Venezuela Fact Sheet
Wednesday, October 15th, 2008Updated January 2009
Current time in Venezuela:
Venezuela lies at the top of South America, nestled between Colombia, Brazil and Guyana - with the Atlantic Ocean above it. One of our favourite destinations, Venezuela offers some truly unforgettable scenery such as South America’s largest lake and third longest river, the highest waterfall in the world (Angel Falls) and breathtaking landscapes.
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 branches off into over 60 caños (waterways) and 40 rivers which diffuse through 41,000 square kilometers of forested islands, swamps and lagoons. Between the rainforest of the Amazon Basin and the watershed of the Orinoco River is a rugged wall of remote mountains and deep, heavily forested canyons protected by the Canaima National Park. Many of the mountains have precipitous rock walls that rise to over 1800 meters (6000 feet) where they end in an almost perfectly flat top. These formations are known by their Indian name: Tepuis. The most famous of these tepuis is the Auyan-tepui, from which plummets the world’s highest waterfall - Angel Falls. The waterfall is more than twice as high as the Empire State Building and three times higher than the Eiffel Tower. The eastern part of Canaima National Park is known as the Gran Sabana, a special landscape of clear rivers, waterfalls and endless Tepuys which tower above rolling Savannah and forest
The Llanos are an incredible place to see wildlife. Apart from more than 300 species of birds (including scarlet ibis, hoatzin, screamers, soldier storks, spoonbills and many more) you may be lucky enough to spot jaguars, ocelots, anteaters, honey-bears, capybaras and alligators, in an environment still relatively undisturbed by man. The caribbean islands off the coast of Venezuela include Los Roques and Margarita - two beautiful destinations offering sandy beaches and turquoise waters, with great nightlife for the younger travelers.
When to go
Venezuela has two seasons - wet and dry. The dry season is better for traveling, although if your main attraction is the waterfalls they are most impressive just after the rains, and are sometimes impossible to get to by boat during the dry season. The dry season runs from late November to early May, and the wet season runs through the rest of the year. Peak season is over Christmas, Carnaval (February - lots of fun!) and Easter (March), and over these times you have to book accommodation early to avoid disappointment.
Notable Events in Venezuela for 2009
| February | Carnival (40 days before Good Friday) |
| April | 19th: Filma del Acta de Indepndencia (Declaration of Independence) 5-12th: Easter (Holy Week) |
| May | 1st: Dia del Trabajo (Labor Day) 3rd: La Cruz de Mayo (The Cross of May - annual) |
| June | 11th: Devil dancers of Venezuela (annual) 23-25th: Fiesta de San Juan Bautista (Spring festival for St John the Baptist) 24th: Aniversario de la Batalla de Carabobo |
| July | 5th: Dia de la Independencia (Indepence Day) 24th: Natalicio de Simon Bolivar (Birthday of Venezuela’s Independence hero) |
| August | 15th: Fiesta de la Virgen Maria (Festivities of the Virgin Mary on Margarita Island) |
| September | 8-15th: Fiesta de Nuestra Senora del Valle (Festivities of the Lady of the Valley - Margarita Island) |
| October | 12th: Dia de la Raza (Colombus Day) |
| November | 18th: Feria de la Chinita (Virgin Lady of Rosario of Chiquinquira or ‘La Chinita’ - Maracaibo) |
Visa and Health Requirements for Venezuela
Visa - none required for South African passport holders when going on holiday, but you must apply for a DEX 2 card at the airport you fly to Venezuela from. The DEX 2 card allows you to stay in Venezuela for 90 days.
Vaccination - Yellow fever is compulsory if coming from/stopping over in an infected area; Polio, Tetanus, Hepatitis A and Malaria Prophylaxis are recommended.
