Some Advice for Travelers in Central America

There are a lot of things that you may want to do as you plan to travel across Central America. Take note of a few travel tips that will help you find your way across your destination.

1. Practice Your Spanish: Part of the fun of traveling is trying to communicate with the local people and learning their traditions. In Central America you will always find nice people willing to let you know something interesting about their culture and to lend you a hand to practice. So whatever Spanish you know, use it!

2. How to Learn More About Local Culture: The best way to get to know the local culture from the country or town you're visiting is not to go with a big tour group. It would be better to get a local, private guide. That's because they will know more about what goes on in the town. Another thing that will help you get a better experience is to shop at small grocery stores, pharmacies and outdoor markets. In them you will not only meet the locals but you will also get inexpensive souvenirs.

3. Eat Safely When Traveling To Central America: So you are traveling to Central America and concerned about what foods are safe to eat?

a. I'll start by saying that any food that has been boiled is generally safe, as well as fruits and vegetables that have to be peeled before eating.
b. You should also stay away from food that require a lot of handling before serving.
c. You've probably heard that you shouldn't drink the water in some countries overseas. This is why: Water supplies in developing countries are not treated in the same way as water supplies in developed countries. I would suggest you drink only bottled water when traveling.

4. Airport taxis: Central America, along with every other country in the world, has its share of crime. The majority of them start at the airport with pirate cabs, that offer a much lower fare, await the newcomer. Airport cabs are registered, each trip is logged in and accounted for. They will never rob you because the whole company has to answer for the misdoing. So spend the extra few bucks.

5. Check out the Countryside: Central America is home to some of the world's most fascinating ancient sites that include Mayan ruins, church ruins, old buildings form its colonial days, incredible forests and much more. So where's the point in staying in the in the urban areas? Go out, explore, there are tons of new things to do waiting for you out there.

6. Enjoying Foreign Food: When we travel to a different country we tend to look for what is familiar like McDonald's or Starbucks. In this case the advice would be to try the local dishes and not comparing them to the ones at home. Instead enjoy every new dish and flavor. I know that some dishes might look a bit weird but you will be pleasantly surprised in most of the cases. So go for it!

7. Useful Advice For Gifts When Traveling: Some of us like to take presents when traveling specially if we are traveling for a special occasion. If that is the case I would recommend putting it with the rest of your luggage. But there will eventually be some delicate things that you might want to take with you as a gift. Those must definitely go in your hand luggage. So a good thing to do before you even buy the present is to check hand luggage restrictions of the country you are leaving and the one you will be entering. Another good thing to keep in mind is not to wrap them as they are subject to security checks and may be unwrapped.

8. Overcoming Jet Lag: During the first day the most important thing to do is to STAY AWAKE. The secret is, once you arrive to your hotel, don't stay there. Central America has tons of fun activities so Go out! Whatever you decide to do that isn't in your hotel room or television induced, will help you make it through the day and you can hit the sack at a decent hour. This way, when you wake up the next day you'll be more or less on local time and refreshed!

9. Long Road Trip Boredom Solved: Let's face it, long road trips or long airplane flights can drive a kid and everyone around them crazy! There is only so much coloring, destroying, play doo-ing one can do. My solution: Portable DVD player. Yeap, that's right! I know that traveling is about the bonding, plus they get enough TV at home. But after you've bonded for an hour or so on a five hour trip, you'll be bonded out and ready for a bit of calmness.

10. Obvious Stuff We Sometimes Overlook: The first one is to wear comfortable shoes but sometimes shoes that may have been comfortable at home are not comfortable for traveling. And a second one is to do some research but skimming through a travel book doesn't count! The trip will be a lot more smooth of you can map out a specific itinerary in advance.

11. A Couple of Things to Consider When Flying While Pregnant: I know that sometimes women who are pregnant for the first time want to go on a final adventure before they have to go crazy with diapers and feeding. That's why I came up with a list of tips that will help pregnant travelers have a better trip.

a. A seat near the bathroom will facilitate more frequent bladder emptying.
b. An aisle seat will make it easier to get up for those trips to the bathroom.
c. Bulkhead seats have the most legroom.
d. Get up and take a short walk down the aisle once every half hour.
e. Don't travel alone. You never know when you are going to need some help.
f. Don't forget to get a medical certificate from your doctor.
g. It is also a good idea to carry your emergency contact number and your doctor's contact number.
h. Do some research about clinics of the country you are traveling to in case of an emergency.

Marina K. Villatoro is an expat living with her family and traveling in Central America (http://travelexperta.com). Travel Tips for Central America (http://travelexperta.com/travel-tools/tips/).

A Mix for Romantic Getaways in Costa Rica

Are you planning a romantic getaway? Well, my recommendation is Costa Rica. There are tons of packages that will take you to a certain region of the country. But what about a package that takes you everywhere in Costa Rica? This is what it would look like:

As soon as you get to the International Airport of San Jose you will ride your private transfer and go to your hotel in San Jose. This is where you will stay for the first night. I advice you get some rest here because the adventure starts the next day with a two night stay in the middle if the jungle of Tortuguero.

To get to you will be taken to a dock where you will hop on a boat and go for a ride down the Tortuguero River and canals towards your hotel. The next day you will go on a relaxing boat tour in the canals where you will see the local wildlife. Then after breakfast you will go on a new adventure, a tour along the Tortuguero Jungle. Here you will enjoy the company of many species of beautiful animals. The second day in Tortuguero will take you back to San Jose and will start with a hearty breakfast. Then you will board a boat that will take you to a small airport where you will meet your 35-min chartered flight to San Jose.

Then it's time to visit Arenal and will stay there for 3 nights. This is where you will get to see an active volcano in action. In this area another adventure will be waiting for you. It is a combination of Canyoneering and Rafting on Rio Balsa. Your last day in Arenal will be spent in a hiking guided tour that will take you through the rain-forest with a guide close to the base of the Arenal Volcano and to take a relaxing dip and dinner in naturally heated hot springs with beautiful volcano views.

The next step on your romantic adventure will be visiting the cloud forests of the Monteverde area. In here you will feel like you are in a different world. To get there you will go on a scenic one-way transfer that consists in riding a jeep, then hoping on a boat for a relaxing ride and at last going for a final jeep ride to your hotel. For your adventure in Monteverde you will go on a canopy tour through 2.5 miles of cable over the cloud forest and you enjoy all of its beauties, including the exotic wildlife.

Then it's time for some sun and waves. You will find that in Manuel Antonio area where you will stay for 3 nights. Here you will be able to enjoy some time at the beach. While staying here you will go on one of the best tours for nature lovers that Costa Rica can offer. On it you and your couple will go to the Manuel Antonio National Park. As if that wasn't enough, you will get to choose your activity for the next day: an ATV Tour along the forest or a Jet Ski tour with Snorkeling. The final tour in this romantic getaway will be an afternoon Mangrove Kayaking Tour.

Towards the end of your Costa Rican Adventure you will be taken back to the international airport in a private transfer.

Marina K. Villatoro is an expat living with her family and traveling in Central America (http://travelexperta.com). Costa Rica is one of the best places for a romantic getaway in the middle of rain forest (http://travelexperta.com/2011/06/leave-the-kids-at-home-series.html).

3 Tours for Adventure Travelers in Guatemala

Are you one of those individuals who are interested in traveling throughout Central America? Why not travel in Guatemala and be able to experience a different vacation together with your friends or family members? Let me share a few options that you may look into when it comes to traveling in Guatemala. In this article is a selection of the top 3 tours available in Guatemala based in my personal experience. They are great for families, groups of friends and adventurous honeymooners. Here they are, Enjoy!

The Chichicastenango Tour:

In this tour you will be taken to Chichicastenango (Quiche, Guatemala) in a private shuttle. Once you are there, you will have the opportunity to see what daily life is for its native people. But most importantly you will have the chance to visit Central America's largest artisans market. Why is it so great? Well, In it you will find all kinds of fresh vegetables, fruits, farm animals, tons of flowers and all kinds of handcrafts made of colorful fabrics, wood, ceramics and even jade at a great price.

As soon as you step foot in it you will notice that the decoration is very unique.

Pacaya Volcano Tour:

Pacaya Volcano is just a short drive away from Antigua Guatemala but you can get there from Guatemala City too. In this tour you can go up almost to the crater and stand a meter away from the constant lava flows. These constant flows are what keep this volcano from having a big eruption, making it a safe and exciting day trip.

The only way you can go up is with a guide. He will lead you along the safest and best paths. If you haven't booked with any company (which would be preferred) you might get lucky and find one once you get there.

El Mirador Tour:

There is a newly discovered Mayan city in the northern area of Peten's cloud forest, Guatemala, with the largest Mayan pyramids and temple complexes ever seen. It is located several kilometers north from Tikal.

This awesome tour is normally a six days camp (but it could be less). The camp tour consists of a series of hikes where you will discover the highest and biggest Mayan temples you could ever imagine. The tour includes meals and a great bilingual guide that will tell you all you need to know about this great place and its wildlife.

Marina K. Villatoro is an expat living with her family and traveling in Central America (http://travelexperta.com/). Guatemala tours range from volcano hiking to Maya empires, a bit of everything for everyone (http://travelexperta.com/category/guatemala-tours-and-services/)

Caribbean Adventure Scuba Diving

If you're searching total tranquility for scuba diving adventure in a tropical paradise, Bay Islands is the one for you.

Bay Islands is located along the coasts of Belize and Honduras situated in western Caribbean. With its picture perfect scenery that includes palm trees, smooth white beaches, and clear blue water, truly Bay Islands is a world wonder. Bay Islands consists of the islands of Guanaja, Roatan, Utila, and to over 60 islets that sits atop on the world's second biggest barrier reef.

With its great coral reefs along the edges, Bay Islands is the right place for you to scuba dive. Because of its huge reef system, you can find different kinds of corals and sponges. The water will give you good visibility in finding over 800 species of fish. The water current can give you the opportunity to dive within 15 feet from reefs up to diving 200 feet on sea mounds without getting swept by.

The largest of Bay Islands is Roatan which is about 42 miles long and 2 miles wide. Roatan's northern and southern reefs is home of about 40 dive sites that can give both beginners and professional divers the chance to explore the plummeting walls, caverns, and crevices.

Roatan also features some of the best shore diving sites that include the famed Spooky Channel. Spooky Channel is a streambed that forms a cut all the way through the reef. Snorkelling atop of the 8-foot crack of the reef is indeed exciting. In fact, divers can actually swim through the wider interior of the said channel to make the dive more enjoyable.

Smaller island of Utila, on the other hand, gained a status as great spot for beginners in scuba diving. Dive shops in Utila are offering cheaper cost for diving courses. So, Utila have become the haven for low-budget amateur divers. With the competition between dive shops, the price for a dive course is down to about between $125 to $150 in any open water course or advanced open water course.

Recently, Utila became the home of whale sharks which is the world's largest fish. Don't you worry whale sharks are harmless as you can swim alongside the fish. You can also be lucky to have the chance to swim and dive with dolphins. The best months to see these creatures are from March to May.

Getting to Bay Islands is very accessible. By air travel, there are available flights that can direct you either to the island of Roatan or the Honduran mainland. By sea route, there are also available cruise ships that depart by schedule from different ports in the United States to Caribbean.

For in your Scuba Diving adventure in the Caribbean, Bay Islands is the best.

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