Safety in El Tunco, El Salvador What do other Racers need to know in order to be safe? Current safety protocols/precautions in place? Any relevant issues/concerns? Any precautionary suggestions?
People’s Opinions
Throughout the whole month, we felt very safe. Our host Andrea was very helpful by advising us what to do. Going out after dark was okay, as long as you didn’t go by yourself. Also, we avoided going out after dark on the weekends because the town can become very “party like” on Friday and Saturday. Overall, the community is very safe, both during the day and at night.
We felt really safe all month long. I would recommend following Adrea’s suggestion of being in pairs after dark as there are quite a few people out in the town.
Ministry Summary
Ministry Summary in El Tunco, El Salvador Breakthroughs? Suggestions? Concerns? On a scale of 1-4 (1 being not at all, 4 being absolutely) how strongly would you recommend another World Race team go to this ministry location & why?
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Lodging
Lodging in El Tunco, El Salvador Where did you stay? What were the accommodations (sleeping arrangements, toilets, showers, etc.)? Cost (per person per night in USD), Contact info.
People’s Opinions
Recommend Hotel Bocanita & Hotel Sunzalito: Nice and clean hotel Hostel with 2 swimming pools and a short walk to the beach. Had debrief lodging there. Pricing good. Must negotiate with only Giovanny Diaz only and make sure and get it in writing. giovannydh@hotmail.com hotelabocanita@hotmail.com 7886-8009 or 7211-9519 Giovanny only speaks spanish.
Food / Meals
Food / Meals in El Tunco, El Salvador What did you eat? Where did you get the food? Cost (per person per day in USD)? Contact info (if applicable).
People’s Opinions
We had the option of cooking for ourselves or having a woman cook for us. Our church/ministry that we were working with was La Red and they had a kitchen with all kinds of cooking utensils. We decide that we wanted to cook our own meals each day. We had to go grocery shopping once a week in La Libertad.
Transportation
Transportation in El Tunco, El Salvador What transportation did you use to enter the country? Where were you coming from? What transportation was used to move throughout the country? Be sure to include the cost per person in USD and contact info if applicable.
People’s Opinions
Once we got to El Tunco, we didn’t need transportation. Everything in the town is within walking distance from where we were staying and doing ministry. Our host Andrea typically drove us to wherever we needed to go.
Medical
Medical in El Tunco, El Salvador Information on local hospitals / doctors / pharmacies. Where would someone go in a medical emergency? (addresses and contact info).
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Communication
Communication in El Tunco, El Salvador Did you have cell reception / Internet service? Where? Carrier / Provider, where did you get phones / SIM cards, cost? Country code?
People’s Opinions
WiFi was available throughout the whole town, but it was very inconsistent. Most places have WiFi but it seemed to be very weak, especially when all our team members were trying to use it at once. Many of the restaurants and cafes have available WiFi, but you would most likely have to purchase something. Sim Cards can be easily purchased at a local Tienda in town. Our host Andrea was very helpful in helping us set up our phone numbers and minutes. Adding more minutes can be a little tricky. Having someone able to translate can help in this area. Communication between teams in El Salvador was fairly good. As long as everyone had minutes on their sim cards.
Financial
Financial in El Tunco, El Salvador Location of banks or ATMs, notes about transaction fees, best places to exchange money, and other money related advice.
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Translators
Translators in El Tunco, El Salvador List any local translators – name and contact information, languages spoken
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Off Days / Fun Activities
Off Days / Fun Activities in El Tunco, El Salvador What activities did your team experience? Recommendations? List locations/contact info. Any locations to be avoided? Any extra safety tips for off days?
People’s Opinions
One of my favorite adventure days was at the nearby Salty Pools, you swim in built up tide pools off the cliffs on the ocean. As waves would crash on the cliffs they would splash into our pools. We had a blast relaxing there for a morning and it was only $2 for tourists. I’d also highly recommend the crater lake, it’s definitely an all day adventure with transportation but we had a lot of fun as a team. We took a boat around the lake and swam in the middle of it. (If Andrea is your host she’s got a great Love Boat story.) We also rented jet skis for an hour or so and swam off the dock or our restaurant.
We took surf lessons on one of our off days. Our host Andrea has a brother who owns a surf company where they teach and give lessons. The name of it is Puro Surf and is in the community of San Blas. This was an awesome experience as it was the first time we all tried to surf.
Other Important Contacts
Other Important Contacts in El Tunco, El Salvador Additional ministry opportunities, local pastors, etc. Relationship & follow up suggestions
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Tips
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Additional Info
Additional Info in El Tunco, El Salvador Anything we’ve left out? Any additional suggestions to make travel easier for others?