An ATOL is an Air Transport Organisers Licence which allows a tour operator to put together and sell a package holiday, either via a travel agent or direct to the public. It is administered by the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) in the UK.
A casa particular (normally abbreviated to just ‘casa’) is a cross between a traditional homestay and a UK style Bed & Breakfast
The Belize Chocolate Company is based in San Pedro on the beautiful Belizean island of Caye Ambergris.
As a small country, one of the many joys of taking a holiday to Belize are the short travel distances involved as well as the sheer ease of travel. On my most recent visit to the country, my first internal journey, from Corozal to Caye Ambergris, took under an hour.
Referred to as either the largest, second largest or even third largest fort in the Americas, La Cabana Havana is a vast 18th century fort that overlooks Havana from the eastern side of the bay.
While there are direct, scheduled flights between the UK and Mexico (both Cancun & Mexico City), the same can’t be said for Guatemala; nor is that likely to change any time soon. So, indirect flight it is.
Museum of the Struggle Against Bandits - it’s doesn’t really roll off the tongue, and the (eventual) website name will be a challenge, but this quirky museum in Trinidad is well worth a visit.
In a previous article we talked about Playa del Carmen which, over the space of some 40 years, has morphed from a charming little fishing village with a lovely beach into a thriving, mini-city that just so happens to have a lovely beach.
Atop a steep hill above San Ignacio is the smartest hotel in town (smart enough for the Queen to have been a guest on her visit to Belize in February 1994), the San Ignacio Resort Hotel; and very nice it is too.
Havana is a city full of museums so, for anyone whose time is limited, deciding which ones to visit is an important consideration. Amongst the best, at least in our opinion, is the Palacio de los Capitanes Generales.
After a major renovation program, the Gran Teatro de La Habana Alicia Alonso (to give it its catchy, full title) is once again open to the public and showcasing the very best in Cuban cultural performances.
Chicken Pepian is one of the most traditional dishes to be found in Guatemala and, thus far, also ranks as my favourite. It’s not hard to make at home although not you might not have all the ingredients sitting around in your kitchen cupboard.
Although the US trade embargo with Cuba remains in place, severely limiting the ability of airlines to fly freely between the 2 countries, the phoney war is certainly beginning to hot-up when it comes to discussing US flights to Cuba.
No, nope not the famous film, nor even the Moroccan city, but a quiet waterfront district on the ‘other side’ of Havana Bay.
For those who can’t stretch to business class – and that will cover the vast majority of travellers – Virgin Atlantic Premium Economy offers a bit more space and comfort at more affordable rates.
Once a small, sleepy fishing village with a beautiful beach, Playa del Carmen – or Playa as it is now more commonly known - was first ‘discovered’ by independent travellers back in the 70’s, searching for an altogether less commercial, more authentic alternative to the rapidly growing fun-factory that is Cancun.
Go to any restaurant or food-shack in Belize and you can be pretty certain of one thing being on the menu – a Marie Sharp’s hot pepper sauce or other condiment.
If you’re hankering to get off the tourist-radar in Cuba, but not have to travel for hours to the middle of nowhere, you could do a lot worse than Caibarien.
The Dhawa Cayo Las Brujas is set to open later this year and promises to be one of the most innovative and luxurious beach hotels in Cuba.
Mexicans are proud of their national cuisine which varies from region to region. The Yucatan is no exception with numerous local specialities happily rubbing shoulders with pan Mexican favourites and a wide selection of international options.
By the standards of Guatemala’s most famous Mayan sites, such as those at Tikal & Yaxha, the small settlement of Quirigua might come as something of a let-down.
The Cuba Tourist Office in London is located within the Cuban Embassy at 167 High Holborn, London, WC1V 6PA. Their website contains plenty of general information regards travel to Cuba as well as a helpful list of all the UK tour operators that offer holidays to Cuba.
If you live in the UK / mainland Europe, and are planning a Belize holiday, the first thing you will discover is that not only are there no direct flights but there aren’t even any same day connecting flights on the outbound journey.
Section 75 of the UK Consumer Credit Act 1974 stipulates that if you, the consumer, pay for something costing between £100 and £30,000 by credit card, then the provider of that credit (ie the credit card company) is equally liable if anything goes wrong.
On a hill overlooking Trinidad, a new hotel is slowly taking shape. Very, very slowly. The Pansea Trinidad is the first of what is eventually hoped to be a collection of 4 luxury hotels in Cuba – the other properties being the Pansea Havana, Pansea Vinales & Pansea Santa Lucia.
ESTA, which stands for Electronic System for Travel Authorization, is an automated system created by the United States government to determine the eligibility of visitors from countries covered by the Visa Waiver Program to enter America.
There are now reckoned to be at least 600 casa particulares in Havana so sorting the wheat from the chaff is never easy; Casa Zaiden certainly falls into the ‘wheat’ category and is one of our favourite options in the capital.
Iximche was the 15th century capital of the Kaqchiquels, having relocated here from K’umarcaaj. At that time, the Kaqchiquels were at war with their great rivals, the K’iche, and the site of their new capital, a flat plateau surrounded by steep ravines, made for excellent natural defences.
My mojito in La Bodeguita, my daiquiri in El Floridita – so said Havana’s most famous literary resident and full-time bon-viveur, Ernest Hemingway.
Domestic flights in Guatemala are surprisingly and refreshingly uncomplicated. With just 2 commercial passenger airports, Guatemala City and Flores, flights between the 2 destinations represent the country’s sole domestic airline route. Looking on a map, you might think that it was easy enough to simply drive between the 2 destinations but that would be to discount Guatemalan traffic which would make for a good 7-hour ...
The Fundacion Haciendas del Mundos Maya is a not-for-profit organisation that works with, and for the benefit of, Mayan communities in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.
Cuba’s wine industry, if we can call it that, began in the 1990s as a joint venture between the Cuban government and a group of Italian winemakers.
Although there is little of interest in Sayaxche itself, the town is an important jumping off point for boat trips to the Mayan sites of Ceibal and Aguateca.
Officially titled Avenida de Maceo, the Malecon is a 5-mile seawall, promenade and road that runs from Old Havana in the east to Vedado in the west.
Although not especially busy, the land border with Mexico is a popular entry point into Belize and relatively straightforward
Guatemala City is not over-endowed with sites of tourist interest but, if you’re in the city with time to burn, then Casa MIMA is definitely worth a visit.
It seems that there is always another new airline about to launch services to Cuba and this time it’s Austrian Airlines who are launching flights from Vienna to Havana.
When planning and arranging a holiday – no matter where to – sorting out travel insurance is often relegated to one of those things that ‘you’ll get round to’. Although fully understandable, this can have very expensive ramifications.
For UK citizens, all that is required is a Cuba Tourist Card (currently £15) and a UK passport that is valid for 6 months from the date of return to the UK.
With travel to Cuba positively booming, many in the travel trade have been left wondering quite why there are still no British Airways flights to Havana.
When making your travel arrangements, we understand just how important peace-of-mind is. Beyond The Ordinary hold both ATOL & ABTOT bonds so whether you book your flights through us, or independently, any money you pay us is 100% protected. More detailed information on Financial Protection can be found by clicking here.
Whichever of our featured countries you wish to visit, we've been there several times. So, if you're after something beyond the ordinary to Cuba, Guatemala or the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, we'd love to hear from you.
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