Venezuela at top UK adventure tourism event

Showing off the new guide with Adrian Phillips, Bradt publishing director and guidebook author, at the Bradt book stall at the Adventure Travel Live show in London.


This Sunday, 30 January, from 15:00 till 15:45, I'll be giving a talk about travelling in Venezuela at the Adventure Travel Live tourism fair at the Royal Horticultural Halls in Victoria London. 
The event brings together all the major adventure travel companies, guidebook publishers and specialist magazines for a three-day bonanza aimed at publicizing off-the-beaten track destinations, specialist wildlife destinations and once-in-a-lifetime travel experiences.
This is a great opportunity for me to promote Venezuela as a travel destination, especially Los Llanos, Catatumbo, Angel Falls, Mount Roraima, Los Roques and cool places like Choroni.
It's also the perfect venue to talk about my new book - The Bradt Guide to Venezuela.
Here's the description of the talk from the Adventure Travel Live website:

Venezuela: Wildlife Wonderland - Russell Maddicks

One of the 17 most megadiverse countries in the world, Venezuela, perched at the top of South America, is hot, tropical and 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. In this talk, Russell Maddicks, who has been adventuring in Venezuela for more than 20 years, will highlight the main wildlife areas to visit and what you can expect to see. He will also give practical tips on how to minimize your impact on these fragile environments, travel responsibly, and give something back to the local communities you stay with.

Special advance price:
Adults: £6. Under 16s free.Order online at adventuretravellive.com or call 0871 230 7159 and quote “PV4”.

On door price:
Adults: £10. Under 16s free.

Show opening times:
Friday 28 January 6pm to 9pm
Saturday 29 January 10am to 6pm
Sunday 30 January 10am to 5pm

Los Llanos, Roraima and Choroni in The Guardian

Four of Venezuela's hottest travel destinations - Los Llanos, Roraima, Angel Falls and Choroni/Puerto Colombia - made a welcome appearance in the UK press on Saturday, featuring in a travel piece by Grainne Mooney in the Guardian.

The author was blown away by the sheer abundance of wildlife at Hato Cedral in Los LLanos, although she doesn't mention the excellent evening entertainment, when the ranch hands tie up their horses for the night, pull out the harp and maracas and treat guests to the authentic sounds of Venezuela's cowboy country.

She also experienced the full arctic freeze of the air-conditioning on a Venezuelan coach, during a 24-hour trip from the Llanos to Santa Elena from where she trekked to the top of Roraima and marveled at the hopless frogs, carnivorous plants and weird rock formations on the plateau.

If I have a quibble it's that the article isn't entirely accurate about the name change for the world's highest waterfall, Angel Falls or Salto Angel in Spanish, which is currently named after US bush pilot Jimmie Angel.

President Chavez has suggested that the indigenous Pemon name for the falls, Kerepakupai-Meru, should replace Salto Angel, but for now it's still only a suggestion.

Additionally, I would advise anybody spending a few days in Choroni/Puerto Colombia to take a boat ride to the cacao plantation of Chuao and to trek up into the could forest of the Henri Pittier National Park, one of the best birding sites in Venezuela.

To read the Guardian article in full click here: The lost world of Venezuela