El Salvador

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Wow, a lot of diverse opinions! Our family has been to Costa Rica and Nicaragua and we liked both places. This time, I am taking my 70-year old mom along so I am a little more risk-averse. We are hoping for pretty beaches and also hiking. Not planning on going to restaurants or stores except for groceries. In any case, thanks to the PPs and welcome any other advice or suggestions!

OP - if you want to go you should go!! I've been twice and I'm so glad I did (granted it was 15 years ago). The first was with my in-laws (pre-kids). I had an advantage because they are both former Peace Core, had lived there and knew where to take us, knew people so they were our guides and had a great inside view of the country.

The second time I went back with my mom, who at the time, was a Spanish teacher and we went on her Spring Break. We had my in-laws good friends take us around. We stayed in the nicest hotel in San Salvadore which was (in 2006) was $120.00 American dollars. Everyone is so friendly

The things I recommend 1. Learn about the assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero and the Jesuit Priests. Fascinating history and museum display

2. Suchitoto - interesting Colonial town. We said at a nice inn right on Lake Suchitoto

3. Go to the pupupa restaurant on top of a volcano overlooking San Salvadore (can't remember the name). To this day, my husband and I say they were the best
pupusas we've ever had and what a view.

4. Take a hike and see the coffee bean fields

5. Surfing (if you're into this)

Note: we did a lot of things off the beaten track like see the medical clinic in a tiny village where my MIL worked at or the school my FIL helped get up and running or driving around the city

Sorry. Having a Peace Corps volunteer show you around is apparently disqualifying.

PP here - ha! Ok, kinda true

I'm kidding. I'm referring to a response to one of my prior posts, where some obnoxious troll gave me grief for saying I got to know Honduras by visiting a relative in the Peace Corps there.

PP here. No one trolled you. Rather, I offered a counterpoint to your bizarre and obsessive need to depict El Salvador as difficult, unclean, and having unattractive beaches. It is none of those things. I really wish you would stop maligning the country, which happens to be the homeland for some of the kindest and hardest working people in the DC area. You said you were leaving the thread, but then you couldn’t help yourself and you came back for more. It’s very strange.

Anyway, as I said above, El Salvador is a wonderful and authentic destination, and very easily could meet OP’s stated desires for a family trip. In addition to broad, sandy beaches (of course be careful of rip tides, as anywhere in the Pacific), there are mountain hikes, waterfalls, colonial towns, and volcanic lakes to explore. There is also interesting history, including the Oscar Romero museum that another poster mentioned, as well as another dedicated to the country’s civil war and related violence that I found instructive. Please accept that not everyone needs or desires the calm Caribbean waters of Roatan, or needs the handholding of a Peace Corps volunteer to enjoy the authenticity of Central America. We understand that you do, and that’s fine, but please stop forcing your brand of travel on others and disparaging a hospitable country and people in the process.

Oh, stop trolling please. I'm not "maligning the country" and I didn't say a damned thing to malign the people. In fact, I said I loved our visit and we had a great time. You really have no idea who you are talking to AT ALL. You can try all you want to paint me as someone who doesn't know what they're talking about or to make it out as if you know so much more than me and have more "authentic" experience and knowledge of Central American than I do -- but you don't, trust me.

The only point that I've been trying to make is that if someone is looking for a beach vacation in Central America for spring break, which is how I interpreted OP's question, there are better options than El Salvador. OP has clarified that, yes, she wants to bring her 70-year-old mother for a beach and hiking trip. So, I challenge you, Oh Wise and Sanctimonious One, to identify the "broad, sandy beaches" of El Salvador where OP and her mother could enjoy an authentic Salvadoran experience surrounded by the locals. Because, see, you are talking to someone who is fluent in Spanish, has explored the entire friggin' region by chicken bus on trips lasting months as a time.

It's possible to love a country and love a people while at the same time be honest about what a landscape looks like and to think that a certain location probably isn't the best choice for a certain kind of trip.

In short, get the hell off of your high horse.

