Merida Cable Car, Merida, Andes, Venezuela

Advantages: Good weather all year round, good exchange rate for the USD or GBP
Disadvantages: Locals generally don't speak anything other than Spanish, rather high crime rate

...on the slopes of the Andes. You can get the teleferico which is a cable car ride near to there. Merida is higher up and so much cooler than Caracas - some evenings you will most definitely need a jumper or light jacket. Only a couple of slightly negative things to say. First is, don't drink the tap water. Even the locals buy bottled water to drink and foreigners should also avoid brushing their teeth in the tap water. Well, I tend to be extra careful so I have always used bottled water. Bathing is OK though. Men, in particular, should walk with some form of ID showing their nationality. Military service is compulsory and the Guardia Nacional have the power to stop you and ask for ID. I can't say if this is still the same right now but certainly a few years ago, if a man could not prove his ID or show that he has served his time, he... Read review

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Advantages: cheap, beautiful, diverse
Disadvantages: can be dangerous, english is not widely spoken

...Venezuela has to be the most amazingly diverse country i have ever been to, and worry not, it is not the only place i have been. It ranges from the Andes in the West to the Gran Sabana and then onto the dense Jungle in the east. It has the world's tallest waterfall: Angel Falls, (discovered by Jimmy Angel), beautiful Carribean Coast, unique tribal communities and bustling oil rich cities. As i did with my trip lets start where most people do -Caracas. This is a city of to halves, extreme poverty and extreme wealth due to the oil, but the first thing that hit me was the incredible prices. I mean a 3 course meal for £2.50 and people were ripping you off if they were selling fags for 90p. This meant that a daily budget was tiny and in fact hotel rooms in other towns were less than £4.00 a night, so a budget of less than £15 is fine... Read review

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Advantages: birlliant views, varied climate, challenging
Disadvantages: cold, hot, remote, altitude

...I travelled to the Andes in the summer of 2005 and it was one of the most exhilirating experiences of my life. I started by journey from the large town of Merida. I found this to be the perfect starting point as there is everything you could possibly want: many english speaking guides who are more than qualified and registered with reliable companies. The town itself is also quite nice with its meandering streets and bustling markets. However trekkers should be advised that it is very very hard to find any fuel for your stoves. After a short stay in Merida to stock up on the esentials we set off to the mountains. The trek itself lasted 5 days and was very strenuous in places. In particular the first day or so where tempertaures were in the 30s and the path was very steep. However after a day or so you reach a 'valley' in th mountains... Read review

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