People who have never been to Hawaii wish they could come here.

People who have never been to Honduras could not care less. And that’s a shame because this Central American country really is a worthy travel destination. Its off-the-radar profile has several causes.

It has little promotion budget. Visitors need some Spanish to navigate beyond the front desks at the Marriott and Real InterContinental hotels.

And then there’s the U.S. State Department alert that Honduras is a dangerous place. A National Public Radio story said “Latin America is riddled with crime, and no place is more violent than Honduras. It has just 8 million people, but with as many as 20 people killed there every day, it now has the highest murder rate in the world.”

Things are getting better. Still, 66 homicides per 100,000 people (in 2014) isn’t to be ignored. Hawaii’s rate is 1.8.

I know how to travel with caution, and most crime in Honduras is nationals on nationals — mainly drug-gang killings. So my wife and I set off for a few days in the capital city of Tegucigalpa and then a week by rental car to La Esperanza, Gracias, the Copan Mayan ruins, and Lake Yojoa. The resort-heavy Bay Islands might be safer, but who needs beaches if you’re from Hawaii?

Honduras is not a tourist mecca, so it’s relatively cheap outside the beach resorts — about $50-$80 per night at boutique hotels in low season, November through March. High-end meals seldom run more than $20 to $30 per person with drinks. The best eatery is La Cumbre in Tegucigalpa. We splurged and the bill for two was $80. At the popular Hacienda Real it was $55 with drinks, including tax (19 percent) and tip (10 percent.)

Our favorite hotel was Portal del Angel in the capital’s Palmira barrio. The bill was $80 for a suite with huge breakfasts included.

Our seven-day car rental with tax was $152 from Budget as AARP members with unlimited miles. Do buy full-coverage insurance; Hawaii insurance is no good in Honduras.

Be forewarned that driving is crazy. Cabbies simply slow down a bit for red lights and stop signs. Passing on the right is de rigueur. So is night driving with no head- or taillights. Speed limits are ignored.

Roads outside the capital are speckled with deep, wide potholes called “ojos.” That’s why you see a tire repair-and-replacement shop every half mile.

It’s advised to use only the major roads such as Carreteras 4, 5 and 11. Bandits sometimes set up “tax stops” on mountain roads, and Honduras has many.

You will also see national police, army and private security guards with guns everywhere — banks, groceries, department stores and even coffee shops, museums and gas stations. It’s a government show of force that is supposed to make tourists feel safer, but it told us that Honduran bad guys must be armed.

Siri, the Apple iPhone gal, doesn’t work in Honduras, but Google Maps calls out directions fairly well, although it recommended some roads not said to be safe for tourists. Take a physical map and enlist help at stopover hotels.

I would have skipped the city of La Esperanza if we did not need the rest before heading west toward the Guatemala border. Skip Hotel Ipsan Nah (pretty bad) and opt for Posada Papa Chepe on the Plaza Central. For supper, go to Casa Vieja.

We loved the pueblo of Gracias with its cobblestone streets and many churches. It’s a great place to buy pottery of the Lenca Indians at low prices. The highly recommended Guancascos Hotel was lovely but its food was disappointing.

The ruins at Copan are a must-see. Although they are smaller than Guatemala’s Mayan ruins at Tikal, I found them to be more beautiful. The guides speak excellent English and charge $20 per person for a two-hour tour. There is also a first-class museum and a no-gouging cafe.

In town there’s a very-missable museum that displays an in situ burial skeleton and two fabulous Mayan skulls with jade tooth inlays. I kept thinking that Native Hawaiians would have fits if something like that turned up at Bishop Museum.

For accommodations in Copan, I give five stars to Don Udo’s $80-for-a-suite posada, run by an amiable Dutchman. Excellent eats are available at the British Colonial House and Hotel Marina. Warning: Many restaurants do not accept credit cards, and they don’t tell you in advance.

I cannot imagine missing D&D Brewery at Lake Yojoa in central Honduras — albeit in the middle of nowhere and hard to find. A Virginian started the brewery near the town of Pena Blanca, expanded to three $35 cabins and some backpacker dormitories, and now his successor has a charming bar and restaurant complex in a bamboo forest just off the lake. You will meet all manner of off-the-beaten-path travelers.

We met Lindsay Kamakahi, niece of the late musician Dennis Kamakahi. She teaches English at a Honduran private school.

My best advice for visitors is get out of the capital. Tegucigalpa is dreary and dusty and hasn’t much to offer besides the San Miguel Cathedral and the Museum of National Identity. There are standard-issue shopping malls and American fast food. One day and you’ve seen it all.

Travel books and hoteliers advise against taking taxis in the city at night. They say the cabbies might rob you, but we took cabs in Tegucigalpa and never had problems. I think the “dangerous place” thing is overdone.

Aside from our week on the road, we took a car a half-hour northeast of the capital to the charming mountain town of Santa Lucia and the pueblo of Valle de Angeles with dozens of artisan shops.

Beware car renters: There are no highway signs directing you to Tegucigalpa Airport. You have to ask for directions or you’ll never find it. Ditto for where to return your rental car. You park at the passenger drop-off curb and go inside and find a rental agent.

The good news is that although the U.S. State Department and travel books say you’ll get hit with a $37-per-person airport departure tax, we were not asked for anything. I guess that fee is gone.

Bring your Spanish. Without it, you’ll have many struggles.

But Hondurans are exceptionally friendly. They’ll help you with your struggles.

Bob Jones is a MidWeek columnist. His next travel adventure will be Cuba in May.