I already mentioned a nice beach near San Salvador: San Marcelino. Beautiful Pacific beach with plenty of nice seafood stalls. There are many others of course. Just ask the thousands of Canadians who flock annually to the Decameron on the coast near Santa Ana. And you claim to like the country and its people, but you just think the beaches suck and the country as a whole is dirty and not appropriate for most “North Americans”? Because those are kind of incompatible sentiments. Reading between the lines, it seems quite clear you have a superiority complex and think OP and her decrepit mother should stick to Puerto Rico or Punta Cana or whatever. We get it, you’ve said it a million times. So please let OP decide for herself at this point. Your chicken bus storiea are neither original nor exciting, thanks.

I've never been to either Punta Cana or Puerto Rico. San Marcelino is a decent beach, sure, but "beautiful" is a real exaggeration. Most beach lovers aren't fans of grey sand.

As for the Canadians -- HA! You can't swing a dead cat anywhere in a less expensive part of Central America without hitting a dozen of them. They'll go anywhere down there that's cheap where they won't bother trying to learn or speak the language, will stick entirely to themselves, exploit the locals, and leave lousy tips. If Decameron has "thousands of Canadians flocking" there, all that tells me is to look somewhere else.

I’m not suggesting that OP go to the Decameron — only pointing out that if ES is safe enough for thousands of sun seeking Canadians on charter flights, it’s safe enough for OP and her mother. In any event, it doesn’t sound like OP’s sole desire for the trip is the world’s most beautiful beach, so not sure why you’re so hung up on that.

You're confusing me with a poster who thinks El Salvador isn't safe enough for tourists. I never said that. In fact, I'm the poster who noted earlier that violent crime has dropped considerably since when the Peace Corps was pulled out.

"Sun seeking Canadians on charter flights" are the absolute worst, by the way. They don't go to the best places. They go to the cheap ones.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Wow, a lot of diverse opinions! Our family has been to Costa Rica and Nicaragua and we liked both places. This time, I am taking my 70-year old mom along so I am a little more risk-averse. We are hoping for pretty beaches and also hiking. Not planning on going to restaurants or stores except for groceries. In any case, thanks to the PPs and welcome any other advice or suggestions!

OP - if you want to go you should go!! I've been twice and I'm so glad I did (granted it was 15 years ago). The first was with my in-laws (pre-kids). I had an advantage because they are both former Peace Core, had lived there and knew where to take us, knew people so they were our guides and had a great inside view of the country.

The second time I went back with my mom, who at the time, was a Spanish teacher and we went on her Spring Break. We had my in-laws good friends take us around. We stayed in the nicest hotel in San Salvadore which was (in 2006) was $120.00 American dollars. Everyone is so friendly

The things I recommend 1. Learn about the assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero and the Jesuit Priests. Fascinating history and museum display

2. Suchitoto - interesting Colonial town. We said at a nice inn right on Lake Suchitoto

3. Go to the pupupa restaurant on top of a volcano overlooking San Salvadore (can't remember the name). To this day, my husband and I say they were the best
pupusas we've ever had and what a view.

4. Take a hike and see the coffee bean fields

5. Surfing (if you're into this)

Note: we did a lot of things off the beaten track like see the medical clinic in a tiny village where my MIL worked at or the school my FIL helped get up and running or driving around the city

Sorry. Having a Peace Corps volunteer show you around is apparently disqualifying.

PP here - ha! Ok, kinda true

I'm kidding. I'm referring to a response to one of my prior posts, where some obnoxious troll gave me grief for saying I got to know Honduras by visiting a relative in the Peace Corps there.

PP here. No one trolled you. Rather, I offered a counterpoint to your bizarre and obsessive need to depict El Salvador as difficult, unclean, and having unattractive beaches. It is none of those things. I really wish you would stop maligning the country, which happens to be the homeland for some of the kindest and hardest working people in the DC area. You said you were leaving the thread, but then you couldn’t help yourself and you came back for more. It’s very strange.

Anyway, as I said above, El Salvador is a wonderful and authentic destination, and very easily could meet OP’s stated desires for a family trip. In addition to broad, sandy beaches (of course be careful of rip tides, as anywhere in the Pacific), there are mountain hikes, waterfalls, colonial towns, and volcanic lakes to explore. There is also interesting history, including the Oscar Romero museum that another poster mentioned, as well as another dedicated to the country’s civil war and related violence that I found instructive. Please accept that not everyone needs or desires the calm Caribbean waters of Roatan, or needs the handholding of a Peace Corps volunteer to enjoy the authenticity of Central America. We understand that you do, and that’s fine, but please stop forcing your brand of travel on others and disparaging a hospitable country and people in the process.

