Havava - Revolution, Cigars and Fun

Havana is an almost inexplicable city that contains so many incredible sites and adventures without the usual touristy gloss and trappings. Due to the US embargo of Cuba, several well known sites in other cities are not present, particularly the omnipresent McDonalds. But this is a good thing in my view as the city keeps an authentic feel and makes the historic sites in Havana Vieja more enjoyable. My favourite site in this part of the city is the Catedral de San Cristobal. But while in Havana there is so much more to do than just visit historical sites. One of the “musts” is going to see a Cigar Factory. Even if you don’t like smoking it’s still a great trip, much like a wine tour but more dangerous for your lungs. Revolutionary icons are everywhere in the city and the Plaza de la Revolocion is the main tourist spot. In fact it can be swamped by tourists during the middle of the day so come early to see the image of Che and the statue of Jose Marti. The nightlife in this city is top notch and the food, if you avoid the tourist restaurants, is great quality at low prices. But to pay these prices you normally need the Cuban Peso rather than the Cuban Convertible Peso.

Bocas del Toro - A perfect hideaway

In the north east corner of Panama, lays the little hidden gem Boca del Toro. You still won’t find many tourists bloating out the town, which is a nice change from a lot of other Central American beach spots. This is another great – and cheap – place for diving and scuba to see some beautiful corals and sea life. You might even get to see a reef shark or two! And even if you stay above the water you have a pretty good chance of getting to see and play with some dolphins. The island itself is quite small so you can rent a mountain bike and trip across to other side and visit Bocas del Drago. But the best beaches are nearby and you normally only need to pay $3 or $5 for round trip by boat to either Red Frog Beach or Wizard Beach. Red Frog is the better place but will charge an admission fee of another $1 or $2. Further inland you can find – The Bat Cave! Don’t worry if you’re an evil villain, this version is only for the animal not the superhero. For only $1 you can wade through the watery cave and spy on hundreds of bats clinging to the ceilings of the caves.

Utila - Island Magic

Diving, diving, and more diving. If this sounds like a dream situation to you, then you have to come to the little island of Utila just off Honduras. Every diving enthusiast I know raves on about this place, and rightly so. The island is a small and isolated place in the Bay Islands and everything to do with the island is very cheap. As a side effect of this, it has the cheapest rates for diver certification in the Caribbean. And why is the diving so good there? Well, how many other places do you get the chance to see a Whale Shark on regular occasions? Also the corals are rich with life and the coasts are beautiful and sparsely populated. There isn’t much choice on the island for different activities or places to go, but what is there is a treat. Bando Beach is the main beach, and if you get tired of the water you can always visit the Iguana Research Centre and learn more about this amazing reptile. There is a huge selection of cheap delicious seafood, and accommodation is cheap. About the only thing that will burn a hole in your pocket is using technology like the internet or making an international phone. The prices for these can be extortionate!