Frequently Asked Questions

Nicaragua has a tropical climate and like other countries in Central America it has two different seasons. These are the dry season (December-April) and the rainy season (May-November). In central and northern Nicaragua the temperatures are cooler than elsewhere in the country. In the southern and Pacific parts it is often very hot. Temperatures in the country vary between 22-35°C.

Nicaragua has many traditional dishes and each region has its own specialty. Most are based on beans, rice and corn. One of the most famous dishes is Gallo Pinto: rice with beans, which can be eaten for breakfast or dinner. You will also find a lot of street food in Nicaragua, which can absolutely be delicious. When traveling by bus you will notice that some sales man and woman sell food (and drinks) such as sweet bread, rice and chicken or fried banana's ('platanos'). Regarding street food we advice you to be careful and to use your common sense; do not eat anything you don't trust. In well established restaurants you will find international cuisine and/or typical Nica food. Some other typical dishes:

• Nacatamales – Pork or chicken with tomato, garlic and other vegetables in corn dough, wrapped in banana leafs (special dish on Sunday)
• Tostones – Fried green plantains (type of banana)
• Plato Tipico – Gallo Pinto, corn tortilla, cuajada (cheese) and plantains
• Fritanga – Fried chicken, often comes with a salad
• Vigorón – Meat (pork), cooked yucca and other vegetables, served with a cabbage salad (famous in Granada)

Although the water quality in urban areas is adequate for drinking, we do recommend bottled or filtered water. Tap water might cause traveler's diarrhea. In order to consider the environment we recommend to buy a bottle and refill it with filtered water. As one of our sustainable practices, Matagalpa Tours carries filtered water on the bus, which allows you to refill your bottle. In some communities filters are being used as well. In any other case you can buy water at supermarkets and local stores.

Police & emergency number: 118 (or 911)

US Embassy in Managua: 2268-0123 (Fax: 22669943 - Address: Km 4 1/2 Carretera Sur)

Besides contacting the alarm center, you can always contact us.  

The currency of Nicaragua is the Cordoba. There are bills from 10 up till 500 and coins from 0.05 till 10. Next to the Cordoba, the US Dollar is widely accepted. When paying in Dollars it is recommended to use small bills ($20,- max.) and you will receive your change in Cordoba.

Knifes or other weapons and shirts with questionable content. Furthermore, be careful with revealing clothes. Due to the 'machismo' culture you might draw attention that you do not want to get. We also recommend to think about your choice of jewelery, especially gold, silver, plutonium or precious stones. 

Electricity in Nicaragua is 110-120 Volt and 60 Hertz. This is the same as in the US, which is a plug with two flat pins. However, this means that tourists from Europe and other countries cannot use their electrical equipment unless suitable for this voltage. It is recommended to bring an adapter or buy one in a local hardware store in Nicaragua.

Money changers are often situated next or close to the banks. Changing your money here is often a lot faster than with a bank and the exchange rate from Dollar to Cordoba is favorable. They often change Euro's as well although with a less good exchange rate.

Yes, different cultures have different norms and values. It is very important to realize this when traveling, but is might be even more important to realize this before you go to visit Nicaragua. Therefore we highly recommend to do research on the country before you will arrive. Do research on the norms, values and all other cultural related issues to not be unpleasantly surprised, but also see it as anticipatory pleasure.

Some other norms and value will count in every country, such as asking for permission when you want to take a photo of someone or someone's belongings.

We can recommend reading the following:

websites:https://vianica.com/nicaragua/themes/16-culture,http://www.everyculture.... Book: Culture and customs of Nicaragua, written by White & Calderón

In order to minimize the environmental impact of our hiking and biking tours in natural reserves we always consider the size of the groups, these can not be too big as it will increase the chance to harm the environment. The guide of Matagalpa Tours will always carry a bag in which you can put small waste. Furthermore, there are some aspects you have to take into consideration yourself when doing such an activity;

• Stay on the prepared trails when you are hiking or mountain biking
• Do not take anything away from nature and don´t leave anything behind besides footprints
• Respect wildlife

Whenever you are unsatisfied about our services you can do the following. In case of complaints during a tour it would be best to discuss this right away with our guide. In this case we can anticipate quickly and try to solve the problem instantly. Is this not possible due to circumstances you can always contact us.