Published on Travelbinger Nicaragua is called the land of lakes and volcanoes for good reason. Nowhere in the country better demonstrates that than Ometepe Island. Plopped in the middle of Lake Nicaragua, also called Lake Cocibolca – the largest freshwater lake in Central America and one of the largest in the world – the island is formed by two massive volcanoes, Concepción and Maderas, joined by an isthmus in the center. I visited in November, and it was my favorite place I

Published on Travelbinger The Panamanian legend of La India Dormida (The Sleeping Indian Girl) tells of a beautiful indigenous girl, Flor del Aire, who fell in love with a Spanish conquistador. Flor was the daughter of the great chief Urracá, who was fighting the conquistadors, so this love was forbidden. Yaraví, a great indigenous warrior, loved Flor, and took his own life due to Flor’s rejection. Overcome with grief and regret at having betrayed her people and caused Yaraví

Published on Travelbinger Central and South America are typically ranked right above Southeast and South Asia on lists of most affordable regions of the world to travel. But not all countries in a region are the same. I backpacked through Central America – although I skipped Honduras — this past September through December and noticed drastic price variation between the six Central American countries I visited. Backpacking through a country is going to give a different experie

Published on Travelbinger Guatemala is a country with so much to offer, from stunning nature like Lake Atitlán, Semuc Champey and Acatenango Volcano, to ancient Mayan ruins like the famous Tikal, to the colonial charm of the city of Antigua. The heavy Mayan influence can be felt all throughout the country, from the delicious food to the traditional clothing many of the women wear. With one of the highest indigenous populations of any Latin American nation, there is so much vi