The Ultimate Venezuela Discovery- and Adventure Journey

Venezuela offers in 1 country what the continent has on offer. From lush rain forest, to snowy Andes mountains, endless Savannah's, cloud forest, pristine beaches - everything's here.
If you want to live an active adventure journey this is the Tour for you. We cut out big luxury hotels and in 2 occasions we even sleep in a hammock but you will be spoiled with action and fun every day. New sensations for your eyes, taste or smell.

Live the ultimate Venezuela Discovery skin-deep.

27.03.06 - 11.04.06 12.06.06 - 27.06.06 11.09.06 - 26.09.06 25.12.06 - 09.01.07 30.04.07 - 15.05.07 10.09.07 - 25.09.07 26.12.07 - 10.01.08

10.04.06 - 25.04.06 24.07.06 - 08.08.06 16.10.06 - 31.10.06 05.02.07 - 20.02.07 09.07.07 - 24.07.07 08.10.07 - 23.10.07

29.05.06 - 13.06.06 14.08.06 - 29.08.06 13.11.06 - 28.11.06 02.04.07 - 17.04.07 13.08.07 - 28.08.07 12.11.07 - 27.11.07

Day 1: Arrival in Maiquetia. Flight to Barinas.

Day 2: 1 and a half hour drive on the transandina highway to the andes town of St. Domingo at 2200 meters. Lunch and ride out at the 17 000 hectares ranch / Hacienda “El Baho”.

Day 3:This morning we will experience a exciting– Canyoning adventure (6 Waterfalls from 6 to 48 m high in beautiful tropical cloud forest setting)... Lunch and we continue our trip to Merida.

Day 4: The worlds longest and highest Cable car… "El Teleferico de Merida" takes us in less than 2 hours from 1600 up to almost 4800 meters right next to the glaciers of Pico Humboldt and Pico Bolivar (the countries highest summits)  ...Afternoon at leisure or optional tandem paragliding flight.

Day 5: Drive through cactus landscape down to the hot, evergreen basin of Lake Maracaibo - the biggest lake of the South America. On the way we will visit small sugar cane, chewing tobacco and coffee production sites. From Puerto Concha we will head out by motorboat through gallery forests out on the open lake. Exploration of the south side of the lake know as the Catatumbo Delta and National Park. Red howler monkeys, iguanas, crocs, butterflies, snakes and thousands of birds.
Tonight shelter is a house on stilts built in the middle of the lake where we sleep in hammocks...this allows us to enjoy the natural phenomena of the Catatumbo lightning (also known as the Maracaibo lighthouse) (basic conditions)

Day 6: Departure around 7.30 a.m. More jungle rivers and Mangrove swamps as we look out for the big blue morphos. 2 New sub-species of this butterfly -family have just recently been discovered by one of our wildlife and nature guides (Alan Highton). We will also look out for the Maracaibo lake sweet water dolphins and endemic birds like the northern screamer for example. Lunch and Siesta on the house on stilts. .. return to the fisher village on the mainland and back to the Andes. Overnight in a small village surrounded by coffee.

Day 7 :  8:30 am. The call of the mountains drives us fast up to a pass in the National park "Batallon la Negra" over to Guaraque, a small hamlet in the part of Merida known as the “Pueblos del Sur” (villages of the south). At the entrance of the valley of Rio Negro we download our mountain bikes. Enjoy a 19 kilometer bike ride through a truly spectacular scenery.... all dirt road and even some short single tracks for the experts. At the end of the biking track we reach a 170 meter deep cave. Get down and dirty.... vampire and other bats to scare you included. A nice and refreshing bath in a natural waterfall and pool are the reward of the day. Late afternoon we get to "Campamento La Trampa" at the dam lake "la Honda" located at a nice, fresh mountain climate at 1200 meters.  Diner at the clubhouse where they have pool tables and dance floor as well.

Day 8: Breakfast at 7:30 am. After a short drive down to 600 meters altitude we get to the hydroelectric power station. Short visit and here we go rafting on the Doradas river. Nice bouncy class 3 rapids await us at the beginning....when the river starts to flatten out we enter the doradas valley. We will stop and hike in the jungle for  . 1 to 2 hours. Just like an Indiana Jones movie....in the middle of this rain forest area we will find witnesses of an ancient pre-Columbian city ...slumbering there waiting to be discovered. Some nice rapids to finish the rafting and picnic already waits for us in the middle of the rain forest. Less than 5 walking minutes away is Pozo Azul. (the blue lagoon) with refreshing, crystal-clear water inviting for a bath and swim. 1  hour drive back to " Campamento La Trampa"

Day 9 : Breakfast and motorboat drive on the dam lake "la Honda". Many pristine waterfalls that help filling up the lake and of course the cross of the church tower of the sunken village of Potosi...a surreal picture. (the village was flooded when they built the dam).
Afternoon drive through mountains and foothills to the Arassari Trek Adventure Camp in la Acequia. (4 hours). Rest of the afternoon time to relax, sunbathe or for bird watching.

Day 10: Hike through tropical rain forest to a viewpoint close to the camp from where on good days you can see the highest peaks of Venezuela on one and on the other side the endless plains known as "los llanos". Afterwards... according to season rafting or inner tubing on the Acequias river. Lunch... Afternoon- downhill biking fun.

Day 11: Departure for our llanos tour. Around noon we will reach a small fisher village. In the afternoon we will take you on a spectacular boat safari to observe the pink river dolphins, howler monkeys... maybe capuchins too, iguanas, crocs, and many many birds. According to season we will also spot the longest snake on earth "the anaconda"! (from December to May the chances to see them are very high) The llanos are world known  for being the Serengeti of South America and are considered one of the best bird- and wildlife sanctuary. Overnight in a small, far away fisher village in hammocks.

Day 12: Safari by car to see and observe more wildlife (capybaras, iguanas, crocs, and thousands of birds... if your lucky maybe even a giant anteater, ocelot or jaguar...) Fishing for the ferocious piranhas. Then goes to maracay by bus.

Day 13: Carribeancoast. Arround 7 o' clock departure in Maracay,our english spoken travelguide is waiting there for you on the busterminal,he will be there for you the last 3 days.We drove to the Henry Pittier nationalpark,the oldest nationalpark from Venezuela and visit the biologiestation Rancho Grande. After a little work on the Andrew Field Trail we going on to our Posada,directly on the beach. we will make a naturetrip which ends with a boattour. The rest of the day we have free time.

Day 14: Relaxen and dolphinwatching After the breakfast we drove with a boat in the Cienaga and watch out for the dolphins. On a beautiful beach we have time to relax, before we going back in the Posada in the afternoon. The rest of the day we have free time.   Day 15:Flight back to Germany Anytime the best holiday have an end In the morning we drove to Caracas. When it is not to much traffic,we will make a citytour in Caracas,before we start in dirrection airport to take the flight back to Germany Tag 16: Departure in Germany

Important notes :
All activities can be done by any reasonably fit person. There is no need for previous experience. You will receive explicit safety briefings and introductions. Sometimes it will take a little bit of courage... basically you need more guts than fitness.
Equipment:
All our gear is imported and has international safety standard .... for example: all our Rafting boats are self bailers imported from New Zealand ( Brand: Incept), the m-bikes are brands such as Merida, Specialised or Trek,  Neoprensuits are from Artistic or Camaro, Petztl Canyoning Harnesses, swiss Mammut static ropes.
All Guides for Outdoor activities are working here for almost 10 years already and have received special training and update courses for the past 5 years by Top trainers and specialists from New Zealand and France. The guides for the nature discovery parts (Catatumbo or llanos) are well known Naturalist or Biologists that are mentioned and recommended in about any Guide book that has been written about this country. Your life and tour is guided by the best money can find in Venezuela !
The lodging:
In general this tour is not oriented towards luxury. All overnight places have character and transmit a charming, colorful and nice impression of what life is about  in this country.
- Catatumbo (Day 5: house on stilts) there is NO shower whatever ! A hole in the floor is the toilet feeding the fish directly... looking at the bright side of life "you don't have to flush !"
- At the Arassari Trek Adventure Camp  (Day 9 & 10) and in the fisher village (Day 11) there is no hot water (with an all year average temperature around 30° Celsius it is not really necessary neither). There are enough showers and normal, very clean toilets around.
- In Merida we stay at a central Posada built in colonial style (Day 3 & 4)
- In Mesa Bolivar as well. Colonial Style posada with a great view !
- Campamento La Trampa (Day 7 & 8) is another highlight. Wonderful climate, no mosquitoes in front of the lake.

If you have questions about this ultimate adventure and discovery journey write to us at:  info@arassari.com
We will be happy to attend you.
 

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