jojoblais

My hubby & I are thinking of travelling some time in March. I would like to visit some areas of Central America. I really want to experience something out of my own reality. We went to Italy this past spring. I had not been there since 1973, & I was so disappointed. Rome had turned in NYC (where I'm from), except w/ a few old buildings! It's crowded, everyone on their cell phones, everyone rushing around, a zillion chain stores like Sephora & H&M, the concept of siesta is dead. Barcelona was similar. That's why I'd like to try somewhere a little more exotic, more undeveloped.
Last summer I spent a wk on Roatan, & altho now a cruise stop, it's still relatively un-developed & touristy, esp compared to places like Jamaica, for ex.
We can go for 2, maybe 3 wks. We like culture, history, nature, some rainforest, a little hiking, some beach. Perhaps a little of everything. We love to be able to go somewhere & wander.

I've been looking at Guatemala, maybe mainland Honduras, maybe Panama ...... Nicaragua, El Salvador ...... I'm open.

Also, I'm interested in researching some volunteer opportunities. Should I feel a connection w/ an area & feel like I could live there in relative safety & comfort, I would strongly consider going back & spending a few months there. My hubby is a retired English teacher, & I'm a retired counselor. I'm particularly interested in the issue of sex trafficking, & would like to work w/ young women.

Very confused.

My other idea is southeast Asia (particularly Viet Nam & Cambodia) but the distance & airfare make central america more desirable, esp if I consider going back to volunteer. Same w/ India, although I'm dying to go there.

Suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Approach_Guides

Sounds like you have a good amount of flexibility, which will make for a fun trip! You might consider posting in the Mexico & Central America section of this forum to get the best advice.
We loved Guatemala and Honduras. Since your interests are broad, you can combine culture (Maya sites like Copan, Tikal, and el Mirador) with hiking up active volcanoes.
Have a great trip!

jojoblais

Thanks, Approach! I did post in both places.

Hanuman

I am from Thailand and I've been to Panama, Columbia and Guatemala. IMO you will find S.E. Asia much more interesting both culturally and food! If you prefer lesser developed countries then I like to suggest Burma and Laos both are relatively inexpensive to visit as well. A good starting point or city is definitely Bangkok and from there it's pretty easy access to all the neighboring countries with several low cost airlines operating.

rhkkmk

on this forum we love SEA, so expect lots of pro voices on it.

i love thailand. none of the countries are all that laid back anymore... most are quite developed..

india is not laid back in any way... i just spent a month in the north and loved it but standards there at the lower end are hard to deal with for a westerner. i am sure there are lots of volunteering opportunities there as there are in the rest of SEA...

crosscheck

For your trip, I recommend Guatemala in Central America or Cambodia in SEA. For volunteer opportunities, check out Equality Now, http://www.equalitynow.org/, an international NGO that works tirelessly to end sex trafficking and violence against women by actually changing laws. Gloria Steinem is on the board. You can email them to find out about how you can help.

jojoblais

I know India can be difficult to travel. However, I've always been drawn to it, am fascinated by the culture.

cross--I will def check out that website, thanks so much. I'm a member of the Somaly Mam Foundation. She is a Cambodian woman who was sold into sex slavery as a young girl, & managed to escape when she was about 18. Since then, she has devoted her life to rescuing girls and attempting to change laws. At this point she runs 2 rescue places in Cambodia, and I believe also one in Thailand.

shelleyk

I've been to Guatemala and Honduras as well as to some of the areas in SE Asia that you are considering. The Mayan culture and beautiful scenery in Guatemala and Honduras are exceptional. The food, not so much so. In SE Asia the food is generally superb and the architecture and culture are interesting. One big difference in the 2 trips you are considering is the flight time and jet lag differences from NYC. Guatemala and Honduras wins in that regard. Whatever you decide, I am sure you will have a memorable trip. We loved both areas and plan to return to both. We are leaving for Burma in a few days.

qwovadis

www.kohtao.com Thailand has the vibe you seek but along expensive flight.In the last few years closer good experience
flying spirit.com into GUA quintadelasflores.com jaguartikal.com and lacasadelmundo.com great beauty and
cultural experience. Last fall I did Ecuador/Galapagos with
www.guanguiltagua.com [email protected] to huaorani.com galavengalapagos.com(from $600 on sale) bellavistacloudforest.com and www.hosteriamandala.info VERY exotic unusual pretty cheap. Ecuador/Galapagos better more varied wildlife and nature than anywhere else on the planet.

Happy Planning!

jojoblais

shelleyk -- yes, the flights def make cent amer much more viable
Burma, wow! Now that should be exotic. I hope you post your experiences.

qwovadis -- thanx, I will check those out.