Venezuela holidays : introduction
Sitting on the north-eastern shoulder of South America, Venezuela borders the Caribbean to the north, and the Amazon basin to the south. A spur of the Andes crosses the western edge of the country with peaks reaching 5,000m, several with permanent snow.
The endless plains of the Llanos teem with wildlife, and in the south-east the extraordinary table mountains (immortalised by Conan Doyle in his 'Lost World') rear above the savanna. Such geographical diversity coupled with a good network of internal flights makes Venezuela an ideal introduction to South America.
A visit to Venezuela can be combined with Ecuador and the Galapagos, or Guyana.
Climate and when to go
As it is only just north of the Equator Venezuela has a hot climate all year. Increasing altitude in the Andes can mean cool nights and the coastal regions are hotter with very little rainfall at any time. There is a rainy season from May/June to October when short tropical downpours can be expected, and this is consequently a good time to see the waterfalls.
“Congratulations to Last Frontiers and your local operators - despite all the enforced changes, all meetings and transfers worked like clockwork, and we were never kept waiting at all. I think Canaima (not just the Angel Falls, but the whole area and Waku Lodge) was probably the highlight. Los Llanos was fascinating, and so much wildlife! The birds quite amazing - in fact all the river life.” - EH
“Glad to see you've got a site at last! My wife and I did a package with you in Venezuela last November. We were delighted with the service we got from you: everything went to plan, and exceeded all our expectations. The hotel in Caracas was out of this world, and really cheap! Merida was wonderful and exciting. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend you to anyone. You can use this letter in promotional material if you like - you deserve it.” - RA
“Just back from our really excellent, enjoyable and well-balanced visit/holiday to Venezuela - went without a hitch, thanks to your ideas and organization. Thanks particularly to Bob Sonderman, who even let me fly his plane for an hour, as well as organising a secret Piarao indian tribal shaman dance!” - MW
“We have watched birds in every continent and we have never had such a magical experience anywhere to compare with El Cedral. The profusion, proximity and variety of birds defies description and we greatly enjoyed every aspect of our visit there, although the food does not rate high marks. Villa Mangrovia is a jewel.” - PR
