extraordinary people and had a fantastic time. Guatemala deserves a special mention. Beautiful place. Now sure how much has changed these years though.
So much stuff to do.... Something I really enjoyed was hitch-hiking for nearly two weeks on the panamericana route from Omoa (Honduras) to Managua (Nicaragua). I met some extraordinary people and had a fantastic time. Guatemala deserves a special mention. Beautiful place. Now sure how much has changed these years though.
Hey Ollie - it seems you went from Coruzel to Ambergris Caye by ferry taxi ?
Any reason you didn't go from Chetumal to Ambergris Caye ? Seems easier than having to go into mainland Belize.
Went to Chichen Itza today, decided to stay in Valladolid for a couple a days and really like it, prpoer little colonial town. Massive difference to Playa Del Carmen !!
Any reason you didn't go from Chetumal to Ambergris Caye ? Seems easier than having to go into mainland Belize.
Went to Chichen Itza today, decided to stay in Valladolid for a couple a days and really like it, prpoer little colonial town. Massive difference to Playa Del Carmen !!
I did the ferry from Chetumal to Ambergris Caye - was simple, but busy.
Bus from Tulum took us to the main bus station (some street food stalls out the front - good food!), and then its a taxi to the dock. You can get tickets at the dock, and then its a walk along the pier to the boats, sniffer dogs etc. The boat we were on gave us free orange juice, which we decided to top up with some Mezcal - certainly made the journey more entertaining. If you can - sit at the back, where iirc it was open air, rather than in the main cabin with fumes!
They have immigration at Ambergris Caye, so its just a simple "alcohol, cigarettes" question. I remember answering "well, I have some tequila in this bottle, and some cigarettes in this pack", to be told "I like you, you answer like us!". Nice and laid back!
Bus from Tulum took us to the main bus station (some street food stalls out the front - good food!), and then its a taxi to the dock. You can get tickets at the dock, and then its a walk along the pier to the boats, sniffer dogs etc. The boat we were on gave us free orange juice, which we decided to top up with some Mezcal - certainly made the journey more entertaining. If you can - sit at the back, where iirc it was open air, rather than in the main cabin with fumes!
They have immigration at Ambergris Caye, so its just a simple "alcohol, cigarettes" question. I remember answering "well, I have some tequila in this bottle, and some cigarettes in this pack", to be told "I like you, you answer like us!". Nice and laid back!
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