patt711

After some deliberation, we've decided to make arrangements for Venezuela and not go to Caracas.
So~~anyone like to post some sugggestions for places to visit there -- hotels, sites, etc? We're going in Dec. for 10-14 days.
Thanks!

faithie

It's been years since I was in Venezuela . Late '80's , maybe 1990 . It was a very popular destination for Canadians . Tons of charter flights , all kinds of all inclusive packages , extremely popular . Sadly it's not at ALL the case now . The country was stable ( somewhat ) at that point , oil making it the wealthiest of all the SA countries . It's been in such turmoil since . We flew aironly , landed on Isla Margarita , then took the 5 hour ferry to the mainland ( literally cost a dollar ) . We toured the Puerto La Cruz area , highway of the dolls , fisherman taking us to deserted islands off shore with the most amazing beaches I have ever seen . We then flew on a domestic jet to Merida inland , a beautiful mountain town , for $7.00 us . The cost of things was insanely cheap . Merida was a great town . Two of our friends did the Angel Falls tour , and said it was incredible , although the top was obscured by clouds . Ahhh .... The memories !!! I think you would have better luck searching on Thorn Tree's Lonely Planet .... Good Luck , and be careful .

ABENDIGO

Hi! I'm from Venezuela. I don't know is money is a limitation, but here some places I'd suggest you to visit. "Los Roques": beautiful arcipelago in the caribbean sea with sandy white beaches and crystal waters; "Canaima and Angel Falls": wonderful rivers, nature and the highest fall in the world; "Mérida": picturesque mountain villages and to get to "Pico Bolívar" you'll ride the longest cable car in the world, "Falcón": it's a state in Venezuela with a small desert (the dunes), beautiful isles with gorgeous beaches, the captital "Coro" has a picturesque historic center; "Margarita Island": an island with resorts, beaches, nightlife, and a national park called "La Restinga".

That covers the best of Venezuela (in my opinion) from north to south, and from east to west.

patt711

Thanks for the suggestions...any ideas on where to stay as far as hotels? I like the idea of mountain villages to visit (Merida) and Falcon sounds good too. Our friends aren't interested in beach-sitting, so we might skip Margarita Island.

ABENDIGO

In Mérida you could stay in bed & breakfast ("posada" in Spanish), there's a famous hotel in Mérida called "La Trucha Azul" (The Blue Trout) which I really liked the time I went there. You would definitely need to rent a car because those towns aren't connected by train (I don't know about buses, but they're not certainly for tourists). You can google Mérida in Venezuela and see if what interests you (There's also Mérida in Spain and in Mexico) and have information there about "posadas" and hotels. People can book in advanced, but there are also people (my case) who look for one the same day they get to the town. Packages for tourists are also available and I know they're published on the internet. I'd really recommend you this, because they take care of everything. "Canaima" is very interesting, too. "Angels Falls" is like a symbol in Venezuela, just like The Statue of Liberty in the U.S., the Eiffel Tower in France, etc. You might want to combine two or three regions, because they're so different, that it's like visiting two or three different countries. This way you'll have a more complete vision of Venezuela: Mérida is cold and hilly, Falcón is hot and similar to a desert, Canaima is untouched nature, rivers, and falls. Globtrekkers (lonely planet) did a program on Venezuela once (in 2001 or something) and talked about many of the places I've commented. Please do a research and see if you like what you see. Those places I've commented are beautiful, but like we say in Spanish "among likes and dislikes, nobody set the rules". In Mérida there's a theme park calles "La Venezuela de Anteayer" (The Venezuela of the Day Before Yesterday). It's divided in areas representing the most interesting regions in Venezuela in terms of folklore, food, and music. It shows the way Venezuela was in the 1920's under the disctatorship of Juan Vicente Gómez. I hope this gives you a better perspective on the country.

ABENDIGO

Take a look at this website. It's in English and it provides information about Venezuela in terms of tourism.

http://www.think-venezuela.net/

ABENDIGO

www.venezuelatuya.com

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/worldgui...rica/venezuela

www.venezuela.com

ABENDIGO

I have a better translation for the saying I've just told you:

"When it comes to likes and dislikes, nobody is ever right"

patt711

Abendigo,
Thanks so much for taking the time to write all your recommendations! I got busy and hadn't had time to return to Fodors, and just read everything tonight. I'll definitely look into all your ideas!

ParrotMom

Have just found this posting... "search" on this site for a comment made by a dear friend in Caracas....Second of all another dear friend will tell you NOT to go to Merida (they are from there).. THINGS ARE HEATING UP
V ERY BADLY WITH CHAVEZ. Not to mention getting anywhere from the Caracas Airport.. If you will write to me.. I will send your note to my friends from Venezuela.. [email protected] "faithie" is right the operative word is WAS and anybody who tells you that Merida is safe or Puerta La Cruz is still beautiful is not telling the truth..yet I wold go back to Margarita... The whole situation is completely unsafe... our friends in Caracas fly to Aruba...

CorinneandPat

No one has mentioned the Orinoco Delta. There are tours into the delta, since you'll need a boat! It was an amazing, magical experience. Check out the Orinoco Delta Lodge website for tons of information.