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Summary: Practical guide and one-of-a-kind resource
Review: Didn't anyone think of this before? This Adventures in Nature book is one of my favorites because it successfully links practical eco tour hints with the names and associations of people in Honduras who are making a difference. Conservation books are usually long on theory, and short on practical field observations. This guidebook provides an excellent background as well as great contact info - for eco traveler and plain tourist alike. Honduras has good friends in these authors!
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Summary: From Travel & Leisure (January 1998)
Review: Finally, guidebooks that take eco-tourism seriously. John Muir Publications debuts its new Adventures in Nature series this month with guides on Belize and Guatemala. The books are as indispensable for first-time visitors as they are for wildlife lovers. Birders, snorkelers, fishermen, archaeologists, and botanists will find extensive lists of the best outfitters and preserves. Itineraries cover everything from volcano hikes to walks through sacred Mayan caves and butterfly breeding grounds....This series is outstanding in its depth of information about conservation issues.
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Summary: An Adventure Awaits!
Review: First, thanks for taking the time to consider traveling to Honduras, a wonderful and wildly underrated place. And thanks for considering purchasing our book. In the following comments, we'd first like to tell you why we think our book is worthwhile and then encourage you to visit Honduras whether you buy a book or not. We hope that readers will agree that "Honduras: Adventures in Nature" is not only the best source for useful information about travel in Honduras, but looks deeply into the complex interactions between rainforests and reefs, the realities of life in a "third world" economy, and the role of tourism in preserving and sometimes destroying this bit of paradise. We don't like reading guide books that simply list hotels, restaurants, or outfitters, nor guide books that say positive things about every listing listed; such information is scarcely helpful. In our book, we tell you where the food is great and where it sucks, which resorts preserve the local environment and which destroy surrounding reefs. We give contact information for local groups working to protect natural sites in each part of the country. We talk about local heroes and local villains and we name names. Whether you are heading to Honduras for a week of diving in Roatan, a tour of ancient sites and white sand beaches, or a lengthy trek through remote cloud-forests, we hope that you'll find our book both helps make your journey a happy one and enables a deeper interaction with place and people. We also encourage you to contact us about your experiences and opinions, which can be worked into future editions. You can contact us at jgollin@aol.com or ron@greenbuilder.com. If you are wondering whether or not to travel to Honduras, the answer is simple: Go! Why should you go? Quoting from our opening chapter: "Why Honduras? Because it is the most under-rated tourist destination in Cental America. Honduras has more accessible and beautiful reefs than Belize or the Yucatan, more extensive rainforests and cloud forests than Costa Rica, Mayan ruins comparable to those of Guatemala, better beaches than Nicaragua, a more peaceful political climate than El Salvador, safer cities than those of Panama, and has the greatest undeveloped wilderness area in all of Central America. For environmentally-oriented travelers, especially for those who like to get off the beaten path, Honduras is a dream come true. With all these attractions, why does Honduras not have a bigger presence in the international tourism market? Honduras is still undiscovered because it is widely misunderstood. Try telling a friend that you are thinking of going to Honduras. They will probably ask "isn't it dangerous there?" The answer is that Honduras is no more dangerous than most parts of the United States. Yes, there were wars all around Honduras. There was a civil war in Nicaragua, and the counter-revolutionary "Contras" found sanctuary on the Nicaragua-Honduran border, a fact that still taints Honduras is the eyes of some North American leftists. At the same time, there was a civil war in El Salvador, and leftist FMLN guerrillas found sanctuary along their border with Honduras. And, to the north, there has been a vicious, genocidal civil war in Guatemala, which brought more refugees to Honduras. But in the 1980s, a time of turmoil in Central America, Honduras didn't have a civil war. It has chosen to resolve its issues peacefully. And to open its borders to refugees in need. Your friend might then ask "Isn't Honduras run by a bunch of corrupt generals?" The answer, again, is no. For decades, Honduras has been a well-functioning democracy with a free press and regular rotation of power between the political parties. Of course there is some corruption. Sure, money plays a role in Honduran politics. Just as it does in the United States and other flawed democracies. And, yes, the military still plays an important role in society. But Honduras has changed from the Banana Republic days of the past. Honduras is still a poor country. And the fledgling tourism industry is not a well-oiled machine. Honduras lacks the resort hotel infrastructure of Costa Rica or the Yucatan. Except for the Bay Islands and Copan, its road-less forests and simple beach resorts are unrefined, or to be politie, a bit funky. But many who visit once come back several times, and, in doing so, are helping Hondurans to build both a tourism industry and an environmental movement. In Honduras, environmental tourism is more than a way for foreign travelers to have fun while spending hard currency. Tourism an integral part of environmental preservation. Honduran environmentalists have thrown themselves into the tourism business, seeing tourist money as the lure to convince their countrymen that their forests are worth more standing than cut to make way for cattle, that their beaches are worth more as tourist sites than as gravel supply dumps. They recognize that tourism is an animal not easily tamed, but they see no significant economic alternatives. They are facing the challenge and hoping for the best, hoping that tourist development will not destroy fragile habitat or traditional cultures. While it may be imperfect, tourism is better than slash-and-burn farming, cattle-ranching, and the clear-cutting of tropical timber. Visit Honduras now. Later on, you'll be able to say you saw it in the good old days. Come now because you want to visit a new country, someplace few people you know have been. Come back because you find Honduras irresistible. Come back again later, because Honduras is big enough and varied enough to handle the crowds and still maintain its wilderness. And each time that you come, by judicious use of your tourist dollars, you may be able to help preserve this slice of paradise." Have a great trip!
