2019 Check-in from 12:00-12:30FREE Check-out FREE. In addition, waiting out the COVID-19 pandemic may be a good idea so that you can experience the full range of activities and catch a later departure flight on your last day. Arriving into Calala Island is not for the faint-hearted. Just to give you a sense of how time consuming the transfer process was, we left the Hyatt Place Managua at 5AM, and we only made it to the resort at around 11AM, so it took about six hours door-to-door. 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. Upon your arrival, youre set up with a WhatsApp chat group with Claudia and Leon, as well as a separate WhatsApp line to the front-of-house team. Arranging Transfers To Calala Island. Location: Nicaragua Points: World of Hyatt Category 8 from 35,000 World of Hyatt points per night (off-peak pricing) Nicaragua may not be the first spot to come to mind when you . Another private island hotel in Thailand, Cape Fahn is located just off the coast of Ko Samui, one of the country's most popular . Join our Sunday newsletter to get weekly updates delivered straight to your inbox. How long does it take . We take care of all transfers from the airport to and from Calala Island. Calala Island is a Category 8 property, meaning it costs between 35,000 and 45,000 points per night. So my mention of safety was supposed to be positive, that I didn't experience any issues and felt comfortable. Posted by jeanetteknutti. 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. Dessert was a Nicaraguan buuelo with house-made ice cream. First up, the boat makes its way through the surrounding lagoon. Pretty much identical travel experience with few exceptions: 1. I wasn't aware that there is an airfield on Corn Island. What happened in your situation? It jumps from one consideration to Review: Aeromexico 737 Business Class Mexico City to San Francisco, another incredible island resort experience in the Maldives last year, Video: I Stayed on a $3,000/Night Private Island, The New CIBC Costco Mastercard, Coming March 2022, Lufthansa Unveils New First Class and Business Class Seats, The British Airways Avios Multi-Carrier Award Chart, Porter Airlines to Develop a New Terminal at Montreal Saint-Hubert Airport, The 12 Best Ways To Fly Business Class to Asia on Points, Air Canada and United Launch New Routes to Washington DC. I should View map. The T-bone steak, intended for sharing, grilled to absolute perfection and slathered in a glistening layer of zesty chimichurri, while the lobster tails were similarly coated with garlicky goodness. Loved this, thank you. The transfer first includes flying to the Nicaraguan coastal city of Bluefields, then you have to take a car to the port of Bluefields, and then theres a 90-120 minute boat ride to the resort. The staff also put up a few hammocks along the shoreline so that guests could relax by the water throughout the day, given that most of the beach chairs were situated on the windy side. While breakfast and lunch were always delicious, its the dinner service where Calala Islands incredible culinary team and service staff truly shine. An exclusive private island hideaway in the undiscovered part of the world, the NiCaribbean. Calala Island is the first resort of its kind in this undiscovered paradise, lying just off of the Nicaraguan Coast in the Caribbean Sea. The few people I had heard from who had been to Calala Island all mentioned that the boat ride was quite something, and Im not sure that does justice to the experience. Not to be a douche herebut as someone who has traveled the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua, what really surprised me in this article was how little sense you actually get of the place. While Calala Island is small and intimate at only 11 acres in size, it fully maximizes its area for guests enjoyment. Welcome to Calala Island, a luxury, private Island resort nestled in an undiscovered part of the Caribbean, just off the coast of Nicaragua. 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. Otherwise you are looking at rough sea which I def dont recommend! Overall, I found the booking and pre-arrival experience to be seamless, if a little shrouded in mystery. Prior to our stay Mandy was in touch with us, who is in charge of the pre-stay experience for guests. You spend the first hour going through mangroves and lagoons, which sounds nice, except: When you get out of the mangroves area you arrive at a military checkpoint, where armed military officers check your boat very carefully to make sure youre not bringing anything you shouldnt be. It was so bumpy I bruised my tailbone and had trouble sitting and laying down for many days afterwards. Platinum members get access to a Discord chat server, participation on exclusive livestreams, and even better discounts and early access. THE PROJECT. The Calala Island boat is parked right next to all the other local boats, which are a vital part of the transportation system in this part of Nicaragua, since its the only way to access many towns. Approximate internal flight time is 50 minutes followed by