Oh, stop trolling please. I'm not "maligning the country" and I didn't say a damned thing to malign the people. In fact, I said I loved our visit and we had a great time. You really have no idea who you are talking to AT ALL. You can try all you want to paint me as someone who doesn't know what they're talking about or to make it out as if you know so much more than me and have more "authentic" experience and knowledge of Central American than I do -- but you don't, trust me.

The only point that I've been trying to make is that if someone is looking for a beach vacation in Central America for spring break, which is how I interpreted OP's question, there are better options than El Salvador. OP has clarified that, yes, she wants to bring her 70-year-old mother for a beach and hiking trip. So, I challenge you, Oh Wise and Sanctimonious One, to identify the "broad, sandy beaches" of El Salvador where OP and her mother could enjoy an authentic Salvadoran experience surrounded by the locals. Because, see, you are talking to someone who is fluent in Spanish, has explored the entire friggin' region by chicken bus on trips lasting months as a time.

It's possible to love a country and love a people while at the same time be honest about what a landscape looks like and to think that a certain location probably isn't the best choice for a certain kind of trip.

In short, get the hell off of your high horse.

I already mentioned a nice beach near San Salvador: San Marcelino. Beautiful Pacific beach with plenty of nice seafood stalls. There are many others of course. Just ask the thousands of Canadians who flock annually to the Decameron on the coast near Santa Ana. And you claim to like the country and its people, but you just think the beaches suck and the country as a whole is dirty and not appropriate for most “North Americans”? Because those are kind of incompatible sentiments. Reading between the lines, it seems quite clear you have a superiority complex and think OP and her decrepit mother should stick to Puerto Rico or Punta Cana or whatever. We get it, you’ve said it a million times. So please let OP decide for herself at this point. Your chicken bus storiea are neither original nor exciting, thanks.

I've never been to either Punta Cana or Puerto Rico. San Marcelino is a decent beach, sure, but "beautiful" is a real exaggeration. Most beach lovers aren't fans of grey sand.

As for the Canadians -- HA! You can't swing a dead cat anywhere in a less expensive part of Central America without hitting a dozen of them. They'll go anywhere down there that's cheap where they won't bother trying to learn or speak the language, will stick entirely to themselves, exploit the locals, and leave lousy tips. If Decameron has "thousands of Canadians flocking" there, all that tells me is to look somewhere else.

I’m not suggesting that OP go to the Decameron — only pointing out that if ES is safe enough for thousands of sun seeking Canadians on charter flights, it’s safe enough for OP and her mother. In any event, it doesn’t sound like OP’s sole desire for the trip is the world’s most beautiful beach, so not sure why you’re so hung up on that.

You're confusing me with a poster who thinks El Salvador isn't safe enough for tourists. I never said that. In fact, I'm the poster who noted earlier that violent crime has dropped considerably since when the Peace Corps was pulled out.

"Sun seeking Canadians on charter flights" are the absolute worst, by the way. They don't go to the best places. They go to the cheap ones.

Ha, OK. But yeah, the Canadians will go anywhere warm, and amazingly fly direct from third tier cities like Saskatchewan. I can’t imagine El Salvador is the absolute cheapest for them, since everything is priced in US Dollars, but there must be some good contracts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Wow, a lot of diverse opinions! Our family has been to Costa Rica and Nicaragua and we liked both places. This time, I am taking my 70-year old mom along so I am a little more risk-averse. We are hoping for pretty beaches and also hiking. Not planning on going to restaurants or stores except for groceries. In any case, thanks to the PPs and welcome any other advice or suggestions!

OP - if you want to go you should go!! I've been twice and I'm so glad I did (granted it was 15 years ago). The first was with my in-laws (pre-kids). I had an advantage because they are both former Peace Core, had lived there and knew where to take us, knew people so they were our guides and had a great inside view of the country.

