HONDURAS TIPS
San Pedro Sula Airport
Has car rental counters, a Wendy's fast food, a frozen yogurt counter, a
cigar shop, and a coffee kiosk.
We were able to use our ATM card (as opposed to using a credit card) in the
ATM machine to get cash.
There was no baggage storage.
At a pay phone I was able to use my MCI card to call the US, no change needed,
just dial the MCI access number.
Upon arrival, once you exit customs you are immediately outside. Expect to
be approached by Taxi drivers.
If you want to use the services of the main terminal upon arrival, you must
walk around outside of building (to your right as you exit) to go inside
the main departure terminal.
Driving
Be careful filling your tank. Check the credit card slip for accuracy or
pay in cash. Gas cost almost $2 a gallon
Be careful on the roads as they are filled with all manner of wild animals,
big smoke belching trucks, old American school busses, and taxis held together
with coat hangers and duct tape. Also, watch out for very young children
playing in the road, people walking with firewood on their heads and large
machetes, and the occasional horse drawn cart.
Copan
Copan is one of those wonderful towns where travelers seems to gravitate and
stay. The town has a charm that is missing from many of the other towns we
passed through; cobblestone streets, whitewashed buildings and a central plaza.
Check out Justo a Tiempo Lavanderia for laundry service (7L/pound,
20L min). They, along with a few other stores have a book exchange
as well.
Copan also has many of the things travelers are looking for; internet access,
good food (check out Via Via, Tunkel, Las Carnitas), and a small nightlife
mixed in with the local expatriate community.
At the Ruins, guides are available through an official "association"
and cost $20 for a 2 1/2 hour tour. They definitely give you more information
than you would gather just walking through on your own. If you can (we didn't
and wished we could have) talk to a couple of the guides first and see who
you like. Bring water (and maybe a lunch) and use the bathroom before you
go in. Wear a hat. The tunnels are overpriced for what you get at this point,
but the fee does go to support the site in general which is a UNESCO World
Heritage Site.
Roatan
If you stay at one of the dive resorts, try to get into town to buy drinks
and snacks which will otherwise be really overpriced. Internet access
is available, but limited. Our resort had no online connection, but for a
hefty fee would allow you to send and receive e mail using their account.
No way to check your own e mail. In town, online connection is available,
but extremely slow and costly. We were told that most people on a budget
were going to Utila (a neighboring island) to dive.
Airplanes
If you have a fear of small planes you may want to avoid flying in Honduras.
Many on the planes we flew on still had Russian writing on the controls and
the pilots were so close I could practically hear them breathe.
HONDURAS LINKS
http://www.copanruins.com/ - Good basic info site, but needs to be updated
http://www.marrder.com/htw/ - A weekly English Language Online Newspaper about Honduras. Check the travel section.
Casa de Cafe- This is the bed and breakfast we stayed at in Copan. This page also has a link to their "hostal" next door.
Eco-Hacienda San Lucas Copan, Honduras- Nice web site for Hacienda San Lucas. Nice photos and info.
Honduras tips site- These people publish a free English/Spanish language tourist magazine in Honduras. Much of the same information is available on their web site, but the printed version is more current. If you see one in Honduras, pick it up, it's packed with tons of information.
http://thorntree.lonelyplanet.com/thorn/branches - The Lonely Planet message board. I found some interesting, useful info while perusing the Central America branch.
Roatan Charter- This is the company we used to book the AKR portion of the trip. I did almost everything via email with them.
Divers Discount Supply- An online and in store dive shop. We purchased Scuba gear here.
Rodale's Scuba Diving -- The Magazine Divers Trust -Rodale's Scuba Magazine on line- I used this site to brush up on basic Scuba info and searched their message boards for info on AKR. Many of their members have been diving in Honduras.
Champion Insurance- This is the
company we used for traveler's health insurance both on our RTW trip and
to Honduras.
|
COPAN RUINAS |
ROATAN |
BUDGET |
PHOTOS-PART 1 |
PRE-TRIP |
PHOTOS-PART 2 |
If you have comments or suggestions,
email us at krisdave@dnai.com
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Last updated on February 2, 2001