Letters from Gladys are geography-themed standalone crosswords. Each puzzle has five thematic answers, which are places, sights or landmarks in or around a certain location (in this case, a country). Each thematic answer is notable enough to have its own article in the English Wikipedia, although not necessarily under the same name that is used here. The goal is to fill the grid, identify the thematic answers and guess the name of Gladys’s destination, which is not indicated in the grid.
Dear Puzzling,
This series is starting to get a little beach-heavy, but so be it – I am in another tropical paradise with sun, sea and sand. Can you blame me? This place is ideal for sunbathing, swimming and exploring rich natural beauty under the surface. Can you guess where I am?
Wish you were here!
Love, Gladys.
Across
1. America's leading jazz bassist touring the outskirts of Cagliari, a city in the Mediterranean Sea (7)
5/34d. Automobile follows me, getting trapped inside expansive rock formation (6,4)
10. Computer-generated imagery containing gold-coloured dog (5)
11. Performer's note captured by recording device (5)
12. Azeri translation for name on old maps (5)
13/14. It's very deep language, frequently puzzling each one (6,2,3,5)
16. Part of the body of a bird, in French (5)
18. Part of England where the Village People tell you to go with South American male, perhaps (4,6)
21. Company invested in vaccination for father of twelve (5)
22. A Bird's Death on the Nile took place here (5)
23. Before Quran misinterpretation being rejected by agitated... (5)
25. ...clerical associations, Mr Imam regularly seen outside of home (10)
27. Aircraft's been ordered to turn around, but not entirely (5)
29. Powerful people getting sick on the inside results in instances of violence (8)
31. Place to see bathing porkers and massive fruit, according to Spooner? (3,5)
35. Approach from the east, parking in Marseille, a city with ancient history (3-2)
36. Speaker's spirit made a low sound? (5)
37. Proper literature ultimately exchanged for books concerning wheels (5)
38. Fruits at last found in tropical trees, leading to praises (6)
39. It is said, according to Homer: "Alas! I had to show having an expression indicating 7 down?" (3-4)
Down
1. Like the name of ABBA's one close friend, Mick, but shorter (9)
2. A famous Briton, on the European Union: "Goodbye!" (5)
3. A lot of people spectate this event every four years and watch men ogle a mom's dancing (12,5)
4. Some resistance against old Royal Navy vessel, maybe (4)
5. Work created by skilled painter's current husband, having got caught with a redhead, Diane, horribly throwing up back in nightclub (7,3,7)
6. Gladys is in contact with ZZ Top to offer vocal part (5)
7. This writer has to be inspired by Nathan's innocence (7)
8. Track decapitated Highlander? (4)
9/20/33. In front of a part of golf course, school official is down in the dumps, showing depression, at rock bottom (5,4,4)
15. Korean musician's imprisoned, bringing up unpleasant instances of large-scale mental manipulation (7)
16. Travelling here from Europe is not cheap... Hearing the price? Dear me! (4)
17. Clergyman pinched by crab? Bizarre! (5)
19. Soldiers put together small vehicle suitable for offroad use (5)
20. (See 9 down)
24. Like Mary Celeste, female saint held captive by the heartless dictatorial leader, failing to get recognition in the end (3-6)
26. (See 32 down)
28. To avoid incident, foremost newscaster based in Moscow is giving support to Slovak extremists (5)
30. After 1000 vanished, German port is visited by politician and press (5)
32/26. In the grips of decompression sickness, Larry is struggling to identify dive spot (5,7)
33. (See 9 down)
34. (See 5 across)
