ESTA, which stands for Electronic System for Travel Authorization, is an automated system created by the United States government to determine the eligibility of visitors from countries covered by the Visa Waiver Program to enter America.
Iximche was the 15th century capital of the Kaqchiquels, having relocated here from K’umarcaaj. At that time, the Kaqchiquels were at war with their great rivals, the K’iche, and the site of their new capital, a flat plateau surrounded by steep ravines, made for excellent natural defences.
There are now reckoned to be at least 600 casa particulares in Havana so sorting the wheat from the chaff is never easy; Casa Zaiden certainly falls into the ‘wheat’ category and is one of our favourite options in the capital.
My mojito in La Bodeguita, my daiquiri in El Floridita – so said Havana’s most famous literary resident and full-time bon-viveur, Ernest Hemingway.
The Fundacion Haciendas del Mundos Maya is a not-for-profit organisation that works with, and for the benefit of, Mayan communities in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.
Domestic flights in Guatemala are surprisingly and refreshingly uncomplicated. With just 2 commercial passenger airports, Guatemala City and Flores, flights between the 2 destinations represent the country’s sole domestic airline route. Looking on a map, you might think that it was easy enough to simply drive between the 2 destinations but that would be to discount Guatemalan traffic which would make for a good 7-hour ...
Cuba’s wine industry, if we can call it that, began in the 1990s as a joint venture between the Cuban government and a group of Italian winemakers.
Officially titled Avenida de Maceo, the Malecon is a 5-mile seawall, promenade and road that runs from Old Havana in the east to Vedado in the west.
Although there is little of interest in Sayaxche itself, the town is an important jumping off point for boat trips to the Mayan sites of Ceibal and Aguateca.
Although not especially busy, the land border with Mexico is a popular entry point into Belize and relatively straightforward
It seems that there is always another new airline about to launch services to Cuba and this time it’s Austrian Airlines who are launching flights from Vienna to Havana.
Guatemala City is not over-endowed with sites of tourist interest but, if you’re in the city with time to burn, then Casa MIMA is definitely worth a visit.
When planning and arranging a holiday – no matter where to – sorting out travel insurance is often relegated to one of those things that ‘you’ll get round to’. Although fully understandable, this can have very expensive ramifications.
For UK citizens, all that is required is a Cuba Tourist Card (currently £15) and a UK passport that is valid for 6 months from the date of return to the UK.
With travel to Cuba positively booming, many in the travel trade have been left wondering quite why there are still no British Airways flights to Havana.
When making your travel arrangements, we understand just how important peace-of-mind is. Beyond The Ordinary hold both ATOL & ABTOT bonds so whether you book your flights through us, or independently, any money you pay us is 100% protected. More detailed information on Financial Protection can be found by clicking here.
Whichever of our featured countries you wish to visit, we've been there several times. So, if you're after something beyond the ordinary to Cuba, Guatemala or the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, we'd love to hear from you.
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