FAQs
 What exactly is a "tropical island disclaimer" as noted on your home page?
Good question.
We don't want anyone to be caught by surprise when they reach our little island and LCBB. We are NOT an air conditioned, 5 star (or even 4 or 3) resort with all of the comforts of home. This is a remote tropical island that sometimes goes without power for up to 3 weeks (we do have a generator).
What you can expect is an eco-friendly resort on a wonderful remote tropical island that is doing its best to provide relative comfort, good service, good food and drink and good value at a reasonable price.
Reasonable price is relevant to our location and what we offer. We provide what we believe are higher quality, tasty food and libations and a more comfortable accommodation in a remote island setting on a beach bordered by jungle. Everything our guests consume and experience during their stay has to be brought to the island by freighter or airplane then transported to our resort in wheelbarrows across the island. We import many items direct from the United States (often taking 3 to 4 months to arrive on LCI). Due to this reality, we began planning for today many months ago.
We know that you understand we have no control over the weather, insects, panga, airlines, village generator etc. (though we would love to take credit when the weather is beautiful, there are no bugs and everything runs perfectly).
Our guests should be aware, for example, that the trip from Big Corn Island to Little Corn Island is by commercial panga (an open boat) and sometimes can be very wet and rough. But also to know that we have no control over the operation of the panga or the conditions in which it operates.
We urge you to read our “things to bring”. Examples of must haves are: flashlight, bug spray, sunblock and a raincoat.
We seemingly face a million obstacles daily and strive to tackle each and every one of these challenges without you suspecting that they ever existed. Our goal is to treat every guest with the respect and courtesy they deserve and let them leave the worries to us. In short, we want you to remember our little island and our hotel with the desire to someday return.
Ok, so you have warned us about the OPEN panga ride that can be a bit rough/wet! Do you have any advice on how we might make the ride as comfortable as possible?
Well . . . while there is no fool proof plan, we can share with you what we do when we take the panga.
When you go from Big Corn Island (BCI) to Little Corn Island (LCI) you will mostly be traveling East. This usually takes you directly into the wind and the waves. If you want to stay the driest, ride in the middle near the bow (front) of the boat. But be aware, the front is the roughest ride (sometimes "rough" is an understatement). If you want to have the smoothest ride, ride in the stern (back) of the boat. But be aware, this is the wettest (and we mean "wet") place to be.
When we ride the panga from BCI to LCI we usually try to arrive early to the dock and select a seat either farther toward the bow (yet mid boat if we are more concerned about "dry") or a little closer to the stern (yet still mid boat if we are more concerned about a less rough ride). Remember, the captain of the panga has to take in to account ALL of the factors involved of driving the panga into the waves which means that sometimes the people in the bow get a huge bump and sometimes the people in the stern get very wet. If this is not something that you think you can handle, maybe you should consider taking a NICA WINGS charter float plane flight direct to LCI or postponing your trip.
What should I bring to Little Corn Island?
Things to bring :
•Bug spray (you will be visiting a tropical island, staying at a resort on the beach that is surrounded by jungle, there ARE bugs, we do all we can to mitigate them but they are innumerable and persistent)
•Flashlight or headlamp
•Rain jacket or umbrella (for the tropical rain storm)
•Flip flops
•US dollars are accepted all over Nicaragua and the island (they will only be accepted on the islands if they are clean, unmarked, not torn and readable, so be sure to get clean money for this part of your trip). Of course Nicaraguan Cordobas are accepeted as well. Consider paying for the balance of your stay with us with cash to avoid a rather hefty convenience fee.
•Light sweater for the 77 degree evenings
•Hat
•Sunscreen (keep in mind, some lotions are natural and better for the reef.) and First Aid kit.
•Books
•Day pack
•Any thing else that will make your stay comfortable for you.
•There are some small stores on the island that have a limited selection of life’s little necessities.
How do I arrange for one of your staff to meet us at the LCI dock?
If you take one of the regularly scheduled panga's (typically departing BCI at 10:00am and 4:30pm each day) and have let us know which panga you will be arriving upon, you will be met by one of our staff holding an "LCBB" sign with a member of your parties name upon it.
