Yesterday I came back from a trip through Nicaragua and wow, what a lovely country it is! It’s actually one of my favorite countries now and I can’t wait to go back in a few months (April 2018). Why I liked it so much and why I think you should go to Nicaragua? I’ll give you ten reasons!
1. The locals are very friendly
What I like the most about the country are the locals. They are so nice and helpful. They always want to talk with you and they’re really interested. They always smile, they help you whenever they can and they try to have a good conversation with you. They really make sure you feel at home!
2. The nature is beautiful
A jungle full of exotic birds and monkeys, hundreds of small islands, active volcanoes, lakes, lagoons, mountains and green hills: Nicaragua has a lot of beautiful nature spots. The nature surprised me several times and I’ve seen some great views during my trip!
3. The sunrises and sunsets are incredible
Oh my… the sunrises and sunsets are so amazing! The sky colors in red, pink, yellow, orange and purple, the sun is so round that it almost looks like a football, and the stars in the evening make it even better. When you go to Nicaragua, you’ll have an awesome sunset and sunrise for sure. I’ll guarantee that!
4. It’s a very cheap country
Money is always a bit important of course. And did you know that Nicaragua is the cheapest country of Central America? You may pay 1 dollar for a beer and 5 dollars for a meal. I didn’t sleep in cheap accommodations like hostels but I’m sure you can also sleep in good accommodations for a few dollars per night. So it’s a good country for backpackers!
5. Driving the roads is a bit of an adventure
It doesn’t matter if you travel with a rental car of by the local bus, driving through Nicaragua is just hilarious. Pigs, cows, cats, little children, chickens, dogs, tuktuks, more cows, more pigs, more chickens… they all block the road. Cows will lay down right in front of your car so you have to wait till they want to get up again and dogs are running from one side to the other. And then you also have to avoid holes, bumps and big rocks. It’s so much fun but you have to be careful for sure.
6. The beaches in Nicaragua are laidback
I really liked the beaches in Nicaragua and I’ve only been to the less white beaches in the west coast (in the east, at Corn Islands, you seem to find some white beaches). The beaches were empty so you don’t have to share it with other people and it’s surrounded by palm trees and jungle. The ocean is a bit wild but that makes swimming even more fun! #loveit
7. The distances are not too long
Most travelers are going to the west of Nicaragua (unless they’re also going to the Corn Islands in the east, but most people take the airplane for that). If you only go to the west, you won’t travel for longer than two hours. Sometimes it’s takes 15 minutes to get to the next highlight. That makes traveling in Nicaragua so easy!
8. The temperatures are always around 30 degrees
Do you like some sunshine, 30 degrees and a breeze? Great, because Nicaragua is a country where the temperature is always lovely. Of course the country also has a rain season, but even then the temperatures are high. Soooo nice!
9. The coffee is really good
Are you a coffee addict just like me? Awesome, because you can get some really good coffee in Nicaragua. They have some plantations in the north of the country so the coffee is delicious. Don’t drink it with sugar or milk tho, just black!
10. The products are mostly locally grown
Because of the warm climate, the locals can grow several herbs and vegetables. But they also have some really tender chicken and pork, and also the fish tastes amazing. The country is known for it’s fried dishes, but I only ate that once and that was also very tasty! You really should eat a lot of chicken!
I can tell you a lot more other reasons why you should go to Nicaragua, but I’m not going to do that, because you just need to discover the country yourself. But it’s so lovely. Can’t wait to go back in April and travel around for how long I want to. YAY!