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I've been to Honduras a few times, in the past 10 years, and I always feel safer if I'm far, far away from where American tourists gravitate to. But that goes for any country in Central America!
If I was a dirt-poor resident of Honduras, and wanted to make a career out of robbing people, I'd go straight to Roatan! Or anywhere else where I'd run into lots of Americans!
On my first trip to El Salvador, 10 years ago, I was cognizant of the fact that it had the highest crime rate in Central America, at the time, high murder rate, putting El Salvador on American's Skip List!
I have now made 3 trips, all around El Salvador, riding on the chicken buses, and I felt as safe there as back home!
I've been to Honduras a few times, in the past 10 years, and I always feel safer if I'm far, far away from where American tourists gravitate to. But that goes for any country in Central America!
If I was a dirt-poor resident of Honduras, and wanted to make a career out of robbing people, I'd go straight to Roatan! Or anywhere else where I'd run into lots of Americans!
On my first trip to El Salvador, 10 years ago, I was cognizant of the fact that it had the highest crime rate in Central America, at the time, high murder rate, putting El Salvador on American's Skip List!
I have now made 3 trips, all around El Salvador, riding on the chicken buses, and I felt as safe there as back home!
But what's there to do and see in El Salvador, besides a few Mayan ruins? Is there a reason why you didn't include Guatemala in you itinerary? Or did you?
But what's there to do and see in El Salvador, besides a few Mayan ruins?,
Eat pupusas and seafood, surf or hang out at the beach and just relax. That's all I do when I'm there. There are a few ruins, but nothing as impressive as what you will see in neighboring countries, still pretty cool though.
El Salvador is only 1/5 the size of Guatemala and even smaller when compared to Honduras, so there is not as much to see or do, but its a cool place to hang out for a little while. Specially if you're in Guatemala, El Salvador makes a nice side trip because the beaches are nicer, beach accommodations are better and the waves are great for surfing in most places.
But what's there to do and see in El Salvador, besides a few Mayan ruins? Is there a reason why you didn't include Guatemala in you itinerary? Or did you?
Between 2004 and 2007, I made 5 trips to Central America, and given the small size of those countries, I chicken-bussed it around everywhere I went, even one trip in the back of a pick-up, and that's the great fun of traveling down there, the chicken-buses. Wouldn't travel any other way down there! Like: what's the next bus vendor going to be selling on the next leg of the trip?
In El Salvador, I did the Ruta de Flores route, Santa Ana, Auchapan, San Vicente, La Palma, San Marco, San Salvador. Overall, I loved the people of El Salvador, one of the star attractions of that country! I never did any coastal cities, as I'm not an ocean lover and I can't deal with high humidity.
In Honduras, I visited La Esperanza (nothing there, but I was curious), Gracias (nice little town), Santa Rosa de Copan (loved this city), Danli, Valle de La Angeles (awesome little city), Catacamas and Tegucigalpas, which I call the San Francisco of Central America!
Guatemala? I covered a good part of that country as well!
I've been to Honduras a few times, in the past 10 years, and I always feel safer if I'm far, far away from where American tourists gravitate to. But that goes for any country in Central America!
If I was a dirt-poor resident of Honduras, and wanted to make a career out of robbing people, I'd go straight to Roatan! Or anywhere else where I'd run into lots of Americans!
On my first trip to El Salvador, 10 years ago, I was cognizant of the fact that it had the highest crime rate in Central America, at the time, high murder rate, putting El Salvador on American's Skip List!
I have now made 3 trips, all around El Salvador, riding on the chicken buses, and I felt as safe there as back home!
Just read on another thread that El Salvador recorded over 600 murders in May
My sons mom wants to take him on a dive trip to Honduras, the country with the highest murder rate in the world. I said bad idea, he flat out said no but I'm the bad guy. I'm thinking there are a lot of other world class dive destination without this issue. U.N. report reveals world's highest murder rates; Honduras tops list - CNN.com
The times that I have been there, I have felt fairly safe.
I'd suggest a little bit of common sense here; don't do stuff like counting your cash out in public after you've made the exchange from US $$ to Lempiras...even tho' US currency (bills) are accepted just about everywhere...don't flash your latest iPhone, maintain a low profile and you'll be fine.
While I was down there, I tried to go local, rode the "chicken" buses....as someone stated earlier...and got a chance to see Tegus (Tegucigalpa), Comayagua, Humuya, Cane, Lago Yojoa, Choluteca, San Pedro (San Peter ), and had a blast.
Hope your sons stay safe have a good time while down there.
No need to be so defensive...I am not discounting your experiences either...635 murders in one month in a country of under 7 million is horrific no matter how you slice it...I don't think anyone of them was a tourist...but that's still crazy whats going on down there
Between 2004 and 2007, I made 5 trips to Central America, and given the small size of those countries, I chicken-bussed it around everywhere I went, even one trip in the back of a pick-up, and that's the great fun of traveling down there, the chicken-buses. Wouldn't travel any other way down there! Like: what's the next bus vendor going to be selling on the next leg of the trip?
Who cares what the vendors are selling? You wouldn't actually eat any of that stuff, would you?
I find these "chicken bus" declarations interesting. It's not like there's a choice, right? Short of renting a car, or hitch-hiking. And the rental cars aren't reliable; they break down.
I can see how beaches in El Salvador could be better than Guatemala's beaches, except on the Caribbean side, there would be snorkeling, whereas on the Pacific side, there wouldn't be any coral reefs. But better surf, definitely. Other than that, the scenery isn't comparable, IMO. Guatemala's crown jewel is Lake Atitlan. It's pretty hard to beat that anywhere in the world. And then there are all those archaeological sites. The colonial capital, Antigua, is nice, too.
Interesting, too, that people are saying El Salvador, with a high murder rate, is fine for tourists, but at the same time, others are saying Roatan is too dangerous. Has anyone here been to Roatan in the last few years? You used to be able to rent a cabin on the beach in the Garifuna villages for dirt cheap. I wonder if that's safe to do anymore.
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), and had a blast.
