Category: Travel

Travel With Kids Blog

We love to travel with our kids, and we find immense joy in helping other families do the same. As a digital nomad family, we tend to travel slowly, which means we can really settle in: finding our favorite food, work and entertainment spots in each destination.

What does this mean for our family travel blog? Our blog posts are detailed and in-depth, explaining our favorite things to do and why, so you can really picture life in each destination before making a judgment call as to whether it’s suitable for you and your family’s needs.

We of all people understand the importance of meticulous planning before unrooting your family and moving to a new destination. It takes time, and Jey Jetter is here to help.

While we want to inspire families to head abroad with their kids, our travel guides aren’t only for families, they are also great for long-term travelers and digital nomads.

Ready to read more about international travel with kids? Go ahead and select a destination below.

Ready to book? Check out our travel resources and book your next holiday now.

General Family Travel Tips

While traveling is the fun part, it also comes with challenges (including the often complex booking process!). Once you’ve found the destination, you’ve got the tasks of finding flight deals, hotels, transportation, etc.

Make sure you have a smooth trip (which is especially important for those bringing the kids along!) and check these practical tips before you plan your next family trip.

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How to Travel the Galapagos Islands on a Budget

Post author By Julia Jerg
Post date 2016-05-22
13 Comments on How to Travel the Galapagos Islands on a Budget

There are not many places around the world that are considered to be unique. The Galapagos Islands, without a doubt, are one of them. Anyone who travels there comes back with a smile on their face. Simply because you get to see extraordinary species and get up close with wildlife that you usually only know from documentary channels such as National Geographic. On the Galapagos Islands, iguanas, sea lions and giant tortoises walk around like cats and dogs in most other parts of the world. Majestic birds like the albatross and colourful ones like the blue-footed booby decorate the sky. The good news is that, despite common beliefs, you can travel to the Galapagos Islands, even on a tight budget! Here is how we spent 14 days on three islands for less than 1000 US dollars.

Myth #1: You have to cruise the Galapagos Islands

When research how to visit the Galapagos Islands, you get the impression that there is no way other than with a cruise. I was a bit frustrated after I read how much money you were asked to spend to get around and enjoy the individual islands. Then I found offers from tour agencies that sell 4-day cruises for around US 800, which first sounded not that bad. But after reading the comments of other people who had done such a short cruise, it became clear that within 4 days you lose 2 days for the boarding and cruising back to the original port, which didn’t sound like a great deal after all. It became even worse when I found out about the offers that would take you all the way around the islands, stopping at the uninhabited ones with more chances to see unique wildlife. It said, your best choice is to go at least 12 to 15 days for about 6000 to 8000 US dollars, depending on the type of boat you choose… I wasn’t convinced about that.

If you decide to not spend a fortune in order to visit the Galapagos Islands, and instead do it on your own, you will be better off to simply arrive and walk around to see what available. Don’t book any tour or accommodation online, is my advice! The only reservation that we made in advance was our hotel on the first night, because the website of the Ecuadorian government says that you have to show proof of your hotel reservation and pre-register online. We did not do the latter, and it was perfectly fine to fill out the form at the airport in Quito. Also, I found that the booked hotel room wasn’t really necessary, as the officer at the airport did not pay much attention to the copy of our reservation that I presented to him. I guess, it all depends on the officer at the airport, so, to be on the safe side, book your flight and the first night on your chosen island and you’ll be fine.

How to get to the Galapagos Islands

When in Ecuador, you have two options to get to the Galapagos Islands: you can either depart from Quito or from Guayaquil. The flights from Guayaquil are slightly shorter (1.5 hours) and a tiny bit cheaper (190 US dollars instead of 220 from Quito, as of in April 2016). Both airports connect with the two airports on the Galapagos Islands: Seymour Airport on Baltra Island or San Cristobal Airport on San Cristobal.

For us, it was better to fly out of Quito, as we arrived by bus from Colombia. From Quito, we flew to Baltra Island (it’s inhabited and only a short distance away from Santa Cruz, see description below). We stayed on Santa Cruz Island for the first four days. Then, we booked our return flight separately from San Cristobal to Guayaquil. This way, we made the most of the ferry connections between the islands (see below) and got to see both Quito and Guayaquil. If you make your way up from Peru it probably makes sense to fly from Guayaquil and follow our route in reverse.

Before departing, you will have to pay 20 US dollars for your Transit Control Card (TCT). Keep it throughout your whole stay, as you will have to show it again at the airport when you leave the Galapagos Islands. Once you arrive on either of the above airports, you will have to pay an entrance fee of 100 US dollars to the national park. That’s it, you are in! From now on your expenses will depend on your style of travelling and your selection of activities.

Once you land on Baltra Island, there are shuttle busses (2 US dollars) that will take you to the tiny port where small speedboats/zodiacs (1 US dollar) connect Baltra Island with Santa Cruz. On Baltra Island, there is nothing but nature and the airport. The bus ride from the airport to the port takes about 15 minutes and gives you an idea of the landscape you will be seeing on most of the other islands: dry, desert-like, with tons of cactus and lava rocks laying around.

Myth #2: You need to book guided tours to see wildlife or natural sights!

No matter which of the four populated islands you visit, you will be able to walk to most of the popular tourist spots. You can also rent a bike, take a taxi or in the case of Santa Cruz, there is even public transport that takes you to some of the points of interest (e.g. ‘El Chato’, see below).

Some destinations can only be reached by water taxi (which are usually around 0.50 US dollar cents to 1 US dollar). And yes, there are few cases where you will have to book a tour, like for example to ‘Los Tuneles’ on Isabela Island or to ‘Kicker Rock’ on San Cristobal. But it’s a myth that you HAVE TO have a guide in order to get around!

Getting from island to island

There are speedboats that operate between the four main islands (Santa Cruz, Isabela Island, Floreana Island, and San Cristobal). To each of them it takes about 2 hours (to Floreana Island a little less, about 1,5 hours), and the cost is always 30 US dollars one way.

Speed boat schedule:

Daily 7am and 3pm
Exception Floreana Island: once a week or depending on the time of the year/ demand

If there is one bad thing about the Galapagos Islands, it is that you can’t connect between the individual islands. Unfortunately, you always have to go back to Santa Cruz and start your trip over again to the next island.

Speed boat example:

From Santa Cruz to Isabela ($30)
Isabela back to Santa Cruz ($30)
From Santa Cruz to San Cristóbal ($30)
San Cristóbal back to Santa Cruz ($30)

TOTAL: 120 US dollars to visit 3 islands.

This might look like a lot of money, but the total price of this travel option is actually a lot less than you would pay if you went with a tour agency from Santa Cruz. They offer day-trips or 2-3 day trips to visit spots near Santa Cruz or the other islands. But keep in mind, if you go, for example, to Isabela Island for the day or with a 2-day trip from Santa Cruz, you will be bound to the schedule and selection of the agency. Plus, you will end up spending more money than if you go on your own and use the speed boat example from above. For us, it was an obvious decision, as we wanted to go independently to each island and enjoy our time on our own terms.

First stop: Santa Cruz Island

It’s like coming to a little harbour town, yet, Santa Cruz is the busiest of all the Galapagos Islands. With its 80,000 inhabitants and central location between the other islands, Santa Cruz operates the main tourism of the Galapagos Islands and functions as the ideal spot to explore the nearby islands on day-trips.

On Santa Cruz, we stayed four days at Hostel Sir Francis Drake for 30 US dollars per night/person. It is one of the budget hotels on Santa Cruz, but a very decent one and centrally located just a short walk from the harbour.

Our Highlight of Santa Cruz Island

Our favourite spot on Santa Cruz is Tortuga Bay. From the town centre, you walk about 10 minutes to the entrance where you register your name and the time of your arrival. This way, the guard knows who is missing or not respecting the closing time of 6pm. They close the beach at that hour because that’s the time when the sea turtles normally come out of the water to lay their eggs in the beach area.

From the entrance to the beach it’s about a 40-minute walk/ 2,5 km, so bring your walking shoes and all you need for your beach day as you won’t find any kiosk or store to buy water/food. And that is exactly why we loved it there so much. This is where you can appreciate pure nature and beautiful white sand that you will share with only a handful of other tourists.

The guard will tell you not to swim at the main beach, ‘Playa Brava’ (translates to ‘Wild Beach’) due to the strong currents. Instead he’ll ask you to walk to the very far end to reach ‘Playa Mansa’ (Quiet Beach). Playa Brava is a lot prettier because it faces the open ocean, whereas Playa Mansa is hidden behind the bushes and looks more like a lagoon rather than the ocean. And you have so much wildlife to watch (bring snorkel gear!!!) in the water and at the beach. We noticed that most people stay at the far corner of the beach and even the lifeguard doesn’t mind if you dip into that rather quiet corner that connects both areas.

If you are lucky, you might be able to watch a baby turtle making its way out of the egg and into the open ocean. We literally arrived one minute too late after a baby turtle crawled out of one of the 48 turtle nests and into the water… 🙁 All we saw was the excitement of the gathering tourists that just witnessed this unique natural spectacle. Lucky them!

Other places to visit on Santa Cruz

El Chato: watch giant tortoises walk around in their natural habitat

Charles Darwin Research Centre – here you can learn all about the history of the Galapagos Islands and their wildlife/nature

Las Grietas – a hidden snorkel spot in between a canyon

The local fish market: battle with sea lions, pelicans and iguanas for fish!

Stop #2: Isabela Island

>> BRING CASH, there are NO ATMs on this island!!! <<<

In comparison to Santa Cruz, it feels a little bit less busy and more remote. The streets are not paved, and you are mainly on your own when visiting the natural sites, as the tourists spread out evenly all over the island. Perhaps this is also because we visited in low season, which is in April & May and September & October. We also witnessed breathtaking sunsets every night at the beach off the Malecon.

On Isabela Island, we had four wonderful nights at ‘La Posada del Caminante’, which is a family run hotel only a few blocks away from the beach. The hotel consists of two buildings, which the locals refer to as ‘the small Posada’ and ‘the big Posada’. If you come back from a tour and the driver asks you the name of your hotel, make sure you’ll let him know which one you are staying at. If not, you get some extra exercise to walk the short distance of about 50 metres in between both buildings. 😉

What makes this place special is the very friendly and helpful owner! He gave us info about the island and even let us wash our clothes for free! We stayed in a double room with TV, kitchen and ensuite bathroom that costs 15 US dollars per night/person. On the patio, you have hammocks to relax after your hikes or where you can enjoy your self-prepared meal in good company.

Our Highlight of Isabela Island: ‘Los Tuneles’

Even though the Galapagos Islands are a special destination in general, ‘Los Tuneles’ is outstanding as it has a very exceptional landscape that you probably only see there. The tunnels that you can find in this part of the island are formed from lava, which lay above or below the water. You can visit ‘Los Tuneles’ only by boat, in fact, this is one of the must-do tours while on the Galapagos Islands, or you will really miss out on something special. Our day trip cost US 120 dollars and included the transportation to the tunnels (a 40-minute boat ride,) an English-speaking guide, two snorkel stops (plus equipment) and a lunch box.

About five minutes before you arrive at the tunnels, it becomes tricky and the crew tells you that it’s not yet clear if you are lucky enough to get to the spot. That’s due to the fact that the boat has to cross the surf to enter a calmer part where you find the tunnels. Depending on the day, the waves can be too big and too dangerous for crossing, because there is a high chance for the boat be tipped over by the waves. We were told, that just a few days earlier, one of the boats actually tipped over and some of the passengers broke their legs. We were lucky that day, as our captain managed to get through and we were able to get out again without any incidents.

On arrival, the boat cruises through the channels that separate the tunnels and you can enjoy the impressive landscape. Then our captain stopped for us to walk around on the lava formations. Our tour guide explained all about the rock formations and species there. We saw a lot of blue-footed boobies and sea lions. We were also able to watch a shark, turtles and golden Manta rays swim past through the tunnels.

One part of the snorkelling is done right at the tunnels, which is a bit tricky because the water is really cold in this area. We only lasted 20 minutes and managed to swim through just a couple of the tunnels before we had to get out of the water and warm up. This is probably the downside of travelling in low season, although I read that the water temperature, in general, is never too warm in the Galapagos, so you’re best advised to put on a wet suit. Luckily, the second snorkel spot was in slightly warmer water. Afterwards, the boat takes you to a nearby bay area, which is known for its Golden Manta rays, white tipped reef sharks, turtles and seahorses.

Other places to visit on Isabela Island:

Volcano Sierra Negra and Volcano Chico: hiking tour to both volcanoes from 7 am to 1 pm for 30 US dollars

‘Wall of Tears’: rent a bike or walk there! The way is 6 km long and leads you along the beach. It’s a very scenic route with plenty of interesting spots to stop at or swim/snorkel!

Snorkelling at ‘Las Perlas’: Just walk down to the harbour and turn left, there is a little dock to hop in from and you are free to snorkel your way through the area. No need for a guide! Watch the surface, some iguanas might swim towards your way!!!

Tour to ‘Las Tintoreras’: A tour in Puerto Villamil will let you watch sea lions, turtles and the Galapagos Penguins as well as some resting White Tip Sharks (we didn’t take this tour as we saw all of the wildlife on our own the day before while snorkelling at the neighbouring bay area, Las Perlas.)

Last stop: San Cristobal

On this island, life picks up the pace again: San Cristobal is a bit busier than Isabela Island but still a lot quieter than Santa Cruz. The island’s town centre is mainly spread along the shore and has about four parallel streets up on the hill with shops, hotels and tour agencies. When we arrived, we hopped off the boat and turned left to walk along the water to look for accommodation.

Accompanied by the funny smell and noises of the sea lions that lay on the rocks at the harbour area, we found a hostel just a few blocks down the road, called Hostel Galapagos. Perhaps due to its relatively prime location, they have a bit steeper prices than we were used to. The double room we stayed in cost 30 US dollars per person/night. But we liked it because they have a nice patio with an ocean view and lovely staff that help you to find your way around the island.

Our highlight of San Cristobal: Diving at Kicker Rock (Leon Dormido)

If you’re a scuba diver, you won’t want to miss diving in the Galapagos Islands. Kicker Rock was our spot of choice, simply because we were supposed to have the highest chance of spotting hammerhead sharks in this area. These funny looking creatures stop at this rock formation on a regular basis to get cleaned by smaller fish and to eat the high density of fish.

Sharks don’t like cold water (something they have in common with me), and we went there in the begging of May which is when the water temperature drops to around 15 degrees Celsius. Only when we arrived, we realized that it was already too cold for these sharks. After some disappointment, we were excited to see playful sea lions cruising in the water, loads of turtles, plenty of fish and the occasional White Tip Reef Shark. It was a great experience and we had two fun dives where we swam through the canyons on a mission to encounter big fish.

The tour is from 8 am to 4 pm and cost 150 dollars. It includes a 45 minute-stop at a beach, two dives, the equipment, delicious lunch and snacks, as well as our tour guide. We would have loved to see the hammerhead sharks but enjoyed it anyway. And this way, we have a reason to go back one day. 😀

Other places to visit on San Cristobal

Watch giant tortoises and their babies at ‘La Galapaguera de Cerro Colorado’ (together with a couple from Switzerland, we hired a taxi driver who took us for 10 US dollar per person to ‘La Galapaguera’ and the two following two spots, no guided tour needed!) 🙂

‘Laguna el Junco’: Hike up a short distance to the top of the crater and see the lagoon that holds one of the few freshwater lakes on the Galapagos Islands:

Enjoy the beauty of the beach at ‘Puerto Chino’:

Get up early to watch the sunrise and morning activities in the water at ‘La Lobería’ where sea lions hang out and hunt for fish:

Have you ever been to the Galapagos Islands? How did you spend your time there, self-organised or with a guided tour/cruise? Which of the islands is your favourite (if you are able to pick one!)? If you liked this post, please feel free to share, like and comment on it below! Thank you 🙂

Tags Galapagos Islands travel guide, Travel Tips

Destination Guides General Family Travel Tips Top Travel Posts Travel

Zip Lining in Costa Rica’s Monteverde

Post author By Julia Jerg
Post date 2016-04-18
3 Comments on Zip Lining in Costa Rica’s Monteverde

There are mandatory experiences in a traveller’s life: skydiving in New Zealand, scuba diving at the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, eating ice cream in Italy and Zip-lining in Monteverde. You can’t get around it. The question is not ‘Will you do it?’, but ‘When will you do it?’ So, here are a few insights and tips for your next trip to Costa Rica. Oh yes, by the way, leaving the country without having visited the mountain village Monteverde would be like deciding against zip-lining, so don’t even think about skipping it! It’s one of the Must-Sees, Must-Have-Dones that you can check off your Things-To-Do-Before-I-Die-List. So, please don’t be ridiculous, here is how it works.

The view from the top platform is rewarding — ***This is where you fly above…***

Finding the right company for Zip-lining in Monteverde

All tour companies offer more or less the same program: 14 zip-lines, one ‘Superman’, one Tarzan Swing and a Rappel. (Don’t worry, we will explain the different types later on). They all pick you up at your hotel/hostel in Monteverde and bring you back afterwards. The tour takes about 3-4 hours, so make sure you bring some water, our company did not have water included which would have been nice as it got hot and humid during our trip…

When you get to Monteverde, take your time and walk around the small village. You can compare each offer according to price and size of the group. We decided in the end to go with the tour company called ‘Extremo‘ because it sounded simply tempting to even put an extra bit of extreme adrenaline rush to it. We paid 50 USD which included the pick-up and transfer to the park area, the equipment and the transfer back.

