From Wikitravel

Venezuela is a country in northern South America. Possessing shorelines on the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, Venezuela borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east and Brazil to the south, and is situated on the major sea and air routes linking North and South America. Off the Venezuelan coast are also to be found the Caribbean island states of Aruba, the Netherlands Antilles and Trinidad and Tobago.

The Angel Falls (Churun Meru) in the Guiana Highlands is the world's highest waterfall and a major tourist attraction.

Contents 1 Regions 2 Cities 3 Other destinations 4 Understand 4.1 Climate 4.2 Terrain 4.3 History 4.4 Electricity 5 Get in 5.1 By plane 5.2 By car 5.3 By bus 5.4 By boat 6 Get around 7 See 8 Talk 9 Buy 9.1 Money 10 Eat 11 Drink 12 Sleep 13 Learn 14 Work 15 Stay safe 16 Stay healthy 17 Respect 18 Contact 18.1 By phone 18.1.1 Mobile phones 18.2 By net 18.3 By mail 18.4 FOR MORE INFORMATION

Regions

• Amazonas
• Andes
• Caribbean Islands
• Central
• Guayana
• Llanos
• Northeast
• Northwest
• Orinoco Delta
• Gran Sabana

Administrative divisions 

23 states, 1 capital district* (distrito capital), and 1 federal dependency** (dependencia federal); Amazonas, Anzoátegui, Apure, Aragua, Barinas, Bolívar, Carabobo, Cojedes, Delta Amacuro, Dependencias Federales**, Distrito Capital*, Falcón, Guárico, Lara, Mérida, Miranda, Monagas, Nueva Esparta, Portuguesa, Sucre, Táchira, Trujillo, Vargas, Yaracuy, Zulia
note: the federal dependency consists of 11 federally controlled island groups with a total of 72 individual islands

Cities

• Acarigua
• Caracas - the capital.
• Ciudad Bolivar - stop-off point for flights to Angel Falls, and a comftablee stoppover on the way to Brazil.
• Ciudad Guayana - dominated by heavy industry, it is the main gateway to the Orinoco Delta and the Gran Sabana.
• Coro - the first capital of Venezuela and a city of rich colonial architecture and turistic attractiveness [1]
• Maracaibo - Venezuela's second city, swelteringly hot and built on oil.
• Maracay - once the capital of Venezuela, now home to the main military garrison.
• Mérida - a charming university town in the Andes mountains, popular for outdoor activities.
• Puerto La Cruz - the main access point for many beaches in eastern Venezuela.
• Valencia - an affluent industrial city.

Ports and harbors 

Amuay, Bajo Grande, El Tablazo, La Guaira, La Salina, Maracaibo, Matanzas, Palua, Puerto Cabello, Puerto la Cruz, Puerto Ordaz, Puerto Sucre, Punta Cardon

Other destinations

• Margarita Island
• Los Roques Archipelago
• Angel Falls
• Choroní
• Los Llanos
• Orinoco Delta
• La Gran Sabana

Understand

Venezuela is home to the world's highest waterfall, Angel Falls and the second longest river in South America, the Orinoco. It also has the longest Caribbean coastline. Venezuela is the world's fifth-largest oil exporter and also has vast untapped reserves of natural gas. The country is also famous for its beautiful women, with more Miss World and Miss Universe titles than any other nation.

Climate

Tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands

Terrain

Andes Mountains and Maracaibo Lowlands in northwest; central plains (llanos); Guiana Highlands in southeast

highest point 

Pico Bolivar (La Columna) 4,981 m

History

Venezuela was one of the three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others being Colombia and Ecuador). For most of the first half of the 20th century, Venezuela was ruled by military strongmen, who promoted the oil industry and allowed for some social reforms. Democratically-elected governments have held sway since 1958.

Electricity

Venezuela uses a 60 Hz and 120 V power system. The power plugs are identical to those used in North America (referred to as A and B type power plugs).

Get in

In Caracas, passengers pass through immigration in the recently refurbished arrivals hall before going to baggage claim. Officers will check your passport and may ask questions. If a customs officer or anyone asking about your purpose of visit, tell them you are only there to visit, tourism. At baggage claim you will be required to match the baggage sticker on your flight ticket to the bar code on your bag before you hand over your tax form to customs officials.

There will be many individuals who approach you after your arrival offering assistance with locating a taxi or trading currency. It is best to not interact with anyone who approaches you. Even airport officials with proper identification may attempt to lead you to other areas of the airport to trade currency on the black market. When taking a taxi from the airport, always settle on a price before getting into the cab, and only use taxis that have the official yellow oval seal.

