Thorn Tree travel forum

Central America Branch FAQ

Here are some tips to help you find the information you want and need about Central America:

1. Have a good look around the Thorn Tree before asking your question - quite often your question (or one very similar to it) will have been asked and answered before. Some of the most frequently asked questions are included in this thread below.

2. Research before asking a question and make your question as specific to your situation as possible. It will help you get better, more detailed and useful answers from the community. Invest some preliminary time and our knowledgeable community will help you fill in the gaps.

3. Explore Lonely Planet's Destinations, an online resource which has a wealth of key info and tips.

4. When you're ready to ask a question, choose the relevant country from the drop down menu to ensure the most rel... more »

Anyone tried Jabiru auto rental in Belize City?

Has anyone rented from them? Avis and Budget quote around $80-90 per day but they are a bit cheaper. Thanks

Wondering why??

Hi seasoned travellers,

Just wondering why Panama tours rarely show up in travel catalogues? Is it dangerous? not very exciting? (thought the canal would be a great incentive to visit) Expensive? Difficult to travel around?

I use the tour brochures to decide on my plan of attack (as in a lively tour of Eastern Europe is done in 9 days - i plan on 18 at one quarter of the price or on a longer tour i skip the 3 nights of partying and lounging on the beach)

Cheers

samelo66

San Jose to Liberia from which airport?

After my trip to Osa peninsula, I fly in to San Jose from Drake Bay and would like to continue on to Liberia the same day. Which airport is better for the quick easy transit to Liberia (this will determine whether I book the ticket with Sansa or Natureair).
Ideally I'd like to fly to Liberia but because of the luggage weight restrictions I'll need to keep some luggage at my San Jose or Alajeula hotel. So I need a hotel close to the airport that I can go to to get my stored luggage and then be close to transit connection to San Jose...and please no chicken buses - LOL.

Any thoughts on this? I guess storing the luggage with the airline is out of the question?

thanks everyone is soooo helpful on this board.

Hits and Misses in Central America

My wife and I have just got home from a month or so travelling through Nica, Honduras and Guatemala so thought I might share the best and worst of it for anyone interested. Worth mentioning that we were just on holidays and not on a big trip so pinching every penny wasn't our main focus. I travelled for 11 months through here in 96 so know how far you can stretch it if you have too. On this trip however convenience often outweighed cost.

Corn Islands - we were out there when Ida passed right over the top of Little Corn. It was in equal parts enlightening and tragic. We stayed the first few days at Carlitos - the last of the 3 camps on the West side. Carlos is an absolute champion of a bloke and highly recommend anyone to stay with him. He's not doing food right now and its the kind of place where you go and get your beers out of the fridge and fix him up later. On the 3rd day the h... more »

Los Guatuzos Wildlife Refuge

Did any one had an organized trip over there
and can share details (length, company, price, where did it start from , how many in the group etc')
I really want to visit there but due to the remoteness of the place and the difficulties to get- I am trying to figure how to combine it in my itinerary..
Thanks

Bringing the Pink Dollar (Gay Friendly accommodation wanted)

Hola!

My friend and I are two mild-mannered fellas from Canada looking for accommodation in the Manuel Antonio area from Dec 30 - Jan 3.

The gay hotels, at least from the websites, seem a little too gay for us (gym bunnies and circuit boys), and also appear overpriced.

Our ideal is something $50-$75/night that is comfortable, and where we won't get any friction for being two dudes sharing a hotel room.

Thanks for any tips.

Father / Grandfather driving in Guatemala

So after having driven through Guatemala in 2007 and revisiting in August for a quick jaunt, I was nothing but raves about Guatemala to my family. My grandfather (87) and father (54) decided to call my bluff and will be flying in for a 2 week trip in January. Sadly, I can't go with them to guide. For my grandpa's comfort they will be renting some sort of truck type thing in Guatemala City and driving around in that. They're both fairly experienced travelers (drove around in Costa Rica and have spent some serious time in Peru recently) but I've driven in Costa Rica as well and feel it to be a fairly different driving experience, so to speak.

Now here's the catch - they don't speak a lick of Spanish so the usual directions-asking will be that much more difficult.

Their itinerary is pretty basic -> fly in to Guatemala City, proceed directly to Antigua -> Lake Atitlan -> Antigua... more »