What you can expect when you go Zip-lining in Monteverde

It goes without saying that this is a day filled with fun. I laughed a lot and screamed many times from the bottom of my lungs. Nervous, sweaty hands can be a common symptom, but once you’ve started and gone down your first couple of zip-lines, then you get literally the hang of it and understand that it is not as scary as it looks. Oh and the best part is that you fly above extremely beautiful scenery which makes this rush even more fun! Look down, that’s really breathtaking!

Although the canopy is not inside the main nature reserves like those of other companies, the views are extremely amazing. On top of that, it has the longest lines that are almost 3.2 kilometres (2 miles) in total. The individual zip-lines are between 40 meters (131 feet) to 750 meters (2,461 feet) long, including 4 cables that are longer than 425 meters (1,394 feet). You will walk many stairs and up a hill in order to make it from one end to the next line. It’s a great way to get to know the rest of the group, as we were about 15 people from all over the world lining up for the next zip line. 🙂

When you make it through the first 10 Lines, suddenly you are supposed to leave your metal hooks in a bucket, as you won’t need them when you go down the Tarzan Swing. Imagine a bungee jump, but with your head up and feet down, plus you are holding on to the rope (all secured, of course). Well, like Tarzan you swing around after a jump off the platform and a free-fall of about 9 meters… it really is not for the faint of heart and made me scream again – I now understand why Tarzan did not swing in silence!

Smile! Before you go down, you have no clue but it's so much fun! — ***Suddenly, ropes become so precious… 😀***

The highlight at the end is the so-called Superman which simply means that you are now ready to turn onto your belly and rush down the line with open arms as if flying like, well, Superman of course. Since we went with Extremo, our very last zip line even took us through a tunnel that was recently built to give you an extra bit of rush right at the end. Yet, for me, nothing topped the great scenery that we were able to look at throughout the whole time. All in all, we had fun, laughed and screamed a lot and definitely would go back to do it again!

If you love adventure activities, you might like our post about Sailing in Nicaragua. But first tell us, have you been to Costa Rica? And did you go Zip Lining in Monteverde?

Pin it: Zip Lining in Costa Rica — **Pin it and save it for later!**

Tags Costa Rica, Monteverde, Zip Lining

Travel

Guest Post: A Trip To Nelson, British Columbia

Post author By Julia Jerg
Post date 2016-04-07
4 Comments on Guest Post: A Trip To Nelson, British Columbia

Sharing is caring and I am happy to publish fellow travel blogger Samantha’s blog post from Travel VV Remixes about her trip to Nelson. When we lived for 7 months in Canada, we stayed mainly in British Columbia, but back then our blog wasn’t quite ready. So, it’s great to get a post about a region that we visited! Get inspired by Samantha’s visit to one of British Columbia’s countless tourist spots and share the love for her article if you enjoy it as much as I do!

‘A Trip To Nelson, British Columbia’ Originally published by Samantha Collier on Travel VV Remixes:

Ian and I took a road trip across BC during the Summer of 2015. Although we went to many places, our favourite by far was Nelson, a quaint town of about 10,000 people in the mountains of BC. In the summer it is an easy going town filled with happy, smiling people! In the winter, as it does get cold (-15 celsius is a thing there) and it does snow, I’ve heard the town caters more to snowboarders and the “snow bunny” clientele.

The people are friendly, the coffee is plenty, the food is heavenly and the shops are lovely. Oh, and the views are a PLENTY!

This town can be expensive, but can be visited on any budget.

The transit system around this area is fantastic. We went in the summer, and there were plenty of backpackers and drifters. Though we travelled by car, I would imagine if you have a lot of time, seeing this area of BC via transit is most definitely a worthwhile trip, and is something I would like to do!

There is a yearly music festival that takes places very close to Nelson called “Shambala” – though I have never gone, it definitely caters to the more “hippie” type person. If this isn’t your scene, I would avoid visiting the first weekend of August. That being said, the people that attend Shambala are extremely friendly and are not the drunken type.

Where we stayed

We stayed at The Adventure Hotel for all three nights. We didn’t plan ahead and made our reservations for that night as we drove during the day (a big mistake!) That being said, we were lucky enough to get in to this gem! One night we stayed in a room with it’s own shower (which was nice), the second night we stayed in a room with no shower (though there was one just down the hall that seemed to be a once at a time situation). It honestly was not that bad at all (having to share a shower), and no one was disrespectful. There was also a large communal common area including a kitchen. We had leftovers the evening we arrived, and it was nice to save a few dollars eating in. There is also a large deck that faces the street, which also had a infrared sauna (but was only available to the more fancy rooms).

What We Did

The first night we arrived we went for a late night coffee and snack. We wandered the streets for about an hour, and then went back to our hotel to get some rest.

Our first full day was spent shopping and wandering. It was surreal – everyone was in a good mood. Everyone was happy to be alive. The vibe was something I had never experienced. It was refreshing! We also walked down to the beach from our hotel around 3:30 pm, which is a little late, but we still had a great time.

The next morning, we took a plane ride over the Valhalla Mountains and the Kokanee Glacier. The views were some that I will never forget! If you’re interested – we flew with Kootenay Lake Aviation (and we highly recommend the experience!)

Views of Nelson:

We spent the remainder of our time going back to a few more shops, and eating – but then we had to head out for out Kokanee Moutain Zipline Tour! Though it wasn’t the cheapest activity, it was certainly worthwhile! The hosts were full of energy, extremely friendly and easy going, and really made the experience that much more enjoyable.

Where we ate:

The Yellow Deli (I had the Nelson Yoga Burger and the Mango Maté) and Itza Ristorante + Pizzeria – I succumb to my love of cheese and enjoyed their pizza A LOT.

Jagannatha Express – Easily and honestly the best food I’ve ever eaten. The food is served buffet style by one person to you. The people who run it are Hare Krisna – I bought a couple of their cookbooks too!

Empire Coffee – They have iced coffee ON TAP. ‘Nuff Said.

I highly recommend visiting Nelson – it is so far one of my favourite places I’ve visited!

Thanks again for sharing your experience in Nelson. It sounds like a lovely place to visit. If you liked Samantha’s article, give her some love and visit her page! Happy travels all 😀

Tags British Columbia, Canada, explore, Guest post, Nelson, travel blogging

Destination Guides Top Travel Posts Travel

Travel Guide for Nicaragua

Post author By Julia Jerg
Post date 2016-03-28
No Comments on Travel Guide for Nicaragua

Man in Nicaragua holding sparkler on street

What to See and Where to Go in Nicaragua

When you come from Honduras, like us, then you might feel like entering an oven right at the border of Nicaragua. For me, as I hate the cold, this was a pleasant feeling. Yet, the heat in Nicaragua even made me sweat and gasp for a breeze. Our trip through the country became a mix of city sightseeing and beach escapes with fun things like sailing and hiking.

I still can’t believe that we managed to climb up one of the most active volcanoes of Nicaragua. The view was rewarding and the breeze up there made us forget for a moment that our legs were on fire! Check out our Video on YouTube with some images from our trip or read on for some tips on activities and places to visit.

Border Crossing from Honduras to Nicaragua

We took a bus from Lake Yojoa in Honduras at 6 o’clock in the morning. It took us about 2 hours to get to Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras, and another 45 minutes to figure out which bus leads us to the border. We decided to go with local buses, because the direct tourist buses to Leon or Granada seemed to be a rip-off. It was pretty easy in the end. We just asked around the bus terminal in Tegucigalpa, which local bus goes towards the border of Nicaragua, and a couple of dollars later, we were on a bus for a fraction of the price we would have paid for a direct bus.

Once at the border around 4 hours later, we hopped off the bus and walked through border control of Nicaragua after checking in with the immigration office. Make sure to bring US dollars, as you have to pay a fee of 10 USD and around 100 Nicaraguan Cordobas. Then, you simply walk over the bridge that leads to the first village in Nicaragua (not even 5 minutes away). Right after the borde, you’ll find plenty of local buses that will take you to any destination in Nicaragua. My advice, do the border crossing on your own and with local busses, so you save yourself quite a bit of money.

Buses waiting for you after the border of Nicaragua — ***You have plenty of options to get away from the border of Nicaragua!***

Unless you are a slow traveller like us, check out this ‘Nicaragua itinerary‘ for two weeks. If time doesn’t matter, keep reading to follow our route.

León

By 6 pm, we arrived in León, our first stop in Nicaragua. Boiling hot and exhausted from a long trip, we stumbled into the first hostel that we could find. We were on the look-out for accommodation with some other guys from our bus and they told us that they would stay in León for a while to learn Spanish. Later on, we saw that this is apparently the thing to do in León, as the city has a vast selection of Spanish schools. We also noticed that León has a huge variety of clothes and shops that made my fashion heart pump higher! We spent the next day roaming around the little streets, hunting for clothes and cool drinks to get used to the heat. Honduras really was so much cooler, gah…

Las Peñitas

A couple of days later, we decided to leave León because we were desperate for a cool breeze from the ocean. At least, that’s what we thought…the only refreshing thing in Las Peñitas was the ocean itself and the beer, if you drank it fast enough before it got warm. Consequently, I spent a lot of time in the water and wondered if I am too weak for this heat, or simply not used to it anymore! After the cold waves in Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras, our bodies seemed to be adjusting, just not quickly enough. Yet, what we saw was great and helped to distract us from the heat. At the end of the day, we still loved being there very much.

Las Peñitas is a really small fisher village with few activities besides hanging out at the beach, kayaking in the mangroves, swimming or surfing. It’s also a good place to enjoy some yummy seafood for a reasonable price and usually, an ocean view as most restaurants are along the beach or along the little lagoon area.

Granada

From Las Peñitas to Granada you have to go back to León, which is about a 45-minute ride by bus. There you board the connecting buses in León centre that go towards Managua, the capital of Nicaragua. By the time we arrived, 2 hours later, we decided to not stay. One, for the heat which is always less bearable in a city, I think. And two, for the less appealing neighborhoods that we drove through when we entered Managua. For us, Nicaragua’s capital did not seem to have much of interest. There are frequent buses to Granada so we didn’t have to wait long, and continued on with our journey. 3 hours later, we arrived in the centre at the bus terminal of Granada and saw a typical Hispanic colonial city with cute colourful buildings and old churches.

When you travel long-term, you have those days when you want nothing but rest. In Granada, we stayed 3 days but did not do much other than working on our computers in our hostel and walking around the streets of the old town. What we did discover, though, was the national dish called ‘Vigoron’ which was a mixture of cabbage, Jukka (native potato), meat, tomatoes and chilies… all neatly served on a banana leaf. We combined it with the very traditional, non-alcoholic ‘Chicha’, a beverage made out of fermented maize, sugar and in our case it had some raspberry juice. Yummy! 😀

Ometepe Island

Due to the low water level in Lake Nicaragua, the ferries no longer run from Granada directly to Ometepe. You’ll have to take the bus to Rivas, which is the closest town on the main road just 15 minutes away from the ferry dock. To get from Rivas to the ferry, walk away from the bus stop and ask for the corner where the local bus leaves every 20 minutes. If you’ve made it through the hassling taxi drivers, then you’ll realise that the bus costs a fraction of what they just offered you for their lift.

View onto Volcano Concepcion from the ferry — ***The ferry ride towards the island is already entertaining!***

At the harbour, you can choose between the ferry and a smaller boat. Both options are around 45-50 Cordobas and take around 1.30 hrs. It really doesn’t matter which one you take, although some people might tell you that the official ferry is more secure and less rocky. We noticed no difference on our way back when we jumped on the ferry, only because it was scheduled before the other one.

On the island, rent a motorbike or scooter if you get the chance! It’s really worth it to explore all the different areas and drive through the small villages. If you get too hot, stop at the natural pool called ‘Ojo de Agua’. Its water is crystal clear and comes from an underground river, so it’s really refreshing!

Ojo de Agua is one refreshing stop on your trip on Ometepe Island!

There are plenty of little bays and beaches along your way and sometimes you even have to stop to let some horses or cows pass by…

Climbing Volcano Concepcion

Hiking up Volcano Concepcion on Ometepe Island. — ***It seems so close but this was still two hours away from the top!***

Nicaragua has some of the most active Volcanoes in Central America and we climbed one of them! This was one of our most exhausting experiences in Central America so far. The hike to the top of Volcano Concepción takes about 4-6 hours, depending on your pace, of course. The top part is the trickiest of the entire hike, as it gets very steep and you walk on gravel and loose bigger stones. If you arrive before 1pm, you will be fine, time-wise, in order to make it back before dark.

We started our hike a bit later than planned and got to the top at 2:30pm, so a friendly tour guide who was on his way down with a group pointed out that we wouldn’t make it all the way to the top and back. We had about 50 meters left to the crater, but it would have taken at least another hour due to its steepness. We decided to call it a day and not push it to the very top (for us, this was already an accomplishment and the view from up there is breathtaking!)

Hike up towards the top of Volcano Concepcion — ***Far down you see lake Nicaragua and the rest of Isla Ometepe***

Playa Gigante

Our last and favourite stop in Nicaragua was Playa Gigante. If you haven’t done so, then make sure to check out the post about our sailing trip along the coast. It was really one of the highlights of our stay in this country, and we were very tempted to stay for much longer…perhaps this is a place to go back to, one day!

Have you been to Nicaragua? What were your highlights? Did you climb Volcano Concepcion and have your legs on fire the days afterwards?

Tags Granada, Las Penitas, Leon, Nicaragua, Ometepe Island, Playa Gigante, Travel Guide

Destination Guides Top Travel Posts Travel

Forget about Surfing: Sailing in Playa Gigante is the thing!

Post author By Julia Jerg
Post date 2016-03-18
20 Comments on Forget about Surfing: Sailing in Playa Gigante is the thing!

The ocean is my happy place. Sailing in Playa Gigante made this very clear to me again. No matter if I am at the beach, underwater or on a boat, it always feels like I am exactly where I need to be. Perhaps this is why one almost immediately gets soaked into those special destinations where like-minded people get stranded. We had no idea that it would be so hard for us to leave after just a few days in this gorgeous place. Thanks to a spontaneous encounter with a pirate and some fantastic hours on his boat, we call sailing in Playa Gigante one of our highlights in Nicaragua. Here is all about our trip that included awesome scenery, jumping off cliffs and ‘Pirate Punch’.

Enjoying the cruise, Captain John (in the middle with the beard!) and his crew. — ***A fun crew and a special captain made our trip awesome!***

First of all, let’s introduce John, our Captain, who reminded me a bit of the modern version of Captain Ahab! A lot friendlier, and an impressive character, John shows his guests a very awesome time on his sailboat. He is not only the owner of the boat we were sailing, but also the inventor of the legendary ‘Booze Cruise’. The sailing trip starts almost every day at 2:3o pm right from the beach in front of his hostel ‘Gigante Bay’. You don’t want to miss this unique trip, it’s so much fun to go sailing in Playa Gigante and sip some rum punch along the way!

Enjoyed a lot this sailing trip...or as they called it 'Booze Cruise' :-D — ***Sipping away yummy Pirate Punch…harr!***

It's only about 10m high :-D — ***Captain John showed us cool jumping spots!***

Sailing along the coast we past many cool rock formations! — ***The coastline is just filled with these gorgeous cliffs…***

Thanks to Captain John’s adventurous soul, he personally swam along the coastline in order to explore every single rock, canyon and caves, and we were introduced to some awesome jumping spots along the way. With a lot of insider tips from your captain, you will get a glimpse of the gorgeous coastline south of Playa Gigante in a fun way. Originally from San Francisco, John has long lost his real connection to the United States and instead bought a hostel, started a family and grew a beard…the latter fits extremely well with his beautiful sailboat and gives the whole trip a special touch.

Leaving the steering wheel for a while...Captain John dips in the ocean — ***Captain John enjoys the water as much as his guests!***

In general, this part of Nicaragua attracts a lot of surfers from all over the world. You can’t blame them, as it is a paradise that offers first-class waves, but still has not attracted mass tourism. Along the coast, you’ll find endless strips of beaches and bays that show off the most beautiful waves. Even if you don’t surf, sailing in Playa Gigante is a great alternative activity and a lot of fun, too. Furthermore, you can do horseback riding, yoga and, of course, it’s the perfect destination to enjoy a swim in the ocean.

Sailing in Playa Gigante with some yoga moves onboard. — ***No one said you couldn’t do yoga on a boat! 😀***

How to get to Playa Gigante

It is a place that attracts tourists, but Playa Gigante is still very remote and not heavily crowded. Buses from Rivas run only from Monday to Friday. On the weekend, the only bus takes you to a little village 7km away from Playa Gigante… you can either walk, hitchhike or hope for a taxi for the rest of the way. Most likely someone will offer you a ride from Rivas once you get to the bus station. We happened to arrive on a Saturday and paid 4 USD each to a guy who offered us to take us. This doesn’t sound a lot, but it’s still 3 times more than the public bus.

Working at the beach, just perfect! — ***One of my favourite remote offices so far… 😀***

Where to stay in Playa Gigante

Perhaps the exclusivity of this area makes Playa Gigante one of the more expensive places we’ve been to in Nicaragua. The lowest price that we could find for a private room was 20 USD but that was a very basic room. After two nights, we changed our hotel and went to Gigante Bay, a very fun hostel which has dorms from 10 USD up to AC private rooms. We loved it there, not only because of the free yoga classes every morning, but also because we happened to meet a lot of great people and went sailing in Playa Gigante.

