Birdwatching
in the Andes and the Llanos Grasslands
8 days /7 nights
From $1,820 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: El Cedral
Days to explore the Llanos grasslands on guided excursions.
(B,L,D)
Day 8: El Cedral
- Barinas – Caracas – Int'l Departure
Depart on a 3 hour overland drive from Hato El Cedral
to Barinas Airport for your flight to Caracas. Upon arrival,
you will be assisted to the international terminal for
your flight home. (B)
Contact
us for a customized itinerary
of travel to Venezuela.
