Volunteer Travel Guide Honduras
Exuding an air of paradise with its exotic palm-fringed beaches, clear turquoise waters, majestic mountains, verdant jungles and beguiling Mayan ruins, the laid back way of life and relative obscurity to the tourist market makes Honduras an ideal getaway for those who enjoy getting off the beaten track.
It has all the right ingredients for a tourist hotspot; pristine beaches, great hotels and a rich cultural history. Despite this, Honduras has scarcely registered on the Western radar in the past, other than its 15 minutes of fame in 1998 when it was ravaged by Hurricane Mitch. These days it is enjoying a boom in popularity as a relatively unknown, unspoilt and undeveloped destination, recognised for its Ecotourism opportunities, affordable scuba diving, mountain treks and river rafting, as well as its appeal to the rich and famous eager to escape the prying eye of the paparazzi.
Toucans pose alongside orchids in the humid cloud forests and mountains, while banana plantations cover the rest of the aptly named 'Banana Republic', famous for its banana cake, banana pancakes, fried plantain and banana chips. Many ancient Mayan and Lenca ruins can be found hidden away from civilisation in lush jungle landscapes, ready to enchant the most seasoned of travellers. One of the country's most breathtaking Mayan archaeological sites is the Copan Ruins, a World Heritage Site set in a verdant valley in the far western region of Honduras, reminiscent of something out of an Indiana Jones movie.
The once thriving port of Trujillo has an intriguing pirate history and exquisite tropical beaches, while the region known as the Mosquito Coast, which extends towards the Nicaraguan border, is the largest tract of tropical rainforest north of the Amazon and is one of the most popular spots in the world for ecotourism. The country also boasts 373 miles (600km) of Caribbean white sand beaches, and the offshore Bay Islands such as Utila, Roatan and Guanaja are an extremely popular destination, particularly for divers and snorkellers. There is plenty more to discover in this exciting country, however, and the warmth and hospitality of the Honduran locals is bound to lure first time visitors back time and time again.
The Basics
Time:
Local time is GMT –6.
Electricity:
Electrical current is 110 volts, 60Hz. Flat blade attachment plugs and flat blades with round grounding pin are in use.
Language:
Spanish is the official language although English is often spoken in the Bay Islands.
Health:
Mosquito-borne illnesses are an ongoing problem in Honduras. All travellers are advised to take mosquito repellent to prevent illnesses such as malaria and dengue fever, as well as to protect from annoying mosquito and sand fly bites. It is strongly recommended that routine vaccinations are up to date. Tap water is not safe to drink but bottles or bags of purified water a readily available. Honduras regularly suffers from severe air pollution, which can aggravate or lead to respiratory problems. For divers, there is a hyperbaric decompression chamber on Roatan. State hospitals are under-funded and travellers should use private hospitals where possible. Health insurance is recommended.
Tipping:
A service charge of 10 percent is usually added to bills at restaurants, but anything extra is for good service. It is customary to tip hotel bellboys and cleaning staff for good service.
Customs:
There is a strong Spanish influence in Honduras. Beachwear and shorts should not be worn away from the beach or poolside. Men are required to wear dinner jackets for formal social occasions. A common and appropriate greeting for men and women is a handshake.
Business:
Appointments are necessary and should be made two weeks in advance. Visitors are expected to be punctual, though meetings may not start on time. Business travellers should allow plenty of time for socialising and should not rush getting straight down to business, as Hondurans place importance on establishing personal contact. Business is male dominated but since 2005 women now make up 47 percent of the labour force. Business suits or jackets for men and dresses and skirts for women are customary. Though some businesspeople speak English, correspondence should be in Spanish. Business hours are Monday to Friday from 8am to 5pm with an hour or two taken over lunch.
Communications:
The international access code for Honduras is +504. The outgoing code is 00, followed by the relevant country code (e.g. 0044 for the United Kingdom). City/area codes are not in use. Roaming agreements exist with international mobile phone companies and coverage is generally good along the coast and around major towns. Internet cafes are common and can be found in major towns.
Duty Free:
Travellers over 18 years do not have to pay customs duty on 200 cigarettes or 100 cigars or 450g of tobacco, two bottles of alcoholic beverages, a reasonable amount of perfume for personal use and gifts up to a total value of US$1,000.
Health
Mosquito-borne illnesses are an ongoing problem in Honduras. All travellers are advised to take mosquito repellent to prevent illnesses such as malaria and dengue fever, as well as to protect from annoying mosquito and sand fly bites. It is strongly recommended that routine vaccinations are up to date. Tap water is not safe to drink but bottles or bags of purified water a readily available. Honduras regularly suffers from severe air pollution, which can aggravate or lead to respiratory problems. For divers, there is a hyperbaric decompression chamber on Roatan. State hospitals are under-funded and travellers should use private hospitals where possible. Health insurance is recommended.
View information on diseases: Malaria, Dengue Fever
Malaria
General considerations: Malaria is a common and life-threatening disease in many tropical and subtropical areas. It is currently endemic in over 100 countries, which are visited by more than 125 million international travellers every year. Each year many international travellers fall ill with malaria while visiting countries where the disease is endemic, and well over 10,000 fall ill after returning home. Fever occurring in a traveller within three months of leaving a malaria-endemic area is a medical emergency and should be investigated urgently. Cause: Human malaria is caused by four different species of the protozoan parasite Plasmodium: Plasmodium falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovale and P. malariae.
Transmission: The malaria parasite is transmitted by various species of Anopheles mosquitoes, which bite mainly between sunset and sunrise. Nature of the disease: Malaria is an acute febrile illness with an incubation period of 7 days or longer. Thus, a febrile illness developing less than one week after the first possible exposure is not malaria. The most severe form is caused by P. falciparum, in which variable clinical features include fever, chills, headache, muscular aching and weakness, vomiting, cough, diarrhoea and abdominal pain; other symptoms related to organ failure may supervene, such as: acute renal failure, generalized convulsions, circulatory collapse, followed by coma and death. It is estimated that about 1% of patients with P. falciparum infection die of the disease. The initial symptoms, which may be mild, may not be easy to recognize as being due to malaria. It is important that the possibility of falciparum malaria is considered in all cases of unexplained fever starting at any time between the seventh day of first possible exposure to malaria and three months (or, rarely, later) after the last possible exposure, and any individual who experiences a fever in this interval should immediately seek diagnosis and effective treatment. Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment can be life-saving. Falciparum malaria may be fatal if treatment is delayed beyond 24 hours. A blood sample should be examined for malaria parasites. If no parasites are found in the first blood film but symptoms persist, a series of blood samples should be taken and examined at 6-12-hour intervals. Pregnant women, young children and elderly travellers are particularly at risk. Malaria in pregnant travellers increases the risk of maternal death, miscarriage, stillbirth and neonatal death.
The forms of malaria caused by other Plasmodium species are less severe and rarely life-threatening. Prevention and treatment of falciparum malaria are becoming more difficult because P. falciparum is increasingly resistant to various antimalarial drugs. Of the other malaria species, drug resistance has to date been reported for P. vivax, mainly from Indonesia (Irian Jaya) and Papua New Guinea, with more sporadic cases reported from Guyana. P. vivax with declining sensitivity has been reported for Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, India, Myanmar, the Republic of Korea, and Thailand. P. malariae resistant to chloroquine has been reported from Indonesia.
Geographical distribution: The risk for travellers of contracting malaria is highly variable from country to country and even between areas in a country. In many endemic countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia and the Mediterranean region, the main urban areas, but not necessarily the outskirts of towns, are free of malaria transmission. However, malaria can occur in main urban areas in Africa and India. There is usually less risk of the disease at altitudes above 1,500 metres, but in favourable climatic conditions it can occur at altitudes up to almost 3,000 metres. The risk of infection may also vary according to the season, being highest at the end of the rainy season. There is no risk of malaria in many tourist destinations in South-East Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. Source: WHO.
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Dengue Fever
Cause: The dengue virus - a flavivirus of which there are four serotypes. Transmission: Dengue fever is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which bites during daylight hours. There is no direct person-to-person transmission. Monkeys act as a reservoir host in south-east Asia and west Africa.
Nature of the disease: Dengue occurs in three main clinical forms: Dengue fever is an acute febrile illness with sudden onset of fever, followed by development of generalized symptoms and sometimes a macular skin rash. It is known as "breakbone fever" because of severe muscular pains. The fever may be biphasic (i.e. two separate episodes or waves of fever). Most patients recover after a few days; Dengue haemorrhagic fever has an acute onset of fever followed by other symptoms resulting from thrombocytopenia, increased vascular permeability and haemorrhagic manifestations; Dengue shock syndrome supervenes in a small proportion of cases. Severe hypotension develops, requiring urgent medical treatment to correct hypovolaemia. Without appropriate treatment, 40-50% of cases are fatal; with timely therapy, the mortality rate is 1% or less.