Slack Lines in front of the hostel are just one great thing Gigante Bay has to offer... — ***Nestled in Playa Gigante’s bay, our hostel was just a perfect place to relax a few days…***

Have you been there? Did you go sailing in Playa Gigante?

NOT DONE READING YET?

Are you looking for more Latin American travel guides? Check out our post on Diving the Great Blue Hole of Belize if you are into scuba diving. Or what about a less sporty and therefore more cultural trip? Then you might like to read our Guatemala Travel Guide with tips for the ancient Mayan ruins in Copan.

Or are you curious about other places in Nicaragua? Then check out this travel guide for Nicaragua, a real fun place to visit when in Central America.

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Tags Nicaragua, Playa Gigante, Travel Tips

Travel

Honduras – The Hidden Gem of Central America

Post author By Julia Jerg
Post date 2016-03-03
25 Comments on Honduras – The Hidden Gem of Central America

Paradise islands, beautiful beaches, lush forests, diverse and unique flora and fauna, and important Mayan sites – Honduras has it all! It’s the most underestimated country in Central America, I find. It has so much more to offer than just the famous Bay Islands ‘Utila’ and ‘Roatan’. This blog post is an ode to a country that amazed us grandly, yet unexpectedly, with stunning natural and cultural sites! Keep reading if you want to know more about Honduras’ highlights and which places impressed us the most! And check out our Video for more images of this gem!

Natural Highlights wherever you look — ***There are so many beautiful things to see in Honduras!!***

Before I started my trip in 2011, travelling to places like India or South America made me nervous. I didn’t know better back then. Most of the info I heard about these places was crime-related and people would always tell me to be careful when they heard I was about to go there alone. Thanks to my curiosity, I visited them anyway. Today, I know that most news is extremely blown up and can have a crucial impact on a country’s reputation. A good example is Honduras: we heard so many bad things about this country that we actually hesitated for a moment…we briefly talked going straight from Guatemala to Nicaragua or even all the way down to Costa Rica, the seemingly safer nearby options.

The tourists' fear of being in danger seems to be the biggest enemy of the tourism in Honduras. — ***Watch out, there are crocodiles in Honduras! 😉***

Why you should visit Honduras

The first remarkable stop when coming from Guatemala is right after the border of Honduras. Make sure to read all our posts about our stay in Copan and our day exploring the impressive Mayan Ruins. From Copan, we went by bus to San Pedro Sula (3hrs, for 140 Lempiras/around 6 USD ). This city appears to be the country’s capital, which is actually the unpronounceable city ‘Tegucigalpa’. In general, I am not a big fan of cities, and since this post focuses on points of interest that are, in my opinion, better than average, I will keep it short: if you stop in San Pedro Sula, make sure you stay in ‘La Hamaca’. This is a centrally located hostel that has an amazing staff, a great vibe, loads of arts and paintings on the wall, and very decent rooms!

'La Hamaca': great hostel in San Pedro Sula — **Cool and funky: ‘La Hamaca’ Hostel in San Pedro Sula**

Be sure to move on quickly to the more interesting areas of Honduras. Let’s have a look at La Ceiba, the first large stop after San Pedro Sula and a stop-over to get to the Bay Islands. La Ceiba is the third important city of Honduras and is also a great starting point for exploring the destination ‘Atlantida’ which means ‘Atlantis’ in English. This Honduran state has chosen its name wisely. Exploring this area is like hunting down countless hidden treasures. I have been to many impressive places around the world, but in ‘Atlantida’, I’ve seen some of the most virgin nature spots of all.

La Ceiba and its surrounding area

Most travellers use the city ‘La Ceiba’ to break up their trip to or from the Bay Islands Utila and Roatan. Few tourists stay longer in La Ceiba than one or two nights. The city’s reputation causes most people to skip the nearby national parks and outdoor activities, which is their great loss! We gave it a closer look and were amazed by fantastic hiking trails through the jungle with waterfalls. We spent a gorgeous day Wild Water Rafting on the Cangrejal River.

To read more about La Ceiba and it’s surrounding area, check out our blog post about ‘What to do in Honduras’ Pico Bonito National Park’.

When in La Ceiba make sure to walk around the city centre and take a stroll along the old train rails. There you will find countless food stalls that are open 24/7 and offer, amongst other yummy things, one of the most typical dish in Honduras: “La Baleada”. It is a tortilla folded in half to hold a bean paste, shredded cheese and your choice of scrambled eggs, avocado, chicken or simply with the bean paste only. You can add onions, red cabbage or spicy sauces.

Baleadas and fruits of Honduras — ***Traditional plate: two ‘Baleadas’, two lychees and a Mangosteen, the Honduran super fruit due to its richness in vitamin C, zinc and antioxidants.***

The food stalls were one of our favourite lunch places. We enjoyed the fact that they were close to the hostel where we stayed in La Ceiba, which we highly recommend: When you stay in the city, a vibrant place to stay is the ‘Hostel 1877‘! Such a great, modern and eco-friendly place with new facilities and big love for details made us feel absolutely welcomed in La Ceiba. Built in 2015, the hostel is run by two very helpful and super friendly Honduran owners who will make your stay in La Ceiba pleasant and memorable.

La Ceiba has one great hostel to stay at: 1877 Hostel — ***1877 Hostel is your best choice when in La Ceiba***

Things to do in Atlantida

Have lunch in the Garifuna Community in Corozal

When you leave La Ceiba and start to explore the surrounding area, you cannot miss the little Garifuna community in Corozal, which is about a 20-minute drive east of La Ceiba. There you will find traditional food of the Garifuna, the mixed-race descendants of West African, Central African, Island Carib, and Arawak people. Living off the ocean, most of their dishes include fish and seafood. We had lunch in one of the restaurants called ‘Chamorros‘.

Lunch in Corozal in one of the traditional Garifuna restaurants — **Great food and great company!**

We tried several dishes that are typically cooked with loads of garlic and include variations of bananas. The main dish was a heavenly mixture of shrimp, sea snails, lobster and fish. Fried bananas and little balls made out of banana to dip in garlic sauce come as a side dishes. To round it out, we tried the traditional ‘Guifiti’, which is a high-percentage digestive made from roots, spices and schnapps. It is also known for its medicinal benefits…

Garifuna Restaurant — ***Small banana balls as a side…***

Mixed fish platter in Garifuna style — ***‘Mariscada’ is a mixed seafood platter with loads of garlic…yummy!!!***

Visit the second largest Botanical Garden in the World

‘Lancetilla’ is the name of the botanical garden that is really worth visiting. It lies on the road to ‘Tela’, just a view minutes before you get to the city. It has its origins in the 1920’s when it was a research centre for a banana company. Today, you are able to see trees and plants native to Oceania, Africa and Asia. It is also one of the principal bird watching spots of Honduras, where over 300 species have been identified. The entrance is 2 USD for foreigners. If you go, make sure to walk through the impressive bamboo tunnel and go with a guide in order to learn all about the different species.

Bamboo Tunnel in the Botanical Garden Centanilla — **One must-see: The Bamboo Tunnel in the Botanical Garden ‘Lancetilla’**

Welcome to Miami!

No, you don’t have to leave Honduras in order to visit Miami! It is the name of a village that is home to another Garifuna community close to the city of Tela. It’s inside the Jeannette Kawas National Park, whose name is dedicated to the ecologist that fought for the eco-balance of this area. The whole village lives in a secluded way, isolated from the rest of the world and society. The locals preserve their culture and keep up with the traditional fishing and way of living.

Small Garifuna community close to Tela — **There is a ‘Miami’ in Honduras! 🙂**

Miami is also where you can catch a boat to cross the Mikitos Lagoon that separates Miami and little peninsula that houses another hidden gem of Honduras: Los Olingos. If you need a place to recharge your batteries, make sure to stay at this amazing lodge and simply relax in a peaceful surrounding next to the water.

Relaxing at the shores of the Lagoon — ***Los Olingos have their own private dock where you can sit and relax with a coconut…***

The lodge offers six cabin-style houses that are spread out on the property. It feels like walking around in a little village where palm trees are the natural fence to your neighbours. It’s a great place if you go in a big group, or you can soak up the tranquillity on your own. Those who seek action can choose between fun on the volleyball field, kayak on the lagoon, or explore the hills, viewpoints and coffee plantation on the property.

Los Olingos has six houses on the property with several rooms to lodge up to 12 people — ***Hidden behind palm trees: the small houses of the lodge are spread out on the property in a very idyllic style!***

Take a train ride to the ‘Cuero y Salado’ Wildlife Refuge

This is a fun half-day tour that you can easily do from La Ceiba on your own or with a tour company. If you want to go bird watching, spot monkeys, and crocodiles then you’ll be right on the Cuero y Salado Lagoon. It is about 30 km east of La Ceiba and borders to the north with the Caribbean Sea. In this protected area, there are a few small communities residing. To get there, you have to jump on a real ancient looking train that takes you to the entrance of the National Park in about 30 minutes. From there, you board the boat and let the guide take you along the shoreline of the lagoon.

The old iron train brings us to our lagoon boat trip — ***Enjoying the ride on our jungle trip…***

If the monkeys, crocodiles, and exotic birds are not enough to convince you, the ‘Cuero y Salado’ Lagoon is also home to the Caribbean Manatee. We weren’t lucky enough to see it that day but have learned that is an endangered species that lives within this protected area of creeks, lagoons, and the coastline.

Spot the monkey! — ***Next to Manatees and crocodiles, we spotted many monkeys up in the trees!***

In total, there are 15 rivers that stream into the labyrinth of lagoons and canals, bordered by mangroves and a tropical jungle vegetation.

What a great natural effect! — ***When the sun sets, the lagoon turns into a mirror spectacle!***

Honduras’ Largest Lake: ‘Lago Yojoa’

Leaving the Caribbean Coast you will still find amazing places that are worth stopping during your travels in Honduras. From La Ceiba, we took a bus back to San Pedro Sula where most of the country’s buses connect. From there, we took a bus to Santa Cruz de Yojoa, a small town just 30 minutes away from the lake. We spent the night before continuing our trip to the village ‘Los Naranjos’, which is right at the beautiful Lake Yojoa. There are few options to stay, but one great place is the D&D Brewery that (obviously)has their own beer on the menu, great advice for tours in and around the village and several accommodation options.

The main street of 'Los Naranjos' — ***‘Los Naranjos’ is a small village surrounded by beautiful nature!***

From the brewery, you can walk 10 minutes to the village’s river that will lead you to the National Park ‘El Jaral’. The walk to the park is already so beautiful, along the river and crossing the bridge you will get a glimpse of the lake in the distance. The park does not have an official entry point on one side, so you just walk in and if you want to search for the other end to exit and pay you can do so. Friendly armed soldiers will remind you on their patrol that you will need to go and buy a ticket on the other side…

River next to Lago Yojoa — **On your way to the park entrance, you’ll cross this gorgeous river…**

Inside the park, you can stop and listen to an ongoing concert of birds. It is incredible what sounds come out and how different they sound from the birds where I come from. One, for example, reminded me of dropping water whereas others sound as if someone drums a stick on a bamboo trunk.

View inside the National Park. — ***Walking through the park brings many different views of this area…***

The park makes a small loop, which leads you past some bridges and archaeological sites. You can easily make the full loop in less than an hour, unless, of course, you sit down and enjoy the sounds of the tropical birds…

Cerro Las Nalgas

For best views of the whole area, hike up to a viewpoint on top of ‘Cerro Las Nalgas’. It is a bit tricky to find the path, but the locals are very friendly and helpful. Make sure you get at least two or three different opinions on where the trail starts, some people sound very convincing but actually sent us in the opposite direction…

After 3 days of hiking and beer sampling, we moved on to our next adventure: Nicaragua. The easiest way to get to Nicaragua is by bus from Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras. We took the bus at 6:30 am from Lake Yojoa and got to Tegucigalpa within 3 1/2 hours (150 Lempiras). From there, we hopped on a local bus to the border at Guasaule (another 3 hours from the capital, 100 Lempiras). The bus doesn’t cross the border, but you can simply do your paperwork at the immigration office and walk across a bridge that leads you to Nicaragua… from there, you have several options to get to Leon, one of the first spots of interest according to our research.

Welcome to Nicaragua! — ***DANGER!!! …and welcome to Nicaragua! 😀***

After 3 1/2 weeks in Honduras, we can say that it was one grand trip! For all those in doubt and fear about their safety, hesitate no more, it is as safe as any place in Central America and will strike you with beauty, delicious food and friendly people!

NOT DONE READING YET?

Check out our guide for the islands of Roatan and Utila which you can easily reach from La Ceiba.

If you’re headed to Guatemala and stop by Copan here is what to do while visiting the Copan Ruins!

Or perhaps you’re moving on to Nicaragua? Then make sure to plan a sailing trip at Playa Gigante!

While you’re still in Honduras, don’t skip one of their most beautiful corners, the Pico Bonito National Park!

Thank you Visite Atlántida for this great trip to Atlantida.
Like always, all opinion are MY OWN. So, to everyone else, no worries on biases or BS, you won’t find that here. I keep this real. Thanks for the support!

Tags discover, explore, Honduras, La Ceiba, lake Yojoa, roatan, Tela, travel, utila

Travel

Island Tripping to Utila and Roatan

Post author By Julia Jerg
Post date 2016-02-29
4 Comments on Island Tripping to Utila and Roatan

Utila and Roatan are probably the two main reasons that most people travel to Honduras. We wanted to check them out to see if they match what their reputations promise…Both islands are part of the so-called Bay Islands (Guanaja, Utila and Roatan) and enjoy proximity to the second largest reef in the world, the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System. Needless to say, both Utila and Roatan attract many divers and snorkelers from around the world. We couldn’t resist, either and went diving on Utila. The weather on Roatan interfered our plans so we were unable to dive there. But, we had a great time driving around in our rental car and we enjoyed the island’s beauty in the rain…

Here are some useful tips for your next time visiting Utila and Roatan.

Things to do on Utila:

Rent a motorbike or a scooter to explore the island:

Utila is the smallest of the three Bay Islands of Honduras and it was our first stop when visiting Utila and Roatan. With a length of 45 km and a maximum elevation of 74 meters, it is very easy to get around in one day on a scooter or motorbike. At least, that’s what we were told. In our case, though, it turned out to be quite a challenge: partially because we planned our trip on the motorbike at the very last minute, just before we were supposed to take the ferry to leave the island again. And partially because halfway through our exploration drive, we ran out of gas. It was only then that we noticed the rental company had not filled up the tank. Silly us, we only realized it when it was too late. Since there was no petrol station anywhere nearby, we had choice other than pushing our bike back to the rental place. Gah…!!! Once we arrived back, we had no time left to fill up the tank and explore more of the island because our ferry was about to leave. At least they refunded us the money and we got some free exercise on top of that 😉

Running out of gas while exploring Utila — **If you love your bike, you push it, right?! 🙂**

Go Diving or Snorkelling

A little bit more successful, yet not entirely smooth was our dive trip with Parrots Dive Centre. The company took us out to the North Coast of Utila, which is one of the more popular dive spots of the island. In the morning, we prepared our gear, which they told us was recently renewed. At 6:30 am we were ready to board the small boat with a group of fellow divers and head up the coast of Utila. The trip to the actual dive spot took about 30 minutes and was one of the worst I’ve ever had: the ocean was rough that day and we constantly got waves of water splashed into our boat. By the time we arrived, we were all soaking wet and freezing cold from the strong wind that blew that morning. Shivering and ready to get off the rocky boat, we jumped into the water and were instantly got rewarded for the rough trip: the corals that we were about to see made us forget the uncomfortable start of the day.

Out on the ocean, it got a bit rocky on our trip to the North Coast of Utila... — **Calm and smooth: the ocean looked very peaceful in the harbour…**

We happily surfaced after a 45 minute dive filled with many fish encounters along a beautiful reef. Luckily, the sea had calmed a bit, and we could enjoy the sunshine on the boat and warm our bodies up before diving a second time. This time, we went to Spotted Bay and saw fewer fish, but the dive site was pretty and had a few swim throughs to entertain us. After 40 minutes, we hopped back onto the boat and traveled to a tiny island for lunch. The ride back was smooth and very pleasant, the sun finally won over and we returned dry and happy. All in all, a fun half-day trip we are glad to have taken.

Trying on the equipment of the Parrot Dive Center. — ***Getting ready for our trip!***

Just sit back and relax!

As with most islands, the best thing to do is simply enjoy the relaxed vibe. On Utila and Roatan you can have a laid-back time sitting on the many benches, enjoying the ocean view. If you want a day at the beach, you’ll be better of on Roatan. Utila has only one beach which is tiny but still good enough to go for a swim.

Places like this make up for the lack of beaches on Utila... — ***Some places are just inviting you to sit back and relax!***

Utila’s beautiful sister Roatan

Utila and Roatan are competing in the area of tourism against each other: Utila is known to be cheaper, smaller and a bit less touristy. Roatan, on the other hand, has better beaches (well, in fact, it HAS beaches) and offers a broader net of tourist activities. Therefore, it is a bit more expensive, too. So, I’d say, both islands have something for each type of tourist. Perhaps the backpackers and budget-conscious travellers would be happier on Utila whereas the resort-type tourist can enjoy Roatan’s standards a bit more. Here is what we did:

Utila and Roatan have both great sides — ***On the way from West End to West*** Bay you get to cross this super cool bridge connecting two beaches…

Explore the bay area between West End and West Bay

One popular tourist area is West End. This is where you find bars, restaurants and shops lined up next to each other in front of the ocean. It is also where most of Roatan’s hotels and resorts are located. West End connects to Roatan’s most beautiful beach, West Bay, which you can reach by water taxi (costs around 3 USD), a taxi (approx. the same price but not as scenic!) or by foot. We chose to walk along the beach (about 45 minutes) and took a water taxi back to West End.

