The Llanos
Grasslands, andes and THE ORINOCO DELTA
13 days /12 nights
From $3,255 per person double
occupancy in 2008.
Includes domestic airfare
in Venezuela, accommodations, tours, transportation and
meals as specified.
Day 1: Caracas
Airport reception and transfer to your hotel. Overnight
in the Hotel
Ole Caribe along the Caribbean coast. 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
– Merida
Hotel pickup and transfer to the airport for your flight
to Merida.
The Andean region is a picturesque land
of fertile soil, rich in traditional culture. This exciting
adventure lets you truly experience the tranquility and
beauty of this wonderful area and its inhabitants. There
will be ample time for you to mix with the locals and
barter for handicrafts in provincial markets. You'll be
met at the airport by your guide and enjoy a short city
tour of Mérida, the capital of the Venezuelan Andes.
Includes visit to Plaza Bolivar, the historic cathedral
and museums.
Your journey continues on to Jají,
a reconstructed colonial village and then on to Hacienda
El Carmen, a 150-year-old working coffee plantation where
you learn about the history and processing of coffee.
You’ll also visit Lagunillas, famous for its inland
salt-water lake and the founding place of Mérida
in 1558. Your day finishes at an overlook of the Chama
River valley where paragliders soar 1000 meters above
the canyon. (Optional tandem paragliding is available-weather
dependent). Located in the city of La Mesa de los Indios
in the state of Mérida, Papa Miguel's Inn offers
the comforts of modernity in a traditional Andean setting.
The original building dates back to 1750 but has been
renovated to provide modern comforts. The town around
the inn is noted for the high number of children, as well
as adults, who play musical instruments, as they believe
that they have been given a special don (gift) to play
music. Overnight at the comfortable accommodations of
Papa Miguel.
(L,D)
Day 3: Andes
Start you day with an optional ride on the world's longest
and highest aerial cable car ($15 per person - not included
in package price. Does not operate on Mondays and Tuesdays).
From bottom to top, the ride takes about one hour, and
is especially remarkable for the changes in scenery and
vegetation along the way. From Mérida, the cable
car sweeps across the valley, planted with sugar-cane
and coffee and soon you are rising above the steep forested
hills and cascading rivers. From the summit, you see a
wonderful panorama of snowcapped mountains, as well as
glaciers and lakes full of Andean trout.
In the afternoon, explore small Andean
villages and the high mountain plateaus or parámos.
Discover the tiny town of Mucuchies, which was founded
in 1596 by the Spanish on the site of the pre-Hispanic
Chama Indian tribe. Opportunity for light trekking and
horseback riding to glacier lakes.
You can purchase all kinds of local Andean
arts & crafts at the roadside stall while here. Overnight
once again at Papa Miguel. (B,L,D)
Day 4: Andes
Today you'll visit Laguna Mucubají, one of the
largest of over 200 glacier lakes in the state of Mérida.
Your adventure continues with the opportunity to trek
or horseback ride to Laguna Negra observing the incredible
variety of mountain flowers and possibly seeing the world's
only high altitude hummingbird, the bearded helmetcrest.
Here you will be introduced to the diversity and adaptive
features of the Andean vegetation and the singularities
of this tropical high-mountain climate. An outstanding
feature of the paramo is a group of plant species called
Espeletiinae, the South American flannel flowers or locally
known as frailejones. Visit Eagle Pass, the highest paved
road in Venezuela at 4.047 meters and a biological research
station to see the Andean Condor, one of the world's largest
birds with a wingspan of more than 3 meters. Tonight you’ll
sleep at Los
Balcones de La Musui, a world-class mountain lodge
with a spectacular view of the Sierra Nevada mountain
range and nearby hot springs. (B,L,D)
Day 5: Andes -
Barinas - Hato
El Cedral
Depart this morning on a two-hour drive to Barinas. From
the high Andes the road descends through dense tropical
rainforest, home to abundant flora and fauna, including
the rare Andean Cock-of-the-Rock. Upon arrival in Barinas,
rest up briefly before continuing overland for three hours
to Hato El Cedral. Total driving time today is about five
hours.
Most of Los Llanos is divided into large
ranches known as hatos. Many of them are dedicated to
cattle ranching, but some have recently turned to ecotourism
and have built lodges called campamentos. Some hatos as
Hato Cedral have taken a serious approach to environmental
issues, introducing the full protection of wildlife within
their ranches, installing research stations andcontributing
to ecological funds.
On arrival at Hato
El Cedral, you'll be assigned to your air-conditioned
guest bungalow. After a brief orientation, you'll head
out to observe the abundant wildlife on this 106,000-acre
working ranch.
Within its boundaries, the sanctuary contains
rivers, lakes, swamps, forests and savannahs. Cedral offers
a great abundance of wildlife and capybara can be observed
close to the lodge itself. During the next few days, you
will embark on a variety of excursions in the early morning
and late afternoon. Your guide will point out the habitats
of many bird, reptile and mammal species. This is one
of the most noted wildlife areas in the llanos. You may
also see the rugged Venezuelan cowboys, the llaneros,
hard at work as they skillfully move great herds of cattle
across the ranch.
The grasslands offer a great opportunity
to observe Venezuela's vast array of neo-tropical animals
- deer, anteaters, iguanas, capybaras, howler monkeys,
fox, anacondas, caimans, ocelot and maybe the elusive
jaguar. The llanos are also a bird watcher's paradise,
with more than 300 species identified. Highlights include
Hoatzins, Pied Lapwings, King Vultures, Storks and Ibis.
And equally stunning is the flora; gallery forests are
alive with orchids and dozens of flowering trees, including
jasmines, acacias and araguaney [Venezuela's national
tree]. No wonder, the Llanos have beencalled the "Serengeti
of South America."During the midday heat, you can
read or cool off in the lodge's swimming pool. - 3 nights.
(B)
Days 6, 7, 8: El
Cedral
Days to explore the Llanos grasslands on guided excursions.
(B,L,D)
Day 9: El Cedral
- Barinas – Caracas – Maturin - Orinoco
Delta Lodge
Depart on a 3 hour overland drive from Hato El Cedral
to Barinas Airport for your flight to Caracas. Upon arrival,
proceed to your connecting flight to Maturin.
Upon arrival in Maturin, depart on a two-hour
drive to Boca de Uracoa, where you will board your boat
for the final ride to the 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.
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 (B,D)
Days 10, 11: Orinoco
Delta Lodge
Days to explore the area on guided excursions. (B,L,D)
Day 12: Orinoco
Delta Lodge - Maturin - Caracas
Depart the lodge by boat to Boca de Uracoa, where you
will transfer by vehicle to the airport in Maturin. Check
in for your flight to Caracas.
Caracas Airport reception and transfer
to your hotel. Overnight at the Hotel Ole Caribe. (B)
Day 13: Int'l departure
Hotel pickup and transfer to the international airport.
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