The knowledge: independent travelling in Central America
Every week a reader gets a chance to put a travel question to the Been there community and travel experts. How does this work?
Getting away from the tourists in Nicaragua. Photo: Corbis
The dilemma:
I am planning 12-month trip to Mexico, Nicaragua, Belize and Honduras. I want to explore the largely unseen areas of those countries, especially by trekking on foot. How do I find a local guide who's not affiliated with a travel company (or their prices) and what are the problems to look out for when securing a guide?
Rory Creedon
What the experts say:
Vicky Baker, independent travel expert and editor of travel blog www.goinglocaltravel.com which gives info on travelling the local way and getting off the beaten track.
The first place I'd look to find a independent local guide is LeapLocal.org, an online database full of such types and which is committed to helping local communities benefit from tourism. Unfortunately, there's limited entries for central America at the moment. Although I did find a local guide in Guatemala who can arrange hiking and kayaking trips across the country.
More options can be found on Localyte.com, a fast-growing site that promises to help you 'travel like a local'. An abundance of locals have listed themselves on the site - from those owing tour companies to those who don't work in tourism, but are keen to pass on their insider knowledge in their spare time. Next to each profile there's an 'ask a question' button to contact the person directly, so you can get some good tips here too.
For staying safe, find out as much as you can about the person and their hiking experience in advance. If you're going truly off track, you need someone who knows the area inside out. Problems can arise if there are price disputes, so be sure to clarify costs from the outset; depending on your guide's situation, you may have to pay their expenses. The advantage of going with a tour company is that they are used to working with tourists and are prepared for all eventualities. Going it alone means making those preparations yourself. Be sure to ask lots of questions so you know what to expect and what to pack. Above all, be flexible and enjoy going with the flow.
Sissi Becker, editor of budget travel website Hostelbookers.com
The only ‘problem’ with finding a local guide is knowing where to look! You’re right to avoid the big tour companies – with such an extended trip you have enough time to really explore Central America and get to know the locals, who for the most part are friendly, very informative and helpful!.
My main piece of advice would be to use hostels as a travel resource. With more and more backpackers coming to Central America and the Caribbean, hostels are a great place to meet other people and get in touch with other locals.
Most of the hostels in less touristy parts of Central America are small, independent and family-run – and the staff are usually very helpful and knowledgeable – some will even organize their own independent tours or put you in touch with local guides to take you off the beaten track. These are far cheaper, unique and ‘authentic’ experiences than going to one of the big travel companies.
The Finca Neblina del Bosque in Esteli, Nicaragua is a working farm and guesthouse run by a Nicaraguan/German couple – they offer three really good professional guided tours with locals for around $10-12, and the room rates include three meals a day.
A couple of other hostels with good independent travel desks are the Falconview Hostel in the Belize Alps, Playa Tranquilidad in La Ceiba, Honduras, and Rossco in San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico. You can sometimes email them in advance and give a heads up about where you want to go.
There are a couple of good sites that have been set up to help independent travelers get in touch with local guides www.Leaplocal.org and www.tourdust.com, but at the moment there doesn’t seem to be too much on Central America aside from Costa Rica.
These resources are worth checking out just for the forums and ‘shared experiences’ from other travelers. Other Backpacker networks like Thorntree and BootsnAll are also good for recommendations, and sometimes local guides post their email addresses up there.
There are also plenty of small travel agents in the city centers (Belize City, Mexico City) that can put you in touch with guides. If you’re worried about safety, make sure they are a licensed tour guide with a photo card guide license if you are unsure. In some of the less safe parts of Central America the big organized trips and obvious tour buses are a target for crime anyway, so you’re much better off traveling with an experienced local.
Also look out for ‘Eco’ tours – this usually means your guides are local and profits from your fee go straight back into the local community. In Nicaragua, knowledgeable local guides can be hired from a non-profit organization called Ecoturs (Tel/fax: 459-4118).
Readers' replies:
As someone who lives in Nicaragua and walks here I would make a few suggestions in response to Rory's query.
First, learn reasonable Spanish.
Second, look separately for guides in the different countries and regions of those countries.
Third, you might be able to set up some contacts in advance but people are unlikely to have email or be unlikely to reply - with exceptions. People work much more spontaneously here and will often drop what they are doing to guide you right away or tomorrow, but won't reliably plan to do it next month.