Waling towards West Bay is such a great way to experience this area of Roatan. — ***West Bay is a big strip of bars, restaurants and swimming pools right at the beach…***

Go snorkelling at West Bay

West Bay attracts not only beach bums and cocktail sippers, but it is also known for it’s easy accessible reef. We took our snorkel gear, walked in from the beach and enjoyed colourful corals and fish, just a short swim from West Bay. It’s also the place to catch a pretty shot when the sun goes down…

Sunset at West Bay on Roatan — ***West Bay is the place to enjoy a beautiful sunset!***

Stay at a budget place and save your money

If you think Roatan explodes your budget, don’t worry, there are still a few cheaper options besides five-star hotels or resorts. We stayed at Roatan Backpackers’ Hostel which is a fun place in Sandy Bay. The Canadian run hostel is a bit hidden away, but if you get off the ferry and tell the driver to bring you to Sandy Bay at ‘Solgas’ you’ll find it! We enjoyed it a lot, because there is a great little pool, the Lizard Lounge (which is the place to be if you want to enjoy a fast internet connection on a rooftop veranda overlooking the neighbourhood) and because of Mel, the owner who is a walking ‘Lonely Planet’. Even without asking, you will get everything you need to find your way around the island, and she’ll give you a self-scribbled map that has great advice for your exploration trip.

Roatan Backpacker's Hostel: a great option for your stay on Roatan — ***If you are too lazy to go to the beach, just take a dip in the pool!***

Rent a car and explore the island

On the third and last day of our stay on Roatan, we woke up to a rainfall that would not stop until the next morning. We decided to not let it ruin our plans to drive around and see the rest of the island. We went to the airport where all the rental car companies are located and rented a small Kia that would be our home for the day, since we hardly left the car due to the heavy rain. We stocked up on snacks and drove around, all the way up to Camp Bay, which is on the Northeastern tip of Roatan. For the sake of adventure, we decided to sleep in the car and awoke the next day at 6 am in order to catch the ferry at 7 am to take us back to La Ceiba.

Sunset at West End of Roatan — ***Just one night before, we had a beautiful sunny day and a gorgeous sunset again.***

Which ferry to take when visiting Utila and Roatan

Getting back to La Ceiba from Utila. — ***It looks like a house, but it’s actually our ferry! 😀***

When you want to go to Utila and Roatan, both times you will have to start your journey from La Ceiba. This is a bit of a pain because it means you cannot get directly from Utila to Roatan, and have to spend double your time and money on the ferry. Unless you go with a private company that takes tourists to Roatan, if the weather is fine and there are enough people to fill the boat. Apparently they are discussing a direct ferry connection between Utila and Roatan, at least, we heard that when we were there (Feb. 2016). The ride from or to Utila takes about 45 minutes and the cheaper of the two ferry companies, ‘Utila Princess’, costs around 25 USD. See the official website for the actual ferry schedule and updated prices.

La Ceiba to Utila:

Depart La Ceiba for Utila: 9:30 am
Depart Utila for La Ceiba: 6:20 am
Depart La Ceiba for Utila: 4:00 pm
Depart Utila for La Ceiba: 2:00 pm

Utila Princess and Utila Dream are the two ferry companies for your trip to and from Utila. — ***This COULD have been our boat if we would have cared to pay the double price of the ticket…***

The trip from La Ceiba to Roatan is a little longer, about 1 hour 20 minutes and is recommended to take in the morning as the ocean gets rough in the afternoons. We had no other choice than taking the 4:30 ferry in the afternoon. It was a bit funny how you were immediately handed a plastic bag after boarding the boat. Yet, when we saw that quite a few people were actually making use of their bags, I stopped laughing and was grateful how prepared they were… 🙂

La Ceiba to Roatan:

From La Ceiba To Roatan: 9:30 AM & 4:30 PM
From Roatan To La Ceiba: 7:00 AM & 2:00 PM

Utila and Roatan are not connected by ferry. — ***Waiting for the ferry and enjoying a quick* *browse on* *the internet…***

All in all, we think both islands have their charm and are worth checking out. Yet, keep in mind that both Utila and Roatan are slightly more expensive than the rest of Honduras, so cash-up before you go and dive into a great island experience.

Have you been to Utila and Roatan? What were your highlights?

Tags discover, explore, Honduras, island tripping, paradise island, roatan, utila

Travel

What to do in Hondura’s Pico Bonito National Park

Post author By Julia Jerg
Post date 2016-02-23
14 Comments on What to do in Hondura’s Pico Bonito National Park

Most people imagine white sandy beaches and paradise islands when thinking about Honduras. To be blamed for this incomplete image are the Bay Islands, the country’s most popular tourist spots. Make sure to check out my post about Utila and Roatan to understand why they are so popular. Yet, if you visit the mainland and explore the other side of Honduras, you will find yourself in an equally pretty nature setting with diverse flora and fauna that is marvelous. The Pico Bonito National Park with the Cangrejal River is one of the attractions for outdoor-lovers who visit the city ‘La Ceiba’. Here is why whitewater rafting and a hike to a breathtaking waterfall should be on your bucket list when in Honduras.

A cloudy day in Pico Bonito National Park — ***Pico Bonito National Park offers great hiking and action sports like whitewater rafting.***

A dramatic rainforest scenery appears when you drive up the rugged street that leads you away from La Ceiba. On your right, you overlook the Cangrejal River that divides the two national parks to your left and right: ‘Pico Bonito National Park’ (which translates to “pretty peak”) and ‘Nombre de Dios National Park’, (“the name of God”). The river is broad and offers some challenging rapids, which makes it one of Central America’s best whitewater rafting options and is the reason why some adventurous travelers choose to spend some time in this area.

Consequently, there are a few tour companies that offer outdoor activities and tours that include kayaking, river walking, bird watching and horseback riding, to name a few. We went rafting with the German-owned tour agency ‘Omega‘’ (which was a coincidence and has nothing to do with the fact that I am German!) that took us on an exciting trip down the river…

A day of adventure: Whitewater Rafting on the Cangrejal River

The Cangrejal River is a fun place to do whitewater rafting! — **One of the easier parts of the river decorated by huge rocks on each side….**

At 8:30 in the morning we met our guides and three other people who went rafting with us; two English guys and a woman from Australia. We received a quick briefing from our guide and tried on our gear: a fancy helmet and life jacket… and off we went. If you have some sort of water shoes, it’s a good time to use them, as you can’t go bare feet or you will lose your grip inside the raft. Runners can get uncomfortably wet and heavy, but the climate is warm enough and you move a lot so you actually don’t need to worry about getting cold on the river.

Waterfalls and rainforest make Pico Bonito National Park really a special place! — ***Yeah! Nice little breaks in between the action gave us time to appreciate the waterfalls in the area (in the back!!!)***

From the agency, we walked down a short ,muddy pathway to the starting point of our rafting trip. It had rained a lot in the days before, so the river was a bit higher than usual, which also made it slower, and a bit easier for us. Nevertheless, we had some adrenaline pumping through our bodies…it was a lot of fun!

Whitewater rafting on the Cangrejal River — ***And down we go…***

The tour takes about 3 ½ hours and includes stops to gaze at the waterfalls in the distance, to watch exotic birds or to jump off some funky shaped rocks to cool off a bit. Our guide also stopped at one point to show us a native plant called ‘Angel Hair’. He handed over some seeds of the plant and made us rub our hands against each other with a little bit of water in it. The result was a pleasant smell and loads of foam, which is why the locals use it as natural soap.

Huge rocks line up at the side of Cangrejal River and gives a lot of options to jump — ***Brave Claudio who dared to jump!***

After more rapids and pleasantly calm sections in between, we arrived wet, exhausted and absolutely pumped at the end of our trip. In total, we paddled about 7 km distance from the starting point to where we were picked up by the company’s funky looking yellow truck. All in all, the tour was well organised, very worthwhile, with two knowledgeable and fun guides who told us a lot about the river and the area. Five stars for Omega!

Happy and exhausted we made it to the end of our trip! — **We survived!!! 😀**

Hiking the ‘El Mapache’ trail

Another fun activity in the Pico Bonito National Park is to hike up to the impressively high waterfall, ‘El Bejuco Falls’. You can easily spend half a day exploring the park and enjoying the outdoors. The hike takes about 3-4 hours round-trip, depending on your pace, of course. We stopped many times in order to take pictures or marvel at the different species of this rain forest, mainly birds and reptiles.

The 'Hammock Bridge' was a fun start for our hike... — ***I can hear the music of the ‘Indiana Jones’ movie…***

After you have passed the entrance gate of the visitor center of the Cangrejal River, you have to cross an Indiana Jones-like bridge called ‘Puente Hamaca’ (Hammock Bridge). It is a great way to start the hike and gives you an idea of what you can expect inside the park. Further down the trail, you’ll get to jump over some small rocks and cross the river on fallen tree trunks. It’s not ‘a walk in the park’, but absolutely doable for a normal fit person. Make sure to bring plenty of water, as it is humid and hot in there…welcome to the jungle!

Beautiful water scenes in Pico Bonito National Park — **Some parts of the trail get interrupted by some small rivers where you have to climb or jump…**

At the entrance to the national park, you will be informed that the length of your hike will determine the price you pay. It is based on an honest report to the park officer, but I suggest to actually go all the way and then also pay the full price of 8 US dollars – because what’s the point of seeing only half of the park and missing the best part of this fun hike!?

Highlight of the trail: a gorgeous waterfall... — ***All the efforts pay off when you get to the end of the trail and stand right in front of the waterfall!***

Where to stay while exploring Pico Bonito National Park

No need for walls, all common spaces are outdoor! — ***Cozy and yet high-class style: the open ‘living room’ of La Villa de la Soledad.***

With so much action and excitement going on during the day, you probably want a nice and relaxing time once you’re at ‘home’. And this is exactly how we felt in our hotel ‘La Villa de la Soledad‘: at home. It is an oasis in the middle of the rainforest with grand walls and spacious outdoor sitting areas which makes it feel palace-like but cozy at the same time. The friendly Mexican-born owner John and his Honduran wife Soledad built the place in order to live there with their family and open a high-class option for tourists in this area.

A home away from home... — ***Comfy beds and private entrance to the outside space…***

The bed and breakfast style hotel is only 9 km outside of La Ceiba inside the Pico Bonito National Park. From the hotel, you can actually walk in less than 5 minutes to the entrance of the visitor center to start you hike to the waterfall. From the property, you have amazing views into the rainforest and the Cangrejal River, which you can enjoy from one of John’s and Soledad’s hammocks. The hotel has five rooms that all have a private bathroom, and are decorated with original paintings by Honduran artists. From each room, you can access an outside area of the property, a very tranquil garden space with stunning views.

Great views and a nice spot to hang in... — ***Just outside our room, we had a hammock to relax after our daily activities…***

The room comes with a delicious breakfast of freshly cut fruits, coffee, juice, and eggs with toast, prepared as you wish, and served at whatever time you require it in order get to your daytime activities. ‘La Villa de la Soledad’ is a very comfortable and relaxing option to stay while you explore Pico Bonito National Park. The owners are bilingual and are there to help you if have any questions or need help to organize your local activities. Our stay there made our trip to Pico Bonito National Park a completely amazing experience and gave us the perfect amount of relaxation aside our adventure activities.

No need for walls due to the great climate! — ***Open and spacious: the outside area of La Villa de la Soledad.***

Have you been to Pico Bonito National Park? How was your experience?

Tags explore, Honduras, pico bonito national park, whitewater rafting, work and travel

Destination Guides Top Travel Posts Travel

Travel Tips for the Mayan Ruins in Copan

Post author By Julia Jerg
Post date 2016-02-21
8 Comments on Travel Tips for the Mayan Ruins in Copan

Visiting the Mayan Ruins in Copan www.jeyjetter.com

Honduras has a lot to offer right from the start: If you begin your trip in Guatemala like us, then you will most likely pass through the little town of Copan. That’s where one of the most important Mayan cities was built. Today, you can admire the well-preserved ruins and walk around on the former city’s area. Read here how to get from Guatemala to Honduras by bus. But don’t copy our style, we found ourselves in a mildly bewildered situation when we arrived at the border…

Welcome to Honduras! — ***Dark and no one around… a rocky start into a new adventure!***

We should have done some more research before we started our trip from Guatemala to the Honduran border. But who could have known that the public transport system runs only until 6:30 pm! We could hardly believe it when the friendly Immigration officer told us that there were no more buses or taxis at this hour (7 pm!!) It was especially annoying, because minutes before, we politely waved away a very insisting Tuk-tuk driver…had we known that he was our last option for that night….! Yes, we even thought about walking all the way to Copan that lies 10 km from the border! But to be honest, the combination of too much luggage and the fact that is was already dark outside and little lighting on the street made this a bad idea. On top of that, came the friendly reminder of the officer that it was a rather unsafe way to take….

All we could do was sit and wait, hoping it would not be for the rest of the night. Only two hours later, we got lucky: a lonesome car appeared from the Guatemalan side! We stopped the car after it passed through border control and asked the driver to give us a lift. Done! The driver let us hop onto the loading zone of his pickup truck and took us to Copan. Relieved that we did not have to spend the whole night in the middle of nowhere, waiting for the next bus in the morning, we got to our hotel in Copan…exhausted but happy!

Wide and open to walk around and admire the archeological remains... — ***The Mayan City Copan was constructed on a huge area open for visitors today.***

The next day, early in the morning, we went to see the Copan Ruins. It is the main attraction of Copan. The main entrance gate lies about 1 km away from the town centre. You can easily walk there or hop on a Tuk-tuk. Contrary to my personal weather preference, we were told that the unusual cool temperatures were doing us a favour. Usually, it is a very humid and hot place to visit as this ancient Mayan city lies in the middle of the jungle. But with clouds out, we had the perfect climate to stroll around undistracted and could fully enjoy the amazing architecture of this former civilisation.

Me being the absolute tourist! — ***You can actually climb up to some of the Mayan temples…***

Inside the park, shortly past the entrance gate and before we arrived at the Pre-Columbian ruins, some ‘Guacamayos’, the national birds of Honduras, were flying around freely above our heads. These beautiful and colourful birds that I had only known from zoos or inside cages were so delightful to watch in their natural habitat. It was a very cheerful moment and it seemed like they were enjoying their attention very much, as they curiously stared back at us and sat still for the million photos that we took 😀

They were lining up for us!!! — **Patient parrots posed for our photo shoot…**

After this highlight, the ruins were almost boring. Just kidding! They were very impressive too and, of course, we gave them, at least the same amount of attention as the birds… The ruins’ construction dates back to 427 A.D. which gives me the chills: such a long time back!!! In that time, the Maya leader ‘Yax Kuk Mo’ came from the area of Tikal (which is in today’s Guatemala) and arrived in the Copan Valley. With his arrival, a dynasty of 16 rulers began and turned Copan into one of the greatest Maya cities during the Classic Maya Period. Today it is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Centre.

Mayan statue. — ***Many of the statues are still in good condition.***

Here are some more historical facts: It is said that the main period of Copan (like other bigger Mayan cities), was during the Classical period, AD 300-900. During that period, the Mayas made some significant achievements in mathematics, astronomy and hieroglyphic writing. These become evident when analysing their way of building: today’s archaeological remains reveal the three main stages of development in Mayan culture, during which evolved the temples, plazas, altar complexes and ball courts that can be seen today. The Maya civilisation inhabited the Copan city until the early 10th century.

Mayan Ruins of Copan — *Today you can see temples, plazas, altar complexes and ball courts* on the area.

Today the Mayan city of Copan has one main complex of ruins which includes the Acropolis and important plazas. Then there are several secondary complexes that surround the main complex. You also find many sculptured monoliths and altars. On the risers of the Hieroglyphic Stairway Plaza there are more than 1,800 individual glyphs which constitute the longest known Mayan inscription. There is some restoration work at the moment, so some of the statues and stone walls were covered or under a little tin roof.

Little tins roofs hover over some of the statues. — ***Little tin roofs ruin our pictures but supposedly protect the stones from bad weather…***

You can easily spend 2-3 hours walking around the whole area. Of course, if you take a tour or go with a guide, the time varies and may be even longer. If you are planning your trip to this Honduran highlight, check out our post about ‘Where to stay in Copan during your visit to the Mayan Ruins’ for a very comfortable stay in Copan!

How was your visit to the Copan Ruins? Did you have a hot and humid climate when there? What other Mayan sites have you visited or would you like to see?

Tags around the world, explore, Maya, Temple, travel tipps

Destination Guides Top Travel Posts Travel

Guatemala Travel Guide

Thanks to Lonely Planet, travelling has become very easy. Most of the time, it’s not very difficult to get around. This is also true for Central America as there seem to be mandatory stops and common routes that many travellers take. In our case, we started the trip on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, then went on to Belize in order to get to Guatemala. Along the way, we met many people who did the same. And there is a good reason for it: Backpacking in Central America is great, easy and safe! Here are the highlights from our trip to Guatemala, a country of beautiful natural diversity, a well-preserved Mayan culture, delicious food, coffee, cacao and very friendly people.

Isla de Flores at beautiful Lake Peten Itza

Flores at Lake Peten Itza in Guatemala — ***Flores is one of the popular stops for tourists in Guatemala…***

‘Flores’ is a place that attracts many tourists because it lies on a gorgeous lake. The town is actually divided into two parts: when travellers talk about Flores, they refer to the part that lies on the peninsula in the middle of beautiful Lake Peten Itza. Yet, when one arrives at ‘Flores’ it can be a bit confusing at first because the bus terminal is on the mainland. From this buzzing part of the town, you can easily get to the more scenic old town on the bespoke peninsula. It’s connected by road and you’ll get there within 10 minutes by one of the eager taxi or Tuk-tuk drivers that is waiting for you in front of the bus terminal. Here is a short video from our Tuk-tuk ride to Isla de Flores:

VIDEO: Tuk-tuks are fun… and they have them not only in Asia! 😀

The view from our hotel opposite the town Flores — ***Crossing the lake you have a great view of the colourful house facades of ‘Isla de Flores’ or the Island of Flowers…***

We stayed one night in one of the hostels on the island and then ‘fled’ to the quieter shore just opposite of the town, from which we had an amazing view onto Flores’ colourful houses. The boat ride is less than 5 minutes, and brings you to an area where only local people live. Yet, there is one hotel (which is still a lot more economic than in the touristy old town of Flores), a couple of shops and a few houses of the local fishermen and their families. For food shopping, you will have to go back to the mainland, but it’s worth it. It’s everything you need if you are looking for some quiet and peaceful time at the lake.

Travel planning in Flores, Lake Peten Itza — ***Travel planning is one of our daily tasks and one of the most important parts of your trip when you travel long-term!***

There are plenty of things to do in Flores: you can take a scenic boat ride across the lake, stroll through the market, admire traditional Guatemalans’ horse demonstrations, go hiking in the nearby mountains or simply enjoy the view of the lake while sipping a cup of Guatemalan coffee.

Guatemalan tradition: Horseback riding — ***Spontaneous demonstration in the streets of Flores***

Beautiful horses and proud owners — ***Proud of their tradition: this was a promotion tour for the following event in the market of Flores***

Welcome to the capital: ‘Guate’

The streets of Guatemala City. — ***A typical street of Guatemala City’s centre…***

From Flores, we took an overnight bus to Guatemala City or like the locals call it: ‘Guate’. It depends highly on your choice of bus company and price of the ticket whether you will enjoy this ride or not. We probably went a bit too cheap and hardly slept that night due to the bumpy road and the ambitious driver…we arrived safe and according to plan to the bus terminal at 7 am in Guatemala City.

Walking the streets of Guatemala City... — ***Safe and modern, Guatemala’s capital.***

After a strong coffee and a bite to eat, we hopped onto the metro-bus that took us to the city. The public transportation in Guatemala City works with a pre-purchased card that you load with money. If you only stay for a couple days, though, do it like the locals who don’t have a card and ask in line if you can pay someone the price of one ride and use his or her card. It’s very cheap to get around and you would be never able to make up for the initial cost of the card. It’s very common, don’t be shy, everyone is friendly and happy to help out!

Guatemala has many accommodation options. — ***Spot my favourite motto in this picture….???***

In the city centre, there are plenty of options to stay. We chose the Theatre International Hostel which is a cool place for backpackers. It has a pool, a decent common area to hang out, the rooms are nice and the breakfast is yummy! We stayed there two nights and liked it. From there you can walk to the main shopping area of the city, with loads of local and international bars and restaurants. A 10 minute walk away you’ll find the market to buy fresh fruit, vegetables and Guatemalan craft. This is the place where the locals eat lunch, so make sure to try some traditional dishes and enjoy the special atmosphere.

Traditional Guatemalan dish: Chile Rellenos — ***Chiles rellenos’: mildly spicy stuffed peppers with a delicious side soup of chicken broth… yummy!***

What is true for most places in Central America, goes also for Guatemala City: it is considered dangerous. I would say that you need to be a normal person and not a scared victim when walking in the streets ANYWHERE in the world. Plus, stay in the areas that are safe (you can find that out easily by talking to locals or read some guidebooks, although some exaggerate extremely!) and don’t walk around with your valuables/a camera or phone visible in a real dark street late at night, unless absolutely necessary. I mean, all it takes is a bit of common sense and some research. But what I can say about this city is that we felt safe all the time. I find it’s absolutely fine to visit Guatemala City and it has a great deal to offer if you are into museums, shopping, nightlife or some historical buildings.

Centrally located but not running: the old railway station is now a museum. — ***The Museum of the Old Railway system is in the centre of Guatemala City and close to many city buses depart…***

Tourist-Hub Antigua

Antigua is dominated by international influence and is the leader when it comes to tourism. Someone in Honduras told me that all of the tourism of Central America is managed through Antigua. And I believe it. There are a ton of tour operators, travel agencies, cafes, restaurants and you can find many international brands in clothes shops. It almost feels a bit like strolling through a European town… plus, you hear more English in the streets than Spanish. Most people stop in Antigua in to hike to one of the many Volcanoes in the area. We ended up not going because the weather did not match our gear and it was unexceptionally cold those days.

Souvenir shops with traditional handicraft of Guatemala. — ***If you don’t go hiking, you can spend your time strolling through the markets…***

What else is there to do in Antigua? The usual: cute little markets and shops that sell all sorts of local arts and handicrafts. You can find in almost all the restaurants and bars very good coffee and hot chocolate – it’s a must when in Guatemala to try as many variations as you can (it was one of my missions at least ;-)). There are a quite a few bars and clubs if you want to go out at night. We had a quiet time in Antigua as the weather was too cold and windy – we stuck to the hot chocolate tastings for most of the time….

Hot Chocolate tasting is a must in Guatemala — ***Yummy hot chocolate made from Guatemalan cacao, milk and a bit of sugar!***

Lake Atitlan

One very adventurous bus ride and four hours later, we arrived at beautiful Lake Atitlan. It is really worth the somewhat stressful ride, but be prepared for some adrenalin running through your body on the bus. In general, the drivers in Guatemala seem to think they drive a race car. Luckily, the buses resist a lot, they are the old Ford School Buses from the United States, that were donated to the country….

Buses in Guatemala are donated from the US — ***The style of a race car represents the driver’s passion, I guess…***

San Marcos, Lago Atitlan

Once you get to Panajachel, you can either stay there or hop on a boat to get to one of the places at the lake. The boat ride is about 15-30 minutes depending on your destination. We paid 25 Quetzales/ about 3 USD to get to San Marcos.

Water taxi on Lake Atitlan, Guatemala — ***A very common way to get around at Lake Atitlan: water taxis.***

We stayed a couple of nights in San Marcos, which is small hippie town with loads of organic food options, nature-focused shops and spiritual/mind-body workshops. You can do Yoga, attend some moon dancing rituals or get a massage…I think I am not a hippie after all, but like the idea that we should connect more with our body, mind, and nature. San Marcos gets you into the right vibe for that, for sure!

Working in a café in San Marcos. — ***Take your work with you: no matter where we go, we set up our office wherever we like. Here in a small cafe in San Marcos.***

San Pedro de la Laguna, Lago Atitlan

After a couple of days of tranquility and some productive hours in the many cafés of San Marcos, we took one of the small boats (10 Quetzales/ 1.30 USD) and headed over to the busier town San Pedro.

San Pedro la Laguna in Guatemala — **Walking the streets of San Pedro la Laguna to get to our hotel…**

This place is the absolute opposite of it’s little brother San Marcos: it is a lot bigger and has very steep streets (almost like the streets in San Francisco but narrower) that are filled with the noise of constantly running Tuk-tuks up and down the hills. It’s perhaps great for people who want to meet other travellers and party. Actually, there are also a lot of Spanish language schools. So, many tourists stay for a few weeks in order to learn Spanish or improve their language skills. Guatemala is known for a very clear and almost accent-free Spanish.

Tuk-tuks and tourists - a typical sight in San Pedro... — ***Many tourists come and stay in San Pedro in order to learn Spanish.***

Leaving Guatemala

After another rocky bus trip back to Guatemala City, we headed over to the Honduran border. The whole way from San Pedro to Honduras you can do in one day, but you have to start early: We took the bus at 7 am in San Pedro and had to switch buses in one of the smaller towns after about 1 1/2 hours. The next bus took us straight to Guatemala City (it took us 5 hours and in total we paid 50 Quetzales which is around 6.5 USD. From there, we had to cross the city from one end to the other (about 2 hours in total, including the transition times) before we jumped on the next bus that took us to the border of Honduras (another 5 hours and 60 Quetzales this time).

At the border of Guatemala... — ***Still smiling there, not knowing that after we passed through immigration a big surprise came up…***

We arrived at the immigration office at around 7 pm and were told that there was no more public transportation to the nearest town ‘Copan’. How we got to our hotel in the dark and why we would do it differently next time, you can read in our post about the Ruins of Copan…

Did you like this post and/or have you been to Guatemala? Please leave a comment below, I would love to hear your thoughts on how you liked it there and what other sights one shouldn’t miss! Either way, thanks for reading 🙂

Tags Guatemala travel guide, Travel Guide, Travel Tips

Destination Guides Top Travel Posts Travel

Diving the Great Blue Hole of Belize

Post author By Julia Jerg
Post date 2016-02-11
10 Comments on Diving the Great Blue Hole of Belize

We decided not to skip the next destination, against many people’s advice. ‘Belize is too expensive for what it has to offer’, they said. But being a passionate Scuba Diver and stubborn on top of that, we went anyways. We simply couldn’t resist, and there was no way that my traveller soul would have ever rested in peace without having experienced one of the highlights of that place: diving the Blue Hole of Belize. To be fair, it is an extremely expensive country compared to its neighbours. You spend about double on most things. Coming from Mexico, it was sometimes a bit painful to have such a brutal increase. Here are our tips to help you turn your trip into an unforgettable memory.

One of the highlights of our dive trip: Lunch on a deserted island close to the Blue Hole of Belize — **Beautiful spot to have a break between your dives…**

Where to stay when diving the ‘Blue Hole’ of Belize

We opted for Caye Caulker because the larger island, Caye Ambergris, sounded too crowded, touristy and expensive for our taste. If you compare the costs of the dive trips, there actually is not a big difference between islands. Both Caye Ambergris and Caulker offer day-trips to the ‘Blue Hole’ for similar deals. Caye Caulker is a bit more laid back than it’s bigger sister Ambergris. There are no cars on the island, people sell their arts and handicrafts on the street, you hear music but you can also enjoy peaceful tranquility if you stay away from the small town centre.

Working on my laptop with ocean view on Belize's Caye Caulker — **Enjoying a cup of coffee in one of the island’s restaurants…**

There are not many budget accommodation options on the island: Yumas House Belize, Dirty Mcnasty’s Hostel and the Blue Wave Guesthouse. But these few options are likely to be booked. When we arrived, the hostels were all full and we had to stay in one of the mid-range hotels. Ouch! So, make sure you do your research well before your trip… Once you’ve decided to go, it’s easy to not regret it, either way it’s a fantastic island and connecting it with your dive at the Great Blue Hole will make it one trip you’ll never forget.

Choosing a Dive Company for your Trip to the Great Blue Hole of Belize

How to choose the right dive company for diving at the Blue Hole in Belize — **‘Frenchie’s’ is a locally run business with a great crew and equipment.**

When you walk the streets of Caye Caulker, you get the impression that there are a LOT of dive companies on the island. But actually there are only three dive shops that take you onto a Day-trip to the ‘Blue Hole’: Belize Diving Services, Frenchie’s Diving Services and Big Fish Dive Centre. All the other small shops that try to sell you their spots, refer you later on to one of these three companies. So, if you don’t want pay a commission on top of the regular price and see directly who you are going with, go straight to one of the above.

It all starts with a beautiful sunrise…

Our day trip to the Blue Hole started with a beautiful sunrise — You will be rewarded for getting up at 5am…

Yes, it is painful and really way too early for being on a paradise island in holiday mood. But right from the start, your efforts will pay off. We met at 5:30am at Frenchie’s Dive shop in order to get ready to hop on the boat. They gave us a light breakfast and coffee to wake up and had us double-check our gear that we tried on the day before. At 6am we were on the ocean towards the Blue Hole. It is around 110km away on the Lighthouse Reef Atoll, which means a 2 hour boat ride from Caye Caulker. Enough time to enjoy the view and get even more excited for the upcoming adventure.

Morning ride to the Blue Hole with the captain on our speed boat — ***Our Captain was smart enough to cover himself up against the wind of our speed boat…***

The first Dive at the Blue Hole

I lost my underwater camera back on my dive trip in Cancun. So, poor us, we’ll have the duty to memorise the underwater world till the end of our days. To break it down, here is how the dive at the Blue Hole was: it is a deep dive where we went down to 40 metres. Dropping into the deep while there is nothing but darkness below you is definitely one of the best parts of this dive. Once you hit 40 metres, you’re level with caves and stalagmites on your left. To your right, you see dark blue and sometimes a shark swimming past. It’s an incredible feeling to imagine that you are inside an almost perfect circular cave with 124 metres of depth and a diameter of 305 metres.

Diving the Big Hole of Belize part one — ***Exhausted and a bit tired, but absolutely happy after our first dive in the Blue Hole.***

Quickly after that amazing 35-minute dive, the captain took us to a small island about 20 minutes from the Blue Hole. The people on the boat who did not go diving and just came to go snorkelling got off the boat and waited while we went on our second dive at the ‘Half Moon Wall’. This dive and also the third dive at the ‘Aquarium’ are very different to the first one at the Blue Hole. We saw a lot more fish and coral life on these last two dives, but compared with the Blue Hole they are just ‘normal’ dives you could find in other places of the world. Not that I did not like them, as I actually prefer coral reefs over caves and love seeing fish/turtles/sharks etc but I am glad to see what it’s like to dive in the Blue Hole.

Lunch break during the dive trip to the Blue Hole of Belize — **Arriving in paradise…**

With only 12 people on board and a very laid-back crew, we had a great time. But the setting they chose for our lunch break helped to give this day-trip a five star rating (if I could give one). Spending our surface time between dive number two and three on a little island close to the Lighthouse Atoll was the perfect combination of that magical dive in the Blue Hole. Here are some pictures that speak for themselves…

Dolphins surprised us on our way back to Caye Caulker

Sometimes life is full of surprises and gives you something great and unexpected just when you thought it couldn’t get any better. I was dozing away after three exciting dives and being softly rocked by the boat, when I heard the captain scream: DOLPHINS!!! Everyone jumped up and it’s the classical reaction that all want to see what’s on the side of the boat where everyone is staring. It’s funny that gravity was with us in that moment, but I can’t blame my fellow passengers, it was really amazing to be greeted by at 50 dolphins who were jumping joyfully out of the water next to us…A perfect end to a perfect day!!! 😀

Have you been diving at the Great Blue Hole? What do you think, is it worth going??? Thanks ahead for sharing, liking and your comments!

Tags Belize, Blue Hole, scuba diving, Travel Tips

Travel

Where to Stay in Copán while Visiting the Mayan Ruins

Post author By Julia Jerg
Post date 2016-02-09
No Comments on Where to Stay in Copán while Visiting the Mayan Ruins

Accommodation in Copan: Where to stay in Copan: Don Udo's Hotel

If you wonder where to stay in Copan, this place is really something you should consider: Don Udo’s Hotel is a very great choice. The nice and welcoming staff plus the hotel’s great location plays a big role in remembering Copan as a pleasant place. The hotel has all the commodities of a really decent mid to high-end hotel and adds to a good quality stay while visiting the ruins of Copán! Actually, it is one of the nicest accommodations that we have had in quite some time, so let’s give it a closer look and see why Don Udo’s Hotel makes it into our Reviews category.

View from the roof terrace — **A little Oasis surrounded by ancient Mayan Ruins and beautiful mountain scenery…**

Nice, clean and spacious Rooms

We stayed in one of the standard rooms with a Queen-size bed and had our own private bathroom enclosed. The rooms are normal sized, and leave enough room for two people in order to feel comfortable. All rooms come with a flat TV, a closet to store things and a really comfy bed. I loved the mattress and the pillows, it was really hard getting up in the morning and almost too tempting to stay in bed all day! When we came in late at night after a long trip from Guatemala, the shops in Copán were all closed, so it was great to find two welcoming water bottles next to our beds.

In general there are four different room categories: Two basic rooms which are referred to as ‘Backpacker rooms’ (even though these are no dorms and come with a double bed); a few Standard rooms with either Queen or Twin beds, four Junior Suits and one Suite. The rooms are all circled around the open patio in the middle of the hotel, so they are equally good located and all share the same view.

Suite in Don Udo's Hotel — **We did not stay in the Suite, but got to take a look at it anyway 🙂**

Dutch Owner with a Passion for Chocolate

We got the chance to talk to ‘Don Udo’ in person and it was a real pleasure hearing all about the hotel and his current project: Don Udo decided to transform one of the hotel rooms into a little chocolate fabric where he started making all sorts of different and very delicious chocolate. Being of Dutch heritage, it was almost no surprise to find them really tasty. We also got a sample of his dark and medium chocolates… we were very impressed how delicious chocolate can taste made in a hotel room!

Chocolate fabric in Don Udo's Hotel — **Preparing heart-shaped chocolate for Valentine’s Day: Don Udo mixes talent with his passion for chocolate! The results are delicious…**

He told us that there is no big chocolate production in Honduras even though the country has like its neighbour Guatemala one of finest cacao in the world. Yet, Honduras mostly exports the base for chocolatiers in Europe. After tasting Don Udo’s chocolate we can tell that his vision to become a chocolatier in Central America is a great idea! I loved the rich and very chocolaty taste and see high potential, yum!

