Can you recommend the best places to visit in Central America?
Simon Calder answers your questions on getaways in the Americas, competing in the Amsterdam Marathon and where best to take a cruise
Q I served in the British Army in Belize in the 1990s and loved the place. I have been back a couple of times, and also explored Mexico. I now find myself in the position of having three weeks to travel in search of sunshine and adventure from mid-December to early January. What would you recommend in that part of the world, travelling independently?
Name supplied
A As you discovered during your tour of duty, Central America is a welcoming, beautiful and cultural part of the world. On the basis of some extensive journeys through all of the nations that make up the region, I prescribe a trip from Nicaragua to Panama.
Fly out (via one of the US hubs, probably Miami) to Managua. Nicaragua’s capital is the least appealing in Central America, but treat it purely as a gateway. Within an hour you can be in the fine city of Granada, on the edge of Lake Nicaragua. Its Havana-like vibe makes Granada an excellent place to begin your journey. Spend a couple of days on Omotepe, the volcanic island in Central America’s largest lake, then indulge in San Juan del Sur – easily the finest resort in Nicaragua, and conveniently close to the Costa Rican border.
Follow the Pan-American Highway as far as Canas, then divert for some volcanic action to Arenal – where the raw, restless earth is on permanent display, with nightly natural displays of molten lava. Wind your way down to the Pacific coast, pausing at Quepos – complete with a tiny national park, Manuel Antonio – and Dominical, which has one of the most appealing beaches in the Americas.
Panama is likely to be the highlight of your trip. From the Pan-American Highway to the capital, take a detour inland to El Valle – an extinct volcano with a town, El Valle de Anton, inside it. Panama City is the greatest capital in Central America: a Manhattan of the Pacific, yet with the ruins of the ancient Spanish city at Panama Vieja (now a Unesco World Heritage Site) and the Casco Viejo, the alluring “new” old town which is an excellent place to stay.
Add in a trip along the Panama Canal – crossing the Continental Divide by boat, road or rail – and you will have enjoyed much of the best of Central America.
Q We will be in Florida for the first two weeks of April 2023. Hotels and motels are looking expensive for these dates. We are wondering whether to hold off booking until the new year? But we are also concerned about the pound weakening against the US dollar over the next few months, which I guess will increase prices as well?
‘A1 Jeco’ via the latest Ask Me Anything at independent.co.uk/travel
A The last place I stayed in Orlando was at the decidedly mid-market Dockside Inn and Suites at the Universal Endless Summer Resort; it’s a reasonably good location, with a huge pool and excellent standards. I have just priced up a room for the first two weeks of April, and it comes out at $3,326. At the moment that converts to £2,853, or £202 per night – including tax but excluding breakfast.
That is about one-third more than I paid in early December 2021, but compared with current rates across the US it represents a fairly decent deal: in August, even for budget motels in the Midwest, I was paying £150 for a night at times.
If I knew how the pound would perform against the US dollar I would be sunning myself in Florida right now. The people I have talked to believe that the economic promises made by Liz Truss, if actually carried out, will lead to a run on the pound and therefore prices in sterling everywhere abroad would increase.
Conversely, were the next leader to move closer to the European Union (ideologically highly unlikely, but you never know), sterling could strengthen as the nation’s economic prospects improve. But the best way to protect yourself against currency shocks and a range of other issues is to book a proper package holiday.
I sense, though, that you may already have your flights arranged. In that case, consider a house swap – which can work very well for both parties.
Q I’m doing the Amsterdam Marathon on Sunday 16 October. The Netherlands seems very strict about Covid on entry – you need a booster to get in. I’m boosted but a few of the people I am going with are not. Can they do a negative PCR to get around it? I wonder if it’s at all likely they might relax the rules in the next few weeks.
Name supplied
A Among leading European destinations for British visitors, the Netherlands has some of the toughest Covid rules. The general attitude is that anyone from outside the EU and wider Schengen area (which includes several hangers-on, but definitely not the UK) will not be admitted – unless they meet one of the permitted exceptions. For most British travellers the obvious exemption is full vaccination, defined as having completed an initial course of jabs against Covid in the past 270 days or having had at least one booster with no time limit. NHS vaccination certificates, on paper or a smartphone, are acceptable proof.
There is no testing alternative to vaccination, and my reading of the standard “proof of recovery” option makes it unlikely to apply to British visitors. The only acceptable proof is the EU Digital Covid Certificate, which you can access only if you are a European Union citizen (or a close family member) or reside in an EU country.
Accordingly, as things stand there is only one sure way the typical British runner, vaccinated in 2021, can participate in the Amsterdam Marathon: to produce evidence of having had a booster.
Could the rules be relaxed in next few weeks? Possibly. The Netherlands (and in particular Amsterdam) normally thrives on tourism from UK visitors on autumn weekend breaks. The government in the Hague may feel that the additional risk posed by unvaccinated visitors is outweighed by the potential economic gain. But I wouldn’t bet on it: throughout the coronavirus pandemic the Dutch authorities have been very cautious about allowing in visitors from outside the European Union. For example, over Christmas and New Year 2020-21, the Netherlands imposed a complete flight ban on links from the UK because of concerns over a new variant.
With the prospect of Covid cases rising as temperatures cool, I discern no rush to ease the rules.
Q Are you ready to go cruising yet? I’m thinking about Norwegian Cruise Line, which seems to be relaxing things a bit. What are your thoughts?
David G
A Cruising was arguably affected more by the coronavirus pandemic than any other part of the travel industry. For a time at the start of the Covid crisis, Diamond Princess – held offshore from the port at Yokohama in Japan – was itself one of the world’s leading virus hotspots.
Even now, the Foreign Office warns prospective cruise travellers: “The confined setting on board and combination of multiple households enables Covid-19 to spread faster than it is able to elsewhere.”
I joined the first UK cruise when operations restarted in May 2021, aboard MSC Virtuosa. Frankly, it was weird: a ship with barely one-fifth of the normal number of passengers, mask-wearing in all public spaces and excursions allowed only on what was effectively a sealed bus. There were also widespread testing measures, with the possibility always of being denied boarding – or being incarcerated in the “hospital wing” if suspected of carrying coronavirus.
Since then, things have relaxed. Cruise firms are gradually easing their protocols, but Norwegian Cruise Line requires all passengers aged 12 to be fully vaccinated and tested: “At time of check-in, all guests will be required to provide proof of a negative antigen or PCR result administered by a verified third party or via medically supervised home test.”
From my perspective, that involves a lot of hassle and risk. I think it will take until the end of the year (and, let’s hope, a winter without yet more Covid shocks) before conditions are relaxed and cruising as many used to know and love it will be back.
Finally, if you are tempted, a reminder that the Foreign Office also says: “Access to health care may be limited on board. For example, intensive care beds and oxygen provision are limited and urgent medical evacuation to a hospital on land may not be possible. Research the facilities on the ship you intend to sail on before booking your holiday.
“If you take specialist medication, you should take more than your journey’s duration, in case you are abroad for longer than expected.”
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