Cascada Blanca Day Trip from Matagalpa

VAYA Partners with Littlecob Library

VAYA Volunteers is proud to bring English, yoga and dance classes to Littlecob this summer and fall. It was apparent when we walked through the wooden gate and entered the fairytale-like grounds of Littlecob Library that these kids love to be there and want to learn. Everyday is a new experience inspired by the kids willingness to participate in any activity. It is a very wonderful feeling working there! 

Kelly Page and myself, Aubree Christian are the founders and directors of VAYA Volunteers and Experience Exchange, which brings volunteers to Matagalpa, Nicaragua to travel, experience the Nicaraguan culture and give back to the community through volunteering. We focus on teaching English as that is a skill that most volunteers enjoy doing and we find that the kids are eager to learn as much as they can from native speakers. We can really tell which Littlecobblers have been taking advantage of studying English with other Littlecob volunteers! 

VAYA’s English program is based on learning through play. Children are introduced to English as a second language through games, songs, and activities similar to the way they learn their mother tongue. We want children to have a positive, fun experience with English when they are first trying to learn it. This is the best way for them to form a strong English foundation and stay motivated to continue learning English throughout their adolescence.

Another program we are very proud to offer is our free-form extracurricular program. Volunteers can share with the children their interests and skills such as dance, art, photography, sewing and gardening. These are short-term workshops that are organized and executed by volunteers and community members giving kids the opportunity to explore their interests and creativity.

This July we had a volunteer, Camille, who taught kids’ yoga classes using animals in English and basic ballet. The students enjoyed participating and expressing themselves in activities such as freeze dance, mirroring and the name game with movements. It is very exciting to see the kids come together and do something creative and healthy after school. The Littlecobblers always leave each class with smiles on their faces! The classes were such a success that after Camille’s 2 weeks were over the students begged for us to continue the classes with them. All I can say is, we are doing our best to fill Camille’s shoes!

This August we are starting a recycling project using plastic and cardboard materials to build garden sculptures that later on the students will paper mache and paint. We are trying to encourage the Littlecobblers to keep their neighborhood clean by throwing their trash in the bin and helping the environment by reusing and recycling appropriate materials. 

It’s been an honor to partner with Littlecob to provide these classes and VAYA looks forward to many more years of collaboration and growth!

Why Pay to Volunteer with VAYA?

Why Pay to Volunteer?

VAYA does not charge our clients to volunteer whatsoever. Our costs and fees are all associated with our all-inclusive travel package. This includes airport pick-up and transportation, accommodations, three meals a day, 24/7 in-country support, history and walking tour, informational packet, and volunteer training.  Any and all volunteer placement and work is absolutely free - as it should be!

What Volunteers Receive Pre-Trip!

Our volunteers are prepared for their volunteer experience!

Pre-volunteering training and education is provided. Volunteers are sent a pre-departure packet that contains important information about our program, travel requirements, packing list, travel tips and information about Nicaragua. 

What Volunteers Receive Pre-Volunteering! 

On-site orientation including a briefing of the city, explanation of volunteer requirements, safety / health advice, and cultural / historical facts. 

Free walking tour that visits important sites in the city and practical places you’ll need to know (ATMs, pharmacies, supermarkets, etc.). Entrance into the Matagalpa Museum with exhibited about the history of Matagalpa and the coffee industry.  

Your volunteer experience will be organized and impactful! VAYA provides you with all the materials and support you’ll need to teach fun, educational lessons. 

VAYA provides teaching tips and strategies, a teaching journal containing previous lessons the class has had and continual support along the way. We are with you in every lesson to assist. 

Don’t worry if you don’t have any teaching experience.You may opt for a day of assisting with the class before you teach in order to get acquainted with the students and familiarize yourself with the materials. 

What Volunteers Receive Throughout the Trip! 

VAYA is concerned for our volunteers’ safety and well-being. We realistically prepare you for your trip! We have first aid on site and our staff is trained in basic first aid.

We are in contact with excellent clinics and doctors in town as well as helpful pharmacies that can get you what you need. 

A member of VAYA staff is in contact with the volunteers at all times. We know where our volunteers are at and when to expect them back.  We know that traveling to a foreign country can be scary. We provide the peace of mind for you and your family that can take a lot of the stress out of traveling.