Fourth, use guide books and websites to find local guides/agencies. The Footprint guide series (which is excellent on Central America) often includes suggestions/phone numbers for local guides.
Fifth, while most of Nicaragua is very safe, you do have to be aware of safety issues in remote areas and in more risky countries like Guatemala. Read books such as 'Around the Edge' by Peter Ford or 'Wild Shore' by Edward Marriott to get a feel for exploring the remoter Caribbean regions of these countries.
Specifically for Nicaragua I've had good guided walks with Matagalpa Tours matagalpatours.com and with Alvaro Rodriguez northwardnicaraguatours.blogspot.com
John Perry
Try leaplocal.com. It's a resource to link local, unaffiliated guides with tourists throughout Latin America, and is based on a recommendation system. A great site that also promotes responsible tourism.
Also don't miss out Guatemala on your trip! Amongst many other sights and experiences, you will also find amazing hiking.
For Nicaragua try the local tourist offices, as well as the administrative offices of the national parks. Through the latter I found guides as well as arranged home-stays with families within some of the parks. A decent (i.e. Footprint) guidebook will give further information.
Regards,
James Brown
I can give some pointers about Nicaragua, as I am Nicaraguan (or "Nica").
Firstly, let me say that trekking on foot is not really popular in Nicaragua and it may prove to be too hot. However, you may want to contact people at the "Big Foot Hostel" in León that normally have lots of information. Also, in León, there is a really good guide called Rigoberto Sampson.
Nicaragua has beautiful unspoiled beaches. My favorite is "Las Peñitas", in León. In Las Peñitas, Suyapa is a very unassuming but comfortable place to stay. It's always hot in Nicaragua, so paying for an AC room is a good idea (around $25-30). Nights are gorgeous here since clear skies are the norm. Suyapa's food is a hit or miss. But, a nearby lodging called Playa Roca has much better food, and this one also has a very fun hut. All in all, Las Peñitas is excellent value. Unspoiled beach, and very low tourism. Nice place to relax, swim, eat fresh fish every day, drink rum, take night walks on the beach.
León is an interesting city, and an excellent place to taste Nicaraguan food. Excellent places to eat are Comedor El Callejón and Casa Vieja, both easy to find. Casa Vieja only opens for dinner, but El Callejón is open for lunch. Both places can give you an excellent idea of the Nica cuisine. Also, try the "Chancho con yuca" with a corn drink called "chicha" at the corner of the Teatro Municipal. This is quintessentially Nicaraguan food. The lady that sells this food on the street is clean and reliable. Another must stop is the market behind the Cathedral. Look for the first lady that sells "frescos" (refreshments) and get some "cacao" drink with "cosa de horno." Another quintessential sample of Nica food.
Good places to stay in León: Casa Leonesa, an excellent value for a B&B. Request one of the original bedrooms here, which are a real sample of the original "leonesa" architecture of the house. This house has an add-on structure that is not as good as the rest of the house. Try to avoid staying in the new addition. The house is charming, and the lady owner is a real charm too. Good service, and excellent value. Another option is Big Foot hostel which always has good information and some private rooms--they are not all dorms. Another good option is Hotel Los Balcones. And of course, there is the 4 star hotel El Convento, which is in itself a must-see building. Gorgeous renovated structure, typical "leonesa" architecture and gorgeous collection of "Arte Sacro" (Catholic Art). The owners of El Convento also own the "Casa de Arte," a must see little museum of art reflecting the very particular preference of the owners for Catholic Art. Very interesting collection.
The second must-go-to-beach is San Juan del Sur. This is touristy, but not offensive. There are great places to stay here, but prices get high as this is a premium tourist beach. Hotel Casa Blanca and Piedras y Olas are both excellent choices. The latter one is a fantastic place, but high on the price scale. You can eat good food (i.e., good whole fried fish) almost anywhere in San Juan del Sur.
I avoid Managua unless I want to eat an excellent steak at Los Ranchos (by far the best steaks in Nicaragua) or do some shopping at 1) Mercado Roberto Huembes (for really nice hammocks, leather goods, etc.); 2) Mama Delfina (a boutique version of Mercado R. Huembes); and Joya de Nicaragua for cigars.
Excellent Nicaraguan products: "Ron Flor de Caña" (12 year old for sipping, 7 year old for mixing); "Joya de Nicaragua" cigars; "Momotombo" chocolates (uniquely Nica flavor).
I hope that you find this information useful and that you have a wonderful trip!
Miriam