BACKPACKING CENTRAL AMERICA TOP TIPS
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- čas přidán 31. 05. 2024
- My top tips for backpacking, travelling, or just having an adventure on vacation in Central America.
Taking in the Gringo Trail, the backpacking hot spots across Central America, sharing my advice, do’s and dont’s, and ultimately what I wish someone had told me before I headed off on my - extended gap year, ha! - travel adventure.
This video’s not meant to be a definitive Central America travel guide, or even an exhaustive list of Central America backpacking routes or destinations. It’s just my top tips for travelling in Central America from my own experience. (Which was Nicaragua, Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala and Belize - all of Central America except El Salvador!)
If you’re backpacking or even just vacationing in Central or Latin America, let me know, I’d love to hear from you! Send me a pic or message.
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MORE BACKPACKING TIPS: -
NICARAGUA: • BACKPACKING NICARAGUA ...
COSTA RICA: • BACKPACKING COSTA RICA...
PANAMA: • BACKPACKING PANAMA TOP...
SINGAPORE: • BACKPACKING PANAMA TOP...
THAILAND: • BACKPACKING THAILAND T...
VIETNAM: • BACKPACKING VIETNAM TO...
AUSTRALIA: • BACKPACKING AUSTRALIA ...
LAOS: • BACKPACKING LAOS TOP TIPS
FIJI: • BACKPACKING FIJI TOP TIPS
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WHERE ELSE TO FIND ME: -
FACEBOOK: / backpackingb. .
INSTAGRAM: / christianne. .
SNAPCHAT: christianneris
TWITTER: / christianneris
PINTEREST: / christianneris
EMAIL: Business enquiries only please - christiannerisman93@gmail.com
If you want to ask me a quick question, best catch me on Twitter or Snapchat.
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EQUIPMENT USED TO MAKE THIS VIDEO: -
Canon 600D
iMovie
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MY FILMING & EDITING EQUIPMENT:
Panasonic Lumix GH5 amzn.to/2KbIFEt
Canon G7X amzn.to/2yK4NAk
Jobe Gorilla Tripod amzn.to/2tvPqX9
GoPro Hero 5 amzn.to/2KlkyCk
FinalCut Pro amzn.to/2tCeI5e
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Dear lady, even after almost 8 years, your videos are still helpful as heck! I always watch your breakdowns before going somewhere. All your content on SE Asia was super helpful. Will now start getting into the Latin American one ❤ Hope you're having fun in Australia 👋
Great video! Awesome tips can't wait to do central and South America. Weill definitely watch all of your videos to get more information!
That was by far one of the most helpful videos on backpacking that I've watched. You rock.
wddbmm *blushes* no, you rock!
Loved this video!! Keep them coming! I am backpacking for six months this Spring! Thank You Backpacking Bananas!!! :)
Excellent video. Probably going to do be doing this trip soon, so this was an interesting watch.
Great information presented in a lovely manner.
I'll be heading from South East UK to Cuba/Mexico then down through Central America in 4 weeks time. This video was very useful and I'll be looking forward to watching the more country specific ones now too. Thankyou
very knowledgeable and amazing looking forward to the next one helped quite a bit
I absolutely love your videos !!!! So helpful and informative, keep them coming :)
peachpit211 Thank you, I'm so pleased you find them useful! :) x
just look at this, planning my central america trip!! live it, i will stay for 3 months and leaving in 4 months, can't wait for this
Been here since 500 subs. Love your videos, they make me want to work hard and strive to travel the world, your trips are what I dream about 😊 much love from Ireland
donal Mclaughlin Thank you, that makes me so happy to hear! Good luck with whatever trips you plan to take, much love back to you xx
I'm so impressed by the way you printed the map!!!!
I love how strategically positioned the Mexico City and Panama City airports are. I can easily get direct flights to both and travel in between
such a helpful video! also love your editing. writing on the map was a cute and creative idea. thanks for the tips!
I’ve been following you for yeeeears and many other travel vloggers but your videos are always the best and most informative! I’m currently travelling again for the next two years (in Aus now thanks to your past video) and I was umming and ahhing about doing an organised tour in Central America or a DIY but I’m now convinced, I can do it DIY if I just watch your series!! Thank you so much
Love your tips videos! They are all so useful x
Jazz Sirs Thank you Jazz! :) x
very excited for more central america videos :)
very helpful :) I fly to Cancun in October and i cannot wait to get going!
