[Tiguere]

The last part of my Central American jaunt had me in the capital of Nicaragua, Managua. I rented a hotel room for the month, but schedule a few weekend side trips. So I was only in Managua for 23 days total.

The city itself is somewhat of a shithole. It’s not pretty by any stretch of the imagination and there really is not any center to speak of. However, I enjoyed my time there.

I utilized 20Nation’s datasheet on Managua along with advice from Papi Rico before I arrived.

Pro’s

You Are Exotic: There are not many foreigners in Managua whatsoever. Occasionally, a backpacker will stay in a hostel for a few days, but mostly typically skip the capital and head to the beach. This means you have a lot of value here.

Cheap: Managua is dirt cheap. You can get a good and filling meal for $2 at food stands or $3-4 at the food court in the mall. A nice meal in a restaurant ranges from $5-9. A beer in bars like Chaman is less than a dollar. In the nicest nightlife district in the city a beer is $2 and a mixed drink is $3.

Fairly Safe: I never felt threatened in Managua and I walked all over around Metrocentro mall during the nights. I even walked to Chaman wasted once and never felt nervous.

Con’s

Quality: The women of Nicaragua are not gorgeous so to speak. In fact, out of the 4 Central American countries I visited they are at the bottom of the barrel in terms of looks. However, due to your exotic value you will be able to reach the upper tier here. Just don’t expect to see a ton of stunners.

Day Game Opportunities: While I am not a big day gamer, you will not find many opportunities in Managua to day game as the average girl on the street is hideous. Even girls working in the mall were not very impressive.

Where To Stay

Due to the sheer shitiness of Managua, your lodging options are limited. You'll want to stay near Metrocentro mall or Gallerias Santo Domingo.

There are not a ton of options available online apartment wise. I would check AirBnb, Craigslist, and Encuerta24…but don’t expect much.

However, due to Managua being cheap you can find reasonably priced hotels in nice areas fairly easily.

The three hotels around UCA and close to Metrocentro mall are a good start. Hotel Aloha, Hotel Casa Real, and Hotel El Almendro are all good options.

A taxi driver I met said he knew of a few hotels in good locations that were nice (clean w/ A/C) for $15-18 a night.

Day Game

Like I had previously stated, there are not many day game opportunities in Managua. I am not a big day gamer, but I make approaches if I know I would regret not talking to a girl. This didn’t happen once during the day in Managua outside of the gym.

If you want to try your hand at day game here, I recommend hitting the nicest mall only, Gallerias Santo Domingo. The other malls simply do not have great quality.

Outside of the malls, day gaming is limited because Managua really doesn’t have a city center. UCA is the best university to try your hand at, but sometimes the guards need to see a student ID to get in. Tell them you need to go to the basketball courts and they should let you in.

Lastly, the main park has a few day game options on occasion. The park has 8-10 basketball courts, 10-12 soccer fields, and a few volleyball courts. It is packed with people in the afternoons. Parque Luis Alfonso Veracruz Flores is the name I believe.

Night Game

I enjoyed the nightlife in Managua, but I limited myself to a few main spots.

Moods, which I heard used to be great had relocated and is no longer good. However, Chaman is a great spot. I had a great time every single time I went. The beer and drinks are dirt cheap. It’s an extra $1 to get “VIP” access and worth it. Beer is cheap and you can get a bottle of rum for $18 I believe with mixers. The girls here are not necessarily the hottest, but they put out pretty easy after a date. I didn’t get an ONS here, but had multiple numbers from here convert like lay-ups. The spot is best on Thursdays, but good on Fridays as well. Dead on Saturday. It’s pretty sweet looking as it’s shaped like a huge pyramid.

The only other spot I frequented in Managua was the bar area at Gallerias Santo Domingo. The area is only good on weekends, but Wednesday is ladies night at Alta Bar. If you have a dire need to go out on Wednesday in Managua, go there.

Otherwise on weekends check out Alta Bar and Karaoke Bar. The spot across from Karaoke Bar is good too, but I forgot the name. This area is where the wealthiest and best looking in Managua head to on the weekends.


Online Game

The online options in Managua are quite limited, however the girls using online dating will meet up and the girls online are hotter than the ones you will see during the day by far.

Give Tinder, Latin American Cupid, and OkCupid a try. They all worked well for me. I would advise all to avoid Badoo in Managua. Luckily, I noticed this before ever meeting up with any chicks from Badoo there, but most of the good-looking “chicks” on Badoo in Managua are trannies. Just avoid it.