Geographical distribution: Dengue fever is widespread in tropical and subtropical regions of central and south America and south and south-east Asia and also occurs in Africa; in these regions, dengue is limited to altitudes below 600 metres (2,000 feet). Risk for travellers: There is a significant risk for travellers in areas where dengue fever is endemic and in areas affected by epidemics of dengue.
Prophylaxis (protective treatment): None.
Precautions: Travellers should take precautions to avoid mosquito bites both during the day and at night in areas where dengue occurs. Source: WHO.
Contacts
Visa Agencies
Travel Visa Pro, San Francisco, USA. 1-888-470-8472 or www.TravelVisaPro.com
Tourism
Honduras Tourist Board, Tegucigalpa: +504 222 2124 or www.visitehonduras.com
Honduras Embassies
Embassy of Honduras, Washington DC, United States: +1 202 966 7702.
Embassy of Honduras, London, United Kingdom: +44 (0)20 7486 4880.
Embassy of Honduras, Ottawa, Canada: +1 613 233 8900.
Embassy of Honduras, Sydney, Australia: +61 (0)2 9247 1730.
Foreign Embassies in Honduras
American Embassy, Tegucigalpa: +504 236 9320.
British Honorary Consulate, Tegucigalpa: +504 237 6577.
Canadian Embassy, San José, Costa Rica (also responsible for Honduras): +506 2242 4400.
Australian Embassy, Mexico City, Mexico (also responsible for Honduras): +52 (0)55 110 12200.
South African Embassy, San Pedro Sula: +504 552 4702.
Honduras Emergency Numbers
Emergencies: 119 (Police); 195 (Ambulance).
Airports
Toncontin International Airport (TGU)
Location:
The airport is located three miles (6km) southwest of Tegucigalpa's centre.
Time:
Local time is GMT – 6.
Contacts:
Tel: +504 233 1115.
Transfer to the city:
The Airport Taxi Company has a set price of L140 (US$7.50) to anywhere in the city. The journey takes around 15-25 minutes. More affordable taxis pass by in front of the airport on the main road, but since they have no taxi meters, visitors have to haggle the price in Spanish.
Car rental:
Car rental companies include Avis, Budget, Hertz, Maya and Thrifty.
Facilities:
The airport features a post office, bank, bureau de change, many restaurants, several airline lounges, a duty free shop and a first aid room.
Parking:
There are 150 short-term parking spaces available.
DepartureTax:
US$30, or US$27 for Honduran nationals.
Climate
Honduras's climate is hot and humid almost all year round. The coast is hot and tropical while the mountainous area is slightly cooler. The north coast is prone to a very hot climate and experiences rain throughout the year.
The dry season runs from November to April and the wet season from May to October. The Caribbean coast experiences heavy rain from September to February. Average annual temperatures hover around 90°F (32°C). Hurricane season runs from June to November and landslides, mudslides and flooding may occur.
Passport & Visa
Visa Agencies:
Avoid the stress and queues, get a visa agency to arrange your visa.
Travel Visa Pro, San Francisco, USA. 1-888-470-8472 or www.TravelVisaPro.com
Global Visas, London, UK. 0207 190 3903 or www.globalvisas.com
Entry requirements for Americans:United States citizens do not require a visa if visiting for a stay of up to three months. A valid passport is required.
Entry requirements for UK nationals: British citizens do not require a visa for a stay of up to three months. A valid passport is required.
Entry requirements for Canadians: Canadian citizens do not require a visa for a stay of up to three months. A valid passport is required.
Entry requirements for Australians: Australian citizens do not require a visa for a stay of up to three months. A valid passport is required.
Entry requirements for South Africans: South African citizens do not require a visa for a stay of up to three months. A valid passport is required.
Entry requirements for New Zealanders: New Zealand citizens do not require a visa for a stay of up to three months. A valid passport is required.
Entry requirements for Irish nationals: Irish citizens do not require a visa for a stay of up to three months. A valid passport is required.
Passport/Visa Note: Travellers require a passport valid for at least three months on arrival and must hold proof of onward/return ticket and all documents required for next destination. Extensions are possible for a fee of US$10 to US$50 at the Immigration Department.
Note: Passport and visa requirements are liable to change at short notice. Travellers are advised to check their entry requirements with their embassy or consulate.