Very Helpful! Thank You!!
Thank you for the tips! The video was awesome!
Just Tamara My pleasure :) x
Loved your video! Greetings from Chile!!
good work, I appreciate that ;) thanks for sharing..
I am planning on going in November 2022. Thank you for all your tips.
These were some pretty great trips! 7 days till I leave, 9-12 weeks. Flight to Guatemala City on the 28th
SUCESS!! Haha 😆😆 Great video, I will be traveling South America soon. Now I might see some of Central America as well 👍🏼👍🏼
Awesome vid thanks
you are a very special person -The video was awesome.
+Guerzon Cazares Thank you, glad you liked it Guerzon! :)
very funny cool and helpful. enjoyed a lot. thank you
Great video!!
Very good video thanks
your eyes are so unbelievably beautiful !!!
Thanks! This was very useful! Know i now that when i went to Mexico i had the budget to travel through whole central-America as well. When i came back home i still had a lot of money, i used that to get a big tattoo on my back reminding me of Mexico and Dia de los muertos. :)
decent video thanks for the info - we reckon we might hit up central america for our second series. Minus the costs of accomodation and travel i reckon we can stretch out our budget pretty well :) great channel btw too congrats!
LOL here are we are 9 months later and guess what - we did it - central america for 9 weeks on $1000 - thanks again to you, this video, and this awesome channel - Merry Christmas!
Four years later, still a trove of great information 😊
Yes!
the google map tip is clutch. well done. I always tell everyone about that. even if you don't have a data plan, it'll still pin point your location somewhat close. just make sure you zoom in to where you want to go while you have wifi. greetings from Pennsylvania, USA.
cplf22 also from PA 👍 going to Guatemala
I know I'm a couple years late but you can download a whole area for offline navigation in Google maps
Welcome to Guatemala, I recommend you to visit Semuc champey, Tikal, Atitlán lake, La Antigua, Monterrico or El paredón.
I find you very entertaining and enjoy learning and listening. I have never stayed in a hostel and would to learn how you select yours, what they look like, and how you secure your stuff.
Thanks for visited My country Honduras...your Spanish is very good and You are Beautiful....Blessings
Excelente pronunciación del español!!! Siempre serás bienvenida a mi país 🇬🇹
you’ve gotta be joking
Agree with you regarding all your suggestions.
I loved this!! I'm hopefully nannying in Italy starting august 2016 until around November time. I want to go home and work for a couple months before going to Central America for 2 months. These videos are really helping me plan although I dunno how much money I'll be able to save in those two months... Might have to make it more like 4! X
***** Good luck with the saving! However long it takes, it will be worth it haha :) x
Amazing!!
You are brilliant!
SOOOO HELPFUL
😊❤️
You honestly should pursue a career in this industry. You're so knowledgeable and talk about it with such passion.
lifeguard2564 Thank you so much, that would be the dream tbh!
And now she has one!
@@TJ-im5kp yay
I had flashbacks of Dora when you started counting in Spanish
Required reading for any Central America trip should be "Look at the Sun" by Don Carswell.
Hey, Thanks for all the tips! I watched all the videos and it's truly helpful :-)
as for the buses and transportation- Is it not too risky to stay away from your luggage during these hours of rides (especially in the chicken buses) how did you deal with that issue?
Thanks
hi! I will be doing my very first solo trip through central america and your videos have been so helpful! My question for you is, when you arrived to Panama, what method of transportation did you choose to take you to the hostel you were staying? Also, did you book the first hostel before you left or did you wait until you arrived to Panama? the same thing goes for the other countries... did you wait to book any hostels or did you do it once you were there?
please do the Honduras & guatemala tips video :)
Awesome video! So concise and edited so well! I have a tendency to ramble :/ I'm currently planning a trip to Mexico and Cuba, very excited! How long did you spend in Mexico? X
BudgetTraveller Thank you lovely :) Oh my God I swear I rambled for like over an hour in filming haha! I'd love to visit Cuba, I was only in Mexico for a week, wish it was longer! x
Wow you missed great colonial and historical places in Honduras like Gracias Lempira, Comayagua, try those next time they are fantastic.
That's one fancy globe!
