Canaima
National Park, Angel Falls, The Orinoco Delta & the
Los Roques Archepelago
12 days /11 nights
From $3,373 per person double
occupancy in 2008
Includes domestic airfare
in Venezuela, accommodations, tours, transportation and
meals as specified.
Day 1: Caracas
Welcome to Venezuela! Airport reception and transfer to
your hotel. Overnight accommodations at the Hotel
Olé Caribe. The hotel is located some 25 minutes
from the airport in the oceanside town of Macuto. It is
equivalent to a U.S. four-star property; all rooms are
simply decorated with ocean views. The hotel has a pool,
restaurant and workout facilities.
Day 2: Caracas
– Canaima National Park
In the morning set off on a flight to Canaima,
flying over the massive tepuis into the remote south of
Venezuela.
Upon arrival in Canaima, pay National Park
fee (about US$14.00), before proceeding to Ucaima
Camp, a small lodge located on the banks of the Carrao
River, above Hacha Falls with views of three tepuis and
the Auyan Tepui in the distance. Your transfer to the
lodge involves a five-minute jeep ride, followed by a
five-minute dugout canoe ride to the lodge. Ucaima Camp
offers tranquility and personalized service. Accommodations
are in comfortable cabanas with private bathrooms. The
grassy area in front of the lodge is a perfect place to
sit back and enjoy the unique backdrop of Canaima National
Park, and Canaima lagoon's cool, dark but clear water
offers refreshing respite from the Gran Sabana's mid-day
heat.
In the afternoon, set off on an excursion
to Sapo Falls. Setting off in a motorized dugout canoe
up the Carrao River to the Sabana (plain) de Mayupa, you
will enjoy a short hike to Sapo and Sapito Falls. Depending
on water levels, the rocky trail actually follows behind
the powerful falls.
Return to the lodge for dinner. (L,D)
Day 3: Angel
Falls
After coffee and a light snack, board a motorized dugout
canoe (curiara) and set off up the Carrao River, which
is lined by luxuriant vegetation.After another short jeep
trip around Mayupa rapids, continue up river, stopping
to view the spectacular scenery of the "Lost World."
Giant tepuis loom over the savannah and jungle below and
countless waterfalls gracefully descend the face of Auyan-tepui.
The journey continues passing by Arautaima
rapids, Pozo de la Felicidad and Orchid Island. Upon arrival
at Orchid Island, breakfast will be served. Afterward,
continue upriver, leaving the Carrao River behind, and
proceeding up the Churun River. After about one hour,
you will reach Ratoncito Island, from where you can observe
Angel Falls.
From Ratoncito Island, a one hour hike
leads to El Mirador, a lookout point offering superb views
and photographic opportunities (weather permitting) to
capture the massive rocky face of Auyan-tepui and "Salto
Angel" in the warm morning sun. The rest of your
day will be spent exploring this "Lost World"
on your own. Your overnight accommodations are in a rustic
shelter close to Ratoncito Island. (B,L,D)
Day 4: Ucaima Camp
After a full morning enjoying Angel Falls, return downriver
to Ucaima Camp in time for dinner. (B,L,D)
Day 5: Canaima
National Park – Puerto Ordaz - Orinoco Delta Lodge
At the appropriate time you will be transferred to the
airstrip for your flight to Puerto Ordaz.
Depart Puerto Ordaz on a three-hour transfer
to Boca de Uracoa. Upon arrival, board your boat for the
short trip to the Orinoco
Delta Lodge.
The Orinoco Delta in Venezuela is accessible
yet still virgin. Its web of countless small and big rivers
allows you to venture deep into spectacular galleries
of untouched beauty. From your base at Orinoco Delta Lodge,
you travel by fast strong boats to get as deep as the
Delta permits. Then change to smaller boats with smaller
motors, and finally you travel just like the Warao Indians
did it for thousands of years, you penetrate 1-2 meter
canals by dug-out canoes. With the blasting sounds of
the Howler Monkeys and the sharp curious screams of the
Blue and Gold Macaws protesting your invasion, the effects
are unforgettable.
The adventure begins with your arrival
in Boca de Uracoa. From here a 1-hour fast boat transfer
brings you to the Orinoco Delta Lodge. This riverside
camp features 37 cabins each with private bathrooms. The
family-run camp is somewhat rustic, and built in a style
favoring the local Warroa thatch roof homes. The food
is excellent and served in a huge restaurant and bar area
overlooking the vast delta. (B,D)
While here you will experience the Orinoco
Delta with experienced bi-lingual guides.
The Orinoco Delta
The Orinoco delta is a vast, intricate labyrinth of waterways
weaving through a simmering jungle to carry the waters
of the Orinoco to the Atlantic Ocean. The Orinoco Delta
- the landmass now known as Delta Amacuro State - has
formed over the course of thousands of years as the mighty
river has deposited millions of tons of sediment into
the ocean. Over the last century alone, some 1,000km²
has been added to the delta, which continues to extend
into the Atlantic at a rate of 40m per year over its entire
360km coastline. The Orinoco branches off into over 60
caños (waterways) and 40 rivers which diffuse through
41,000km² of forested islands, swamps and lagoons.
The Delta and its Wildlife
The delta is divided into upper and lower regions, west
and east of the Caño Macerao respectively. This
division is a consequence of the flood control program
initiated in the 1960s; Caño Mánamo was
dammed, reducing seasonal flooding in the north and making
the land more suitable for cattle farming. There was,
however, a cascade of knock-on effects in the region.
The reduced water levels in the upper delta caused the
region to become tidal, and water levels now rise and
fall by 1-2m daily. In the dry season, salt water now
moves further up the waterways, which has had a significant
effect on the flora and fauna of the area and has forced
resident Warao to relocate, seeking fresh water upriver.
The lower delta, still under the influence of the Orinoco,
is subject to flooding during the dry season, when water
levels may vary by up to 15m. Since 1991, 331,000 ha of
the lower delta has been protected under
Mariusa National Park
A massive variety of habitats has arisen within the delta,
both terrestrial and aquatic. Mixed tropical rainforest,
dominated by towering palm trees, prevails over much of
the terra firma, fostering a variety of flora including
fruiting trees, orchids, bromeliads and arboreal ferns;
the latter of which flourish in the moist air of the canopy.
Grassland swamps and marshes brim with aquatic plants,
and estuarine waterways towards the ocean are thick with
mangroves. Throughout the delta, the caños are
themselves hugely diverse in form. Wide channels break
off into narrow rivulets, isolated pools and lagoons.
Some, heavy with sediments are brown in color, others
are black with tannic acids. Many are carpeted with vast
floating meadows of bora and grasses, slowly drifting
along with the current.
Needless to say, the wildlife of the delta
is also extremely rich and varied. Jaguar, puma, ocelot,
red howler and capuchin monkeys, capybara, agouti, giant
otter, manatee and dolphins are just a handful of the
countless species of mammal that can be observed in their
natural habitats. Among the extensive bird population
are hoatzin, macaws, parrots, toucans, caciques, kingfishers,
cormorants, egrets, falcons, hawks, harpy-eagles, weaverbirds
and hummingbirds. There is also an untold number of amphibians,
reptiles and fish species, including anaconda, boas, vipers,
fer-de-lance, coral snakes, iguana, cayman, turtles, piranha,
stingrays and catfish.
Warao Indians
The Warao Indians - literally the 'Canoe People'- are
the native inhabitants of the delta. With a population
of 24,000, the Warao constitute the second largest indigenous
tribe in the country. Family groups reside in palafitos
(wooden houses raised on stilts) along the banks of the
river, and spend most of their daily lives in canoes fishing
the nearby caños and hunting and gathering in the
surrounding forests. Skilled craftspeople, the Warao build
their palafitos and canoes from forest wood using traditional
techniques, and, owing to increased contact with tourists,
have also begun to carve figurines from balsa wood and
to make necklaces, baskets and hammocks from the leaves
and seeds of the ubiquitous moriche palm. The moriche
palm, however, supplies more than just the basis for artesania.
Otherwise known as the 'tree of life', the moriche provides
the Indians with fruit, juices and a sweet pulp that can
be made into a type of bread. Moreover, the trunk of the
palm is used to cultivate a thumb-sized beetle grub, the
moriche worm, a nutritious dietary supplement
Days 6,7: Orinoco
Delta Lodge
Days to explore the area on guided excursions. (B,L,D)
Day 8: Orinoco
Delta Lodge - Maturin - Caracas - Los Roques
Depart the lodge by boat to Boca de Uracoa, where you
will transfer by vehicle to the airport in Matruin. Fly
to Caracas and connect with your flight to Los Roques.
Upon arrival on Gran Roque, pay entrance
tax (some $18) and proceed to your Caribbean-style, comfortable
guesthouse named Posada
Mediterraneo. Orientation on Gran Roque is straightforward
- your accommodations are located just off the main plaza,
a minute's walk from the airstrip. Rooms have private
bathrooms, air conditioning, ceiling fans and room safes.
All meals are included in your stay, and optional excursions
can be easily arranged through the guesthouse.