However, if you have not let us know when you are arriving, or if you take a non commercial, not regularly scheduled panga we will not know when or where you will be arriving and will be unable to meet you. In that event, there will be "chamba" (piece labor) people at the dock that you can negotiate a price with to bring you to our place (for 2 people, about $5 is a fair price).
Wow, I read somewhere that your check out time is 9:30am. Why so early!?
We agree, it does seem a bit early. But here is our dilema. We want the people checking out to have the maximum time in their cabin before they leave. But, if you read about the panga ride elsewhere on this page you have seen that our incomeing guests arrive around 10:30am. Not only do those newly arrivng guests expect their cabin to be ready when they arrive, but they often show up wet or frazzled from the very nature of that boat ride. So, we want to have their accommodation ready for them as quickly as possible so they can change clothes and/or relax.
We also strive to provide the cleanest possible accommodations which means that it can take up to 1 1/2 hours to clean a private cabin. But remember, we will treat you as an arriving guest with exactly the same respect as we treated the people that arrived before you and are having to check out by 9:30.
Your patience and understanding is appreciated as this is a very difficult situation that we have to deal with daily.
Your email with our reservation confirmation reccommended "trip insurance". What is that and where can I find it?
Trip insurance is a relatively inexpensive way to make sure that lifes (or travels) little mishaps are covered by a third party (the insurerer) so that you don't have to pay the price should something unexpected happen. Such as flight canelations, baggage loss, illness, weather etc. You can even choose a carrier or plan that will pay for a charter jet to take you to your home in the case of medical emergency (there is no hospital to speak of in the Corn Islands). It is suprisingly inexpensive and worth looking in to. Google "trip insurance" for a myriad of choices to consider.
I have e-mailed my reservation request and have not heard back from you. How often do you check your e-mails and what should I do?
We strive to answer reservation requests daily, whether we have availability or not. We respond with a "subject" line of "Little Corn BB" to help you see our response. If you would like, you can call us at our Restaurant/Bar phone, 011.505.8.333.0956 to verbally inquire or check your "junk" mail in search of our earlier response.
Do you need/have air conditioning?
LCBB is on the breezy side of the island. Typically, nature does the A/C for us. Get ready for disclaimer now. It is almost always 82 degrees F on LCI. When it is unusually calm, or electricity is off (electricity is typically is available from 11:30 am to 5:00 am, and village power has been know to go down for weeks at a time) the island can be hot, especially if you are sensitive to heat. Our bungalows were actually designed to maximize air flow, BUT, when the right conditions exist certain bungalows at certain times can seem warmer than the ambient air temperature. On an on going basis we are improving things by increasing natural ventilation, altering design and adding floor and ceiling fans (in some bungalows). BUT IF YOU NEED AIR CONDITIONING, their is one hotel on the island that offers air conditioning during periods of electricity. Gulliver style bungalows now offer rechargable power which keeps the fans running even after the village power goes off (see question below). If A/C is a major factor that makes your vacation pleasurable, please inquire with us and we will refer you to that hotel.
Did I read that some cabins have fans that run beyond the time that power goes off at approximately 5:00AM?
You may have. Recently, we have added rechargable power to our hotel electricity availability. Due to the limited nature of this change, only certain bungalows currently take advantage of this new addition. Renting a Master Gulliver Suite or a regular Gulliver means that your bungalow is connected to the rechargable power source. This means that while Crusoe and Bunkhouse fans and lights go off around 5 am due to village power going off, the Gullivers will have power for the ceiling fan and the individual bed fans as well at the light in the bathroom and the loft light. So . . . if sleeping beyond 5 am in relative comfort is important to you, consider a Gulliver bungalow.
Is there 24 hour electricity?
The island power is typically available from 2:00 pm to 5:00 am (although there has been times when the village generator has been down for up to three weeks). LCB&B has a backup generator, we have the ability to provide our own power for at least a portion of the time. There are and will be times the village power will go down without warning, when it does it usually happens at night. This means that your fans and lights will not function (unless you have had the forsight to reserve a Gulliver style cabin). We typically run our power from 11:30am to 2:00pm which provides our clients a little more flexibility than most other accommodations on the island. Generally electricity is available at LCB&B from 11:30 am to 5:00am. Read our "Do you need air conditioning", and "Do some bungalows have power available when there is no village power" questions above.
