CLASSIC VENEZUELA

Fly to Madrid to meet your connecting flight to Caracas, arriving in the afternoon. You’ll be met at the airport and taken to your hotel.

Stay: One night at the Marriott Playa Grande Hotel in a deluxe room.

Leaving the bustling streets of Caracas far behind, you’ll fly to Puerto Ordaz where a 4×4 vehicle will take you past remote villages and old gold mining towns towards Gran Sabana, set in a landscape of rolling hills, savannah, forests and picturesque waterways.

The next day you visit the Iboribo community, crossing the Aponwao River by local canoes known as curiara. You can swim in the crystal waters at the foot of the Chinak Meru Waterfall before venturing on to the rapids at Kamoiran, the Kawi Mery Waterfall and the Nak Piapo lookout point with its tremendous views over the rolling plains. You’ll stay the night at Ya-koo Camp.

On your third day of camping you’ll visit the town of Santa Elena de Uairen, the red coloured Quebrada de Jaspe Waterfall and the local people of San Francisco de Yuruani. At Suruape Waterfall you can experience a natural hydro massage, then visit Piscina de Pacheco Waterfall and lookout point before returning to camp.

Stay: Three nights in different camps.

After a fascinating visit to Santa Elena you’ll embark on a hugely scenic, eight hour journey overland through scenic countryside, culminating in your arrival at Puerto Ordaz, where you’ll stay in a luxury hotel with a full range of facilities for relaxation.

Stay: One night at Hotel Eurobuilding Plaza Guayana in a standard room.

A short flight from Puerto Ordaz Airport takes you to Canaima and Waku Lodge in a stunning reserve. Canaima National Park covers 80,000 sq km and is geologically ancient and is on the UNESCO World Natural Heritage List. The park is home to more than 500 different species of orchids, any number of bromeliads, the Canaima Lagoon and Angel Falls – at 979 metres high the world’s tallest single waterfall. You will be able to explore the lagoon by motor boat, visiting foaming rivers and waters turned pink by organic action. You can choose full day excursions to Kavak – including a flight over the Angel Falls – or to Salto Angel Base, or opt to sail to the Angel Falls by boat, visit the El Sapo Falls or meet indigenous people in their villages.

Stay: Two nights at Waku Lodge in a standard room.

Now you have a chance to discover the wildlife, flora and fauna of the fabulous Orinoco Delta; a labyrinth of over 40 main waterways, plus channels, islands, forests and mangroves second only to the mighty Amazon. You’ll meet Warao Indians in their palafito houses standing on stilts at the water’s edge and doubtless encounter parrots, herons, monkeys, alligators, piranhas and any number of weird and wonderful insects and reptiles.

Stay: Two nights at Orinoco Delta Lodge.

Time to say goodbye to the Orinoco. A short boat ride takes you to Boca de Uracoa where a car will take you back to Puerto Ordaz to meet your flight to Caracas.

Stay: One night at the Marriott Playa Grande Hotel in a deluxe room.

From Caracas an internal flight takes you to the stunningly beautiful archipelago of Los Roques National Park with its pure white sandy beaches, coral reefs teeming with marine life and abundant mangroves. You’ll be staying in one of the few posadas actually on the edge of the beach, in the quaint town of Gran Roque. This one-time fishing village has only a few hotels, created from original fishermen’s posadas, and no cars – there aren’t any roads, just sandy tracks. You’ll spend your time relaxing, chilling on the beach, snorkelling, diving, deep water fishing, windsurfing and taking boat rides to untouched desert islands.

Stay: Three nights at Posada Caracol in a superior room.

Tear yourself away from the beach to fly to Caracas and your flight back home.