In love with Nicaragua

When Jan studied International Studies at the Utrecht University of Applied Sciences, he decided to do an internship at the sandinistic newspaper Barricada. That was his first introduction to Nicaragua. During his subsequent studies he went for the second time. This time to study at the University of Managua. "When I finished that study, it turned out that the love between me and Nicaragua was deeper. In 2002 I returned to Nicaragua without a clear goal. I would see what the country would bring me." Now he has a successful local agency there. "That hasn't always been easy. When I arrived there, I had already made contact with a Dutch travel agency for which I occasionally accompanied trips. At one point it turned out that the local organisation was not having its affairs in order. My Dutch contact was looking for an alternative. Then I decided to make an offer myself. To my amazement it was approved. I could get to work."

Idyllic coastlines

According to Jan, the reason why tourism is only now starting to pick up is because Nicaragua was classified as an unsafe country for years. Today, it is one of the safest countries in Central America. The infrastructure is excellent and driving a rental car is very convenient here. It has the same nature as its neighbour Costa Rica. Nicaragua is rich in beautiful volcanoes, cloud forests and lowland jungle. It has an idyllic coastline on both the Caribbean and Pacific coasts. You will also find two of the most beautiful historic cities of the Latin American continent: Granada and León. Jan: "I've been planning to offer other countries for a while, but I've decided to concentrate on Nicaragua and go deeper into it. I am glad that I have made this decision."