My Experiences

I had a great time in Managua. I lived cheaply in a hotel and banged 7 chicks in my 23 days here. The quality was fairly decent. Some of the girls were average, but you can touch the top quality girls (top quality being “8’s” there) in Managua simply due to being foreign. There is also a small modeling scene here that is not too tough to get into and bed a few hot girls.

[Merenguero]

MasculineProfiles is basically rising from the dead (70 posts in over a year) to drop some serious gems on the forum. His Nicaragua and El Salvador data is excellent.

[Tiguere]

(12-30-2014 06:54 PM)Merenguero Wrote:  

MasculineProfiles is basically rising from the dead (70 posts in over a year) to drop some serious gems on the forum. His Nicaragua and El Salvador data is excellent.

Need to spend more time on RVF, but 2014 was a busy year. I wanted to post all the data I collected and experiences to help any other guys traveling as I always check RVF when doing research on a locale.

Will be on RVF much more in 2015. Glad you liked the data.

[20Nation]

Nice data sheet. Sounds like you did pretty well. You are right about the women, but strangely enough it was still my favorite central american place by far.

[Tiguere]

(12-31-2014 08:30 AM)20Nation Wrote:  

Nice data sheet. Sounds like you did pretty well. You are right about the women, but strangely enough it was still my favorite central american place by far.

I'm torn between Nicaragua and Panama. Nicaragua is cheaper, but Panama City is a much nicer city than anything Nicaragua has to offer. I definitely enjoyed my time in both places though.

Costa Rica was my least favorite and El Salvador is too dangerous for my tastes.

[ridiculous_nicholas]

Glad you posted this. I follow theflightdeal.com every day, and every few months there will be a deal with American Airlines that you can fly to any major city in Central America for $300-$400. I always want to jump on it but can never pull the trigger once I start reading about the cities. Its often state that Nicaragua is the safest country in CA, which I believe but then you read the stipulation that its the safest with the exception of Managua. I realize that most of the shit you read about the safety in cities and countries is complete overblown hype. Most of the victims are slow moving targets, and we all know, you just can't be the softest target in the area. That said:

1. Could you expand a little more on the safety. Do you look hispanic, and do you have a good command of Spanish. Despite what you hear about Rio, I have stumbled around there at all hours with no problems also. Do you think the safety issue is overblown? I'm not worried about getting robbed, I'm mostly worried about getting kidnapped, tortured, and killed. I know that sounds extreme, but CA is about the only place you read about common kidnappings.

2.There is a Hilton and an Intercontinental there right? Probably not a good option for a 20 day stay, but did you happen to see those places? Are they legit?

3. What is the english level there? I am guessing almost non-existant.

[20Nation]

(12-31-2014 11:36 AM)MasculineProfiles Wrote:  

(12-31-2014 08:30 AM)20Nation Wrote:  

Nice data sheet. Sounds like you did pretty well. You are right about the women, but strangely enough it was still my favorite central american place by far.

I'm torn between Nicaragua and Panama. Nicaragua is cheaper, but Panama City is a much nicer city than anything Nicaragua has to offer. I definitely enjoyed my time in both places though.

Costa Rica was my least favorite and El Salvador is too dangerous for my tastes.

I agree on everything you said. Although I didn't go to El Salvador. But I would still choose Nicaragua over Panama pretty easily. Maybe it's because it's amazing for a budget traveler or the awesome nightlife.

[Menace]

Nicaragua sounds basically like the Philippines, but much closer if you're based in the US. Actually, MasculineProfiles have you been to the Phils? If so, how would you compare them?

[Tiguere]

(12-31-2014 03:18 PM)20Nation Wrote:  

(12-31-2014 11:36 AM)MasculineProfiles Wrote:  

(12-31-2014 08:30 AM)20Nation Wrote:  

Nice data sheet. Sounds like you did pretty well. You are right about the women, but strangely enough it was still my favorite central american place by far.

I'm torn between Nicaragua and Panama. Nicaragua is cheaper, but Panama City is a much nicer city than anything Nicaragua has to offer. I definitely enjoyed my time in both places though.

Costa Rica was my least favorite and El Salvador is too dangerous for my tastes.

I agree on everything you said. Although I didn't go to El Salvador. But I would still choose Nicaragua over Panama pretty easily. Maybe it's because it's amazing for a budget traveler or the awesome nightlife.

Budget wise it's tough to beat. The value you could get in Chaman for $20 was incredible. For $20, you could get taxis to and from your hotel, entry into the club, 8-10 beers, and street food as you go home.

[olspice1588]

Damn, when I visited Managua, I hated it. Must not have hit the same venues as you guys.

Panama is fun as hell, though. Panama City and Bocas del Toro.

