An intricately carved post stands at the start of a foot bridge leading to Minh Mang's burial mound

Located just 12 km from Hue on the west bank of the Perfume River, the Tomb of Minh Mang is one of the most impressive burial sites surrounding Hue.

One of the most popular ways to visit the temples and tombs surrounding Hue is by motorcycle taxi. It’s a little nerve wracking, especially dodging the insane traffic on the way out of Hue, but it makes for an incredibly memorable day.

One of the many galleries that surrounds Preak Khan's central sanctuary.

Built in 1191 by Buddhist king Jayavarman VII, Preah Khan has been left largely unrestored – most work is dedicated to reinforcing and stabilizing the structure. The massive trees that have taken root around and inside the temple have largely been left alone – removing them now would cause significantly more damage than they are currently causing.

The layout of Preah Khan is very similar to the far more famous Ta Prohm temple and is often ignored by drivers and guides. Even locals refer to Ta Prohm as Tomb Raider Temple as part of first instalment of Lara Croft: Tomb Raider was filmed here. Drawn by the connection to hollywood, tourists flock to Ta Prohm, leaving Preah Khan a peaceful oasis by comparison.

Perfect example of how words mean different things in different places. This product would NEVER sell in North America.

Maybe it’s a sign of immaturity. Or a twisted sense of humour. Regardless, seeing this package of soup in a Nassau grocery store was one of the hardest and longest laughs I have had in quite a while. It is also one of the few souvenirs I brought home from 3 weeks in the Bahamas. Sad but true.

Walking through the cloud forest on the way back to the parking lot of Poas National Park.

Only 30 km from Alajuela, Poas National Park is a must see on any visit to San Jose, Costa Rica. Just a short hike on a well maintained path through a stunning cloud forest sits one of the most active volcanoes in all of Costa Rica.

Arrive early, before the amazingly dense clouds roll in, for a stunning view of one of the most active volcanos in Costa Rica.

Volcán Madera, one of the two volcanos that created the Island of Ometepe.

In the centre of the massive Lake Nicaragua, Isla de Ometepe is a must see stop on any trip through Nicaragua.

Breathtaking hikes up and around the volcanos, lush forests and a huge array of wildlife make the island a haven for ecotourists.

The waters surrounding the island are also said to be filled with the world’s only freshwater bull sharks. Locals and tourists all have differing opinions on the number of sharks in the lake but most seem to agree that there are very few and a sighting is rare.

The sun sets on the Bay of San Juan Del Sur

Most of San Juan del Sur’s restaurants and bars, catering to nearly every taste and budget, line the town’s main beach. The beach is also extremely popular with locals – impromptu soccer games are more common than tourists during the low season. Most visitors choose to take a taxi and visit the much nicer beaches which surround the town.

Every night locals and tourists flock to the beach to catch the breathtaking sunset. One of the best spots to catch the sunset is from the back door of the Eskimo ice cream shop, about half way down the beach.

The sun sets on Playa Maderas, a short taxi ride from San Juan del Sur.

San Juan del Sur is one part fishing village and one part surf town – completely different from any other place we visited in Nicaragua. We had only planned on spending one day exploring the area’s beaches but our schedule stretched to two days and then to three.

San Juan del Sur’s tourist facilities are extremely limited compared to Central America’s more touristy destinations. About the only thing the area has an abundance of is restaurants, many overlooking the beach with spectacular sunset views. And if you’re after great coffee (very hard to find in Nicaragua) and one of the best bagels you will ever taste, stop by El Gato Negro.

The beaches are the true highlight of any visit to San Juan del Sur. Playa Maderas is a short and inexpensive taxi ride from town. Make sure you make arrangements for your driver to pick you up at the end of the day as there are no tourist facilities at Maderas.

The area’s other beaches, and some of the best surfing in the region, are quite a bit harder to get to – most are only accessible via 4×4 boat. You can book a day trip, including gear and transportation, at any of the surf shops in town.

They aren’t as crisp as they should be and the colours are a little washed out but I guess it’s better than nothing at all.

If the driver is too eager to prove his credentials, he’s probably not a real taxi driver. If someone is guiding you to a certain car instead of a dozen other taxis waiting on the road, it’s probably not a real taxi. And never, ever share a taxi with a random stranger, no matter how nice they are, especially if they insist on one specific taxi.

When you meet nothing but incredibly kind and generous people it is very easy to fall into a false sense of security and ignore these basic rules. But your sense of security should never override your instincts. You don’t need to be rude or defensive, just ask a lot of questions and if you are uncomfortable with a situation it’s better to step back and rethink things. Under no circumstance should you get in a car that you are uncomfortable riding in.

I learned this lesson the hard way and lost everything of value that was in my backpack and camera bag, including the camera bag itself. Bruises will heal but the photos from Costa Rica and Nicaragua are gone forever (along with my laptop) so there won’t be many photos from the first part of my trip. And there were some amazing photos!

In the end everything worked out – we ended up meeting even more amazing people and left Central America with few regrets. And I finally got to use my travel insurance policy (which is a good idea no matter where you are traveling).

You can’t let one bad experience ruin your view of a country or a city or group of people. There are bad people everywhere you go – you can get robbed in Calgary or New York just as easily as in Nicaragua. Unfortunately knowing how to avoid these people only comes with experience.

The incredible view of central Granada from Iglesia la Merced Church's bell tower

Granada is full of beautiful colonial architecture – especially impressive are it’s many churchs and cathedrals.

Although the exterior is showing it’s age, Iglesia la Merced offers stunning views from it’s bell tower that are more than worth the $1 admission and treacherous climb up an incredibly narrow spiral staircase. Located just a few blocks from the Central Park, you can view the beautiful Cathedral of Granada, Lake Nicaragua, Masaya Volcano and an endless sea of red tiled roofs.