Little Corn Beach and Bungalow FAQs
Note from the owners: We appreciate our guest understanding when it comes to our remote location on Little Corn Island and the challenges it presents. We want everyone that visits us to know, we are going to do our very best because “you are the reason that we are open”.
We hope you want to know more and decide to come and be our guest at Little Corn Beach and Bungalow on our “Tropical Island Paradise”. We hope you “reach” soon!
- What precautions is the hotel/restaurant taking to protect guests against the risk of Covid-19?
- We are trying to decide what type of cabin to reserve for our stay at Little Corn Beach and Bungalow, can you help me determine what cabin or bungalow would be best for us?
- Tell me a little about your RADD Deal package? I am trying to figure out if it is the right option for me.
- 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?
- Your email with our reservation confirmation recommended “trip insurance”. What is that and where can I find it?
- Where are you located on the island?
- What can we expect on arrival at Little Corn Beach and Bungalow?
- How do I arrange for one of your staff to meet us at the Little Corn Island dock?
- I have seen a couple comments on the internet about “tipping” at Little Corn Beach and Bungalow. What is all that about and what about tipping in general in Nicaragua?
- What are your “check in” and “check out” times?
- What time is “check in”?
- May I have a late check out?
- Can we get a “wake up call”?
- If I have to move cabins during our stay, what is that process like?
- We booked a little late and because of that, we are going to have to move from one cabin to the other while we stay with you. How much trouble is that going to be?
- What happens if I want to stay longer than originally planned?
- When I leave Little Corn Beach and Bungalow for my flight off of Big Corn Island, do I need to leave Little Corn Island the night before, and spend the night on Big Corn Island?
- Do you accept credit cards, travelers checks or personal checks?
- “Free WiFi”, what exactly do you mean by that?
- Do you need/have air conditioning?
- Did I read that some cabins have fans that run beyond the time that power goes off at approximately 6:00 AM?
- Can I use my hair dryer/blow dryer?
- Do you have ice available?
- Why don’t you use solar or wind power?
- Is Little Corn Beach and Bungalow ever closed during the year?
- How is the party life at Little Corn Beach and Bungalow?
- Can I rent snorkel equipment on the island?
Little Corn Island Beach & Bungalow and The Turned Turtle Restaurant realize how important enhanced measures are to doing what we can to protect our guests, employees and island residents from the risks of travel (including Covid-19).
- Enhanced cleaning protocols in Restaurant, Kitchen, Bathrooms, Public Areas and Cabins
- No hallways or elevators at resort (easy distancing)
- Open air dining (easy distancing)
- Open air walkways and thoroughfares (tropical sunlight, humidity and temperatures)
- Private open air cabins set apart from each other (Bunkhouse economy cabin excluded)
- Hand sanitizer available for restaurant guest use
- Increased “hygiene” training practices for employees
- Employee social distancing training (example, no more hand shakes at the dock on arrival)
- Private decks (Bunkhouse economy cabin excluded)
- Location on the Sea Breeze side of the island allows almost constant fresh air circulation in and out of grounds and buildings
- BH economy cabin has private sleeping quarters
We are trying to decide what type of cabin to reserve for our stay at Little Corn Beach and Bungalow, can you help me determine what cabin or bungalow would be best for us?
We have four styles of cabins. In order from “Nicest, nicer, nice to economy nice” the cabin style names are Master Suite Gulliver (MSG), Master Suite Crusoe (MSC), Regular Crusoe (RC) and Economy Bunkhouse 1 and 2 (BH1 and BH2).
Each cabin (accept for the BH cabins) are named for famous shipwrecks or references to being lost in jungle environments. We have Gulliver for instance which refers to Gullivers Travels, Robinson (Swiss Family Robinson), Survivor (after CBS, Survivor: San Juan Del Sur – Blood vs. Water), Shackleton (Ernest Shackleton and Endurance), Wilson (the volley ball in the movie Castaway), Selkirk (the original Robinson Crusoe that the novel was written after) and of course there is Gilligan (after what might possibly be the most famous shipwreck of all time, Gilligan’s Island). Our Garden Master Suite Gullivers, Livingstone (after the lost in Africa explorer that Stanley so famously queried “Dr. Livingstone I presume?”) and Fawcett Z (British Explorer Perry Fawcett ventured in to the Amazon jungle looking for the “Lost City of Z” and never returned) are named after famous lost jungle explorers.