[Tiguere]

(12-31-2014 04:01 PM)Menace Wrote:  

Nicaragua sounds basically like the Philippines, but much closer if you're based in the US. Actually, MasculineProfiles have you been to the Phils? If so, how would you compare them?

I haven't been to the Philippines or any part of Asia for that matter, so I have no basis for comparison.

However, I am pretty sure 20Nation has so hopefully he will chime in.

[Tiguere]

(12-31-2014 04:04 PM)olspice1588 Wrote:  

Damn, when I visited Managua, I hated it. Must not have hit the same venues as you guys.

Panama is fun as hell, though. Panama City and Bocas del Toro.

The city itself isn't great, but there are a few great nightlife venues. Plus, the girls who are actually using online dating are more attractive than girls during the day and eager to meet up with foreigners.

[Tiguere]

(12-31-2014 12:43 PM)ridiculous_nicholas Wrote:  

Glad you posted this. I follow theflightdeal.com every day, and every few months there will be a deal with American Airlines that you can fly to any major city in Central America for $300-$400. I always want to jump on it but can never pull the trigger once I start reading about the cities. Its often state that Nicaragua is the safest country in CA, which I believe but then you read the stipulation that its the safest with the exception of Managua. I realize that most of the shit you read about the safety in cities and countries is complete overblown hype. Most of the victims are slow moving targets, and we all know, you just can't be the softest target in the area. That said:

1. Could you expand a little more on the safety. Do you look hispanic, and do you have a good command of Spanish. Despite what you hear about Rio, I have stumbled around there at all hours with no problems also. Do you think the safety issue is overblown? I'm not worried about getting robbed, I'm mostly worried about getting kidnapped, tortured, and killed. I know that sounds extreme, but CA is about the only place you read about common kidnappings.

2.There is a Hilton and an Intercontinental there right? Probably not a good option for a 20 day stay, but did you happen to see those places? Are they legit?

3. What is the english level there? I am guessing almost non-existant.

Nicaragua is safe especially the nice parts of Managua where you will be staying. I speak horrid Spanish and look extra gringo.

Both the Hilton and IC are right around the hotel I stayed at. The IC is sick and has a great lounge for dates.

English level isn't impressive, but I found a number of people could speak some.

[20Nation]

(12-31-2014 04:05 PM)MasculineProfiles Wrote:  

(12-31-2014 04:01 PM)Menace Wrote:  

Nicaragua sounds basically like the Philippines, but much closer if you're based in the US. Actually, MasculineProfiles have you been to the Phils? If so, how would you compare them?

I haven't been to the Philippines or any part of Asia for that matter, so I have no basis for comparison.

However, I am pretty sure 20Nation has so hopefully he will chime in.

It's similar to Phil in a lot of ways, but in Nicaragua there are girls (usually the middle to upper class) that are really difficult to get on the first date. That's something I pretty much never ran into in Phil. And spanish is pretty essential.

[bootyhuntah]

Solid sheet. +1 from me. I will add a few things. For the budget-minded folks like myself, you can stay in an area called Bolonia which is centered around the Ticabus station. There are plenty of hostels and hotels in the $15/night range including private room w/ cool shower/bathroom with fan, wifi, etc. Ask about guest policies beforehand to be sure. Additionally, there is a pretty tasty American-style rib place called Jimmy Three Fingers just a 2 minute walk from this cluster of accommodation.

The entry price for Club Chaman was 100 córdobas for regular entry on a Thursday night and 150 for VIP (upstairs) access. Toña beers 30 cords and 5 year Flor de Caña and sodas 20 cords. Cheapest club I've possibly ever been to with a decent amount of bangable girls and good music for dancing (latin and electronic). Tried to bring back a smoking 29 year-old (who picked me up) on my only night there but I blew it.

Exchange rate now is right around 27 cords to 1 USD.

Worthwhile to semi-worthwhile trips from here are:

LEON

(1-2 nights): Not sure how to get here from Managua as I came from the border of Honduras via Chinendega.

Overall, wasn't impressed with the nightlife here. It seems very small and limited and not really that busy even when I arrived lateish on a Saturday night. There seems to be a lot of younger people here though, think early 20's / late teens. I think there is a university. Your mileage may vary but I prefer Granada in almost every aspect in comparison to León.

This is the place to go volcano-boarding, if that is your thing.

I met a couple cute girls in other towns that were from León, for what it's worth.

Solid breakfast spot: Desayunazo. Eat here for a great Nica or Western style breakfast. Free wifi.

GRANADA
(2-3 nights): roughly 45 mins to 1hr and 24 cords. Take an air-conditioned microbus from UCA station in Managua. Very pretty architecture and pleasant town overall, albeit hot as balls. I stayed in a place called de Boca en Boca or something like that. Paid about $11 per night for a private room with shower/bath (after some negotiating) - no problems bringing a girl here. After-hours you let yourself in with a front door key.