By plane

Please note: Airlines may require passengers to present a valid Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate before being allowed into the country, and a valid measles vaccination certificate may be required to board flights out of the country.

The main international airport is Simon Bolivar International Airport (locally known as Maiquetia airport) located in the Vargas state. It is approximately a 40-minute ride from Caracas. Buses are available during the day. A taxi ride from the airport will cost Bs. 30000 / US$15 during the day, or Bs. 60000 / US$30 at night. There are international flights to Maracaibo and Valencia, but the choices are very limited. Note: On January 5th 2006, Venezuelan authorities closed the main access road between Caracas and Maiquetia-Simon Bolivar International Airport due to a bridge failure. Officials are working on a brand-new bridge to fully reestablish the road connection and plan to have it constructed by the second half of 2007. In the meantime, a 1.5-mile two-lane road has been paved to go around the broken structure. The highway reopened on February 26th 2006.

You can travel non stop from the US and most major European cities.

Continental Airlines links Caracas to Houston daily Newark weekly. American Airlines offers daily flights from Miami, San Juan, Dallas and New York. Delta Airlines offers a daily flight from Atlanta. Air Canada offers a non stop flight from Toronto twice a week.

From Europe, there are non stop flights from Paris (Air France), Rome and Milan (Alitalia), Madrid (Iberia, Air Europa, CONVIASA), Frankfurt (Lufthansa) and Lisbon and Oporto (TAP).

Aeropostal, CONVIASA, Avianca, Copa Airlines, TACA, Lloyd, LAN Chile and Aerolineas Argentinas provide flights to the rest of Central America and South America.

For international departures, the airport tax is Bs. 73500 / US$38.3 and a departure tax Bs. 29400/ US$15. These taxes are paid at the airport, although many airline tickets might include these taxes.

For domestic flights, the airport tax is Bs. 14700. Aeropostal Alas de Venezuela, Santa Bárbara Airlines, Avior Airlines, Conviasa and Aserca Airlines are the major domestic airlines in Venezuela.

By car

You can get to Venezuela by car, from Colombia - NOT RECOMMENDED

By bus

From Colombia, the buses are in bad conditions - NOT RECOMMENDED

By boat

Get around

Travelers in Venezuela are obliged to carry identification. There are military checkpoints on many roads, so while travelling by car or bus keep your passport handy, ideally you should keep a colour photocopy of your passport -should your passport be stolen, this will facilitate procedures with your local consulate-. The military presence is constant, yet is not usually cause for concern. That having been said, there are corrupt officials. It is wise to keep a close eye on your belongings when, for instance, bags are being checked for drugs. A soldier of the Guardia Nacional sometimes plants drugs to solicit a bribe or steal valuables. Peanlties for drug use are severe, and the burden of proof falls on the accused, the police may also demand bribes using the same modus operandi.

There are no trains in Venezuela, which leaves three options for travel inside the country: car rental, using buses, and using cars-for-hire. Drivers in Venezuela are generally aggressive and unconcerned by traffic regulations. Thus, car rental is not recommended in general. The very cheap price of gas, however, makes this option fairly economical. The expensive part of renting a car will be the insurance. The bus system is extensive and extremely affordable (in part due to the low price of gas). Bus terminals are hectic, but it is usually easy to find a bus to any major city leaving within a short amount of time. Short bus rides (2 hours) may cost 8,000 Bs (about $4 US), and even extremely long bus rides (9 hours) will only cost 30,000 Bs to 40,000 Bs per person (equal to about $15 or $20 US). The larger buses are typically air-conditioned. In fact, they are usually overly air-conditioned, so it is worth bringing a blanket with you. Buses are an easy and convenient way to get around the country.

If you decide to travel by bus a good option is 'Expresos Ejecutivos' they have their own terminal in a residential zone of Caracas (El Rosal), baggage is checked on the buses (as in an airport). The units are clean, safe and well mantained, plus the drivers are trained to respect the speed limit (there are many accidents on regular buses on Venezuelan highways, most of them caused by speeding on poorly mantained roads). They are more expensive than a regular bus, but still cheap by American/European standards.

For smaller towns, there may not be regular buses. In such cases, one can use cars-for-hire, called "por puestos." These are typically old and run-down vehicles, but they are affordable. They are more expensive than buses, typically costing 15,000 Bs per person for a one or two hour ride (about $8 US). The main problem is that they typically wait to have a full car (4 or 5 passengers) before undertaking a route. The driver will usually try to convince you to pay for the extra passengers if you want to leave right away. The cars are popular, however, and one does not usually wait long for a car to fill up.

