The worlds best shortcut
Incredible ... passengers watch as their ship passes through the gates of a lock.
They zig, you zag - the Panama Canal is where real ships meet, writes Shaney Hudson.My first glimpse was from above. We flew down t
Mad science in the kitchen
David Whitley finds the dishes keep coming with a surprise every time.WHAT Rene Cafe.
WHERE Panama City.HOW MUCH $US18.50 ($28) for the long menu, $US8.25 for the short.WHY Ill freely admit that I stumbled upon this place because it had the same name as the setting
Belize: Chasing the chocolate source
Chocolate tours ... the final product ready for export.
The cocoa beans story embraces Mayan culture and a growing fair-trade movement, writes Sue White.Climbing into the twin-propeller plane in Belize City, Im reminde
Lubaantun ruins, Belize: curse of the crystal skull
Lone tourist ... the temple ruins in the remote south of Belize attract few sightseers and even fewer tourism dollars.
The Mayan ruins of Lubaantun have magic stories to tell, but few have been listening, writes S
Hotel Melia Panama Canal, Panama review: Schools out for dictators
Hotel Melia Panama Canal, Panama review: Schools out for dictators
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Water
A swell place to go bowling
Tall order ... the forest-size live tree.
With the smell of freshly mown grass in her nostrils, Maggy Oehlbeck learns how life at sea is changing. Does the grass grow greener on the high seas? A joke surely, or a trick
Locals come out of their shell
Nature at work ... making hats beside the Tortuguero Canal.
Steve McKenna is enthralled by the exotic cast of Costa Ricas mini-Amazon.Hoisting my luggage on to his sturdy shoulders, Willis Rankin beckons me aboard
Linger longer, learn the lingo
La Catedral de Arequipa in Plaza de Armas.
Steve McKenna learns how to wrap his lips around Espanol with the locals in Latin America. Latin America is an increasingly popular holiday destination for Australians. T
The canny traveller: Caribbean seafood
Seafood feasts on the moonlit Caribbean dont have to break the bank, writes Steve McKenna. WHAT Barnes and Dixons Smoked Fish House.
WHERE Bocas del Toro, Panama.HOW MUCH Fish dishes from $US6 ($6.50).WHY GO Dining on freshly caught lobster next to calm, moonlit wat
Travel guide to Boscas del Toro | Pirates on the horizon
Pirates and parrots ... a beach in Bocas del Toro.
On a sleepy archipelago in the Caribbean, Vanessa Woods finds treasure that the Spanish overlooked. Those pirates really knew how to do things. If you had to opt
Mayan date with destiny
Mayan mysteries ... (from left) the pyramids of Tikal.
Propelled by an ancient prophesy, Jonathan Franklin explores the relics of a great civilisation in the jungle of Tikal. My hotel room has sporadic electricity
Renting a private island
Would-be castaways can take their pick of islands for rent around the world.
Become a latter-day Robinson Crusoe by renting an island, writes Louise Southerden. The worlds islands have a long history of castaways,
Travel guide to Nicaragua, Corn Island | Treasures of a pirates lair
Vanishing point ... Corn Islands locals are fascinated by tourists.
Matthew Hall discovers a once-ignored Central American country now at peace with itself. Check-in for the 90-minute flight from Managua, the capi
How to make money from travelling
Cash in ... treasure hunting for unusual souvenirs and hand-crafts can help you make money from travelling.
Frugal authors Sharon Harvey Rosenberg and Myscha Theriault offer tips on how to make money from your tra
Lonely Planet Best in Travel 2011 | Top 10 countries to visit
Finding fun in Albania wont be an uphill battle - Tiranas Pyramid (formerly Enver Hoxha Museum).
Lonely Planet has drawn on the knowledge, passion and kilometres travelled by its staff, authors and online communit
New growth in the forest
Pura vida ... ecotourism operator Josue Rosales in the park.
Under jungle canopies, Catherine Best finds a nation and its parks leading the conservation charge in Central America.Its a Mexican stand-off in Costa R
Honduras | Eco tourism travel guide | The peak of forest wonder
Natures bounty ... a toucan in the rainforest.
Once home to pirates, Honduras now steals hearts and minds with its lush landscapes, writes Jennifer Cox. SLENDER green tendrils reach out from the tropical rainfores
Lonely Planet Best in Travel 2010 | Greatest city comebacks
Rallying from devastation is typical of Beirut ... enjoying the pool of bombed landmark the Saint-Georges hotel.
Once deep down in the urban dumps, these cities have bounced back from the brink of becoming no-go d
Sandy Cay, Honduras | Private island for rent on the cheap
Sandy Cay, one of two unbelievably affordable private islands for rent off the coast of Utila, itself a tiny island about 30kms from mainland Honduras.
Lauren Viera finds her own private paradise at an unbelievabl
Nobody on board but us chickens
What are you, chicken? Get on board.
The first surprise about my chicken bus is that there arent any chickens on it. Guatemalan chicken buses dont carry too many of their namesakes, apparently.The only livestock o
