Laguna Bacalar - The Lagoon of 7 Colours

The town of Bacalar and Laguna Bacalar itself are popular amongst budget travelers and backpackers but due to its remote location and importantly, the distance from Cancun Airport, it’s one of the least touristy places you can visit this close to the Caribbean Coast of Mexico.

Gaspar Pacheco founded the town in 1545 as Salamanca de Bacalar, derived from the Mayan words ‘Bak Halal’, meaning ‘place surrounded by reeds.'

I visited Bacalar on a two week trip with my family with a goal to show them what I love about Mexico away from the margaritas and novelty sombreros of the Mexican Riviera, and the extremely cultural but sometimes chaotic neighbourhoods of Mexico City. Although there’s nothing wrong with those things, I really wanted to show them another side of Mexico.

Fun with dad and the Bacalar sign

After a three hour drive from Tulum to Bacalar, we arrived in Bacalar and were immediately greeted by the sight if the lagoon. Laguna Bacalar is called the Lagoon of 7 Colours because of the distinct blue colours that are visible throughout the lake. The water clarity is also very impressive partly due to its white limestone bottom.

The lagoon measures 43 km long and 2 km at its widest point. It is also the second largest body of freshwater in Mexico, after Lago de Chapala in Jalisco and Michoacán.

There are several restaurants and bars located on the lakefront where you can have a meal or just a drink and sit lakeside or relax on the adjacent docks. There is one public dock that is free to access and is actually a lot of fun as well.

The lake is quite shallow at the shore except where there are cenotes. This makes it great for smaller children to get in and snorkel. Just be careful when jumping in!

You can rent a variety of equipment to get out into the water, including kayaks and sailboats but the best activity is a half day tour that gets you to all the different sites on the lagoon.

Lagoon tours

There are a few tour operators in town, some private and some that work as part of a cooperative. As you explore the town you will see signs everywhere advertising lake tours so you will have your pick of operators.

Lake tours are available next to the public dock that last for two hours and cost about $280 pesos.

After doing some research and because I was with my parents, I really wanted the best day out possible so we decided to go with the more expensive tour offered by Amir AdvenTours. The tour is in English and Spanish, goes for 3.5 hours and costs $526 pesos.

After meeting the guide and boat we crossed the Channel of the Pirates to take in the coastline from the water. From here you can see the Fort and all get a better sense of the 7 colours you can see throughout the lake.

We stopped in the channel for an explanation of the history of the lagoon and a quick swim in the warm waters. Amir then took the group for a walk through the sulfur infused muddy shallows for a full body mud mask followed by a fun race through the mud that really hugged your feet and if you were’t careful you could end up face first in the muddy water.

While we scrubbed the mud off Amir prepared a feast of tropical fruits including banana, watermelon, mango and the sweetest pineapple I’ve ever had.

Amir even helped push us up the tree!

Hanging out at the stromatolites

After the snack stop we visited the “Black Cenote” which is an open cenote with a depth of about 85 meters where we got to snorkel. For the brave, Amir showed us how to do a dive after climbing the branches of a tree.

Then we visited the “Cenote Esmeralda” with a depth of 45 meters and finally the “Cenote Cocalitos” where you can see stromatolites that are known as living stones and are considered as the oldest form of life in the planet.

Finally, we visited the Island of Birds for one more swim and snorkel.

The tour includes snorkeling equipment, life jackets, fruit, snacks and drinks. There was a good balance of information and fun water activities and by the end of the tour we were pretty exhausted. I highly recommend this tour!

The Fort of San Felipe

The Fort of San Felipe Bacalar is another major attraction in this area, because in its walls, pillars and ramparts there are still traces of past battles. The fort was built in 1729 with the main purpose of preventing the attacks suffered by the population from the pirates. Interestingly the fort was also used to monitor and repell traffickers of dyewood, a highly valued precious wood back then.

During the Caste War, the Fort was used by the Spanish as a point of defense against Maya who fought to win back the village, won the war but left the fort in ruins.

Today, the Fort of San Felipe Bacalar has become a local history museum. The collection in the museum includes pieces of pre-Hispanic history, Colonial history, drawings, historic plans, beautiful murals, multimedia devices and even the skeleton of a genuine pirate of the Caribbean.

Getting in and out

Bacalar is a great stopover in between the Yucatan and Belize. If you’re coming from Cancun it is a five hour drive or three hours from Tulum. There are regular ADO bus services if you’re not driving.

With it’s clear, warm waters and tranquil town, Bacalar is a great place to visit if you want to relax while taking in the stunning views the lagoon. These never got old and while relaxing on a dock with a good book, you could really waste a day or three away.

This post is part of my Top 30 in Central America and Mexico. You can also check out some more of my favourite sites and activities in Mexico here.

Have you made it to Bacalar? Any other recommendations for the region that I missed out? Let me know in the comments below!

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Somoto Canyon

The Somoto Canyon is one of oldest rock formations in Central America and has become one of the main attractions of Northern Nicaragua. The canyon is located fifteen minutes west of the city of Somoto and is also called "the structure" or “Namancambre” by locals.

The canyon walls run for five miles where the waters from the Comali River (from Honduras) and Tapacali River join to form the extensive Coco River. The cliffs have a height between 120 and 150 meters. In the narrowest area, they are situated just five meters away from each other. Between the small holes of the rock you can spot orchids, bromeliads and cactus.

The canyon was “discovered” by geologists in 2004 and since then tourism has ramped up in this tiny almost-border town and the Nicaraguan Government has wisely made it a Protected Area.

The Somoto Canyon tour

Somoto Canyon Tours is the only independent guiding group operating sustainable tourism out of the village of Sonis in the neighbourhood of the canyon. Somoto Canyon Tours started in 2008 to develop an enterprise to assist those who live within a few kilometres of the new attraction.

You can choose a trip of a variety of lengths depending on how much of the canyon you wish to see and how adventurous you’re feeling. I did the circular route of 6 hours covering 15 kilometres. It includes hiking, sightseeing, rock scrambling, wading, floating, swimming, boating, and jumps in both Rio Tapacali and Rio Camali.

You can also swim and do a small jump in the natural swimming pool below the confluence of the Tapacali and Comali rivers that form the headwaters of the Rio Coco, the longest river in Central America. I also got to check out the fruit bat caves that are only accessible on this trip which was a special treat.

Keep in mind that the water can get quite cold especially towards the end of the tour as the canyon narrows and less sun gets in. You should be able to warm up on the boat ride and walk back. I am a giant baby when it comes to the cold and I swore I would get hyperthermia in the last 10 minutes while floating downstream but I managed to survive until I got back into the sun and defrosted in our short hike back to the cabins.

I was asked if I was happy to have a new guide lead the small group of my two friends and myself. He didn’t speak much English but I speak Spanish and my friends were happy to be translated to. As with all the guides through Somoto Canyon Tours, he was a local guide and quite young, early twenties maybe. Even though he was young, he was very serious about making sure that everything went well and that we had fun on our trip. Too serious sometimes but we had a lots of fun trying to get him out of his shell!

The first Somoto Canyon jump

Free jumping

The highlight of the trip for me was the opportunity to jump from heights up to 20 metres. This is one for the very brave or experienced. I only attempted the 15 metre jump and I was terrified but was super proud of myself when I landed with minimal ouchies. Ladies, cross your arms over your boobs when attempting the higher jumps, just saying. At that height anything sticking out will get a big smack when you hit the water. Listen to the guide’s instructions and make sure to jump as straight as possible.

The best part about the guided tour is that the guide chooses jumps that get progressively higher. You start with a jump at the beginning of the tour of 2 metres. By the time you get to the end of the tour you have the choice to attempt the big 20 metre jump or a 15 metre jump. There's also a 5 metre option for those who haven’t worked up the courage yet. My biggest piece of advice for anything like this is to just decide to do it and jump in straight away. Don’t let your brain catch up to your feet!

Eeeeeep!

What to bring

You should only need a bottle of water, your camera and sun-cream. You’ll be in and out of the water so make sure to keep applying. Your guide will carry a waterproof bag in which you can place your items and where he’ll store snacks and lunch. You will be fully submerged in the water at some points so unless it’s in the bag it will get wet! Somoto Canyon Tours also provide river shoes which you can use if you do not wish to get your own wet.

Everyone gets a life jacket which is really important for safety reasons but also great to lay back and enjoy whit water floating when in the deeper downstream regions.

The accommodation

If you opt to stay the night you will be welcomed into Henry’s family homestead. There’s a farmyard full of animals to keep you company (and wake you up in the morning!) and you’re welcome to take part in the daily activities of the busy homestead.

There are cabins to sleep in that include private rooms and a dormitory with an adjacent toilet block. The accommodation is basic and there is only cold water in the showers but it is super clean and adequate for a night.

The family also offer a selection of traditional meals that include vegetarian options and you can preorder breakfast if you’re catching an early bus in the morning. I definitely recommend both the tour and staying a night here.

The "typico" served on the homestead - A Typical Nicaraguan Breakfast

Getting there and away

It’s fairly easy to get to Somoto by public transportation as long as you keep in mind that this IS the edge of Nicaragua. You won’t find many tourists here and it is one of the more remote tourist destinations. Along the way, I highly suggest visiting Esteli for a night so you can stop in to one of the cigar factories. You can set off to Somoto early in the morning, do a canyon tour and be on your way by early afternoon.

If you’re coming from Managua, you can take a bus to Somoto from the Mayoreo Market. These buses aren’t that frequent so I suggest catching any bus going to Esteli where buses leave hourly to Somoto.

You will get picked up from the bus station if you’re taking a tour with one of the tour companies but if you’re planning to go solo then you can take a chicken bus to El Espino (border with Honduras) and ask to be dropped off at the entrance to the community of Sonis. From there you will have an 8 kilometre walk to the trail head so be prepared!

If you’re the adventurous sort you can use this opportunity to continue on to the border of Honduras where you can head north to the centre of Honduras and possibly Lago de Yojoa or head east to the border of El Salvador. I did the former and it was a pretty easy transition. Connections were frequent and with a basic level of Spanish you should be able to find your way to any of the bigger cities.

You can also do the reverse by catching a border bound bus from Choluteca in Honduras.

My very serious guide

Somoto is a real treat in Nicaragua. By visiting and participating in a tour you are directly helping the local community and you also get to experience a different side of Nicaragua. I had a great time getting to know our very serious guide and the people in the small village community of Sonis. If you’re in Nicaragua and have a two days free then Somoto is a worthwhile stop and also a great border crossing option if you’re heading to El Salvador or Honduras.

This post is part of my Top 30 in Central America and Mexico. You can also check out some more of my favourite sites and activities in Nicaragua here.

Have you visited Somoto? Got anything else to add? Or been anywhere similar that I should check out? Let me know in the comments!

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Top 15 Places to Visit in Central America and Mexico

My heart really does belong to Latin America as I keep coming back to it year after year. When all my friends were exploring Bali and Thailand and doing gap years in the UK and Europe, I was hiking the Inca Trail and venturing into the Peruvian and Bolivian jungles, scuba diving in Colombia and pretending to salsa in Cuba. For the last 12 years, I have been learning Spanish and exploring all of the different cultures throughout this special region.

I've also seen it develop as more of a tourist region. Costa Rica is now the eco-playground of Americans and Cuba is open for business! Columbia is the "must-visit" country on the gringo trail where before it was only visited by the brave few who ignored the media reports about guerilla warfare. Central America and Mexico are easy to tackle on a shorter trip by breaking it up or you could do a quick tour in three months. Six months will give you a decent amount of time to really go with the flow and see where fate may take you.

You can use this round-up to help give you some inspiration on where to go and what to see. If you have any questions or want help planning a trip then don't hesitate to contact me. I'm a solo travel expert and have spent a total of three years over my lifetime in this region. I hope you enjoy this virtual trip through the best of Mexico and Central America! 

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1) Somoto Canyon

The Somoto Canyon is one of oldest rock formations in Central America and has become one of the main attractions of Northern Nicaragua. The canyon is located fifteen minutes west of the city of Somoto and is also called "the structure" or “Namancambre” by locals.

The canyon walls run for five miles where the waters from the Comali River (from Honduras) and Tapacali River join to form the extensive Coco River. The cliffs have a height between 120 and 150 meters. In the narrowest area, they are situated just five meters away from each other. 

Read more

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2) Boquete

Boquete is a charming little mountain town that has captured the imagination of expats and tourists alike. It’s located in the province of Chiriqui about 60 kilometres from the border of Costa Rica. When you’ve been suffering in the heat in the rest of Panama, you might enjoy spending some time cooling off in Boquete as it situated 1,200 metres above sea level.

I really enjoyed my time here and suggest a stay of at least two or three days. Read on to discover some of the activities and sights available including coffee farm tours, rafting, hiking, rock climbing and hot srings.

Read more 

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3) Quirigua

The ruins at Quirigua are smaller than some of the better known ruins in the region, like Copan in Honduras and Tikal in Guatemala but still worth at least a couple of hours as stop over if you’re heading between the Rio Dulce/ Livingston area and Antigua or Guatemala City.

I enjoyed taking my time to walk through the site and explore on my own. Also if you’re lucky you might get to witness a traditional ceremony taking place! 

I would highly recommend these ruins since they were the only ones that allowed me to see temples and stelae up close and without 100 people milling about. You really get a sense of the place and imagine what it was like a thousand years ago when you can pretend that you're the only person there.

Read more -->

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4) Corn Islands

The Corn Islands in Nicaragua are a special place to visit. There are no cars or motorbikes on Little Corn and besides the main "street" which is more of a path, there are no paved roads. When wandering around the island you can easily spot the local wildlife including a resident pig.

There's no electricity from 5am to 2pm which really forces you to get up early and out of your hot cabins! 
You can also walk around the whole island in less than two hours and I did this a couple times with some snorkel gear. Even though there is really great diving here, snorkelling is also full of fishy adventure. There are 8 main snorkel spots around the island that are accessible from shore and just past this beach is where I saw my first spotted eagle ray! Read more -->

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5) Mazunte

Of all the beaches I’ve been to on the Pacific coast, Mazunte is definitely my favourite. During the day there are huge pelicans diving for fish and beautiful hummingbirds flitting around. Everyone seems to respect the peace and there is rarely any loud music blaring, at the most you might hear the strains of a guitar or drumming.

Here you can do yoga every morning for as little as 50 pesos. You can sleep in a swinging bed looking out into the coast for 90 pesos ($3.80). You can eat like you’re in Europe or indulge in local Mexican fare. You can do nothing at all and still end the day with a contented sigh and a stupid grin on your face because you’re just so happy to be there.

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6) Laguna de Apoyo

Apoyo Lake is a crater lake said to be the result of Volcano Apoyo imploding on itself over 20,000 years ago. It is 48 square kilometres and the deepest point has been measured at 200 metres. If you imagine the big cone that would have been left behind by the volcano you can get a good idea of the shape of the lake.

After attempting a volcano hike in Central America this was a perfect place to come and relax while still admiring the nearby Mombacho volcano in the background.

Read more -->

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7) Bacalar

The town of Bacalar and Laguna Bacalar itself are popular amongst budget travelers and backpackers but due to its remote location and importantly, the distance from Cancun Airport, it’s one of the least touristy places you can visit this close to the Caribbean Coast of Mexico.

I visited Bacalar on a two week trip with my family with a goal to show them what I love about Mexico away from the margaritas and novelty sombreros of the Mexican Riviera. Although there’s nothing wrong with those things, I really wanted to show them another side of Mexico.

Read more -->

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8) Tikal

A gallery of images from Tikal, one of the Mayan Cities in Guatemala dated over 1,000 years ago during the Classic Period. I was lucky enough to spot monkeys and also witness the sunset from one of the tallest pyramids.

See if you can spot a famous shot from a Star Wars movie!

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9) Omoa

Omoa, Honduras is small town on the Caribbean Coast, a short trip from San Pedro Sula. Omoa used to be the main Caribbean port of Honduras until the mid 19th century. Now it is a very laid back beach town where you can be one of the only tourists in sight. As you can see, I had the whole place to myself!

One of the main reasons to visit is to see the historical 18th century San Fernando Fort. It's also a great stop over on the way to or from the Guatemala Border.

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10) Livingston

When I first walked off the boat in Livingston I was greeted with Garifuna music and I really felt like I’d found somewhere I could explore for a few days. It’s a small town but there are several places to explore, including some great food options. The best part for me was just wandering around town, chatting to the local people and experiencing life in this very different part of Guatemala.

One of the best ways to spend half a day in Livingston is to visit the Siete Altares  site. When you get there you don’t need a guide so you take your time to walk to the waterfall and then have a picnic or just bathe in the cool pool below. There is also a jump off the falls that you can attempt if you’re not too afraid of climbing up there.

Read more -->

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11) Tulum

Tulum is located on Mexico's Caribbean Coast just south of Playa Del Carmen. It can be considered the "green resort" town because you can still find many luxury resorts and stylish beach clubs but there's also a growing number of eco style hotels and beach cabins available.

Right outside of town there is a small set of Mayan ruins known for its picture perfect setting on the beach. The Tulum Ruins are the third most-visited archaeological site in Mexico, after Teotihuacan and Chichen Itza.

Read more -->

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12) Lake Atitlan

The Indian’s Nose viewpoint sits at at 2,863 meters looking over the pueblos of San Pedro, Santa Clara and San Marcos. Its name comes from the fact the profile of the mountain looks like a sleeping Indian with the viewpoint as its nose. The hike is 1.5 to 2 hours of a very steep climb.

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13) El Valle de Anton

El Valle is a beautiful little mountain town located in the largest inhabited volcano crater in the world. Once you’ve explored the Panama Canal in Panama City and you’re ready to see what else the country has to offer, El Valle is an easy day trip or possible next stop on a larger Panama itinerary.

It enjoys a lovely spring climate all year round. I spent hours wandering the streets of the town enjoying being surrounded by the amazing views and greenery, feeling very safe and at peace.

Read more -->

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14) Osa Peninsula

The Osa is everything I wanted Costa Rica to be. Still relatively untouched by mass tourism, remote, and easy to find real grassroots local experiences. The Osa Peninsula offers a variety of experiences including wildlife spotting, water sports, and cultural activities that allow you to see the heart of the area. 

Read more -->

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15) Semuc Champey

If you’re up for a 6 hour bumpy ride into the middle of the Guatemalan jungle then I would suggest staying in Lanquin for 2 or 3 days, relaxing poolside at Zephyr Lodge and doing a day trip to Semuc Champey. The highlight of my time in Lanquin was visiting the Kam’ba cave system during the Semuc Champey day trip and putting on my Indiana Jones hat for a couple of hours. It was so much fun and months later I have not been able to stop talking about.

Read more -->

What are your favourites places to visit in Central America? Is there anything that should definitely be on the list? Let me know in the comments and check back in tomorrow for the next spot!

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Wandering Wednesday

If you’re like 99% of the population then you probably have a day job and if you’re anything like me, by Wednesday you’re ready to chuck it all in and head for the hills. Forget the kids, who cares about the mortgage, let's move to the Caribbean!

Wandering Wednesday is my gift to you on this, the humpiest of all days, where you can take 20 minutes out of your day and read all the best travel stories the internet has to offer.

Travel video of the week

Matthew Karsten from The Expert Vagabond has created a gorgeous series of videos showcasing Scotland and the Isle of Skye. Scotland has never been on my travel list due to the fact that I am unable to survive in the cold and the rain and I thought I would shrivel up into a shell of my former self but thisvideo makes me want to pack my bags and move to Scotland!

I can already imagine myself walking around with my mouth permanently opened and head swivelling like a while trying to take in this beautiful scenery. It looks like a something out of a fairy tale.

Around the web

Priority Pass - A Real World Review

I spend a lot of time in airports but I've only ever been lucky enough to experience an airport lounge just once. It was amazing, the food buffet, free drinks, clean, civilised toilets and nice nap-in me seats. I recently read this article explaining how a Priority Pass works and I'm very excited for my future airport lounge prospects. Check it out for an explanation on how it works and who would get value from it.

http://toomanyadapters.com/priority-pass-real-world-review

Inspiration Quotes for Travel

If you've ever needed that extra motivation to take the next step and start exploring that new country or even your own backyard, then check out list of inspiring quotes and some pretty amazing pictures to go along with them.

http://girlvsglobe.com/2016/08/25-inspirational-quotes-for-women-travel.html

The Singular Experience of Drinking Beer in a North Korean Restaurant in Cambodia

This is just as crazy interesting as you think it would be ;) A great story including faking guitarists, a drum battle, LOTR style paintings and music from Super Mario Brothers.

http://roadsandkingdoms.com/5-oclock-somewhere/singular-experience-drinking-beer-north-korean-restaurant-cambodia/

The Amazing American Southwest in Photos

A stunning photo essay on some of the best of the American Southwest.

http://www.dangerous-business.com/2016/08/american-southwest-photos/

Travel App of the Week - Whats App

Free for first year; $0.99 annual subscription - Android or iOS

This is a great app to help you stay connected with people while you’re traveling and back at home. It’s basically a messaging app that also allows for calls over an internet connection, voice messaging and location sharing. When I meet someone on the road and want to stay in touch, WhatsApp is usually the easiest way. You just need a name and a number and you’re connected.

Another useful features is the ability to create groups. It makes organising with your friends before and during travel a lot easier. The best part is that even when you change numbers you'll still be connected to everyone so you'll never lose your contacts.

Check out my list of my must have travel apps for traveling - http://www.tofutraveler.com/blog/must-download-travel-apps

Location of the week - Mazunte, Mexico

The weather is lovely, the people are relaxed and if you want to spend some time doing absolutely nothing surrounded by natural beauty then this is the place to be! Check out my full expeience in Mazunte here.

That's it for this week! Make sure to follow me on Facebook and Twitter where I share my favourites more regularly and for a monthly roundup, including exclusive content just for my newsletter subscribers, you can sign up here.

Enjoy the rest of the week everyone and please share with me in the comments anything that you’ve uncovered from the internet. I need some inspiration too!

Hostel Packing Essentials

I’ve written a lot recently about my hostel experiences, what they’re like and some great ones to stay in. One important topic to cover is the essentials specific to staying in a hostel. These are all the things that you should make sure to pack and some that I have ditched along the way. Some of these might already be obvious to you but hopefully you’ll pick up on some new items.

I’ve covered what you should definitely pack and some things that I read on other “must pack” lists that I really didn’t need. These are my hostel essentials only so doesn’t cover the basics for every trip like clothes, adaptors and other travelling essentials for backpackers. Check out this awesome eco-friendly packing list for an idea of everything you should pack.

What to Bring

1) Eye mask

Eye masks are great not just for hostels but also for any travel you might be doing along the way. In airplanes, buses and trains, if you need to do any sleeping, this is a must have! There’s often an unwritten rule in hostels that the light will stay on until a “reasonable” time. I’m usually in bed by 10 pm and am not afraid to just turn it off when I’m ready for bed but if you’re less assertive you might just want to throw your eye mask on and get some sleep on your own time.

Personally, I prefer the ones that don’t rest against your eyes as I can’t stand that feeling but there are loads of options out there. Look for ones that say "contoured" or "3D" for the most comfortable fit.

2) Ear plugs

This one is similar to the eye mask, great to help you get to sleep when everything is happening around or you have a snoring sleep mate or two. I’ve tried a few different brands out but love these ear plugs. They’re the easiest to put in and seem to block out most noise.

If you've got the cashoola you could consider the Noise Cancelling Ear Plugs by Crioxen. Even better, if you’ve got the space and are serious about your head phones, you can get noise cancelling headphones and use the noise cancelling function to block out even more snores.

3) Travel towel

Most places you stay these days will offer a towel during your stay, either free of charge, for a small deposit or maybe for a fee. If you want to save money, then a travel towel can still be a great investment and don't take up much room in your bag. You could also use one as a beach towel when heading out as most places won't let you take the towel out of the room.

They range in price but you can get a teeny tiny one for as little as $10 and I've seen some fancy ones get up to $100+. Look for them in any camping or adventure store and of course online.

They take a little getting used to as they are made out of that shammy-type material but they are super quick dry and pack very small, a lot smaller than an actual towel. My top tip is to get either a Large or X-Large size. It won’t add that much more bulk and there’s nothing worse than not being fully wrapped when needing to run from the shower to the room.

4) Lock

When you stay in a hostel you will usually be provided with access to a locker but will need your own lock. I suggest carrying two strong padlocks with a combination instead of key access. Trust me on this, I’ve travelled with someone who lost BOTH of their keys and had to have the lock broken.

The locks can also be used if you’re leaving your backpack in a luggage storage room after check out or to lock your backpack while in transit. Make sure to use a TSA lock if you’re travelling through the US.

5) Toiletries

As with the towel situation, hostels usually don’t provide toiletries like you would find in a hotel. Depending on your situation you might want to bring along some travel size toiletries or just buy some products when you get there. For me it depends on how long I’ll be staying in a particular place and when my next flight is. I don’t mind carrying around a full tub of toothpaste but as I travel carry-on only I’m unlikely to get it past the airport checkpoint.

You don’t need to go overboard with the toiletries though. If you’re away for 3 months then you probably don’t need to take a 6-month supply of floss with you but DO check what will be readily available for you to buy at your destination. In some places sunscreen is more expensive than crude oil and tampons are the devil so just make sure you’re prepared.

6) Flip flops

So, if you’ve never stayed in a hostel before, then the idea of sharing a bathroom with a group of people must seem very strange. It’s actually not that bad! Sometimes each dorm will have its own bathroom and sometimes there’s be a big shower block for all the rooms to share.

Either way, those showers are seeing more people in them every day than is usual and they might only be cleaned once a day. I’m no hygienist but my personal preference is to wear a pair of flip flops into the shower so I don’t catch any potential cooties. If you’re like me and live in them 24/7 then they probably need a good wash anyway.

7) Flashlight/head lamp

Depending on your trip you might have use for a dedicated torch or head lamp anyway but just in case think about the types of experiences you’re likely to have. Often I’m mixing city stays with off the beaten track activities in jungle and river lodges. There is likely to be some sort of camping or “eco” situation where I will have to use an outside toilet.

Head lamps are awesome for this as you can go "hands-free" if you know what I mean… Ever tried wiping with one hand while directing a torch in the direction of the giant centipede you just saw 2 inches from your face?

At the every least, make sure your phone has a flashlight app that you can use in a pinch. This should be sufficient for rummaging through your stuff at four in the morning for an early departure without waking the whole dorm up.

8) Plastic bags

These are very multi-purpose: to separate your dirty clothes so they don’t stink up the rest of your clothes; to store your muddy shoes in that are still wet from a rainforest like but you have a 20 hours travel day ahead of you; keep your electronics dry during a rainy open water ferry crossing; super cheap way to store your soap so you don’t need a fancy soap case. Just make sure you always have a couple on hand and you’ll always have a use for them, I promise. 

One thing to keep in mind is that plastic bags are noisy as all hell in the middle of the night so try to avoid your immediate demise at the hands of your fellow bunk mates by not rummaging through your plastic bags when all is silent.

9) Bottle opener

Hostels are filled with happy travelers who are having the time of their lives, maybe this is the only two weeks they get off every year and they want to make the most of it, maybe they’re on an extended multi-year trip to find themselves and "every day is Friday” and “every hour is happy hour”.

Whatever the case, when you stay in a hostel, you will make the best of friends if you have a bottle opener on hand. Even better, if you know how to open a bottle with any object on hand. I once saw a guy open a beer with a shoe! How do they even do that??? Why did I not learn this in school?

10) A tupperware container

I learnt this one from a vegan I met traveling and thought it was a very cool idea. If you’re going to be cooking a bit and using those awesome hostel kitchens, then chances are you’re going to have some leftovers to contend with. Rather than throwing it out or leaving it to the other life in the hostel fridge, you can throw it into a tupperware container. This way you can eat it the next day and even carry it with you as a lunch option. The best part is they don’t take up any room, just stuff them with something else and you’re good to go!

11) Bonus - A playlist that reminds you of home

Before I leave on any trip I always put together a playlist of all my favourite songs and my friends’ favourites. Why? When I’m feeling homesick I just pop my headphones in, tune into Spotify and listen to all the music that makes me think of the people that I leave but in the best way possible. You could also try having some photo albums on your phone or even a couple of real life pics if you’re a visual person.

Don’t bring

1) Door jamb

So, this is a tricky one. I’ve never chosen to stay anywhere that I felt unsafe enough that I would use a door jamb. Saying that, I would hate to be the one to tell you not to bring it and then something happens to you so I’ll leave this one up to you. They’re heavy as hell but maybe there are some new solutions that can help you feel safe and not weigh down your luggage.

2) Sink plug

This is used for hand washing and soaking clothes in sinks. If you’re staying in a dorm this is just not practical. You’ll be sharing a room with at least 3 other people and they’re not going to be happy with you using the sink to keep your laundry in. If you’re in a private room it’s a little more practical but I usually just take my clothes in the shower with me to give them a good rinse and wash with whatever I have on hand. I’d wash my clothes like this maybe once or twice and then take them to a laundromat to give them a good wash after that.

3) Clothes hanger

This one is probably a personal choice and depends on how many clothes you’ll be washing at one time or how expensive it is to wash clothes where you’re staying. When travelling through Latin America I found that I was happy to pay the $2-$3 a week to wash, dry and fold a full load of clothes. Laundromats in the US and Canada were also reasonably priced. When I did want to save money, I would usually be washing clothes overnight and hanging them up on my bed or somewhere convenient. I only once saw anyone hanging clothes up on a line but again this could be appropriate for you.

Any surprises for you or is there anything that you would add? Let me know in the comments! 

This post includes affiliate links. When you make a purchase via these links, I receive a small percentage at no additional cost to you. Very small but very appreciated.

Wandering Wednesday

If you’re like 99% of the population then you probably have a day job and if you’re anything like me, by Wednesday you’re ready to chuck it all in and head for the hills. Forget the kids, who cares about the mortgage, let's move to the Caribbean!