Chocolate Tasting in Don Udo's chocolate fabric — ***One of my highlights, I must admit… REAL chocolate is so hard to find and this was absolutely delicious one!!!***

Personal, friendly and very helpful staff

Like the Hotel Owner himself, so is his staff very polite and helpful. They definitely contribute to the nice and pleasant atmosphere of this place. It always makes you feel a little bit better when there is someone smiling at you after a long and exhausting trip. This was the case when we arrived late at night to Copan. We had a bit of a rocky start while crossing the border from Guatemala to Honduras and the girls at the reception were really friendly and helpful showing us a warm welcome. We heard from guests that sometimes during dinner time the kitchen crew comes out and gives a short round of applause. Small gestures like this, I guess, are part of the concept of the hotel, it has a very personal approach and lets you feel welcomed and at home.

Reception at Don Udo's Hotel — **Welcoming and very friendly staff gives this place a special touch!**

A place to chill and relax after visiting the Copán ruins

In general, there is a very relaxing and calming vibe in the hotel. It feels like a little oasis in the middle of busy Copán. The entrance area has a little pond and the sound of flowing water gives you instantly a feeling of tranquillity. The hotel was built by Don Udo 10 years ago which is why you can find some details that have a European touch. It’s neat and spacious and in the centre of the hotel, there is an open space. All rooms and other facilities are located around this area in the middle.

Don Udo's Hotel has a beautiful outside patio in the centre — **The open-air patio in the middle of the hotel gives it a very nice and spacious feel.**

Outdoor terrace with chill-out area — **My favourite place…just me and the comfy hammock 🙂**

Our room was on the second floor, so we had a view down from the little walkway to the outdoor inner space. Up, on this level, you also find a chill-out area where you can sit in and read or work. This common space was my favourite place (just after the bed) because of the hammocks to chill in. 😀 From up there we also had a wonderful view and felt the peaceful vibe even more than this hotel radiates. All in all, Copan was a great start to discovering a new country. We really enjoyed our first stop in Honduras and would come back any time, not only for the chocolate!!!

At Don Udo's Hotel you'll find excellent accommodation and delicious chocolate! — **He got me on my sweet tooth…dark chocolate, semi-dark, milk chocolate, Don Udo has them all! Real Honduran chocolate made by a Dutch! The perfect combination for a delicious product!**

Have you ever been to Honduras? Do you still wonder where to stay in Copan? Don’t look further and let me know how you liked it! Safe travels you all!

NOT DONE READING YET?

Check out what to do while you are in Copan – spoiler alert: it includes the Copan Ruins!

Or perhaps you’re headed to the coast and need a guide for the islands of Roatan and Utila?

While you are in Honduras, don’t skip one of their most beautiful corners, the Pico Bonito National Park!

PIN IT AND SAVE IT FOR LATER!

Thank you Don Udo for hosting us and letting us stay at your great hotel!
Like always, all opinion are MY OWN. So, to everyone else, no worries on biases or BS, you won’t find that here. I keep this real. Thanks for the support!

Tags Copan Ruins, explore, February 2016, Honduras, Maya, Review, travel long-term

Destination Guides General Family Travel Tips Travel

Day Trips from Cancun: Where to Go and What to See

Post author By Julia Jerg
Post date 2015-12-11
29 Comments on Day Trips from Cancun: Where to Go and What to See

Chichen Itza — **A day trip from Cancun to Chichén Itzá is worth the long bus ride!!!**

Use Cancun as your base and explore its surrounding highlights!

It’s very cheap to fly (from almost anywhere) to Cancun. I don’t know why but it seems like Cancun has some major flight deals going on at the moment. And Cancun itself has some attractions that you shouldn’t miss when starting your journey through Mexico. Check out my post on things to do in Cancun! After 3-4 days in Cancun, you should be ready to go on and explore the surrounding area! There are many sites that you can easily reach from Cancun, either on your own or with an organised tour. We did a bit of both and here are our highlights of the Mexican states Quintana Roo and Yucatan:

Day trips from Cancun #1: Isla Mujeres

We did a Day-trip from Cancun on a Catamaran to Isla Mujeres with a company called attractions. The tour starts at 10 am in the Marina of Cancun. You can get there easily by bus both from the centre and from your hotel on the ‘Zona Hotelera’. It’s the bus #R1 that gets you there and you need to get off at the Temptation Resort. Once you get off the bus all the tour operators have their people standing on the street in order to lead everyone to the right boat. Make sure, you’ll be there 45 minutes before the tour starts to pay your Ocean Marine Park fee (10 USD) and do the check-in to board the boat.

Once you’re on board, the catamaran takes you in a slow and relaxed pace towards Isla Mujeres. Halfway there, you get an hour of snorkelling time, all the equipment is included. Depending on the weather conditions you can get lucky and snorkel at MUSA, the famous underwater museum! We were not lucky that day because it was too windy. Instead, we stopped at one of the reefs on the way to the island.

Arriving at Isla Mujeres — **A very popular way to get to Isla Mujeres is by Catamaran.**

The tour includes ‘open bar’! This means you can sip cocktails all day on the catamaran and also when you get to the island where you have lunch. It goes without saying that it turns into a very casual and happy tour. Once you get to the island and after your snorkel stop (about 45 minutes in the water), you enjoy a delicious lunch buffet in a nice beach club. Remember, you can always choose to drink some water, and you definitely should do that in between your Mojitos! That reminds me: Bring sunscreen and a hat for the time on the catamaran and also when you walk around on the island.

Beautiful beaches on Isla Mujeres — **Just the colour of the water with the white sand is worth the trip!**

After your lunch break, you have 1 1/2 hours of free time to explore the little island. Most people rent golf carts in order to get around and see the island – it’s 7km diameter lets you do that easily in an hour. We forgot to bring our driver’s license, so we were not able to rent one of the golf carts. Instead, we negotiated a fair price with a local taxi driver to show us the island. Which he did for 100 pesos (roughly 8 USD). Some of the people from our boat chose to stay at the beach and simply relax in the shade for some time.

Isla Mujeres — ***The island is very small and easy to get around.***

Isla Mujeres statues — **The ‘Iguana statute’ is one of the main symbols on the island.**

In the harbour area, there are also cute little gift shops where you can find souvenirs, clothes and jewellery. We resisted buying things, as we always remember how heavy our bags can become if we get carried away…

By 5:30 pm you are back in the harbour of Cancun. The tour includes all snorkel gear, food, drinks and a lot of fun! We were lucky and got to go for free because we helped our hostel (Mezcal Hostel) to sell the tour to the hostel guests. But in general you get it for 45 USD and I can recommend it for anyone who is looking for a fun day on a catamaran and in order to get an idea of Isla Mujeres.

Beautiful coast on Isla Mujeres — **That water!!! 😀**

Day trips from Cancun #2: Playa del Carmen

From Cancun, most people head down south the coast or the so-called Riviera Maya. The beautiful coastline boasts with many nice beaches and stops on the way. One popular place to visit is Playa del Carmen. The small touristic town is just a one-hour bus ride south of Cancun. You can get there in a ‘colectivo’ (minivan) for as cheap as 34 pesos, or for 62 pesos if you prefer the bigger ADO buses.

Playa del Carmen has become a trendy place and has a vibrant nightlife but in a more centred location compared to Cancun: you live where all the activities are and reach mostly everything by foot or a short taxi ride. The main hotel/hostel area is also close to the beach, so you can easily reach your day activities, such as snorkelling, diving, shopping or sightseeing.

Shopping in Playa del Carmen — ***Shopping is big in Playa del Carmen, you find small shops or big malls like this one…***

We visited ‘Playa’ two times; the first time before we stayed just for one night and hopped over to Cozumel (a little island that you can read more about further down in this post). And the second time we stayed for two nights and came back for a very cool music event (see my review about the party location which was actually the hostel where we stayed at Hostel 3B).

Delicious food in Playa del Carmen — **Playa del Carmen is full of little food heavens: Make sure to try the Margaritas and fresh Ceviches!!**

In general Playa del Carmen is a hotspot for festivals and concerts with musicians and DJs from around the world. Especially in December and January during the ‘high season; many international artists come and attract thousands of people from around the world. One major event takes place in January 2016, the BPM: The Festival lasts for 10 days, with over 150 DJs and 50 events. The program is split into daytime and nighttime and is hosted by different record labels and promoters across various venues in Playa del Carmen, including beach clubs, nightclubs and even underground restaurants.

Day trips from Cancun #3: Tulum

Tulum's ruins — **Tulum is one of the oldest Mayan cities that were built back then…**

Further south, you will reach Tulum. This place is not only popular for the tourist that seeks Mayan evidence and wants to visit some of the ruins in the area. Tulum is also known for its variety of eco-stores, fashion and art. It attracts tourists who are looking to spend a bit more in order to get some higher standards of food and products.

When I went to visit Tulum, I couchsurfed and stayed at a private house in one of the outer areas of the city centre. But I was still only 15 minutes walking distance from the main street. During my two-day stay, I visited the ruins and strolled around the quirky little streets.

When you visit the ruins in Tulum, you can take public transport right to the entrance. It takes 15 minutes from the centre and costs 15 pesos to get there. You just let the driver know that you want to go to ‘Las Ruinas’ and they let you hop off. The park entrance is a short walk away from the highway where you can buy your ticket (62 Mexican pesos). Once you are inside the park area, you simply follow the signs to see the ruins. The beauty of this site is its location, it is right next to the ocean and some of the ruins are above the cliffs.

Day trips from Cancun #4: Cozumel

I really liked this little island. Some people go there only for the day, but there are a lot of things to do, so you can easily spend a few days. We went to Cozumel because of its dive spots. So we stayed two nights and spend one day exploring the world’s second largest reef (after Australia’s Great Barrier Reef) and the little island’s ‘backyard’…

Choose your dive company wisely! There are many options in Cozumel and in this case, it’s definitely not worth saving money as you depend on the company’s selection from the many different spots. I wish I had known that beforehand, as we chose one of the cheaper ones that offered us a special deal…unfortunately though, only one of the two dives were ok. At the second dive spot, our guide got lost and we couldn’t even find the reef…there was nothing but sand to see. When we went snorkelling we saw a lot more fish… 😀

Cozumel snorkelling — ***Snorkelling just before sunset in beautiful warm waters…***

Day trips from Cancun #4: Chichén Itzá

The Mexican Peninsula Yucatan is rich in Mayan cultural sights. Its main attraction is probably Chichén Itzá, a world-famous complex of Mayan ruins. A massive step pyramid known as El Castillo dominates the 6.5-sq.-km-ancient city, which thrived from around 600 A.D. to the 1200s. Graphic stone carvings survive at structures like the ball court, Temple of the Warriors and the Wall of the Skulls. Everyone who visits the state of Yucatan tries to fit in the most popular former Mayan city. The ruins of Chichén Itzá are spread out on a large area that you’ll be able to visit within 3-4 hours. Remember to bring water and sun protection – you are in the middle of the jungle!

Beautiful Mayan Ruins — **One of the many impressive Mayan temples in Chichén Itzá.**

The place has become a big attraction and is compared to other cultural sites the least magical one. For one, the masses of tourists who walk around the national park can be distracting and it’s hard to get a good picture of the impressive temples without other people standing in front of you. And on the other hand, there are many vendors inside the area who want to sell their souvenirs. They got creative and try to get your attention with all sorts of things, like panther sounds, reminding you that you are in the middle of the jungle. If you are interested in souvenirs you’re better off buying them in Cancun though or anywhere else – the prices in Chichén Itzá are double as high.

Shopping at Chichen Itza — **The symbol of eternal love….ahhh 😀**

We went on a guided tour this time, which we enjoyed for free as part of our hostel volunteer program. The tour started at 9 am in Cancun and brought as back, from Chichén Itza to Cancun, in the evening. We went in a big air-conditioned bus towards Chichén Itzá. On the way, we stopped at one of the cenotes and swam in its cold fresh water.

Cenote — **Underwater fresh water holes ‘cenotes’ are one of the many attractions in Mexico…**

Once we got to the archaeological site of Chichén Itzá we strolled around on the huge area. The pre-Hispanic city was built by the Maya people and is completely built with stone tools.

Temple of Chichen Itza — ***Sometimes I am just a fool… 😀***

All in all, it is a very intense tour because it’s a long day (we came back around 9 pm) and it was very hot but definitely very great to see such a unique historic Mexican site.

Day trips from Cancun #5: Isla Holbox

Going up north, Holbox Island is 2 hours away from Cancun. You can reach it by bus and after a short ferry ride. Its name is pronounced ‘Holbosh’. This is a little gem, where you don’t need to plan anything at all. It is a place to just be. It’s hassle-free with a very remote touch. The streets are not paved and you see horses in use to get around. And when it rains, it can become a bit difficult to cross the streets…

The main plaza is the centre of Holbox from which you reach the beach by foot in 5 minutes and all the restaurants, shops and bars are located around too. If you go, bring a book or simply enjoy peaceful hours walking along the shore. You can do tours, but all they offer to see is right in front of you: birds and more beaches. Every day you can buy fresh fish from the local fishermen that sell their catch off the beach. Or if you don’t fancy cooking, then choose one of the restaurants and enjoy fresh seafood with ocean view – we loved it!

Isla Holbox en la playa — **The sand is so fine…**

Have you been on the Yucatan Peninsula? What was your highlight? Leave a comment below, we’d love to hear your story!

NOT DONE READING YET?

If you have more than just a few days time for visiting Cancún, I recommend reading my travel guide for the city. Click HERE to read the post.

Heading towards Belize after your stay on the Yucatan Peninsula? Read what we loved best about this country.

Tags budget, digital nomad lifestyle, Mexico, Travel Blog, work and travel, Yukatan

Destination Guides Digital Nomad Top Travel Posts Travel

REVIEW A great hostel and party location in Playa del Carmen

Post author By Julia Jerg
Post date 2015-12-09
16 Comments on REVIEW A great hostel and party location in Playa del Carmen

This post is going to be a review about our hostel in Playa del Carmen, but it is also about traveling and electronic music. Since 3 years I have been traveling with a passionate electronic music fan, perhaps now it’s time to introduce my travel buddy and partner in life before I start with my review:

Introducing the photographer and travel buddy. — **Meet the man behind the camera who is responsible for most of the pictures on this blog: the boyfriend.**

So whenever there is a concert on our way, he is the one who leads the way. Last Sunday we travelled to Playa del Carmen to see a DJ from London, Laura Jones. We stayed right where the concert took place: Hostel 3B.

Here is my review about our stay at Hostel 3B in Playa del Carmen:

First of all, it’s the staff that makes this place a very nice place to stay. Everyone is super-friendly and helpful and it feels like visiting friends when you arrive. For a long-term traveller like me, this is something really important that I appreciate a lot. It’s nice to feel welcomed, so that you’ll be able to relax and feel comfortable and that’s what happened at Hostel 3B!

Accommodation: My room

The hostel offers different room types that you can choose from: 2 female dorms, 4 mixed dorms and 5 private rooms. The hostel’s slogan is ‘Chic & Cheap’ and they stand by their word. It’s a very stylish place to stay and the price is ok for a touristic hotspot like Playa del Carmen. The dorms are between 16-20 USD depending on the season and privates range from 50 to 67 USD. My room was for girls only with 8 beds. It was a very spacious, clean and friendly room with an ensuite bathroom with shower. The beds are big and have comfortable mattresses. I really liked the room.

The highlight of this hostel is for sure its lounge area. Every Sunday they organize concerts in their rooftop bar that has a swimming pool. The entrance is free for hostel guests and open for other people too. This makes it a bit messy when it comes to the fact that everyone has access to the hostel’s facilities and you can literally access all areas. The good thing is that the rooms have locks, so no one can enter your room without a key. Also, the lockers are big enough to store all your valuables in case someone enters.

Events: Rooftop bar with swimming pool

It’s a great international audience that you’ll find in Playa del Carmen. That’s why most locations have no problems in organizing events with famous DJs from around the world. Hostel 3B has it’s own event location on top of the building. The lounge is called SOS Lounge and organises great music events on Sundays. We took a video from that night with DJ Laura Jones. Here is the link to my YouTube Channel: Click here to watch the short video of the party.

hurting feet — **My feet hurt from dancing too much 🙂**

Playa del Carmen is the ‘Ibizza’ of Mexico – a hotspot for parties and concerts with musicians and DJs from around the world. Especially in December and January many international artists come and attract thousands of people from around the world. One major event takes place in January, the BPM.

SOS Lounge with Laura Jones — **Getting ready for her gig: Laura Jones**

Facilities: What you get during your stay

Like in most established places, Wi-Fi and breakfast are the basic standards that you will also find at Hostel 3B. The internet connection is good if you are on the bottom or at the rooftop lounge level. It doesn’t work in the rooms though. The breakfast includes coffee, fruit and toast. It’s basic but and similar to most of the hostels that we have stayed so far in Mexico.

There are two areas to hang out during the day: the entrance area that is connected with a small kitchen where you can prepare your food. And the rooftop lounge area that is open during the day if you want to take a dip in the pool or relax on the sofa beds.

The area: Playa del Carmen

The hostel is located in the central area of Playa del Carmen. If you want to read more about the area and the things to do in the surrounding area, check out my blog post about ‘Day-trips from Cancun’.