Find out all the details (# of beds etc.) about each of our cabins by going to our Accommodations page where you will see interior pictures too. You can look at our prices on our Rates page.
Don’t forget to look over our Breakfast/Lunch RADD Deal Adventure Package that includes, among it’s many other benefits, a 10% to as much as a 25% discount on the cabin rate (depending on the special discounts available when you book and confirm your reservation).
Tell me a little about your RADDeal package? I am trying to figure out if it is the right option for me.
Our goal as a resort with theBreakfast/Lunch RADDeal package is to give guests that choose to spend a little more time at our resort as opposed to spending most of their time moving about the island a better value for their stay.
The Breakfast/Lunch RADDeal Adventure Package is a semi-inclusive “add on” that is more than just a meal package. For the additional cost of the RADDeal for each cabin occupant, you receive a discounted cabin rate, Breakfast and Lunch daily, free beer, soda and canned juice as well as steep discounts on Wine and Rum drinks, free use of recreational equipment and discounts on bunches of Activities and Adventures around the island. No matter what you purchase at LCBB, it will be at a discounted price or included in the “deal”.
On of the best benefits of the RADDeal is that among all the other things offered is it also affords a significant discount on your cabin rate. Always a 10% discount and depending on the special or the season up to 25%.
If you like to try a different restaurant for every meal or plan to spend your entire trip diving (although “fun dives” at Dolphin Dive are discounted 10% with the package) then the package is probably not for you.
On the other hand if you have looked at our menu and the idea of dining a couple times a day at Little Corn Islands #1 rated restaurant (restaurant page), think our food and drink look good and would like to get a discount (our RADDeal guests typically enjoy a significant discount over purchasing a la carte) on all the things included in our package (see package details on our “rates” page) then this may be just right for you.
A couple recent examples of actual guests one took the RADD Deal package, one did not.
Couple A took the package and after their stay realized a 9.6% overall savings as compared to if they had purchased a la carte.
Individual B whom did not take the package but really enjoyed our food spent $277 USD with us and if they had utilized the RADDeal package would have only paid $220 USD a savings of $57 USD or 20.5% (this individual only drank 5 beers).
If you like beer, massage, yoga, kayaking, snorkeling, diving, etc. your savings will be on the higher end.
We recently enhanced the benefits of the RADDeal package to include an 15% discount on any purchases that were not otherwise discounted or included in the package. This means that EVERYTHING is cheaper for our guests that select the package.
RADDeal guests help keep us on our toes too. We strive to provide a quality experience in all ways (food, accommodation and service) so our loyal guests will never feel disappointed.
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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 Beach and Bungalow to help you see our response. If you would like, you can call us at our Turned Turtle Restaurant and Bar phone, 011.505.8923.2517 to verbally inquire or check your “junk” mail in search of our earlier response.
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Your email with our reservation confirmation recommended “trip insurance”. What is that and where can I find it?
Trip insurance is a relatively inexpensive way to make sure that life’s (or travels) little mishaps are covered by a third party (the insurer) so that you don’t have to pay the price should something unexpected happen, such as flight cancellations, 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 on Big Corn Island or Little Corn Island). It is surprisingly inexpensive and worth looking in to. Google “trip insurance” and look for an online “broker” that will have a myriad of choices to consider.
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Where are you located on the island?
Click here to see the map of Little Corn Island with our location marked
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What can we expect on arrival at Little Corn Beach and Bungalow?
Our goal is to get the weary, wet or excited (or all three) traveler to their cabin as quickly as possible. While official check in time is 3:30 PM we strive to have you to your cabin prior to that time.
When you first arrive a hotel employee will give you a brief introduction to some of the idiosyncrasies and limitations of the place. Things like “don’t drink the water that comes out of your sink because it is intermingled with rain water from your roof due to our rain water recycling efforts”.
