Panteon Nacional, Caracas, 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

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Good night life
Disadvantages: Dangerous

...The Caraqueños like to think that Caracas IS Venezuela and to a certain extent, if one is seeking the trappings of modern days living, they may be right. However, if you are seeking to touch base with Latin American culture, you should avoid the capital completely. The city has grown hugely in what would have been a delightful position, high in a valley and enjoys a good all year round climate, but it's heavily congested, highly polluted and in recent years extremely dangerous. Foreigners tend to stick out like the proverbial 'sore thumb' so you'd do well to travel in groups avoiding any ostentation of wealth. As the city is very modern, there are loads of restaurants and cafes, but little else in terms of culture.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

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

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful