In 2013, our plane was diverted, and we had to land in El Salvador. We were transferred to a hotel for the night and told NOT to leave the grounds. Just two years later, it was declared the most dangerous country in the world. But, in a remarkable turnaround, by 2024, El Salvador’s President Bukele declared the country to be the safest in the Western Hemisphere. We had decided to visit during our 2026 tour of Central America. We were travelling independently, basically mak

It is easy to feel daunted when thinking about travelling independently in a foreign country. Add in a tight budget, and a completely different culture to one you are used to, and it is even easier to give up and not go at all. When telling people that we were heading to Guatemala, the immediate assumption was that it would be on some sort of organised tour. Explaining that the trip would be organised by ourselves, the immediate reaction was one of surprise, followed by a hea

The setting sun cast burnt-orange rays that reflected off the mirror-like surface left on the sand as the sea withdrew. Staring in silence at one of nature‘s daily miracles, a group of horse riders came trotting by, silhouettes that cast a faint shadow onto the sand. This was exactly what we needed after eight weeks of independent travel through Costa Rica, Guatemala, and El Salvador. Tired, we had unexpectedly landed in a little slice of heaven on Nicaragua’s Pacific Coast.

Putting my hand in my pocket, I already knew what I would find. Nothing. My wallet was gone