Colombia & Venezuela
The northen neighbours of South America are rich in history, wildlife and dramatic scenery.
COLOMBIA was named after the great explorer Christopher Columbus. It is located in the northwestern region of South America, bordered by Venezuela, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru and Panama. Its coasts reach the Atlantic Ocean, through the Caribbean Sea, and the Pacific Ocean. At over 1.1 million sq km it is the fourth largest country in South America and the largest Spanish speaking nation on the continent in terms of population with 43 million inhabitants. There are also about 65 indigenous languages Colombia’s landscape is that of contrasts, from the towering snowcapped peaks of the Andes to the hot and humid plains of the Amazon River Basin, to a vast tropical coastal plain in the north. The capital of Bogotá is an elegant and vibrant city. The colourful Caribbean port of Cartagena with its cobbled alleys and fortresses conjures up images of pirates and explorers. San Andres Island is a paradise in the Caribbean Sea, a hideaway of turquoise waters and white sands. The ‘Lost City’ is an archaeological marvel as are the ruins of San Agustin. Colombia also offers spectacular national parks from the tropical Amazon jungle to high plateaus of the Andes. The countryside is almost littered with coffee plantations and flower and fruit orchards. Colombia has certainly had its share of problems over the years with the cocaine wars, but it seems to be emerging from this and as long as you exercise caution and stay away from the trouble spots, it can be a fascinating page in your photo album.
VENEZUELA is located in the upper northeast corner of South America, with the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the East. It borders the Republic of Guyana, Brazil and Colombia. With an area of 916.445 km2, and a coastline of 2.823 km, it has a great diversity of landscape, flora and fauna. Venezuela’s population is over 25 million. Spanish is the official language, but more than 30 Amerindian languages are still spoken.The cosmopolitan capital, Caracas is located in the valley of the Guaire River along the slopes of Mount Avila’s National Park. Venezuela’s Amazon basin offers a huge array of wildlife and 10 Amerindian ethnicities and the only-one in its primitive existence: the Yanomami group. Canaima boasts a giant National Park of 3 millions hectares, as big as Switzerland, located in the Table-Top mountain region of Venezuela and is home to the highest waterfalls in the world, Angel Falls. La Gran Sabana is one of the most spectacular highlands in the world; it is vast, wild, beautiful, empty and silent. The Orinoco Delta covers an area of about 25.000 sq.kms, and infinity of channels ending at the Atlantic Ocean along some 360 kms of coast. The Delta of Orinoco is inhabited by Warao Amerindian people, The Llanos (Savannah) occupy the entire central part of Venezuela. Old Cattle-Ranches, known as “Hatos”, have recently turned to ecotourism, with comfortable lodges. The Llanos are Venezuela’s greatest repository of wildlife, especially birds, which live here permanently or gather seasonally to breed and feed, from as far away as Alaska & Canada. Margarita Island is the isle with more beaches in the Caribbean Sea only surpassed by Cuba. Venezuela – a myriad of possibilities.