Honduras Holiday

Attention all jaded travellers! If you're sick of having the same photos, wearing the same T-Shirt and dancing to the same tune as the rest of the travelling population then a trip off to this little visited country in Central America may be just the tonic. The sprawling gem of Honduras offers a chance to explore Mayan ruins, palm tree lined beaches and untouched rainforest without the trappings of the tourist buses.

Honduras is the second largest country in South America and its sprawling mass is awash with national parks and reserves designed to protect some of the most stunning forest and savannas on the continent.

Aspiring botanists and animal enthusiasts - or those with a penchant for tree hugging - can marvel at the vast array of flora and fauna sheltered by dense tropical rainforests in Cusuco, Pico Bonito and Capiro y Calentura.

The underwater scenery is also pretty spectacular so those in search of the life aquatic - including a glimpse of the world's largest fish, the whale shark - should head to the Bay Islands, 60 kilometres off the north coast. The 125km island chain, which rests on a coral reef, is Honduras' main tourist pull but it's easy to see why when you get here.

Those itching to get acquainted with lizard fish and toadfish will be in their element with cheap diving whilst those who prefer to be more land based can opt for a spot of fishing. But the truly lazy can simply string up a hammock and drift in the gentle ocean breeze.

But if you're still looking for sun and sea with a large splash of nightlife to keep you entertained then a trip to the resorts of Tela, La Ceiba and Trujillo on Honduras' north coast should calm the cravings. Those who like their pace of life to be just a little lower can drop into one of the chilled Garífuna villages with white sandy beaches dotted between the main towns.

The central and western highland, home to many of the country's indigenous people, also merit a visit. Small villages and the odd colonial town including the former capital of Comayagua and the cobbled town of Gracias are set against the backdrop of rugged forested mountain ranges.

For a fascinating insight into the Mayan world, the ancient site of Copán in Western Honduras takes some beating. What it lacks in size it makes up for in the artistic craftsmanship of its carvings which can't fail to impress event he most blasé of critics. The capital of Tegucigalpa bears the faded marks of a colonial past with a plethora of churches and museums to occupy curious travellers.

But Honduras does not have an unenviable reputation as the original Banana Republic for nothing - a visit to the outskirts of any of the cities will reveal shambolic shantytowns, serving as meagre homes to the majority of the population whilst the rich live in their secluded mansions. The country is the second poorest in South America with high levels of illiteracy a product of its deep-rooted social and economic problems.

Travelling in Honduras is not for those who like their creature comforts but those looking for a bit of adventure away from the usual tourist trappings will find that what the country lacks in wealth, it makes up for in cultural experience.