Whitewater Rafting in Barinas

Whitewater Rafting in Barinas State: The Merida-based adventure tour company Arassari Trek took me on a bumpy, adrenaline-pumping ride down a Grade III stretch of foaming rapids on the Rio Acequias in October as part of the FitVen2013 International Tourism Fair.

It was my first time rafting in Barinas and for a relatively short ride of some 90 minutes it lived up to all the hype I've heard about the rivers here.

I was travelling with a group of international journalists and it was interesting to hear an Ecuadorian travel writer from Baños rave about how pristine the forest was around the river and how clean the water was compared to rafting sites in Ecuador.  

The water in the Acequias was cold at first, but that's not surprising, considering that it's source is one of the glaciers on Pico Bolivar, the highest mountain in Venezuela.  

All in all, rafting with Arassari was a great experience and the barbecued beef we had for lunch was so tender a Uruguayan journalist called for a round of applause for the chef. 

Bradt Guide to Venezuela: At home with the author Russell Maddicks

Author, translator and traveller Russell Maddicks discusses his latest book: "The Bradt Guide to Venezuela" in a short film directed and shot at his house in Caversham by Reading film maker Jorge Franca.

Venezuela's mysterious Catatumbo Lightning on ABC News

Sorry about the annoying advert. If you wait 16 seconds you can watch an interesting report by ABC News about a unique Venezuelan phenomenon known as Catatumbo Lightning, a nightly show of thunderless lightning that occurs over the southern part of Lake Maracaibo.

Video of a talk about Venezuela I gave in London

This is the video of an illustrated talk about travel and tourism in Venezuela I gave at the Venezuelan cultural centre, Bolivar Hall, in London on 7 July.

Exploring Venezuela: A Land of Natural Wonders in Words, Sounds and Pictures
In this illustrated talk, Russell Maddicks, the author of the Bradt Guide to Venezuela will highlight some of the most fascinating areas of Venezuela to visit and what you can expect to see and do.

Drawing on his experience of adventuring in Venezuela for more than 20 years, the author will take you to:

* The "Lost World" mountain of Roraima and the unique ecosystem of its summit

* The thunderless lightning phenomenon in the south of Lake Maracaibo known as Catatumbo Lightning

* The magical mountain of Sorte where devotees of Maria Lionza practice a syncretic religion unique to the country

* The record-breaking and awe-inspiring waterfall of Angel Falls, known as Kerepacupai-meru to the local Pemon people.

One of the 17 most megadiverse countries in the world, Venezuela is home to Caribbean beaches, dense rainforests, high Andean valleys, mysterious table-top tepui mountains, and seasonally-flooded plains that are literally teeming with birds, beasts and creepy-crawlies.

From the anacondas, capybaras and crocodiles of Los Llanos, to the jaguars, monkeys and tarantulas of the jungle, a well-planned trip to this fascinating country can reap rich rewards for wildlife watchers.

Venezuela is also alive with the sound of folk music, from the Afro-Venezuelan tambores of the coast, to the harp-driven Joropo songs of Los Llanos and during his talk the author will present several examples of the music to be found in the regions he discusses.

There will be a live group performing traditional folk music, an opportunity to sample some of Venezuela's excellent local rum and Gillian Howe of Geodyssey - a tailor-made travel company specializing in organized trips to Venezuela - will be on hand to offer her own expert tips and advice on travelling in Venezuela.

Explore Venezuela in London - Bolivar Hall - 7 July

Click on photo to expand. Catatumbo Lightning image courtesy of Alan Highton.

Exploring Venezuela: A Land of Natural Wonders in Words, Sounds and Pictures

In this illustrated talk, Russell Maddicks, the author of the Bradt Guide to Venezuela will highlight some of the most fascinating areas of Venezuela to visit and what you can expect to see and do.

Drawing on his experience of adventuring in Venezuela for more than 20 years, the author will take you to:

* The "Lost World" mountain of Roraima and the unique ecosystem of its summit

* The thunderless lightning phenomenon in the south of Lake Maracaibo known as Catatumbo Lightning

* The magical mountain of Sorte where devotees of Maria Lionza practice a syncretic religion unique to the country

* The record-breaking and awe-inspiring waterfall of Angel Falls, known as Kerepacupai-meru to the local Pemon people.

One of the 17 most megadiverse countries in the world, Venezuela is home to Caribbean beaches, dense rainforests, high Andean valleys, mysterious table-top tepui mountains, and seasonally-flooded plains that are literally teeming with birds, beasts and creepy-crawlies.

From the anacondas, capybaras and crocodiles of Los Llanos, to the jaguars, monkeys and tarantulas of the jungle, a well-planned trip to this fascinating country can reap rich rewards for wildlife watchers.

Venezuela is also alive with the sound of folk music, from the Afro-Venezuelan tambores of the coast, to the harp-driven Joropo songs of Los Llanos and during his talk the author will present several examples of the music to be found in the regions he discusses.

There will be a live group performing traditional folk music, an opportunity to sample some of Venezuela's excellent local rum and Gillian Howe of Geodyssey - a tailor-made travel company specializing in organized trips to Venezuela - will be on hand to offer her own expert tips and advice on travelling in Venezuela.

Venue:  Bolivar Hall, the Venezuelan cultural centre in London, 54 Grafton Way, London, W1T 5DL
Nearest Tube: Warren Street
Doors open: 7:15 p.m. 
Date: 7 July

Bradt Guide to Venezuela - come and meet the author

Writing a guidebook can be a lonely business, hours and hours checking facts and then even more hours writing them up to make sure your guide is as up-to-date and useful as possible.

So it's nice to have a chance to meet your readers and get some feedback on what they like about the book and what they think you could add.

That's why I'm so excited about meeting my public at an event being planned for 7 July at Bolivar Hall, the Venezuelan cultural centre in London.

It's designed to appeal to anybody interested in travelling to Venezuela as well as those who simply like to see beautiful images of unique destinations, such as Los Roques, Choroni, Los Llanos, Canaima, Angel Falls and Mount Roraima.

The main focus of the evening will be illustrated talk covering my favourite places to visit, what to see and do and some background on history, folk music, gastronomy, fauna and flora.

But we'll also have some excellent Venezuelan rum to get everybody in the mood and music from Los Llanos to bring a little bit of Venezuela to London.

The date is just provisonal for now but as soon as it's confirmed I'll post something here with the full details.

David Attenborough explores freaky plants on Roraima

British TV naturalist David Attenborough climbs Venezuela's Mount Roraima to get up close and personal with some of the freaky carnivorous plants that live up there.