Trekking holiday in Venezuela
| country: | Venezuela |
| trip type: | Strenuous walking holidays |
| departures: | 2008: 20 Dec 2009: 12 Sep, 31 Oct, 19 Dec |
| price: | From £1801 - £1965 (16 days) including flights from the UK, from £1175 - £1245 excluding flights, plus local payment US $400 |
the amazing things you'll be doing
An adventure reaching deep territory virtually unknown to the outside world. Highlights are Angel Falls and an ascent of the table-mountain of Roraima.
Ascent of Mt Roraima: Leaving Caracas, we drive across the Orinoco, via Ciudad Bolivar and El Dorado to Peraitepui, the Indian village where we start our ascent of Roraima. We'll ascend the massif's sandstone cliff and discover a 'Lost World' of eroded stone pillars and standing rocks where carnivorous plants and rare orchids abound. High above the surrounding tropical forest and lush grasslands, Roraima's summit (2810m) affords breathtaking views which stretch into Guyana and Brazil.
Rainforest Canoe Journey: Flying into the Indian settlement of Kamarata on the Rio Akoman, our next four days are spent travelling to Canaima by canoe, guided through the rapids by our skilled native boatmen. Sleeping in hammocks in simple shelters on the river bank at night, we are enveloped by virgin forest and eerie silences broken only by shrieking jungle calls.
Beneath Angel Falls: The glistening waters of Angel Falls knife downwards in a single unbroken cascade, leaping some 975m off the vertical escarpment of Auyan Tepui ('Devil's Mountain', 2400m) - the tallest waterfall in the world. When water levels allow, we'll make a day-hike to the base of the falls. Finally, there's time to relax on the Caribbean shores at Chichirivichi.
Ascent of Mt Roraima: Leaving Caracas, we drive across the Orinoco, via Ciudad Bolivar and El Dorado to Peraitepui, the Indian village where we start our ascent of Roraima. We'll ascend the massif's sandstone cliff and discover a 'Lost World' of eroded stone pillars and standing rocks where carnivorous plants and rare orchids abound. High above the surrounding tropical forest and lush grasslands, Roraima's summit (2810m) affords breathtaking views which stretch into Guyana and Brazil.
Rainforest Canoe Journey: Flying into the Indian settlement of Kamarata on the Rio Akoman, our next four days are spent travelling to Canaima by canoe, guided through the rapids by our skilled native boatmen. Sleeping in hammocks in simple shelters on the river bank at night, we are enveloped by virgin forest and eerie silences broken only by shrieking jungle calls.
Beneath Angel Falls: The glistening waters of Angel Falls knife downwards in a single unbroken cascade, leaping some 975m off the vertical escarpment of Auyan Tepui ('Devil's Mountain', 2400m) - the tallest waterfall in the world. When water levels allow, we'll make a day-hike to the base of the falls. Finally, there's time to relax on the Caribbean shores at Chichirivichi.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Fly London/Caracas. |
| Day 2: | Bus to Cuidad Bolivar. |
| Day 3: | Bus to Kawe. |
| Day 4: | Bus to San Francisco de Yurani; begin 6 day Roraima Hike. |
| Day 5-9: | On hike with optional walk to Triple frontier; last night return to village and drive to Santa Elena. |
| Day 10: | Small charter plane to Kamarata missionary village; overflight of Angel Falls, dry season only (Dec-May); start 4-day journey by motorised canoe. |
| Day 11-13: | On canoe with day-hike to the base of Angel Falls (wet season only, May-Nov); last night camp near Canaima. |
| Day 14: | Fly Caracas; drive to Chichirivichi. |
| Day 15: | Drive to Caracas; fly London. |
| Day 16: | Arrive London. |
small group adventure holiday
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places.how this holiday makes a difference
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We travel through remote, territory rarely seen, mainly on foot, and where we do need transport we use a variety of small vehicles to reduce environmental impact. During our hike we ensure we make minimum impact, using marked trails and ensuring we do not litter or harm the environment in anyway. We also use local Indian porters which benefits the local community along with encouraging interaction and cultural understanding. For most nights we use local, rustic accommodation and for some we sleep under simple jungle shelters.
Our agents, tour leaders, guides and suppliers are all local. We recommend that our clients bring water purifiers and a water bottle on this tour rather than supplying them with bottled water. Plastic recycling facilities are very limited in Venezuela, so using a water purification system helps limit our impact on the local environment. As well as the above, we support a variety of charities and projects worldwide which support vulnerable communities and habitats including Friends of Conservation, Hope Worldwide and Send A Cow. We are also actively engaged with UK travel industry bodies which promote best practice in responsible tourism, such as Tourism Concern, The Travel Foundation and AITO. Our commitment to responsible tourism is not limited to our overseas operation and we have measures to ensure our UK office operates according to our responsible tourism policy. Carbon offsets for all flights booked with us are included in the tour cost. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |