The hotel in Honduras had an enticing swimming pool surrounded by landscaped grounds, patios and tennis courts. But I only got to see them from the glass elevator. I left the hotel by 7 a.m. every day ...

For our family vacation, I wanted the warm sun and sea without the glitz and glamour of high-end mega-resorts and the costs that go with that kind of holiday; I wanted to go someplace that still felt ...