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Travel to Venezuela! ___________________________________________________________
 If you wish to visit Venezuela since France or another European country, do not hesitate has to contact us. We are able to find you tickets necessary for your voyage to the best prices. Once on the spot, we can put to you in relation to the best guides whatever the sector than you wish to visit: “Gran Sabana” with the splendid "Angel Falls”, the “delta of Orinoco”, the “Llanos” with its properties and the borders of the Andes with the splendid one quotes of MERIDA. Another great classic of Venezuela, island of Margarita and his splendid beaches. The departures can as well be made since Puerto la Cruz, or we have our offices, as from CARACAS. We can deal with to you as of your arrives has the international airport Simon BOLIVAR, locates to MAIQUETIA, to 20 kilometers of CARACAS.
Some advice for your travel! _________________________________________________
Visa: No necessary visa for enters to Venezuela for the members of the European Community. Your passport must be valid at least 6 months as from the date of enters the country. To your arrives a card of tourist (tarjeta de ingreso) will be given to you (validity 3 months). For those which would wish to remain longer, the card of resident is necessary. The formalities of obtaining are enough complicate especially if one cannot justify a regular income (retirement, pension, wages). It is sometimes easier to obtain with the Embassy of Venezuela of its country of origin.
Vaccines: No vaccine requires, we advise you nevertheless the yellow fever, especially if you wish to travel to the interior of the country (obligatory to pass to Brazil)
Currency: Le Bolivar (Bs.) reconvertie le 1er janvier 2008 en Bolivar Fuerte (Bs.F.), se change officiellement au taux de 2,15 bolivars pour un dollar (US) et 3,15 pour un Euro. L´usage de la carte de crédit est fortement déconseillé mais sera nécessaire dans certain cas (location voitures). Les chèques de voyage ne sont pas toujours faciles à utiliser.
Security: Venezuela suffers a very bad reputation, however the things should be relativized. As in all America of the South, it is necessary to take some care: no the ostentatious wearing of jewels, to set out again its money in several places, not exhiber of important bundles.
Important: to avoid changing in the street, you will be attacked mirobolantes proposals for your Euros or your Dollars, do not take this risk. The bad statistics of the delinquency in this country are primarily has certain districts, that it either has Caracas or in the other large cities. As in France, it is to better avoid certain districts or there is elsewhere nothing has to see. Violence is exerted especially in the poor districts and the Venezuelans undergo it much more than the tourists.
Climate: The climate is primarily tropical, excludes in the Andes. The rains are strong and frequent in the majority of the areas and according to the season (envisage a light rainwear which you will be able to preserve with you).
Transports: Interior air lines: a good network of airports, served by several local companies, makes it possible to join the various cities of the country, nevertheless that proves rather expensive. The means of transport the most economic remainder drank it. The tariffs allow displacements has very competitive prices. Rotations are frequent. The large companies use modern material and air-conditions (very often too air-conditions, envisage a pullover if you use these means of transport) If you summers a group of 3 or 4 people, you can rent a taxi to go from cities downtown. If you negotiate well, you will obtain a tariff interesting due to the price of the fuel. That remains one of the best means of visiting this country, if the driver leads too quickly do not hesitate has to point out it has the order. The hirings of cars are very expensive and rather rare, excludes on island of Margarita.
Lodgings: A good network of hotels of all categories in the large cities or one can find the large international chains. One finds there also many small establishments comfortable has very correct prices (70.000 Bolivars surroundings for room air-conditions with bathroom). A council, for one night calm, avoid the “Mataderos” or the rooms are rent per hour. Out of the cities, you will find many “Posadas” with variable comfort but with the often excellent reception. Avoid the camp-site, far from practical in Venezuela.
Restaurants and Gastronomy: It should be said that Venezuela do not have an important typical gastronomy but in spite of one eats there very well. The typical dishes not to say the typical dish be the “pabellon”, meat accompanies by black beans, white rice, fried bananas and cheese local bench rape, at the time of Christmas one can taste another typical dish which is the “hallaca” and to finish it there with the “arepa” (wafer of maes): the bread Venezuelan. As for the restaurants, you will find many restaurants Italian or Spanish, there is also the fashion of the Japanese restaurants but they are not cheap. In Puerto la Cruz, more particularly on Paseo Colon you will find many restaurants Lebanese.
Average prices of the hotels and the restaurants:
Economic lodging : 7 – 16,5 euro.
Hotel of average category : 17- 33 euro.
Higher hotel of category : 34 euro and more.
Economic meal : 2,5 - 5,5 euro.
Restaurant of average category : 6 – 11 euro.
Higher restaurant of category : 12 euro and more.
Public holidays: There are many public holidays in Venezuela, there is important to hold account of it because they are often not work..
1° January: New Year
19 and February 20: Carnival
April 5: Thursday and Good Friday
April 19: Declaration of Independence
1° May: Day of work
June 24: Battle of Carabobo
July 5: Day of Independence
July 24: Birth “del Libertador” Simón Bolívar
October 12: Discovered of America
December 17: Died “del Libertador” Simón Bolívar
December 25: Christmas
Before coming to join us in Venezuela, you must take into account the non-working current dates and holidays because the Venezuelans particularly take attacks the hotels for Christmas, Carnaval and Holy Week. If your holidays coincident with its dates, we advise you to organize and to reserve your lodging with anticipation, thus you will benefit from an environment very animates and festive; but if you like peace ..... change dates, the tourist period lasts all the year but the season cig is more pleasant (of December May has). The famous "Angel falls” are more impressive during the rain season.
History! ________________________________________________________________________
Discovered by Christophe COLOMB, at the time of its 3rd voyage in 1498, which was to become Venezuela is then people by the Caribbean Indians, those having huntings Arawaks towards the interior. The population of this territory is then very few. The descendants of these Indian tribes account for currently only 3% of the population. The Spanish colonizers call this country “small Venice“ what will give the name of Venezuela.
The first colony will be fixed has Cumaná, in the East of the Country. Thereafter with XVIeme and the XVIIeme century, the territory will be separate between the Occident, depend on the viceroyalty of Peru and the Orientales provinces depending on Santo Domingo and this until 1731, when is creates the Harbour office of Caracas gathering the whole of the country. As on all the American continent, the will of independence will be felt. In 1806, a first attempt will be directs by general Francisco de Miranda.
After this failure, the general one will be joined by that which will become the emblematic figure, the “Libertador” Simon BOLIVAR. Independence will be declares on July 5, 1811, Miranda being names generalissime before being book with the Spaniards in 1812. It will die in captivity in Spain 4 years later in 1812. BOLIVAR Simon having replaces it will obtain two important victories, Boyacá (1819) and Carabobo (1821). Independence will be effective only in 1824. The great dream of Bolivar a State Federal Southern American will never be born in spite of the attempt at a union, Large Colombia, gathering Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador.
Simon Bolivar will never return to Venezuela and will die desperate in Colombia in 1830. Since this period until 1945, the country will be directs by “autocrats” or “caudillos” which will use oligarchy places from there to be maintained with the capacity. Coup d'etat and civil war will follow one another slowing down the development of the country which, however, will obtain a constitution and will be transformed into State Federal including/understanding 20 autonomous States. Among these dictators, some will show to a certain effectiveness in the modernization of the country such Guzman Blanco, others as Cipriano Castro will be a true catastrophe. An unquestionable development of the country will take place with the first incomes of oil, between 1908 and 1935, under the crook of Juan Vincente Gomez call the “Benemerito”. The seizure of power in 1945 of Romulo Betancourt, directing the party “Action Democratic “will make some improvements and will allow the election of Romulo Gallego, first really elected president in a democratic way. This one will be quickly shift by military.
A last dictatorship between 1952 and 1958, with Marco Perez Jimenez, will see some beautiful improvements in the life of the country like the construction of motorways. Romulo Betancourt will return to the capacity and in spite of a difficult situation, guerrilla Marxist and opposition of the soldiers, will arrive has to maintain a certain form of democracy.
