Southern Europe is a great place to holiday – wonderful food, good weather, and a range of cultures with unique histories and traditions.

Portugal is a small country with a big history. A major player in the European discovery of the New World, nowadays it’s visited by people looking for beautiful beaches and picturesque villages.

There are more great beaches in Portugal’s neighbour, Spain. Watch, or if you’re brave enough take part in, the bull run in Pamplona, ski in the Sierra Nevada, enjoy the swirl and colour of the flamenco. You can rent apartments in Madrid via Wimdu, giving you a local view of a city where high culture and a lively nightlife go hand in hand. Head up to Barcelona to check out the remarkable architecture of Gaudí and, for sports fans, the legendary Nou Camp stadium.

Italy is renowned for its great food, extensive and varied art, and remarkable history. To experience the range of Italy’s culinary tradition, take a trip through the country tasting the local delicacies. From the risotto of Venice, to the cheeses of Piedmont, to the lasagne of Bologna, the sheer breadth of tastes is remarkable. No trip to Italy would be complete without a visit to Rome. One of the best ways to get accomodation in Rome is to rent a room or apartment with a local. That way you can learn all about his remarkable city from your host. This way you can often get insider information not available in guidebooks, making your visit completely unique.

Further east, a visit to the Balkans can be hugely rewarding. From the beaches of Croatia, to the picturesque mountains of Montenegro, you’re sure to find places of enormous natural beauty. The 20^th century was a turbulent time for the Balkans, but it is back on its feet and ready for a new century.

Barbados diving waters are fine for novice and experienced divers and some of the operators also run lessons. The size of dive party varies greatly amongst the operators from very small with near individual attention to very large, often with fairly short timed dives. There are also operators who specialise in dives with the best photographic opportunities.

There are some real sites around the reef, and the main wrecks have been cleared of potential traps to minimise risks for divers. The premier dive site is wreck of the SS Stavronikita. Other wrecks include the Pamir and a broken up one amidst the reef at Friars Craig. Carlisle Bay is one of the more popular Barbados diving locations and Brightledge Reef offers some great marine life. Barbados is a busy stop for Caribbean cruise ships and during high season the dive sites can become very crowded.

Climate considerations

Although the averages temperatures don’t vary greatly throughout the year being roughly around 80°, Barbados does have a wet and dry season and divers should consider local weather conditions. Rainfall is heaviest in May/June and October/November. Barbados diving weather can also be impacted by cold fronts coming down from the USA which bring cooler temperatures and rough water. Hurricane season is also a consideration of Barbados diving. Although, they can develop indiscriminately throughout the year, they are most frequent between July and November.

Being the only town of any size on Barbados, the capital Bridgetown is a major focus of the island’s nightlife but all of the resorts and facilitated beach areas are well served to keep guests and residents entertained in the long warm nights. Most of the nightclubs are found in St. Lawrence Gap and many feature live local bands as well as DJ sets. Some hold karaoke evenings whilst others will organise theme nights.

Eating out in Barbados

There are many places that offer an evening combining dinner and music in a traditional themed event. This is a great chance to enjoy local food specialities that are a heady spicy mixture of Creole, classic French and rural African all enjoyed to a variety of music that is unmistakably Caribbean, namely the steel pan. Calypso, soca and reggae are all thrown into the mix for good measure, no doubt. For enjoying the food in peace and quiet, there are plenty of restaurants and bistros who will happily oblige with everything from cheap but tasty to exquisite fine dining. Enjoy swanky up market joints with fancy linen, pavement cafés where diners can soak in the local atmosphere and alfresco meals in picturesque oceanfront and quayside restaurants.

Out on the water

One of the most romantic ways to spend an evening in Barbados is a cruise around the coast. With the stars twinkling in cloudless skies and the moon lighting the way, joining a scheduled cruise or chartering a catamaran for a private evening for two is the perfect way to get close to a loved one.

