Go Back  Fodor's Travel Talk Forums > Destinations > Mexico & Central America
Reload this Page >

Video Summary/ Trip Report of my recent 8 day/4Countries Adventure

Video Summary/ Trip Report of my recent 8 day/4Countries Adventure

Old May 1st, 2013, 05:40 AM
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Video Summary/ Trip Report of my recent 8 day/4Countries Adventure

Here is the 4 minute video of my trip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tx7Phg33ZCA

Airfare costs $450 (Flew 1 way into Panama, and 1 way out of Honduras) through Spirit Airlines. Not great but does the job.

Our goal was to backpack thru 4 countries in 8 days (Panama, Costa RIca, Nicaragua, Panama)

FYI: Central America is fairly cheap but Costa Rica and Panama are considered "expensive" because of the high tourism. In comparison to the dollar, still cheap.

Food: Fairly cheap cost $3-9 (Good healthy portions)

Accommodation: We only slept in hotels/hostel 4 nights. (We slept on the bus once, we met some nice locals and they let us sleep on their porch (Hammocks) one night, we slept at an airport 2 nights. We never paid more then $13/ person to stay in a hotel/hostel.

Transportation: Getting around is very cheap. But since we were trying to cover a lot of ground, in total this was the most expensive part of our trip.

Short Distance: We took taxis everywhere. Depending on how far it costs between $2 - $15. One guy drove us all around Panama city (40 minutes) and we got him down to $15. I dont think we even covered his gas so I gave him $20 because he was extremely patient and nice enough to stop places for us to film. (Hitch Hiking is possible in rural areas only but not recommended. We only did it because we had no other option)

Long Distance: Buses is the way to go. They are everywhere, and very cheap. You have options, big buses, small buses, shared vans.This is how we got from one major city to the next. One time we caught a bus for $4 from San Jose to Liberia. Another time I paid $7.50 for a 7 hr small bus ride from one side of Honduras to the next.

Water taxis: $5-10 This is a good experience

Depending on your style, you can also get on a coach bus with AC, and more comfortable seats. These are much more expensive and can cost between $20-40. I recommend these for any drive over 6hrs.

Activities: River Rafting in La Ceiba, Honduras $30
Parasailing: Roatan: $35

Negotiating: 99% of everything listed above is negotiable. Everyone will always try to get as much money out of you so be willing to walk off. If didn't negotiate once, I would of easily paid around $1500. Agree to prices before you buy or use any service! (This is key)

If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask
aabuleil is offline  
Old May 3rd, 2013, 07:56 AM
  #2  
 
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 24,827
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Nice video, a - thanks for posting. What places did you visit in Costa Rica?
volcanogirl is offline  
Old May 3rd, 2013, 08:47 AM
  #3  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Thank You. We visited Puerto Vijeo, San Jose, Liberia.
aabuleil is offline  
Old May 5th, 2013, 08:17 AM
  #4  
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 149
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Really nice video. Personally I would never attempt such a journey but you surely had your adventure!
xelas is offline  
Old May 5th, 2013, 09:08 AM
  #5  
 
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 24,827
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Yes, very brave of you! What kind of camera did you use? It looks amazing.
volcanogirl is offline  
Old May 5th, 2013, 09:09 AM
  #6  
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 371
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Love this video!
costaricalover is offline  
Old May 5th, 2013, 10:08 AM
  #7  
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 4,255
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Nice work but it seems like a nightmare to me - pretty surreal. The parts of travel I like least are long bus trips and big cities which were like priorities for you. To each his/her own - thanks for sharing!
hopefulist is offline  
Old May 6th, 2013, 04:14 AM
  #8  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Camera- GoPro Hero 3 Black Edition -$400 ...Perfect travel cam. Small, light, amazing quality, waterproof

Glad you guys enjoyed it, feel free to share it with friends. Thanks
aabuleil is offline  
Old Jun 2nd, 2013, 01:05 PM
  #9  
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Love your video aabuleil, and your sense of adventure. I'd like to share it, thanks! Lori
travlinmad is offline  
Old Jun 3rd, 2013, 02:40 AM
  #10  
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 1,085
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Great video, aabuleil! It's not my type of travel, but it looks as though you guys had a great time. Thx. for sharing.
colibri is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Dayenu
Mexico & Central America
12
Mar 16th, 2012 12:54 PM
traveler2009
Mexico & Central America
6
Dec 8th, 2010 08:59 AM
sean420
Mexico & Central America
7
Mar 11th, 2010 03:12 PM
Andrea_loves_travel
Mexico & Central America
8
Mar 19th, 2009 09:37 AM
sean420
Mexico & Central America
10
Dec 23rd, 2008 09:57 AM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are On


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -