I do wish we couldve made more use of the swim-up bar in the pool, although the windy weather on that side of the island made it hard to spend any quality time there. In fact, we were warned to keep clear of the coconut trees as much as possible to avoid an unwanted concussion. This is one of the best! The resort asked when we were arriving, because when we landed in Managua the night before, Nestor met us upon arrival. While Calala Island is small and intimate at only 11 acres in size, it fully maximizes its area for guests enjoyment. I guess this is the coastal entry point to Nicaragua, which is why this is there. How long does it take? Id certainly loved to have stayed on the island for longer during our last day and taken advantage of the midday flight, so Id recommend planning your visit to Calala Island once La Costea hopefully restores full services in the near future. Whether it was curling up with a good book, watching the sunset, or simply sneaking in afternoon nap, our hammock was our happy place. Speaking of beaches, its worth noting that the beaches on Calala are dotted around the coastline, rather than surrounding the entire island evenly. Meanwhile, Jessy was decidedly less enthusiastic about another bumpy boat ride, but she was still a good sport in accompanying me. The open ocean part of the video had me straight up laughing the entire time. The plane has bench seats, rather than Individual ones. The check-in agent was friendly, and handed us a laminated boarding pass with a number, as well as a bottle of water with a baggage tag on it. . Calala Island. In addition to the weather playing a role, some of the other activities were also affected by the ongoing pandemic. The daily flight to Bluefields is actually designed to serve an additional community, Corn Islands, as well. Prior to our stay Mandy was in touch with us, who is in charge of the pre-stay experience for guests. I am sure you have been to Maldives and you know they have seaplanes there which are fantastic . Time to get up and move about the house . Rediscover paradise where 'anything is possible' We were staying March 7-10, 2020, and for our dates we were advised of two options for our transfers: To get from Managua Airport to Calala Island, we either had to be at the airport at 5:45AM or 1PM Enjoy four beautiful suites which were carefully designed with guests in mind. Value 4.4. [Calala Island $2,300 @ 40K Hyatt Points] I just booked 3 nights at Calala Island in Nicaragua for 120,000 Hyatt Points. Breakfast is generally served at the main pavilion from 7am to 11am. There are two ways to get to Calala Island; directly by helicopter or by taking a short flight from Managua to Bluefield's, before boarding a traditional Nicaraguan boat that will take you through lush mangroves to the island's dock. On the first night, we indulged in a round of rum tasting, trying out several of Nicaraguas renowned Flor de Caa rums. I've always wanted to explore Bluefields. We also opted for a garden salad one day, hoping to balance out our daily gargantuan meals with a healthier item. Nestor met us there at 5:30AM sharp, and he escorted us right to the front of the line, which was almost awkward, since they even have a special Calala Island VIP counter. ternary operator with multiple conditions in angular. It was so bumpy I bruised my tailbone and had trouble sitting and laying down for many days afterwards. Service 4.9. The former group chat can be used to ask questions, communicate any special requests, or simply plan out your day with the general managers, whereas the second chat line is used for simple requests like getting something delivered to your villa or ordering a drink to wherever you are on the island. :) - One thing to note is they do have full body nice ponchos if it rains on the boat, we had to use them for 20 minutes and never got wet. Our boat captain expertly navigated through the windswept waves. Lastly, the managers command centre and the staffs quarters are found in the middle of the island, maintaining a low-key presence as they work to put on an amazing experience for the guests. Pretty much identical travel experience with few exceptions: 1. Meanwhile, Jessy kept to smaller portions of muesli and fruit, as she was still feeling full from dinner on the previous nights. Would You Travel With Transparent Luggage? On the ATR42 you board through the rear, since the cargo hold is in the front of the plane, behind the cockpit. Is availability based on the regular BA award chart? Is this transfer from the airport in Managua directly to Calala island? As part of the pre-dinner drinks, the staff always tries to prepare some kind of special surprise for the guests on each night. I ordered a pizza for one of our lunch sittings, more