When you are taken to your cabin you will be given a short walk thru to help you find light switches, island power times (typically from 1 PM to 6 AM) info on operating the hot shower and hotel safety, etc..
For those that want more in depth information about the island, our services and operational information about the hotel, their is a nicely bound book in the cabin for review at their leisure. Or you can come to the restaurant and ask one of our shift leaders any questions you might have.
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How do I arrange for one of your staff to meet us at the Little Corn Island dock?
If you take one of the regularly scheduled panga’s (typically departing Big Corn Island at 4:30pm each day) and have let us know which panga you will be arriving upon at least 24 hours in advance, you will be met by one of our staff holding an Little Corn Beach and Bungalow 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 or not regularly scheduled panga/boat 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). Be sure to negotiate your price before accepting their help and pay them only when you arrive to your destination.
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I have seen a couple comments on the internet about “tipping” at Little Corn Beach and Bungalow. What is all that about and what about tipping in general in Nicaragua?
At Little Corn Beach and Bungalow we make a point to let every guest know that tipping is TOTALLY VOLUNTARY at our resort! It is not added in to your bill in any way.
OUR STAFF HAS CHOSEN to pool tips offered by our guests and visitors and distribute them between all of the employees at Little Corn Island Beach and Bungalow. They have discovered through experience that sharing or pooling tips = TEAMWORK!
Turned Turtle Restaurant and Bar employees realize that our restaurant patrons tip for a multitude of reasons. Good, friendly service with a smile, tasty well presented food, timeliness on all fronts, a clean bathroom, warm environment and clean, beautiful grounds. Our wait staff has decided that only because they are “out front” and make most of the contact, it is not just them that make someone’s meal and experience tip worthy. The restaurant staff has made the decision that all restaurant tips are and will be divided among the employees that make the Turned Turtle experience special. So, if you decide to thank them for their efforts with a tip, you might be comforted to know that all restaurant employees are grateful and receive a share of your generosity.
Our hotel staff has also decided to pool and share tips. Should our hotel guest decide that they would like to tip our hard working all Nicaraguan staff they respectfully ask that you do so at the end of your stay and leave your tip with the team leaders checking you out. The tip a guest leaves is distributed to ALL of our employees (night watchman, maids, cooks, waiters, gardeners, laundry gals, we currently have 27 in all).
Our staff has recognized that individual tipping can have an affect on the “TEAMWORK PARADIGM” that they have created over the last 8 years. The employees of Little Corn Island Beach and Bungalow very much appreciate our guests who choose to help them out by leaving a tip to the pool as opposed to the individual.
One note, our staff that meets you at the dock, returns you to the dock (come rain or shine) are especially hardworking. Should you like to thank them with a tip, it is kept and divided by those gentlemen that carried your luggage across the island.
We provide a good, respectful work environment , benefits and pay to our employees. The tip you may choose to leave merely enhances their sense of accomplishment and can dramatically, positively affect their lives.
As you travel about Nicaragua, you will find the most businesses add a “propina voluntaria” (voluntary tip). It is added in to your bill and you have the option to “opt out” ( usually 10 to 15%).
We do not add any tip, tipping at Little Corn Island Beach and Bungalow is TOTALLY VOLUNTARY for our HOTEL guests and restaurant visitors.
While tips are neither expected nor included on your bill, any “propina” you leave behind is greatly appreciated by our staff and their families.
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What are your “check in” and “check out” times?
“Official” check in time is 3:30PM. We go to great lengths though to try to make your cabin available for you when you arrive. Check in just depends on when you arrive and if your cabin or bungalow is ready.
Check out time is generally 9:30 AM.
Worst case scenario, if you arrive and your casita is not ready, we will be happy to watch your luggage while while you dine at Little Corn Island’s #1 restaurant “The Turned Turtle”, hang out in a hammock or beach lounge chair and/or take a swim.
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Wow, I read somewhere that your check out time is 9:30 AM. Why so early!?
We agree, it does seem a bit early. But here is our dilemma. 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 incoming guests may arrive around 10:30 AM.