What type of plug in do we need?
All of Nicaragua, inluding Little Corn Island uses the standard plug used in the United States.
Can I use my hair dryer/blow dryer?
You can use your blow dryer, but only while village power is being utilized. Hard to believe but a simple blow dryer uses a BOATLOAD of electricity. Sometimes, we have power available but if it is from our generator (which is hefty but not big enough to power a bunch of blow dryers) you be asked to postpone the use of your dryer. If you do bring your blow dryer please use it sparingly and at the right time (when village power is being utilized).
Do you have ice available?
Ice is typically available at LCB&B. It is made with water that is safe to drink. Unfortunately, ice is also a very expensive commoditiy to have on hand.
Many factors make this so: Island power is only running about 12 to 15 hours a day, the one facility that makes bulk ice on the island frequently has mechanical problems with its ice maker, ice has to be brought across the island on a wheelbarrow and stored in a large cooler, all these factors and more make ice a real luxury on Little Corn Island.
We provide complimentary ice with mixed drinks and alcohol drinks purchased through our bar. BUT, if we offer ice for any other purpose, it is at a small charge. Or, if ice is almost non existent we only offer ice for drinks purchased in the bar that normally get ice included. We hope you understand.
Can I spend my US dollars there?
Yes, US dollars and Nicaraguan Cordobas are both legal tender. If you bring US dollars be sure that the have no rips, tears, tape or marks on them so they will be accepted. Only Cordobas or US money (with no rips, tears, writing, marks or ink stains) are acceptable on the islands.
Do you accept credit cards or checks?
LCBB is one of the few places on the island that accepts Visa and Mastercard from guests only (a 10% convenience fee is applied to any charges for the required confirmation deposit, if you choose to charge on a Credit Card at the end of your stay the convenience fee is 12%). Our credit card transactions are routed through the U.S.. This means that the payment you make with a card has to find its way back to Little Corn Island Nicaragua which has no mail service and no bank! LCBB has to get the money collected through CC transactions back to Little Corn to pay our employees, buy supplies and purchase other goods and services needed to run the resort. This is an expensive proposition and we apologize for the fee. To avoid this hefty fee consider bringing cash for the balance of your stay.
Is there a bank or ATM on Little Corn?
No. Be sure to bring all of the cash you will need for your stay. There is Western Union, Banpro and an ATM (occasionally out of money) on Big Corn.
Is the island safe?
Little Corn is a close knit community. Relatively speaking it is very safe. Rarely does anyone feel threatened on the island. We recommend that our guest always use practices that promote safe travel.
Where can I find more information about The Corn Islands, Little Corn Beach and Bungalow and Nicaragua?
Visit these links to learn more about all three:
 What happens if I want to stay longer than originally planned?
Not surprisingly, this happens a lot. If you wish to extend your stay beyond your reservations we will do everything we can to accommodate your needs. We can even help to change plane reservations etc.
Are there other places to eat on the island then your restaurant the “Turned Turtle”?
Most definitely yes! We can recommend some nice places to eat around the island. One thing though, the service can be more laid back than ours, so you will want to go an hour before hungry typically.
Can I rent snorkel equipment on the island?
Yes. LCBB has some for rent and if we are out, we can send you to others that rent equipment as well.
Where are you located on the island?
click here to see the map of Little Corn with our location marked
Can I snorkel to the reef from the beach?
Yes. However, there is Tarpon Channel, an opening in the reef directly off shore from LCB&B. We suggest that you be aware of this and plan you snorkeling accordingly. Typically, it is safe to swim and snorkel right off the beach, but please use your personal knowledge about your swimming abilities and comfort levels to determine when, where and if you go snorkeling.
Are there any stores on the island to buy snacks?
The island has a few small tienda's with a limited (by North American standards) food and clothing items.
When I leave LCBB for my flight off of Big Corn, do I need to leave Little Corn the night before, and spend the night on Big Corn?
While anything can happen, we never have missed a plane by taking the morning panga to Big Corn the morning of our flight. The panga schedule coordinates with flight schedules, so enjoy another night on Little Corn, you will be glad you did.
What is there to do on Little Corn?
click here for information on what there is to do on Little Corn Island
What's the diving like?
click here for information on diving Little Corn Island
Will I be bored?
We hear this question a lot. Most people (there are some exceptions) arrive on the islands and after staying their planed time, end up either wishing they could, or actually change their plans to stay longer. I think we mentioned this is an enchanting island.
Are the Nicaraguan people friendly?
Yes. click here for information on the Nicaraguan people
What vaccines should we have before we come to Nicaragua or Little Corn?
Recommended Vaccines for Nicaragua by the Center of Disease Control:
Hepatitis A or immune globulin (IG).
Hepatitis B - if you are exposed to blood (for example, health-care workers), have sexual contact with the local population, stay longer than 6 months, or are undergoing various medical treatments.
Rabies - if you are in contact to wild or domestic animals through your work or recreation.
Typhoid - particularly if you are visiting developing countries in this region. As needed, booster doses for tetanus-diphtheria and measles. The Hepatitis B vaccine is now recommended for all infants and for children ages 11 and 12 who did not receive it as infants
What are your “check in” and “check out” times?
Check out time is generally 9:30am. Check in just depends on when you arrive and if your casita is ready. We will be as flexible as we can be. Worst case scenario, if you arrive and your casita is not ready, we will be happy to watch your luggage while you go off to explore the island or take a nap in one of our custom made hammocks.
Is Little Corn suitable for children?
LCI is a small island and a relatively safe place. It is important to remember that the Panga ride from Big Corn is in an open skiff over 8 miles of ocean and that while you are here at the resort, the ocean is just steps away. Also, some of our accommodations have bedrooms accessed by bamboo ladders. If you feel uncomfortable with that for your children be sure to book a bungalow with all the beds on the first floor. So if all that doesn’t worry you, bringing children 6 and over may not be a problem.
When is the “rainy” season:
October and November are the rainiest months on the island. September is our little secret month. It is usually a great month to be on the island. December, January and February are months that you will see the tropical downpour and then it will typically return to a beautiful day. While some times, you may not see rain for a week.
March through May are probably the driest months. June, July and August seem to be somewhat like December through February.
Keep in mind, if it was easy to predict the weather, we would all be prognosticators. So, bring an umbrella or a rain jacket and enjoy LCI no matter what the weather. If you do get a rainy day or two, our bar has a nice enclosed reading and game area where you can while away the hours.
What are the Top 10 Reasons to come to Little Corn Island:
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You are tired of Cancun and places like it. . . .
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You would rather not be accosted at the dock when you arrive with the latest fabulous time share opportunity. . .
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Getting bombarded on the beach for trinkets, sunglasses, “Rolex” watches, etc. does not spell “vacation” to you . . .
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You know bugs live in the tropics . . .
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You understand that this little island is South of Nowhere and North East of Watch a ma Callit, (you know, a long way from anywhere) and that makes some things hard to get and makes this place different than home and that is a good thing . . .
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You don’t mind that the islanders call a Geco an “Alligator” and instead of “hello”, you say “ok” and they respond “alright” . . .
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You like that fact that you can not drive a car on this little island . . .
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It is ok with you that your boss might not be able to contact you while you are on your vacation . . .
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Instead of being uptight if a meal out takes an hour to prepare, you see it as just another opportunity to unwind and have a beer in this tropical island paradise. .
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Few things are better than a beach, a great Margarita, a good book, a hammock, the ocean breeze and the sound of the ocean waves . . .
BONUS REASON: (see “This is Spinal Tap” the movie.)
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After riding on the open panga to get here you say to yourself, “Wow, this much of an adventure to get here, just think what a challenge running a resort on this island must be . . .”
Note from the owners: We appreciate our clients understanding when it comes to our remote location and the challenges it presents. But we want everyone who comes to visit us to know, we are going to do our best because “you are the reason that we are open”.
Are there any independent opinions about LCBB available?
Visit this site for another reviewers opinion: http://rightsideguide.com/little-corn-island-page/places-fah-stay-in-little-corn-island/
Safe travels and see you when you “reach”,
Scot and Kristine
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