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Honduras

Safety

  • The current criminal activity in Honduras is high and rising. According to authorities, violent crime has grown significantly over the course of 2009-2010, especially in San Pedro Sula, which ranked as the second most violent city in the world in 2009.
  • Foreigners have increasingly been targeted in criminal activity, and several U.S. citizens have been murdered in Tegucigalpa and surrounding areas.
  • Street crime, such as theft and armed robbery, is the principal concern for travelers in most urban areas.
  • San Pedro Sula has the highest crime rate in the country, while Tegucigalpa follows shortly behind.
  • Copan, the Bay Islands, and other tourist destinations have a lower crime rate; however, thefts, break-ins, assaults and murders occur in these locations as well.
  • Carjackings have been a particular problem; four-wheel-drive and luxury vehicles are the preferred targets.
  • Reports indicate that thieves and pickpockets target travelers as they enter and depart airports and hotels.
  • Teams should be cautious while walking the streets, where two-man motorcycle teams or armed robbers in private vehicles often target pedestrians for robbery.

Safety in Honduras
What do other Racers need to know in order to be safe? Current safety protocols/precautions in place? Any relevant issues/concerns? Any precautionary suggestions?

People’s Opinions

  1. When you are in public places, refrain from traveling in large groups with lots of visible bags and electronics. Travel in groups of three during the day and four at night with one male in all groups. Always be aware of who is around you. They are aware of us, we need to be aware of them, especially on public transportation.

Health

CDC Travelers Health | Honduras

Malaria

  • Areas affected: Present throughout the country at altitudes below 1000 m (3,281 ft) and in Roatán and other Bay Islands. None in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula.
  • Estimated risk: Moderate
  • Recommended chemoprofylaxis: Atovaquone/ proguanil, chloroquine, doxycycline, mefloquine, or primaquine
  • Symptoms
    • Fever
    • Chills
    • Sweats
    • Headache
    • Body Aches
    • Nausea and vomiting
    • Fatigue



*The medicines used to prevent malaria can be very effective when used properly, but none of them are 100% effective.


Dengue Fever

  • Areas Affected: All of Honduras
  • Symptoms
    • Principal
      • High fever and at least two of the following
      • Severe headache
      • Severe eye pain (behind eyes)
      • Join pain
      • Muscle and/or bone pain
      • Rash
      • Mild bleeding manifestation (e.g., nose or gum bleed, or easy bruising)
      • Low white cell count
    • Severe warning signs (IMMEDIATELY go to an emergency room if the following appear)
    • Severe abdominal pain or persistant vomiting
    • Red spots or patches on the skin
    • Bleeding from nose or gums
    • Vomiting blood
    • Black, tarry stools
    • Drowsiness or irritability
    • Pale, cold, or clammy skin
    • Difficulty breathing

Health in Honduras
Any special health concerns?

People’s Opinions

  1. No Comment

Visa Info

U.S. State Dept Visa Info | Honduras

Visa Info in Honduras
Do you need one? Where did you get it? Cost? Resources/sources:

People’s Opinions

  1. $3 Exit fee.

Currency Info

Currency Info in Honduras
Name of currency? Where can you exchange money?

People’s Opinions

  1. Honduran Lempira – about 1 USD to 20 Lemps.  
  2. Lempira, we had our squad leaders collect money and exchange it at the border

Communication

Communication in Honduras
Did you have cell reception / Internet service? Where? Carrier / Provider, where did you get phones / SIM cards, cost? Country code?

People’s Opinions

  1. Tigo.  Make sure you recharge on your triple credit day to get best value (day is based on phone number so ask your host which day is your triple day)
  2. Tigo. Phone cards were bought by Tony, our contact, because it is very easy to get ripped off in Honduras if you are not a local. Minutes can be bought at the Tigo store in CIty Mall.

Transportation

How did you get to Honduras….