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Summary: THE best book on Honduras for the ecotraveler!
Review: For those venturing to discover the hidden secret of Honduras, this is the best guidebook you can have. It's not your ordinary where-to-eat-shop-stay book; rather, it caters to the ecotourist who comes to appreciate the sublime beauty of this lesser-traveled country. Honduras is a land of many treasures, few of which I've had the fortune to explore; but this book has inspired me to go back for more. From the helpful tips and sidebars to the excellent details about the wonder of Honduras, this book will lead you off the beaten path to discover this fabulous country on your own. Don't go to Honduras without it!
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Summary: THE best book on Honduras for the ecotraveler!
Review: For those venturing to discover the hidden secret of Honduras, this is the best guidebook you can have. It's not your ordinary where-to-eat-shop-stay book; rather, it caters to the ecotourist who comes to appreciate the sublime beauty of this lesser-traveled country. Honduras is a land of many treasures, few of which I've had the fortune to explore; but this book has inspired me to go back for more. From the helpful tips and sidebars to the excellent details about the wonder of Honduras, this book will lead you off the beaten path to discover this fabulous country on your own. Don't go to Honduras without it!
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Summary: A must for all travelers to Honduras
Review: I am the author of two other guidebooks in the "Adventures in Nature" series (on Belize and Guatemala) of which this is a part. I was originally asked to write the Honduras guide, but declined on the grounds that I didn't know enough about the country to do a good job. I'm happy to report that Ron Mader and Jim Gollin have done a BETTER than "good" job...in fact the results of their combined efforts are excellent in all respects. Their intelligence and insight come through on every page, along with a genuine affection for the people and places of Honduras. I have been to the country twice in recent years, and my experiences are congruent with those reported in this book. I particularly appreciate the straightforward and honest appraisal of hotels, restaurants, and outfitters, as well as the indepth material about the natural wonders of this underrated and underappreciated Central American destination. Put simply, this is the best guide to the country I have ever seen. Buy it!
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Summary: A must for all travelers to Honduras
Review: I am the author of two other guidebooks in the "Adventures in Nature" series (on Belize and Guatemala) of which this is a part. I was originally asked to write the Honduras guide, but declined on the grounds that I didn't know enough about the country to do a good job. I'm happy to report that Ron Mader and Jim Gollin have done a BETTER than "good" job...in fact the results of their combined efforts are excellent in all respects. Their intelligence and insight come through on every page, along with a genuine affection for the people and places of Honduras. I have been to the country twice in recent years, and my experiences are congruent with those reported in this book. I particularly appreciate the straightforward and honest appraisal of hotels, restaurants, and outfitters, as well as the indepth material about the natural wonders of this underrated and underappreciated Central American destination. Put simply, this is the best guide to the country I have ever seen. Buy it!
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Summary: Great book on Honduras
Review: I spend alot of time in Honduras and own just about every guidebook for that country. Adventures in Nature is by far the most worn. It is a well researched book and provides countless ideas of places to go for the adventure traveler/tourist. I recently started running mountain bike tours in Honduras near La Ceiba and while setting them up last year and mapping out routes this book was always with me. If you're looking for a hotel, food, transportation, logistics, etc. book you may want to have another guidebook with you as well, but don't substitute it.
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Summary: Great book on Honduras
Review: I spend alot of time in Honduras and own just about every guidebook for that country. Adventures in Nature is by far the most worn. It is a well researched book and provides countless ideas of places to go for the adventure traveler/tourist. I recently started running mountain bike tours in Honduras near La Ceiba and while setting them up last year and mapping out routes this book was always with me. If you're looking for a hotel, food, transportation, logistics, etc. book you may want to have another guidebook with you as well, but don't substitute it.
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Summary: Very impressed
Review: I was a Peace Corps volunteer at Celaque National Park, Honduras from 1994-1996. I traveled extensively throughout Honduras and hit most of the spots mentioned in the book. Your information is surprisingly very accurate. I've seen some guidebooks completely butcher the facts. I like the environmental tourism aspect you two have incorporated in your guidebook. That is a trend that should be followed.
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