Wandering Wednesday is my gift to you on this, the humpiest of all days, where you can take 20 minutes out of your day and read all the best travel stories the internet has to offer.

Best travel video

I’ve been following this guy for a while and he posts very regularly, a few times a week at least. This video features his encounter with bears in Whistler, Canada.

Around the web

33 Airline Posters From Flying’s Golden Age

A collection of different airline posters from a different era. Kind of bizarre.

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2015/08/28/travel/30-airline-posters-from-flyings-golden-age/s/28posters-slideshow-slide-HSQ2.html

See adorable Swedish towns in this day trip from Stockholm

Visit two very cute little towns in this one day trip from Stockholm

http://aglobewelltravelled.com/2016/08/09/sigtuna-uppsala-day-trip-from-stockholm/

The Best Travel Underwear for Light Packers

All you’ve ever wanted to know about travel undies! Never wanted to know anything about travel undies? That's ok! It's on the internet anyway.

http://www.cheapestdestinationsblog.com/2016/08/09/travel-underwear-reviews/

Fogo Island: The Day I Was Adopted By A Canadian Island

Get ready for some stunning photography and an interesting story about this small island off the northeast coast of Newfoundland.

http://landlopers.com/2016/08/09/fogo-island

Expecting the unexpected as a hostel volunteer

One of my favourite blogs focused on making your way around the world by working in each location. This post is on volunteering in a hostel.

http://www.the-working-traveller.com/expecting-the-unexpected-as-a-hostel-volunteer/

Tofu Traveler’s Top Post

This week the post on my stay in the party hostel, Naked Tiger, totally blew up. If you haven’t read it yet, check it out here: http://www.tofutraveler.com/blog/staying-in-a-party-hostel-and-sunday-funday

I cover what’s it’s like to stay in a party hostel and attend the biggest event on the Central American backpacker calendar - Sunday Funday.

Travel App of the Week - Duolingo 

https://www.duolingo.com/

This is a popular app amongst travelers to help with learning the basics of a new language. There's a fun game factor that helps keep you going back to the app and lessons are designed in bite sized chunks to help you manage your time around it. You learn by reading, listening and even speaking!

There are loads of languages available to learn as well as a variety of courses available for non-English speakers. I’d recommend starting off as soon as you’ve planned your trip and you can continue while you’re traveling as well, as most of the lessons are available offline.

Check out my list of my must have travel apps for traveling - http://www.tofutraveler.com/blog/must-download-travel-apps

Location of the week - Nicargaua

hiking in selva negra, nicaragua

I’ve been focusing a lot on Nicaragua on my blog this month as I really believe it’s the best budget option in Central America while still getting all the benefits of the great wildlife like sloths and monkeys as well as jungle, river, mountain, beach and urban experiences galore.

Check out this cool video from some fellow travelers on what you can expect on a trip to Nicaragua.

The Corn Islands, Nicaragua

Tobacco leaves drying for cigars

Hiking in Somoto Canyon, Nicaragua

Top Tip: Often it’s cheaper to fly into San Jose, Costa Rica and catch a bus or shuttle across the border. This method is popular enough that there are several private companies set up just to transport traveler between the two countries

Thats it for this week! Make sure to follow me on Facebook and Twitter where I share my favourites more regularly and for a monthly roundup, including exclusive content just for my newsletter subscribers, you can sign up here.

Enjoy the rest of the week everyone and please share with me in the comments anything that you’ve uncovered from the internet. I need some inspiration too!

Laguna De Apoyo - The Resort For Budget Travelers

While in Nicaragua I was desperate for a break from traveling for a few days. Long term traveling can take its toll if you try to pack too much in and at that stage I was feeling like I needed a holiday. I was indulging in some touristy pleasures in Granada when I learnt about a cool hostel that was supposedly like a resort for budget travelers at a small lake nearby. The dorms also had the best view of any dorm around the world! I booked myself onto the next shuttle.

You can go for the just the day or stay overnight. Once you arrive, there will be a staff member with a clip board to check you in. My group was separated into day trippers and over nighters and were led to the check in area. The hostel is very well run and I was checked in and shown to my bed within half an hour which is pretty great considering there was a lot of people waiting to check in.

I also noticed some travellers who had stayed the night and were hoping to book for longer! I did the same as soon as I saw the view and knew this was where I needed to be.

You’re given a token with an animal on it and this is what you use when ordering anything so they know what tab to put it on. The hostel is completely cash free until you check out! Which could be a good thing or a bad thing depending on how many $2 cocktails you clock up.

Rooms

Once I was taken down to the dorm I understood why it was so popular. I had heard that the view from the dorm was better than any other room and it was actually quite stunning. The dorm consisted of about 10 bunk beds and where the fourth wall should have been, there is just a large roller cage. This is great for keeping the room cool and also afforded spectacular views out to the lake. Dorms are just $10 a night! 

There are also private rooms that are still quite affordable if you’re not into dorm life and everyone has access to all the resort facilities. A single room with shared bath is only $15 and you can get a double room with private bathroom for $32 a night.

If you’re traveling with a group they even have quadruple rooms! Check out their rates page for more information. 

Day trips

The resort offers a day trip option which is great if you don’t have a lot of time but still want to experience lake life in Nicaragua. Day trippers can access all the facilities from 9 am to 5 pm at the cost of $7 per person. They also get free tea and coffee all day as well as access to restrooms and change rooms.

Eating and drinking

There are two spots where you can order and eat, upstairs near the check-in area has a great view of the lake and is more chilled out. A good spot for reading a book or getting lost in the view. The second and main area for eating is located right on the lake front. This is a more social spot where you can order your $2 mojito and take it right into the lake with you. No one’s judging here!

There’s a wood fire pizza oven and they do pizza nights a couple times a week. The pizza is actual some of the best I had while in Nicaragua so definitely give it a try while you’re visiting.

The menu is available to view online so check out all the awesome options. Meals range from typical Nicaraguan fare to more western treats, like my favourite the Blue Cheese and Walnut Linguine. Drool!

If you have any special dietary requirements you can confirm them with the staff before you arrive. Vegetarians and celiacs should be pretty comfortable here as I stayed 5 nights and didn’t feel like I was lacking variety.

Laguna de Apoyo

Apoyo Lake is a crater lake said to be the result of Volcano Apoyo imploding on itself over 20,000 years ago. It is 48 square kilometres and the deepest point has been measured at 200 metres. If you imagine the big cone that would have been left behind by the volcano you can get a good idea of the shape of the lake.

It gets deep very quickly but is naturally warm and filled with volcano mineraly goodness. Like many beaches in Central America, the lake has a black sand beach. This takes a little getting used to if you've never experienced it before.

Facilities

One of the best parts of Hostel Paradiso is their expansive grounds. It’s basically set into a slope (due to crater like shape described above) so there are lots of levels and lots of stairs. It’s worth taking 15 minutes to just explore the area to see what’s available. I mentioned to some friends that I was going to read my book on a hammock and they didn’t even know there was a hammock area! 

There’s loads of water sports and other games available to occupy your time if you ever get bored of just lounging. These include: kayaks, stand up paddleboards, beach volleyball, beach badminton, pool, ping-pong, or traditional French boules.

There’s a chill out cabana with hammocks, couches and bean bags with a tv and dvd player. Great for rainy days!

There is a floating dock on the lake that you can swim to or grab one of the tires and float there in your own time. My top tip is grab a book or your kindle, wrap it in plastic bad or even better a zip lock bag and take it out to the deck. There is really nothing better than floating along on the dock with a good book.

I also enjoyed some night swims out to the floating dock with my new friends. Hanging out, sharing stories and laughing by moonlight in Apoyo is one of my most treasured travel memories.

There is wifi available but mostly on the very top level and sometimes in the reception area. Be prepared to be a bit off the grid, though, as the signal can be weak and cut out a couple of times while I was there. They’ve advertised recently that they have since doubled their bandwidth so you may be surprised!

The staff are super helpful and friendly. If you have any issues they were always happy to help. Especially the restaurant staff. They created a fun environment for all the guests. 

I had a couple of friends who did the Spanish classes on offer and they really enjoyed it. The classes are in a cute little garden area on the property with lovely lake views so you still feel like you’re in paradise while doing your lessons

You can do single lessons or Paradiso offers a package deal if you want to stay for a few days and do lessons as well. 

The lake and area

The best part of this hostel is the lake. It would be very easy to spend days lounging in a beach chair or floating along in an inner tube. The big surprise for me was that this is THE warmest lakes I have ever been in. 

If you want to get out and explore the area there’s some great birdwatching and also monkey spotting. There are over 200 bird species that you can try to spot in Apoyo including 65 migratory species. Feel like getting out of bed early? Head out of the resort and to the right and you can certainly hear, if not see, the local howler monkeys.

There are also white-headed capuchins in the area, although, you would be very lucky to see those! On the Paradiso property I saw my first anteater in the wild so you should certainly keep your eyes open for all the wildlife that’s around.

There are several hikes to small towns in the area including Santa Catarina which has a flower and handicraft market and a stunning lookout where you can see the lake and Mombacho volcano.

Getting there and away

Paradiso has a shuttle that picks up traveler from different spots around Granada. It is $6 for a round trip and leaves around 10 am and 3pm every day, returning by 4 pm.

You can also catch a local bus heading to Masaya and ask to be let off at the entrance to Laguna de Apoyo. These buses leave from Granada every 10 minutes. The bus drops you at the entrance of the small town so you can either catch a taxi (100 cordobas aprox.) or walk for about an hour. Hitchhiking is also an option and you’ll see the locals doing it.

If there’s a couple of you, consider getting a taxi. You should be able to negotiate a fare for about $15 one way.

The important stuff

Paradiso Hostel

https://hostelparadiso.com

Email: paradisolaguna@hotmail.com

Phone: Mov: (505) 81874542 Claro: (505) 25203571

Skype: hostel.paradiso

Apoyo Tips

• Make sure to book in advance

• Bring enough cash with you for your whole stay

• Try the tipico for breakfast - so good!

• Meals range from $3.50 to $10

• There are smoothies on the menu and you can add a shot of rum for $1 >.<

• If you’re traveling during the off season (September and October) they have discounted rates for longer stays

• Try to get up for at least one sunrise, they're amazing over the lake

Have you ever found a budget resort like this in the world? I'd love to visit more! Let me know in the comments below.

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That Time When I Stayed In A Party Hostel And Went To Sunday Funday

I like to have a good time but I also love to be in bed by 10pm. Usually.

I had been hearing about Sunday Funday since Panama City and knew it was a pretty big deal. While staying at a backpacker resort in Laguna de Apoyo, Nicaragua, I met a lovely lady, Claire, who invited me to her 30th birthday party that was happening in San Juan Del Sur. It was to be on a Friday night, followed by a weekend of festivities with the big event on Sunday at Sunday Funday.

I happened to meet up with a couple that I had first met also at Laguna De Apoyo, Nate and Alex, and we started travelling around Nicaragua together  The week leading up to the birthday weekend we ended up in Isla Ometepe, a volcanic island in the middle of a large lake. We opted to stay in an eco-style hostel outside of town and after a few days of being at one with ourselves we decided to give Sunday Funday a try. How bad it could it possibly be?

My Alaskan besties, Nate and Alex

Traveling from Ometepe to San Juan Del Sur involves getting the ferry across to Rivas, catching a taxi to the main bus station and then a chicken bus to San Juan Del Sur. Once we got to Rivas we had already had a long morning and were more susceptible to the suggestions of the taxi driver to pay him to take us all the way to our hostel in San Juan. On arrival to the centre of town though, he said he wasn’t willing to take us all the way up to our hostel and would only drop us in town, unless we paid him more money of course. We thought it was just another ploy from an entrepreneurial cabbie but it turns out that our chosen hostel is actually located at the top of a pretty steep hill and the road up was all gravel.

I remembered that the hostel had a free shuttle from town so we wandered around trying to figure out where to meet it. Luckily we spotted some people we had met in Apoyo and then Ometepe who were also going to the party. This happens so much when you’re backpacking and is even more prominent in Central America as it’s such a small region and everyone is sharing the best places to go and the best hostels to stay in.

Pre drinks!

They were having some drinks in a little bar and were going to catch the next shuttle as well so we settled in for our first drinking session in San Juan Del Sur! Turns out the shuttle is a pickup truck so we climbed into the back and headed up the steep windy road to our new home for the weekend. The Sensible Susan in me thought this was not really the safest way to transport a bunch of tipsy backpackers but these are the sorts of situations you get to experience when you’re backpacking and sometimes I have to remind myself to just embrace the good times and appreciate it for what it is. Looking back, some of my best experiences on this trip have been in the back of a pickup truck, watching the world go past and interacting with locals on their way to and from work.

The birthday party

Arriving at the hostel was a bit of a shock. We were not in Nicargaua anymore, Toto. The party had well and truly begun and there was a lot of people already dressed in flouro and leopard leotards, including several brave men. Oh, I forgot to mention that this was an 80’s workout themed party! Very important information so you can understand my outfit below.

Our 80's workout outfits

We weren’t prepared enough to have fun 80’s outfits with us but Clare and her friends had thought ahead and raided a few op shops before getting to San Juan del Sur. Yes, there are op shops in Central America. After checking in to the hostel and receiving our complimentary welcome drink we rummaged through a pile of questionable outfits and eventually picked out some of the semi-ok options that were left.

The three of us quickly settled in to the dorm room and our beds, got dressed and then head downstairs to join in the fun. As Claire has spent the previous two weekends at the hostel just getting ready for her birthday party by way of drinking as much as possible, she was pretty much Naked Tiger family and the guys at Naked Tiger had pulled out all the stops for her. There was only 80’s music, lots of little surprises throughout the night and a huge birthday cake that they helped Clare’s best friend organise.

It was a super huge night and I quickly became comfortable with my residence in a party hostel. These people were just like me! Only drunker. And even though I was drinking more than I usually would, I felt very safe and in control at Naked Tiger. The staff were pretty much functional alcoholics, required as they were, to drink from the first thing in the morning and make sure the party was always on at the hostel.

The Naked Tiger Hostel

The hostel itself is amazing. It’s basically a huge mansion located at the top of a hill with amazing views and a huge pool area. It’s seriously one of the nicest places I’ve ever stayed in and it only cost $12.50 a night. The hostel has in-house food service so you can order breakfast, lunch and dinner there along with the always open bar. There are several places to hang out, including a large balcony upstairs, the pool deck and indoor seating areas.

As I was settling into bed on my first night in the partiest of all party hostel, I also got to experience what seemed to be a regular event at the hostel, a guest throwing up in bed. Not to get too graphic, I will say that this person was on the top bunk and luckily the person on the bottom bunk hadn’t made it to bed yet. Very lucky. I got one of the staff from downstairs who came up, grabbed the mattress and just put it outside on the deck. He said the cleaners would take care of it in the morning and that was it. Another day, another vomit covered mattress. Poor cleaners! The spewer was nice enough to tip the cleaners in the morning but I’m pretty sure he wasn’t their favourite person for the rest of the weekend.

Getting Iced

One activity that was rampant throughout the whole weekend was getting “Iced”. This basically involves one person, let’s call them the “Icer”, hiding a bottle of Smirnoff Ice in a spot that the Icee would stumble upon it. This could be under your pillow, in your backpack or in the shower. Once you’ve found the Smirnoff Ice, it’s up to the Icee to drink the whole drink in one go. Besides the fact that Smirnoff Ice’s are disgustingly sweet, your bottle may also have warmed up significantly by the time you discover it. Now imagine being hungover and discovering one of these bottles at nine in the morning after a big night of drinking. Truly awful.

Me after getting Smirnoff iced for the second time in one morning!

Detoxing on Saturday and exploring the town

The next day after a late breakfast in the hostel, Nate, Alex and I decided to head into town to check it out and get away from the alcoholic influences of the staff and threat of getting Iced. San Juan del Sur is a pretty small town and it’s as touristy as I’ve seen in Central America. There are burger joints galore and loads of expat-run clothing stores with short shorts, tiny two-pieces and a backpacker favourite – flip flops, or thongs as we call them in Australia.

That’s not a bad thing really, as I don’t think anyone is coming to San Juan for cultural experiences, unless that cultural experience is the ancient rite of getting smashed, taking loads of drugs and then stuffing your face with chilli cheese fries the next day. You know, like the ancient Mayans did.

San Juan is a great place to relax into the comforts that a thriving expat community bring to town. I even found an amazing gelato place that needs to be experienced. It's called Superfrutto and is next to Hotel Estrella.

The beaches aren’t great in town, they're fine but if you head a little bit outside of town you’ll find pretty, deserted beaches to relax in and some beaches with great conditions for surfing. Besides the beach, drinking and eating, there isn’t a lot more in terms of entertainment so make sure you bring a good book if you’re going to be hanging out for a while. Naked Tiger had a great movie lounge set up, with a projector and loads of DVDs, along with a variety of games, a book exchange and of course the beautiful pool area to just lay around in.

Getting ready for Sunday Funday

On the morning of Sunday Funday, the official reps of the event show up bearing wristbands, official shirts and glitter! Once you’ve paid for the event, you can choose your favourite shirt design and then head to the decoration station. This was one of my favourite parts of the day! What begins as a calculated effort to carefully design your Sunday Funday body art masterpiece ends up with everyone drawing crazy designs on everyone else and glitter going everywhere. You will definitely find specks of glitter weeks down the track, perhaps as you’re traveling in a small river boat on your way to a remote jungle village, and will think back fondly on a crazy weekend.

An artist I am not...

Heading to the first party

The first pool party is located in small resort closer to town. There will be pickup transportation from the other two hostels to get there at different intervals. Once there you will be greeted by a row of bouncers who will check your bags to make sure you aren’t trying to bring anything too crazy into the party and mostly to make sure you’re not smuggling in drinks. Be prepared for your first shot as you walk in!

This pool is located right on the beach so there’s a great view of the surf. It was at this pool party where one unfortunate guy dived into the pool and hit his head. You know how something happens at a party and the people who most want to help are usually the drunkest and least able to actually help? Well imagine dozens of people who see this incident and start to fuss over this poor guy. Utter chaos! Luckily the organisers are obviously used to this situation and were quick to respond. Getting the drunkeys out of the way and tending to the poor guy who kept insisting he was fine and ready to party on while having blood spurting into his eyes from his head wound and streaming down his face.

This pool party was the best for dancing. The DJ was awesome and there was a dedicated dance floor right next to the pool. I felt like I had already had a great time several hours in but there was still a lot of fun to be had and two more pool parties yet to go!

Second hostel

The second stop in the travelling pool party was Naked Tiger. It was a good opportunity for some chill out time in the dorms, as only hostel guests were allowed in the upstairs section and you could consider indulging in some of the free alcohol that you might have hidden up there to avoid spending too much on the expensive Sunday Funday drinks. They also plan this as the second hostel so you can view the amazing sunset from the highest point in town. This was my favourite spot and definitely had the best atmosphere as I felt by then most people had reached that sweet spot of buzzed but not too drunk.

By this stage everyone had caught up and there was a lot of people to talk to. Even a socially awkward anti-socialite person like me managed to find some very fun and interesting people to talk to. I learnt that a lot of people travel to San Juan del Sur and Nicaragua just for Sunday Funday. There were a lot of people outside of the traditional hostel crowd you would usually get to meet. When going through my phone the next day I had a lot of Facebook friends that I couldn’t remember meeting and Whatsapp numbers that were just entered as: “N” or “blonde guy”.

Sunday Funday Shenanigans

Third stop

At this point it was getting quite late so some of us were considering just staying at Naked Tiger instead of heading to the last hostel, which is back in the centre of town. We eventually decided that we had to see it through and ended up at the last point – Pacha Mama Hostel. This hostel had more of a plunge pool rather than the bigger pools we had during the day but at this stage no one was really into swimming. There was more dancing and a lot more debauchery as the stayers were in the mood to party all night long.

After a couple of hours I decided to head back to the hostel with the next pick-up as they were less regular the later it got. On the way I met some fun people who were staying at the hostel behind us, Casa De Olas. This was also supposed to be a really cool place to stay and they have some little rooms located at the back of the property that’s worth checking out. I ended up hanging out with some guys at their little cabin and chatting until the early morning while swinging in thier hammock. Oh, how I love hammocks.

When I made it back to the Naked Tiger there were still a lot of people up and hanging out but the party was definitely more toned down. I got to bed by about 3 am and considered myself lucky. I met some people the next morning who had been out the whole night and even met the poor guy who had hit his head at the first party. He was not a happy chappy and didn’t enjoy everyone asking him about his accident. Poor guy. There were also a few people passed out in some unfortunate places and unfortunate positions.

So much glitter!

The morning after

I was ready to just escape and head back to Granada the next day but for those who are keen to stay and sleep it off, Naked Tiger offers a special deal for your fourth night free. Just consider how much you will actually save as you will have to have all your meals at the hostel unless you take the free shuttle into town of course. This might not even be an option though for anyone nursing a hangover.

I said a quick goodbye to my travel friends who had been with me for three weeks by that stage and Alex gave me a present and a big hug which almost made me cry. I jumped into the back of the shuttle, backpack and all, and tried to forget about some of the stupid things I had said and done that weekend. As I drove down that steep rough gravel driveway for the last time I thought about how party hostels aren’t all bad and how alcohol can actual help stimulate conversations for an introverted person like me.

That weekend is still one of my most treasured travel memories. Naked Tiger is actually a very lush hostel and if it wasn’t for the fear of constantly getting Iced I would have enjoyed a longer stay there.

Should you go to Sunday Funday?

I do not go looking for a party. Usually I like nice quiet chats in a cool bar somewhere with a small group of people. Sunday Funday was never on my "must do list" for Central America and it certainly isn't for everyone. When I ask myself if I  would do it again, though, my answer is always yes! I had a great time at Naked Tiger and Sunday Funday and even though it can be viewed as hedonistic and a huge spend in an otherwise cheap country, it's also one of the craziest times I've ever had. 

I danced, I chatted, I drank, I did other things that I won't mention and I had an amazing day. I would recommend you at least give it a try and if you hate it, then you've only lost $15. Chances are you'll love the experience and look back on it as one of the craziest pool parties you've ever been to.

Sunday Funday Tips

• Sunday Funday is on every Sunday!
• If you stay at the Naked Tiger or Pacha Mama hostels you get half price entry
• The event staff come to the Naked Tiger hostel the morning of the event at about 9:30 to organise payment and hand out wrist bands and shirts which saves you from having to go into town
• The event officially starts at 2 pm
• No need to bring a bag and definitely best to leave any valuables at your hostel. Just bring as much cash as you think you’ll need for drinks
• Definitely don’t bring your phone, unless it’s waterproof. There were a few people who were thrown into the pool!
• There's a BBQ at the second stop, Naked Tiger, with veggie options. Don't forget to eat!
• Although it’s a pool party, I wouldn’t actually recommend swimming in any of the pools. They get pretty gross...
• Have fun and don't think about it too much. It's a party!

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6 Tips to Choose a Hotel for Your Next Solo Business Trip

Travelling is often a great experience especially for people who don’t like to stay still. However, not everything on our trip is always under our control, there are many factors which affect the overall quality of our trip. One factor which can greatly affect our overall well-being and satisfaction during our solo business trip is our choice of the hotel.

The important thing is that this factor of hotel choice is usually in our control and the major factor which affects this decision is usually the cost. We have a list of tips to help you make the right choice when you stay in a hotel on your next solo business trip.

Location

As opposed to leisure trips, business trips are characterised by some special purpose. The purpose could be to meet a client or to finalise the details of a new business partnership with a foreign business partner. No matter what the final details are, any meeting with a foreign partner or client would require a suitable location. The location is not just important from the meeting’s point of view; a good location can actually help mitigate some travel costs too. Often people go for a cheaper hotel in a foreign location and they realise that it’s too away from the airport and the city centre and they’re going to spend large amounts as taxi fare.

Research

Many hotels spend a large amount of money to make attractive websites which present them in the best way possible and many of us fall prey to this trap of effective marketing. We should be thankful for the internet as it has opened up a wide range of options for us to conduct a thorough research before we part ways with our hard-earned money. There are a number of websites which list hotels from different parts of the world and are ranked by the feedback they receive from the general public. These reviews on travel websites can save you a lot of time and effort when you’re deciding a hotel to stay at on your next business trip.

Service

The quality of service matters a lot when you’re traveling to a new country. You won’t be able to get anything done if the staff at the reception doesn’t speak your language or you would be left hopeless if there is no staff at the reception if you’re coming close to midnight. It’s important to check the internet to see that the staff is present and attentive to your needs. Also, the other services such as laundry etc. need to be timely and up to the par.

Business Facilities

Your entire reason for traveling is a business so it stands to reason that the hotel should provide some of the basic business facilities to ensure that your work doesn’t stay in a limbo all because you didn’t have access to the internet or a printer. Before you confirm your reservation, check that the hotel provides free unlimited access to the internet – it is important that the internet is unlimited otherwise you’ll be large amounts of money for sending or receiving those large attachments. This would also be the time to ask about other business facilities like fax and scanners etc.

Food

Not all countries place too much emphasis on the hygiene of the staff which prepares food so you need to be extra careful in this regard. It is also heartening to know that quality meal can be ordered at a decent price once you’re done with the work for the day. You should also look for hotels where meals are covered in the price of the stay. It is also a good thing if you can get room service for the same price after all it would be nice to have your dinner in peace once you’ve completed your work for the day and are completely tired now.

Leisure

Traveling alone can be tiresome, combine that with the work you’re required to do on our trip and you have a recipe for burnout on your hands. It is often a great thing to be able to relax in a pool at the end of a tiring day or hit the gym to recharge yourself if the gym is the place that makes you reenergised. Check for the leisure options when confirming your stay at the hotel.

This guest post is written by Frank Lee and you can follow him on Twitter at @franklee84.

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What Is It Like Staying In A Hostel?

I am a solo female traveler. That’s how I identify myself when I travel and it speaks to both how I like to travel and also what my limitations are. I’m not independently wealthy, nor do I have the inclination to wait for friends or family to find the time to travel with me so that means that I travel alone and I also try to travel as economically as I can. Check out my article here on how to survive as a solo traveler.

A consequence to my circumstance is that I spend a lot of time staying in hostels.  After over 10 years of hostel life I feel overly qualified to help new travellers who are hesitant about staying in a hostel for the first time. Read on for a guide on what you can expect from a stay in a hostel.

How's this for $12 a night? Zephyr Lodge - Lanquin, Guatemala

What is NOT a hostel?

Sometimes when I speak to someone from an older generation and mention that I’ve been staying in a hostel they get a look of horror on their faces. Recently when visiting family in Toronto, my uncle described the only hostel he knew that was located in a shady part of the city. It was frequented by drug addicts and was often raided by the police. It was known to have a queer smell and respectable people generally stayed away.

Words I would use to describe these types of lodgings include halfway house, flophouse or lodging house. These types of accommodations cater more for transients, people on the fringes of society and more commonly addicts and people with mental disabilities. Modern hostels are not like this.

Cooking dinner in the hostel kitchen. Pagalu Hostel - Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica

What is a hostel like?

Choosing your right kind of hostel is very important as there really is something for everyone out there. You might not want to stay in an eco-hostel because of the smell from the compost and the marijuana smoking residents but someone else might treasure the opportunity to make a difference to the environment and jamming into the night with a band of makeshift instruments.

A party hostel, on the other hand, is filled with booze-crazed 20-somethings and can be a good time until you’re woken up by the guy across the room throwing up on the bunk below him - true story!

Generally speaking, here’s the experience you can expect from a decent hostel:

You walk in and are greeted by someone at reception. Often this is another traveller like you who has opted to stay a while in the city and is working a few hours a day in exchange for a free bed and maybe some meals. They’ll check you in and probably ask for your passport as identification. They will offer you a map of the city and explain how the hostel works, point out the facilities and show you to your room and your bed.

I usually take this time to either introduce myself to anyone hanging out in the dorm or head to the common area to meet people and feel out the vibe. It’s better to do this sooner so that you know what’s on the cards for that evening and what everyone has planned for the next day. This way you don’t miss out on anything! 

A hostel might offer breakfast and this may as simple as toast, butter and jam with tea or coffee or as elaborate as a fully cooked breakfast with fruit, cereals and fresh juice. Some hostels offer a make-your-own pancake breakfast which is a happy medium. They provide the batter and syrup and you cook it yourself. Generally you will have to do all your dishes yourself in any scenario.

The "smoker's lounge" in my river hostel. Hotelito Perdido - Rio Dulce, Guatemala

Most hostels will have some sort of kitchen access and it can be a fun activity trying to find a knife capable of actually cutting. Even if you don’t plan on cooking, a kitchen is great to store and reheat leftovers the next day. There will usually be a pen or marker to label your food so it’s not thrown out. The hostel kitchen is also a good place to meet new people. Offer to share your meal with a hungry looking backpacker who’s got a sad looking bowl of cereal for dinner and you will have made a friend for life!

There should be some sort of common area and often there are multiple including a living room; tv room; courtyard; balcony; roof top; or terrace space. A good hostel has many places to just hang out and relax, perfect for those days when you are exhausted from a 20 hour bus trip or you’ve had enough of sightseeing.

A good hostel will have at least one activity organised during the week. This could be a walking tour, a pub crawl, a bbq or a trivia night. This will be another great opportunity to meet people!

Lastly, a hostel usually has all the regular amenities that you would expect from a good hotel or guesthouse, including wifi, computer access, book exchange and all the tourist information you can handle.

There are eco-hostels, party hostels, luxury hostels, youth-only hostels, all-inclusive hostels, meditation hostels, capsule hostels and the list really goes on and on. Once you decide what type of hostel you prefer that will dictate the type of people you’re likely to be surrounded with.

Check out my guide to booking travel to make sure you pick the best hostel in each location. 

The Group Dinner menu at Bubba's House in Boca Del Toro

What are the people like?

One of the benefits of a hostel is that you can meet people from all different walks of life who will have at least one thing in common with you; they love to travel! I’ve met people who are well off in their careers and could easily afford a nice hotel but choose to stay in a hostel because of the unique opportunity to meet new people.