Not only do those newly arriving guests expect their cabin to be ready when they arrive (even though official check in time is 3:30), 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 2 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 AM. Your patience and understanding is appreciated as this is a very difficult situation that we have to deal with daily.
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May I have a late check out?
When you arrived to Little Corn Beach and Bungalow we did everything in our power to have your cabin ready for when you arrived (even though check in time is 3:30pm). We did not know if you would be tired from your trip, wet from the panga ride or just ready to have a roof over your head but we do know that most people want to get to their cabin as soon as possible. In order to increase the probability of having your room ready for you, we had to make sure the people that were in your cabin prior to your arrival were checked out by 9:30 AM.
This means that late check outs may not available. The only Little Corn Beach and Bungalow employees that are authorized to arrange late check out should one be available is the General Manger. We are sorry that we can not be more flexible in this but we want to respect the folks arriving needs just as we did yours.
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If I have to move cabins during our stay, what is that process like?
You are scheduled for a move to another cabin as was originally noted in your reservation tomorrow morning. Please have your belongings packed and ready to be securely stored by 8:30 AM (or prior to your morning yoga class or other off grounds plans) as we need time to clean the cabin for arriving guests.
One of our staff will be by to pick up your bags. Your new cabin will be cleaned and ready for you as soon as possible (depending on the day this could be as late as 12:30pm).
Please feel free to go out and enjoy your morning activities as we will take care of the details. Thank you for your patience!
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We booked a little late and because of that, we are going to have to move from one cabin to the other while we stay with you. How much trouble is that going to be?
We hope not much. We do most of the work and our cleaning staff is really good. When they need help to get things done in a timely fashion, even the managers and owners assist in cleaning the rooms so our guests can get into their new accommodation as quickly as possible.
We do however ask that anyone moving to a new cabin have their bags packed and be ready to vacate their current cabin by 8:30 AM. There will be a note placed in your cabin the day before your move to remind you of the change.
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When I leave Little Corn Beach and Bungalow for my flight off of Big Corn Island, do I need to leave Little Corn Island the night before, and spend the night on Big Corn Island?
While anything can happen, we never have missed a plane by taking the morning panga to Big Corn Island the morning of our flight. The panga schedule coordinates with flight schedules, so enjoy another night on Little Corn Island, you will be glad you did.
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Do you accept credit cards, travelers checks or personal checks?
Little Corn Beach and Bungalow is one of the places on the island that accepts Visa and Mastercard. We accept charge cards from hotel guests only (a 5% convenience fee is applied to any charges for the required confirmation deposit, if you choose to charge on a Credit Card at LCBB while on the island, 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, ATM, Western Union and no bank! Little Corn Beach and Bungalow 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. We are unaware of any bank in Nicaragua that accepts travelers checks and for that reason, we can not either.
There are a few other mostly Nicaraguan owned businesses on the island that accept credit cards and typically their convenience fee charges are up to 10%. To avoid these high fees, we recommend that our guests bring US$ or Nicaraguan cordobas for incidentals around the island and check in and check out bills.
We do not accept checks here on the island as no Nicaraguan bank would honor them.
Save money when you are here by bringing cash to pay the balance of your bill as we charge a huge 12% (most places on the island if they take cards charge only 10% or less) convenience fee for card use on the island. We apologize for this but all credit card charges posted from our resort are run through our US address and we are on a remote tropical island where there is no mail, bank, ATM or Western Union.
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“Free WiFi”, what exactly do you mean by that?
If quality internet access is important to you, you will want to be staying with us while you are on LCI.
We do offer free wifi in cabins, around the grounds, beach and in the Turned Turtle Restaurant and bar area. Due to the fact that we are on the remote eastern shore of Little Corn Island, the only viable alternative for internet service is via our recently installed 100 foot tall tower.
Most guests do not realize that this service is only available at a very high cost (internet access is and expensive luxury on a remote tropical island).
Many guests have commented “You have the best internet and wifi in Nicaragua”. We are grateful that our many efforts to provide quality internet connectivity are seeming to pay off. Because we are one of the few establishments on LCI that utilize solar power, our wifi is typically available 24 hours a day.
