There’s never a bad time to visit Puerto Rico.
11.01.2024 - 17:03 / lonelyplanet.com
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If you're in search of natural wonders from treetops to shore, incredible culture and a warm welcome, Belize needs to be on your travel to-do list.
There's great food, incredible nature and wildlife, and vibrant villages, each with its own distinct personality.
And because of the country’s small size and how easy it is to navigate, there’s no need to decide between the beach and the rainforests, the reefs or the caves, the parties or the peace. In Belize, you can have it all. These are the nine places you can't afford to miss when you get there.
Belize's unmissable destination
Ambergris Caye is the top place to go for visitors to Belize and the vibrant town of San Pedro is the beating heart of this unique island. This colorful caye has hotels ranging from budget to luxe and classic Caribbean activities like snorkeling and sailing. Many of Belize’s best restaurants can be found here, as well as excellent nightlife and shopping.
Just about every kind of traveler comes to Ambergris Caye and it’s a great hub from which to experience Belize’s water-based activities.
While you can make day trips to Maya ruins and the jungle from here, it’s advisable to switch to an inland destination for those – otherwise, you will spend a lot of time traveling.
Must-see spots include driving a golf cart up to Secret Beach, eating fry jacks for breakfast at The Fry Jack House, and grabbing a glass of rum at Havana Cigars.
As for things to do, snorkeling at Hol Chan Marine Reserve is one of the most popular activities in the country, but heading up north to Mexico Rocks can provide an equally fish-filled experience with fewer crowds.
Planning tip: Ambergris Caye has a small airport that’s only a 15-minute flight from Belize’s international airport and it’s easy to rent a golf cart – the island’s quintessential mode of transportation – from there.
Best hub for outdoor adventures
Adventure abounds in San Ignacio, a large town on Belize’s western border that embodies the country's Central American side, trading beaches for waterfalls and snorkeling for cave exploration. Much of Belize’s jungles and land-based wildlife can be found around here.
There are also many Maya ruins nearby, such as Xunantunich and Cahal Pech, as well as the famous ATM cave. San Ignacio makes an excellent starting point for excursions, including to other spots down the coast.
The bar and restaurant scene is on the rise and there is plenty to enjoy in the area. Head to Guava Limb Cafe for wood-fired pizza, and don’t miss the breakfast fry jacks at Pop’s Restaurant.
The overall vibe of the town feels very local, with hotels the only spot where tourists stand out among the crowd, making the bars fun for anyone craving connection with Belizeans.
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There’s never a bad time to visit Puerto Rico.
Beating out even famously scenic states like Alaska and Utah, California boasts more national parks than any other state. The Golden State's 10 national parks show off the diverse range of landscapes you can find on the West Coast, from the towering redwoods of NorCal, the arid deserts of SoCal, the iconic flora of Joshua Tree and the surreal geologic results of past volcanic eruptions and glacier paths.
This series of articles about credit cards, points and miles, and budgeting for travel is brought to you in partnership with The Points Guy.
There’s no better way to get to know a city than by ambling down winding roads and cobblestone streets, popping into restaurants and art galleries along the way. Unfortunately, in the many car-centric metropolitans of the US, a leisurely stroll from your hotel lobby might just lead you to a parking lot instead.
For frequent flyers the varying amount of legroom on airplanes can be difficult to navigate. A recent study analyzed the amount of available legroom on varying airlines’ most popular routes, and ranked them in order of most legroom to least legroom. The clear winner was JetBlue while Frontier Airlines and Spirit Airlines tied in 7th place, according to the study from Upgraded Points. The full ranking for the airline seat legroom is:
Belize is a very small country, so it’s easy enough to get from one spot to another within a few hours at the most.
The passport you hold is a powerful tool when it comes to effortlessly visiting countries around the world.And some passports provide far more access than others, according to the Henley Passport Index.The just-released 2024 index shows that for the first time in 19 years of producing the ranking, six countries are tied for the top spot of having the most powerful passports.The countries leading the ranking are France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore, and Spain—meaning citizens from all of these countries are able to visit 194 destinations around the world either visa-free or by obtaining a visa-on-arrival.The Henley Passport Index is the only ranking of its kind and is developed based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Authority (IATA). The index compares 199 different passports and 227 different travel destinations.While Japan and Singapore have made it into the number one slot for the past five years running, according to CNN, the European countries that are now also ranked number one on the list is a new development.
It’s never a pleasant experience to fly through turbulence on an airplane. and a new list is revealing which routes are more likely to experience bumps than others. Passengers heading from Nashville to Raleigh/Durham are most likely to experience the bumpiest rides based on a report that analyzed the turbulence levels of 150,000 airline routes from travel tool Turbli. The report calculates the turbulence levels by assigning each route an «eddy dissipation rate,» which is scientific for the level of turbulence intensity.
Growing up in the Midwest, I often saw photos on calendars or computer-screen wallpapers that seemed like they couldn't be real.
Six countries now have the world's most powerful passport, according to the 2024 Henley Passport Index — but the US isn't one of them.
There's a new six-way tie for first place in an annual global travel ranking.France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore, and Spain, have all tied as having the top passport in the world, measured by providing visa-free access to 194 countries with their respective passports, according to the newest Henley Passport Index. The annual report measures the flexibility of visa-free travel and has become a popular list among global travelers. For comparison, in 2023, only Japan was crowned with the top spot when it provided access to 193 countries.
There are many ways to visit Cuba. Many price points, too. While the country’s unique circumstances may not make the island the best place in the world for shoestring backpackers, you can certainly save money if you understand a bit of the local mecánica (Cuban way of doing things).