Post: #1

The past couple of month's I've been deliberating on where to spend 2 months of this coming winter.

I'm in college, on a budget, and I want to learn how to surf, dive (either Kite or normal board surfing - haven't tried either) and learn Spanish.

So my criteria were affordability, low number of tourists, but still excellent learning opportunities, and I love an adventure, so backpacking/hiking was also in there.

After much deliberation, my choice has fallen on Nicaragua, probably somewhere near San Juan del Sur on the Pacific Coast, near Costa Rica.

From what I can gather, it has a bad enough rep abroad that it has yet to be overrun with tourists, the guidebooks highlight amazing food and incredible nature. I imagine there'll be a few other backpackers suitable for banging, so that's how I expect to cover that angle. I want to avoid hotels and too many English speakers so I can really get out of my comfort zone and learn Spanish.

After a few weeks there, I plan to do some hiking, climb some Volcanoes, check out Costa Rica briefly before making my way to Utila on Honduras' north coast to get my PADI certificate.

Will then return to Managua for a flight-home via New York to visit friends before home to Europe.

My goal is to do the whole trip for roughly USD 2500, after tickets.

Any reason not to do Nicaragua, and are there parts of my plan I've overlooked (besides getting the necessary vaccinations)?