WET 'N' WILD: Waterfalls in Canaima amid the backdrop of table mountains.

IT IS the world's highest waterfall and it is tucked in the jungles of Venezuela. But before you can go gaga over the awesome Angel Falls, there is hard work to be done to get there.

It involves a flight in a small plane, a 12-hour round-trip in a canoe on two fast-flowing rivers, a trek through dense rainforest and a night in a hammock in an open jungle shelter.

The adventure begins on a six-seater Cessna, flying from the wonderfully preserved colonial city of Cuidad Bolivar into the isolated Canaima National Park, home to 2,500 Pemon Indians, one of the country's indigenous communities.

The 90-minute flight sweeps over grassy plains and colossal table mountains called tepuis. Mists swirl around the tepuis. No wonder Arthur Conan Doyle used them as the setting for his book, The Lost World, about dinosaurs.
It was also there that Steven Spielberg filmed part of Jurassic Park.

From the tops of the tepuis, small rivers cascade over the steep edges as waterfalls. Dropping from one of the largest tepuis called Devil's Mountain is Angel Falls.

THE HIGH LIFE: People in the village of Los Nevados in the Andes mountains still lead a traditional farming life amid the flower-filled meadows and gurgling streams.

Waterfalls meet your gaze everywhere in Canaima National Park. About the size of Belgium, it sprawls 30,000 sq km and can be reached only by air.

Such isolation means the area is pristine, made more so by the fact that it is also a Pemon Indian reserve. Entry is controlled and arrangements are handled by the Pemons.

A four-day package is easily bought from travel agents in Caracas or Cuidad Bolivar. The US$435 (S$646) fee pays for a return flight, a stay in a campamento or lodge, meals and tours.

A wine-coloured lagoon is at the heart of the national park. The water is said to be good for your skin and hair.

The diversions in Canaima are mainly hiking to marvel at the amazing tepuis, swim in watering holes, observe plants used as medicinal herbs and get behind the enormous curtains of waterfalls to feel their sheer power.



But nothing can match coming face to face with Angel Falls. During the lengthy river trip, there are tantalising glimpses of it.

Then there's a steep hour-long hike in dense jungle, made worse by what seems like rain pelting down, until you realise it is water from the Falls.

You emerge from the foliage to find yourself on huge rocky boulders, and gasp at the sight of the Falls. Its height is 979m and the mist churned up leaves you drenched.

Canaima National Park and Angel Falls are only two of Venezuela's natural attractions, which include snow-capped peaks, laid-back Caribbean beaches, remote Amazonian jungle villages and abundant wildlife.

The best part is the country is relatively untouched by foreign tourism. With a population of 25 million, it is also one of the smaller countries in South America.

You can get to almost anywhere by long-distance buses. Prices are reasonable, thanks to cheap petrol (365 bolivares or 10 Singapore cents a litre) in this oil-rich country.

It's advisable to base yourself in spots that backpackers frequent. One of these is Merida, nestled in a 1,600m-high bowl in the Andes mountain ranges.

It is the hub of the Sierra Nevada national park, home to Venezuela's highest peak Pico Bolivar (5,007m). Activities from hiking and paragliding to kayaking await.

This 16th-century university town has a bohemian feel, and is renowned as a place for foreigners to learn Spanish.

RAT PACK: A family of capybara, the largest rodent in the world, going for a swim in a river in Los Ilanos to keep cool. Their meat is considered a delicacy.

What is less well known is its vibrant nightlife with many bars and trendy restaurants serving reasonably priced posh nosh.

Bed and breakfast at pousadas (guesthouses) cost 45,000 bolivares (S$22.50).

Merida also boasts the longest and highest cable car ride in the world that takes you to Pico Espejo (4,765m), from where you can view the snow-capped Pico Bolivar.

The 12.5km ride takes 90 minutes and, at the summit, the temperature drops to 0 deg C.

Take a hike

INSTEAD of returning to Merida, I decided to hike to the village of Los Nevados. The solitary hike past flower-filled meadows, soaring mountains and gurgling streams was inspiring but still I was glad to see grazing
cows and farms five hours later.

In Los Nevados, people still lead a traditional farming life. I stayed in a pousada for 25,000 bolivares a night, including dinner and breakfast.

Hiking to admire the mountainscape is the main diversion and you are likely to meet villagers going about their chores on foot or horseback. After two nights, I hopped into a jeep heading back to Merida.

One of the most amazing wildlife areas is Los Llanos, which cover a whopping 300,000 sq km. This sparsely populated zone, between two mountain ranges, is dotted with sprawling cattle ranches (hatos).

Anacondas (the world's largest snake), giant anteaters, capybara (rodent-like creatures), caimans, pink dolphins and at least 450 species of birds make their home there.

From Merida, it is only a seven-hour drive to Los Llanos. The best time to visit is in the dry season from December to April when the animals are more easily observed as they gather around watering holes.

There are two ways to watch wildlife. The more expensive option is to fly to Barinas and be taken to a hato. Pay about US$110 a day for upscale lodging with meals and excursions.

The cheaper alternative, around US$45 a day, is to sign up with a tour operator in Merida. You get to see the same wildlife but your base is a no-frills campamento.

My four-day excursion included a rafting trip on the Acequias river and we tracked wildlife in jeeps and boats.

The highlight was seeing pink dolphins on the Apure river and a 4m-long anaconda that our guide managed to prise from its hiding hole on the riverbank.

From Los Llanos, I went to the marine park of Mochima off the coast of Sante Fe.

This unpretentious fishing village has become an eco-tourist destination among backpackers, offering island-hopping and snorkelling in coral-rich waters.

I saw dolphins during a boat trip to explore some offshore islands.

With a laid-back atmosphere and inexpensive wining and dining (seafood galore) at a fraction of prices on the Caribbean islands, Sante Fe provided just the perfect ending note to a satisfying Venezuelan adventure.

Tan Chung Lee is a freelance writer.
Photos: Tan Chung Lee

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