Photo of the Day (10.21.08)

by Grant Martin on

With Continental‘s fall fares well underway, I’ve been toying around with the idea of going down to Honduras for a long weekend this November. Just off of the north coast of the Central American country are the Bay Islands, home to some magnificent beaches, crystal clear water, fantastic snorkeling and this sweet starfish. Yeah. Maybe it’s time to pull the trigger on that trip.

Flickr user romeoaban took this shot in Cayos Cochinos, Honduras.

Have any cool photos you’d like to share with the world? Add them to the Gadling Pool on Flickr, and it might be chosen as our Photo of the Day.

Four good reasons to visit Central America this fall

by Grant Martin on

With many of our travel budgets shrinking this season, now is a great time to consider the halfway point between that costly trip to Europe and the staycation that you’ve been dreading. Oh yes, I’m talking about Central America.

Honduras, Guatemala, Panama, Costa Rica and Nicaragua have a lot to offer and are a great alternative to sinking a large chunk of cash into a heavy vacation. They’re close enough so that you can get away for a long weekend, not stuffed with tourists like many of the Mexican port towns and warm enough to cure those chilly fall hangovers.

Why else would we move our Thanksgiving family dinner from Providence down to Panama City? Check out four good reasons below.
The (relative) strength of the dollar: Sure the American dollar has made up some ground against the Euro in the last two months, but hotels in London and Paris are still going to cost you dearly per night. Compare that with some of the four star hotels that go for a third of the price in Panama City then factor in the price of food and entertainment, and you’re saving a ton of money over Europe

Plane tickets are inexpensive: Partially motivated by a slew of fare sales from Continental Airlines, destinations across the entire isthmus are dirt cheap right now. Many fares out of the country this fall are less expensive than domestic tickets across the US.

Diversity of activities: While the region may not have the cliche anglocentric activities you’re used to on vacation, the natural beauty alone is enough to keep vacationers busy ziplining through the forest canopy, sea kayaking or loafing on the beach. Mix in a heaping scoop of American history, keen architecture and an emerging nightlife and you’ve got a winning combination.

Tourism is booming: San Jose, Costa Rica is the perfect model that shows why tourism has worked excellently in Central America. Labor is inexpensive and resources are rich, so tour companies and travel agents will be competing to book your snorkeling trip and give you the best price on your jungle adventure. Furthermore, with the tourism base growing in each respective country, more and more content is now available by word of mouth, through tripadvisor or on gather.com for you to do more organic research.

Piqued your interest? A great place to start your research on a trip to Central America is right here on Gadling. Take a look around our articles on Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama, Guatemala and Nicaragua and check your sock drawer — you’ve got enough rainy day money for a small vacation this fall, right?

Food alert: Canteloupe from Honduras is bad

by Anna Brones on

Is anyone just a little wierded out about the fact that we can buy exotic fruits year round? I am all for culinary diversity, but I still find it a little discomforting to know that even in January I can buy a deliciously ripe mango… in Portland, Oregon. This could all be because I am in the middle of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, but then again it could just be on account of the latest in food news.

Last week Japan stopped selling Italian mozarella on account of dioxin and on Sunday, fruit company Dole recalled canteloupes from Honduras. The recall is in response to a salmonella outbreak in the United States and Canada, that was decidedly linked to the Honduran fruit by the Food and Drug Administration. Chiquita Brands International and Simply Fresh Fruit Inc. issued recalls of their own last week. Salmonella is one of those things you don’t want to mess with; if not treated it could be lethal. So if Honduran canteloupe is possibly infected with the bacteria, it probably shouldn’t be your fruit of choice this week.

Looks like I’m going to have to resort back to the good ole local apples. Oh wait, those come from Washington and New Zealand.

The less traveled part of the Caribbean

by Neil Woodburn on

There’s so much to love about the Caribbean, and so much to hate.

The “hate” category exists because the Caribbean we have all come to love is now loved by too many; there are too many hotels, too many tourists, and too much development.

But there are exceptions.

Thankfully, the fine folks over at Condé Nast Traveler have compiled a fantastic guide to the less touristy places along the Caribbean side of Central America that “are still under the radar” — such as Corn Island in the photo above. This also includes the coasts of Belize, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama.

No, you won’t find the swank, sophistication, and luxury yachts that populate the rest of the Caribbean, but you will find the peace and solace that comes with small coastal villages, empty beaches, and modest accommodations.

This is the true Caribbean, the way it used to be. Visit now before it becomes just another Cancun.

Megan Lyles Travel Writer

by Adrienne Wilson on

When really good travel blogs manage to remain secret to me, I get bummed wishing someone had called me sooner to say, “Hey, Adrienne you need to peep this right now!” No personal calls were ever received which leads me to wonder how many folks even know about the travel writing goodness of Megan Lyles? It really makes no huge difference that I didn’t follow Megan and her fiancé/photographer, Michael Simon, while they were blogging on the road. It just means I have a ton of catching up to do.

Back in the summer of 2005 Megan and Michael took off on a one-year long bus trip from Manhattan to the tip of South America. The trip has since been wrapped up and Megan and Michael are back in Manhattan, but the site is still up and there for your viewing pleasure. And I do mean it is a pleasure to check out. I read through some of the Mexico, Paraguay, and Uruguay stops not wanting to stop, but catching up is going to take a while. Before I departed I clicked on just one more plug while they were in North Carolina attending the Vans Warped tour. All I can say is Megan, where ever you are – I can totally relate.