Travel Well, Spend Less

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Hike through virgin cloud forest. Dive down to a coral reef. Climb a Mayan temple. Shop in a native market. Commune with nature. Memorize the symphony of the street--then get lost. And if you want to experience the heart and soul of Central America, whatever you do, don't spend too much money. The deep and rich experience of Central America that every true traveler yearns for is one of the things that money can’t buy. No other area in the world exists like the one where the waters of the Pacific and the Atlantic oceans bleed into one another. The land itself--a seven country isthmus fusing North and South America--is overwhelmingly surreal. The sun beats down over lowland fields of sugarcane and cotton that seem to expand, then melt away in wavy, dreamlike heat. In the highlands, the invigorating mountain air provides a respite for the taxing equatorial climate. On a clear day, climb high enough and you may be treated to a singularly stimulating view of two oceans that will make your knees weak.

Belize: One of a Kind
South of Mexico and east of Guatemala, this English-speaking nation is physically isolated from its Latin neighbors by the rugged, nearly impassable Maya Mountains to the south and west, and by a spectacular barrier reef along its coast. The result is a country more Caribbean than Latin American. Here are only some of the ways you can experience the unique magic of Belize. • The Best Places to Get Tanked: Belize has more than 560 km of reefjust waiting to be dived. The ultimate diving experience awaits outside the Barrier Reef, at one of Belize’s three atolls: Glover’s Reef, Lighthouse Reef, and the Turneffe Islands. There are spectacular wall dives, coral caves, as well as cartoonish giant yellow tube sponges and zillions of brightly hued fish. • Bona Fide Bush Medicine: Feeling out of sorts? For over 30 years, Aunt Barbara, certified herbalist, has dispensed bush remedies from her stall in Belize City’s central market on Queen Street. She can set you up with a steaming herbal brew made from jackass bitters, plus 11 other secret herbs and spices. • Bird’s-Eye View: The bird-watching at the Parrot Nest cabins in San Ignacio is excellent, especially in those rooms that rest on stilts at treetop level. The record claim for sighting parrots is 125 species in two and a half days. The four thatched-roof cabanas stand on the banks of the Mopan River, each with two single beds, for only $20 a night for two.

Costa Rica: Beyond the Obvious
Costa Rica grabs the attention of travelers around the world for good reason. Very few places on Earth offer everything this tiny country does: you’ll find morpho butterflies the size of your hand, enchanting beaches, sulfur springs, and vistas verging on the orgasmic. Getting off the beaten path is easy in Costa Rica--here’s a handful of ideas. • Superlative Costa Rica: Travelers usually come to the southwest for a feeling of accomplishment--to climb the highest mountain, Cerro Chirripó, or surf the world’s longest left-breaking wave at Playa Pavones. Cheap places to stay do exist, but many have no phone, no address and no English speakers. Make the effort--you’ll find vast, untapped, and untouristed stretches of tropical wilderness, silky sand beaches, and sweeping valleys. • Hamburger Heaven: Guanacaste is without question the weirdest region in Costa Rica. Imagine a typical shit-kicking, tobacco-spitting, Marlboro-smoking kinda place full of cattle and cowboys, then shift it to the land of tropical rain forests. Much of the beef raised here is used for fast-food hamburgers, but Guanacaste is also the center of Costa Rican folklore and you can sometimes hear typical songs wailed in the canteens of smaller towns. • Light Up Your Life: Puerto Limón isn’t exactly famous for its natural beauty. Beach lovers, don’t despair: just 3 km north, Playa Bonita, a clean white-sand beach seems light-years away from Limon’s crumbling buildings. Take a dip at night and watch your body light up as phosphorescent plankton attach to your skin and glow like stars. Ask a local if the plankton are out or watch for them glowing in the crests of waves.

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