The second time I went back with my mom, who at the time, was a Spanish teacher and we went on her Spring Break. We had my in-laws good friends take us around. We stayed in the nicest hotel in San Salvadore which was (in 2006) was $120.00 American dollars. Everyone is so friendly

The things I recommend 1. Learn about the assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero and the Jesuit Priests. Fascinating history and museum display

2. Suchitoto - interesting Colonial town. We said at a nice inn right on Lake Suchitoto

3. Go to the pupupa restaurant on top of a volcano overlooking San Salvadore (can't remember the name). To this day, my husband and I say they were the best
pupusas we've ever had and what a view.

4. Take a hike and see the coffee bean fields

5. Surfing (if you're into this)

Note: we did a lot of things off the beaten track like see the medical clinic in a tiny village where my MIL worked at or the school my FIL helped get up and running or driving around the city

Sorry. Having a Peace Corps volunteer show you around is apparently disqualifying.

PP here - ha! Ok, kinda true

I'm kidding. I'm referring to a response to one of my prior posts, where some obnoxious troll gave me grief for saying I got to know Honduras by visiting a relative in the Peace Corps there.

PP here. No one trolled you. Rather, I offered a counterpoint to your bizarre and obsessive need to depict El Salvador as difficult, unclean, and having unattractive beaches. It is none of those things. I really wish you would stop maligning the country, which happens to be the homeland for some of the kindest and hardest working people in the DC area. You said you were leaving the thread, but then you couldn’t help yourself and you came back for more. It’s very strange.

Anyway, as I said above, El Salvador is a wonderful and authentic destination, and very easily could meet OP’s stated desires for a family trip. In addition to broad, sandy beaches (of course be careful of rip tides, as anywhere in the Pacific), there are mountain hikes, waterfalls, colonial towns, and volcanic lakes to explore. There is also interesting history, including the Oscar Romero museum that another poster mentioned, as well as another dedicated to the country’s civil war and related violence that I found instructive. Please accept that not everyone needs or desires the calm Caribbean waters of Roatan, or needs the handholding of a Peace Corps volunteer to enjoy the authenticity of Central America. We understand that you do, and that’s fine, but please stop forcing your brand of travel on others and disparaging a hospitable country and people in the process.

Oh, stop trolling please. I'm not "maligning the country" and I didn't say a damned thing to malign the people. In fact, I said I loved our visit and we had a great time. You really have no idea who you are talking to AT ALL. You can try all you want to paint me as someone who doesn't know what they're talking about or to make it out as if you know so much more than me and have more "authentic" experience and knowledge of Central American than I do -- but you don't, trust me.

The only point that I've been trying to make is that if someone is looking for a beach vacation in Central America for spring break, which is how I interpreted OP's question, there are better options than El Salvador. OP has clarified that, yes, she wants to bring her 70-year-old mother for a beach and hiking trip. So, I challenge you, Oh Wise and Sanctimonious One, to identify the "broad, sandy beaches" of El Salvador where OP and her mother could enjoy an authentic Salvadoran experience surrounded by the locals. Because, see, you are talking to someone who is fluent in Spanish, has explored the entire friggin' region by chicken bus on trips lasting months as a time.

It's possible to love a country and love a people while at the same time be honest about what a landscape looks like and to think that a certain location probably isn't the best choice for a certain kind of trip.

In short, get the hell off of your high horse.

I already mentioned a nice beach near San Salvador: San Marcelino. Beautiful Pacific beach with plenty of nice seafood stalls. There are many others of course. Just ask the thousands of Canadians who flock annually to the Decameron on the coast near Santa Ana. And you claim to like the country and its people, but you just think the beaches suck and the country as a whole is dirty and not appropriate for most “North Americans”? Because those are kind of incompatible sentiments. Reading between the lines, it seems quite clear you have a superiority complex and think OP and her decrepit mother should stick to Puerto Rico or Punta Cana or whatever. We get it, you’ve said it a million times. So please let OP decide for herself at this point. Your chicken bus storiea are neither original nor exciting, thanks.

I've never been to either Punta Cana or Puerto Rico. San Marcelino is a decent beach, sure, but "beautiful" is a real exaggeration. Most beach lovers aren't fans of grey sand.

