Originally Posted by
ForeverSteel
I'm headed to calala for a 3 night stay in early Jan, with 1 night stay in Managua before arrival.
A few questions for the experienced:
1. How does tipping work? Who did you give the tip to? How much do you feel is appropriate?
2. I booked a hotel at Globales Camino Real, 5 mins from MGA the night before. I figured it was either that or the best western for the quick airport access. However, part of me wants to book the intercontinental to just experience the best managua has to offer, I do not speak Spanish well, what would you do for your day before and where would you stay for the night?
3. Anyone got vaccinations before hand? I renewed my tetanus and COVID. But the CDC recommends Yellow Fever too. Anyone actually do this?
4. Did anyone bring US dollars or did you exchange for Cordoba before hand?
The GMs will strongly discourage you from tipping at the beginning or during your stay. On your last night, when you pay for any incidentals (massages, premium liquor, cigars), they will give you an option to tip either by credit card, Apple Pay, or cash. Tips are shared amongst the front-of-house and back-of-house staff.
We stayed at the Hyatt Place Managua for 1 night before and 1 night after Calala and thought it was very nice. I have heard the Intercontinental is the nicest hotel in Managua but honestly that's not saying much. You will probably need to leave at 5am anyway so don't put too much thought into it.
If you have a half day or more in Managua, I would highly recommend you go see Granada or Masaya. It is relatively cheap to hire a private driver to take you around for the day and show you all the sites. PM me if you're interested and I can share contact info for the guy we hired.
We did not bother with any new vaccines, though I previously got the Yellow Fever vax in 2014.
There is no need for cash on Calala Island. I went to an ATM in Granada for some Cordoba just to pay the driver, but even that wasn't necessary, as he would have taken USD. Almost every store/restaurant will take major credit cards.