The first 24 hours in Nicaragua

by Brenda Yun on

Just how cold is the water in Nicaragua, I say to myself as I scuttle up to the lapping ocean’s edge.

Mike had told me it was going to be colder than I would normally think.

I dip my toes in, and quickly realize what Mike was talking about. Despite my assumption that everything about Central America is hot, the water is chilly at best – cold to be generous.

“Aw, heck,” I shriek before running full throttle, throwing my borrowed surfboard in front of me, and paddling as quickly as possible to the lineup.

Rob, too, the owner of the Hotel Brio where I am staying for a week, jogs into the water and informs us this is the coldest it’s been in his recollection. He’s been surfing these waters for over five years, so that’s saying something
Dusk is settling in, and the hot Nicaraguan sun is quickly fading, bringing with it forceful offshore winds. It’s feeding time for the frigate birds, who are scouring the sea out on the horizon. It’s just the three of us in the water, a perfect closing to my first full day in this largely misunderstood country.

For those of you who are afraid of traveling to Latin America because you think it’s too dangerous: don’t be. Having been to some of the lesser traveled countries such as Colombia, I too was afraid of hostility and violence. Like Mexico, there are clearly places you should go and places you should avoid.

I’ve now spent just 24 hours in this blessed country, which is in the middle of its dry season. I decided to come here before Nicaragua becomes an expensive travel destination and/or explodes as a surf destination. On the plane ride from Houston to Managua, I happened to sit next to Rob, who invited me to his hotel near the Tola coast in south. After many serendipitous moments like this, I’ve become a firm believer in trusting that things and people happen for a reason.

Therefore, might I suggest that you just buy the ticket you’ve been anxious about purchasing. Just go for it. Beyond that, you might want to book your first night’s stay somewhere, but let the other events just unfold before you naturally. There’s something utterly comforting about being in a third-world country and seeing it develop before your eyes.

Specifically, the people here are awfully helpful. No matter their dire financial or living situations, the locals I’ve met are particularly resilient. The hotel cook Nestor, for instance, taught himself English and taught himself how to cook the most delectable meals this side of Central America. Rob told us that previous guests at the Brio contact him specifically to rave about Nestor’s amazing dishes. Not only this, Nestor is the friendliest Nicaraguan I have yet to meet – and this is not to say that the people are not friendly because they are.

Speaking of Nestor, it’s time for dinner. An enticing plate of garlic red snapper fillet, freshly purchased from a local fisherman, awaits me. The side of mashed potatoes could feed five starving children in the beachside village just down the road. Parrots are chirping goodnight from the trees outside, and the sun is quickly turning midnight blue.

So for now, I will say buenos noches, but tell you I’ve only just begun to explore this small country packed to the brim with vibrancy and culture. You will certainly hear more from me soon, but I implore you to come and see it for yourself.

Fare alert! Tokyo on sale for under $600

by Grant Martin on

Cherry blossom season is almost upon us, and that can only mean one thing for airfares: it’s time for the annual sale on tickets to Tokyo.

Most years there is a bit of a run on tickets to the Far East around this time of the year, but in this year’s prices, you can sense a bit of desperation. The economy is down, loads are light and the airlines are doing whatever they can to interest the American consumer in traveling again. Including slashing fares to Japan.

This round brings fares to anywhere between $550 and $600 from departure points all across the country. Plugging “flexible dates” into Travelocity, I’m finding $584 spring fares from LGA-NRT (that’s New York LaGuardia to Tokyo Narita,) while Los Angeles and Chicago are returning similar results.

All fares are on American Airlines (with some on United,) and travel appears to be good all of the way through May.

Need some help finding good tourist spots? Check out Big in Japan’s Cherry Blossom guide for a great start.

U.S. Airlines hoping for a successful summer

by Scott Carmichael on

Let’s file this one under “boo hoo”.

U.S. Airlines are hoping that summer air travel will help dig them out of the slump they have been in for the past year(s). As business travel has plummeted, consumers trying to escape all the doom and gloom for a couple of weeks of R&R is pretty much all they have left to hope for.

So, if summer travel is this important for them, you’d assume they would take the time to load some juicy low airfare for us, wouldn’t you?

Sadly, they want to have their cake, and eat it, as airfare prices for the summer months are absolutely atrocious.

Some examples of the fares loaded at the moment:

United Airlines – Chicago to Las Vegas in June – $521
United Airlines – Chicago to Paris in July – $1054
American Airlines – New York to Paris in August – $939
American Airlines – Los Angeles to Hong Kong in August- $2054
Delta Airlines – Atlanta to Paris in September – $1023
Continental Airlines – Newark to Amsterdam in August – $948

None of those fares are exceptionally cheap, and in a time where the airlines claim to be hurting so badly, it isn’t exactly like they put effort into lowering prices to help passengers.

In fact, I’m guessing that the airlines just assume (and hope) that you and I will be so eager to travel, that we’ll pay anything.

These high prices will have a bad effect on summer travel – it will force passengers to sit and wait for fares to drop, making their vacation plans even more complicated. You’d think the smart airlines would want to offer something good now and lock passengers in as early as possible.

Of course, only finding bad fares may force people to completely abandon their plans and stick to a more budget friendly trip.

For tips on how to squeeze the most out of your trip, check out this handy guide by Tom, or go through the budget destination posts we’ve written for you.

Road trip tips

by Brenda Yun on


Thanks to Tynan’s continuing feature on the nomadic life, Gadling’s been receiving an influx of requests on tips for big road trips. Those of us who are not quite as daring as Tynan might want to start with a cross-country trip, for example. There’s much to consider before you embark on such a journey, so it’s important to keep these things in mind:

  • The company: Road trips are not for the faint hearted. If you’ve ever seen “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” or “No Country for Old Men” you’ll know what I mean. If your road trip is longer than a week, choose your company wisely. S/he better like the same music as you, you better have something worth talking about for hours on end. Ultimately, you should determine beforehand whether you can tolerate this person’s antics or not.

  • The car: You’ll definitely want to get your car pimped out thoroughly before the journey. On my most recent 3-week trip from Florida to California, my boyfriend bought an old Chevy van that we called “Vanzilla.” He didn’t tell me at the time, but it cost him only $500. We pushed “Vanzilla” a bit too hard one evening and slept through a freezing cold evening in shopping mall parking lot in Flagstaff, Arizona. The next morning, the radiator blew. Little disasters and problem-solving is part of the package when it comes to road trips, so be prepared!
  • Stuff in the trunk: Little thought has to be put into what to bring. As long as you don’t bring your most valuable stuff, the rest is fair game. Stuff it in the trunk and hit the road! Whatever you forget to bring, you can buy at Walmart or a roadside gas station.
  • The route: If possible, you should have a rough outline of the route you’re taking and the stops you plan on making. GoogleMaps has a great feature where you can drop pins and calculate driving time and distances (click on the “My Maps” tab and then “Create new map”). Most likely you’ll be visiting friends along the way, so make it a point to tell them you’re coming, so they know roughly when to expect you.
  • It’s not all fun and games: The purpose of a road trip is not to drink and drive — at least I hope you’re not endangering other people by thinking the road is such a playground. You don’t want to do anything stupid. My friends got caught somewhere in South Dakota with weed in their car and ended up in the slammer. You can imagine their parents reaction when they got the “Please Save Me” call. Have a great time, but be responsible.
  • R & R: Rest and relaxation is definitely possible when you’re on the road. Take some detours. If you see a strange sign and it makes you curious, follow it. You can also stay clean on the road by utilizing the trucker stops, which have fully functioning hot-water showers. Some are quite clean! If you’re really road trippin’ you must try it. As for the famed roadside motels, you might try one or two, but you might end up preferring the comfort of your reclined seat in the car. You can always pack a tent, too, and just camp it in a rest area if you’re desperate.
  • The memories: My Florida-California Vanzilla trip was designed to be a woman’s version of “Travels with Charley,” as I brought my pug Iris with me. Keep a blog (you can read about our journey HERE), take tons of photos (the photos from this article are also from this trip), and make great memories!

Enjoy your road trip — and let me know if there are any other tips I’ve missed!

Bargain Europe: Camping Across The Continent

by Kraig Becker on

In these economic times we’re all looking to find ways to save a little cash without giving up our travels. Airfares are more affordable than they have been in a long time, which means that we can at least afford to get to the places we want to visit. But what happens once we get there? Are there any affordable places to stay?

Most travelers making their way across the pond to Europe tend to stay in nice hotels. Some, looking to go on the cheap, will stay in hostels along the way. But the Times Online has another suggestion, one that often goes overlooked. They recommend frugal travelers consider camping their way across the continent.

In their first article on the subject, they recommend the best place to camp in Paris. Yep, that’s right, camping in Paris itself, within sight of the Eiffel Tower, on a small river island on the Seine, at a place called Paris Camping International. The place offers a quiet escape from the sights and sounds of the City of Lights, but is just minutes from the chic cafes and art houses that Paris is famous for.

And if that wasn’t enough, the Times followed up that story with a list of the 20 coolest campsites across the rest of Europe. The list has suggestions for Portugal, Spain, France, Holland, Germany, Italy, and more. The camp sites offer some amazing scenery, with backdrops ranging from the Swiss Alps to the Mediterranean Sea, and they are all rich in charm, but short on expense.

Looking for a bargain trip to Europe this year? Perhaps you should pack a tent when you go and take advantage of these unique places to camp.