Pronounced ‘Shoo-Nahn-Too-Nich’, Xunantunich means Stone Woman in Mayan, referring to a ghost who was said to inhabit the site. However, this story only dates back to the late 19th century and the original name of the site remains a mystery.
A relatively small country, dominated by a single major city and distinguished by its mountainous terrain, Guatemala has just one domestic flight route, that between Guatemala City and Flores.
The Essential Cuba tour is an escorted, small group tour lasting 7 nights and taking in the key highlights of western Cuba.
Ever since Barack Obama visited Cuba in 2016, travel from the US to Cuba has become easier. Just not easy.
An archipelago comprising the main island plus over 4,000 cayes and islets, Cuba has the potential to become perhaps the world’s foremost fishing destination.
It’s not as if the Yucatan Peninsula is short of Mayan sites but many visitors to the region are still determined to include Palenque in their itinerary.
Currently the second largest hotel management company in Cuba, Iberostar Cuba seems determined to close the gap on the market leader, Melia Cuba.
Largely over-shadowed by the far more famous Tikal, few visitors to Guatemala's Peten region visit the nearby, equally fascinating, Mayan city of Yaxha.
As the largest island in the Caribbean, Cuba is packed full of things to do and see including no less than 9 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
At over 1000kms in length, anyone looking to traverse Cuba within a typical holiday window will probably need to take at least one internal flight.
Heaven knows, there is more than enough to see and do in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula to warrant looking no further. However, if like me you actively seek out holidays that, er, wander off beyond the ordinary, how about combining the Yucatan with Havana?
As one of Guatemala’s ‘Big Three’ attractions (the other two being Antigua and Tikal), pretty much every visitor to the country will visit Lake Atitlan as part of their itinerary.
Commencing 15th March this year, the Air Europa daily flight from Madrid to Havana will be operated by a Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
Occupying the space between the colonial towns of Trinidad & Sancti Spiritus, the Valley of the Sugar Mills is another of Cuba’s UNESCO World Heritage sites.
The Dhawa Cayo Santa Maria has finally opened and is poised to provide Cuba’s established hotel operators with some much-needed competition.
There are over a thousand Mayan sites dotted across Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula so, unless you plan to move to the region permanently, chances are that you will struggle to visit even 1% of them.
If you’d never seen a howler monkey before, but heard them calling out to each other across the jungle canopy, you might easily imagine (with a degree of trepidation if you were nearby) that they were huge, gorilla-like creatures that would make short work of any pesky human that got in their way.
Marius Jovaisa is a ground-breaking travel photographer, famous for his aerial shots, all contained in 5 beautiful photography books, including Unseen Cuba
So, you're off on holiday to Guatemala but haven't got a clue what you need to do in terms of cash, credit cards etc. Read on amigos....
The Riviera Hotel in Havana is perhaps the classic 1950s Cuban hotel which, it has just been announced, will be taken over by the Iberostar group in early 2017.
It’s something of a cliché to refer to KLM as the de facto national airline of the UK, but they do offer more regional connections than any other airline.
Quick trivia question – what is the tallest building in Belize? An office block in Belize city, a government ministry in the capital Belmopan or perhaps even the air traffic control tower at the country’s international airport? Nope, in fact the answer is the main pyramid at the ancient Mayan site of Caracol which stands at some 44 metres high.
Casa El Madero is the latest casa particular to open in Old Havana and, as well as adding much needed capacity, also provides a dash of style to the city's accommodation stock.
Punta Gorda is a picturesque, residential neighbourhood of Cienfuegos that directly overlooks the Bay of Cienfuegos on Cuba's south coast
Antigua wasn’t Guatemala’s first colonial capital – that honour goes to nearby Iximche – but, from 1543 to 1773, it was both capital of the nation and the most important city in Central America
It might not be the national anthem, but few would argue that 'Guantanamera' is the song of Cuba. No matter where you are on the island, you're going to hear it.
At over 1000kms long, and by far the largest island in the Caribbean, driving times in Cuba are often far greater than many people anticipate. To that end, I have put together this very broad guide to non-stop, driving times between some of the key tourist destinations.
Anyone looking to holiday in the Yucatan and flying in from Europe will arrive at Cancun airport from the late afternoon onwards, too late to begin the journey into the region’s hinterland.
The Soroa Botanical Gardens are located just over an hour’s drive west of Havana, nestled in a lush, green valley within the Sierra del Rosario Mountains.
Located in the city of Santa Clara, the Tren Blindado (Spanish for ‘armoured train’) is part monument, part museum and relates to one of the most famous events of the Cuban Revolution.
Atop a steep hill with stunning views over the surrounding countryside, the House on the Hill is located an easy 10-minute taxi-ride from the popular tourist town of San Ignacio and offers a stylish alternative to the more traditional hotels in the Cayo district.
There are numerous transport options when it comes to exploring Cuba but, for those looking to travel independently and also keep costs down, bus travel is highly recommended.
Aguateca is an important Mayan site located in the Peten region of northern Guatemala and was one of a number of important settlements in the area including Dos Pillas and Ceibal.
La Boca is a small coastal village some 15 minutes’ drive from the UNESCO World Heritage town of Trinidad on Cuba’s south coast.
Iberostar Cuba is a division of the Spanish hotel management company, Iberostar. Currently, they manage 12 hotels across Cuba, 10 at the beach, 1 in Havana and 1 in Trinidad.
At around 1000kms in length, Cuba is a larger island than many visitors realise and exploring it can be both complicated and expensive. This brief guide covers the key options for getting around Cuba.
Deciding where to stay is part and parcel of going travelling. With accommodation in Cuba, your first decision may be whether you opt for hotels or casa particulares.
Aviation geeks aside, the majority of travellers look forward to internal flights with the same enthusiasm as a dental trip. The cure? Go flying in Belize.
On 24th January 2017, Gatwick airport will undergo a huge shuffle with 3 major airlines switching between its two terminals.
Everyone keeps asking me the same question, how long does one need in Havana? Clearly there is no right or wrong answer but my advice is always to spend at least four days.
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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