Our staff is available 24/7 to your family members back home in the case of an emergency or just to maintain contact. 

VAYA maintains contacts all over Matagalpa and throughout the country. We can help organize reliable, trustworthy transportation, Spanish classes and reservations for hotels and tours. 

At the end of your trip you will have a final meeting with the directors to receive your letter of recommendation and certificate of completion. During this time you can provide feedback about the program and suggestions to help us continue to improve our program. You can reflect on your experience and evaluate your work and impact you made in the students’ lives. 

Experience the rewards you will feel after stepping outside of your comfort zone and doing something so challenging and worthwhile! 

Travel from Matagalpa to Masaya

Although it has a huge cultural center, incredible nightlife, and a volcanic national park, Masaya is often overlooked for its neighbor to the East, Granada. Granada is one of the cities at the top of most tourists’ lists when they come to Nicaragua because of its architecture and it being the oldest colonial city in the country. Because of this, it can feel overwhelmingly touristy - the kind of place where you can’t sit down on a park bench without 10 separate people coming up to you trying to sell you something.

Masaya has managed to stay (at least for the moment) under the radar of many tourists entering the area, which gives it a much calmer feel. This may not be for lack of trying on their part, however, because Masaya boasts the largest artisan market in the country. Craftsmen and artists come from all over to sell their handmade creations here. This essentially has drawn day-trippers from Granada to visit Masaya solely to purchase souvenirs and trinkets and then be off again.

What they are missing is exactly what is worth staying for. Unknown to many tourists is that just a short distance away from the market is Masaya’s baseball stadium, as well as its beautiful municipal park. Here there is a lookout point where you can gaze upon the Laguna de Masaya, and the Volcano National Park directly behind it.  

 Following the boardwalk, you can enter the park. Here you can find people playing chess on tables with newly painted chessboards, families playing with their children on playscapes, couples out for a jog, or people exercising on the built-in ellipticals at the exercise station. Not to mention, there are several restaurants in the center where you can grab a bite to eat. The best thing about this park for tourists, however, is the fact that it is well-lit and there are security guards around every corner. It feels very safe here.

Masaya also has a thriving nightlife. There are several dance clubs close to the park, and a variety of different bars in and around the central park.  One bar in particular called Zona Alf’s, (Del Cuerpo de Bomberos Una Cuadra al Este) located a few blocks from Calle Central has Karaoke, a pool room where yes, even women are welcome to play, and a disco. 

Day-trips outside of Masaya are pretty incredible as well. The Volcano National Park is just 20 minutes away by cab. Here you can either take a tour of Masaya’s active volcano and bat caves in the surrounding areas, or just check it out for yourself. 

Laguna de Apoyo is also a must-see destination. Located between Masaya and Granada, this fresh-water lagoon was formed by a crater and is situated in the middle of lush forest and vegetation. For $6 per person, you can enter Laguna Beach, a beautiful resort with a restaurant, wifi, picnic tables and lounge chairs. Your admission also covers all-day rental of stand-up paddle boards and kayaks. 

You can make the trip by catching a bus at 9:30 in the morning from the bus station in Masaya. The cost is around C$10 cordobas and it will drop you off at the triangle where Laguna Beach is just a short walk. Make sure to catch the bus back at 4:30 in the afternoon because this is the last bus of the day. If you want to stay longer, you can always take a taxi. 

GETTING TO MASAYA FROM MATAGALPA

There is one direct bus from Matagalpa to Masaya that leaves daily at 3:00 pm. The cost is C$70 cordobas and it is 3 hours. You will leave Matagalpa from the South Bus Station, and arrive to Masaya at their Central (only) Station. One detail worth noting, however, is that the direct bus does not run on Thursdays or Sundays.

If your travel plans dictate that you need to leave on a Thursday or a Sunday, or if you would like to leave earlier than 3:00 pm, there is another option - you will just have to have do a bit of fancy footwork and change busses.

First, you will need to take the EXPRESS BUS to MANAGUA. This bus leaves every hour from Matagalpa at 20 minutes past the hour starting at 5:20 am. (5:20, 6:20, 7:20, 8:20, etc.) Unlike Ruteados (normal chicken busses), on Express Busses, you need to buy your ticket in advance and will be given a seat assignment. You can buy your ticket at the ticket window in Matagalpa’s South Bus Station - the cost is $76 cordobas. 

You will travel almost all the way to Managua, but get off at Tipitapa - La Gallera. Plan on it being almost a 2 hour trip. When the attendant comes to check your ticket, just let him know that you are getting off at La Gallera in Tipitapa and he should be able to advise you when it is time. This is a big stop, and many people should be getting off the bus at the same time as you are.

After you disembark, stay at the bus station and look for a chicken bus that says TIPITAPA - MASAYA. One comes every 30 minutes so you shouldn’t have to wait long. This bus will cost C$11 cordobas and will take you all the way to the bus station in Masaya. Plan on this ride taking approx. 45 minutes.

A trip to Masaya is definitely worth the effort if you have time enough to make the treck. It is the perfect weekend getaway after a week of volunteering with VAYA Volunteers! 

Getting to the Managua Airport

Ok, so you’ve had your trip to Nicaragua. You’ve taught English lessons, taken some Spanish classes, traveled to coffee plantations, done some crazy adventurous things — maybe slid down the side of a volcano, surfed San Juan del Sur… You’ve generally had the best time in your entire life, but now it is time to head home and post all your pictures and videos for your friends to be jealous of on your various social media outlets.

But where was that airport again? And how do you get there?

Luckily for you, there is only one airport in all of Nicaragua - the Augusto Sandino International Airport in Managua. Also lucky for you, Managua is pretty centrally located within the country, so it should be no more than a few hours bus ride from your last anywhere around Nicaragua. The only problem is that you were so excited when you arrived, that now the airport is but only a faint memory.

Since Managua is the hub for business and travel around Nicaragua, most big cities have direct busses there. If the bus doesn’t stop at the airport, it is easy to catch a cab straight from the bus station that will take you there. Don’t pay more than $6 for a taxi around Managua.

If you are coming from your home base in Matagalpa, it is really easier than easy to get to the airport. All you have to do is catch the EXPRESS BUS from the Matagalpa Sur bus station. Remember to buy your ticket in advance for the Express Bus because seats are assigned. Busses leave every hour at 20 minutes past the hour.

The bus ride takes almost exactly 2 hours, and it will drop you off right across the street from the airport — just make sure to tell the attendant that your final destination is the airport and they will signal to you when it is time to get off.  Grab your belongings, and voilà! you have arrived! It’s almost too easy.

 Now all you have left to do is cross the street and get on with the rest of this sad, sad day. The Augusto Sandino International airport is tiny, so it is hard to get lost. Head to the right side of the building and follow the signs to your airline to check in. Everyone working there speaks English so you don’t have to worry about how you forgot to learn “I would like to check a bag” in your Spanish classes.

  

There is a small food court with around 7 restaurants to choose from if you are hungry, and several gift shops if you need to pick up that last-minute box of cigars for your uncle. You will then go through security which is located behind the circular statue of heads. Yes, there is a giant circular statue of heads in the airport.

Security should be a breeze for you, provided you haven’t decided to bring any drugs or handguns home with you as souvenirs. You will ride the escalator up to where your gate is located. In this part of the airport, you will find more shops, a Subway, and a small restaurant/bar that you can hang out in if you have lots of time before your flight. There is also a Duty Free Shop where you can buy one last bottle of Flor de Caña, so that you may take those signature Nicaragua hangovers home with you. Once it’s time to board, just take a deep breath and try and hold back the tears. Remember, VAYA Volunteers and Nicaragua will always be here for when you decide to come back.

VAYA Primary School English Classes

VAYA's Primary School English Classes this Spring!! These kids are so fun to work with!! Opportunities abound! Come volunteer with us this summer and see for yourself! Travel with a purpose!

Spring Volunteer Teaching Program 2016-Preschool Classes

We were a little hesitant at first to take on preschool classes, but they have been so rewarding!! The kids have learned so much and we've had a great time! We're looking for volunteers to teach these kids throughout the summer months.



Go to VAYA to fill out an inquiry form if you are interested.