There will be a mix of solo travellers, couples and groups of friends. You’ll meet people who are travelling for years, months or just a couple of weeks. I’ve stayed in dorms with people as young as 17 and one gentleman who was 75 and everyone in between. I'm almost 30 but have been staying in hostels since I was 18. There are lots of 20 years olds but also a fair number of people in their early 30's.

There will always be the night owl, who is incapable of going to bed before 3 in the morning, the early bird (usually me!) who quietly creeps out of bed at 6 am, the open-mouthed snorer and the guy with the smelliest pile of clothes you ever thought possible.

Some people you won’t click with and sometimes you get the opportunity to meet a new friend. I am lucky enough to have several people that I have met while staying in hostels that I consider to be some of my closest friends. At the very least you might meet someone who offers you a couch for some future destination.

Hostel in the middle of the jungle with infinity pool and sundeck. Zephyr Lodge - Lanquin, Guatemala

What are the rooms like?

In a hostel you often find dormitories and private rooms. In each option you might have an ensuite or separate shared bathrooms. Costs are dictated by the level of privacy involved, for example, a private room for 2 people with a private ensuite would be more expensive than an 8-bed dormitory with a separate shared bathroom located down the hall.

In a dormitory you will commonly find bunk beds of varying quality. Sometimes it will be the stock standard bunk bed that you can find in the shops and sometimes you will find some custom made bunks. These days I’ve started to expect the latter from my hostels, as a cheap bunk bed that squeaks and sways when someone gets in doesn’t cut it anymore. Some hostels will do only separate beds but that’s a rarity.

Sometimes they expect you to make your own bed and hand in the sheets when you leave. You should always be provided with sheets and blankets if you need them. You will often be offered a towel either for free, a deposit or a small fee.

Better hostels will often have some extras built into the bunk including a lamp for reading at night, your own power outlet, a bedside locker, small shelf or cubby and the ultimate indulgence - a privacy curtain! 

Dorms can have anywhere from 4 beds to 12 beds and above. I’ve stayed in a 20 bed dorm and heard stories of whole floors of bunk beds! They will often be priced based on how many beds are in a room. For female travellers traveling on their own, there are often female only dorms available to give you a greater sense of privacy and you get to avoid the smelly boys at night.

Most importantly, is the epic struggle for the bottom bunk. Bring it up when you first check in and if there isn’t one available make sure to find out when you can switch!

A hostel with a sloth nest?! Bambuda Lodge - Isla Solarte, Bocas Del Toro, Panama

What about the facilities?

You should either have a locker in your room or somewhere in the hostel to keep your electronics, cash, cards, passport and whatever else you want to keep safe. Most of the time you will need your own lock so make sure to bring a couple with you but often the hostel will rent or sell locks.

If the bathroom isn’t attached to the room, then you can expect a separate male and female shower area. As I mentioned, towels are not provided and the it’s likely that shower soap won’t be either.

Often the hostel will have some sort of honesty system for snacks and beer. This is basically a fridge where you can take a drink when you need one and write your name down on a tab and pay for everything when you check out. Some hostels also have a bar or cafe within or attached.

Luxury dorms and hostels

There are more luxury and up-market hostels popping up for those who still want the hostel environment but enjoy the finer things in life. I’ve stayed in some hostels that offer a separate wing, floor or area for VIP-style accommodation where you have access to faster wifi, fancy bathrooms, a separate common area and nicer dorms and private rooms. You can still mingle with the common folk but can retire to your nicer digs at night and when you want a break.

Check out this great post for some of best hostels in Australia.

This hostel had it's own deck for boat access. Bubba's House - Bocas Del Toro, Panama

Hostel Pros and Cons

Cons

• Potential to share with smelly/noisy/snorey people
• May have to wait for a toilet or shower
• Certain etiquette to be followed e.g. lights out at a reasonable time, no chatting in the room too late etc.

Pros

• Drastically reduced accommodation costs
• Breakfast often included
• Increased opportunity for meeting people
• Access to a kitchen
• Access to common areas
• Bar or café located on the grounds or connected

Are hostels for everybody?

Hostels are not for everyone. Sometimes even the private rooms can be below expectations and sleeping in a dorm with a group of strangers can certainly take some getting used to. That said, if you can get past the dramatic loss of privacy, staying in a hostel is a great option for those looking to stretch their money out and has the extra benefit of being the perfect place for solo travellers looking for temporary travel buddies.

A nap with a view! The hostel pet getting in the picture.

Have you got any advice for first timers staying in a hostel or have any extra questions? Let me know in the comments below!

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Top Things To Do In Oaxaca City, Mexico

Oaxaca (pronounced wah - ha - ka) is located about 500 km from Mexico City and 250 km from the beaches on the Oaxaca State coastline, like Puerto Escondido and Mazunte. I recently spent two months there taking a break from travelling and volunteering with a local organisation.

I chose Oaxaca City, the capital of the state and largest of Oaxaca cities, as it is the perfect combination of Mexican culture and modern amenities. Oaxaca is known as the culinary capital of Mexico and also the home of mezcal. During my time there I met a lot of lovely people who made my experience all the richer and I found a ton of fun things to do in Oaxaca.

Check out this list for some inspiration when spending some time in Oaxaca and while you’re there don’t forget to take some time to soak in the rich history and culture all around you. Sometimes the best activity is just exploring a new city by foot and Oaxaca is perfect for that.

Take the opportunity to chat to the people you see around you because I always found most people loved to share a lazy afternoon sharing time with a new friend. Oaxaca City is definitely worth a visit and is one of my favourite places to visit in Oaxaca State.

The petrified waterfalls at Hierve de Agua

1) Hierve el Agua

This is a must visit and you will see this site on most tours based in Oaxaca. Ask anyone in town what to do in Oaxaca and Hierve el Agua will be the first thing they list. Hierve el Agua is often referred to as a petrified waterfall as the site consists of two waterfall-like formations that have been formed over many years with a process similar to that of stalactites in caves. There are also several “mineral-rich” pools that you can bathe in, one that goes all the way to the edge of the cliff forming a natural infinity pool.

If going on your own I would suggest heading there as early as possible so that you can take advantage of the various hiking trails and also don’t forget to head to the further waterfall so you can view the big one from afar! It’s far too warm to do this trip in the middle of the day. Also, don’t forget a hat and sunscreen as there is not a lot of shade.

There are several small food and goods stalls located at he entrance to the site including loads of fresh, chopped fruit, tamales and cocktails, of course. I had one of the best tamales of my trip at the stall nearest the entrance of the site so look out for that one if you’re hungry!

The natural mineral pools at Hierve el Agua

2) Oaxaca Stamp Museum (Museo de Filatelia de Oaxaca) 

http://www.mufi.org.mx/en/home1.php

A stamp museum might sound like one of the most boring place in the world (unless you’re really into stamps!) but this museum is actually a treasure trove of historical information on Oaxaca State and Mexico in general. There’s also a beautiful courtyard where you can relax and ignore the bustle of the city for an hour or two.

If you’re a big Frida Kahlo fan check out the section with many of her own correspondences. If you’re travelling with kids, there are also some cool interactive exhibits. There’s also no entry fee. Bonus! Okay, I have to admit I do sound a bit excited. Maybe I should start stamp collecting?

Checking out the Frida section!

Our little joke in the guestbook for any Anchorman fans out there ;)

3) Pochote Market

Oaxaca has it fair share of grand markets. I have fond memories of visiting my local market to pick up my groceries for the day and sometimes a fresh fruit juice to treat myself.  The city centre also has a huge market that I loved to weave through to get my fix of nieve - the Oaxacan version of ice cream, and some of the famous Oaxaca cheese.

If you want a slice of expat life in Oaxaca though, you should check out the Pochote Market. Held every Friday and Saturday in the garden and courtyard of the Iglesia Xochimilco. The Pochote Market has a wide range of produce available. You can find some traditional Oaxacan and Mexican cuisine with an international twist, as well as organic produce including eggs, coffee, and fresh fruit and vegetables.

Best of all, if you want to try a traditional Mexican dish but are a vegan or vegetarian then this is a great place to sample meat heavy foods replaced with tofu or other plant based foods. Tofu, Mexico style ;)

Sometimes there is live music which just adds to the lovely feeling of snacking under the trees within the shade of the local church with the sounds of church bells ringing in the background. An excellent way to start your morning!

4) Arbol del Tule

Ever seen the tallest tree in the world? What about the oldest tree? You might think that the widest tree in the world wouldn’t be as impressive and that’s what I thought before visiting. How wide could it be??

Well Arbol del Tule is actually pretty wide, with a circumference of 42 metres, it is certainly wide enough to be impressive anyway and it is a beautiful tree. It's so wide I couldn't actually fit it in a photo! Scientist believe the tree to be between 1,433 and 1,600 years old. You don’t have to be a nature buff to really appreciate the grandeur of the tree! I would suggest visiting even for a short while and exploring the cute little town that it’s located in. 

There’s also a well maintained topiary garden where I had fun trying to guess exactly what the different animals were. They're not exactly the most accurate representations!

An emu?

5) Check out the artist workshops and graffiti around town

Oaxaca is filled with amazing art both inside and outside. I would strongly recommend spending a few hours walking around the city, stopping into different workshops and galleries and keeping an eye out for any graffiti.

I suggest starting at Porfrio Diaz and Independencia and heading north, also a good route if you’re heading to Pochote Markets.

6) Monte Alban

Breathtaking Monte Alban will give you panoramic views of the valley and over a couple of hours you can experience its vast complex of pyramids, tombs, temples and ancient plazas. It is 400 m above the floor of Oaxaca valley so you can see amazing views from all around.

One of the more fascinating aspects of Monte Alban is the significant number of carved stone monuments. Called "Los Danzantes" (literally The Dancers), they depict naked men in contorted poses. They represent tortured and sacrificed war prisoners. Over 300 have been found to date and you can see them both on site and in the museum.

We found a small patch of shade!

7) Interesting festivals in surrounding villages

While I was in Oaxaca I got invited to a lot of different festivals both in Oaxaca and in the nearby villages. I would suggest visiting one if you get a chance while you’re visiting. You will really get a taste for the huge cross section of cultures that exist just in this one part of Mexico.

Check out my article here on some of my favourite festival memories. I also had a pretty sobering experience during the Semana Santa activities and if you’re lucky enough to be in Mexico or Central America at this time you will really get to witness something special.

8) Visit a mezcaleria or a mezcal factory

I am not the biggest fan of mezcal. I tried and tried but could never make myself like it or even stomach it sometimes. I can drink tequila by the litre (not literally) but when it comes to mezcal, there’s something about its smokey undertones that make me gag.

Instead of your traditional lime and salt that you would have with tequila, Mezcal is served with orange slices and sal de gusano or worm salt. This is exactly what it sounds like, a mixture of sea salt, toasted and ground agave worms and a touch of chile. You can also find several varieties of mezcal including flavoured and aged.

What to do in Oaxaca State? Drink mezcal of course!

9) Laze about in the Zocalo

In most Mexican cities, the zocalo is the place to be at any time of the day. It’s basically the square or park that marks the centre of town. It’s a meeting place, where parades start and end, a place to protest and be heard and a place to just while away the day people watching.

In Oaxaca there always seems to be something on at the Zocalo. Whenever I had nothing on I would head down to the Zocalo to check out the action. A bonus for me was that some of the kids I worked with would hang out there when not in school or at the centre because their mum worked there so I would always have a playmate if I wanted too as well. It’s very interesting hanging out in the zocalo and seeing everything from a 10 year old’s perspective.

Resources

Que Pasa Oaxaca

There always seems to be something happening in Oaxaca so make sure you stay on top of all the events and activities by checking out the QuePasa Oaxaca website, the best of the Oaxaca blogs. You’ll find loads of information in English about the going ons of this very cultural city and its surrounds.

Oaxaqueños love to party and there seems to be a festival on every single day. I would often head out on a Saturday to go to the markets and would find myself surrounded by a parade or tents for a food festival.

Oaxaca Lending Library

In town for a little while? You should definitely check out the library. They have a huge selection of English language books, newspapers and magazines. You can hire and even some great deals if you want to buy a book. They also have a regular language exchange every Saturday where you can spend a couple of hours with a small group having conversations in Spanish and then English. 

They are also a great place to visit if you just want some advice about the town. There’s a message board with a variety of different posts so it’s worth a stop by just to check out what’s happening in town. There are loads of little quiet nooks to sit in as well as free wifi and a rooftop seating area!

Top Tip: There are several tour companies that offer a variety of the above activities bundled into a one day excursion. Usually something like Arbol del Tulle, a mescal factory and Hierve el Agua. Take it from someone who did all these things individually and just go with the organised excursion.

You might not have as much time as you want at places like Hierve el Agua but the costs really aren’t much more than what you would pay yourself and you don’t have to wait in the hot sun for local pickup trucks to show up.

That's it for the best places to visit in Oaxaca. If you're planning a trip consider these Oaxaca hotels and if you're already there check out my love letter to Mazunte and consider including it into your itinerary. If you can't visit for a while at least now you know how Oaxaca is pronounced and how fun it is to say!

Where to stay in Oaxaca City

Quinta Real Oaxaca

My luxury pick for your stay in Oaxaca, Quinta Real, is located in a historic convent. It is in a great location, just one block from the Santo Domingo Cultural Centre and the walkway that houses most of the galleries, museums and handicraft stores. This full service hotel has everything you would expect in a four star hotel, like a gym, pool, and concierge with the unique colonial touches that are special to the region.

Read the latest reviews on Trip Advisor

Check out the best prices: Hotels.com | Expedia | Booking.com

Hotel La Casona De Tita

This small six-room hotel receives near perfect reviews on Trip Advisor and is widely reviewed as one of the best places to stay in Oaxaca. If you can grab a room here then don't hesitate! Each room is unique and all are exquisitely decorated with antique and contemporary furniture, and Oaxacan textiles.

Read the latest reviews on Trip Advisor

Check out the best prices: Booking.com

Casa Angel Youth Hostel

For the best budget option you should definitely check out Casa Angel. I practically lived here for a couple of weeks until I found a more permanent place to live and was sad to leave. The two best things about Casa Angel are their Deluxe Rooms and their cooked breakfasts. You can fill up on a huge breakfast in the morning while you chat to other travellers about your plans for the day and at night sleep in one of the most comfortable dorms I have ever tried. There's also a rooftop terrace with BBQ facilities, garden and weekly events.

Read the latest reviews on Trip Advisor

Check out the best prices: Hostelz.com

What else is there to do in Oaxaca State?

There are loads of places to visit and things to do in Oaxaca State besides Oaxaca City. When I was researching stuff to do in Oaxaca I learnt about the Magic Mushroom Capital of Mexico, San Jose del Pacifico.

Alternative travellers flock to this beautiful, tiny, mountain town with one main street of about 300 metres where you can indulge in mushrooms and temazcal. If you're looking for a holistic, one with nature type experience, the this is the place to go.

One of the most relaxing places to visit in Oaxaca State is Mazunte on the Pacific Coast. Mazunte is my favourite beach destination in Mexico and if you want to do nothing but swim, eat and hammock the day away then this is for you.

