Venezuela > Venezuela Experience

Advantages: cheap, beautiful, diverse
Disadvantages: can be dangerous, english is not widely spoken

Venezuela has to be the most amazingly diverse country i have ever been to, and worry not, it is not the only place i have been. It ranges from the Andes in the West to the Gran Sabana and then onto the dense Jungle in the east. It has the world's tallest waterfall: Angel Falls, (discovered by Jimmy Angel), beautiful Carribean Coast, unique tribal communities and bustling oil rich cities. As i did with my trip lets start where most people do -Caracas. ...
...extreme wealth due to the oil, but the first thing that hit me was the incredible prices. I mean a 3 course meal for £2.50 and people were ripping you off if they were selling fags for 90p. This meant that a daily budget was tiny and in fact hotel rooms in other towns were less than £4.00 a night, so a budget of less than £15 is fine. From Caracas the options are endless. If you decide to trek in the Andes, Merida is a good starting point, a bustling ... Read review

Advantages: It's an incredible sight...
Disadvantages: It's a long way from anywhere...

...of Venezuela in general, but Angel Falls didn’t deserve to be squished into a couple of paragraphs of a larger review. It’s a sight on a grand scale, and deserves an opinion of its very own. If you’re interested in facts, Angel Falls is the highest waterfall (longest uninterrupted drop) in the world. While its flow is a fraction of the water that tumbles over Niagara, it falls 16 times as far – that’s nearly a kilometre, ...
...They were given the name Angel Falls as they were ‘discovered’ by Jimmy Angel – an American gold prospector in the 1930’s. He was canvassing the area for potential prospecting sites and landed on the top of Auyantepui. Trouble was, it was all boggy on the top, his wheels got stuck, and he couldn’t take off again. He and his team survived the adventure, but it took them over a week to find their way down. Their plane ... Read review

Advantages: Avila Mountain, Gastronomy, Latin Flavor
Disadvantages: Crime, Unsafe.

...helpful. You have to analyse Caracas by traveling and experiencing the city. You'll find a very hidden beauty. When you arrive to Simon Bolivar Airport and take the highway to Caracas, you’ll see an enormous belt of shanty towns (poor districts). At first, it seems to be shocking and depressing. Once in the city, you discover that Caracas is located in a wonderful place: the skirts of Avila Mountain, a beautiful national park that separates Caracas ...
...that El Hatillo is inside Caracas Area but preserves his colonial architecture. If you find a friend in Caracas with a car, please, ask him/her to drive to peripheral routes (Lagunita-Alto Hatillo-Los Naranjos) You’ll see beautiful views of the city lights from the top of the hills. Don’t forget to go to dinner in a restaurant of Centro Comercial El Mirador (San Roman) or Los Naranjos Plaza. It will be quite remarkable to dinner Italian cuisine or ... Read review

Advantages: birlliant views, varied climate, challenging
Disadvantages: cold, hot, remote, altitude

I travelled to the Andes in the summer of 2005 and it was one of the most exhilirating experiences of my life. I started by journey from the large town of Merida. I found this to be the perfect starting point as there is everything you could possibly want: many english speaking guides who are more than qualified and registered with reliable companies. The town itself is also quite nice with its meandering streets and bustling markets. However trekkers ...
...find any fuel for your stoves. After a short stay in Merida to stock up on the esentials we set off to the mountains. The trek itself lasted 5 days and was very strenuous in places. In particular the first day or so where tempertaures were in the 30s and the path was very steep. However after a day or so you reach a 'valley' in th mountains and the temperatures drop significantly, sometimes to as low as -5 at night. The summit day wherever you are ... Read review

Advantages: Amazing
Disadvantages: Tiring

This has to be one of the most spectacular places i have been. The trek to the top of the tepuis takes 3 days and for the final day it is pretty demanding, but when you reach the top it is more than worth it. Even before you reach the top the trek is amazing, the array of wildlife and flowers was amzing, from crabs in the river to rattle snakes in the bushes. However the tru beauty is on top of the mountain. Views are awesome and at one point it ...
...looking down at a 100ft drop. The only place on top where it is possible to pitch a tent is inside the caves on top of there as the rest of the mountain top appears to be a landscape from Mars. There are also many other attraction on the table top such as lost valleys, unique orchids and crystal pools. However i would only undertake this trek if you can handle a good deal of physical exercise, and hot day time temperatures. ... Read review