Adventure World

Venezuela

Venezuela occupies the far north-eastern section of South America, bordered by Brazil, Colombia, Guyana and both the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean. Venezuela has an incredibly diverse landscape with 43 National Parks and 21 Nature Reserves and provides habitats for varied and exuberant flora and fauna. Venezuela’s most unusual natural formations are the Tepuis, flat topped mountains looming more than 1000m above open savannas, with moonlike landscapes and unusual flora.

Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, has many historical sites including the cathedral and Simon Bolivar’s birth place, theatres, art galleries and museums as well as popular bars and restaurants.

The 4000km of Caribbean coastline represents the major tourist destination in the country. The area has numerous excellent beaches and resorts ranging from the comparatively luxurious to the unashamedly opulent, which stretch along the coastline.

Canaima is the gateway to the Angel Falls. It lies in a beautiful location 50km southwest of the falls, on the Languna Canaima, a stunning beach-lined lake. There are several popular waterfalls in Canaima such as Yuri Falls and Sapo Falls. Boating trips around the lake and hikes through the jungle are available.

The Angel Falls are the highest waterfalls in the world and undoubtedly the most famous attraction in Venezuela. As there are no hiking paths or trails to the falls, access is by boat or plane only. Planes fly from Canaima and pass over and circle the falls for about 45-60 minutes.

Top Highlights

Caracas: The capital of Venezuela is a huge, vibrant, energetic South American city, bringing together the tremendously wealthy and the desperately poor. In Caracas, gravity is defied by the city's skyscrapers and the teetering shantytowns that cover the hills around it.

Amazon Jungle: The southern Amazonas region is thick with tropical rain forest, criss-crossed by rivers, and home to a number of isolated Indian tribes. The charming, balmy town of Puerto Ayacucho is rife with tour operators ready to whisk you deep into the Venezuelan Amazon on the Orinoco, Sipapo or Autana rivers.

Archipielago Los Rocques: Los Roques is a beautiful archipelago of coral islands comprising the Archipiélago Los Roques National Park. It consists of some 40 islands big enough to deserve names, and 250 other unnamed islets, sandbars and cays. The archipelago's white-sand beaches are clean and lovely (although shadeless) and the coral reefs offer great snorkelling and scuba-diving.

Cueva del Guácharo: Cueva del Guácharo (Guácharo Cave) is Venezuela's longest, most magnificent cave. Depending on when you come, you'll find between 8000 to 18,000 (oilbirds) here. The birds inhabit only the first chamber of the cave, the 750m/2460ft-long Humboldt Hall. The cave also has amazing geological formations. All visits are by a 90-minute guided tour.

Angel Falls: Salto ángel (Angel Falls) is the world's highest waterfall. Its total height is 979m (3211ft), of which the uninterrupted drop is 807m (2646ft), about 16 times the height of Niagara Falls. The cascade spills off the heart-shaped Auyantepui, one of the largest of the sandstone-capped mesa, into Cañón del Diablo (Devil's Canyon).

Fact Sheet

• Country Dialling Code: + 58
• When to Go: The tourist season in Venezuela runs year-round so, theoretically, anytime you visit is OK. However, the dry season is more pleasant for travelling, although some sights including the famous Angel Falls are certainly more impressive in the wet season.
• Clothing: As a general guide, comfortable casual and semi-casual clothes are best for day-time with smart casual clothes for evening wear. The majority of the country is lowland so you don’t need much in the ways of warm clothing.
• Food & Water: Some local specialities are tequenos, a popular hors d’oeuvres (thin dough wrapped around a finger of local white cheese and fried crisp); arepas (the native bread), made from primitive ground corn, water and salt; and tostadas, which are used for sandwiches (the mealy centre is removed and the crisp shell is filled with anything from ham and cheese to spiced meat, chicken salad or cream cheese).
• Guasacaca is a semi-hot relish used mostly with grilled meats. Pabellón criollo is a hash made with shredded meat and served with fried plantains and black beans on rice. Hallaca is a local delicacy, eaten at Christmas and New Year; cornmeal is combined with beef, pork, ham and green peppers, wrapped in individual pieces of banana leaves and cooked in boiling water.
• Parrilla criolla is beef marinated and cooked over a charcoal grill. Hervido is soup made with chunks of beef, chicken or fish and native vegetables or roots. Purée de apio is one of the more exotic local roots (boiled and puréed, with salt and butter added, it tastes like chestnuts). Empanadas (meat turnovers), roast lapa (a rare, large rodent) and chipi chipi soup (made from tiny clams) are excellent.
• There is no good local wine, although foreign wines are bottled locally. There are several good local beers, mineral waters, gin and excellent rum. Coffee is very good and a merengada (fruit pulp, ice, milk and sugar) is recommended. Batido is similar but with water and no milk. Pousse-caf é is an after-dinner liqueur. Bars have either table or counter service. A lisa is a glass of draught beer and a tercio a bottled beer.
• Currency: Venezuelan currency is the Bolivar (abbreviated to Bs), which is divided into 100 centimos. There are 1/2, 1, 2 and 5 bolivar coins and 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1000 bolivar notes.
• Money can be changed at a bank or at a casa de combio (authorized money exchange office). Banks change cash and travellers cheques and give cash advances to credit card holders. Casas de cambio change cash but seldom change travellers’ cheques. US dollars and American Express travellers’ cheques are by far the most popular in Venezuela. Visa, MasterCard and America Express are the most widely accepted credit cards in Venezuela.
• Tipping: Tipping is the customary way of showing your appreciation for services at restaurants, hotels, guides and taxi drivers. Restaurants usually add 10% to the bill for service; you are expected to tip an additional 10%.
• Language: Spanish is the official language. English, French, German and Portuguese are also spoken by some sections of the community.
• Email: E-mail can be accessed from Internet cafes in most urban areas, and the business centres of the majority of hotels.
• Electricity: 110 volts AC, 60Hz. US-style two-pin plugs are the most commonly used fittings, so a universal travel adaptor is recommended.