A fan of the beach but also want to be down with the fish? Then the island San Pedro in Belize is the place for you! Ridiculously empty tropical beaches, small wooden hotels in between palm trees and the opportunity to learn to scuba dive whilst seeing one of the top barrier reeves in the world. Do I have to say more? Yes? Ok, well, if you want to combine your beach holiday with some culture as well – then even that is possible here. Take a fast sea ferry to Belize City and from there travel about 80 miles to Xunantunich. What on earth is that would you say? Pronounced shoo-NAHN-too-nich is a Maya archaeological site in western Belize, and even though compared to Guatemala and Mexico’s Maya sites this one is of a rather modest size – it’s still worth a visit – and a welcome break from sun bathing. Just go and see Belize’s treasures for yourself....go on....you know you want to!

As strange as this may sound, this may be one of the safest place sin the city of San Pedro Sula, Honduras. This large industrial city is scary and not at all safe. People, especially tourists, should not travel alone nor without a good knowledge of Spanish. Travel smarts from other Spanish-speaking countries may not be enough for this tough area with a high crime rate. You would not want to be going out on the town at night, either. None of this is meant to insult the good citizens of the city, but the challenges and pitfalls for visitors lead one to suggest that after reaching the airport (there recently were some incredibly low fares on Spirit Air from Boston!), head out of town to a less humid, conflictive part of the country.

The airport does have an ATM and something like a Wendy’s, and the restrooms usually have the necessary items. Do NOT drink the water, ever, though. And have your transportation lined up ahead of time. There are many ways to get from the airport to your destination, but you want to be sure that, no matter how rickety your vehicle and how many people are packed into it, you will get what you bargain for. Do not expect times and distances to be accurately represented nor can you expect printed time tables to be accurate. Just go with the flow and let everything be part of your Honduran experience.