Honduras: D&D Brewery at Lake Yojoa
I mentioned in a previous post that we’re gearing up for our first real getaway of year: Honduras. We will be spending the majority of our stay in Tela, a coastal town on the Caribbean Sea with a strong Garifuna influence, which will give us a glimpse into indigenous life. We typically like to stay at smaller properties or spots with a distinct cultural feel, but this go around we’re staying in pretty luxe accommodations (a bit atypical for us), the highly acclaimed Indura Resort, which is new in the Central American landscape. It’s slated to be on par with some of the region’s finest (think Mukul in Nicaragua and Four Seasons in Costa Rica) so we’re thrilled to get to experience it for the week!
D&D Brewery
That being said, we wanted to counterbalance the luxe digs and get a taste for a different side of Honduras. We’re going to head away from the coast, and head to another body of water: Lake Yojoa. Central American countries dig their lakes: there’s Atitlán in Guatemala, Arenal in Costa Rica, Cocibolca in Nicaragua, and, of course, the lesser-known Yojoa in Honduras.
What better than a little glamping to enhance the lake experience? We’re staying at D&D Brewery, a brewery/lodging/restaurant right on the lake that offers dorm-style accommodations, alongside of private rooms and private cabanas. We’ll be in two private cabanas ($35 each) for our experience – one for my sister and I, and one for Scott & his travel buddy. The owner, who’s roughly our age, started the brewery as a way to give back to the local community and highlight some of Honduras’ natural wonders. Honduras gets a bad rap, and it’s no wonder. With the highest homicide rate in the world, people are a bit apprehensive to set foot in the country when there are nearby locales with more tourist-friendly reps. Even with that in mind, we’ve come to realize that those stats – while probably not inflated – rarely reveal local attitudes towards tourists; often times those stats reveal the sad realities about the effects of things like drug trafficking and the associated gang activity, which is perhaps more telling of limited opportunities for local youth. Much like the media vs. reality takeaways that I brought forth from our time in Israel, Palestine and Jordan, I’m excited to do the same here. It’s a different region, but brings about similar security concerns for many travelers. Beyond the accommodations, D&D has expanded to include D&D Adventures which offers small group tours to nearby hot spots, including waterfalls (yes, please!), an ‘enchanted cave’, and lake-based adventures. We’re looking forward to hiking to some waterfalls, ziplining, and spending a bit of time kayaking on the lake. More than anything, I’m excited beyond belief to have a week-long getaway with my sister! We haven’t traveled together to a new destination since 2010 when she came to visit me in Europe. Things have changed a lot since them (I’ve gotten myself husband and she’s finishing college) and I’m excited to escape life’s stresses and decompress with two of my favorite people.
Stay tuned for stories from Honduras – I’m excited to share photos from our experiences in Tela and at Indura Resort, plus to showcase our contrasting experience at the lake with D&D. If you don’t follow me already, check me out on Instagram and Twitter for updates during the journey!
Happy travels,