If you're into surfing or want to learn, then Puerto Escondido is an excellent place to practice. If you're heading here from Oaxaca city then definitely take an official bus instead of the minivans. The twisty route taken by the smaller vehicles can make turn the strongest of stomachs.

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Tell me your favourites!

These are some of my favourite activities and locations in Oaxaca. Please share if there’s anything I didn’t mention that you would include. What were your favourite experiences in Oaxaca?

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Festival Life In Oaxaca, Mexico

I recently spent two months living in the colonial city of Oaxaca (pronounced wa-hah-kah), volunteering with a small volunteer group that helped tutor disadvantaged kids who had been given scholarships. I usually worked in the middle of the day for about four hours and then had the rest of the time to explore.

There’s a lot to see and do in Oaxaca but my favourite part of the city was its lively cultural calendar. There was always something on and Oaxaceños loved any excuse to party. During my time there I was lucky enough to be invited to the party of a Quinceañera in the smallest village I have ever visited. There were literally chickens and cows roaming the streets! I went to many a food festival where I got to try so many delicacies from the well-known “culinary capital” of Mexico. I also got to experience a Semana Santa parade which was literally sobering (more on that another time).

One Saturday I got a message from a friend letting me know that there was a water festival on. "World’s Dullest Festival,” I replied. She convinced me to meet her there and it turned out to be a huge festival with local dances, parades and stalls all to honour “agua”. Agua means water in Spanish but in Mexico it often refers to a flavoured water refreshment, full name Agua Fresca or Fresh Water, that mixes fruits, grains and other flavours with water. It’s a drink you are often served in local eateries and also sold on the streets.

The festival encouraged local business owners all around the city to give away free “agua” to passersby and there were also a variety of the more popular flavours available to try at the festival. It was a great opportunity for me to try some of the more “interesting” flavours that I wouldn’t usually want to buy due to their strange consistency and colours!

Some of the flavours of aqua that you might find in Oaxaca include tamarind, hibiscus and agua de horchata, my personal favourite which is made with rice, vanilla and cinnamon.

Moral of the story is - if you see a festival happening while you are in Oaxaca, you should definitely take some time to check it out. You never know what you will learn and what you will get to try.

The Quinceañera is the celebration of a girl’s fifteenth birthday in many parts of Latin America and it marks the transition from childhood to young womanhood. The party I was invited to was for the daughter of my good friend’s Spanish teacher. As there was not going to be anyone who was likely to speak English there she was allowed to bring a plus one.

We were super excited to attend the party as neither of us had been to a Quinceañera before and the opportunity to visit a new village was a big positive as well. The morning of the party we were stressing about what to buy as a present and kept being advised that a bottle of mezcal was definitely the right choice. So with a present appropriate for a fifteen-year old (apparently) we hopped into collectivo and off we went.

Party Time!

Side note about public transport in Oaxaca: The most common way to get around is by collectivo which is essentially a maroon and white coloured taxi which will have a placard on the dash stating location. The collectivo has a regular route and you just need to know where you’re headed too and let the driver know where you want to get off along the way. It’s called a collectivo because you’re essentially sharing the ride with anyone else who flags the driver along the route.

The most interesting part is that the driver will try to squeeze in as many people as possible and this means that you could get as many as two people in the front seat with the driver and four in the back seat. My top tip is to always choose the back seat when you jump in. You definitely don’t want to be in that awkward spot with the gear stick being jammed into your calf over and over again!

Once we were well on our way and everyone else had gotten on and gotten off, we started to have a chat with the driver and learnt that he lived in this small village and knew the party girl! We probably should not have been as shocked once we saw the size of the town. He drove us right to her door and told us how regularly the collectivos left for when we were ready to leave.

The party was well under way by the time we got there as I had mastered the art of “Latin American time” and we were introduced to the birthday girl. She was dressed in the most beautiful and elaborate dress and, compared to the rest of us, looked like a princess. I felt seriously underdressed but apparently it’s tradition for the Quinceañera to wear the big faux-wedding dress so no one really felt out of place.

So many cakes for one girl!

After a touching speech from her obviously proud parents, there was cake cutting and then we feasted! There was so much to eat and everything looked amazing. There was lots of grilling going on and also I got to try lots of things I would not usually.

The afternoon was pretty spectacular, spending time getting to know her friends, family and neighbours as we all ate and listened to music but the best part was towards the end when she gathered al her friends together to open presents. This day has turned into one of my most memorable times in Mexico because of this beautiful girl and her little sister. Sometimes watching a child open presents can be a depressing thing for me. Seeing their bored reaction after opening pricey toy and after pricey toy which are then all shoved in a corner to be forgotten about.

The birthday girl spent so much time savouring every moment opening every present and even turned it into a little game by having the guests try to guess what the present could be. She even let her little sister open some as she was desperate to join in on the fun. She also loved book presents the most and her eyes would glisten over in excitement every time she thought she was about unwrap a book.

After opening the presents we started to play some party games and all the kids begged us to join in. They were super sweet and even got into charades with my friend who’s Spanish was non-existent. It was truly special to spend time hanging out with fifteen year olds who actually acted like fifteen year olds.

When we left they treated us like family and all saw us out and made sure we got into the collectivo. I am so grateful that I was lucky enough to peer into the life of a fifteen-year old in one of the smallest towns in Oaxaca. I love travel because I am gifted with these experiences! Have you ever been to a Quinceañera and was it a smaller event like mine or one of the large elaborate types? 

Read more about Mexico and Central America!

How to Find The Best Travel Deals For Your Next Vacation

Sometimes a holiday can be a carefully planned affair and sometimes if you let it, you can have a Spontaneous Travel Experience. Luckily for everyone, there is a travel deal out there no matter your preference!

As someone who usually has more time than money I often place a huge emphasis on finding the best deal that I can to make sure my dollar goes further. This can mean 10+ hour flights on super budget airlines, sleeping in hostel dorm rooms and often opting for the 3 stopovers over the direct flight. This kind of travel is definitely not for everyone! Sometimes when I travel with friends or family, I've found I can relax my frugal ways a bit and indulge in hotels, direct flights and full-service airlines but still find a great deal to help me save.

I’ve compiled below a full list of all the travel deal resources that I refer to no matter what type of trip I’m planning and there are a couple of luxury options in there as well! This list is part of The Ultimate Guide to Booking Affordable Travel On Your Own series and you should definitely couple these sites with my list of Top Travel Websites and Top Travel Apps to help when booking your next holiday.

Error Fares

First things first is an explanation on one of the most exciting things to happen in travel in recent years - the ability to widely share a magical fare called an Error Fare. What is an error fare exactly? Well, an error fare (aka mistake fare or glitch fare) is basically a pricing error that has occurred when issuing the ticket. It’s interesting to note that the error in pricing usually comes down to human error. Simply missing a zero on the end of a number can cause a pricey business class fare to cost as little as an economy one.

This is a great article from Secret Flying on What Causes An Error Fare for those that want to get into the details of how it works.

There are three golden rules when it comes to booking an error fare:

1. Book it as soon as possible!
2. Do NOT book anything else
3. Do NOT contact the airline

An error fare can get shut down as quickly as an hour after being made public. Once the airline figures out that there is an unusually large amount of interest in their Washington to London flight in December and hang on, why is it being bought for only $200 RT??? They put a stop to our fun pretty quickly! Do not think about it too hard. If it kind of works then just book it.

Even though it’s not likely, some airlines have been known to not honour their error fares and will cancel your ticket. Don't worry, they'll always refund you your money. It is just very important that you do not book any accommodation or other flights until your ticket is issued.

Even more important: Do not contact the airline! You will ruin it for everyone else who is yet to book this juicy deal. In the past people have been known to call the airline to check if the deal was for real or to find out when tickets would be issued and this is the quickest way to make sure the deal is discovered.

Deal Aggregators

For those who are happy to let the deal come to them and plan their holidays around whatever flights tickle their fancy. You can get notified of specials through your favourite medium: Twitter, Facebook, emails and even set up app notifications for the truly obsessed. The best thing is that all of these services are completely free and you as the saying goes, it doesn’t cost anything to just take a look!

I've split my recommendations into three levels to make it easier for you to choose how involved you would like to be and how high your comfort level is booking your deals online.

Level 1 - The deals nicely packaged for you

These are usually my recommendation for people just starting out who might be used to booking holidays through travel agents or like packaged deals. 

Travelzoo

http://www.travelzoo.com/

Travelzoo was my first dip into the travel aggregator world. They are best known for their weekly "Top 20" compilation of travel deals which include flights, hotels and package deals. Sitting in my office dreaming about the places I wanted to go, I would drop everything when their Top 20 email came into my mailbox every Wednesday filled with so many possibilities.

Now that I'm more knowledgable about finding these deals for myself I might not regularly read my weekly Travelzoo newsletter but I still subscribe and will have a quick look if I'm in need of some inspiration. They're also a great company to deal with. They are very quick to act if I've ever had any questions or needed to change anything.

Example of deals from travelzoo newsletter

Solo Traveler

http://solotravelerblog.com/solo-travel-deals/

SoloTraveler is a similar service with a focus on travel deals for single travelers. This is important when you start looking at package deals and realise that they are all priced for couple or group travelers. That deal which would have been amazing for a couple is not so great for a single person.

Solo Traveler looks for deals that are beneficial for just one person including cruise trips and groups tours when you would usually be expected to pay a single traveler supplement.

Deal Websites

This includes websites like Groupon and LivingSocial. These could be a great option for a long weekend or shorter trips away. It often includes a full package with flights, accommodation and sometimes car hire and activities. The one thing to be careful about with these is to make sure you really are a getting a good deal. A midweek break (Tuesday - Thursday) is sometimes your only option or the hotel may not be the pick of the litter once you check the visitor reviews.

I did book an awesome weekend break in Niagara for $40 (including breakfast!) with my cousin through Groupon where we got a further 50% off an already significantly reduced deal. It was only one night so we didn’t really care about the 3-star ratings and the hotel was actually quite nice. Just make sure you manage your expectations and these deals can be a great saving.

Tip: Look for "first timer" type deals If it's your first time using the website. Sometimes you can save as much as 50%!

Level 2 - A bit of effort involved in piecing together your own trip

Secret Flying

http://www.secretflying.com/

Secret Flying is everyone’s favourite travel deal website. They regularly post deals that they find on their Facebook and Twitter pages and you can even receive an email newsletter to make sure you don’t miss out on anything. It's a very easy way to stay abreast of travel deals and even better, you can tailor your email notifications to just the locations you are looking to travel to or flights out of your home country.

The Flight Deal

http://www.theflightdeal.com/

The Flight Deal focuses on mostly US deals but is great for travel in and from the states and also includes some hotel deals.

Secret Escapes

https://www.secretescapes.com

This is my top "luxury travel" deal website. If I want to go somewhere nicer than the usual, maybe for a girls weekend or a family holiday, then this is a great option with deals for 5* resorts and hotels, some with fights included.

Airfare Watchdog

Airfare Watchdog is a good option if you really just want to be notified about great prices to locations that you're interested in. You choose your desired destination and it gives you some cool stats on cheapest times to travel and the option to be notified of significant price drops. 

Next Departure

http://nextdeparture.ca/

This is a great website if you’re located in Canada. They compile specific deals for travel out of Canadian cities so you could really just ignore the other websites. Lucky Canadians :D

Level 3 - Only for the travel obsessed!

Traveldealtree

Traveldealtree is not for everyone. Firstly, it's only available on Twitter so you'll need an account to be able to follow and access the deals. You need to request to Follow the account as the tweets are protected. Once you've been allowed access you will first see how overwhelming the feed can be. They estimate that they auto-tweet 60 flight deals every 15 minutes so there is a lot of information to sort through!

These deals come from all over the internet and you might see some deals from some of the websites I've mentioned above and even from some foreign language websites. My biggest suggestion is to log in occasionally (every day if you're me!) and do a search for either your home airport or the location that you'd like to visit. You do this by typing "from:traveldealtree searchterm" and replace searchterm with the city that you want to search for. So if I want to find flights from my home city of Brisbane I would search with "from:traveldealtree Brisbane" or "from:traveldealtree Australia".

If you're extra techy, you can even set up an IFTT recipe for airport alerts or glitch fares so you can be one of the first to be notified of those all important error fares. Here's one that I've amended and that works pretty well:

Happy to discuss more ways of getting value out of traveldealtree or IFTT for those that are interested. Just let me know below!

Remember that you can still search for flights and accommodation the old fashion way and still save some money. Check out my post on Top Travel Websites For Planning A Trip for some of the best ones out there.

That's all for now but I'll definitely keep adding to this list as I find more excellent ways to be in the know for the best travel deals. Everyone has their go-to travel websites to find great deals, these are just mine! What are your favourites?

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Must Download Apps for Travelers

I'm often asked what my favourite apps are to help with trip planning and while I'm on the road. Here's a roundup of my favourite apps that are always top of mind when I need help booking accommodation, staying in touch when I'm far away from home or just something to keep me entertained and sane on long travel days.

While most of these apps are free to download, some of them have a pro or premium version that can cost to upgrade. Let me know what your favourites are in the comments!

This article is part of my The Ultimate Guide to Booking Affordable Travel On Your Own series. Check out the other articles in the series for some more thorough advice on travel planning like a pro.

Whats App

Free for first year; $0.99 annual subscription - Android or iOS

This is a great app to help you stay connected with people while you’re traveling. It’s basically a messaging app that also allows for calls over an internet connection, voice messaging and location sharing. When I meet someone on the road and want to stay in touch WhatsApp is usually the easiest way. You just need a name and a number and you’re connected. No need to hand out your Facebook details as I find Facebook can sometimes get clogged up with people you barely know and usually don’t remember. Another useful features is the ability to create groups. It makes organising with your friends before and during travel a lot easier.

Currency

Free - Android or iOS

This app is really a lifesaver on the road. You can quickly access currency conversion information to make sure you’re not getting ripped off or when changing money at a border. You can add countries to a shortlist and compare one currency against another. It’s a really simple app but you’ll be glad you have it. 

Trip Advisor

Free - Android or iOS

As mentioned in my Top Travel Websites For Planning A Trip article, TripAdvisor is the first website I check to see what activities are on offer in a new city. It groups activities in a useful way so you can see all companies who offer snorkelling activities for example, or all walking tours, and read the reviews to choose one that suits you.

You can also check reviews for hotels on the go as well as look at prices from different booking websites. For those who like to plan ahead, there are some cities guides which are available for download so you can access everything offline.

Google Maps

Free - Android or iOS

Not just great for maps, many people don’t know that you can download maps offline, add tags and read reviews. Google Maps is also my main app for public transport navigation in most parts of the world. I’ve found it far more seamless for figuring out how to use multiple modes of transport as some countries have their bus, train and ferries as separate business with separate timetables.

Evernote

Free - Android or iOS

One of the best apps for taking quick notes while you’re on the go. It’s a God send for me as a travel blogger as I can note prices, trip details and my initial impressions quickly. It's great for making sure you have all the info you need for a full day of sightseeing. I like to compile one note with meeting times, screenshots of bus timetables, names of places that I want to eat at and anything else I need for the day 

Foursquare

Free - Android or iOS

Not sure where to have lunch after your museum visit amongst the many tasty looking options? Foursquare is another app that allows users to review places to eat as well as attractions. My favourite feature of Foursquare is that it encourages brief reviews with a focus on dishes that you did and didn’t like as well as who would like that restaurant.

Foursquare learns what type of places you like to eat at and tailors recommendations for you when you arrive in a new city. Feel like a taco at midnight? Foursquare will be able to tell you which place is most popular at that time of the night and which tacos are everyone’s favourite. Another unintended feature of Foursquare is getting wifi passwords! Helpful visitors note passwords for the wifi network so you can linger outside and use some wifi when in need.

Yelp is a similar app that is more popular in some countries like some cities in the US and Zomato is quite big in Australia.

Airbnb

Free - Android or iOS

For booking on the go, sometimes you don’t have a lot of options. I know I’ve visited some very small towns that don’t have a single hotel! Sometimes you are left with no other option but to consider some local hospitality. I’ve been saved by Airbnb a few times and now will often consider it as an alternative to hotels or hostels whenever I can. It might not be the cheapest option if you’re on your own but if you’re travelling in a group or pairs then you can find some great options (like a whole villa!) that gives you more of a local flavour than a traditional hotel.

Use this link for $25 off your first stay!

Expedia

Free - Android or iOS

This is my favourite hotel booking website. I’ll always check what’s available through Expedia first before I look elsewhere. I find their app to be easy to use and doesn’t frustrate me when I'm in a rush like other booking sites. They also have a great reward program and you get extra benefits when you book through the app versus the website.

Spotify

Free - Android or iOS

I’ve tried Apple Music and it might make more sense if you are travelling with an iPhone but I always come back to Spotify. It’s so much easier to use and I can quickly download playlists to play my favourite songs offline along with recommended playlists so I can stay in touch with what’s new while I’m travelling.

Pocket Casts

Free - Android or iOS

If you’ve never tried a podcast before then drop everything and download Pocket Casts. Seriously. A podcast is basically a form of audio broadcasting on the internet. Pocket Casts is a podcatcher or a podcast client which you use to download and play all your favourite podcasts. There are many different genres, including comedy, business and they are great to listen to when you’ve got a long flight or bus ride, while jogging or anytime you’re sitting and waiting for something to happen. Which could be often when you’re travelling.

You can use podcasts to learn a new skill or just for pure entertainment and there really seems to be something out there for everybody and all of this content is out there for free! Here are some of my favourites to get you started: Serial, This American Life, Reply All and Invisibilia.

There are many podcast playing apps out there and I’ve tried my share of them but Pocket Cast is my favourite by far.

Snapchat

Free - Android or iOS

It’s a really fun way to stay in touch. It takes a while to get the hang of it as there is no real user guide. You are sent a how-to video when you first download it so make sure to watch it so you know what you’re doing!

Essentially it’s a social app that focuses on image messaging, using "snaps" which can be a photo or short video that you can send to an individual, several individuals or post to your "Story" which is like your wall on Facebook. The filters that you can use are super fun and change regularly so you always have something new to play with and send to friends.

I really didn't get it at first but really love it now so give it a try for a few days before you give up on Snapchat!

Instagram

Free - Android or iOS

Very cool way to see pictures from a destination you’re in or heading to and also to stay in touch with friends you’ve met along the way. Facebook is kind of old news in that way as my feed is too saturated with videos and pictures and not enough actual content that I want to read. Your Instagram feed is all about the people you choose to follow and you don’t have to be friends.

You can follow my adventures here!

Loving my time here in #Toronto visiting with my family. It's ridiculously cold for this time of year but they've made sure I'm extra warm with clothes and blankets. I feel like a homeless person 😯

A photo posted by Cristal Dyer (@tofutraveler) on May 17, 2016 at 1:03pm PDT

Tinder

Free - Android or iOS

Traditionally a dating app, Tinder is now being used by travellers as a great way to find people to give you tips on real local places and experiences to check out and sometimes you might even get someone interested in showing you around their city. I’ve had some pretty cool experiences with people I’ve met through Tinder and I definitely recommend giving it a try.

To make sure you're not breaking any hearts, I suggest that you’re upfront about your intentions in your bio and make sure to state that you’re visiting and you’re interested in some local knowledge.

Uber

Free - Android or iOS

When available, I will always use Uber over a traditional taxi service. I always feel secure and know that I will get to my destination for a great price. There’s often been some hesitation about Uber when it first enters a new city but from personal experience using it at home in Australia and across the globe in places like Costa Rica, Mexico City and Toronto, it’s always been a smooth ride.

The basic concept is that you tell the app where you are and where you’re going, they give you an estimate of how far away the closest driver is and then you can track their arrival in real time. You’re given their registration number, name and a photo so you can properly identify the driver when they arrive. At the end of the ride you just thank the driver and jump out! No need to fiddle with cash or negotiate fare as you often have to do in developing countries.

You can take some extra safety precautions when you use Uber to give yourself peace of mind by “sharing your ride” with a loved one, where they can track your route and see that you’ve arrived safely and you can also split fares with another passenger so you’re not taking on the full cost. In some cities they also have UberPool so you actually pick up a passenger heading the same way as you for a reduced fare.

Click here to sign up and get your first ride free!

Skype

Free - Android or iOS

This is my go to for longer chats with family and friends. All calls are made over the internet and you can find Skype on your mobile, tablet or even on your laptop. I love nothing more than spending an hour catching up with someone when you’ve been away for a while and if your wifi is good enough you get the benefit of being able to video chat! You can also find video chat on WhatsApp and Facetime if you’re calling someone with an iOS device.

Duolingo

Free - Android or iOS

This is a popular app amongst travelers to help with learning the basics of a new language. There's a fun game factor that helps keep you going back to the app and lessons are designed in bite sized chunks to help you manage your time around it. You learn by reading, listening and even speaking!

There you have it! A huge list of my most useful apps that I reach for time and time again. Most are free so jump in and give them a try for your next trip or even just to use in your home town.

Do you have any other apps that you would recommend? Let me know below!

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Top Travel Websites For Planning A Trip

Updated November 2016: I have added some new favourites and have ditched some websites that are no longer as amazing. Let me know if you have any favourites to add. Cristal

If you've ever thought that planning a vacation and booking a flight yourself was too difficult and complicated then check out these travel websites which I use personally to plan and book my own trips.

This article is part of a larger series called "The Ultimate Guide to Booking Affordable Travel On Your Own". A Guide with detailed information to help you find and book travel for any budget.

Flights

Skyscanner

This is my #1 go to for flight booking. I generally check a selection of websites but Skyscanner usually the cheapest. It’s pretty flexible in terms of allowing you to explore a variety of destinations and dates so if you don’t really mind where or when you go it can help you find the cheapest place to fly in a country, region or even all over the globe! You can search for a specific date, a whole month or even just ask it for the cheapest date to travel to specific location.

Momondo

This is not as flexible so it’s the most useful when you know where and when you want to go. The best thing about Momondo though is that it rates each fare based on a calculation of duration and price so you can easily see which fares are the best deal. Momondo also has some great filters if you want to be more specific about which airline, how many stops you’d prefer and maximum flight duration.

Google Flights

This is probably the most flexible flights search engine of them all. It’s as searchable as Skyscanner but also allows you to see the destinations and prices on a map view which works well for me as a visual person. My only criticism  of Google Flights is that not all of the super budget airlines are included so you might not always find the best deal. It’s a great starting point though if you really just want to explore the options.

Skiplagged

Skiplagged is a special search engine that checks if there are any flights that stopover in your destination city that could potentially be cheaper than a direct fare. For example, you want to fly from Miami to Salt Lake City and you can get a fare for $200 but Skiplagged can see that there is a flight from Miami to Portland with a stopover in Salt Lake City for $150. You would take this fare and just leave the airport at Salt Lake City, no worries. They also claim to take advantage of other inefficiencies and round trip prices that could save you money. I have never actually found a better deal on Skiplagged probably due to my unique choice of destinations but I always check this website before I book anything and have heard some positive reports from the travellers.

Other Transport

Rome2Rio

A great website to help you discover options to get from Point A to Point B. Rome2Rio includes links to purchase directly with the providers and incorporates bus and train schedules, flights and car hire options.

Seat 61

This website encourages train and ferry travel by providing detailed information. Seat 61 has a heavier focus on UK, Europe and Africa travel but there is some information on most destination around the world. If you’ve ever fantasised about grand train journeys like traveling on the Trans Siberian Railway this is the place to go. There is ample information on what to expect, changing stations, connection times, classes and special needs. Honestly, if you’re thinking of train travel at all, I strongly suggest you check out this website.

Accomodation

Tripadvisor

Once I’ve decided on where to go and I’m ready to look into accommodation, Tripadvisor is my first stop. TripAdvisor relies on reviews from regular people staying in a hotel, compiles these into one page and ranks each hotel. If you enter your dates in it will also give you an idea of the cost and who you should book it through.

There are some useful filters including one for ‘Type of traveler’. You can choose ‘Family’ to read reviews by guests who stayed as a family or ‘Business’ for guests who stayed specifically for business purposes. My favourite filter is the ‘Time of year’ where you can see whether the hotel is as enjoyable in winter vs summer.

So Tripadvisor is a fantastic resource but this recommendation comes with a caveat. Like anything that is online, it’s very easy for someone to fake a review. This could be because maybe they represent a rival business and want to leave a damaging review or maybe the business wants to leave some sparkling reviews on themselves. There have been reports of business paying companies to leave reviews and other dodgy activity.

My number one tip is to take most individual reviews with a grain of salt. If it doesn’t sound like something a regular person would right then it’s probably a fake. Are there a spate of reviews left by people who only have one review? Then they’re probably fake or a business has enticed people to sign up and leave a review by offering some good or service, which is completely against Tripadvisor's terms and conditions. If there are hundreds or thousands or reviews and you just want to get an idea of whether somewhere is good or not, then just check out the overall score and leave it at that.

TravelPony

TravelPony is a great hotel aggregator that claims to have the best prices you can find anywhere. They’ve never steered me wrong and the website is very easy to use. It’s all about price on this website so you won’t find much more information besides the hotels address and contact number and a list of amenities. 

Expedia

Even though I use either TripAdvisor or TravelPony to help find the best prices for a particular hotel, if there was a choice, I would use Expedia to book. I have only ever received great customer service from Expedia and they have travel guarantees built in and a reward program that actually rewards you!

Agoda

Agoda is a recent gem of mine for hotel booking. It's not always the cheapest but it does seem to be one of the cheapest options and their interface is one of the most pleasant to use. It's especially worth checking Agoda for travel around the Asia, Pacific and Europe regions.

Airbnb

Airbnb allows you to book the home of a local host. It can be just a room with access to the common space or a whole hours or apartment. There are also some interesting accommodation types listed in Airbnb, like castles, tree houses and houseboats if you want to try something different. Sometimes it can work out cheaper to book a vacation home through Airbnb than a traditional hotel and it can be a great option when traveling somewhere off the beaten track without a lot of accommodation options. There’s also a built in review system for piece of mind when booking.

If you haven’t used Airbnb before, click here to get $25 off your first rental.

Hostelz

Hostelz is a great resource for those who like staying in hostels and other budget accommodation. It aggregates the hostel booking sites and gives you an overview of the reviews and prices so you can choose where to book from. It also includes the contact details and websites for each hostel so you can check them out and book directly.

Location Research

To get an overview of a place it can be helpful to google the official tourism websites. Some are great and interactive and full of information and advice and others are lacking or non-existent. I would usually do a quick Google search to see what’s available and use that as a starting point in your research.

Travel blogs like this one are also a great resource. You get insight from actual people who’ve been to these places and what their experiences are like. Just be mindful that most f the time, when someone writes about a destination, place or service, they’re only writing the positive stuff. It’s just human nature to want to highlight the ’best of's’ but it doesn’t paint the whole picture. When wanting to get inspiration from travel blogs, try searching: ‘destination’ ‘blog'.

An example of a great destination blog is this Sayulita travel blog. It’s packed full of info on what to eat, where to sleep and what to do,.

Thorntree forum

A forum is a place you can go to online to find like minded people and participate in discussions. Lonely Planet’s Thorntree forum is filled with other travellers just like you who are either destination experts that provide insights and updates or people searching for help and advice. You can post things like a tentative itinerary that you’ve planned and seek feedback on it or ask a specific question that you can’t find the answer for elsewhere. There’s usually a FAQ or destination guide for each place as well.

Tip: Basic forum etiquette is to search for your query first to make sure the answer hasn’t already been provided.

Local expat forums

Some locations have such a huge expat community that they’ve developed their own forums online. It’s worth it to google 'destination' and ‘forum’ to see what’s available. Often users on Thorntree will be the first to advise that you should check out another forum for help. When planning my trip to the Dominican Republic, I was directed by a Thorntree user to the forum DR1 for help with my questions.

Wikitravel

A crowdsourced travel guide, Wikitravel is a great place to get an overview of a location with information on getting in and out, pubic transport options, top sights, places to eat and places to stay.

Activities

Tripadvisor is a great site to find things to do at a destination, with their user submitted reviews and ranking system you can find the most popular activities and tours available.

Vayable

A website to discover unique, cultural experiences from local hosts around the world. You an find a variety of tours on Vayable centered around design, photography, street art, ethnic food tours, private dinners hosted by locals, underground history and general sightseeing. 

You can even get $10 off your first booking, click here for more information.

Don’t forget about travel insurance!

World Nomads

Like my flights and accommodation I used to always compare prices for travel insurance. Now, after 10+ years of solo travel, I just book through World Nomads. They’re the most comprehensive, flexible and easy to understand. You always know what you are and are not covered for. For people traveling long term, World Nomads is one of the only companies that will let you buy cover while you are already traveling. 

This post includes affiliate links. When you make a purchase via these links, I may receive a small percentage at no additional cost to you. Very small but very appreciated!

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The Ultimate Guide to Booking Affordable Travel On Your Own

I’m just going to throw it out there. I love to travel. I love actually traveling and I love all the parts that come before, the planning, researching and booking. I could spend hours just planning the perfect route for the perfect price. This is no secret to people close to me and they take advantage of my madness by using me as their personal travel agent. There’s nothing more satisfying than helping someone who previously thought they couldn’t afford a trip to plan something  that fits their budget.

I truly believe travel can be achievable for most people and you don’t need to fork out loads of cash to get someone to plan a trip for you. With a little bit of time and effort you can plan your own dream holiday yourself!

Over the next few weeks this travel series will highlight the most useful travel websites, apps and the process I personally use to book affordable flights, hotels and accommodations. Don’t forget to sign up to my newsletter to be notified on new posts! I also provide travel planning and travel coaching services so please get in touch if you need some help or are happy to let an expert take care of all of this of for you!

Part 1 - Top Travel Websites

Part 2 - Top Travel Apps

Part 3 - How to Find The Best Travel Deals

Part 4 -  How to Plan a Trip on Your Own

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Mazunte - A Pacific Paradise

Here’s a tale about one of my favourite places in the world. I intended to visit for a couple of days just to de-stress and get some sun after the chilly nights of San Cristobal but ended up staying for a whole week. I could have stayed much longer had I not already committed to volunteering in Oaxaca City.