a 90 minute boat ride. Overall, I must say I was a bit sad that we didnt get to partake in the full range of activities here at Calala Island, although I was still grateful to the staff for giving us a quick island-hopping adventure on an exceptionally stormy last day. (Note that theres no coffee or tea setup in the villa itself, as the resort prefers to operate with a central kitchen for all things food and drink. We sat in the boat for a while while our passports were verified by local authorities, or something. We particularly enjoyed the San Sebastian and de la Cruz dark roasts, and those first cups of coffee on our patio did indeed make for an excellent start to each day. And if youre someone who gets seasick, and/or someone who has back pain, I wouldnt recommend it for you. As you might imagine, though, this was the one part of the overall dining experience that perhaps didnt quite reach the highest heights compared to the sushi we get back home in Toronto or Vancouver. My Epic Experience Watching The Great North American Solar Eclipse, Please view our advertising policy page for additional details about our partners, To get from Managua Airport to Calala Island, we either had to be at the airport at 5:45AM or 1PM, To get from Calala Island to Managua Airport, we could either be back at the airport at 9:45AM or 5:15PM, From Managua to Bluefields to Corn Island to Managua, From Managua to Corn Island to Bluefields to Managua, From Managua to Bluefields to Corn Island to Bluefields to Managua, Youre going really fast, to the point that your eyes are watering and you can barely look outside, even with sunglasses; I spent most of the boat ride just looking down, The boat just constantly hits the water over and over and over; its physically painful, Make sure you put on lots of sunscreen, since theres no shade, Similarly, if it rains youre exposed to all of the elements, and weather in this region changes very quickly; your bags are put into plastic bags and trash bags so that they dont get wet, and youre given a poncho, There is an option to pay to use a helicopter, though its exorbitantly expensive, and personally Im terrified of helicopters, so wouldnt consider it, While a nicer boat might sound nice, theres a practical reason for these boats, which is that they can go in really shallow water, and in some cases youre in water thats just a few feet deep, In some cases you go through some tight turns in the lagoons and mangroves, and a bigger boat just doesnt make sense, The boat goes really fast, so short of taking a huge speedboat, its going to be rough, Ill say this about the resort in advance I dont at all understand economics of Calala Island, and I imagine a more luxurious boat transfer would throw off the numbers even more, Its nice that they at least fully include the transfer with the rate, even when paying with points, The whole transfer is well organized, if nothing else, Given the unique challenges the resort faces, this system is probably the only economically viable and practical way to get people to the resort. I must admit, even as someone who was relishing this part of the journey, I was ready for it to end by the time we pulled into the lagoon. Meanwhile, Jessy was decidedly less enthusiastic about another bumpy boat ride, but she was still a good sport in accompanying me. However, we felt it was simplest to stay at the Best Western across the street, since we only wanted to get a few hours of sleep anyway.). How long does it take? A 15-minute helicopter ride to Catalina Island is all that stands between you and paradise. Calala Island is a small 11-acre island that forms part of the Pearl Cays, sitting 4 km off the Atlantic coast of Nicaragua in the Caribbean Sea. Lets talk about those food and beverage offerings, all of which are complimentary in your ultra-all-inclusive Calala Island stay. Thats an emotion that I hadnt encountered at any other luxury resort thus far. Helicopter flights between Catalina Island and Long Beach can be booked online, while all other itineraries can . Even though the port was a bit crazy, I felt totally safe and comfortable. Very clear and enticing article! I am sure you have been to Maldives and you know they have seaplanes there which are fantastic . On the second night, it was time for a decidedly different kind of activity: a crab race! Theres an outdoor table with two chairs, which was the perfect place to sip on some Nicaraguan dark roast in the mornings or a cocktail in the afternoons. Such is the sheer exclusivity of an island with only four villas that youll hardly notice the other guests throughout the day, unless its time to gather for meals or drinks. I was very much reminded of our seaplane journey en route to another incredible island resort experience in the Maldives last year! Guests arriving after 6:00 AM must make advance . Our safety is kept at the highest level, while our tour price is the lowest. We were staying March 7-10, 2020, and for our dates we were advised of two options for our transfers: We chose the early transfer in both directions, and that meant on the