***** ikr
im from latin america and for everyone who wants to visit mexico you should go to oaxaca and puerto escondido in the south of oaxaca
When do you buy your return ticket? Since you want to be flexible et dont know exactly when you will be coming home (because its a long trip) or if you want to come home sooner, is it a good idea to buy your return ticket before your trip since it is cheaper or you should buy it during your trip? big struggle for me!
hello, im form Brazil and i have some questions!!! heeheh did u go by your own? Is it safe? Im going in a few days!!! im going to do: mexico, belize, guatemala, nicaragua, el salvador, costa rica and panama! Did you book the hostels before the trip? And did you use chicken bus or shuttles to go from one place to another?
Now that I've been to Europe and Southeast Asia I'm itching to go again and this video really makes me want to explore Central and Latin America! Too many places to go, not enough time!
Story of my life Tia haha! You'll make it there eventually!
I'm sure I will :)
what countries would you recommend going to in sept-oct for a month long trip? Assuming i start in Cancun
So did you go to a bank at ever stop along the way and pull out money in each town? Or did you carry all the money that you had with you at all times and exchange it at every boarder? Basically my big question is what is the safest way to carry money?
how long does the trip take?? how difficult would it be for me to backpack from Honduras to Panama city is 3 weeks?
3:00 how much time did you need for this route? (from Panama to Mexico City)?
Hi, I love your channel, it's totally wonderful!
Have you ever considered backpacking South America? It seems so pretty
+Marty Sel I would love to travel South America when I get the chance!
Thanks for all the great tips! :) That video was really helpful! I'm planning to packback central america for 3 months this year. Did you go from Panama upwards or from Mexico downwards??
My plan was to start in Columbia and go up north to Mexico, Cancun. Since I go to Hawaii after, it seems to make more sense this way.
But someone told me that most people do it from Mexico down. Now I'm thinking about changing my plans. Any recommendations? :)
Hey, did u end up doing this trip? Cna I please aks how much it cost in total (exc.home flights)?
Good video!! Love your passion and adventurous spirit. Very general but How long did each country take you to travel?
emmanuel hernandez Thank you! About 1-2 weeks (ish...)
What's ur Instagram or Twitter. I would like to be a fan of your adventures.
emmanuel hernandez Usernames are in the video description! :)
God you are amazing!! Thank for for all of this
+Jayme Leighann Pleasure :)
+Backpacking Bananas 30% mexico is central america and 70% is north america.
Do you need to have visa for each of the countries in Central America?
!!Muchas Gracias!! ?Que creas acerca de Couchsurfing en Americo Central, es seguro?
(Practicing my Spanish...What are your thoughts on safety of using Couchsurfing in Central America?) On to the next video!!!
+Stella Maris *crees *América
Wasn't it very stressful the whole travel from mexico to costa rica in only 9 weeks?
How did you make your map for planning the trip?
nice one ;)
Hi! would you recommand central america to an unexperienced 19 year old backpacker? :)
Hey!
Finding your videos about Central America was sooo helpful! Me, my boyfriend and two of our friends are going backpacking in April for 2 months and when I was searching for more info I stumbled upon your channel.
I'm trying to plan the route now and I noticed that you've crossed pretty much all of Honduras just to go to Utila. To be honest, after everything I read about this country and more specifically the north part, I think I prefer to pass by as quickly as possible. But I was wondering, is Utila worth seeing or we can easily stay on the south side and continue our trip via El Salvador?
Thanks for your time, I'm going back to rewatching the vlogs :)
+Irina Kupenska Hey Irina! I absolutely loved Utila and it was my favourite part of Central America but unless you wish to learn to scuba dive and love to party, it perhaps is not that special and not terrible to miss...
+Backpacking Bananas Hi! It's me again! :)
So it turns out we would have only 6 weeks in Central America and now I'm no a crossroad - should we visit Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua or Mexico, Belize and Guatemala? I don't want to rush the time we have so I think 3 countries is the limit.
I would love to hear what would you do in my situation :)
If it were me, I'd do Mexico, Belize and Guatemala - you've got incredible hiking and adventure in Guatemala, the best snorkelling and diving in the world in Belize, and amazing historic landmarks in Mexico. But if I were someone who was particularly obsessed with either surfing or wildlife, I'd do the other 3. It's a toughie though!
Going to central america
What is the best time to travel to Central America
What about the adventure in Guatemala? any comments?? Great video!
Hi!!! I love your videos - they are so easy to watch, and not boring at all! I was just wondering, given that you stayed in mainly hostels (I think) did you see a great deal of wildlife? Im considering a backpacking trip to central america but i dont know whether I would see enough wildife to satisfy my passion for wild animals by only staying close to the larger cities throughout central america? would i be better taking sleeping equipment and going for longer treks further away from civilization or is this a bad idea?