out of curiosity than anything, and it turned out pretty well. The high quality of your travel posts never ceases to amaze me. Indeed, I thought that our interactions with the staff and fellow guests added a very welcome layer of friendship and bonding to our experience at Calala. Its just as lonely a place as it is mysterious. Below you can see us leaving the coastline (right where Bluefields is) and crossing some of the Caribbean Sea to get to Corn Island. Mandy confirmed with me the PCR testing requirements for entering Nicaragua, as well as any dietary preferences and special requests that we had for our stay. calala island helicopter transfer. Stepping down onto the sand, theres two recliners for soaking in the sunshine, and then what we found to be the single-best place to relax on the property: acasita with a giant, sturdy hammock that can comfortably fit two. Youre free to interact with the staff as much or as little as youd like. Join our Sunday newsletter to get weekly updates delivered straight to your inbox. Can't help you with the bad back other than suggesting you do your stretching exercises daily. Calala Island guests enjoy a VIP priority queue, and the La Costea staff member inspected our documents and waved us through no need for boarding passes or anything like that. I actually dont disagree with Ford, at least as far as hotel transfers go. The ideal retreat for small groups, the island has just four villas accommodating up to 8 guests. To make arrangements, contact the property with arrival details prior to travel, using the phone number on your booking confirmation . Offering a world of discovery spanning romantic beaches, dense tropical groves, and secluded sand bars . Wed then stay at the Best Western Las Mercedes Airport, which is right across the road from Managuas Augusto C. Sandino International Airport. Recommended Fly to Bluefields, travel. Enduring this is the cost of admission to Calala Island, I guess. I hope you get him a helicopter back. The articles and content on this site are of a general informational nature only and should not be relied upon for individual circumstances. To be perfectly clear, I felt totally safe, and didnt feel like it was dangerous at all. Quite an adventure, and we got totally drenched during the hour long ride to the island. One of the crew had to jump out and sort of guide the boat. The reason this suddenly became relevant in our world was because Calala Island belongs to Small Luxury Hotels of the World, and they have a partnership with Hyatt. Lol. Non-alcoholic drinks flowed just as freely, from your regular soft drinks, to fresh-cut young coconuts by the beach, to cappuccinos on the hammock. FOR BEING THE BLOGGER WHO -- IN TRYING TIMES -- KEEPS THE SPIRIT OF TRAVEL ADVENTURE ALIVE AND MANAGES TO TAKE US ALONG FOR A CRAZY BOAT RIDE. Prior to our stay Mandy was in touch with us, who is in charge of the pre-stay experience for guests. As the boat pulled into the main jetty, we were greeted by a couple of songsters, along with our hosts and the resorts general managers, Claudia and Leon. To arrange for check-in, guests must contact the property in advance of arrival using the information on the booking confirmation. From there, it was time for the real adventure: the last 4 km stretch of open ocean to reach Calala Island. Platinum members get access to a Discord chat server, participation on exclusive livestreams, and even better discounts and early access. LOL. If you ever want to use your Bonvoy points for North Island, you will need to take a helicopter. Enjoy local and international cuisine, a beachfront location, and al fresco dining at the two onsite restaurants. Two of the Junior Suites are made available for World of Hyatt members to book on points on any given night. I would note that the bathroom door wouldnt close and the light in there wouldnt turn on, but otherwise the experience was fine. Heres how the transfer is described in the email to guests: You will motor through the lagoons and mangroves on a traditional Nicaraguan open top speed boat, taking in an array of wildlife and then out to sea where the waters clear and you catch your first glimpse of your island home where ice cold cocktails will be awaiting your arrival. While the boat ride from Bluefields was something that I personally relished as an adrenaline junkie, youll probably feel less enthusiastic about it if you prefer a more serene start to your island getaway. From here, guests can take a thrice-daily, 50-minute commercial connection to Bluefields (flight transfer included in rental price), where they will be met by a representative of the island and taken to the nearby harbour. The ride back to Bluefields was definitely less bumpy, but still quite the "experience". Essentially they operate the flight to Bluefields in conjunction with the flight to Corn Island, which is a popular Nicaraguan vacation destination off the coast. The island lies in the Pearl Cays of the Caribbean Sea, just off the coast of Nicaragua; the area is known locally as the NiCaribbean. However, I would gladly do them over again than take your open water journey that had me bracing with every bump at the seat of my computer. In exchange for those points, you'll enjoy a two-bedroom villa covering nearly 5,000 square feet. . I would be seriously pissed off if I spent $2800 cash/ night And have to endure that kind of transfer to come to this resort. The first two meals of the day are meant to be taken casually at your leisure, but dinner is always dressed up as a more fulsome experience for the guests. But what did you use for transfers to and from the Hyatt place by the airport? The owner of this site is not an investment advisor, financial planner, nor a legal or tax professional. We were assigned Suite 2: Kakabila. With champagne and Piton Beer options available and the best vehicles and drivers on the island . There are two bars on the island: the pool bar on the northern side, and the main bar on the southern side. We discovered 3 nights of availability over Labor Day weekend almost exactly 13 months in advance. Calala Islands four beachfront suites are composed of one Master Suite and three Junior Suites. Location 4.5. Shorvin let us know to use the bathroom here if we needed to, as we wouldnt have many opportunities to do so on the journey ahead. With ample space for up to ten discerning guests, the island is the perfect hideaway for all adventurers who like to travel off the beaten track. Now, Jessy and I made the effort to chat with everyone quite a bit throughout our stay. Calala Island has a Managua Airport representative, Nestor. redeem 40,000 World of Hyatt points per night for a stay here, We flew to Managua Airport the evening before, Oops: I Booked Redeyes Six Nights In A Row. That was really funny, thanks for the video. I booked a three night stay for this August before the availability dried up, but now suspect that may be prime hurricane season. you can splurge on an 80-minute helicopter flight. It was clear that both the general managers, whove plied their trade on island resorts for an entire career, and the local staff, who mostly hail from the nearby Caribbean Nicaragua communities, took a great deal of pride in their work and would always go the extra mile to give their guests the best possible time here. As for the living quarters, the villas at Calala Island make for a very cozy beachfront home during your time on the island but I dare say that they arent necessarily the highlight of the resort. In hindsight, Im glad that Claudia gave Jessy a heads-up about what to expect, as I dont think Jessy wouldve been a very happy boat passenger otherwise. Included in our rates, we arrange a short internal flight to Bluefields (50 minutes) followed by a scenic boat ride (90 minutes) to the Island. As part of the lunch service on the second day, one of the chefs prepared some NiCaribbean jerk chicken for us in live-action. The suite consists of a bedroom and a bathroom, connected to each other in an open-air style. In our case the transitions from inland waters to the open ocean and back were quite dramatic, as it occurred at the mouth of a river with a strong current. An oasis of serenity, Calala Island is located in the idyllic Pearl Cays along Nicaragua's Caribbean coast. Since it was a bit early to get started with cocktails, we asked for some coffee and coconuts to sip on as Claudia walked us through everything we needed to know during our three-night stay. Calala Islands spa is perched on its northeastern corner, accessible via paths and boardwalks from either the northern or southern coasts. Small Luxury Hotels (SLH) - Calala island, Nicaragua - Originally Posted by njvandy My wife and I completed a 5-night stay in late April. Not only are three meals per day included at Calala Island, but so too are unlimited drinks at the bar or indeed anywhere, since the staff is happy to serve you drinks no matter which corner of the island you find yourself. Instead, youll most likely be taking advantage of the resorts complimentary round-trip transfers, which includes a flight from Managua to the city of Bluefields, a taxi ride through Bluefields, and then a 90-minute boat ride to the island. Take the daily housekeeping for example: housekeeping is carried out twice per day, once in the mornings and once in the evenings. Take advantage of a free roundtrip airport shuttle, a swim-up bar, and a poolside bar at Calala Island. 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