Allover experience

• Clean and trendy rooms/facilities
• Friendly staff
• Wi-Fi and breakfast included
• Free events on Sundays open to the public
• International DJs

So, whoever is looking for a place to party and meet people from around the world in a nice and friendly ambience is perfect at Hostel 3B. I would go back!

DID YOU LIKE THIS REVIEW OF MY HOSTEL IN PLAYA DEL CARMEN? Have you been to Playa del Carmen? Feel free to like, share and comment on it!!! Happy travels, y’all! 😀

Tags around the world, digital nomad lifestyle, Mexico, Playa del Carmen, Review

Travel

Maui – Hawaii’s Secret Favourite

Post author By Julia Jerg
Post date 2015-10-18
No Comments on Maui – Hawaii’s Secret Favourite

Maui is wowy!

No, this is not a post about Marihuana! Even though some people might think that when reading the headline… Only AFTER having left Maui though, I learned that people in Hawaii call their dope ‘wowy’. I still thought it’s the perfect way to describe Maui (and it rhymes, which I personally like best about it!)…

I also got high on Maui, but in a different way (no drugs involved, all legal!). On our first day, we drove around with a rental car and decided spontaneously in the afternoon to go up to the top of one of the volcanoes of Hawaii, the Haleakala Crater. We reached 10.000 feet of elevation and watched the sunset from there – up their your body feels actually a bit weird – it’s more difficult to breathe and we felt a slight headache… BUT IT’S SO WORTH IT!!

Oh and don’t be fooled when driving up the long and windy route to the top of the crater, the weather can be completely different once you’ve reached the summit. We were actually a bit hesitant at the entrance gate of the National Park because it was raining and we thought there was no way to see the sunset…

After a night on the campground inside the National Park (on 8000 feet), we got rewarded and even had a clear view all the way down to the ocean.

Next Stop: Road to Hana

So, Haleakala Crater is really a must-do when on Maui! But for all those who think like me, one day is absolutely enough to spend away from the beach! Therefore we left the next morning and returned to sea level in order to drive the famous and very beautiful Road to Hana on Maui’s East Coast.

Maui's famous road to Hana — *View on to the ocean and a sandy bay from the famous Road to Hana.*

We stopped at so many beautiful beaches and waterfalls – one of the most beautiful drives I’ve done so far! This is absolutely the second MUST-DO on Maui: drive down the famous Road to Hana.

=> Check out: Complete Itinerary: Road to Hana

Somewhere on the road, we found the perfect place to park our car and sleep in it right next to the ocean… what else can you wish for!?

At the beach, underneath some trees, the ocean in the background. — *Our view from our minivan… waking up in the mornings was very easy!*

Snorkelling at the Molokini Crater and Turtle Town

Well-rested and ready for new adventures, we drove down to Maui’s South Coast where all the tour agencies leave for water activities. On Hawaii Discount, we found a great deal to snorkel at Molokini Crater and Turtle Town, two of the most famous snorkel spots off Maui’s coast. We chose the Pacific Whale Foundation because our money went directly to the Foundations funds in order to protect the ocean and its marine wildlife.

Best time to visit Maui

It’s really up to everyone’s individual taste, of course, but for us, the best time to visit Hawaii was really when it got cold in Canada, which was in October. That’s when we decided to take a three-month break in the warmth. Even if you are short on time, it’s a great destination though!

HOW TO GET TO MAUI:

What is another plus about visiting Hawaii, it is fairly cheap to get from one island to another…and since island hopping is fun, we were really excited to fly with a little machine over to Maui. From Honolulu Airport we took Island Air to get over in less than an hour for $79 US dollars.

WHY YOU SHOULD GO TO MAUI:

So, again in a nutshell, here are a few reasons why it’s really worth visiting this beauty amongst the Hawaiian islands:

You get your personal feathered welcoming team on arrival at the airport!
Maui has one of the most beautiful drives, the scenic Hana Road.
Up on top of Haleakala Crater you’ll be breathless…
No photo proof for that but you can actually see HUGE sea turtles while snorkelling only a short distance away from the shores of Maui’s beautiful beaches.

WHY YOU SHOULD NOT GO TO MAUI:

Erm…honestly, I can not find any reason why not…

Did you like Part 2 of my Hawaii series? Do you have any other suggestions on things to do while there? How was your trip? Don’t be shy, leave a comment below, I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Tags get inspired, hawaii discount review, island air hawaii, October, pacific whale foundation, travel blogger, travel to Maui, visit Hawaii

Travel

Why Sleeping in a Car, a Tsunami Alert and Funky Room Mates Did Not Ruin Our Time on Oahu

Post author By Julia Jerg
Post date 2015-10-04
No Comments on Why Sleeping in a Car, a Tsunami Alert and Funky Room Mates Did Not Ruin Our Time on Oahu

jeyjetter.com: Travel Tipps for Oahu, Hawaii Series

Oahu beach — **Oahu boasts beautiful beaches on all four coastlines.**

We think of Palm Trees, Hula Hula, flower necklaces, the Aloha Spirit, big waves – I mean huge waves – surfing and tropical cocktails, right!? Yes, that’s what you get when visiting Oahu in Hawaii. I could stop right here, you already got the picture…. but there is much more to it if you travel off the beaten track…yep, the following is not the usual travel guide for people who like staying in hotels. I’m not the “typical tourist” and you’ll read nothing about All-inclusive programs on this site! But if you’re interested in learning how to travel pricy Hawaii on a budget, keep on reading! And then there is a bit of travel action to this post too…so let me warn you, this one is not for the faint heart!

How my trip to Oahu turned into an almost life-threatening journey of no return!

Crossing bridges is like stepping over into another world... — ***When travelling becomes your lifestyle your trips turn into little adventures…***

DON’T COPY THIS, YOUR MOM WON’T APPRECIATE IT!

“Mom, this might be my last call EVER….!” I love drama and I sometimes add a little to it. But this time, I did not need to pimp my story. Fair enough, I could have been a bit more thoughtful with the opening line of my phone call to my mother at 9 pm German time. But her reply showed me that it was not even good enough: “I’m glad you called. What’s up?” Hm…this didn’t have the desired effect. I was about to face my last few hours of life and my Mom was as casual as my sneakers!

This time I added a bit more of drama to my voice, I had to make her understand that this was not a joke: “Mom, sit down, I am calling because there is a Tsunami coming my way and I am sitting in my little hut next to the ocean where I will probably gonna die tonight. So, let’s say goodbye!” This time it worked! I had her attention.

Friendly room mate — **Our friendly funky roommate… THE most reliable Tsunami Alert system! If he doesn’t run, there is no need for you to run…you’re fine!**

So, mum and dad were informed. Check! Now, all I had to do is set the alarm to 2:30 am in order to be awake half an hour before the wave was supposed to hit the East Coast of Oahu. Afterwards, it’s always easier, but that night I really did not sleep much. And when the expected wave was supposed to hit, I swear, I was sitting upright in my bed pressing the arm of my sleepy and not so impressed boyfriend.

I even put my running shoes next to the bed and stuffed a bottle of water, muesli bars, my passport, a blanket and a flashlight in my little backpack. I was ready to leave everything else behind… (ok, I would have taken my laptop and credit card too. And then perhaps a few more shirts and underwear, maybe my favourite dress…but that’s not the point. I was prepared to run, you know!).

Good news though, you can relax now! It was a false alarm! All we ever experienced that night was the rise of the water at the coast for an inch. But of course, I did not know that during the night and sat therefore upright in my bed for full 2 hours imagining birds fleeing inlands and checking every minute if the Tsunami Alert on Google and Twitter was updated. I also promised to never trust a rooster again, because he made me even sit up tighter: he started to “sing” at 3:30 am – hello! Really?!

Survived an almost-Tsunami — **I love the ocean when it’s calm like this…**

Ok, so we made it through the night, perhaps you guessed this by now! And now we were ready to see a bit more of the relaxing side of this beautiful place…. puh! What a rocky start into a paradise-like vacation!!

Here is how you can travel Hawaii on a budget – PART 1: OAHU

The funny fact before I go into detail:

Did you know that you can actually be welcomed to the United States while still on Canadian ground? At Vancouver Airport it’s possible! It happened so fast that I did not even realize it until I was actually on “American Ground”. The friendly (!!) officer said: ‘Welcome to the United States, Miss!’ even though I hadn’t even left the airport. Hahaha, that was the most laid back US Customs I’ve ever been through!! (Remember, I have a bad experience record with Immigration officers: My last times were not so smooth).

And it gets even funnier: we did not even have a return ticket at that point! We were meant to do a booking right there at the airport while waiting to board the plane… I know I know, super last minute, but we could simply not decide on how long we wanted to stay in Hawaii and kept it open till last minute. All my preachings about how you’ll NEVER be able to enter the US without a return ticket suddenly got washed away by this friendly smiling (no kidding, smiling!!) officer at the airport.

Leaving Canada — ***Good deal and smooth flight from Vancouver to Honolulu***

We flew with Air Canada for CAD 243 (one way) and after a smooth 5 ½ hour flight we landed in busy Honolulu. At the airport we took a taxi to our Couchsurfing place in the Makiki Area. 25 minutes later and 27 US dollars lighter, we knocked on our host’s door who told us with Lyft it would have been a bit cheaper…too late for us, but perhaps for you it might be helpful…

After a warm welcome and a shower we rested in our private double bed room, which was meant to be for free (that’s the whole point of couchsurfing, right!). Our host changed the rules of Couchsurfing a bit and charged us 30 US a night. His place is so popular that he turned it into a little income source and admitted that he is too lazy to open an account with AirBnB. Well, people like us make him go on like this, I guess. But we could not find another couch and it was still WAY cheaper than staying in a hostel in Honolulu (average are around 60-80 bucks per night for a double bedroom)…

New GoPro Shots at Magic Sand Beach in Maui — ***Upside-down is sometimes not so bad!***

Thanks to the jet lag (Hawaii is 3 hours behind Vancouver), we woke up early and decided to hike the “Diamond Head” trail while it was still cool outside. You better leave really early in the morning because it gets very humid on the trail and people on the way back passed us in sweat drunken shirts… These views are worth the very short (35 minutes) but intense hike up the hill, we found!

Panoramic shot from Diamond Head — ***Beautiful view over Honolulu and Waikiki Beach as reward for a sweat provoking 35-minute hike uphill!***

With public transport you can get there in about 30 minutes from Honolulu centre. From our place in Makiki we took the bus #15 and then in Chinatown we changed to #9. It took us a bit over an hour to get to the entrance of the Diamond Head Monument State Park. Make sure you have exact change for the bus, there is no change given! We were lucky, our bus driver had a good day and waved us through because we didn’t have the exact amount of US 2,50 each – yay #Ilovefreebies

We spent the rest of our day exploring Honolulu and Waikiki Beach….for my taste Honolulu feels like a concrete jungle and has nothing to do with the paradise escape we were looking for…busy traffic, loads of shopping malls, Starbucks/McDonalds and high-end hotels everywhere! After one day this was enough and we escaped the busy area to go see the less populated areas of the island…

Waikiki Beach Selfie-stick joy — ***Having fun and fooling around with our new selfie-stick which we found seconds before in the sand on the beach!! 😀***

The next 5 days we spent on the North Shore of Oahu wwoofing on a farm… This was compared to our experiences in Canada really a downer! I won’t mention the farm here because I left a personal feedback with the owner of the farm. All I want to say is, whoever goes to Hawaii in order to participate in the wwoofing program needs to be careful, people there have a different opinion about the concept. Whoever thinks about going there PM me and I am happy to go into further detail…

Definitely worth visiting while you are on the beautiful North Coast of Oahu: Waimea Beach and Sunset Beach! The latter is obviously a great place to see some stunning sunsets but it’s also a nice beach for the day. And Waimea Bay is internationally known for its annual Surf tournament by Quiksilver. While the waves are not big enough, tourists and locals alike hang out at that beach…the brave ones jump off the 10 feet high rock… Here are some of our shots:

WAIMEA BAY, OAHU

SUNSET BEACH, OAHU:

After one week up in the Pupukea area we took the bus from the North Coast down to Honolulu again. But this time we went down the East Coast in order to see a different route. The bus took 3 hours/US 2.50 and we past by an impressive coastline and lush area. Back in Honolulu we rented a car for the rest of the afternoon and the following day. We left immediately the city after picking up our car and headed towards Waimanalo Beach at the South/East corner of Oahu.

We slept in the car that night with the plan to wake up as early as 5 am in order to climb the forbidden stairs…but our Stairway to Heaven trip turned into a not so successful adventure as it was rainy and slippery and we couldn’t get as far up as we wanted to. So out of safety reasons we turned around and that was smart also because it would have been impossible to see through the clouds that day…at least we tried!

On the way to Heaven — ***At least we tried!! Our experience of climbing the stairways to heaven stopped half way….keep something for when you go back, they say!***

OAHU HIGHLIGHTS:

Kailua, Waimanalo, Sandy beach
Diamond Head
North Coast: Sunset Beach, Waimea Bay
Pali lookout, Pillbox Hike
Moke Islands near Lanikai, Makapu’u lighthouse/tide pools

TO BE CONTINUED >>> Stay tuned for the second part of my Hawaii series: Maui and why I decided to go on a guided tour! <<<

Have you been to Oahu? What were your highlights? Would you go back?

Tags explore, get inspired, Hawaii, Oahu, travel

Travel

Hiking Ford’s Cove Trail on Hornby Island

Post author By Julia Jerg
Post date 2015-08-31
7 Comments on Hiking Ford’s Cove Trail on Hornby Island

Canada – a bundle pristine nature spots

Canada’s main attraction is its stunning nature with plenty of hiking trails and campsites. People from all over the world come to this beautiful country to see its wildlife, forests, mountains and beaches. It’s worth the visit for nature lovers and be sure to find endless trails for your hikes. Put Canada on your bucket list, if you want to explore yourself, go hiking trails and nature’s beauty.

Hiking Ford's Cove Trail on beautiful Hornby Island — ***Hiking Ford’s Cove Trail on beautiful Hornby Island in British Columbia, Canada***

Our favourite spot in beautiful Canada

We spent 7 months in Canada, on the beautiful East Coast, Vancouver Island to be precise. We enjoyed Canada’s friendly people, it’s raw nature and outdoor possibilities. We were very lucky to spend a warm and pleasant spring and summer in Canada. I would have stayed longer if only the cold wasn’t my biggest dislike. But I would go back any time and we are taking Canada with us in our heart and the friends we made!

Ford's Cove Trail, Hornby Island — ***Not all who wander are lost…***

One favourite spot of ours is Hornby Island… a small island of Vancouver Island, Canada’s secret gem. People go there during the summer and enjoy a very relaxed beach vibe with loads of cultural events such as concerts or art exhibitions. Make sure you reserve a room well in advance, accommodation tends to fill up quickly and even on the campgrounds people fight over spots!

Have you been to Canada? Do you have a favourite mountain/trail?

Tags August, British Columbia, Canada, hiking, Hornby Island

Destination Guides Top Travel Posts Travel

Travel Tips for Cuba: Sights, Prices and Personal Insights

Post author By Julia Jerg
Post date 2015-08-28
18 Comments on Travel Tips for Cuba: Sights, Prices and Personal Insights

Travel Tips for 3 Weeks in Cuba: Sights, Prices and Personal Insights | Jey Jetter | Travel Blog image 103

Fascinating vintage car — **Travel Tips for Cuba: Enjoy the beauty of the old cars!**

You gotta be quicker than Mc Donald’s!!

In January I watched the news and panicked! Ok…wait!! This sounds wrong, I mean I was happy to hear that the US changed their Cuba sanctions. But I knew that these changes would mean the beginning of a process that I did not want to see…Don’t take me wrong, I understand that Cuba needs this change (given that it will bring positive effects for the Cuban people, hopefully!!), but from a travellers point of view this was shocking news! I wanted to see Cuba BEFORE Mcdonald’s and Starbucks arrive!

So, with sweaty hands I sent off a message to a friend who just asked me if I had any travel plans for the upcoming spring… I did now! Let’s go to Cuba ASAP!! We booked our flights for March anxious to get there in time before the Americans would 🙂 Puhhh, and we just arrived in time….actually when we got there it looked very much the way it must have looked for the past decades: old cars, old buildings, horse carriages, rusty bicycles, hardly any internet access, regulated wages etc. We made it and saw Cuba in its very surreal and unchanged state. Check out our travel tips for Cuba!

With 3 million inhabitants, Cuba’s capital is busy and full of life. Havana is also the starting point for most travellers, even though there are some other cities that operate internationally. For example, from Canada you can fly into Varadero, where you’ll find one of the most popular beaches in Cuba. We didn’t go there though because it sounded very much developed and crowded… Anyways, in Havana we learned a lot about the local mix of cigars, rum and music. In combination with all those vintage cars that are still driving the streets of Havana, it gives this city a special vibe.

jeyjetter.com: travel tips for Cuba with prices and personal insights — ***Full of contrasts – old run down buildings and old but well maintained cars….***

GENERAL INFO

MONEY:

There are two currencies in Cuba: CUC and Moneda Nacional. CUC (Cuban Universal Currency) is for tourists, so if you want to pay local prices go change your CUCs and get Moneda Nacional. For us (in March 2015) the value was as follows: 1 Euro=1,05 CUC –> 1 CUC=25 Moneda Nacional. You can get Moneda Nacional in a bank or money exchange places.

ACCOMMODATION:

If you are travelling on a budget like we did and don’t want to stay in hotels, don’t think of the usual hostel as an alternative! In Cuba you’ll find the so-called “Casa Particulares”. This means that some Cubans have a licence to rent out a room in their house. They offer usually bed and breakfast, some even cook you lunch and dinner if you don’t like to eat out. In some places we actually ate better food cooked from our host mummas than in a restaurant. So, I’d say it is worth trying their cooking at least sometimes. This way you also support your host family rather than a restaurant, which we found a nice way to say thank you for their (VERY awesome) hospitality.

SCAMS:

In general I would say that Cuba is a very safe country to travel through. But like everywhere else you have to be smart and alert about your things. Plus, it has become a “sport” of some Cubans to make some extra money on the side with tourists. So, for example booking rooms in advance can turn out to be used as such an opportunity: We booked our very first “Casa particular” for Havana online, just because we thought it would be hassle free to arrive in Havana knowing an address to go to…well, it usually is more comfortable not having to look around with your backpack on your shoulders after a long flight and perhaps a jet lag, but in our case it actually took us longer to get to the final destination…. The reason: Our reservation was apparently made by the owner of the house, who was gone on holiday for a few weeks and who must have messed up our booking.

So, even though we showed our email confirmation to the couple who took care of the place while the owner was away, they said they had never heard of our reservation and therefore had no room for us. BUT, no problem, we could stay at their place instead! Long story short, we stayed, because we were tired and all worked out ok. But it was far away from Havana’s centre (35 min by local bus). And afterwards we read in the “Lonely Planet” that this was a classical scam and trick to make some extra money on pre-bookings… BUT, we didn’t pay more for the room, we had our breakfast included and a nice and clean room. So, all in all, not too bad either. Still, you might want to keep this in mind before making a reservation in advance!

Cuban women with cigars: travel tips for Cuba with prices and personal insights — ***Women on the rise! Cuban women not only manage the bookings and rentals, they smoke cigars and attract tourists just like Cuban caballeros do!***

TRANSPORTATION:

There is a bus company called Viazul (www.viazul.com) that connects many of the places in Cuba. Make sure to check their website though for the actual schedule…we relied on the Lonely Planet one time and missed the bus from Santiago de Cuba to Baracoa. And in general: IT’S FREEZING!! Be aware that in ALL the Viazul busses the AC is on very low and can’t be regulated! So before you board, make sure to take out all the sweaters, long pants and towels that you have in your luggage, no kidding, you will need it, especially if you travel over night! Also, at some bus stations Viazul workers set up signs that say 1 CUC for your luggage…we spoke to one of the drivers one day and he told us that these signs are not official/not from the company, it’s just another way to earn a bit extra… you decide!

LEAVING CUBA:

Save 25 CUC for the fee you’ll have to pay at the airport when leaving Cuba!

Patriots: travel tips for Cuba with prices and personal insights — **Three weeks full of music, cigars and very friendly people!! Viva Cuba 😀**

THE ROUTE – 3 weeks is not enough time!!!

So if you want to go and follow our route, here is what we did, how much we spent and where we went…very detailed and very specific for those who’d like to get some ideas and are like us on the run to still see Cuba in its momentary state!

Havana (3 days):

Arriving at the airport, we got out money from the ATM: there is a 3% charge. Later we saw that if you bring cash you can exchange money at the exchange office on the second floor – with no charge!
A taxi from the airport to the city centre/Havana Vieja: 25 CUC
We stayed in a “Casa particular” (see general info above) for 20 CUC/per night incl. breakfast (I won’t recommend this one though because it was outside of Havana (see the “Scams” info above)
Hop-on Hop-off Sightseeing City Tour: 5 CUC for a day pass (nice way to avoid walking around in the heat!)
The local bus is 0,20 Pesos (Moneda Nacional) each trip

Old cars in front of the 'White House': travel tips for Cuba with prices and personal insights — **Vintage cars everywhere – this one in front of the White House “El Capitolio”**

Sights: Capitol, Malecon, Calle Obispo (good for shopping, bars/restaurant and coconut ice cream out of coconut shells!! mmm)

Coconut icecream: travel tips for Cuba with prices and personal insights — **So yummy!!! Coconut ice cream out of real coconut shells 😀**

“Havana Vieja” (the old town of Havana) is worth a stroll to stop for a Mojito or Cuba Libre! It is actually part of the UNESCO world heritage list and you can tell that this nomination caused a wave of restoration of many buildings in that part of the city. You are walking through cute little streets and pass by bright coloured houses with a lot of music and art on the street.

Take a sightseeing bus to save you time: travel tips for Cuba. — **Good way to save some energy for more sightseeing by foot: 5 CUC for a hop-on-hop-off day ticket**

Playa Larga/Bay of Pigs (2 days):

The Viazul Bus leaves (or at least did so in March!) at 7am from Havana to Playa Larga for 12 CUC/person.
“Hostal” Legendario, really the only hostel-like place which is directly at the beach and offers small rooms with a little terrace, breakfast, a welcome drink for 25 CUC. Some evenings they offer salsa classes for free (we missed it) and have a big dinner option for 8 CUC with ocean view….
The beach “Playa Larga” was nice, even though the name “long beach” sounds longer than it actually is…

Playa Larga: one stop of our travel tips for Cuba — **“Playa Larga” – a cute beach at the historic Bay of Pigs**

There is just one restaurant on the main road which offers food (around 5 CUC) and then you can get something to eat at the kiosk. That’s about it…or else you eat in your “Casa”…it’s a very small place, so you might wanna bring food!
We went scuba diving for 25 CUC (with licence) at the local dive centre Octupus Club. Diving for beginners without a licence is 35 CUC and snorkelling 10 CUC: all you need to do is let your host know that you want to go the next day and they call the company that picks up all the tourist in the area with a big (SCHOOL!!) bus and bring them to the dive centre 15 minutes away from Playa Larga.

Ready to go diving? Check out Playa Larga's nearest dive spots! — **Brave Elena who went diving just like a pro!**

Travel Tips for Cuba, Cienfuegos (1 day):

So here is a tricky one…leaving Playa Larga is a bit of a juggle: you can either wait for the Viazul Bus that comes around 9 or 9:30am and pay 8 CUC once you board…IF there is a seat left! Or you negotiate with the taxi drivers that hang out at the bus stop and offer you the same price like the bus ticket, because they also know about the sometimes fully booked Viazul Buses. We ended up taking their offer for 1 CUC less per person just because we thought it’s a nice change and travelling in an “Oldtimer” was very cool 🙂
Casa la Fuente Oraldo & Olivia, 25 CUC incl. breakfast: very nice building, high colonial ceilings, very lovely people, yummy breakfast!!
Sights: Old town/city centre, waterfront, beach about 15km by local bus, national park El Nicho (we skipped that one but heard it’s a nice park!)

Trinidad (2 days):

We liked the taxi idea and drove for 5 CUC from Cienfuegos to Trinidad (instead for 6 CUC by bus) with 3 other travellers…the taxis only leave when their car is full…and by full means 5 people in a normal car, sometimes 6! 🙂

In the taxi to the next stop: Cuban taxis are cool vintage cars! — ***You can’t see it, but there are four people on the backseat 🙂***

We stayed in a private house which had no license…so I’d rather not name it here.

Travel tips for Cuba: Motorbike in Trinidad — ***Streets of Trinidad…***

We rode our bikes (3 CUC organised by our host mum) to the beach “Playa Ancon” (12 km), nice trip, sandy beach!
Sights: Old town, Plaza Mayor

Patria o Muerte: Travel tips for Cuba — ***On the way to the beach, we passed by MANY propaganda signs… actually you see them everywhere in Cuba!***

Travel tips for Cuba: You'll find beautiful beaches all over the island! — **“Playa Ancor”: A 20 minute bike ride away from Trinidad**

Santa Clara (2 days):

This time we took the bus again, 8 CUC from Trinidad
And like before, we found our place to stay after arriving. Just walking down the street after leaving the bus terminal someone recommended a place….and we found out later that it was not an licensed one…we paid 20 CUC incl. breakfast
Santa Clara is all about history! Here you can soak up Che Guevara’s impressive journey!

Sights: Che Monument and Mausoleum, tobacco production place, train monument, old city centre

Tobacco fabric — Fabric where the tobaccos are made…usually open for visitors but that day we couldn’t go inside because the roof was in risk to fall down. Needless to say, that the company cared about protecting tourists to get hurt, but they did not so much about their workers…

Cuban cigars are a must-try: Travel tips for Cuba. — And just when we left the entrance area of the fabric, one of the workers came out after ending his shift and he offered us Cuban Cigar for a very special price…1 CUC one tobacco…freshly rolled 🙂

Santiago de Cuba (3 days):

We went with the overnight bus from Santa Clara to Santiago which left at 7:30pm and arrived at 7am in Santiago: 33 CUC (bring your blankets!!)
Casa 15 CUC incl. breakfast
Usually people go on a tour and see “El Salto” which is a waterfall, but for us it wasn’t possible to go because it was too dry, so there was no water…
And we met many people going on a 1-2 day tour to the national park with the highest mountain of Cuba “Pico Turquino”. we didn’t go there either, because we spent more time exploring the city

Nightlife: Casa de la Trova, Casa de Artes

Casa de la Musica: Travel Tips for Cuba — **Casa de la Musica in Santiago de Cuba**

Baracoa (3 days):

By bus from Santiago to Baracoa: 15 CUC
Casa Onilda: 15 CUC incl. breakfast: very nice place, beautiful big room and lovely people!!
Baracoa is known for great food, it’s the chocolate/coconut area with also a lot of natural beauty products on offers, great seafood too!!
Sights: Hiking trip with guide to Humboldt National Park, incl. 1 hour at beautiful Playa Managua
Mountain hike to “El Yunque”
“Playa Blanca” don’t get fooled by everyone who says it’s a nice beach (and bring 2CUC for entry fee!)… but I’d suggest walking towards the beach anyways, because the old wooden bridge was fun and beautiful when the sun sets!
 Indiana Jones feeling 🙂
If you want to go to Holguin from here, keep in mind that the busses only go Wednesdays and Saturdays!!
We went back to Santiago for one night to break up the LOOONG way back…

Hiking through Humboldt National Park. Travel tips for Cuba. — ***Hiking through Humboldt National Park.***

Ciego de Avila/Moron (2 days):

The bus is 24 CUC from Santiago de Cuba. From there we took a taxi to Moron for 20 CUC/car (we were 4 persons)
So Moron is the starting point to get to Cayo Coco…. THE MOST GORGEOUS BEACH on Cuba!! But there are only few places to stay on Cayo Coco (and mostly high-end hotels). Still, you end up driving for one hour in a taxi for 60 CUC/car (if you are four people that’s ok…), but it would be a lot more relaxed just to stay there…perhaps worth the money
Make sure you have your passport with you when going to Cayo Coco, don’t leave it in the hotel! There is a police control for EVERYONE who enters the area. There are many different beaches on Cayo Coco (which is actually an island connected with a long street constructed in the water…), we went to the beaches Playa Larga and Playa Pilar
On the way we stopped to see Flamingos!

Ciego de Avila: travel tips for Cuba. — ***No words needed here!***

Viñales (4 days):

Now followed our longest and most complicated trip: by taxi (2 CUC) we went from Moron back to Ciego de Avila
From there we took the local bus to Havana (wooden seats and packed), stopped WAY out of Havana…so we had to find another bus to Havana centre…
then we missed the bus and paid a taxi driver to Vinales: 15 CUC/person: which was nice because I made a comment on the nice car and the driver let me drive it for a bit 😀
There are places everywhere to stay…you don’t need to worry, you’ll find a “Casa” without knowing beforehand. Ours had no name, so hard to recommend and was 20 CUC incl. breakfast
Sights: It’s all about the valley in Vinales!!! We made a tour on a horseback in order to see the gorgeous “Valle de Vinales’: 3-5 CUC/hour
Go watch the sunset in “Valle de Silencio” (Silent Valley)
After all that long bus rides we were ready for massage: 25 CUC/hour
People told us about a day trip to a dive spot/beach called “Maria Gorda”…but we were too lazy and didn’t go!

Viñales: travel tips for Cuba — ***Beautiful valley, with a very lush green landscape!***

Playa del Este (20 km East of Havana):

Just at the end of our trip, we needed beach time. So we decided to spend our two last days before heading back to Havana at the beach. Unfortunately it was a bit crowded and a lot of people left their trash/rum bottles at the beach…
There are plenty of places to stay for 25 CUC without breakfast, when you arrive in Guanabo just ask around. We got one 2 minutes after getting off the bus…
Take a “collectivo” (taxi) for 2 CUC per Person if you have a lot of luggage and don’t want to squeeze in the local bus that runs from there frequently

Last night in Havana:

Just before leaving Cuba, we wanted to get THE picture in a classical old car, so we paid 10 CUC to a guy with a very nice car to take us for a short ride at the Malecon (the famous harbour promenade) for one last ride and THE picture 🙂
Our last evening we met up with an old friend of mine from Munich and his newly wed wife (they got married in Havana and were on their honeymoon). We celebrated with Mojitos and said Goodbye to a wonderful Cuba!

The classical shot in Havana: cigars and vintage cars! — ***The classical shot in Havana: cigars in a vintage car 😉***

Thanks a lot to my travel buddy Elena from whom I learned that raw garlic can be your best choice if you don’t have a spread for your bread. And who wrote down all these details for her friend who lent us her “Lonely Planet” before that friend even had travelled to Cuba herself… (but that’s a different story) 😀

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PIN THIS BEAUTY!

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Did you like this post? Have you been to Cuba? Please leave a comment, if you have any other advice! Your feedback is highly appreciated!

Tags Cuba travel guide, Travel Tips

Myth #1: You have to cruise the Galapagos Islands

How to get to the Galapagos Islands

Myth #2: You need to book guided tours to see wildlife or natural sights!

Getting from island to island

Speed boat example:

First stop: Santa Cruz Island

Our Highlight of Santa Cruz Island

Other places to visit on Santa Cruz

Stop #2: Isabela Island

Our Highlight of Isabela Island: ‘Los Tuneles’

Other places to visit on Isabela Island:

Last stop: San Cristobal

Our highlight of San Cristobal: Diving at Kicker Rock (Leon Dormido)

Other places to visit on San Cristobal

Finding the right company for Zip-lining in Monteverde

What you can expect when you go Zip-lining in Monteverde

If you love adventure activities, you might like our post about Sailing in Nicaragua. But first tell us, have you been to Costa Rica? And did you go Zip Lining in Monteverde?

Where we stayed

What We Did

Views of Nelson:

Where we ate:

Thanks again for sharing your experience in Nelson. It sounds like a lovely place to visit. If you liked Samantha’s article, give her some love and visit her page! Happy travels all 😀

What to See and Where to Go in Nicaragua

Border Crossing from Honduras to Nicaragua

León

Las Peñitas

Granada

Ometepe Island

Climbing Volcano Concepcion

Playa Gigante

Have you been to Nicaragua? What were your highlights? Did you climb Volcano Concepcion and have your legs on fire the days afterwards?

How to get to Playa Gigante

Where to stay in Playa Gigante

Have you been there? Did you go sailing in Playa Gigante?

NOT DONE READING YET?

Why you should visit Honduras

La Ceiba and its surrounding area

Things to do in Atlantida

Have lunch in the Garifuna Community in Corozal

Visit the second largest Botanical Garden in the World

Welcome to Miami!

Take a train ride to the ‘Cuero y Salado’ Wildlife Refuge

Honduras’ Largest Lake: ‘Lago Yojoa’

Cerro Las Nalgas

After 3 1/2 weeks in Honduras, we can say that it was one grand trip! For all those in doubt and fear about their safety, hesitate no more, it is as safe as any place in Central America and will strike you with beauty, delicious food and friendly people!

Things to do on Utila:

Rent a motorbike or a scooter to explore the island:

Go Diving or Snorkelling

Just sit back and relax!

Utila’s beautiful sister Roatan

Explore the bay area between West End and West Bay

Go snorkelling at West Bay

Stay at a budget place and save your money

Rent a car and explore the island

Which ferry to take when visiting Utila and Roatan

Have you been to Utila and Roatan? What were your highlights?

A day of adventure: Whitewater Rafting on the Cangrejal River

Hiking the ‘El Mapache’ trail

Where to stay while exploring Pico Bonito National Park

Have you been to Pico Bonito National Park? How was your experience?

How was your visit to the Copan Ruins? Did you have a hot and humid climate when there? What other Mayan sites have you visited or would you like to see?

Isla de Flores at beautiful Lake Peten Itza

Welcome to the capital: ‘Guate’

Tourist-Hub Antigua

Lake Atitlan

San Marcos, Lago Atitlan

San Pedro de la Laguna, Lago Atitlan

Leaving Guatemala

Did you like this post and/or have you been to Guatemala? Please leave a comment below, I would love to hear your thoughts on how you liked it there and what other sights one shouldn’t miss! Either way, thanks for reading 🙂

Where to stay when diving the ‘Blue Hole’ of Belize

Choosing a Dive Company for your Trip to the Great Blue Hole of Belize

It all starts with a beautiful sunrise…

The first Dive at the Blue Hole

Dolphins surprised us on our way back to Caye Caulker

Have you been diving at the Great Blue Hole? What do you think, is it worth going??? Thanks ahead for sharing, liking and your comments!

Nice, clean and spacious Rooms

Dutch Owner with a Passion for Chocolate

Personal, friendly and very helpful staff

A place to chill and relax after visiting the Copán ruins

Have you ever been to Honduras? Do you still wonder where to stay in Copan? Don’t look further and let me know how you liked it! Safe travels you all!