Hip, Cool, Quintessential Japan

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Asia

Japan

For a country that lived in self-imposed isolation until 150 years ago, Japan has not hesitated in making up for lost time since the world came calling. Anyone who's eaten sushi or used a Sony Walkman feels they know something about this slinky archipelago of some 6800 volcanic islands tucked away off the far eastern coast of Asia, and yet, from the moment of arrival in this oddly familiar, quintessentially Oriental land it's almost as if you've touched down on another planet.

Mount Fuji and City Skyline, Tokyo, Honshu, Japan

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Japan is a place of ancient gods and customs, but is also the cutting edge of cool modernity. High-speed trains whisk you from one end of the country to another with frightening punctuality. You can catch sight of a farmer tending his paddy field, then turn the corner and find yourself next to a neon-festooned electronic games parlor in the suburb of a sprawling metropolis. One day you could be picking through the fashions in the biggest department store on earth, the next relaxing in an outdoor hot-spring pool, watching cherry blossom or snowflakes fall, depending on the season.

Few other countries have, in the space of a few generations, experienced so much or made such an impact. Industrialized at lightning speed, Japan shed its feudal trappings to become the most powerful and outwardly aggressive country in Asia in a matter of decades. After defeat in World War II, it transformed itself from atom bomb victim to wonder economy, the envy of the globe. Currently facing up to recession and rising unemployment after years of conspicuous consumption, Japan still remains fabulously wealthy and intent on reinvention for the twenty-first century, when, together with South Korea, it will become the first Asian nation to host soccer's World Cup in 2002.

Shiraito Falls, Fujinomiya, Shizuoka, Japan

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Japan is never going to be a cheap place to travel, but there's no reason why it should be wildly expensive either. Some of the most atmospheric and traditionally Japanese places to stay and eat are often those that are the best value. Furthermore, the recession and tentative moves towards deregulation of the airlines, among other industries, have led to significant price-cutting in some areas.

In the cities you'll first be struck by the mass of people. In this mountainous country, one and a half times the size of Britain, the vast majority of the 127 million population live on the crowded coastal plains of the main island of Honshu . The three other main islands, running north to south, are Hokkaido, Shikoku and Kyushu , and all are linked to Honshu by bridges and tunnels that are part of one of Japan's modern wonders - its efficient transport network of trains and highways.

Shinjuku District, Tokyo, Japan

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If you're after the latest buzz, the hippest fashions and technologies, and a worldwide selection of food, head for the exciting, overwhelming metropolises of Tokyo and Osaka. The cities are also the best places in which to sample Japan's traditional performance arts, such as Kabuki and N9 plays, to catch the titanic clash of sumo wrestlers, and track down the wealth of Japanese visual arts in the major museums.

Outside the cities, from the wide open spaces and deep volcanic lakes of Hokkaido, blanketed by snow every winter, to the balmy subtropical islands of Okinawa, there's a vast range of other holiday options, including hiking, skiing, scuba diving and surfing. You'll seldom have to travel far to catch sight of a lofty castle, ancient temple or shrine, or locals celebrating at a colorful street festival. The Japanese are inveterate travelers within their own country and there's hardly a town or village, no matter how small or plain, that doesn't boast some unique attraction.

Bridge over a Bay, Rainbow Bridge, Odaiba, Tokyo, Japan

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And yet, time and again, Japan redeems itself with unexpectedly beautiful landscapes, charmingly courteous people, and its tangible sense of history and cherished traditions. Most intriguing of all is the opaqueness at the heart of this mysterious "hidden" culture that stems from a blurring of traditional boundaries between East and West - Japan is neither wholly one nor the other

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Travel Destinations: Indonesia

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Indonesia

For sheer size, scale and variety, Indonesia is pretty much unbeatable. The country is so enormous that nobody is really sure quite how big it is; there are between 13,000 and 17,000 islands. It's certainly the largest archipelago in the world, spreading over 5200km between the Asian mainland and Australia, all of it within the tropics and with huge areas of ocean separating the landmasses. Not surprisingly, Indonesia's ethnic, cultural and linguistic diversity is correspondingly great - the best estimate is of 500 languages and dialects spoken by around 200 million people.

The largely volcanic nature of the islands has created tall cloud-swept mountains swathed in the green of rice terraces or rainforest, dropping to blindingly bright beaches and vivid blue seas, the backdrop for Southeast Asia's biggest wilderness areas and wildlife sanctuaries. The ethnic mix of Indonesia is overwhelming: this is the world's largest Muslim country, but with a distinct local flavour, and there are also substantial populations of Christians, Hindus and animists, whose forms of worship, customs and lifestyles have been influencing each other for centuries.

Worryingly, it is this very religious and racial diversity that in recent years has threatened to unravel the very fabric of Indonesian society. Riots in many parts of the country have pitched Muslims against their Christian neighbours, with two of these battles - in the Maluku Islands and in Poso in Central Sulawesi - developing into full-scale civil wars. On Java and other islands, deep-rooted anti-Chinese sentiment surfaced in particularly bloody fashion in 1998 and continues to smoulder to this day. More localized ethnic violence has its source in the transmigration policies of the Indonesian government, whose aim was to settle far-flung areas such as Kalimantan with migrants from overpopulated regions including Java and Madura, often without local consultation and with little heed given to traditional land rights. Unsurprisingly, resentment and violence have sometimes boiled over. However, with a new and popular president, Megawati Sukarnoputri, in power, and the economy finally showing signs of recovery, it is hoped that - while further bloodshed is perhaps inevitable - the fury and frequency of these internecine battles may start to subside.

Portrait of a Young, Legong Dancer Posing on Decorative Gong,
Peliatan, Indonesia

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Indonesian has also been badly battered in recent years by the separatist struggles of a couple of its provinces. Despite wide-ranging democratic reforms introduced by Megawati and her predecessor, Gus Dur, two disaffected provinces, Aceh in North Sumatra and West Papua (formerly Irian Jaya), tired of years of repression and corruption, unhappy that the new democratic reforms do not go far enough for their liking, and emboldened by East Timor's successful secession (the former Indonesian province became the world's newest country in 2001), began to clamour for their own autonomy , launching bloody uprisings that continue to this day. Whether their respective struggles prove successful - and what will happen to Indonesia if they are - remains to be seen, though with these two provinces lying at the geographical extremes of the archipelago, it's tempting to think that any break from Indonesia will have little adverse effect on the rest of the country.

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Because Indonesia encompasses such a diversity of cultures, it can be very difficult to decide where to go. However, there is a well-worn overland travellers' route across the archipelago, which begins by taking a boat from Penang in Malaysia to Medan on Sumatra's northeast coast. From here the classic itinerary runs to the orang-utan sanctuary at Bukit Lawang, the nippy little hill resort of Berastagi, the chilled-out lakeside resorts of Danau Toba and the surfers' mecca of Pulau Nias . Further south, the area around Bukittinggi appeals because of its flamboyant Minangkabau architecture and dances. Many travellers then hurtle through the southern half of Sumatra in their headlong rush to Java , probably bypassing the exhaustingly overpopulated capital Jakarta , but perhaps pausing at the relaxed beach resort of Pangandaran in West Java. Next stop is always the ancient capital of Yogyakarta , a cultural centre which hosts daily performances of traditional dance and music and offers batik courses for curious travellers. Yogya also makes a good base for exploring the huge Borobodur (Buddhist) and Prambanan (Hindu) temples. Java's biggest natural attractions are its volcanoes: the Dieng plateau , with its coloured lakes and ancient Hindu temples and, most famously, Gunung Bromo , where most travellers brave a sunrise climb to the summit.

Just across the water from East Java sits Bali , the longtime jewel in the crown of Indonesian tourism, a tiny island of elegant temples, verdant landscape and fine surf. The biggest resorts are the party towns of Kuta and adjacent Legian , with the more subdued beaches at Lovina and Candi Dasa appealing to travellers not hell-bent on raging nightlife. Most visitors also spend time in Bali's cultural centre of Ubud , whose lifeblood continues to be painting, carving, dancing and music-making. The islands east of Bali - collectively known as Nusa Tenggara - are now attracting bigger crowds, particularly neighbouring Lombok , with its beautiful beaches and temples. East again, the chance of seeing the world's largest lizards, the Komodo dragons , draws travellers to Komodo and then it's an easy hop across to Flores which has great surfing, and the unforgettable coloured crater lakes of Keli Mutu . South of Flores, Sumba is famous for its intricate fabrics, grand funeral ceremonies and extraordinary annual ritual war, the pasola .

Khmer Architecture at Ancient Site of Prambanan,
Central Java, Indonesia

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North of Flores, Sulawesi is renowned for the intriguing culture of the highland Torajans, whose idiosyncratic architecture and impressively ghoulish burial rituals are astonishing. West of Sulawesi, the island of Borneo is divided into the Malaysian districts of Sabah and Sarawak, the independent kingdom of Brunei, and the Indonesian state of Kalimantan . For the overland traveller short on time, there's not much here that can't be experienced more rewardingly across the border in Sarawak, but Tanjung Puting national park offers guaranteed close contact with orang-utans, and there are opportunities for river travel in remote jungle. East of Sulawesi, West Papua (Irian Jaya) is expensive and time-consuming to reach, but is worth considering for the remote Baliem Valley , home of the Dani people, who hunt with arrows and wear penis gourds.

The whole archipelago is tropical, with temperatures at sea level always between 21°C and 33°C, although cooler in the mountains. In theory, the year divides into a wet and dry season, though it's often hard to tell the difference. Very roughly, in much of the country, November to April are the wet months (January and February the wettest) and May through to October are dry. However, in northern Sumatra, this pattern is effectively reversed. The peak tourist season is between mid-June and mid-September and again over the Christmas and New Year season.

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India: Unity in Diversity

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India

"Unity in Diversity" was the slogan chosen when India celebrated fifty years of Independence in 1997, a declaration replete with as much optimism as pride. Stretching from the frozen barrier of the Himalayas to the tropical greenery of Kerala, and from the sacred Ganges to the sands of the Thar desert, the country's boundaries encompass incomparable variety. Walk the streets of any Indian city and you'll rub shoulders with representatives of several of the world's great faiths, a multitude of castes and outcastes, fair-skinned, turbanned Punjabis and dark-skinned Tamils. You'll also encounter temple rituals that have been performed since the time of the Egyptian Pharaohs, onion-domed mosques erected centuries before the Taj Mahal was ever dreamt of, and quirky echoes of the British Raj on virtually every corner.

Facade of a Building, Taj Mahal, Agra,
Uttar Pradesh, India

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That so much of India's past remains discernible today is all the more astonishing given the pace of change since Independence in 1947. Spurred by the free-market reforms of the early 1990s, the economic revolution started by Rajiv Gandhi has transformed the country with new consumer goods, technologies and ways of life. Now the land where the Buddha lived and taught, whose religious festivals are as old as the rivers that sustain them, is the second-largest producer of computer software in the world, with its own satellites and nuclear weapons.

However, the presence in even the most far-flung market towns of internet cafés and Japanese hatchbacks has thrown into sharp relief the problems that have bedevilled the subcontinent since long before it became the world's largest secular democracy. Rooted in the monolithic hierarchy of caste, poverty remains a harsh fact of life for around forty percent of India's inhabitants. No other nation on earth has slum settlements on the scale of those in Delhi, Mumbai and Calcutta, nor so many malnourished children, uneducated women and homes without access to clean water and waste disposal.

Many first-time visitors find themselves unable to see past such glaring disparities. Others come expecting a timeless ascetic wonderland and are surprised to encounter one of the most materialistic societies on the planet. Still more find themselves intimidated by what may seem, initially, an incomprehensible and bewildering continent. But for all its jarring juxtapositions, intractable paradoxes and frustrations, India remains an utterly compelling destination. Intricate and worn, its distinctive patina - the stream of life in its crowded bazaars, the ubiquitous filmi music, the pungent melange of beedi smoke, cooking spices, dust and cow dung - casts a spell that few forget from the moment they step off a plane. Love it or hate it - and most travellers oscillate between the two - India will shift the way you see the world.

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Rihanna's Best Of Barbados

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Central America & Caribbean
Barbados

Welchman Hall Gully
Stroll through some of the island's most wild and beautiful scenery.

Crop Over
One of the most fun festivals in the Caribbean - an extended party of dancing and rum-drinking.

View of Soup Bowl Beach, Bathsheba,
Barbados, Caribbean

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Bathsheba
The crashing waves in the soup bowl make this an ideal spot for surfing year-round.

Holetown
Sample from the town's fabulous selection of restaurants, including a few good-value options.

After Dark, St Lawrence Gap
Dress up for a night out After Dark , popular for its live music, enormous dance floor and well-stocked bar.

Travel Destination: China

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Asia
China

China is not so much another country as another world. Cut off from the rest of Eurasia by the Himalayas to the south and the Siberian steppe to the north, it has grown up alone and aloof. The only foreigners it saw were visiting merchants from far-flung shores or uncivilized nomads from the wild steppe: peripheral, unimportant and unreal. Apart from a few ruling elites of Mongol and Manchu origin, who quickly became assimilated, China did not experience a significant influx of foreigners until the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, something which still colours the experience of today's visitors to China.

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While empires, languages, nations and entire peoples in the rest of the world have risen and blossomed - then disappeared without trace - China has spent the past two millennia largely recycling itself. The ferocious dragons and lions of Chinese statuary have been produced by Chinese craftsmen, with the same essentially Chinese characteristics, for 25 centuries or more, and the script still used today reached perfection at the time of the Han dynasty, two thousand years ago. It is as though the Roman empire had survived intact into the twenty-first century, with a billion people speaking a language as old as classical Latin.

To say that the Chinese are presently enjoying better government than at any time in their recent history may not be saying much, but it is surely true. There is little sign of the Communist Party relinquishing power, or its control over the media. However, the negative stories surrounding today's China, the oppression of dissidents, the harsh treatment of criminal suspects and the imperialist behaviour towards Tibet and other minority regions, are only one part of the picture. Away from politics, the country is undergoing a huge commercial and creative upheaval. A country the size of ten Japans has entered the world market: Hong Kong-style skylines are being constructed in cities all across China, and tens of millions of people are finding jobs that earn them a spending power they have never known. The colossal historic fact of Hong Kong and Macau, the last European colonies, being returned to China in time for the new millennium, as though by celestial injunction, only adds to the sense that Chinese destiny is being restored to its rightful place at the centre of the world.

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The sheer pace of change is visible in every part of Chinese life, from the economy to the still-young independent travel industry. Travellers who visited China as little as ten years ago are amazed to hear how much the place has opened up and how many more liberal trends have emerged in the wake of the late Deng Xiaoping's free market economics. For whatever reasons you are attracted to China - its history, art, culture, politics or simply its inaccessibility - the speed at which things are changing will ensure that your trip is a unique one.

Central District, Hong Kong, China

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The first thing that strikes visitors to China is the extraordinary density of population: central and eastern China do not have landscapes so much as peoplescapes. In the fertile plains, villages seem to merge into one another, while the big cities are endlessly sprawling affairs with the majority of their inhabitants living in cramped shacks or in depressingly uniform dormitory buildings. This doesn't mean that China is the same everywhere - there are many regional variations in people and language; indeed, some whole areas of the People's Republic are not populated by the "Chinese", but by so-called minority peoples, of whom there are more than two hundred distinct groups, ranging from the hill tribes of the south to the Muslims of the northwest. Nevertheless, the most enduring images of China are intrinsically Chinese ones: chopsticks, tea, slippers, massed bicycles, shadow-boxing, exotic pop music, karaoke, teeming crowds, Dickensian train stations, smoky temples, red flags and the smells of soot and frying tofu - as well as the industrial vistas you would expect from one of the world's largest economies.

Away from the cities, there is the sheer joy of crossing such a vast and ancient land - from the green paddy fields and misty hilltops of the south, to the mountains of Tibet, to the scorched, epic landscapes of the old Silk Road in the northwest. And the Chinese, despite a reputation for rudeness, are generally hospitable and friendly, though in the more out-of-the-way places travellers are still considered something of an oddity.

Wangfujing Street, Beijing, China

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However, it would be wrong to pretend that it is an entirely easy matter to penetrate modern China. Borders are open, visas are readily distributed and the airports are teeming with foreigners, but the standard tourist "sights" - the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Terracotta Army - are relatively few considering the size of the country. Indeed, historic architecture is scant to say the least, and Chinese towns and cities lack that sense of history so palpable in the great cities of Europe or the Middle East. The Communists, like all dynasties before them, simply destroyed earlier showpieces. On top of this are the frustrations of travelling in a land where few people speak English and where foreigners are regularly viewed as exotic objects of intense curiosity, or fodder for overcharging.

People's Square, Shanghai, China

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When planning a journey through China, bear in mind that your trip is bound to involve an element of stress and hard work. If you have lots of cities on your itinerary, try to fit in some small towns as well, which tend to be cheaper as well as more relaxing. Don't stick exclusively to the famous places and sights; often your most interesting experiences will arise in places which least expect tourists. Above all, if it's your first visit, try not to be in too much of a hurry; take your time and be selective. If your budget is tight, think about staying in just a few places and getting to know them rather than undertaking lots of expensive and exhausting journeys. Even if money is less of a problem, you might do well to forego too much travel and opt instead for higher quality restaurants and hotels. Given the inevitable frustrations of making arrangements, flexibility is essential whatever your budget

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Travel Destination: Cambodia

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Asia
Cambodia

Cambodia was largely out of bounds to tourists until recently, but now, areas that were unsafe because of Khmer Rouge guerrillas and bandit groups have been returned to the control of the Cambodian army, and virtually the whole of the country has become accessible. For many travellers, lured by the prospect of little explored and unspoilt regions, Cambodia has become a top destination on Southeast Asia's otherwise well-trodden tourist trail.

The Kingdom of Cambodia, with a population of ten million, occupies a modest wedge of land, almost completely hemmed in by its neighbours, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand. Its glory days began in the early ninth century, when the rival Indian-influenced Chenla kingdoms united under King Jayavarman II to form the Khmer Empire , a powerful and visionary dynasty, which, at its peak, stretched from Vietnam in the east, to China in the north and Burma in the west. Recent history has been less kind to the country. French colonization was followed by an extended period of turbulence and instability, culminating in the devastating Kampuchean holocaust instigated by Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge in 1975. The brutal regime lasted four years before invading Vietnamese forces reached the capital in 1979 and overthrew the Khmer Rouge. Pol Pot and his supporters fled to the jungle bordering Thailand, from where they continued to wage war on successive governments in Phnom Penh. Pol Pot's death in 1998 finally signalled the demise of the Khmer Rouge, and their subsequent surrender has given Cambodia a real chance for peace for the first time in thirty years. There are indeed many signs that Cambodia is at last shaking off the shadows of its past and looking to the future with a cautious confidence. International investors are beginning to back business ventures, there is increasing evidence of development and modernization in urban areas and foreign aid is flowing in.

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Most visitors to Cambodia head for the stunning Angkor ruins, a collection of over one hundred temples dating back to the ninth century. Once the seat of power of the Khmer Empire, Angkor is royal extravagance on a grand scale, its imposing features enhanced by the dramatic setting of lush jungle greenery and verdant fields. The complex is acknowledged as the most exquisite example of ancient architecture in Southeast Asia, and has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

The flat, sprawling capital of Phnom Penh is also an alluring attraction in its own right. Wide, sweeping boulevards, and elegant, if neglected, French colonial-style facades lend the city a romantic appeal. However, there's also stark evidence of great poverty, a reminder that you're visiting one of the world's poorest countries.

Those enterprising travellers who look beyond the standard itinerary of Angkor and Phnom Penh will be rewarded with a rich variety of experiences. Miles of unspoilt beaches and remote islands offer sandy seclusion along the southern coastline . Although Sihanoukville is the main port of call, it's easy enough to commandeer transport to nearby hidden coves and offshore islands, with only the odd fisherman or smuggler to interrupt your solitude. Ratanakiri province in the northeastern corner of the country, with its hilltribes and volcanic scenery, is also becoming increasingly popular with visitors. Neighbouring Mondolkiri is less well known, but equally impressive, offering dramatic alpinesque woodlands, villages and mountains. In the central plains, Battambang , Cambodia's second city, is a sleepy provincial capital, and the gateway to the old Khmer Rouge stronghold of Pailin .

Getting to Cambodia's attractions can be half the fun. "Infrastructure" is not a word well known to the locals and travel outside the main tourist routes can be slow and punishing, facilities less than luxurious.

Cambodia's monsoon climate creates two distinct seasons. The southwesterly monsoon from May to October brings heavy rain, humidity and strong winds, while the northeasterly monsoon from November to April produces dry, hot weather, with average temperatures rising from 25°C in November to around 32°C in April. The best months to visit are December and January, as it's dry and relatively cool, though Angkor is at its most stunning during the lush rainy season.

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Travel Destination: Brunei

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Asia
Brunei

The tiny but thriving Islamic Sultanate of Brunei perches on the northwestern coast of Borneo, completely encircled by the East Malaysian state of Sarawak. It has a population of 323,000, nearly seventy percent of which is made up of Malays and indigenes from the larger ethnic groups like the Murut and Dusun; the rest are Chinese, Indians, smaller indigenous tribes and expats. They enjoy a quality of life that is quite unparalleled in Southeast Asia, with the literacy rate a staggering 93.7 percent of the population.

Education and healthcare are free; houses, cars, and even pilgrimages to Mecca are subsidized; taxation on personal income is unheard of; and the average per capita salary is around US$19,000. The explanation is simple: oil , first discovered in 1903 at the site of what is now the town of Seria.

The sultanate's full name is Negara Brunei Darussalam, the "Country of Brunei, the Abode of Peace", and peaceful is a fair, if rather polite, description of the state. Nightlife is almost nonexistent, and liquor extremely hard to get hold of since a ban in 1991. Until recently, the Sultan viewed the development of a tourist industry as unnecessary, and there's been little for visitors to do in Brunei.

Brunei City Lights, Bandar Seri Begawan,
Brunei Darussalam, Brunei

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However, things are gradually changing. Brunei is becoming less introspective and looking more to the West. You can see the results in the building of smart plazas with their requisite coffee bars in the capital Bandar. The authorities are starting to promote Brunei's natural resources, and sections of pristine rainforest like Ulu Temburong National Park in eastern Brunei are opening up to visitors.

The lack of accommodation outside the capital is being tackled by the recently formed homestay programme - where travellers overnight in Malay and Murut kampungs (villages) and Iban longhouses. This opportunity to share in rural life is gaining popularity. Add to this the fact that the capital Bandar Seri Begawan is an attractive city, with two exquisite mosques and the fascinating Kampung Ayer stilt village , and a stop-off in Brunei is a more appealing proposition than ever before.

That said, the problem remains that Brunei is more expensive than neigbouring Malaysia or even Singapore - hotel prices in the capital are at least double those in nearby Kota Kinabalu or Miri. Most travellers still end up in Brunei either because of an enforced stopover on a Royal Brunei Airlines flight, or as a stepping stone to either Sabah or Sarawak. In the latter case, however, it can work out cheaper to take an internal MAS flight between Miri and Labuan rather than bussing it through Brunei.