I took a night bus to San Pedro Pochutla and then a colectivo to Mazunte. A colectivo can really be anything, often a minivan or taxi but in this case, it was the back of a pickup truck. As more and more people piled in along the way, I was eventually squished next to two lovely older men and got to find out about what they did in Mazunte and they loved telling me about their families.

As we were nearing the coast and I could start to smell the sea air, we got stopped by a road block. The police were checking licences and it turned out our driver deigned not to carry one that day. We sat in the back of the truck for about five minutes as the passengers continued to make jokes and were in general good spirits even though we were about to be stuck a 20 minute walk from our destination.

Everyone eventually realised the police were not going to let us continue so we all hopped out and made our way down the hill to Mazunte. By this time it was seven in the morning and not much was happening. I heard this could be a bit of a hippy town and witnessed a few early morning locals going about their business but it was quiet otherwise.

Upon my first sighting of the beach I knew this was the place for me. I settled into my new hostel, Posada Del Arquitecto, which was right on the beach and started my new life in Mazunte.

There is really not much to do in Mazunte but everyday my friends and I would find ourselves declaring, “Another perfect day in Mazunte!” The weather is lovely, the people are relaxed and if you want to spend some time doing absolutely nothing surrounded by natural beauty then this is the place to be!

Eating and drinking

There are some genuinely great places to eat including a spectacular wood fired pizza place run by a real Italian, a fish and chip shop, a falafel place, an Italian gelato stand and a juice bar where you can get a litre of juice for 35 pesos! Due to the large expat community you will really be surprised by the variety and quality of food available.

Cafes and restaurants seem to open whenever they want to so you can't plan anything. It's like a nice surprise as you walk through town and find that your favourite places are open. The main street always seem new to me because of this phenomenon; there's always a different combination of stores opened on any given day.

You can also eat your way around the world just by laying on the beach as food vendors bring around a variety of treats for you to snack on. My personal favourites were the sushi lady, the pizza lady and the donut guy.

Most nights there's usually a movie night in one of the hostels. The organisers post a flyer up everyday with details of that night’s movie and location. Depending on the hostel they’ll offer some drink specials and even some dinner options. While I was there, they played a variety of movies from recent blockbusters (like The Revenant) and more classical movies from the 1920’s.

There's not much party life here so you could easily find yourself in bed by 11 so you can get a full night's sleep before you wake up for the sunrise or morning yoga.

If you do want to party, you can walk the streets and there’s usually a gathering of people outside the juice bar, where they offer 2 large mojitos for 100 pesos or the Mezcaleria is open Friday and Saturday nights with live music late into the evening along with free mezcal tasting.

Chasing the sunset

You can watch the sunrise right from the beach in Mazunte but need to walk to another beach to see the sunset. Every afternoon about 4:30 pm locals and foreigners alike start congregating on the beach to see the evening in. Those who are up to a walk start heading to the hill to do the sunset hike.

You start by walking through some local forest while gradually climbing up to a point looking back down to the Mazunte beach. There’s usually a lovely Portuguese lady selling some delicious chocolate truffles and other treats and you could stay here and witness the sunset if you’re not up for anymore walking (or you ate too many chocolate truffles!).

After hanging out here for while, you climb down to an almost deserted little beach where you can sit and stare as the sun sets seemingly right in front of you. Take a dip in the orange waters and fully immerse yourself in this spectacular time of the day.

After watching the sun set for a bit on this beach, everyone then heads up to the furthest point, Punta Cometa. You walk through some more forest, pass some spectacular rock formations and then come upon the point which takes my breath away every time. 

The sunset is different every day and since you’re now on Mexican time and you take things as slow as possible then you’re always in a hurry to catch that last bit of sunset as you head toward the point, making it even more special.

From here, it’s all about sitting and staring in awe at the sunset and the otherworldly atmosphere of the beach below. There are huge rocks with some real personality and it almost reminds me of landscapes you encounter when traveling through Salar de Uyuni and South East Bolivia.

Once the sun sets, you still have another hour or so of dramatic orangey-coral landscapes to soak up so you can stay on the point or climb down to the beach below. Once there you can take another swim or head to the small bar located right on the beach for a very strong cocktail or some nibbles.

A Pacific Paradise

Of all the beaches I’ve been to on the Pacific coast this is definitely my favourite. During the day there are huge pelicans diving for fish and beautiful hummingbirds flitting around. Everyone seems to respect the peace and there is rarely any loud music blaring, at the most you might hear the strains of a guitar or drumming.

In Mazunte you can do yoga every morning for as little as 50 pesos. You can sleep in a swinging bed looking out into the coast for 90 pesos. You can eat like you’re in Europe or indulge in local Mexican fare. You can do nothing at all and still end the day with a contented sigh and a stupid grin on your face because you’re just so happy to be there. 

A Traveler's Guide to the Corn Islands, Nicaragua

The Corn Islands in Nicaragua are a special place to visit. Even now, several months later and many islands later, I still look back fondly at my time there. It’s a bit out of the way and I think for that reason you don’t get the swarms of drunk backpackers like you can find at Utila, Honduras or Caye Caulker, Belize and there is still plenty of quality and inexpensive diving available.

I wasn’t sure which I would like best so I spilt my two weeks between the two islands evenly. I actually enjoyed my time on both islands and would recommend either but here are some of my observations between the two which might help you choose where to spend your time.

Solo travel on the Corn Islands

At Big Corn, it’s not as easy to meet other travellers because the island is quite big and all the hotels are spread out, there’s no central hotel zone. If you’re here with a friend or partner and just want to relax on a beautiful island without seeing hundreds of other tourists, then this is the place for you.

On Little Corn, even if you don’t meet people where you are staying it’s so easy to just walk down the main road and meet other travellers hanging out at the various bars and restaurants. The local to tourist ratio is definitely off here but you can still find some tranquility by going for a walk out of the main strip and exploring the island.

Diving

One common activity that many visitors to the islands share is diving! You will also meet so many people on your various dive adventures! The most popular dive site is a little way from both islands (40 mins from Big Corn and an hour from Little Corn), Blowing Rock. This site is incredible. As soon as you jump off the boat and peer down you will spot many large schools of fish.

Snorkeling

Snorkeling at both islands is incredible but I found it a lot easier to find sites on Big Corn. There seemed to be good snorkelling at many places around the island. On Little Corn there are five or six specific spots where you can snorkel and they may not be that close to your hotel. There are still, however, spectacular! I spotted a spotted eagle ray very close to the shore at one of the sites.

Local interaction

Little Corn Island has a very chill vibe. Every afternoon if the sky is clear, you can spot foreigners and locals alike taking some time to check out the amazing sunsets. 

On Big Corn Island I really enjoyed catching the collective taxis and sharing in the conversations with spanish-speaking and creole-speaking locals.

Eating out

Little Corn has great vegetarian options. Even the little restaurants have a vegetarian section on their menu! On Big Corn Island I often struggled to get a decent meal with vegetables. I ate a lot of pasta while I was there and used my breakfast for dinner trick quite a few times. On both islands it’s all about the seafood so if you’re looking for cheap lobster, you’ve found the place!

Beach time

On Little Corn I had a couple of special places where I liked to swim and lie on the beach to read a book. As it’s a small island, you would think that it would be inundated with people but I was often surprised at having great stretches of beach all to myself. You can really live out your desert island fantasy here.

If you want quality beach time on Big Corn, you might have to do some walking or get a taxi. There’s only a couple spots on the island where there is genuinely nice stretches of sand. Although, If you just want to go for a dunk in the water then you can really do that anywhere.

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Still need help deciding which to choose? Check out my biggest comparison guide yet: 

Big Corn VS Little Corn

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Getting here

There are two main ways to get to the islands, flying or by land and sea. Flying is by far the quickest and most painless option and from Managua it will cost you about $180 USD return with La Costena. It’s slightly cheaper to purchase a return ticket but if you get in touch with the office, you can purchase an open ended ticket. The flight is approximately 70 minutes.

By land and boat it will take about 20 hours but you can stop over in Bluefields. I opted for the flight so don’t have much experience with this method but I did meet a few people who braved the trek and heard mixed reviews. Most people got along fine while one couple got stuck out in the ocean for a couple of days.

Where to stay

Big Corn Island

On Big Corn I stayed at Los Escapados, which is run by a lovely Aussie guy and his sweet dog. It’s kind of like glamping, where you stay in semi-permanent structures but it’s all lovely and well taken care of. He also offers breakfast for a very reasonable price which includes yummy treats like fresh coconut and fruit and tamarind juice.

If you want something a little more up-market check out Hotel Casa Canada or Arenas Beach Hotel. Both are under $150 a night and offer beachside accommodation.

Little Corn Island

Because I visited on the cusp of low season, there weren’t a lot of accommodation options on Little Corn. A lot of the food and hotel option were starting to close for the rainy season which meant that I didn’t have a lot to choose from. I wouldn’t recommend the place I stayed, Sunshine Hotel. It was adequate and kept clean and included air-con and breakfast but it was on the pricey side and breakfast was the same thing everyday, rice and beans and eggs with a small bowl of fruit.

If you’re visiting during the low season I’d suggest visiting a few places around the island to see what might suit you. Some of the hotels also offer discounts with the dive centres on the islands. There are some very basic cabins on the far side that offer you direct access to the beach, just head around there once you get off the panga and be prepared to negotiate.

I heard some really great thing about the Lighthouse Hostel for the backpackers and Little Corn Beach and Bungalow for a mid-price place. 

Solo Travel Tips - How to meet people while traveling

Traveling on your own can be very daunting. For some people, it’s the one thing that stops them from getting out there and visiting the places they want to. As an introvert, I still get anxious when I get to a new place and I have to make friends all over again.

Solo travel can be tough but it also has it’s benefits. Funnily enough, one of the main benefits is how easy it is to meet people!

When you’re travelling in pairs or as a group, you don’t naturally tend to include other people in your conversation and likewise, a group of solo travelers are less likely to reach out to big groups of friends. Some of my closest friends are people that I have met while travelling and sometimes have even met up again to visit new countries together.

To help you get over your own inhibitions about travelling on your own, here are some tips that has helped me over the years.

Group excursion to a small weaving community, Antigua, Guatemala

1) Choose the right hostel

On my travels I have found myself in some hotels that attract certain groups of traveler. There’s the all hippie, fire-twirling, crystal carrying crew with questionable hygiene and a focus on “eco” practices over all else. There was the all French Canadian hostel where the conversation was predominantly in French. Some places are just popular with certain groups of traveler because it meets that particular need. There’s even some hostels that mostly attract couples, not much fun for a single female!

To circumvent this, make sure to do you research when choosing where to stay. Read reviews online using either TripAdvisor or a hotel booking site and look for key phrases and guidance on where will suit your particular personality.

A lot of hostels these days also put on events, like free drink nights, Sunday BBQ's and movie nights. If you have a choice, I also highly recommend staying in a hostel that provides breakfast. A communal breakfast is a a great opportunity to chat to other travelers. 

Christmas picnic with some new friends

2) Stay in dorms

Depending on your budget, you might think that a dorm room is the last place you want to sleep. They can be noisy, smelly and personal space is at a minimum. If you do your research though, you can find some very nice dorms. The benefit of staying in a dorm is you have some automatic friends, people to chat with during the day and discuss travel plans.

I am currently staying in a "Deluxe Dorm" that has brand new orthopaedic mattresses, privacy curtains and personal outlets and lights as well as hotel-style bathrooms and a balcony. I can still sleep in comfort and take the opportunity to hang out with my fellow room mates.

3) Force yourself into the middle of the action

Just last night I arrived at a new hostel in San Cristobal, my all-female dorm was on the quiet side and everyone seemed to be hanging out in the garden by the bonfire. Even though it made me feel physically ill, I forced myself to go take a seat by the fire and say hi to everyone loudly. Once that was over with, everyone introduced themselves to me and I was instantly part of the conversation.

If being confident doesn’t come naturally to you, the best thing to do is to just pretend. Choose someone in your life that you admire for their assertiveness and pretend to be them. I pretend to be a good friend from home who is the most extroverted, confident women I know. When I’m on my own I just think, how would she assert herself into this conversation?

Hanging out with some new friends on an excursion to cerro del cruz in antigua, guatemala

4) Do some group activities

Just because you’re traveling on your own doesn’t mean you have to do everything by yourself. Sign up for some half-day or full-day trips that interest you, and you have some automatic friends for a few hours. If things work out, you then have some people to have dinner with or share a long bus trip with to the next destination. You might even end up with some travel partners for days or even weeks.

Cuba was one of the hardest places to meet other travelers because of the lack of hostels, but somehow I ended up with a great bunch of travel buddies after a horse riding trip. 

Have you got any advice for traveling on your own? 

Travel Guide to Quirigua, Guatemala

The ruins at Quirigua are smaller than some of the better known ruins in the region, like Copan in Honduras and Tikal in Guatemala but still worth at least a couple of hours as stop over if you’re heading between the Rio Dulce/ Livingston area and Antigua or Guatemala City.

I enjoyed taking my time to walk through the site and explore on my own. Also if you’re lucky you might get to witness a traditional ceremony taking place.

There is a small gift shop on site as well as a shop for drinks and snacks. Located near the entrance is a museum which you shouldn’t forget to visit.

A TRADITIONAL CEREMONY AT QUIRIGUA RUINS

What to wear

Depending on the weather, I would strongly suggest wearing your hiking boots/sneakers or shoes you don’t mind getting dirty. There wasn’t a lot of rain at the time of my visit but the grounds were still inundated with mud. You should be fine if you stick to the gravel path but where’s the fun in that! 

Also remember:

• insect repellant
• sun screen
• hat
• long sleeve shirt and pants

How to get here

You can stop here on your way to or from the Rio Dulce/Livingston area. You should be able to buy a bus ticket and advise them that you want to get off at Las Ruinas de Quirigua.

Note: If you’re planning to stay in town, request to get off at PASARELA de QUIRIGUA. It’s just a little bit further down the road from the ruins stop but it saves you having to walk until you find a tuk tuk.

Traditional Japanese meal at posada de quirigua in the smallest town of quirigua, guatemala

Where to stay

Besides the ruins there is really not much to do in town but if you’d like to take a night to recharge or take a break from bus trips, then I highly recommend staying at Posada de Quirigua. Check out their excellent reviews on Trip Advisor.

The Posada is run by the lovely, Japanese-born Masaki and you can tell instantly by the detailing of the posada that she has put a lot of herself into the rooms and the surrounding gardens.

The room comes with a delicious breakfast where you choose from a typical Guatemalan meal or if you've had enough local cuisine, you can try something new with a Japanese breakfast. Masaki also offers dinner for a reasonable cost and I can attest that every meal I had at Posada de Quirigua was delicious and creative. It was a real treat staying in a Japanese style posada and sampling Japanese fare while travelling through Central America.

This post is part of my Top 30 in Central America and Mexico. You can also check out some more of my favourite sites and activities in Guatemala here.