In my experience, week-long trips at all-inclusive resorts have three outcomes: a great tan, a terrible hangover and an underwhelming experience. It’s never too late to get your deposit back for the grad trip in the Dominican Republic or Cancun in favour of something a little bit more adventurous. If you take about five minutes of extra planning you can have a reading week adventure at equivalent cost (or less!) that will result in wild adventures, new friends from all over the map, a connection to the country you visit and a wicked bronze glow. The following trips are designed as an alternative to a typical resort trip while keeping in mind the draw to warmer climates and beachside parties that you just don’t get on the shores of Lake Ontario in the dead of winter. As an added bonus, these trips can be done with $1000 or less, including airfare! Bocas Del Toro, Panama If you want surfing, pristine Caribbean beaches, a myriad of party choices, hostel hopping and fresh fish daily, the archipelago of Bocas del Toro is exactly where you want to be. Instead of a few token-looking locals selling jewelry on a beach dotted with gawking tourists, Bocas allows travelers full immersion into the laid-back Caribbean island culture. After an hour-long water taxi ride from Panama mainland, you arrive in the biggest and most populated island called Isla Colon. Walking down the pedestrian-friendly roads, the streets are dotted with colourful wooden houses and ramshackle cafés converted from houses built by the United Fruit Company in the early twentieth century. Characterized as a quintessential backpacker haven there is no shortage of quality places to stay or eat, scruffy travelers to meet and places to party. For the budget-conscious, there are hostels with and without air-conditioning, private rooms and common spaces to share a beer or two with other travelers. I stayed at Mondu Teitu Hostel in an air-conditioned dorm room with five others for $12 per night. Every morning there are complimentary do-it-yourself banana pancakes in the kitchen, surfboards for rent and colourful hammocks for the mandatory post-surf chill. The staff can help you with anything from locating the most exclusive private beach with the best waves to where the most happening party would be that night. Aqua Lounge, a nightclub just a short water-taxi ride away from the main island, hosts night-long ragers that attract a wide variety of travelers and locals. There is even a pool in the middle of the club with a 12-foot diving tower—but no lifeguards to be seen so swim at your own risk! Water taxis zoom between the various islands for bargain prices—it’s definitely possible to visit a different isolated beach or reef each day of your stay. My favourite spot was the Red Frog Beach. Nestled in a rocky cove and a messy jungle, the white sand is crawling with bright red frogs and barely any tourists. Kick back, read a book, surf some waves and have a smoothie from the stand on the other end of the island … life is perfect! If you get tired of the constant travel talk and nightly parties, hop in a water taxi to Isla Old Basimenthos—brightly coloured wooden houses on stilts in the ocean make you feel like you are living in some sort of Dr. Seuss land creation. Getting there: Fly from Toronto to Panama City ($500 round trip), or to San Jose, Costa Rica ($275 trip). From both cities, there are direct eight hour buses or direct flights ($75 each way) to Changuinola. From there, boats leave on the hour to the various islands in Bocas for $5 per person. Although it seems like a lot of work, you’ll see some beautiful sites along the way and interact with dozens of locals and excited travelers alike. Little Corn Island, Nicaragua Envision this: waking up in a private cabin on the ocean’s shore, walking down the palm-tree lined paths, picking mangos and coconuts for breakfast and snorkeling out 100 feet from your cabin while thousands of tropical fish, nurse sharks and eagle rays swim at your feet. Wait … it’s only 11 a.m.! What should we do for the rest of the day? Explore, eat, adventure, eat, swim and eat again. There is no shortage of activities or interesting people to converse with on this tiny island with a population of 750. “There’s never a dull moment in Little Corn,” according to Area, a magazine devoted to modern travel in an article published on Nov. 26, 2008. “The sport fishing is extraordinary—kingfish, dolphin, jack, snapper and barracuda abound less than a mile offshore … For those who prefer the view from under the surface [there are] three [diving] trips a day, plus a night dive for nocturnal types. And if diving isn’t your thing, there’s snorkeling, kayaking, kiteboarding and windsurfing.” Keep in mind during your trip to Little Corn Island that all adults go by Miss or Mr, then their first name. For all scuba related inquiries, Mr. Derek is your man. Miss Bridget makes the best barracuda dinner, Miss Grace knows all of the island’s history and Mr. Thomas can take you fishing on his boat. I have never been so full and satisfied as I was in my week in the Corn Islands. The local specialty, coconut bread, is baked fresh daily and is made with coconut milk. However, acquiring a loaf can be a bit of a challenge. All coconut bread franchises are run informally out of select homes, with no sign, unless you can detect the wafting baking smells drifting in the island air. Another local specialty, Ron-Don soup, is a fantastic meal representative of the unique island life. The soup is a mixture of ingredients lying around the house and the daily catch of fish. Miss Sofia, the owner of a restaurant on the north side of the island informed me of how to make this delicious concoction. “Bring the coconut milk to a boil and add some Caribbean vegetables—yucca, plantain, sweet potato, palm hearts [and] onions,” she said. “Add crushed fresh garlic and dried thyme to taste. Add a jalapeño if you want some tang! Separately smoke or grill some fish.” As for accommodation, you will be summoned by guesthouse owners as soon as you step off the boat. I stayed at Miss Grace’s, a Rastafarian-decorated assortment of circular cabinas right on the ocean for $7 per night. Although the showers were outdoors and there was no internet, phones or air conditioning, the rustic vibe was surprisingly comfortable. The sheets were clean (a little sandy of course) and there was a restaurant on site that served delicious coconut bread French toast and Nicaraguan tacos. Daily games of beach volleyball kept the energy alive. If you want something a little more upscale, Casa Iguana eco-lodge is definitely your best bet. According to their website, there are “no cars, no phones, no cocktail umbrellas, no jet skis, no movie stars [and] no worries” for $35 per night. They have two private beaches on their property, daily family style dinners prepared by an acclaimed chef from New York and a beautiful veranda with tons of reading material and games. Casa Iguana is also completely self-reliant—they generate all of their own electricity and use local ingredients only. Getting there: Fly from Toronto to Managua, Nicaragua’s capital city ($500 round trip). Fly from Managua to Big Corn Island ($160 round trip). Boat from Big Corn to Little Corn ($5).
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