2019-10-01 Wanderlust

NICARAGUA

wanderlust.co.uk October 2019 147

Footnotes

Nicaragua

TOPTIP

Baseballisa

country-wide

obsession.Catch

agameatDennis

MartínezNational

Stadium,in

Managua–named

inhonourofthe

irstNicaraguanto

playintheMajor

League.It’sthe

homeoftheIndios

delBóerteam.

THETRIP

Theauthortravelledona

tailor-madetripwithJourney

LatinAmerica(020 3553

9647,journeylatinamerica.

co.uk).A12-daytailor-made

tripincludingtwonightson

OmetepeIsland,twonights

onLittleCornIsland,two

nightsonGranada’sisletason

aB&Bbasis,andtwonightsin

theSolentinamearchipelago

onafull-boardbasis,starts

from£3,192perperson,based

ontwosharing.Thepricealso

includesdomesticŒlights,

transfersandinternational

ŒlightswithAmericanAirlines,

travellingfromtheUK.

Island life

An altar in the church

on Mancarrón Island,

Solentiname (top); a

forest-lanked house

in the archipelago

Vital statistics
Capital: Managua
Population: Around 6.3 million
Languages: Spanish is the o–icial
language. Miskito is spoken on the
Caribbean coast.
Time: GMT -6 (no daylight saving
time)
International dialling code: +505
Visas: UK nationals do not need
a visa to enter Nicaragua for stays of
up to three months.
Money: The Nicaraguan Córdoba
(NIO) is currently around C$40 to
the UK£. There are ATMs in cities
and larger towns, and major credit
cards (Visa and Mastercard) are
accepted – but you will need cash
for smaller establishments, rural
areas and tipping. Though prices
are mostly given in Córdoba, USD
is widely used too – and hotel rates
are always quoted in dollars.

When to go

Nicaragua’s a year-round destination

with temperatures hovering between

31™34°C. It has two distinct seasons:

hot and dry from November to

May, and hot and wet from June

to November (with Sept-Oct being

wettest). The busiest times are

Easter, Christmas and New Year.

Health & safety

Recommended immunisations

include Hepatitis A, tetanus and

typhoid. There’s low/no risk of

malaria throughout the country

(apart from in the remote north-

east corner) but cover up to avoid

mosquito bites. Drink bottled water.

Following a period of unrest in 2018,

the country is peaceful, but avoid

any demonstrations and gatherings

• even if they appear calm.

Getting there

American Airlines (020 7660

2300, americanairlines.co.uk) Œlies

from London Heathrow to Managua

via Miami and Dallas. Flight time

is around 17 hours depending on

connections; return fares from £742.

Getting around

The easiest way to get from A to B

is by bus – from old school relics to

comfortable coaches. La Costeña

(lacostena.online.com.ni) Œlies daily

from Managua to the Corn Islands

for around C$2,640 (£66) return.

Cost of travel

On a budget, you can get by with

around C$1,320 (£33) per day, or

C$2,640 (£66) if staying in a mid-

range hotel. For a more luxurious

trip, double that allowance. Tip

guides and waiters 10%.