It depends on whether you will visiting Chacraseca (coastal lowlands) or La Flor (mountains). In both areas, the hottest and driest part of the year is March/April and it cools off a bit in June and July as the rainy season starts. Expect highs in the 90s and lows in the 70s and humidity above 50% for Chacraseca, and 80s/60s/>60% for La Flor. Explore the climate for Chacraseca and La Flor.

Different trips engage in different activities, but there is always a range. All participants will need to be able to walk over rough surfaces for at least 1/4 mile. Participants going to La Flor should be prepared for even more strenuous walking, as the town is in the mountains and not accessible by road. If you have concerns, please speak with your Trip Organizer.

Most meals will be tipico Nicaraguan food - rice, beans, some meat - prepared by members of the local community.

Groups visiting Chacraseca stay at La Casa de Paz, a guesthouse established for visiting groups. If your group travels to La Flor, you will stay on mattresses in the local community center. Global Health groups stay in a modest hotel in León, usually the Hotel San Juan de León. La Casa de Paz guesthouse in Chacraseca Community Center in La Flor

Respiratory issues due to cooking stoves are common. Otherwise, standard chronic illnesses and injuries you would see elsewhere.

If you have permission of both the photographer and subject(s), you can share your photos and videos with JustHope. If you do so, you implicitly give JustHope permission to use the photos and videos in any way we choose. You can upload them to our private photo server or using the DS Photo app on your phone (android, iOS). The account name and password will be provided to you after the trip, or earlier if you ask for it. The upload process is pretty simple, but we have a tutorial video (just 3 minutes) that covers the basics. We appreciate descriptions and tags to help us organize the photos.

The viruses that cause Zika, chikungunya, and dengue are an ever-present concern in Nicaragua so use of DEET mosquito repellent and other mosquito bite prevention strategies(PDF from the CDC) are important and highly effective safety precautions. Because of the presence of Zika, women who might be pregnant and partners of pregnant women should know that the CDC advises against their travel to Nicaragua. Malaria is present but rare in our partner communities and the CDC (as of 2018) has no recommendations for these areas other than mosquito avoidance. If you will be traveling to the eastern half of Nicaragua before or after your JustHope trip, you should know that the CDC's recommends chemoprophylaxis for those areas. JustHope's experience has been that diligent use of DEET mosquito repellent and other bite prevention strategies (long sleeves/pants, netting, permethrin-treated clothing, etc.) have proven to be effective protection against these viruses for our participants. Regarding...

Though not required by JustHope, we encourage participants to register with the U.S. Department of State's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). When doing this, you'll need to have an address in Nicaragua. Use one of the following: Most non-medical groups: La Casa de Paz, Chacraseca, León, Nicaragua Most Global Health (medical brigade) groups: Hotel San Juan de León, León, Nicaragua (though in 2018, we are using Hotel Europa, 3ra. Calle Ne, 4ta. Avenida, León, Nicaragua If your group is going to La Flor: Best Western Las Mercedes, Managua, Nicaragua If you aren’t sure what address to use, use the JustHope office address: JustHope, De la Iglesia Zaragoza, 75vras abajo, Casa rosada con verjas negras, León, León, Nicaragua

There are two versions of our packing list: one for and one for Global Health (medical bridgade) trips and one for everyone else.

Important question! All of the essentials are available in this Google Document: emergency numbers, locations, information about customs and immigration, and more. A couple weeks before you leave, be sure to print two copies of this document - one to leave with your loved ones and one to take with you.

We encourage you to read this document to learn a little bit about Nicaragua and JustHope.

You should talk to your doctor about your specific needs regarding vaccinations and other heatlh-related concerns. The Center for Disease Control also has recommendations. If you are traveling to any other countries before you arrive in Nicaragua, be extra sure to check vaccination requirements for all countries and carry any needed certificates of vaccination. The most important thing you can do to avoid contracting mosquito-borne viruses (chikungunya, dengue, malaria, and Zika) is to prevent mosquito bites in first place.

The short answer to this question is "maybe." It depends on what your accountant says. The IRS allows for deductions for travel in order to do "charity work" (not the language we use to talk about our Nicarguan partnerships, but that's the language the IRS uses). Some of your trip fee is related to your travel expenses (room, board, in-country transportation), some provides support for the specific projects your group is working on, and some provides administrative support for JustHope. If you would like to deduct your trip fee, talk with your tax professional about it. JustHope provides email receipts for trip fees that can be used for tax reporting.

If you have already registered, please mail us a check (JustHope, PO Box 4542, Tulsa OK 74159) or use this page to pay your balance online. If someone else is making a payment on your behalf, be sure they indicate who and what trip their check is for, or fill in the appropriate information on the online form. If you aren't sure how much you've already paid, you can check your dashboard to see what completed contributions you have made. If others have made payments on your behalf, you'll need to contact us directly.

Children as young as 11 have joined their parents on JustHope trips. For all children and youth, we expect a parent/guardian to be along with them. We set no age requirement, though we would discourage participation by very young children.

Please read our Trip Participant Refund Policy.

Here it is: Online trip registration Payment Basic health insurance information Medical evacuation (Medevac) insurance information and confirmation scan/sheet Copy of the photo page of your passport Flight information For physicians on Global Health trips: Credentialing information

You'll need to have current health insurance, as well as medical evacuation (medevac) insurance. General health insurance does not include evacuation from foreign countries due to medical reasons. Medical evacuation insurance has very reasonable costs and protects you against potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars should you need evacuation. If you are traveling as part of a school-sponsored study-abroad trip or a medical rotation, your institution may carry evacuation coverage for you. You can shop for policies at SquareMouth.com. Do not to check "trip cancellation insurance" which is not required and raises the costs considerably — unless, of course, you want cancellation insurance.

Yes. We require that all participants create a login account for JustHope.org. This will enable you to access and update your personal information (passport, health insurance, etc.) and keep track of your payments. If you are a repeat participant, it will also allow you to maintain the same information from year to year.

Participants should be sure to register three months before their trip, and complete all of their paperwork and payments no later than two months before their trip. Each trip's information page will have specific due dates. If you need to register late, we may allow it, provided you can supply the needed information very quickly. Any participant who does not provide their paperwork by their trip's due date may be assessed a late fee of $50. If you are still waiting for a passport renewal or have other reasons why you cannot provide the needed information, just let us know. We're quite nice about it.

Find your trip on our list and click on the link to register. Registrations must be completed online by the participating individual or their parent/guardian. If you are not able or do not wish to complete the forms online, please contact our office for paper forms.

Attending physicians need to provide the following in order to be credentialed to practice in Nicaragua. Each item must be notarized. Medical diploma. Any specialty certificate (family practice, pediatrics, radiology, etc). State medical license. Must be valid through the duration of your trip. If you are waiting on a renewal, please send the other documents now with a note as to when you expect your new license to arrive. Basic professional information. DO NOT simply send in your CV. Please use the online form (you must be logged in OR use the link sent to you by email) OR complete this form on paper. About notarizing these documents: In some states, notaries are not permitted to notarize copies of official documents. If you run into this issue, ask the notary to attest to an affidavit of your statement that it is a true and exact copy (rather than attesting to the copy itself). See an example here. Mail all of these notarized documents to JustHopePO Box 4542Tulsa OK 74159 If you...