The Archipelago
of Los Roques consists of over 365 islands 60 miles
off the north coast of Venezuela. The area is home to
coral reefs that are as of yet undiscovered by most divers
and fisherman. Enjoy your time snorkeling, sailing and
exploring nearby islands.
If you are interested in scuba diving,
Lost World Adventures can arrange diving and instruction
at the local dive shop for a variety of skill levels.
From the "Discovery Scuba" course, where you
can dive safely with a dive master (no certification obtained)
to the highly advanced "Rescue Diver" course
(for professional diving), and even the "Jr. Open
Water Diver" course in which divers aged 12 to 15
may obtain an internationally recognized certificate,
you can find what you need. Diving at different keys will
give you the opportunity to see marine life such as stingrays,
grouper, angelfish, barracuda, moray eels, and coral,
among others.
For those who would prefer to snorkel,
Los Roques is still an underwater wonderland. Healthy
reef systems are packed with life and contain thick forests
of soft coral, long stretches of virgin hard coral, black
coral bushes, brain corals, mounds of star coral and great
clusters of gray and brown gorgonia. These warm, unspoiled,
azure and aquamarine waters contain as many fish as were
found in Belize, Cozumel or the north wall of Cayman,
30 years ago. Although of the same reef system as Aruba,
Bonaire and Curacao, this is no underwater petting zoo.
Designated a National Park, all sites in the archipelago
are limited to 10 divers, so you get the intimate feeling
of diving in untamed, untouched waters. Most often, you
will be the only divers in any given area. Visibility
varies, but can reach 100 feet.
No matter where you dive, you will swim
among and marvel at immense swirling schools of fish:
armies of glassy sweepers, southern sennet, spotted drum,
jacks, Spanish mackerel, barracuda, grouper, red, gray
and yellowtail snapper, hogfish, tarpon, Queen angels,
thousands of silvery blue bogia, trumpet fish, white spotted
filefish, smooth trunk fish, colorful tropicals, parrotfish,
porcupine puffers, stingrays, moray eels and more.
Among the many spectacular dive sites are
the Rock of the Jewfish, which provides an excellent introduction
to the following days of diving. Although there are no
longer any Jewfish, there is still plenty to see during
a 30-minute circumnavigation of this seamount. Nurse sharks
are occasionally spotted at Los Noronkys. At the coral-laden
wall at Cayo Sal, you can take a break inside a cavern
at 100 feet and watch as tens of thousands of fish swim
by castles of hard coral and tall, swaying bushes of soft
corals. The wall at Punta Salina starts at 30 feet and
drops straight to 180 feet. You can also include a visit
to the Turtle Sanctuary, located in Dos Mosquices Key,
a 2 to 2 ½-hour boat trip from Gran Roque. Here
you will find an incredible reefs-cape of pristine hard
and soft corals.
Fisherman will find Los Roques to be a
heaven for flats fishing. Bonefish are abundant year 'round,
and tarpon and permit also easily caught in these waters.
In this National Marine Park, all fishing is strictly
catch and release, and a very limited number of fishermen
are permitted to fish daily.
For those who enjoy windsurfing, there
is a first class windsurf club located on adjacent Francisky
key. They rent a variety of equipment for excursions ranging
from one hour to a full day of windsurfing. Private instruction
for beginners is also available. From the resort you may
spend the day exploring the surrounding islands via windsurfer.
From the guesthouse you may also arrange
a full-day boat tour to visit Dos Mosquices Biological
Station, located on one of the farther keys from Gran
Roque and home of Los Roques Scientific Foundation's biological
station. The standard trip includes a visit to three keys.
Departing early in the morning, you'll visit Carenero,
Cayo de Agua, and Dos Mosquices keys. Most of the day
is spent on Agua, where lunch will be served. At Dos Mosquices
visit to the biological station escorted by a guide, who
will provide you with a tour of the marine turtle hatchery.
For those who want to stay on dry land,
the area offers an abundance of optional excursions. Gran
Roque's lighthouse, the oldest on the Venezuelan coast,
is recommended for a late afternoon visit as a great spot
to enjoy the sunset. Or if you are just looking to get
away from it all, the guesthouse will provide complimentary
transfers to nearby keys, along with a box lunch, sun
chairs and parasols. The only thing you'll miss is the
crowd.
Days 9, 10: Los
Roques
Days at leisure. (B,L,D)
Day 11: Los Roques
– Caracas
Transfer to the airstrip for your flight to Caracas. Airport
reception and transfer to your hotel. Overnight at the
Hotel Ole Caribe. (B)
Day 12: Int'l departure
Hotel pickup and transfer to the airport for your departing
flight. (B)
Contact
us for a customized itinerary
of travel to Venezuela.
