Nicaragua holiday, Cobbled Streets to Coral Reefs

Planet

In Nicaragua we work with a local partner who are committed to sustainability within their community and to promoting responsible travel practices in Nicaragua. They choose to work with locally owned businesses, seek to provide tours that both promote the preservation of the environment and respect the cultural identity of local communities. They are active members of the rainforest alliance and have founded the initiative called Bosawas, through which they seek to highlight the importance of Community participation and sustainable practices in tourism.

At home with the Nicos, included in this itinerary, is a trip that we are committed to supporting from a community aspect in the Matagalpa region. In the San Ramon community the main income earner is work on the local coffee plantations. During their stay, our customers get a real taste of what life is like in rural communities, learning about the day to day tasks and even get to help out in cooking!

In Nicaragua we support various local projects through an international NGO, Renewable World who support villages situated along the Rio Escondido River. Communities in the region are supported with solar energy systems that give them a clean, safe alternative to the burning of harmful chemicals, particularly in their homes. With the introduction of solar energy to the community, many children are now able to study at home in the evenings and small businesses, like restaurants, can operate and therefore provide increased income opportunities.

People

Throughout our trips we use local drivers and guides so they can offer detailed knowledge of the areas you are visiting, enhancing your experience, as well as helping put money directly into the pockets of the local people. We encourage our customers to stop along the way at local restaurants, shops and stalls to buy food, drinks and souvenirs, whether using a driver or self-driving. In Leon a local bilingual artist teachers travellers age-old techniques of their craft so our customer can learn how to create traditional Nicaraguan art.

We use small locally-run accommodation throughout Nicaragua, particularly those that have a story to tell. From simple homestays with indigenous communities to renovated colonial buildings in the cities. During this itinerary your accommodation in Leon on the Pacific coast is one such place. You'll stay in a renovated convent dating back to the 1600s, although very little of the original structure was left standing, in the early 1990s when plans began to rebuild the convent as an hotel, and being as true to the original structure as possible. In the San Ramon community customers actually stay in their host family's homes, with their own simple rooms, to truly experience the real Nicaragua.