As for the Canadians -- HA! You can't swing a dead cat anywhere in a less expensive part of Central America without hitting a dozen of them. They'll go anywhere down there that's cheap where they won't bother trying to learn or speak the language, will stick entirely to themselves, exploit the locals, and leave lousy tips. If Decameron has "thousands of Canadians flocking" there, all that tells me is to look somewhere else.

I’m not suggesting that OP go to the Decameron — only pointing out that if ES is safe enough for thousands of sun seeking Canadians on charter flights, it’s safe enough for OP and her mother. In any event, it doesn’t sound like OP’s sole desire for the trip is the world’s most beautiful beach, so not sure why you’re so hung up on that.

You're confusing me with a poster who thinks El Salvador isn't safe enough for tourists. I never said that. In fact, I'm the poster who noted earlier that violent crime has dropped considerably since when the Peace Corps was pulled out.

"Sun seeking Canadians on charter flights" are the absolute worst, by the way. They don't go to the best places. They go to the cheap ones.

Ha, OK. But yeah, the Canadians will go anywhere warm, and amazingly fly direct from third tier cities like Saskatchewan. I can’t imagine El Salvador is the absolute cheapest for them, since everything is priced in US Dollars, but there must be some good contracts.

*Saskatoon

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP. Here's what State has to say about ES. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/el-salvador-travel-advisory.html

Compare to CR: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/CostaRica.html

https://www.frommers.com/destinations/el-salvador/planning-a-trip/health--safety

https://www.frommers.com/destinations/costa-rica/planning-a-trip/health--safety


Distill from that what you will.

I will summarize: avoid El Salvador because of crime says the State Dept.

[Anonymous]

"Ha, OK. But yeah, the Canadians will go anywhere warm, and amazingly fly direct from third tier cities like Saskatchewan. I can’t imagine El Salvador is the absolute cheapest for them, since everything is priced in US Dollars, but there must be some good contracts."

Flights to San Salvador are generally cheap, and yes so is the country once you're there. It may not be the absolute "cheapest" Central American destination, but it sure isn't one of the more expensive ones either.

I can't figure out why that other poster is so angry that somebody who has been all over Central America isn't making El Salvador out to be a utopian beach/hiking destination. I don't think the country is unsafe, I think the people are awesome, and we had a fantastic visit. Can I not think that the beaches aren't particularly nice without being attacked and told that I belong in Punta Cana? El Salvador has never been marketed as a prime beach destination for good reason.

Also, as I've said before, the country isn't clean. It just isn't. There's litter everywhere. Yes, Costa Rica has a thriving sex tourism industry and has been overrun with American tourists, and that is all terrible, but that doesn't mean that the landscape isn't maintained -- and just because El Salvador doesn't have sex tourism doesn't mean the streets are clean. Littering is simply not frowned upon in El Salvador the way it is in Costa Rica, and it shows. It's sad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP. Here's what State has to say about ES. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/el-salvador-travel-advisory.html
[b]
Compare to CR: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/CostaRica.html

https://www.frommers.com/destinations/el-salvador/planning-a-trip/health--safety

https://www.frommers.com/destinations/costa-rica/planning-a-trip/health--safety


Distill from that what you will.

[/b


I will summarize: avoid El Salvador because of crime says the State Dept.

Meh. You'll find the same thing being said about 20 other Latin American countries. It's hogwash. Foreign countries advise their citizens not to visit the US for the same reasons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"Ha, OK. But yeah, the Canadians will go anywhere warm, and amazingly fly direct from third tier cities like Saskatchewan. I can’t imagine El Salvador is the absolute cheapest for them, since everything is priced in US Dollars, but there must be some good contracts."

Flights to San Salvador are generally cheap, and yes so is the country once you're there. It may not be the absolute "cheapest" Central American destination, but it sure isn't one of the more expensive ones either.

I can't figure out why that other poster is so angry that somebody who has been all over Central America isn't making El Salvador out to be a utopian beach/hiking destination. I don't think the country is unsafe, I think the people are awesome, and we had a fantastic visit. Can I not think that the beaches aren't particularly nice without being attacked and told that I belong in Punta Cana? El Salvador has never been marketed as a prime beach destination for good reason.

