Venezuela, 4th: The Bradt Travel Guide (Paperback)

by Hilary Dunsterville-Branch (Author) "Venezuela is an excellent gateway country to South America, with some of the cheapest flights to the continent routed through the capital, Caracas, and charters..." (more)
Key Phrases: por presto, jumbo mall, person with breakfast, Ciudad Bolivar, Gran Sabana, Puerto La Cruz (more...)

Editorial Reviews

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"Information which is vital to the newcomer or prospective traveler...is all here"
--Royal Automobile Club, UK
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"Information which is vital to the newcomer or prospective traveler is all here"
--Royal Automobile Club, UK

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Product Details

• Paperback: 500 pages
• Publisher: Bradt Travel Guides; 4th edition (February 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1841620548
• ISBN-13: 978-1841620541
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #951,374 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

56 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars At last a practical guide, February 25, 2000

By	Jon Hendrikson (Denver Colorado) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Guide to Venezuela: The Bradt Travel Guide (Paperback)

Hilary Dunsterville Branch's guide to Venezuela is the best guide out there in the market. I've just got back from a month backpacking around the country and I wish I'd bought it before I left the States. As it was I was lucky enough to bump into a French couple that gave me their copy in Merida in the Venezuelan Andes. After three days traveling with Branch's book I dumped my Lonely Planet Guide in the trash. Not only does she give you the practical details on off the beaten track beaches like Choroni, Santa Fe and Morrocoy but she gives you the run down on the cheapest places backpackers can stay. The history was good and easy to read. She got me up to the top of Mount Roraima and her section on the Rio Caura is excellent. What can I say. Thanks to this guide I now know that a month isn't long enough to spend in this incredible tropical country. I'm going back again next year and I'll be taking Branch with me.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The most accurate and informative travel guide to Venezuela, April 26, 2006

By	Christopher J. Sharpe "Chris Sharpe" (Caracas, Venezuela) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Venezuela is a long-overlooked paradise for backpackers, adventure travellers and special interest visitors like hikers, climbers, rafters and birders. The same size as neighbouring Colombia, but with half the population, Venezuela's natural environment is in good shape. The north of the country harbours 90% of the population, leaving the huge southern states of Amazonas and Bolivar with one of the lowest population densities in America. Indeed, without roads or railways, this area forms part of the world's largest tropical wilderness. Add to that the largest area under protection of any country in the Western Hemisphere, 43 national parks (two of them over 30,000 sq. km) and one of the top ten largest protected areas in the world (the 84,000 sq. km Alto Orinoco-Casiquiare Biosphere Reserve) and you can see why Venezuela is an exciting place to visit.

It is fifteen years since the first edition of the "No Frills Guide to Venezuela", written by Hilary Branch and published by Hilary Bradt. Since then, this book has been at the forefront of travel guides to Venezuela. The key to its success is simple: the author lives in Venezuela and regularly travels to the places she describes. The book is therefore much more accurate - and more exciting! - than say the rival Lonely Planet or the Footprint Guide. This 2003 edition stretches to 538 pages, yet it is still compact enough to be portable. The text is succinct and readable. Hilary distils her experience into the every section of the book from an expanded treatment of Caracas to detailed information on hiking in Roraima and travelling up the River Caura. There are plenty of maps to help the visitor too. A strong conservation focus is welcome, with information about wildlife and habitats, environmental issues, conservation projects and NGOs. Definitely the book the discerning visitor should acquire for a successful trip to Venezuela.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thorough information on Venezuela, September 19, 2005

By	M. Becki - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The guide contains a lot of details on where to go and how to find things. Opening hours are not always as given in the guide. You might find places open at other times and closed at the times indicated.
Not many pictures but very good information on sites i.e. historical background, ...