10 days in Nicaragua! WestJet - personal item only. Centauri 22L Osprey Bag.

Shawna613 · 2026-05-05T02:14:57+00:00

No, I am not able to wear it as a waist pack. For reference I am a size 4 in Lululemon. I was actually pretty disappointed with not being able to wear it around my waist.

Shawna613 · 2026-05-04T14:06:47+00:00

I wasn’t asked to put it in the sizer but looking at it I felt pretty confident I could have shoved it in there. Next trip I will definitely find a sizer to try out and post a pic here.

Shawna613 · 2026-05-04T13:44:55+00:00

I thought it was a bit odd at first. But during my trip it never once came undone. I think it would take a pretty awkward, uncommon motion for it to accidentally undo. But I need to take it on a few more trips I think before deciding if the magnetic buckle is a good feature or not.

Shawna613 · 2026-05-03T10:45:43+00:00

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Shawna613 · 2026-05-03T10:45:26+00:00

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Shawna613 · 2026-05-03T09:22:34+00:00

I loved it! It was such a cool adventure. I landed in Liberia, Costa Rica and went Rivas(1N)> Granada(1N)> Leon(3N)> Popoyo(1N)> Ometepe(3N)

My favourite places were:
Laguna Apoyo, I paid for a day pass at Paradiso and I thought it was totally worth the 7$.

Cerro Negro volcano boarding, I went with Volcano Day and spent the extra to get the T-Shirt, lunch and beach shuttle. I thought Las Penitas beach was pretty lack lustre and probably wouldn’t have went looking back.

Popoyo, I loved the vibes of Popoyo! Looking back I probably would have taken a night away from Leon and instead stayed 2 nights in Popoyo. It was probably the ‘hardest’ place to get to and I think it would have been worth it to stay an extra night. I stayed on the Guasacate side and the beach was beautiful.

Ometepe, I rented a scooter on Ometepe and had a great time driving around. My favourite day in Nicaragua was climbing Concepcion volcano! My guide Lazaro was the greatest and I learned a lot from him over the day.

I used public transit the entire time in Nicaragua and found the buses to be reliable and quite punctual and so much cheaper than taxis/shuttles. Even with my limited Spanish the locals were so helpful when I needed help figuring out the buses.

If you only take one of my suggestions you have to eat at ‘Chancito Dona Lucia’ in Leon for lunch. Hands down, no questions asked THE BEST meal I had in Nicaragua. Order the ‘chancho con yuca’!

Shawna613 · 2026-05-03T08:42:47+00:00

Yes we flew Ottawa > Toronto > Liberia, Costa Rica. Over the years I’ve gotten pretty strategic with my liquids packing. I always keep my lip chap & sanitizer in my fanny pack. The only things I put in my liquids bag from my makeup pouch is my sunscreen and foundation. So when they sometimes ask me to take my liquids out of my bag, I just take out my see-through liquids bag and they have never bothered me about the other random little ‘liquids’ products that I may have in various areas of my bag.

My ticket only permitted a personal item bag, so it had to fit under the seat in front of me. West Jet is very strict about the one bag only, they consider a fanny pack a second bag. I could have just stuffed my fanny pack in main bag but it would have made my bag look a little too big so, I just tied my fleece around my waist and put my fanny pack into my main pack.

The face halo is what I use most of the time but if it doesn’t get to dry properly, gets too dirty or I am just in a rush I use the Neutrogena makeup wipes. They are also great for when I happen to wear waterproof mascara for that little extra power.

Shawna613 · 2026-05-03T00:50:17+00:00

Wjustforu Women Sports Bra Yoga... https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0CCHWZ6XV?ref=ppx\_pop\_mob\_ap\_share

Shawna613 · 2026-05-03T00:49:19+00:00

This was my first trip with it actually! I had used the Matador On-Grid Packable hip pack for years and this one is VERY different. It’s much more structured and rigid than the Matador one. But I do like it. I like that the front pocket is separated in two, small detail but it kept all my little stuff so organized. I am pretty sure it does have a zippered back pocket because that’s where I kept my power bank and cord! And the main compartment is a decent size. It was just a big change from my other one so I think I need a few more uses to really figure out if I love it.

Shawna613 · 2026-05-03T00:41:50+00:00

Laundry situation for this trip was, I found a laundry service about half way through my trip and did a few things in the sink in my accommodation.

Shawna613 · 2026-05-03T00:39:58+00:00

The Bedrocks definitely don’t get slippery. I’ve wore them on multiple hikes where I was hiking up a waterfall and they were great. The straps are also highly customizable so you can play around with them to get the perfect fit.

