FEATURE CENTRAL AMERICA
UP CLOSE & PERSONAL
strong for us; we do a lot of self-drive, and it's great for honeymooners too. There’s good boutique hotel options and great jungle lodges on the Osa Peninsula. "Guatemala is a personal favourite thanks to its indigenous peoples, its landscapes and pyramids. It’s got everything but beaches, and you can add on Belize. Other countries are showing promise too – like Nicaragua – but commercially we do not have the time and resources to invest in that market.”
AMANDA SWEENEY W&O Travel “In Central America most of the demand for travel is in Costa Rica. People are particularly interested in Tortuguero National Park and its wildlife, the Arenal volcano and also the Monteverde cloud forest, before heading to the beaches of Tamarindo where there is great surf. The wildlife and unique features of Costa Rica make it such an interesting country and a lot of clients enquire about the Quetzals – sacred and rare birds that are also known as the resplendent trogon.”
L-R Explore Garifuna culture in Honduras, with its Carib/African roots; Mayan culture in Guatemala's Tikal National Park
Room Report Costa Rica: Holiday Inn Escazu, San Jose; 170 rooms, pool and 800 sq ms of meetings and conference space.
San Salvador: Crowne Plaza Hotel replaces the Radisson after a US$3 million refit.
Nicaragua: Jicaro Island Ecolodge is a high-end sustainable resort set on one of the Granada Islands on Lake Nicaragua. The Lodge’s nine 'casitas' have a rustic, tropical design, using Rainforest Alliance certified local wood.
Panama: Nikki Beach Resort Playa Blanca, on the Pacific coast, 75 minutes west of Panama City includes a 100,000 square feet Nikki Beach Club. Hotel Riu Panama Plaza is in the city’s financial district; Breezes Resort & Spa Panama is in the Santa Clara region, two hours from Panama City. A Westin and a Waldorf Astoria are also currently being built in the city.
Where To Book It W&O TRAVEL SOUTH AMERICAN EXPERIENCE 0845 277 3366
www.wandotravel.com New for 2011 is Costa Rica Highlights, a 13-day introduction that includes wildlife, volcanoes, cloud forest and the Pacific coast. Priced from £2,050pp, it includes some meals, sightseeing and transport. Highlights include Tortuguero National Park and Arenal Volcano. A 13-day Guatemala and Belize itinerary is priced from £2,750. It combines Guatemala’s colonial splendours and Mayan ruins with a few days on the beaches of Belize.
IMAGINATIVE TRAVELLER 0845 077 8803
www.imaginative-traveller.com A land-only Costa Rica and Panama itinerary is priced from £1,095pp, featuring volcanoes, wildlife, beaches, waterfalls and the famous Panama Canal. A four-day extension to the San Blas Islands is from £375.
BY ADAM COULTER "One of the strangest things that you learn when touring the Mayan archaeological site of Copan, in Honduras, a few minutes from the border of Guatemala, is about the ball game. The court, perfectly preserved on a cricket-green coloured lawn, was where warriors played the game – in a bid to lose and thus be sacrificed. Sacrifice, back then, was the ultimate honour as it meant you took your place amongst the gods. Today Copan offers an extraordinary
glimpse into Maya civilisation: a compact but well-preserved site of stairways, statues and underground caverns, nestled beside the river and visible from the town of the same name. It’s also well off the beaten track, and was virtually empty of other tourists. We had the run of the place, clambering up and down the amphitheatre and learning all about the extraordinary Maya civilisation. It’s worth visiting the adjoining museum, too, if only to see the incredible Rosalila temple, blood red as the name suggests, and built over five previous versions of the temple."
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