Nicaragua Trip

DON'T Stay a Norome unless you have absolutely no other option. We stayed there a night because everything else was full and would have much preferred to stay in Masaya.
Book ahead at Monkey or Craters (I recommend Craters). We were treated badly by everyone we encountered at Norome even though we were spending $60 on a room and not too mention our food and drink tab (which was rather hight due to excessive drinking and outrageous prices).
They closed to waterfront area at 7pm so we couldn't enjoy a couple of drinks down by the Laguna, hell we couldn't enjoy anything by the water because we couldn't go to the water. And night time on the Apoyo is incredible unless of course you are stuck in a room watching Godzilla dubbed in Spanish. Sure there was a pretty tropical flower on my kingsized bed but I much preferred sleeping in the dorm at Craters and enjoying new friends as I watched the moon rise over Mombocho.
Monkey Hut is a cool place and I enjoyed a couple nights there (I really liked Apoyo if you couldn't tell) meeting great people and generally getting wasted playing Jenga as a drinking game (if you get there and play Jenga you will understand).
I seem to have taken this a little off track eh......
On Ometepe I stayed in Altagracia at Central and at Finca Venicia. I found the staff at Venicia wonderful when I arrived but a little standoffish at times.Charco Verde is right next door but I didn't see too many people staying there. I had some friends that stayed at Magdelena and hated it.
There is a hotel on the Madera side that I stopped at for lunch in between hiking Madera and Ojo de Aquas but the name is escaping me right now (useful I know). It seemed preety cool with a fun beach and interesting set-up. When the name comes to me I'll post it.
Good luck. All the information that comes from these boards can be like sensory overload.

GRANADA and OMETEPE are good choices.
Lots of tours available from Granada.
I wouldn't spend the whole 9 days in those places though.
I'd spend 24 hours in LEON you've seen most of what you'll want in that time then spend a couple of days on the beach in nearby LAS PENITAS

Edited by: thenicaraguablog