International Travel
  • From Guatemala:
  • From El Salvador:
  • From Nicaragua
  • From Belize:
  • etc

Local buses (school buses).  Cheap and relatively safe during day time hours.  Most of them have racks to put your packs on the top.

Transportation in Honduras
What transportation did you use to enter the country? Where were you coming from? What transportation was used to move throughout the country? Be sure to include the cost per person in USD and contact info if applicable.

People’s Opinions

  1. We decided to take a new bus line called the Diana. It broke down right outside of the station. After the new bus arrived it wasn’t to bad, but the people were rude. I wouldn’t suggest this line.
  2. We used the TICA bus to get our squad from country to country within Central America. Generally cost around $25 USD per person. Really nice bus, similar to a Greyhound bus in the States. Easy to work with, just be prepared with everyone’s passport info when you go to make your reservation. If you offer to pay a little extra, they can take you exactly where you need to go – instead of just dropping you off at a port in the nearest city from where you need to go.

    WARNING: They will try to scam you sometimes. Stick to your guns. They last minute tried to get us to pay an extra “visa fee” at the border which they made up for themselves to make more profit off of us. As logistics, we just got of the bus and took care of the visas ourselves. They also set up an additional form of transportation for our squad to get to the actual city we needed to get to, and those people tried to scam us into giving them more money. Stick to the original amount you agreed to when the reservation was made.

    http://www.ticabus.com/esp/

Culture

 
Cultural Norms and Sensitivities
  • Communication: Be aware that the acceptable distance for Hondurans is closer
    than that of most North Americans. Prepare your reaction in advance if/when a local
    goes beyond your personal space. He/she might feel offended if you back off at
    once. As in every culture, your gestures, body language, and facial expression
    communicate volumes of information so listen and pay attention to you environment.
  • Greeting: Give a firm handshake when greeting a man and less firm when greeting
    a woman. Establishing eye contact in an inviting way is important.

Culture in Honduras
Anything Racers need to be aware/respectful of? Suggestions/Recommendations?

People’s Opinions

  1. Be careful how you are speaking in public. There are more people that understand english than you think. Be wise and think about what you are saying in public.

Shipping / Mailing

DHL | Honduras

Shipping / Mailing in Honduras
Company used and contact info? How did you get packages to them?

Tips

People’s Opinions

  1. If you are looking for something fun to do with your team on an off day you should head to La Ceiba to Omega tours. We went white water rafting which also included a place to stay for free. There was hiking trails, a pool, good food, and just about anything you need for a great off day. Very affordable and the staff speaks English!

Additional Info

Emergency Contact Numbers
Ambulance 195 (Red Cross)
Fire 198
Police 119

Embassy and Consulate Information
 
United States Embassy (Tegucigalpa)
Emergency #: (+504) 2238-5114 -or- (+504) 2236-9320 x4100
Non-Emergency #: (+504) 2236-9320
Email: irctgu@state.gov
Web: http://honduras.usembassy.gov/
The Embassy is located at Avenida La Paz, Apto Postal No 3453
 
Canadian Embassy (Tegucigalpa)
Emergency #: (+613) 996-8885 (Collect call)
Non-Emergency #: (+504) 2232-4551
Email: tglpa@international.gc.ca
Web: http://honduras.gc.ca
The Embassy is located in the Centro Financiero CITI – 3rd floor, Boulevard
San Juan Bosco, Colonia Payaquí
 
British Consulate (Tegucigalpa)
Emergency #: (+502) 2380-7300 [Guatemalan number]
Non-Emergency #: (+504) 2237-6577 -or- (+504) 2237-6459
Email: L.Casco-Fortin-HonCon@fconet.fco.gov.uk
Web: http://ukinguatemala.fco.gov.uk/en/about-us/other-locations/
The Consulate is located at Colonia La Reforma, Calle principal No. 2402

Additional Info in Honduras
Anything we’ve left out? Any additional suggestions to make travel easier for others?