The party” Action Democratic “with Carlos Andres Perez and Raul Leoni (of French origin like Betancourt) and “Democratic Christian” will follow one another the capacity without to manage to organize a real economic development in spite of the enormous contribution of the incomes tanker. The creation of a coalition between the Democratic Action and several other small parties, “Convergencia Nacional” will bring to the capacity Rafael Caldera between 1994 and 1999 (he was an already President of 1969 has 1974) Its effective action will be slows down by the need for taking austerity measures to try to rectify the economy of the country. It will be obliges to suspend constitutional freedoms in 1994, will restore them thereafter. The attempt at coup d'etat of Hugo Chavez Frias in 1992, the insurrectionary demonstrations of 1996 will bring a great political instability. The election of Hugo Chavez (amnesties by Caldera) in 1998 will see the emergence of a new political force the “movement fifth republic, MVR” and will raise many hopes. The incapacity and the disunion of the opposition will bring the creation of one Assemble Constituent dominates has 90% by Chavistes. This one, chairs by Isaias Rodriguez, is octroye the full powerss out of legislative matter and will give a new constitution, approves by a popular referendum on December 15, 1999.
The seizure of the government on the company petroliere PDVSA which generates enormous incomes should give has this one the means of carrying out reform them promised. Those are currently in hand and cause many hopes in the popular mediums. In spite of some disillusions of some and the impatience of others.
The re-election of Chavez in December 2006 with more than 60% of the voices shows the confidence of people in his leader but the concentration of all the capacities in only one hand, the pressures on the press, the will to establish a socialism of the XXI° century copies on that of Cuba whose economic failure is obvious inspire a certain fear has many Venezuelans. The financial assistances grant to the friendly states (Cuba, Bolivia, Ecuador, Nicaragua) whereas many local needs cannot be satisfied cause an unquestionable hostility. The people Venezuelan often flatter by nationalism prone by Chavez remain deeply individualistic and show his impatience in front of reform promised and whose results appear at the very least dubious. These various feelings, joined to the rebirth of a credible opposition could threaten current stability without fast results in particular in the fight against inflation and the insecurity. The unpopularity of the mode could increase as quickly as the prices.
Some historic figures of Venezuela! _____________________________________________
Economy! ______________________________________________________________________
Venezuela undergo an economic crisis engraves since many years. The successive devaluations have rolls the purchasing power of the middle class and the popular masses. Although as one of the richest countries of America of the South with an income per capita of almost 10.000 Dollar regards per annum. Main efforts are made by the current government in favour of health, of the elimination of illiteracy. However of many Venezuelans survive with difficulty. The country suffers a great disparity from means between rich person and the poor, which is common to the whole of Latin America. The real attempts at regulation of walk carry out by the government of Hugo Chavez does not produce the discounts results in spite of the injection of an unceasingly increasing share of the oil incomes in the social life. The creation of popular stores, the “Mercal” which have important successes do not arrive however has to weigh on inflation. However, the country has a fabulous richness with its oil layers and of natural gases. The sharp increase in prices of the barrel bring back enormous sums. The oil reservoirs exploit since 1914, of access by companies etrangeres, then by PDVSA in collaboration with these same companies whose royalties are regularly increase generate an unceasingly increasing share of the local GNP. Oil and its derivatives are everywhere, a great part of these richnesses are not yet exploit and the country still has many of other assets like the iron ore, second national richness, bauxite, gold and diamonds. There are also important layers of coal, manganese and money. Local industry remains related on derived and the refinery of the petroleum products. The installation of large steel-works has Ciudad Guayana as well as the creation of many hydraulic factories combine with the bauxite layers should allow Venezuela to quickly become a country industrializes.
Agriculture, in spite of many helps and a particularly favorable climate, does not arrive has to provide the necessary one to the population venezuelienne and of many foodstuffs must be import, that is also valid for the breeding. The local production gives primarily coffee and cocoa, of which an east part exports as well as but and citrus fruits for local consumption.
Population! ______________________________________________________________________
The population counts currently more than 26 million inhabitants in the various beginnings. The population of origin, the Amerindians, remains very minority and live primarily in Guyana Venezuelan, the drills tropical and the delta of Orenoque. The population of African origin come to work in the plantations counts for surroundings 10% of the total population. The mongrels, 70%, form the great majority of this population. The White, surroundings 20%, live primarily in the great urban centres and on the dimensions. A more recent emigration composes of Chinese and of Lebanese currently takes in hand the small local trade and starts has to play an increasingly important part in the life. For the first time in 2004, a candidate of origin Arab, Tarek William Saab, is elected with the head of the government of the State de Anzoátegui. |
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