Also, as I've said before, the country isn't clean. It just isn't. There's litter everywhere. Yes, Costa Rica has a thriving sex tourism industry and has been overrun with American tourists, and that is all terrible, but that doesn't mean that the landscape isn't maintained -- and just because El Salvador doesn't have sex tourism doesn't mean the streets are clean. Littering is simply not frowned upon in El Salvador the way it is in Costa Rica, and it shows. It's sad.

Yes, you will see some trash in El Salvador. And in Guatemala, and Nicaragua, and Honduras. What’s your point? There is plenty of trash in Costa Rica too, honestly, especially outside the national parks and tourist areas. I am really wondering how extensive your developing world and “chicken bus travels” were (which is kind of an offensive term, by the way) if you were so offended by some rubbish in El Salvador that you warn people not to visit. You seem obsessed with the topic. I really hope you find that pristine, trash free beach you clearly are desperately seeking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Ha, OK. But yeah, the Canadians will go anywhere warm, and amazingly fly direct from third tier cities like Saskatchewan. I can’t imagine El Salvador is the absolute cheapest for them, since everything is priced in US Dollars, but there must be some good contracts."

Flights to San Salvador are generally cheap, and yes so is the country once you're there. It may not be the absolute "cheapest" Central American destination, but it sure isn't one of the more expensive ones either.

I can't figure out why that other poster is so angry that somebody who has been all over Central America isn't making El Salvador out to be a utopian beach/hiking destination. I don't think the country is unsafe, I think the people are awesome, and we had a fantastic visit. Can I not think that the beaches aren't particularly nice without being attacked and told that I belong in Punta Cana? El Salvador has never been marketed as a prime beach destination for good reason.

Also, as I've said before, the country isn't clean. It just isn't. There's litter everywhere. Yes, Costa Rica has a thriving sex tourism industry and has been overrun with American tourists, and that is all terrible, but that doesn't mean that the landscape isn't maintained -- and just because El Salvador doesn't have sex tourism doesn't mean the streets are clean. Littering is simply not frowned upon in El Salvador the way it is in Costa Rica, and it shows. It's sad.

Yes, you will see some trash in El Salvador. And in Guatemala, and Nicaragua, and Honduras. What’s your point? There is plenty of trash in Costa Rica too, honestly, especially outside the national parks and tourist areas. I am really wondering how extensive your developing world and “chicken bus travels” were (which is kind of an offensive term, by the way) if you were so offended by some rubbish in El Salvador that you warn people not to visit. You seem obsessed with the topic. I really hope you find that pristine, trash free beach you clearly are desperately seeking.

LOL, I knew I'd draw you out again. This is fun. Do you have any idea how bizarre you sound? Now you're pro-litter?

Here's the thing: OP asked that those who have visited the country share their "impressions." That's what I've done -- both the good and the bad. You really haven't disagreed with anything factual that I've said. Your point appears to be that the OP should just ignore the negatives. That's certainly her choice. But that doesn't mean no one should tell her any in the first place.

As for "chicken bus" being offensive, when I told the nice lady sitting next to me on one of those bases with her chickens -- in my fluent Spanish -- that we gringos called them "chicken buses" because of her, we shared a hearty laugh. As Pink Floyd would say, "we don't need your education."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Ha, OK. But yeah, the Canadians will go anywhere warm, and amazingly fly direct from third tier cities like Saskatchewan. I can’t imagine El Salvador is the absolute cheapest for them, since everything is priced in US Dollars, but there must be some good contracts."

Flights to San Salvador are generally cheap, and yes so is the country once you're there. It may not be the absolute "cheapest" Central American destination, but it sure isn't one of the more expensive ones either.

I can't figure out why that other poster is so angry that somebody who has been all over Central America isn't making El Salvador out to be a utopian beach/hiking destination. I don't think the country is unsafe, I think the people are awesome, and we had a fantastic visit. Can I not think that the beaches aren't particularly nice without being attacked and told that I belong in Punta Cana? El Salvador has never been marketed as a prime beach destination for good reason.

Also, as I've said before, the country isn't clean. It just isn't. There's litter everywhere. Yes, Costa Rica has a thriving sex tourism industry and has been overrun with American tourists, and that is all terrible, but that doesn't mean that the landscape isn't maintained -- and just because El Salvador doesn't have sex tourism doesn't mean the streets are clean. Littering is simply not frowned upon in El Salvador the way it is in Costa Rica, and it shows. It's sad.