Brunei's climate , like that of neighbouring Sabah and Sarawak, is hot and humid, with average temperatures in the high twenties throughout the year. Lying 440km north of the equator, Brunei has a tropical weather system, so even if you visit outside the official wet season (usually November to February) there's every chance that you'll see some rain.

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Travel Destination: Panama

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Central America & Caribbean

Panamá

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Even before the construction of its famous canal, Panamá 's strategic location at the wasp waist of the Americas and at the meeting place of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans made it one of the great crossroads of the world. A narrow, S-shaped isthmus that stretches some 750km between Costa Rica and Colombia, Panamá remains a vital thoroughfare of international commerce, but is rarely visited by travellers. In part this is because the land bridge to South America, the Darién Gap, remains virtually impassable; in part because the use of the US dollar and the relatively high level of economic development make it a more expensive country to visit than other places in the region. But above all it seems that Panamá suffers from a serious image problem. Although the last US troops have now left Panamá and the canal is in Panamanian hands, to most outsiders the country remains a virtual colony of the US, artificially created in order to facilitate construction of the canal, while its culture is seen as a desperately compromised imitation of North America: urbanized, anglicized and Coca-colonized. Yet while it is true that no other country in Central America has been so dominated by the US - Panamá owes its very existence to US intervention - in fact the North American cultural influence, though strong, is but one among many.

Buildings in a City, Panama City, Panama

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Spanish, African, West Indian, Chinese, Indian, European - all have contributed to a compelling cultural mix , creating perhaps the most cosmopolitan, open-minded and outward-looking society in Central America. At the same time, it is also home to some of the most unassimilated and culturally fascinating indigenous societies in Central America - within 30km of the high-rise banking district of Panamá City, for example, the indigenous Emberá still practise subsistence agriculture in the rainforest and hunt for their supper with blowpipes.

Tourists at Waterfall at Chiriqui Viejo River, Panama

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Most travellers who make it down to Panamá are surprised by its outstanding natural beauty . With 1600km of coastline on the Pacific and 1280km on the Caribbean side, Panamá boasts unspoiled beaches and coral reefs to match any in the region. And although it is Costa Rica that has achieved world renown as an ecotourism destination, in terms of pristine wilderness and ecological diversity Panamá has little reason to envy its neighbour. A biological bridge between continents, Panamá supports an astounding biodiversity, including over nine hundred species of bird, more than in the whole of North America. Over half the country is still covered by dense tropical rainforest, and large areas are protected by a system of national parks and nature reserves.

Palm Trees on Island Beach, Panama

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Although the government is keen to promote international tourism, for the moment Panamá remains one of the best-kept travellers' secrets in Central America. Of course, this means that in comparison to, say, Costa Rica, the infrastructure for visiting the protected wilderness areas is much more limited. But while this may put some people off, for others it simply adds to the sense of adventure - visitors to Panamá's national parks are unlikely to have to share them with more than a handful of other people. Moreover, wherever you travel in Panamá, the absence of a travellers' "scene" means you will be forced into much more direct contact with local people, an experience which, given the natural warmth and open-mindedness of most Panamanians and the fact that they have not yet become jaded with foreigners due to the impact of mass tourism, is undoubtedly one of the most rewarding aspects of any visit to this underrated and misunderstood country.

High Angle View of Cargo Ship on Gaillard Cut,
Panama Canal, Near Gamboa, Gamboa, Panama

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Travel Destination: Nicaragua

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Nicaragua

Wedge-shaped Nicaragua may be the largest country in Central America, but it is also one of the least visited. Even after more than a decade of peace, Nicaragua is synonymous in the minds of many with civil war; this reputation, when coupled with the dilapidated infrastructure of a country that has fought its way not only through a bloody conflict but also an American economic blockade, scares many off. Still, many travelers who spend any time there find - much to their surprise - that Nicaragua is their favorite country in the isthmus. Perhaps because it doesn't yet fully cater for the tourist experience, Nicaragua is an incorrigibly vibrant and individualistic country, with plenty to offer travelers prepared to brave Nicaragua's superficial obstacles of economic chaos, cracked pavements and crammed public transport.

Boat on Lago de Nicaragua with Volcan Concepcion in Distance,
Isla de Ometepe, Rivas, Nicaragua

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Cuba aside, Nicaragua is unique in Latin America in having pulled off a bona fide revolution of the people. The revolution of 1978-79 and the civil war that followed in the 1980s, while ravaging the country, has also given it one of the most dramatic of recent histories. At times it seems that every Nicaraguan has both horrifying and uplifting personal stories to tell. And even though Nicaragua's long-suffering people would rather forget many aspects of the war, the country's political past continues to inform every minute of its present.

La Recoleccion Church, Leon, Nicaragua, Central America

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During the 1980s Nicaragua was the destination of choice in Central America for young, socialist-minded internacionalistas - foreign volunteer workers who came to the country to aid the Revolution by working in the education and health sectors. From 1996 onwards, the Alemán government discontinued many of the programs that brought the internacionalistas to Nicaragua and tourism slumped, which was bad news for the country's hotel owners and tour operators. Recent years, however, have seen tourist numbers increase as part of the general upturn in interest in Central America.

In comparison with the Maya ruins of Guatemala or the national parks of Costa Rica, Nicaragua offers few traditional tourist attractions - almost no monuments or ancient temples remain, and earthquakes, revolution and war have laid waste to museums, galleries and theaters. For years the country has suffered from a chronic lack of funding, and high inflation and unemployment have also impoverished Nicaragua's infrastructure. However, no one visits Nicaragua and remains immune to the country's extraordinary landscape of volcanoes (17 in all), lakes, mountains and vast plains of rainforest . A smattering of beaches - the majority of them on the Pacific Coast - continues to attract the budget surfing and backpacking crowd, while culture and the arts are very much alive in Nicaragua, and it is here you can buy some of the best-value high-quality crafts in the isthmus.

