Central America

Manuel Antonio is Costa Rica’s most popular National Park – even though it is the smallest one in the country! Often listed as one of the most beautiful National Parks …

Costa Rica has over 26 national parks. Two of them combine lush, green jungle, wild animals and sandy beaches: Manuel Antonio on the Pacific coast and and Cahuita on the Caribbean. Most travelers don’t have time to hop from coast to coast, so read on for a closer look at both to find which might be the right fit for you.

It was just us, two men we had just met and a machete as we headed out to hike the volcano crater around the Laguna de Alegria, El Salvador. What started off simply ended up being one of our biggest challenges to date.

The Actun Tunichil Muknal cave has been featured on Discovery Channel, History Channel, twice on National Geographic TV and in the New York Times.

Two shiny new Ford transporter vans stop along the side of a white cement road and nearly 30 passengers pile out and reformulate into the small groups everyone came with. Dani and I stand off to the side and observe with some shock the other tourists in the group. A group of Brazilians (both female and male) in tank-tops, short-shorts and movie-star sunglasses and several girls in short-ish skirts. Before you start thinking Dani and I to be very prude (standing there in our long pants, closed toe shoes and jackets), we should explain that our tour was taking place in traditional Mayan villages outside of San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico. The agency had mentioned that we should wear appropriate clothes out of respect to the villagers – advice apparently very few of us chose to heed.

Check out these colorful chicks! An Easter custom in the Middle East and Asia, we found baskets filled with multi-colored chicks here in Copan, Honduras in celebration of Christmas.

Nicaragua’s Ometepe Island is the largest fresh-water island in the world, formed by two volcanoes which jut out of Lake Nicaragua. Major changes are happening here as a result of tourism, but beyond the newly paved road, the traditional village life on Ometepe remains…for now.

Nicaragua rocks, literally. Yes, we did love Nicaragua that much, but actually we are talking about the fact that each evening, Nicaraguans around the country, gather together with friends and family, either in their front room or even outside, and rock the evening away in their rocking chairs.

Costa Rica is a paradise not only for beach lovers and wildlife enthusiasts, but also for thrill seekers, offering a number of activities for adventurous travelers. Here are my top five:

Nicaraguan presidential elections take place in 2011, and the people here are passionate politicos. Check out this house painted in full support for Daniel Ortega and the FSLN Sandinista party.