Yes, you will see some trash in El Salvador. And in Guatemala, and Nicaragua, and Honduras. What’s your point? There is plenty of trash in Costa Rica too, honestly, especially outside the national parks and tourist areas. I am really wondering how extensive your developing world and “chicken bus travels” were (which is kind of an offensive term, by the way) if you were so offended by some rubbish in El Salvador that you warn people not to visit. You seem obsessed with the topic. I really hope you find that pristine, trash free beach you clearly are desperately seeking.

LOL, I knew I'd draw you out again. This is fun. Do you have any idea how bizarre you sound? Now you're pro-litter?

Here's the thing: OP asked that those who have visited the country share their "impressions." That's what I've done -- both the good and the bad. You really haven't disagreed with anything factual that I've said. Your point appears to be that the OP should just ignore the negatives. That's certainly her choice. But that doesn't mean no one should tell her any in the first place.

As for "chicken bus" being offensive, when I told the nice lady sitting next to me on one of those bases with her chickens -- in my fluent Spanish -- that we gringos called them "chicken buses" because of her, we shared a hearty laugh. As Pink Floyd would say, "we don't need your education."

Oh wow, that comment is offensive beyond words. I really hope you didn’t say that. It is so cringeworthy and tone deaf on multiple levels. And just because someone laughed doesn’t mean they appreciated it. By the way, what happened to your promise to leave the thread like three pages ago?

Anyway, you seem oddly invested in telling someone not to visit a fairly harmless destination, presumably because it’s important to your own personal identity to have been somewhere that is not yet mainstream. I’m here to say it’s not that hard or challenging to visit El Salvador, and if OP wants to go with or without her mother in tow, it’s totally fine and nothing to fear. Maybe she will have a great time, maybe not. But if she chooses to go, let’s hope she comes away with an appreciation for the place and the people, and notably the country’s rich history, culture, and ecology. Because it seems your only takeaways were mundane observations about waste management, buses, and beaches.

I think we’ve each said enough on this topic. OP, if you decide to visit, please do let us know your impressions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Ha, OK. But yeah, the Canadians will go anywhere warm, and amazingly fly direct from third tier cities like Saskatchewan. I can’t imagine El Salvador is the absolute cheapest for them, since everything is priced in US Dollars, but there must be some good contracts."

Flights to San Salvador are generally cheap, and yes so is the country once you're there. It may not be the absolute "cheapest" Central American destination, but it sure isn't one of the more expensive ones either.

I can't figure out why that other poster is so angry that somebody who has been all over Central America isn't making El Salvador out to be a utopian beach/hiking destination. I don't think the country is unsafe, I think the people are awesome, and we had a fantastic visit. Can I not think that the beaches aren't particularly nice without being attacked and told that I belong in Punta Cana? El Salvador has never been marketed as a prime beach destination for good reason.

Also, as I've said before, the country isn't clean. It just isn't. There's litter everywhere. Yes, Costa Rica has a thriving sex tourism industry and has been overrun with American tourists, and that is all terrible, but that doesn't mean that the landscape isn't maintained -- and just because El Salvador doesn't have sex tourism doesn't mean the streets are clean. Littering is simply not frowned upon in El Salvador the way it is in Costa Rica, and it shows. It's sad.

Yes, you will see some trash in El Salvador. And in Guatemala, and Nicaragua, and Honduras. What’s your point? There is plenty of trash in Costa Rica too, honestly, especially outside the national parks and tourist areas. I am really wondering how extensive your developing world and “chicken bus travels” were (which is kind of an offensive term, by the way) if you were so offended by some rubbish in El Salvador that you warn people not to visit. You seem obsessed with the topic. I really hope you find that pristine, trash free beach you clearly are desperately seeking.

LOL, I knew I'd draw you out again. This is fun. Do you have any idea how bizarre you sound? Now you're pro-litter?

Here's the thing: OP asked that those who have visited the country share their "impressions." That's what I've done -- both the good and the bad. You really haven't disagreed with anything factual that I've said. Your point appears to be that the OP should just ignore the negatives. That's certainly her choice. But that doesn't mean no one should tell her any in the first place.