The Bay at San Juan Del Sur, South Coast, Pacific,
Nicaragua, Central America

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More than anything, though, the pleasures and rewards of traveling in Nicaragua come from interacting with the inhabitants of the country's complex society. Its people are well-spoken, passionate, engaged and engaging - Nicaraguans tend to be witty and exceptionally hospitable. The best thing you can do to enjoy Nicaragua is to arrive with an open mind, some patience and a willingness to practise your Spanish.

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Travel destination: Honduras

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Honduras

The original Banana Republic, a byword for corruption and poverty, Honduras is all too often overlooked by foreign tourists. Many of those who do make it here head straight for the ruins of Copán , one of the finest Maya sites in the region. Some even miss that, in their rush to get to the palm-fringed beaches and clear Caribbean waters of the Bay Islands . Beyond these prime tourist sites, however, is a land of inspiring, often untouched natural beauty.

View of a Stadium, Tegucigalpa, Honduras

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The second-largest country in Central America after Nicaragua, Honduras sprawls from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast, from Caribbean flatlands through the cooler mountainous interior, and south to the sun-baked shores of the Golfo de Fonseca. West to east, the forested highlands on the border with Guatemala give way to the vast, undeveloped savannas and wetlands of the Mosquitia. While eco-tourism is a relatively new concept here, more and more Hondurans are becoming aware of the role the country's extensive network of national parks and reserves plays in protecting irreplaceable natural resources. Almost a quarter of Honduran territory is protected, but a lack of funding and growing pressure on the land mean this status often exists more on paper than in reality. Nonetheless, the remoter reaches of the parks still host an astonishing array of flora and fauna, amid some of the finest stretches of virgin cloudforest and tropical forest in Central America.

Anthonys Key Resort, Roatan, Honduras

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Honduras's close alliance with the US, while preventing the bitter conflicts that beset its neighbours in the 1980s, has not alleviated the country's acute social and economic problems . After Nicaragua, this is Latin America's poorest nation, with levels of deprivation that can be disturbing to witness: some eighty percent of Hondurans live in poverty and forty percent are unable to read or write. Exacerbating the pressure on economic and environmental resources is a rapidly growing population, now approaching seven million, much of it absorbed by the ever-increasing shantytowns ringing the main cities.

Bottlenose Dolphintursiops Truncatus
chases a School of Bigeye Scad, Honduras

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It is in the cities that the pressures are most evident: life is fast and harsh and social intercourse is conducted at times with gratuitous abruptness. Move out into the rural areas, however, and the open generosity and genuine friendliness displayed by those who have little else are what leave an enduring impression. On the north coast, where the population is more ethnically diverse, the heat and sunshine combine to create a way of life that's more Caribbean than Latin.

West Bay at the Western Tip of Roatan,
Largest of the Bay Islands, Honduras, Caribbean

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Travel Destination: Guatemala

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Guatemala

Spread across a verdant and mountainous chunk of land, Guatemala is endowed with simply staggering natural, historical and cultural interest. Though the giant Maya temples and rainforest cities have been long abandoned, ancient traditions remain very much alive throughout the Guatemalan highlands. Uniquely in Central America, at least half the country's population is still Native American, and this rural indigenous culture is far stronger than anywhere else in the region. Countering this is a powerful ladino society, characteristically urban and commercial in its outlook. All over the country you'll come across remnants of Guatemala's colonial past, nowhere more so than in the graceful former capital, Antigua.

Tikal, Guatemala, Central America

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It's this outstanding cultural legacy, combined with Guatemala's mesmeric natural beauty, that makes the country so compelling for the traveller. The Maya temples of Tikal would be magnificent in any arena but set inside the pristine jungle of the Maya Biosphere Reserve, with attendant toucans and howler monkeys, they are bewitching. Similarly, the genteel cobbled streets and plazas of colonial Antigua gain an extra dimension from their proximity to the looming volcanoes that encircle the town. This architectural wealth is scattered to a lesser degree throughout the country - almost every large village or town boasts a giant whitewashed colonial church and a classic Spanish-style plaza. Though most of the really dramatic Maya ruins lie deep in the jungles of Petén , interesting sites are scattered throughout the land, along the Pacific coast and in the foothills of the highlands.

Street Performance of Palapas, Jaranas and Music,
Flores, El Peten, Guatemala

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The diversity of the Guatemalan landscape is astonishing. Perhaps most obviously arresting is the chain of volcanoes (some still smoking) that divides the flat, steamy Pacific coast from the cool air and pine trees of the largely indigenous western highlands , with their green, sweeping valleys, tiny cornfields, gurgling streams and sleepy traditional villages. Further east towards the Caribbean , the scenery and the people have more of a tropical feel and at Lívingston, life beside the mangrove and coconut trees swings to reggae rhythms and punta rock.

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Antigua, Guatemala
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The rainforests of Petén, among the best preserved in Latin America, harbour a tremendous array of wildlife , including jaguars, tapirs, spiders, howler monkeys, jabiru storks and scarlet macaws. Further south, you may be lucky and catch a glimpse of the elusive quetzal in the cloudforests close to Cobán or see manatee in the Río Dulce. On the Pacific coast three types of sea turtle nest in the volcanic sand beaches of Monterrico.

Kayaks for Rent on the Shores of Lake Peten Itza
Near Tikal, El Peten, Guatemala

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All of this exists against the nagging background of Guatemala's turbulent and bloody history . Over the years, the huge gulf between the rich and the poor, between indigenous and ladino culture and the political left and right has produced bitter conflict. With the signing of the 1996 peace accords between the government and the ex-guerrillas, the armed confrontation has ceased and things have calmed down considerably, though many of the country's deep-rooted inequalities remain. At the heart of the problem is the red-hot issue of land reform - it's estimated that close to seventy percent of the cultivable land is still owned by less than five percent of the population. There is also a chronic lack of faith in the corrupt and inept justice system , which has led to a wave of public lynchings of suspected criminals across the country. At the same time the economy was destabilized badly by Hurricane Mitch in 1998 and is still chronically weak. Guatemala remains heavily dependent on the export of coffee, sugar and bananas and has very little industry except the foreign-owned maquila factories which produce goods for export and typically pay their assembly-line workers under US$5 for a twelve-hour day. Poverty levels are some of the worst in the hemisphere and there's general discontent with the high cost of living.