Travel within cities is usually via taxi. Taxis are more expensive than any other form of transport, but still affordable when compared to North American or European equivalents. A ride across town will usually cost 8,000 Bs to 15,000 Bs (depending on the city). The taxis do not have meters and will charge more at night. This is normal in Venezuela and typically cannot be argued.

Local buses exist, and usually connect the terminal to the center of each city. They typically cost Bs.500 - 800, depending on the city. Bus routes usually remain a mystery to the uniniciated.

Caracas has a clean, modern and cheap metro system, currently being expanded.

See

• the Angel Falls in the Guiana Highlands
• the Canaima National Park

Talk

Spanish is the official language of Venezuela, acompanied by numerous indigenous dialects (especially in rural areas). Note that English is not commonly spoken or even understood, including in the major cities (including Caracas). However, it is usually worth a try attempting to speak in english as most english-speaking locals will usually help you if they hear you, whereas care must be taken in not doing so near dodgy-looking strangers as a safety precaution.

Buy

Money

Venezuela uses the "Bolivar", abbreviated "Bs" as its currency. It is typically not easy to obtain Bolivar cash in one's country of origin. Instead, it is much easier to bring US dollars, and exchange them in Venezuela for local currency. Exchanging Bolivars back to other currencies is typically not possible due to strict foreign exchange controls. Inflation in Venezuela makes the exchange rate quite variable. Currently, banks and official money exchangers give 2150 Bs per US dollar. Be cautious when exchanging currency since in some cases thieves can be around these shops and prey on tourists to steal their money. In addition, some other places (including hotels and corner stores) may exchange money, although this is less common since a law was passed in 2006 making the practice illegal. Currently (June 2006) these black market vendors offer around 2500 Bs per US dollar (although this is obviously subject to change).

ATMs exist all over the country. They hand out only Bolivars. Visa Debit Cards are often not accepted, and some ATMs also ask for the last two digits of Venezuelans' ID numbers as an added security precaution, causing problems for foreigners with no ID number tied to their bank account. Be aware of people around you when you use ATMs and when you enter your pin.

Many merchants (including bus drivers and taxis) do not like making change. It is best to have many small denominations of local currency, rather than large bills. Tipping taxi drivers is not usual and even looks very strange. Be a little wary of cab drivers. There have been reports of cab drivers exploiting riders.

Eat

Arepas (the famous are Reina Pepiada and Domino), Hallacas (you can eat this on xmas), Cachapas (with a cheese called "telita" is delicious) and the best "Perros Calientes"(Hot Dogs). You can also try to eat the best "empanadas" at "El Palito" which is a beach place.

Drink

The most popular beer brand is Polar, which is available in a low calorie version (Polar Light), light version (Polar Ice), or premium version (Solera). Brahma is another beer that is advertised throughout the country. You can also try the delicious rum from Santa Teresa, particularly their finest "1796" brand. A popular non-alcoholic drink is called "chicha Andina," which is made from pineapple and corn flour. Suprisingly, whiskey is very popular among Venezeulan 20-somethings when compared to their vodka-drinking American counterparts. Venezuelan coffee is excellent.

Sleep

In Caracas, there is a good selection of 5-star business hotels, although these are predictably expensive. At tourist spots elsewhere in Venezuela, guest houses or B&Bs, known as posadas are usually the best option, each with an individual style and usually offering breakfast or dinner if requested. Posadas can vary enormously in price and quality. Youth hostels are very scarce.

Learn

Work

Working hours are usually 9:00 am to 12:00 pm and 2:00 pm to 5 or 6:00 pm. Most banks close at 3:30 pm, except in December when they stay open an extra hour to deal with the holiday rush.

Stay safe

Venezuela has its fair share of poverty and crime. It is necessary to be vigilant when in crowded cities, as pickpockets and muggers may be around. There are certain sections of large cities that are not safe to walk at night. The outskirts of many cities are very poor and crime-ridden, and are not appropriate for tourists. When in doubt, ask local inhabitants or taxi drivers whether an area is safe or not. In general, if one looks like a (presumably wealthy) tourist, these sections of town should be avoided. It is advisable not to wear expensive jewelry or watches. Take care with taking pictures and unfolding maps in crowds. Pretend you know where you are going even if you aren't sure.