As the island capital, Bridgetown is the commercial, financial, educational and cultural centre of Barbados with a host of attractions, tons of sights and loads of things to do. Sightseeing can even start at the airport where one of the retired Concorde fleet is on permanent display. There’s a wealth of historic buildings in Bridgetown reflecting its Caribbean setting and colonial past. The Gothic parliamentary building sits opposite National Heroes Square with its statue of Lord Nelson that’s older than the one in Trafalgar Square. The Barbados Garrison is an elegant Georgian building that’s home to the National Museum whilst one of the quirky sights is the huge Baobab tree that takes 15 people with arms outstretched to encircle it.

Shopping in Bridgetown

If you’ve only got time to visit one area of Bridgetown for shopping then it has to be Broad Street. As well as being in the heart of downtown and close to many of the city’s historical attractions, Broad Street is packed with duty free shops and department stores. Elsewhere, pedestrianised Swan Street has more of a local colour and flavour with a plethora of small vendors, Roebuck Street and Tudor Street have some great handicraft and artisan boutiques whilst the biggest craft store on the island is Pelican Village. The best place to buy Barbadian Rum is Mount Gay Rum Visitors Centre.

Grenada Beaches

For the real taste of paradise, Grenada’s beaches have plenty of competition with about 45 around its coastline. Grand Anse is widely acknowledged to be the best, a 2 mile stretch of blindingly white sand and lapis lazuli waters that have a real wow factor. Even though Grand Anse is never crowded, Morne Rouge and Pink Gin Beach, amongst many, have a Robinson Crusoe, only footprints in the sand, quality whilst Levera Beach with its lagoon has the stunning view of Sugarloaf Island. Your only company here is likely to be a turtle rather than other humans.

For escaping the heat of Grenada’s beaches, there’s the crystal clear Caribbean Sea waters, but taking a trip inland to the waterfalls and rivers that cut their way through rainforest covered mountains is an exhilarating experience.

Grenada’s Waterfalls

Best avoided on days the leisure liners cruise into St. George’s, the jewel in the crown of Grenada’s waterfalls is Annandale Falls. With Mother Nature at her best, here 9 metres of foamy sparkling water cascades between rock faces littered with ferns and orchids into a beautiful plunge pool. Pushing a close second in the stunning stakes is Seven Sisters Falls reached via the beauteous scenery of Grand Etang National Park with the magnificent volcano and lake filled crater. For those who enjoy hiking, trails lead to the triple cascade of Concorde Falls, the highest falls at Mt. Carmel and but it’s a 3 mile trek to reach the Tufton Hall Waterfall. Reaching some of Grenada’s waterfalls is not for the fainthearted but they sure provide adventure.

St. George’s is full of attraction for the cruise ship passenger who wants to go it alone. Widely recognised as being one of the most picturesque Caribbean harbours, St. George’s is full of cobbled streets, colourful friendly locals and some great architecture and points of historical reference. The late 18th century Fort Frederick and the younger Fort Frederick hark back to the days Britain and France were fighting for control of the region whilst also providing terrific views of the town. Enjoy shopping in and around the market square and then take a relaxing sojourn in the gorgeous Bay Gardens.

A St. George’s cruise stop is also the chance to experience some of the delights of Grenada; touring old sugar plantations and working rum distilleries, enjoying the scenery of the interior rainforest, sightseeing at Etang Lake in its volcanic crater home and the famous Annandale Falls are all on the agenda, as well as, naturally the gorgeous beaches and a chance for a bit of reef and wreck snorkelling.

St. George’s Spicy Attractions

The menu card of organised tours available from cruise operators generally includes taking in a spice related experience. Known as the Island of Spice, Grenada produces nutmeg, cloves, ginger, cinnamon and cocoa. Options include watching spices being prepared at Gouvaye’s processing stations or learning how cacao is turned into chocolate at the tiny Grenada Chocolate Company.

The history of Grenada

History first makes note of Grenada in 1498 when it was discovered by Christopher Columbus. The island had already been named Camerhogue by Carib Indians who’d bloodily seized control from the existing Arawak inhabitants but Columbus conferred on it the name Concepcion. Later sailors however, preferred the name Grenada in homage to Andalucía. The Caribs fought off European occupation by Spain, France and Britain until they were finally all wiped out by the French in 1650 whereupon Concepcion became La Grenade. Fort Royal was established as the capital and for the next 90 years the French engaged in constant battle with Britain for possession of the island. The British finally prevailed and under the 1783 Treaty of Paris, France relinquished claim.

The name Le Grenade was abandoned, Grenada was born and it became a sugar producing island thanks to the imported African slaves. The first challenge to British rule was in 1795 when a black planter, Julian Fedon was inspired by the French Revolution. The slave rebellion was initially successful and they managed to gain control of Grenada, briefly but the rebels were eventually once again subjugated by the British. Slavery continued until abolition in 1834 and Britain continued to prosper from Grenada’s sugar and spices right up until the island gained independence in 1974.

Since Independence, Grenada has seen off a prolonged attempt by insurgents to establish a communist state which required American military assistance to re-establish democratic government.
Today, the Island’s Franco/English heritage is enjoyed by visitors from all over the world.

Health considerations for the trip are simple. The Government’s website can be checked for the current recommended vaccinations and there’s no need to load up with pharmaceutical supplies as Honduran pharmacies are well stocked with proprietary drugs. Honduras is a very poor country and it can be a shock to the Western visitor. Potential visitors should consider how to react if approached for money in the streets. This is a matter of personal choice but it’s best being prepared than being caught off guard.

Honduras Travel Tips for women

Women should not consider travelling alone around Honduras. It is a Roman Catholic country with traditional values and has different views on the liberation of women to many western countries. Even if accompanied, when out and about, females should dress conservatively and not expose a lot of flesh. Beach wear, bikinis in particular should be reserved for the beaches and when visiting churches appropriate dress is even more important. The latter dress code tip applies to men also. In some of the more rural areas it is best to avoid direct eye contact with Honduran males as it is seen as an “invitation”.

Follow these simple Honduras travel tips and have a good time in a beautiful country.

Flora

The plant life of Honduras is so vastly varied that over 6,000 individual species have so far been catalogued, many of which grow in the rainforests. Just over 40% of the total land of Honduras is forested although this is significantly depleted and deforestation is still an issue. Much of the Honduran forest is what is known as Cloud Forest. Trees grow on land over 2,500 metre and they poke through the clouds, hence the name. Common trees of Honduras are kapok, cedar, balsa, rosewood, rubber mahogany, lignum vitae and rosewood. As well as trees, there are 630+ species of orchid recorded in Honduras and large areas of the country are covered with mangrove swamps as well as there being large patches of savannah grassland and coastal palm forests.

Fauna

All of this marvellous vegetation provides a wide range of habitats to support a massively diverse wildlife including tapirs, jaguars, armadillos, sloths, butterflies and the national animal, the white tailed deer. The bird population of Honduras boasts over 700 different species including the highly coloured scarlet macaw and over half the 100 mammal species are bats. Reptile and amphibian species number over 250. There is also a varied marine life off both coasts including those that make their homes in the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System such as dolphins, rays, parrot fish and whale sharks.

The importance of the ecology of Honduras has been recognised and there are large areas of national parkland and conservation and preservation programmes.

As a country, the climate of Honduras is described as tropical, with all land mass falling within the tropics but there are four distinct physiographic regions where the climate diverts from the standard definition; the Caribbean Lowlands, the Pacific Lowlands, the Tropical Interior

The Caribbean Lowlands

The climate of Honduras in the coastal plains on the Caribbean Sea is typically tropical with consistent high temperatures and high humidity. Temperatures have an average daytime high between 28°C and 32°C. Rainfall is heaviest between September and February then distributed fairly evenly throughout the remainder of the year. The Honduran Caribbean coast is also subject to hurricanes.

The Pacific Lowlands

The Pacific coastal plains are similar to those on the Caribbean, experiencing a tropical climate but with a more distinct wet and dry tropical climate. The dry season is between November and April, with the latter having the year’s warmest average temperatures.

The Tropical Interior

As with all tropical areas, the climate of Honduras relates to elevation.
Applicable to land that lies between 1,000 and 2,000 metres above sea level, the mountainous and forested interior of Honduras enjoys a pleasant temperate climate with an average high temperature of 30°C in April and coolest of 25°c in January. The higher land areas, above 2,000 feet also enjoy a temperate climate but with a greater extreme at the cooler end of the scale with temperatures that can fall to near freezing at night and early morning frosts.