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Travel Destination: El Salvadore

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El Salvador

The smallest and most densely populated country in Central America, El Salvador is chiefly remembered for the vicious civil war of the 1980s, when streams of harrowing news stories brought this tiny country to the attention of the world. For a decade, atrocity followed atrocity in a seemingly unstoppable sequence. Then in 1992, with both sides having fought each other to a standstill, Peace Accords were signed, and the attention of the world's press moved elsewhere, leaving behind a brutalized country faced with the immense task of rebuilding itself.

Statue of La Person Humana Y Los Fines Del Estado (Akak Naked Woman),
San Salvador, El Salvador

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Tourism in El Salvador has lagged behind that of its Central American neighbours. Despite its compactness and considerable natural beauty, many would-be visitors are deterred by the half-remembered headlines and the country's reputation for violence, danger and difficulty. Its geographical position doesn't help, either: tucked into the Pacific underbelly of the isthmus, El Salvador is easily bypassed. Those that do make it here, however, are well rewarded by the sheer physical beauty of the place, with lush Pacific lowlands sweeping up through fertile hills and coffee plantations to rugged mountain chains. Almost every journey in El Salvador yields photogenic vistas of the majestic cones of towering volcanoes , while some of the secluded pacific beaches are as fine as any in Central America.

People Attending FMLN Rally in El Centro with Palacio Nacional,
San Salvador, El Salvador

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As in Nicaragua, another country pulled apart by a decade of civil war, travelling in El Salvador brings you into contact with some of the most engaging and interesting people in the region. With a well-deserved reputation for hard work and business acumen, the Salvadoreños (or guanacos , as they're often affectionately described) - predominantly mestizo - live life with a vigour that's hard to match. That said, however, as the people here slowly find ways to come to terms with their brutal past and uncertain future, some residual hostility to foreigners - particularly Americans - remains, and initial reactions to tourists can be, on occasion, cool. If you persist, however, in the face of what may seem like outright hostility, and make an effort to speak Spanish, you will find that people begin to unbend and bring you into their lives. They may or may not be willing to talk about the civil war. Many aren't. What is important now is the future, and this Salvadoreans approach with sardonic humour, designed to lessen the travails of daily life, the corruption of politics and everything else that seems insurmountable.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, tourist infrastructure is at times sorely lacking. This is not the country for those who like everything on tap, and there's little luxury outside the cities, but for those with a spirit of adventure, El Salvador has plenty to offer. One feature particular to the country is its network of government-run tourist centres, or turicentros . Aimed more at locals than tourists, these provide bathing, eating and recreation facilities in areas of natural beauty. Some, like Los Chorros, just outside San Salvador, offer a convenient way to take advantage of natural facilities safely and comfortably.

Travelling around El Salvador is a lesson in humility. Contrasting with the vibrant colour and sweep of the landscape, the overwhelming evidence of the endemic poverty and social divisions that sparked the Civil War in the first place hits you right between the eyes. As El Salvador enters its second decade of peace it remains a country painfully divided between haves and have-nots, and the full benefits of redevelopment projects and an improving economy have yet to trickle down to the majority of the population. From the muddy shanty towns of San Salvador to the broken-down shacks in the countryside, many people live in squalor, eking out a living selling fruit, sweets, household goods and sundry odds and ends on the street. In addition, the ever-growing population - at 6.2 million, the densest in Central America - is placing unprecedented pressure on the country's natural resources , with rampant deforestation a particular problem. And while political violence is now a thing of the past, civil violence has grown to alarming proportions. Guns are common, and people use them, while recent years have seen an increased number of kidnappings of prominent businessmen. The casual visitor is unlikely to be directly affected by this, but you can't ignore the underlying sense of tension.

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Travel Destination: Costa Rica

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Costa Rica

In sharp contrast to the brutal internal conflicts in Guatemala or the grinding poverty of Nicaragua, Costa Rica has become synonymous with stability and prosperity - Costa Ricans enjoy the highest rate of literacy, health care, education and life expectancy in the isthmus. Unlike so many of its neighbours, the country has a long democratic tradition of free and open elections, no standing army (it was abolished in 1948) and even a Nobel Peace Prize to its name, won by former president, Oscar Arias, a key architect in the Peace Plan that helped bring an end to the conflicts in the region during the 1980s.

Mountain Waterfall, La Paz, Costa Rica

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In recent years Costa Rica has also become the prime eco-tourism destination in Central America, if not in all the Americas, due in no small part to an efficient promotion machine that trumpets the country's complex system of national parks and wildlife refuges. Every year hundreds of thousands of visitors - mainly from the United States and Canada - come to walk trails through million-year-old rainforests , raft foaming whitewater rapids, surf on the Pacific beaches and climb the volcanoes that punctuate the country's mountainous spine. More than anything it is the enduring natural beauty that impresses. Milk-thick twilight and dawn mists gather in the clefts and ridges divided by high mountain passes; on the Pacific coast, carmine and mauve sunsets splash down into the sea like meteors; vaulting canopy trees and thick deciduous understoreys carpet large areas of undisturbed rainforest, and vestiges of high-altitude cloudforest offer glimpses into a misty, primeval universe, home to the jaguar, the lumbering Jurassic tapir and the truly resplendent quetzal.

Tabacon Hot Springs, Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica

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One glib accusation you're almost certain to hear lobbed at the tiny nation is that it has no culture or history . It's certainly true that there are no ancient Mesoamerican monuments on the scale of Guatemala or Honduras, and just one percent of the population is of indigenous extraction, so you will see little native culture. However, anyone who spends some time in the country will find that Costa Rica's character is rooted in distinct local cultures , from the Afro-Caribbean province of Limón, with its Creole cuisine, games and patois, to the traditional ladino values embodied by the sabanero (cowboy) of Guanacaste. Above all, you're sure to be left with mental snapshots of la vida campesina , or rural life - whether it be aloof horsemen trotting by on dirt roads, coffee-plantation day-labourers setting off to work in the dawn mists of the Highlands, or avocado-pickers cycling home at sunset.