Additionally, one must be wary of the corruption of officials (police and National Guard). Some officials may demand bribes or otherwise extort travellers. Keep watch of your belongings at all times. Despite all these recommendations, one is usually quite safe in Venezuela if they apply a little common sense, and avoid looking overly wealthy when travelling. Women with big purses are recommended to walk with at least one or more people. Tourists should avoid walking long distances in the towns and cities unless you know where youre going. If possible arrange vehicle transport. It is a little dangerous for a lonely tourist to walk by his/herself through a not-so-nice barrio(like neighborhood).

Stay healthy

You may have some diarrhea issues adjusting to the foods and liquids in Venezuela. You should preferably buy bottled water and not drink from the tap, but iced drinks and salads are generally fine (depending on the water supply quality of your native country). Be careful with expired foods and cheeses that are many days old. You usually find street vendors by highways, who sell food and who don't always have much knowledge of hygienic food handling practices. Use common sense when selecting what to eat in the street.

Respect

Generally avoid discussing politics in public, particularly if you have strong viewpoints yourself, except with well-known acquaintances or relatives that have your trust and confidence. Politics has become a very divisive issue in recent years and you may easily offend or provoke a strong reaction from either supporters or detractors of President Hugo Chavez.

Most Venezuelans are laid-back regarding racist issues, since white or creole persons blend naturally with natives and Afro-Colombians in everyday life (education, living, politics, marriage). So the word "negro" can be used regardless of who's saying it, or who is being referred to in this way. You can hear expressions like "negrito" or "mi negro" in a restaurant or on the street. You could hear someone calling "negra" to a woman, regardless of the race of the person. And in general, Afro-Venezuelans don't find it offensive, as they are simply variations on the Spanish word for "black". Similarly, don't be offended if someone calls you "flaco" (thin) or "gordo" (fat) as these may also be used fairly indiscriminately, and often as a term of friendliness.

Differences between Brits, Americans or Europeans are not perceived by most Venezuelans. Hence, you can expect to be called "gringo" even if you are, say, Russian. Don't let this offend you as a non Spanish-speaking visitor.

Venezuelans, like Colombians, have a very amusing way of pointing to objects by pouting their lips and lifting their chin, so don't assume that people are blowing kisses to you when you ask for directions.

Contact

By phone

Venezuela has international country telephone code 58 and three-digit area codes (plus an initial '0'), and phone numbers are seven digits long.

Area codes beginning with '04' - e.g. 0412, 0414, 0416 - are mobile phones, while area codes beginning '02' - e.g. 0212 (Caracas), 0261 (Maracaibo) are land lines.

A single emergency number 171 is used in most of the country for police, ambulance and firefighters.

The international phone number format for Venezuela is +58-(area code without '0')-(phone number)

• To dial to another area code: (area code starting with '0')-(phone number)
• To dial to another country: 00-(country code)-(area code)-(phone number)
• Directory enquiries/information: 113

Public payphones use prepaid cards which cannot be recharged but are easily available in shopping centers, gas stations, kiosks, etc. Phone boxes are common in the cities and do not accept coins. The vast majority are operated by the former state monopoly, now privatised, CANTV, although some boxes operated by Digitel or Movistar do exist, particularly in remote areas. CANTV prepaid cards can be used only in their booths.

More popular today are the ubiquitous 'communication centers' or clusters of phone booths located inside metro stations, malls, or like a normal store in the street. Most of these comunication centers are operated either by CANTV or Movistar, and offer generally cheap phone calls from a normal phone in comfortable booths equipped with a seat. A log is made of all your calls and you pay when exiting the store.

Many street vendors or buhoneros also offer phone calls from portable (antenna-based) land lines set up at improvised stalls. Callers are charged by the minute.

Mobile phones

Mobiles operated by Movilnet, a division of CANTV, start with the 0416 code and use the CDMA system. Rival Movistar, formerly Telcel, start with 0414 and also use CDMA. The smaller Digitel operator is the only with a GSM network and its numbers start with 0412. It is possible to buy a pay-as-you-go SIM card for Digitel's GSM phones, but make sure your phone is unlocked.

By net

Internet cafes, often incorporated in the above-mentioned 'communication centers' are increasingly common, and even small towns usually have at least one spot with more or less decent connections.

By mail

Venezuela's state-owned Ipostel is slow, unpredictable and not widely used. Ipostel offices are few and far between, although they are still probably your best bet for sending postcards back home. For mailing within Venezuela, courier services such as MRW, Domesa and Zoom are the most popular. These usually guarantee next day delivery.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

http://www.venezuelatuya.com/indexeng.htm?mXCY3lF20XNO

great website about Venezuela.

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