Holland America is taking inspiration from the 1920s again for its latest over-the-top Mediterranean cruise.
03.01.2024 - 16:17 / lonelyplanet.com
Honduras has so much to see that the choices can feel overwhelming. You can hike through tropical rainforests, cloud forests and mountains, paddle around mangrove swamps, rivers and lakes, or visit Maya archaeological sites overflowing with ancient secrets.
Along the shore are beautiful beaches and reefs, and if you want that rum punch – or a shot of the local concoction, gifiti – it's easy to find a little merriment wherever you go. Here’s our guide to the best places to visit in Honduras.
Best place to learn about Garifuna culture
Roatán may be touristy, but most of that scene is on the western part of the island. Head to the island's eastern municipality – Santos Guardiola – for a sense of what real Roatanian life is like. The Garifuna community of Punta Gorda is the oldest permanent settlement on the island.
The Garifuna people, of African and Indigenous Arawak descent, were exiled from the Caribbean island of St Vincent and established Garifuna communities in parts of Belize, Guatemala and Honduras. Garifuna culture has become integral to Honduras' national culture, from Afro-beats to machuca, a beloved coconut-milk-based seafood stew with a boiled ball of mashed plantains.
Garifuna culture is celebrated at the Garifuna Cultural Center in Punta Gorda, founded by Audrey Flores, a former New Yorker who came here seeking her roots. Though the center is closed as they expand the space, you can still learn about Garifuna history and culture on their website – construction should be wrapped up in 2024 to allow a grand reopening.
Best place for peaceful beaches
While quieter than the west, eastern Roatán isn't completely devoid of resorts, and it has some fine beaches. Crowning a sand-flanked bluff, Paya Bay Resort, run by local islanders, is more like a spiritual retreat than a holiday resort.
Looking over the Caribbean Sea, it's quiet and secluded and offers an array of activities, from snorkeling and hiking to meditation and yoga. Day passes are available for non-guests, and the 22-acre private resort has the only clothing-optional beach on the island.
About a six-minute drive southwest is Camp Bay Beach, the go-to public beach in these parts. It’s a popular locale for family cookouts and sandy picnics. With natural white sands and wild coconut palm trees, Camp Bay represents what all of Roatán's beaches were like before resortification.
For the more active set, head to Jonesville, a town on the south shore, for a kayaking tour. Paddle your way through dense mangrove forests along the shore – there are even a few tunnels to paddle through. Keep an eye out for hidden treasure, as it’s rumored the carved-out tunnels were once hideouts for pirates.
Best place to escape the crowds
Of the three main Bay
Holland America is taking inspiration from the 1920s again for its latest over-the-top Mediterranean cruise.
Mark your calendars: On April 8, 2024, a rare total solar eclipse will cut a path across the continent beginning with Mexico, passing through the US, and exiting through Canada. The line of totality for this celestial phenomenon will cross through 13 US states with some areas seeing a maximum totality of over four minutes (including Bloomington, Indiana, and Mesquite, Texas). So, there are plenty of chances to observe the eclipse as it arches from Texas to Maine, hitting Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, and New Hampshire on the way.
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Luxury cruise expert Mundy Cruising has launched an extraordinary programme, The Ultimate Luxury Cruise, which combines iconic destinations, amazing travel experiences and superlative accommodations to create a 105-day journey, departing Tokyo on 14th April 2025 and finishing in Dubrovnik on 26th July 2025. Customer research at the top end of the market by Mundy Cruising has revealed a range of travel trends and priorities for its discerning client base, including longer trips, slow travel, iconic experiences, bucket list destinations and a desire to return to gentler (and arguably Pre-Covid) times.
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The biggest cruise ship ever built is finally in position for its first sailings with paying passengers.
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The most visited city in the world offers a great base from which to explore the surrounding area. Think sumptuous castles and ancient hunting grounds in under an hour from the Eiffel Tower or day trips to the Normandy D-Day landing beaches, Champagne tasting or visiting the Loire Valley château—all are possible in a day trip from Paris and here are six of the best.
Consider the plight of January, the sad sack of months.