This is part 3 of the puzzle series that started at Living the traveller's dream. Each part is solvable on its own.
Dear Puzzling,
As I'm sure you know, I am pretty much an all-round traveller. I'm just as interested in climbing mountains as I am in visiting cathedrals or lying on a beach somewhere. There are, however, some things I'm not really cut out for. It turns out whitewater rafting is one of those activities!
Each puzzle has five "thematic" answers, which are geographical locations all in the same country. Each is notable enough to have its own article in the English Wikipedia, although not necessarily under the same name I use. Your task is to fill the grid, highlight the thematic entries, and guess which country I am currently visiting (which is not indicated in the grid). Some of the answers will be needed in the final part of the series. Except for the last part, all others are solvable on their own without knowledge of the previous puzzles.
This week I have walked in lush rainforests, seen a historical place of internment, watched a space launch from afar, tried out some exciting examples of Creole cuisine, and chickened out of rafting on a rather scary-looking river. Can you guess where I am?
Wish you were here!
Love, Gladys.
Across
1. City is not located in ultimately harmonious, neutral ground (5-7)
8. Game presents fanged creatures (8)
9. Foxy ladies terrorised Vin's ex (6)
10. City of Oz fantasy character with Sauron's first power rings (5,7)
12. Long and thin stone jewellery item with glossy finish (7)
14. Pianist Garland has always shown respect (7)
16. Member of a Native American tribe; he made a city at the mouth of an eponymous river (7)
17. Pay cook to get cooked water flowing along the border (7)
19. Penal colony for sportsmen from NJ and NY, except three (6,6)
23. Spooner's fixed fruit conserve and it's been thrown into the sea (6)
24. I try principally to keep limits to nakedness in court, which is natural behaviour (8)
25. Tina shook President Bush being held by extremists in Swiss town (5-7)
Down
1. Temporary shelter discarded (4)
2. Getting drug injection, heart rate goes under; I'm prone to making rash decisions (9)
3. Ms. Braxton, who sings about water (5)
4. Evaluate female donkey? (6)
5. On the other hand, entire verse lyrically described (9)
6. Reject running for president (5)
7. German settlement in centre of Nice damaged substantially (2,7)
11. Stood on both sides of prison I escaped, confused (9)
13. Well-behaved male European giving up resistance for lent, surprisingly (9)
15. Backed by grand piano in arrangement of an index that's becoming longer (9)
18. Mr. Amin, having taken the place of Uganda's leader, executed underground (6)
20. Five apes dancing to Scooter (5)
21. Catch girl with ultimate bit of bravado (5)
22. Book of popular musical swapping leads (4)
Gladys will return in Gladys loves Pink Floyd.