I'm sure there will be some 'deadly cities' there. But also lots of other places that are relatively safe. Stay away from the no-go areas?
Could you google the safest places in the world and casually leave travel guides, brochures etc around the house?! Japan, Iceland or Norway will be beautiful at any time of the year....
Do you have children? Claim you've read something about kidnapping being on the increase? Yikes...I don't know.
I would also show him the FCO travel advice on Honduras as it makes for very sober reading https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/Honduras. Honestly he needs to give this whole country a very wide berth.
Our cruise ship docked in Roatan last year. It's an island off the mainland coast. Lovely, but tbh, I would not have wanted to spend an entire holiday there. It is the murder capital of the world outside of recognised war zones.
Look up C4 and Honduras on YouTube, they did an Unreported World segment on it last week that made for very sobering viewing.
Next time he mentions it say "isn't it funny how you always say Honduras when you mean Costa Rica. I'm like that with Belize and Brazil. I was a bit by your bonkers suggestion until I realised you'd just misspoken. But yes I agree Costa Rica would be a lovely place for a holiday - gorgeous scenery and very little chance of being brutally murdered."
Belize is actually okay, on par with Costa Rica, tbh, lots of expats there in big enclaves. A friend of mine moved to Belize about 4 years ago from California. But Honduras, very sadly, has a lot of problems. It is very beautiful. It's a shame.
He sounds like me. I am known to declare that we're all going to <somewhere beautiful but ridiculous> for our holidays. The kids get all excited and start googling...
Dh just raises an eyebrow and books a caravan in Devon
Belize is a fantastic destination for a holiday. we were there at Christmas and I wasn't aware of expats in big enclaves at all. with regards to Honduras fluffy, you might find there are also issues with health insurance. why does he want to go there in particular? what does he really want to see or do that can only be seen or done in Honduras. perhaps if you can find that out then the rest of MN can find the same thing somewhere else only better and safer. assume its just adults going and no kids?
'I wasn't aware of expats in big enclaves at all.'
We didn't see any, but my friend is black Caribbean and speaks fluent Spanish, as do we, so we went local, but she says there are quite a few, as it used to be a British territory and is popular with retirees from other, far more expensive Caribbean islands.
It was lovely.
I was shocked when she announced she was moving there, but she still loves it.
Roatan was okay, but it's a bay island off the mainland coast of Honduras. Still, driving through it, some parts, sadly, were not places I'd feel comfortable on holiday.
Very sad because Honduras is gorgeous. It really is stunning. Sparkling blue sea, white beaches. And drug cartels, the worst murder rate in the world outside a war zone. Seriously, YouTube search the C4 clip from last week.
I have never been to Belize, but it is my understanding that Costa Rica is far more developed than Belize. If you are going with a family, CR is very gentle. They used to call it the "Switzerland of Central America" because it was peaceful, relatively prosperous and high in the Mountains.
In CR you don't have to worry about clean water, good health care or getting bit by the wrong mosquito.
I think the upside of Belize is that they speak English.
FWIW, if you do chose Belize, save up a little money, and I say a little because you can easily use US dollars there, if you want any drugs that are hard to get here. As a British, European or American person, you are allowed in certain areas that are off limits to locals by virtue of your passport. There you will find real pharmacists, yes, not fake, and a variety of drugs you have to pull someone's tooth out to get here. Don't try to haggle in a pharmacy, however, or in such areas unless you speak Spanish, though.
Belize is certainly not an underdeveloped country. it is incredibly friendly, everyone we met wanted to be helpful. we saw no beggars in the streets, no over enthusiastic hawkers and the food was always clean. we did drink the water and it is a non malarial area though of course you have to be aware that whilst there are no indigenous cases of chik. its only a matter of time before it sweeps everywhere with mozzies. plus dengue is anywhere hot really so just take the usual deet precautions. in belize I swam with sharks and rays, helped rescue crocodile, fed the wild toucans and other birds, saw manatees, trekked in the rainforest looking for howler monkeys, spent hours in mayan ruins and I could go on... at no point did I feel unsafe, hassled or anything else. any news from your DH yet OP?
I spent 3 months travelling around Hondurous, Belize, Guatemala and Mexico. I think you need to be street-wise and want an adventure. I loved it and I'm sure there will be places there for a relaxing holiday - that wasn't what I wanted. (Roatan was fab...Bob Marley music playing in background everywhere...)
I admit I haven't been to Belize, and the info I have from friends is probably really out of date. I agree that Costa Rica is not cheap by Central American standards.
I disagree about the mosquitos. Yes, the mosquitos are the same down on the coast. On the other hand, there really aren't many mosquitos when you are up in the tropical highlands or in the Central Valley. They just don't thrive at those elevations. And a lot of what there is to do and see is up in these areas.
That said, the Centre for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia, has the same health warnings for Belize, Honduras and Costa Rica. From an infectious disease point of view they are all the same. Check it out:
by your bonkers suggestion until I realised you'd just misspoken. But yes I agree Costa Rica would be a lovely place for a holiday - gorgeous scenery and very little chance of being brutally murdered."
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