way back we were actually leaving at 5:30AM from Calala Island. If youre a guest at Calala Island, simply book your international flights into and out of Managua the resort will take care of all the rest. If I had to compare this place against other favourite high-value luxury resorts, then what Calala Island lacks in the glamour factor and the ultra-luxurious living quarters compared to more popular destinations like Dubai or the Maldives, it fully makes up for with the unmatched exclusivity of only four villas and the unparalleled generosity of all your meals, drinks, activities, and round-trip transfers included in the ultra-all-inclusive rate. The comments on this page have not been provided, reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any advertiser, and it is not an advertiser's responsibility to ensure posts and/or questions are answered. Id also note that the timing of our visit in early November was less than ideal: March tends to be the best month to catch both the sunniest days and the hatching of the hawksbill turtles. But the staff also went above and beyond in so many ways, from organizing the unique activities every night, to leaving little gifts of cigars and chocolates in our villa, to the little things, like taking note of our love for the yellow chilli sauce and serving it with every meal. You have successfully joined our subscriber list. Offering a world of discovery spanning romantic beaches, dense tropical groves, and secluded sand bars . Of course, St. Lucia Helicopters offers more than helicopter transfers. 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. June 12, 2022 . The ideal retreat for small groups, the island has just four villas accommodating up to 8 guests. But the thing that gets me is how much the boat is moving up/down when it's in the calm water in the mangroves (unless it's rougher than it looks??). @ Franklin -- I'll share more on my take on that in the upcoming installment, since virtually everyone working at the resort is from nearby villages. 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. We parked on the apron, and about two thirds of passengers got off. We happened to arrive on an exceptionally stormy day, so we were in for anextremelybumpy ride! Lastly, our Junior Suite in particular also had direct access to a small stretch of beach in front of us. The waters of the ocean can get fairly unpredictable around here, so much of the island is surrounded by a rocky seawall, with small stretches of beach that lead into calmer, shallower waters. Normally, the staff likes to serve lunch near the infinity pool on the northern side of the island, either underneath a little surf shack or closer to the beach during sunny weather. Calala Island (thankfully) doesnt have mosquitoes, although it does have sandflies or no-see-ums, which do bite, but are too small to be kept out by the net. Enjoy four beautiful suites which were carefully designed with guests in mind. Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2rio's travel planner. Please contact the property at the number on the booking confirmation with your arrival details prior to travel. The island can be reached by boat or helicopter and covers 148 acres of unspoilt nature surrounding a stunning 5-bedroom villa. 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. Once we wrapped up our phone call with Claudia, Shorvin ushered us into a local taxi, bound for Puerto El Bluff, the local pier. The coconut-flavoured Ultra Coco was certainly a crowd-pleaser with its smoothness, though I eventually took a liking to the seven-year and 12-year aged varieties. The high quality of your travel posts never ceases to amaze me. Jessy and I snacked on an express breakfast that the Best Western had prepared for us, running on very little sleep but fuelled by the excitement of the journey ahead. before navigating through the lush mangroves along the coastline which serve as key waterways that connect several small communities by boat in this part of the country for about an hour. Thanks for taking one for the team! Important to keep in mind that the transfer from MGA is at 6am, so you need to be in Nicaragua day before check -in. For us, thats all the more reason to look forward to the next time that were back among friends on Calala, as we cherish the memories from a transformative maiden stay in this little slice of the Caribbean Sea. Calala Island team member, Shorvin, greeted us at Bluefields Airport, his shirt soaking wet from the boat ride that brought him over here a harbinger of things to come. The breakfast menu reads as follows. During our honeymoon our tour boat had to return to Phuket from the Phi Phi islands as a storm approached. Across more than 300 kilometres and three separate modes of transportation, the journey from Managua to Calala Island takes about four hours from start to finish. junio 12, 2022. cottage for sale in timmins on . . I've always wanted to explore Bluefields. Start off the morning with a refreshing mimosa. Hope you and Ford recovered quickly lol. 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