As for "chicken bus" being offensive, when I told the nice lady sitting next to me on one of those bases with her chickens -- in my fluent Spanish -- that we gringos called them "chicken buses" because of her, we shared a hearty laugh. As Pink Floyd would say, "we don't need your education."

Oh wow, that comment is offensive beyond words. I really hope you didn’t say that. It is so cringeworthy and tone deaf on multiple levels. And just because someone laughed doesn’t mean they appreciated it. By the way, what happened to your promise to leave the thread like three pages ago?

Anyway, you seem oddly invested in telling someone not to visit a fairly harmless destination, presumably because it’s important to your own personal identity to have been somewhere that is not yet mainstream. I’m here to say it’s not that hard or challenging to visit El Salvador, and if OP wants to go with or without her mother in tow, it’s totally fine and nothing to fear. Maybe she will have a great time, maybe not. But if she chooses to go, let’s hope she comes away with an appreciation for the place and the people, and notably the country’s rich history, culture, and ecology. Because it seems your only takeaways were mundane observations about waste management, buses, and beaches.

I think we’ve each said enough on this topic. OP, if you decide to visit, please do let us know your impressions.

Maybe we'll see each other on the chicken bus!

Lighten up a little, sister!

[Anonymous]

Whenever I text with my foster son (in his 30s now) who lives in El Salvador because he was deported in his 20s (due to stealing and using someone's credit card) he tells me about the gangs, getting mugged, fearing for his life, losing his job due to gang member threatening to kill him if he came back to work the next day, seeing dead bodies in the streets, the poverty he lives in and sees everyday despite working hard, etc etc.

I wouldn't visit there for any reason except maybe to see him and even then I wouldn't because it's too dangerous. The idea of taking a vacation there blows my mind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Whenever I text with my foster son (in his 30s now) who lives in El Salvador because he was deported in his 20s (due to stealing and using someone's credit card) he tells me about the gangs, getting mugged, fearing for his life, losing his job due to gang member threatening to kill him if he came back to work the next day, seeing dead bodies in the streets, the poverty he lives in and sees everyday despite working hard, etc etc.

I wouldn't visit there for any reason except maybe to see him and even then I wouldn't because it's too dangerous. The idea of taking a vacation there blows my mind.

The problem is "the poverty he lives in." You could probably be having almost the same text exchange with a convict living in SE Washington. I feel badly for your foster son, but his reality in El Salvador is far different than any tourist's would be.

When we were there, I do remember driving past a prison where all of the guards were wearing face coverings. I asked our taxi driver about it, and he explained that they didn't want anyone to know who they were because it put their lives at risk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Whenever I text with my foster son (in his 30s now) who lives in El Salvador because he was deported in his 20s (due to stealing and using someone's credit card) he tells me about the gangs, getting mugged, fearing for his life, losing his job due to gang member threatening to kill him if he came back to work the next day, seeing dead bodies in the streets, the poverty he lives in and sees everyday despite working hard, etc etc.

I wouldn't visit there for any reason except maybe to see him and even then I wouldn't because it's too dangerous. The idea of taking a vacation there blows my mind.

The problem is "the poverty he lives in." You could probably be having almost the same text exchange with a convict living in SE Washington. I feel badly for your foster son, but his reality in El Salvador is far different than any tourist's would be.

When we were there, I do remember driving past a prison where all of the guards were wearing face coverings. I asked our taxi driver about it, and he explained that they didn't want anyone to know who they were because it put their lives at risk.

I'm sure you are right that his experience in San Salvador is different from a tourist with plenty of money at a beach resort. However, I also have a neighbor who is from El Salvador, she's been here many years but went back for a visit about two years ago. She was petrified the whole time she was gone and extremely grateful to get back home here to her family safe. She went to see her elderly mother but wouldn't take her teenage daughter because she was too afraid for safety. Yeah, I'd pass on El Salvador, but I'm sure many others like to live on the edge.

[Anonymous]

I'm from El Salvador. I love my homeland but I think there are way, way better places for an American to go if they want to hang out at the beach and go hiking. I'm not sure why some of y'all are offended by that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm from El Salvador. I love my homeland but I think there are way, way better places for an American to go if they want to hang out at the beach and go hiking. I'm not sure why some of y'all are offended by that.

Thank you! As I said, I love your country!