In all this town is not recommended for local girls in my limited (3 days mid-week) experience. I did hit on the first cute local girl (thin, nubile 23 y/o but with a kid) - walking with her fatty friend I saw. They were walking on the Calzada (main drinking/restaurant street) around 3 PM on a Tuesday and I approached with, "Donde está el agua?" The massive Lake Nicaragua to which I was referring was literally 100m in front of us, lol. Very luckily, she took the bait and I ended up exchanging numbers and meeting up later that night for a beer at Kelly's Bar. Long story short, I probably could've ended up banging her that night, but she had to get home to her kid. I ending up banging the next day in the bathroom of a bar at Laguna de Apoyo which is a worthy day trip from Granada for sure.

Didn't find anywhere here with decent coffee. The place that was recommended, Fitzcarraldo, in the main parque central didn't appear to be open when I visited.

Pasteleria Maria Elena's for pretty tasty and cheap sweet treats, including an interesting take on tres leches cake.

Monna Lisa had decent pizza, I hear their house-made pasta is nice.

Kelly's Bar seems to draw an interesting mix of locals and foreigners in organized tour groups but I didn't see much worth approaching here middle of the week. But it seems this could be a decent place on weekends when there are more people and there is probably more dancing. Toñas were about 40 cords each here.

Friday night is lady's night at Reilly's Bar. Never went so I can't really advise further.

Get a massage at Seeing Hands Blind Massage. It was $16 for an hour for a firm oil massage, and worth it in my opinion....but still nothing compared to Thailand value-wise.

MATAGALPA
(2 or so nights): 2 hours and 72 cords by expreso (chicken/school bus) service from the Mayoreo bus station in the NE of Managua. This is a nice little city which has a pleasant cool climate up in the hills as compared to Managua and other lower-lying areas. Saw more bangable local girls here during the daytime than anywhere else thus far in Nicaragua (Managua, León, Granada, Masaya). Counted about 10 girls that I would bang on a Monday afternoon between 3-4PM. Hit on a few girls in the park in Parque Dario but the interactions didn't really lead anywhere...girls seemed pretty shy.

Great coffee can be had at Seleccíon Nicaraguense. There are two locations, one near the cathedral and one at the Parque Dario. You can pick up freshly roasted single origin Nicaraguan beans and you can order a delicious espresso (I prefer the Parque Dario location as they have more adept baristas here in my experience). Good date place also with free wifi.

Castillo del Cacao - solid chocolate place about 3km outside of town. Worth a visit to pick up some respectable Nicaraguan chocolate made on site.

Solid homemade ice cream at Besame in Parque Dario. Don't waste your time at Eskimo..

Delicous Nica breakfast at Comedor Coco next to the Mercadito a few blocks from the cathedral. There is no sign but you can get a great brekkie for 50 cords including two eggs, gallopinto, cheese, tortillas and crema, plus a water or juice if that's your thing.

Not much night life from what I can tell here. If your spanish and day game is solid, you may find a niche here. But this place is more to absorb culture and escape the heat of the Nicaraguan lowlands and replenish your coffee stash.

CORN ISLANDS

Certainly not a pickup place, these islands are not recommended for the single guy community in my opinion. It is a nice getaway with fairly beautiful beaches and clean air away from the bustling cities of Managua, etc. If you go, I suggest the 1 hr flight from Managua as the trip over land and water is pretty gruelling (time-consuming and uncomfortable).

SAN JUAN DEL SUR

Could be a place to come on the weekends. I brought a local girl here from Masaya on a Sunday (later staying one more night solo), and there seemed to be a big party happening with tons of gringos and foreigners on a bar crawl. The last stop seemed to be a place right on the main beach in town, commencing around 9-10PM or so. It seemed very sloppy here, but there were plenty of makeouts and sleazy dancing which means that it appears you can pick up the drunk backpacker type here if that's your niche.

The beach itself is fine for swimming (perhaps not so for surfing) and the water temp was pleasantly cool and refreshing. This is where I would come for day game sessions as there were a few cute girls in bikinis walking around in groups or solo during the daytime.

Gato Negro, the coffee shop seemed to be a good day game spot as well, though I never tried the coffee as I had my own.

I recommend staying at the Hospedaje on the main street (bisects the Paseo del Rey) coming into town about a half block from the beach from Iguana Bar. They have nice big clean private rooms with a fan and a hot/warm water private shower for 270 cords or $10 per night. And it stays cool in the building somehow. Plus a nice kitchen with free filtered water. Guest friendly - won't be an issue here.