Pair of Preening Scarlett Macaw (Ara Macao),
Puntarenas, Costa Rica

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Travel Destination: Belize

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Belize

Wedged into the northeastern corner of Central America between Mexico's Yucatán peninsula and the Petén forests of Guatemala, Belize offers some of the most breathtaking scenery anywhere in the Caribbean. The country actually consists of marginally more sea than land, with the dazzling turquoise shallows and cobalt depths of the longest barrier reef in the Americas just offshore. Here, beneath the surface, a brilliant, technicolour world of fish and corals awaits divers and snorkellers. Scattered along the reef, a chain of islands - known as cayes - protect the mainland from the ocean swell and offer more than a hint of tropical paradise. Beyond the reef lie the real jewels in Belize's natural crown - three of only four coral atolls in the Caribbean.

Aerial View of Blue Hole at Lighthouse Reef, Belize

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Belizeans recognize the importance of conservation and their country boasts a higher proportion of protected land (over 40 percent) than any other. This has allowed the densely forested interior to remain relatively untouched, boasting abundant natural attractions, including the highest waterfall in Central America and the world's only jaguar reserve. Rich tropical forests support a tremendous range of wildlife , including howler and spider monkeys, tapirs and pumas, jabiru storks and scarlet macaws; spend any time inland and you're sure to see the national bird, the very visible keel-billed toucan.

Dive Boats off Island, South Water Caye,
Stann Creek, Belize

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Despite being the only Central American country without a volcano, Belize does have some rugged uplands in the south-central region, where the Maya Mountains rise to over 1100m. The country's main rivers rise here, flowing north or east to the Caribbean, forming along the way some of the largest cave systems in the Americas, few of which have been fully explored. These caves often bear traces of the Maya civilization that dominated the area from around 2000 BC until the arrival of the Spanish. The most obvious remains of this fascinating culture are the ruins of dozens of ancient cities rising out of the rainforest.

Officially English-speaking , and only gaining full independence from Britain in 1981, Belize is as much a Caribbean nation as a Latin one, but one with plenty of distinctively Central American features, above all a blend of cultures and races that includes Maya, mestizo, African and European. Spanish is at least as widely spoken as English, but the rich, lilting Creole is the spoken language understood and used by almost every Belizean, whatever their first tongue. You'll hear this everywhere - and though based on English, it's less comprehensible to outsiders than you might expect.

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Tourist by Shoreline, Belize
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With far less of a language barrier to overcome than elsewhere in the region, uncrowded Belize is the ideal first stop on a tour of the isthmus. And, although it's the second-smallest country in Central America (slightly larger than El Salvador), the wealth of national parks and reserves, the numerous small hotels and restaurants, together with plenty of reliable public transport make Belize an ideal place to travel independently, giving visitors plenty of scope to explore little-visited Caribbean islands as well as the heartland of the ancient Maya

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Travel Destination: The US Virgin Islands

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US Virgin Islands

With its sea-swept landscapes, historic towns, duty-free shopping and luxurious resorts, the UNITED STATES VIRGIN ISLANDS bask in the combination of familiar yet exotic that makes them one of the most popular cruise-ship destinations in the Caribbean. America aside, it's the Danes who have had the most influence on the islands. Successful sugarcane exporters and slave dealers, they built most of the major towns, and there are plentiful reminders of their presence in the colonial architecture of the historic cities of Charlotte Amalie and Christiansted and in the ruins of sugar plantations scattered across the green mountainous slopes.

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Coming into Paradise
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Of the sixty islands, islets and cays (most of which are uninhabited) that make up the USVI, the biggest and busiest are St Thomas, St Croix and St John. Each has a distinctive mood and culture, and you haven't really seen the USVI until you've checked out all three.

St Thomas , with its picturesque capital, Charlotte Amalie, is the most American of the islands - hip and stylish (at least compared to the rest of the Caribbean) with upmarket shops and restaurants and a history born of trade rather than sugar.

St Croix , the largest of the islands, is the most distant so sees little of the hordes that flock to St Thomas and St John, though the cruise-ship ports of Christiansted and Frederiksted still attract visitors with their mix of historic sights and good shopping and restaurants.

St John , the smallest of the islands is virtually all wilderness, its National Park, part on land, part underwater, the major attraction for its miles of hiking trails and quiet beaches.

Trunk Bay, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands, Caribbean,

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Travel Destination: Turks and Caicos

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Turks and Caicos

Just twenty years ago, the Turks and Caicos Islands were one of the quietest and least-known destinations in the West Indies. Today, on the back of classy development on Providenciales, and great beaches and diving on all of the islands, they have become one of the most fashionable places to visit in the region.

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The country comprises two groups of islands - eight inhabited and around forty uninhabited - separated by the Columbus Passage, a deep-water channel 22 miles wide and up to 6000 feet deep. To the east, the Turks Islands include and Grand Turk and Salt Cay , the former the long-time home to government, the latter a tiny island named for the salt industry that once dominated the country. To the west, the chain of Caicos Islands includes inhabited South, Middle and North Caicos - each with its own charms - and the fast-growing island of Providenciales , known as Provo and home to the great majority of the nation's tourist development.

Tropical Beach, Turks and Caicos Islands

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The major attractions on all of the islands are concentrated along their coasts: truly sensational white-sand beaches that stretch for miles, and world-class diving, snorkelling and deep-sea fishing and bonefishing. Inland, there's not much to see other than low-lying scrubby vegetation and, particularly in the Turks Islands, large expanses of featureless salinas, from which Bermudian settlers and traders harvested salt during the islands' early development

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