+Tom Lister Hi Tom! Hmm, I honestly don't have a great deal of experience with camping so I can't confidently advise you about it I'm afraid. You can still see a great deal of wildlife living in hostels though - many are set in towns which really are in the wilderness so you can see lots of wildlife just from day trips
+Backpacking Bananas great, thanks! :)
Oh, yes. Knowing some spanish makes it so much easier. Get Maps.me as an offline map. don't use that google thing.
did u take any vaccination before travelling ?
i want to travel to peru and colombia , any tips ?
Hey, if you had to choose one country to go to in Central America where would it be? I know thats probably a really hard question. But the cheapest way to do my trip is to fly in and out of cancun. So... one week in Mexico, two weeks with the bf in Cuba, and then a week somewhere else? But dont know where to choose, considering I have to fly back out of Cancun. Thank you :) x
BudgetTraveller Taking both geographical proxemics (if that's even a thing) and fun level into account, Guatemala would definitely make the most sense I think!
Is it easy to book hostels as you arrive into each destination or a few days before?
As far in advance as you can is generally better but there will usually be some available upon arrival - you just may not get your first pick!
Hi! I have kind of a random question and I need a bit of reassurance i guess. I'm going to travel through Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica in a month and I was (am) very excited but now I've come across all these documentaries and news clips about murders, gang violence, armed robberies there (especially honduras) and now I'm a bit scared... Did you experience this or felt uneasy when you traveled? My countries travel advise also tells me it's dangerous and stuff.. Kinda worried. Thanks x
Hi Naomi, yup always lots of that in the news unfortunately! I did not experience any of it or felt unsafe when I was there though. Generally that stuff is happening in the big cities and not in the backpacker hot spots :)
I like that English accent. I pray my people treated you with upmost respect and courtesy.
How long did you stay in each country? 7 days?
Thanks for your video's! :)
Did you travel solo or with friends?
I'm from Mexico! Gringos are specifically the US residents. And you are SO right about the taxis. Sadly they are really abusive indeed sometimes. What places did you visited from here? :D
asissibooksEN In Mexico, I just visited Tulum, Playa Del Carmen, Chichen Itza and Isla Mujeres. I wish I had time to explore more but I'll definitely be back :)
What are the hostels you went in Guatemala?:)
SUCCESS! :)
Your videos are my absolute favourite! I'm going to do 2 months around Central America in October, and I've just started the intensive planning process, so I cannot wait for more tips videos! Is there a particular guide book you used/would recommend?
Also, did you travel alone? Would say that it is fine for a young solo female traveler as long as you excersise common sense?
Lauren Thompson Yay, I'm so pleased they are useful! A lot of people had the Lonely Planet Central America guide book which I'd always peek in if I had the chance - it was very helpful! And yes I did travel on my own the for the majority of my trip!
+Backpacking Bananas Hi, just wondering if your $3k budget included the Open Water Scuba diving course? Or was that an extra expense?
Good question! It was included! (cost me $250 for 5 day course including accommodation)
You really don’t need the background music! It’s a bit loud.
About how much money should I have saved up before going on a trip through Central America?
Depends how long you want to go for and what activities you're planning on doing!
1,500 euros if you are planning on staying 2 weeks this includes all fun you can get there. Believe me you will want to stay longer than that
What were your favorites countries in this region?:)
I think that if you want to travel to some country search a little bit about that country, try to find some friend in this country to can give you advices, maybe she or he can guide you in the city or places to you should to visit, and if you have some trouble you can call for help in this country. I'm living in Guatemala and if someone wants information or more tips of Guatemala than this beutiful girl give us you can contact me :)
Why didn't you go to El Salvador?
América Latina hablamos español , excepto Brasil y las Guyanas ahí si es un lenguaje diferente
how long did you spend in central america?
9-10 weeks :)
Lol El Salvador is so Small, oh well I still love El Salvador.
I'm from El Salvador
me 2
Did you find a lot of people were going from Panama to Mexico? As oppose to Mexico to Panama? I'm keen to do Panama to Mexico so that I end up in Mexico in time for carnaval. But don't want to go against the majority as I'll be solo!
I think the majority flow direction depends on the time of year but there is always people travelling in both directions so I wouldn’t get too caught up on this!
you looked so different back then