Venezuela

Pros: great beaches, great hotels, great prices
Cons: connecting in Caracas

Looking for a caribbean beach resort that's a bit off the beaten track? Someplace a little more exotic than the Virgin Islands? Consider the Venezuelan beach resort, Isla Margarita. Trip to Paradise... It was early 1998 when I went ...

Pros: Great food, hospitable people
Cons: make sure you get your shots, can't eat the seafood

I got a chance to go to Venezuela as an interpreter for a church group who was going for two weeks. We spent five days living in the hills at the edge of Venezuela's jungles. Here we visited an incredible coffee plantation, an orange plantation, and ate...

Pros: the food was great
Cons: none

ROUTE: Our guide drove us from Caracas to Ciudad Bolivar (8 1/2 hours) on the highway. We stayed overnight in Ciudad Bolivar. The following morning, we then drove for about 3 hours on mostly dirt roads to get to the village of Trincheras, which serves as...

Pros: Great exotic spots, affordable and unique experience
Cons: Extra effort must be exerted to avoid robberies and assaults. Be cautious

I found your account of the facts to be pretty reliable and congratulate such a nice writing.

I would like, however, to comment on some details that should not hinder your great effort.

Latin American Airlines
True,...

Pros: hotel
Cons: cold weather

Weather: - Cold

Terrain: - Andes

Hotels: - Posada Las Heroinas (on the Parque las Heroinas, 522-665)) is still in business, although prices have gone up a bit to 1500 Bs/night. It looks like Tom Evenou (the Swiss owner) has also...

Pros: fiesta
Cons: none

Dates: 14-02-99 to 24-02-99

Exchange Rate: 570 Bolivares per $

Weather: Fine

Terrain: Beaches to mountains

Rate: 7

Transportation: Rental car (absurdly expensive, 150 USD per day, airpass on...

Pros: wonderful people, amazing sights, cheap traveling
Cons: none

Growing up in Iowa City and then deciding to go to school at the University of Iowa was one that I was not excited about. So as soon as i heard that there was room in the program to study in Venezuela i jumped on the chance. I studied there for five...

Pros: Beautiful beaches
Cons: poverty, crime, corruption, pollution, etc.

Well, this isn't one of them. A little background: I am an experienced traveler, I caught the travel bug late since my family isn't well-off so I didn't travel outside New England until I was 21. I have since made up for my late start; I've been to ...