We especially want you to be aware that there may be times that our wifi network is working perfectly but our provider of internet services is failing to provide the actual internet connection and that there will be no internet available. In those instances we immediately contact the vendor and ask to have service reestablished as quickly as possible.
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Do you need/have air conditioning?
Checking reviews about our hotel you almost always see “Thought I had to have A/C, but did not even notice that I didn’t have it at LCIBB.”Little Corn Beach and Bungalow 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 Little Corn Island.
When it is unusually calm, or electricity is off (electricity is typically is available from 1:00 PM to 6:00 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 and/or humidity.
Our bungalows were actually designed to maximize air flow, BUT, when the right (or wrong depending how you look at it :)) 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 ABSOLUTELY NEED AIR CONDITIONING, their are a couple hotels on the island that offer air conditioning during periods of electricity. We will happily refer you to that hotel.
Master Suite Gulliver and Master Suite Crusoe style bungalows now offer rechargeable power which keeps the fans running for a period of time after the village power goes off which allows for a more comfortable complete nights sleep (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 a hotel that offers A/C.
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Did I read that some cabins have fans that run beyond the time that power goes off at approximately 6:00 AM?
You may have. Recently, we have added rechargeable power to our hotel electricity availability. Due to the limited nature of this change, only certain bungalows currently take advantage of this new addition. Reserving our best cabins, Master Suite Gulliver or a Master Suite Crusoe means that your bungalow is connected to the rechargeable power source.
This means that while Crusoe and Bunkhouse fans and lights go off around 6 AM due to village power going off, these suites will have power for the individual bed fans as well at the light in the bathroom and the loft light. So . . . if sleeping beyond 6 AM in relative comfort is important to you, consider a Master Suite Gulliver or a Master Suite Crusoe bungalow.
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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, or even one, blow dryer) at those times you will be asked to postpone the use of your dryer. If you do bring your blow dryer please use it at the right time (when village power is being utilized).
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Do you have ice available?
Ice is typically available at Little Corn Beach and Bungalow. It is made with purified water that is safe to drink. Unfortunately, ice is also a very expensive commodity to have on hand.
Many factors make this so: Little Corn Island power is only running about 12 to 15 hours a day.
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 in very scarce supply we only offer ice for drinks purchased in the bar that normally get ice included. We hope you understand.
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Why don’t you use solar or wind power?
We do! We have 3.2 kilowatts of solar panels mounted to the restaurant roof and 2 banks of 4 each 200amp hour batteries to store the power generated by our panels. We utilize a 3kw Outback Power inverter/converter and Outback charge controller to turn that energy from the sun to 120v electricity. Unfortunately, and this comes as a surprise to many of our guests, it is not always sunny on Little Corn Island 
Due to the nature of wind power we have opted to not attempt to utilize this form of renewable energy at this time.
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How is the party life at Little Corn Beach and Bungalow?
Lame! 
– 99% of our guests are staying with us to enjoy a more quiet Caribbean experience. Honeymooners, couples, families, singles looking for quiet repose make up the vast majority of our guests. And frankly, we try to cater to their needs.
Our restaurant stops taking orders for dinner at 5:00PM (or ealier) and we do the best we can to maintain a quiet, relaxed atmosphere and encourage our guests to do the same after 9:30 PM. If late night partying in the village is on the agenda, and you are thinking of staying with us, please realize that when you come home to your quiet hotel, you will have to traverse the island on unlit, dirt (muddy if it has been raining), lonely, crab strewn paths.
If this does not add up to “fun adventure” for you, you may want to stay at other hotels closer and more convenient to the action. We would be happy to offer a couple recommendations for more appropriate “party” accommodations.
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Can I rent snorkel equipment on the island?
Captain Peter bases his reef snorkel tours right here on LCIBB’s beach. By all accounts it is a great 2 to 3 hour experience loved by all ages. The Captain provides the transport, guide and snorkel gear in his price. If you are a RADDeal Adventure Package guest, you even get a discount.
Unfortunately, we are not aware of any place on the island that rents snorkel gear.
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