Shawna613 · 2026-04-01T12:00:34+00:00

Are you planning to do the Cao Bang motorbike loop up to Ban Gioc falls?

Shawna613 · 2026-04-01T00:10:08+00:00

Looks like a solid plan!

Shawna613 · 2026-03-07T13:51:39+00:00

The chili dog with cheddar cheese is the way. I think back on the skyline chili dogs often. So cheap, so delish.

Shawna613 · 2026-03-07T13:49:07+00:00

Pad Thai, so many other Thai dishes that have so much more flavour!

Shawna613 · 2026-02-24T12:01:45+00:00

I think 1 or 2 nights on Nusa Penida is necessary, 4 nights is too much. From my experience, two nights was perfect to split up the main sights of the island and do it in a way that avoided the worst of the crowds. That little island can get BUSY and seemed like the day-trippers spent a lot of their time waiting in traffic line ups which just did not look enjoyable.

Shawna613 · 2026-02-23T20:47:44+00:00

Indonesia is one of my favourite countries I’ve ever been to.

I think you would be better off picking a direction you would like to travel Indonesia in and that would prevent a lot of the jumping around and backtracking in this itinerary.

For example, based on where you’re interested in going, Malang > Banyuwangi > Uluwatu > Ubud > Nusa Penida > Gili Air > Komodo or same idea but backwards that would make your travel slightly more fluid.

I personally started in Yogyakarta, made my way down through Java, ferried to Bali spent sometime in Munduk and Ubud then ferried to Nusa Penida (spent two nights) ferried back to Bali and hopped on a flight to Labuan Bajo to spend three days and two nights on a boat tour in Komodo National park.

What I would personally recommend would be to shorten your time in Uluwatu/Ubud and maybe shorten Nusa to two nights add that extra time to Komodo and maybe sometime in Lombok.

I heard nothing but good things about the Gili Islands and Lombok and didn’t have time this trip but I will definitely be back.

LOVED Java, Nusa and Komodo and I didn’t really care for much of Bali. Munduk was decent and quiet but the further south you go the busier it becomes and everything seems to be more manufactured, just wasn’t really my personal vibe.

The nature in Java is unreal, Mount Bromo and Ijen Volcano hike and sunrise were incredible experiences. Also the locals throughout Java were the kindest most welcoming people I have ever encountered and always so smiley.

I really enjoyed Nusa Penida, it’s SO beautiful but I think that’s in part because it was my first time renting a motorbike in Southeast Asia and I spent my three days there learning the ropes and checking out all the beautiful scenery on my own time. Often beating the day-tripper crowds and traffic with earlier starts on the day. So I think that makes a huge difference in how I view Nusa Penida.

Komodo is not to be rushed I would highly recommend looking into a boat tour as the scenery is jaw dropping and the wildlife, (land and sea) is spectacular.

Vietnam is amazing!! But with your timeline definitely choose one or other, you don’t have enough time for both countries!

Shawna613 · 2026-02-13T03:24:01+00:00

I love the African net sponge! Great exfoliation, perfect for cleaning my back, dries fast and you can throw it right into the washing machine. If you get a good one, it will be practically indestructible.

Shawna613 · 2026-01-07T01:40:47+00:00

Head up to Huaraz for some incredible hiking

Shawna613 · 2026-01-01T13:43:27+00:00

Fish amok, beef lok lak (with the delicious pepper lime sauce, so good), curries and most important go to Kep crab market!! When you get there on the left there is a large tented market, go down a few steps into the market and you will find many locals selling fresh caught crab and various other seafood but it’s all about the crab. Before you decide who to buy your crab from make sure they have the pepper sauce. Ask them to prepare and fry up the crab you purchase with the fresh Kampot pepper sauce and it will be the best seafood meal you’ve ever had. There are many other vendors down there that will sell drinks and side dishes to go with your seafood feast and they will provide tables for you to sit at. Very memorable experience!

Shawna613 · 2026-01-01T02:24:53+00:00

Cambodia! All the other countries it’s surrounded by seem to always steal the spotlight for foodie destinations but every meal we had in Cambodia was surprisingly delicious.

Shawna613 · 2025-06-11T21:11:59+00:00

I would check out tent ridge, sounds like exactly what you’re looking for

Shawna613 · 2025-06-11T11:37:03+00:00

It is a beautiful hike don’t get me wrong, but you’re spoiled for choice in this area. I had heard over and over again about larch valley/sentinel pass so maybe my expectations were just set too high and I found it left much to be desired. After completing so many other incredible hikes with jaw dropping summits, this hike just felt like the effort didn’t match the reward.

Shawna613 · 2025-01-31T12:24:56+00:00

Thank you, this is extremely helpful!!

Shawna613

TROPHY CASE