Venezuela travel guide

A trip there is more than just viewing the tallest waterfall in the world (1002 m), it is an amazing journey through one of the most spectacular landscapes on the globe. A tour will normally start with a flight into the small indigenous village of Canaima about 50 km from the falls. The surprisingly nice setting will for sure impress you (think lake, waterfalls and palms in the most cliche way). From here the trip goes upstream in a canoe zigzagging through small rapids and escaping big boulders. The sheer sides of the ever present huge tepuis (tabel mountain) of "God of Evil" will be leading the way into the Devil's Canyon, where the Angel Falls are plunging over the edge at the very top. Even with a trek up to the base of the falls, it is hard to grasp their gigantic size. Don't consider the narrow belt of water as the highlight, but merely a grand finale of a great trip.

An impressive natural phenomenon where lightning strikes for hours non-stop, mostly soundless without thunder. It occurs about 150 nights a year and lake Maracaibo is the only place in the world where this is happening. Though the lightnings can be seen hundreds of kilometres away, they are best viewed from the lake. Here there are three main viewing areas: Chamita, popular viewing platforms but furthest away from the lightning, and the two stilt villagers, Congo Mirador and Ologa, on the lake which both are much closer to the action. All of them can be reached by motorboat from Puerto Concha, but the boat trip is more river safari than transport, with a good opportunity for some serious bird watching (toucans, eagles, and loris, to name a few). So if you are at the right place at the right time, be prepared for a spectacular night.

Many don't realise that the Andes actually stretches into Venezuela, but the country is home to a pocket of high altitude peaks including Pico Bolivar (5007 m), the highest point in Venezuela. There are many gorgeous treks in the area's two national parks of Sierra Nevada de Merida and Sierra La Culata, but the Venezuelans themselves seem to prefer to ascend the heights without have to trek. They drive up the Condor Pass (4007 m), the highest road in the country, to pose in front of the splendid views. Join them for a day out and see if you get tempted to do as the local macho chicos do, pose bare chested (men only though) for it is cold up here. And no, you can't see any condors here.

Take a ride on the wild side with one of the many old beat up American Cadillacs that still roam the streets as shared taxis, so-called "por puesto". Since petrol is dirt cheap in Venezuela (we kid you not, it's cheaper than bottled water), there is no reason to go eco. Every non-essential part in the cars is either broken, bended, repaired or just missing. The original colour is often hardly recognizable from fading and never ending panel beating. Noise and serious bad condition is the standard and it is a wonder that they keep rolling. Take a joy ride in one of these miracle boxes and see neighbourhoods that you wouldn't have cruised otherwise. It is cheap, fun and a great way to mingle with the locals.

The old saying goes, "When in Rome, do as the Romans". So does that mean, "When in Venezuela, do as the Germans"? Well actually, it kind of does. Founded in 1843 by German immigrants, the tiny village of Colonia Tovar is a slice of Bavaria. The entire town follows the same architectural style, so much so, you could swear you're in Germany. A place to get your fill of sauerkraut, sausages and arguably the best beer in the country, the village is one of the more popular weekend getaways for Caracas families (being much cooler at 2,000+ meters above sea level doesn't hurt either) With some of the best tourist infrastructure in the country, with countless hotels and restaurants, strap on your lederhosen and join in the crowds.

Located at a pleasant altitude of 1620 m and surrounded by the Andes mountains, including Venezuela's highest peaks, Merida stands out from the otherwise hot country. Tour operators offer an impressive range of adventure activities spanning from canyoning, rafting and paragliding to multi-days trekking and mountaineering, which will keep any outdoor freak busy for several days. For the calm days, there is also, of course, less adrenalin pumping stuff like day trips to nearby hill villages, mountain lakes and hot springs. If you want some adventure for your taste buds, drop by the world's biggest ice cream shop where 900 flavours (including cheese, beer and garlic) can be mixed. Cool, eh?

Mt. Roraima is a table mountain (so-called tepuis or tepuy) and the highest in Venezuela (2810 m). This flat-top mountain with free-dropping edges is an amazing trek into another world. The top has been cut off from the rest of the world for millions of years, which means plant and animal life has developed independently. It is a strenuous multi-days trek up to a lost world of strange rock formations surrounded by clouds. A walk to the edge offers spectacular views to other table mountains like neighbouring Kukenan. A brave peek over the edges will get anyone dizzy for the drop is more than 400 meters. Some locals believe that Roraima and Kukenan have supernatural powers and that they are centres for metaphysical phenomena like crystal energy and UFO activities, which just adds to the mystery of the place. This is truly a unique experience, which should not be missed.

Venezuela is known for its repeating victories in Miss contests, but though the average Venezuelan woman might not be a beauty queen, she surely dresses like one. Wobbling breasts and gravity-defying butts are put to show in tight clothes (on some women maybe even too tight). Beauty is something that is taken seriously and they do with what they have. This straight-in-your-face is even taken to the next level, where male travellers can experience frisk offers from local latinas. Female travellers shouldn't get too jealous, for any Venezuelan man can salsa their panties off.

With vast swathes of jungle area, Venezuela is a great place for swapping car horns for howler monkeys. Unquestionably, the easiest place to do so is where the mighty Orinoco river spills out into the ocean at the Delta del Orinoco National Park. Several jungle camps are well set up as bases for jungle walks, wildlife spotting and visits to the villages of the indigenous Warao people. Knowledgeable local guides teach you the ins and outs of sustainable living both on the myriad of waterways and in the seemingly endless untouched jungle. Be prepared for up close encounters with many plants and animals plus a tasting of a few of them. A wild experience.

The law of the jungle is "kill or be killed". It seems that around any given tree or rock is something or another that could end your life. The criss-crossing waterways of the Orinoco Delta are no different. So there's nothing better to do than fight back. One of the cooler experiences you can have in the Delta is a bit of fishing. This is not for some tame little trout or bass... but for piranha. Various species infest the waters just waiting for some unsuspecting victim to dip into their domain. Knowledgable guides know just where to look, and it doesn't take long before an even inexperienced fisherman manages to catch a few. And, as it turns out, piranha are actually darn fine eating!