10 things I wish I knew before going to El Salvador

Most people make the mistake of travelling to a new country without knowing anything about the country. As a result of this, they often feel frustrated and regret a journey that would have been memorable. It does not matter the reason why you are traveling or not. Having prior knowledge about the country you want to travel to is essential. People leave their country for another country for relaxation, tourist, business, and other numerous reasons. One of the countries people travel to for some of these reasons mentioned above is El Salvador. 

Where is El Salvador?

Where is El Salvador is a common question asked by the tourists. This country is located in Central America. It can also be regarded officially as the Republic of El Salvador. Apart from this question, there are many other questions people ask online and offline. You will also see the questions to be mentioned infrequently asked questions about different traveling websites. The questions include El Salvador, is it safe to travel to El Salvador, what to know before going to El Salvador. Another common question you will see on the traveling website is the best time to travel to El Salvador. There is no best time to travel to El Salvador. Once you have every document ready, fund, and knowing the country is safe, you should travel. 

What to know before going to El Salvador

You don’t just wake up one day and buy a traveling ticket despite how much you love traveling. The security of a country must be known before you travel. This is of paramount importance as you don’t want to experience life-threatening situations in a country you visit for a short period. 

Apart from the cheap airfare you get when you travel to El Salvador or hipster credibility promise, consider the following: 

1. Safety and Security in El Salvador

Like most countries, El Salvador is not the best country in safety terms and not the worst either. You may get contrary opinions that it is unsafe to travel to El Salvador or that this is not the best time to travel to El Salvador. The truth is El Salvador is safer to travel to as they have a high investment in security. It is safer than in most countries you can imagine. This is made possible because of the heavy security presence in the country. So, don’t lose your sleep again when you want to travel to San Salvador. It is a safe country, which answers the question: is it safe to travel to El Salvador. There is also no best time to travel to El Salvador as the security is always at its best. 

2. Crime rate is low in El Salvador 

It is common to read from local papers about one murder or the other. The most tourist didn’t hear a gunshot throughout their stay. While you may get from the state department warnings of kidnapping or extortion, such crimes are not targeted to tourists rather locals. One other benefit you get when you travel to El Salvador is the possibility of getting a tourism police officer at no cost. You can also opt for a tourist guide for just $2.50 per person. However, caution must be taken as you walk around the country. 

3. Language in El Salvador

Ability to communicate with people especially indigenes of a visiting country, is important. What to know before going to El Salvador is their language. You should know how to speak Spanish. You don’t need to be an expert. Knowing the basic words like greeting is important. You should make yourself a student of the Duolingo app. Give yourself a few days and time to learn a few Spanish words. Of course, you will see people who speak other languages like English but not often. The best time to travel to El Salvador is when you can communicate better in the Spanish language. Wordslike eso, Aqui, esto, alli, gracias, cuanto cuesta, esta bien,la quenta, vamos, disculpe, and por favor help you pass different situations. Feel free to show that you don’t understand complex sentences when they speak to you. This will help them respond to you in a few understandable words. It is easier to talk in person than on the phone as you can facially express yourself. So, try as much as possible to communicate in person when you travel to El Salvador. 

4. Cost of Living in El Salvador

The cheap cost of living as you heard or read on the internet is true. You can get a private room when you travel to San Salvador in a range of $18 and $69. If you are travelling alone or with your partner or family, your breakfast will not cost more than $20. The lunch price for you alone is less than 11 dollars. You can enjoy a boat ride for relaxation at $12. If you are a beer lover, you have nothing to worry about as you can get beers between 80 cents and $2. You can travel to neighboring places like Costa Rica and Florida for sightseeing at a very affordable price. 

5. Transportation in El Salvador

Be ready to make use of public transportation. However, to save time, if it is urgent, skip it. The old school buses knew by many as the “chicken buses” are very cheap and always available. You can spend between 40 cents to 2 dollars. However, it takes lots of time to get you to your destination. The bus has many stops on the way and this is one of the causes of the delay. You will likely have this means of transportation as the only option when you visit any small town in the country. Calling a cab is even impossible. Nevertheless, if you happen to see a cab, go for it, especially for short distances and urgent transit. 

6. Information about El Salvador

The internet and guidebooks are not always right though it is part of the fun. The information about other countries that are well documented in travel books is not so with El Salvador. There are lots of places without websites. You can even find outdated books in the country. El Salvador is a great break for you a Googler or Yelper. With the information gotten, travel to El Salvador, ask about the best places, walk around the country and enjoy. It’s a lovely adventure to consider for your next travel adventure. 

7. Availability of Mobile Phone in El Salvador 

Some people believe you will only get a cell phone when you travel to San Salvador, a major city in the country. This is not so. You can get a mobile phone easily in the country. After getting a phone, purchase enough data for surfing the internet. You may need 100 MB for a day or 700 MB for seven days. 

8. Sight Attraction and Awesome Things

You are guaranteed to get the best collection of awesome things in Juayua. There are extraordinary waterfalls to swim under here. There are many friendly expatriates to enjoy the different cool hostels in the country. Having the best dining is possible with cheap pupusas and delicious meals. 

9. El Tunco

This place is getting more touristy by day. It is an excellent way to end your vacation. You are sure of seeing many beach towns here. The lodges here like the Tunco lodge are affordable. Just with less than $100, you will stay in a room with a good air conditioner, great pool for a night. You will see many expatriates here. One thing to know is that water is overcharged at the hostels. Liter bottles of water at close by corner stores is at $1. Spend time at the restaurant on the beach as you have fun with your family and friends. 

10. Food in El Salvador

As we all know, food is one of the basic needs of man on earth. This calls for consideration before you travel to any country even El Salvador. The foods or meals in Mexico are not better in any other country than Mexico. As seen in America, the Mexican restaurants found in El Salvador have blare mariachi music and huge sombreros on the walls. The food is not something you should get happy about. There are three best options for you. You can either come over to the country with your native foods, travel to Mexico to eat great Mexican foods, or steer clear of Mexican foods in El Salvador. This does not mean the food is worst. You can give it a try. It’s part of traveling fun. 

Final Thought

You should consider the following stated points before you travel to El Salvador. It is one thing to have your traveling documents ready and another to know about the country you want to travel. To make your traveling experience awesome, know of these before you travel to El Salvador.